Chapter Thirty-One

  After winning this item known as the most cruel, closest to actual combat, and most testing of people's courage, willpower, and wisdom in the world, he also led all the way in subsequent competitions, creating and refreshing the best results in the history of "Aier Na Tuji", and also brought this competition to a new level.

  Shooting at moving targets with a pistol was conducted under nighttime conditions, with 10 targets in total. Only after hitting one target would the next appear, requiring extremely strict standards. However, each member of the Chinese team was a sharpshooter, and as soon as the gun fired, the targets fell, instantly eliminating all targets from 20 to 50 meters away.

  The rifle shooting had 12 targets at a distance of up to 400 meters, which was unprecedented in previous competitions. Both Chinese teams hit all 12 targets and still had 4 bullets left over, winning thunderous applause from the on-site judges and other competitors.

  When crossing the minefield, only the participating Chinese team did not trigger any landmines, and no other teams achieved this. The actions of the Chinese team members were extremely standardized, and when crossing the minefield, it was simply a very beautiful landscape. They followed one after another, accurately stepping on the footprints of the previous person, and passed through the minefield one by one, even the judges were shocked by their brilliant "performance".

  The 6-kilometer loaded march was a very difficult task. The team members who had been running at high intensity for three days and nights were already exhausted, but as soon as they arrived at the checkpoint, the judges gave the order to start. They ran while searching for targets on the map, crossing forest after forest, river after river, and swamp after swamp, finally crossing the finish line in just over 30 minutes with an absolute advantage. The military officers from various countries who were watching the competition were stunned, finding it hard to believe that Chinese scouts could complete the task in such a short time under such harsh geographical conditions. An American officer asked Ambassador Liu Zhao why the Chinese team was running so fast and what they ate. Ambassador Liu jokingly replied: "They eat hardship, they eat the spirit of perseverance and struggle, and they have strict and good training every day."

  In archery, battlefield rescue, military five events, rowing and other competitions, the Chinese team has been leading all the way.

  Major General Johannes Kert of the Estonian Land Forces announced at the beautiful Garden Hotel in Tallinn that the Chinese team won the overall first place in the 9th "Erna Raid" International Reconnaissance Competition. At this time, the applause was thunderous, and people were shocked by the excellent results achieved by the Chinese team. Because from the first competition, it has always been the host team that dominated, the victory of the Chinese team completely broke this situation. Moreover, the Chinese team took the lead from the first day and led all the way to the final victory, leaving no chance for all the participating opponents.

  As Colonel Kok said, "This is the best result China has achieved in five years and the best result a foreign team has ever achieved - they defeated Estonia. The Chinese team's excellent military skills, tenacious fighting spirit, flexible tactical use and strict adherence to the rules of the game have won praise from all quarters. China's victory has taken this competition to a new level."

  The good performance and high morale of the Chinese team throughout the competition became a "hot topic" in Estonian media. An article commented on the Chinese special forces: "The voices of the Chinese team members are like gifts, giving people a special feeling. They always smile during the competition, without any sign of fatigue." When visiting the control station to watch the match, US delegation leader Colonel Sampert said emotionally to Liu Zhao, China's military attaché to Finland (also ambassador to Estonia): "I'm an old soldier from the 60s, I participated in the Vietnam War. Watching your Chinese team members compete is really exciting. Their exquisite skills and brave style are also unbelievable. If I were younger, I would definitely go on stage to try with them."

  At the awards ceremony, a foreign journalist asked Yuan Shuai, "This is just a game. What makes you persist in an almost desperate environment? As far as we know, you have made many incredible moves in this game."

  Yuan Shuai calmly said: "It's simple, because at the beginning of the competition we started in contempt from other countries. So we must end this game with their applause through our own actions and achievements." Just two short sentences, but they were powerful and evocative. Instantly, a long-lasting round of applause erupted.

  The award ceremony began, but after waiting for more than half an hour, the officer hosting the awards had not yet appeared, and a murmur of discontent spread among the reporters below. After a few minutes, the staff informed the Chinese team that they had not prepared a Chinese national flag for this competition. Upon hearing this news, their hearts were like thousands of galloping horses, with inner anger unable to be expressed in words. However, on the surface, they remained calm as water. Yuan Shuai ran up to the awards podium and said in English: "Ladies and gentlemen, as everyone knows, our team won first place in this competition with an uncontested score. But when the flag of the People's Republic of China was about to be raised on this honor representative podium, they told us there was no Chinese national flag. This is not their fault, because before, they only knew that Chinese people wore long gowns and braids. But I think in the future, they will know better and prepare a Chinese national flag."

  Under the stage, silence.

  Then burst into warm applause.

  This is how the world works, when you fawn all over foreigners and try to curry favor with them, they look down on you even more. Dignity can only be earned through one's own strength. Bread cannot be exchanged for respect, and peace requires a strong military as a bargaining chip.

  The flowers and applause tonight belong to the Chinese special forces, and also belong to the Chinese people. Tonight they thought a lot. Stroking the "Kalyev Warriors" trophy, tears burst out of their eyes, honor forged in blood, shining in tears.

  They stepped onto the long-lost motherland, and the military leaders and comrades held a grand celebration ceremony for them. The chairman also affirmed their achievements on television.