Chapter 3: Blood-Stained Elegance

  After the smoke dispersed, Cheng Feng waved his hand and rushed into the cave with Old Li. The strong smell of burnt offerings in the cave made both Cheng Feng and Old Li cough continuously.

  As the wind blows, looking around in this not-so-large cave, on the left side is a charred Indian military corpse, and a similarly charred light machine gun was thrown aside, it was this guy who just fired.

  The room's interior was a command center, with several telephones scattered on a charred desk, several maps that had been burned, and a military laptop that was also blackened. Behind the desk lay three Indian Army bodies, impossible to distinguish as officers or soldiers.

  From the shape of the corpses, this should be an officer and his entourage. The room is filled with boxes of military supplies, food and medicine, which should be enough to last for a while.

  "Captain, you're still a captain," Zhang Yu didn't know when he also rushed in and had already picked up the body of the Indian military officer who was lying on the ground next to the table. From the faintly discernible uniform, Cheng Feng saw the captain's insignia.

  "Not bad, Little Liu, took out a command post and eliminated a senior lieutenant." Cheng Feng said with a pat on Little Liu's shoulder.

  "This is still my first time," said Little Liu, with a silly smile on his face.

  "Zhang Yu, you stay and check if there's anything useful, also carefully search for any materials. Old Li, you several people come with me to continue searching." Cheng Feng waved his hand and led Old Li, Xiao Liu and others to continue searching from the right side of the cave entrance.

  After walking a few steps, the number of Indian army corpses increased, lying randomly in the trenches. Cheng Feng checked the bodies casually and found that most of them were not killed by bullets or bayonets, but rather died from the sudden and dense artillery fire. The position was not large, and soon they had walked around it. After checking 581, Cheng Feng looked at his watch, the pointer pointing to 1200.

  After Cheng Feng and his men confirmed that there were no more surviving Indian troops on the position, Cheng Feng began to take stock of the 581 high ground for the first time, which had cost them such sacrifices. The 581 high ground was not large, with an area of about 200 square meters, but it was located at the highest point of a mountain pass. Any side that occupied this place could completely control the depth of both sides for 20 kilometers, and this is why 581 was so important.

  A morning of non-stop attack, resistance, attack, and resistance. Nearly 300 soldiers from both sides fell on this small hill. Tens of thousands of artillery shells were fired, and thousands of rockets were launched by armed helicopters. In the end, although Cheng Feng's troops finally occupied the position, they suffered heavy casualties, with almost an entire reinforced company being wiped out at the forefront of the small hill. Of a fully-staffed company, fewer than 30 men are now able to stand.

  The 8th Company where Cheng Feng is located is a team with a glorious tradition, from the distant Red Army period, the Anti-Japanese War period, to the Liberation War and the First India-Pakistan War period, it has always been an unbeatable and unbreakable team.

  At any time, as long as there is one person left in this unit, it will continue to charge and fight without stopping. In history, their regiment has been reduced to only one wounded soldier at times, but no matter what time it is, the soul of this unit remains. As long as the soul of this unit remains, no matter who is added to supplement it, it can immediately form a combat force. The people are all replaced, but the unit is still the Eighth Company, this heroic company.

  This battle is completely different from the one decades ago. Cheng Feng remembers that the old leaders of the troops told them, and the materials they received all indicate that the Indian army was not so stubborn before, and their military quality is far inferior to ours.

  Cheng Feng remembered that in 1962, these old men were almost chasing after the enemy's heels, while the Indian army was basically defeated at the first touch and had no power to fight back. But now the Indian army in front of him is making Cheng Feng look up to them.

  These guys not only shoot accurately, but the Indian army's machine guns and automatic rifles formed a strong firepower at the beginning, causing huge losses to them. Moreover, the Indian army's artillery was also accurate, and their deep large-caliber artillery and front-line 100mm, 60mm cannons formed a powerful firepower on the front line of 581, even creating three artillery fire isolation zones at one point.

  Finally, the artillery group of the army corps and they directly engaged in an artillery battle. The Chinese military, which had a slight technical advantage, only gained control of the battlefield at the last moment. Moreover, the Indian troops' ammunition was depleted, otherwise Cheng Feng might not have been able to get within 100 meters of them.

  The Indian Air Force's armed helicopters also cooperated tacitly, and the powerful low-altitude strafing was like a death net. If it weren't for our timely arrival of WZ-11 brothers who engaged in "helicopter-to-helicopter combat" with them, using the tactic of mutual destruction, I estimate that all of Cheng Feng's troops would have been killed at the 581 front line.

  His soldiers were also good, not a single one was a coward. Under the firepower of artillery and armed helicopters from both sides, these soldiers who participated in actual combat for the first time, whether they were injured or killed, all fell forward with their heads and bodies on the road to attack 581, leaving behind nearly 200 people's blood and lives on the road from the attack point to less than 200 meters away from 581.

  Command post, command post,

  I am Hachimaki, I am Hachimaki

  Hearing is believing, hearing is believing!

  "We have taken 581, we have taken 581..."

  News of victory is flying on the radio waves!

  This should be a moment of jubilation, with loud cheers, but not one soldier did so. The young soldiers looked serious and hurriedly searched for usable equipment and firearms on the rugged 581 high ground.

  Most importantly, the dearest brothers who were once by our side have left, and we cannot let even a tiny bit of their belongings remain in this cold and cruel place. We must help bring them back home, and personally hand them over to their loved ones, no matter if it's just a corner of a letter or a burnt photograph - these are the things they defended with their lives!

  Cheng Feng walked solemnly to the front of his injured brothers, gave a stern military salute, then almost crawled to the bodies of his sacrificed brothers, and knelt down with a thud. His broad shoulders trembled, row after row of people were gone, their uniforms no longer had any color, only a shocking black-red hue remained.

  Before truly going to the battlefield, he had studied real war materials numerous times and conducted actual combat drills multiple times. He knew about the cruelty and cold-bloodedness of war. However, yesterday's lively and vibrant lives were reduced to scattered, broken bodies today. This man, who grew up in a peaceful world, stood like a stone monument on the ground, letting out a low, mournful growl from his throat, like a trapped beast.

  This is war! Those who survive it, if they could choose, would surely erase this memory!

  But if the war is not over, then you have to continue, continue to be cruel, continue to pull the trigger on the enemy's head without hesitation, continue to bleed, and continue to exchange your life for the enemy's! Must go on!

  "Commander", Communications Officer Xiao Wang rushed to Cheng Feng's side, "Telegram from Command Center"

  Suddenly stood up with a loud noise, stiff footsteps stumbled, "Got it"