Chapter One (11)

  The sniper moved the bolt again, and the ghost face had long since disappeared.

  ……

  The ear-piercing alarm continued to sound non-stop, and the second lieutenant, Zhen Meinan, crawled into the small black tent, patting his shoulder, "Company Commander, wake up, Company Commander, hurry up..."

  Xiao Hei slept too soundly, and Zhen Mei Nan spent half a day's effort but couldn't wake him up. In the darkness, he heard Xiao Hei mumbling: "Have the terrorists been shot dead or not?"

  "What terrorist?"

  Zhen Mei Nan stared at Xiao Hei inexplicably. "Lian Zhang, are you dreaming? Listen, the air raid siren has sounded, this is the signal for the start of the Thousand Miles Comprehensive Exercise, hurry up, the company is about to set off."

  Xiao Hei seems to still be unconscious, "What rehearsal?"

  Zhen Mei Nan didn't have time to explain, and quickly stuffed his sleeping bag into his backpack, then packed up the tent. At this moment, a cold voice came from the darkness - the voice of the drill supervisor: "The second company failed to assemble within the allotted time, deducting ten points."

  The exercise had just begun and they were already being penalized, Ma Cheng was furious, he yelled at the figure still packing his backpack in the darkness: "Who's dawdling? Who? Write a report!"

  No one made a report. Ma Cheng rushed over, furious, and kicked the person who was packing his backpack, "You damn mute, I told you to make a report, why didn't you?"

  Under the moonlight, Ma Cheng saw a black face.

  Ma Cheng never thought that the person who was still snoring loudly at this gathering would be Dai Lianchang Xiao Hei, who had lost the first place for the company during the day and now made the company lose points again. The anger in his heart couldn't be expressed, if it were someone else, he would have already slapped him in the face. After all, he was the acting company commander, a first-class hero, and a model soldier in the war zone's military training. If he really hit him, it wouldn't look good on the surface.

  Ma Cheng tried hard to suppress the fire in his heart and said irritably to Xiao Hei, "Let's wait until Dai Lianchang is ready to sleep before we take the last place."

  Xiao Hei didn't say a word. Ma Cheng angrily waved his hand at the troops, "Depart!"

  Under the cover of night, the troops began a forced march.

  Xiao Hei was still not awake at this time and had no idea what the Thousand Miles Comprehensive Exercise was. Ma Cheng went to find Battalion Commander Wan Ba Tian after the meeting, wanting Xiao Hei to leave. However, Wan Ba Tian said to wait until the exercise ended and the battalion would adjust the company's cadres together. Ma Cheng was grinding his teeth for half a day, but Wan Ba Tian did not budge. Angrily, Ma Cheng returned to the company with a gloomy face.

  This exercise, both the red and blue sides capture anyone on the other side for a reward. Ordinary soldiers are 50 yuan, non-commissioned officers of any rank are 300, platoon-level cadres are 500, company-level cadres are 800, battalion-level is 1,500, and regimental-level cadres are 3,000. Whoever gets captured means being humiliated or killed, immediately exits the exercise, and has the reward deducted from their monthly salary to award the other side.

  Ma Cheng returned to convey the conference spirit, and asked Zhen Meinan to call Xiao Hei to attend the meeting. Zhen Meinan called for half a day but couldn't wake him up. Ma Cheng thought Xiao Hei had gone crazy during the day and was too ashamed to come out and see people, so he didn't bother with him and instead briefed the company on this exercise mission.

  According to the exercise requirements, the second company advanced into the predetermined area number one. At the same time, the Blue Army set out from another location and arrived at the designated area number one to intercept the Red Army.

  Ma Cheng led the company to rush to Area No. 1 at the risk of their lives. On the way, they found that a few people were missing, and asked each squad to check, and found that Deputy Company Commander Xiao Hei, Clerk Wu Daifu, and several wounded soldiers were missing.

  Damn Little Hei, at the critical moment, he's again dragging down the team. Ma Cheng couldn't hold back his anger anymore and scolded a few sentences in front of the whole team, letting Platoon Leader He Dajun continue leading the troops forward while he stopped by the side of the road to wait.

  After waiting for half a day, several people finally appeared at the intersection, laboriously carrying one person.

  Ma Cheng saw the company's clerk Wu Daifu walking ahead with two backpacks and ran over to kick his leg.

  "The secretary doesn't follow Commander Lian's side, running behind and swaying around. Do you think this is a stroll in the park? Dilly-dallying."

  "Wu Daifu panted heavily and said: 'Instructor, I have an injury on my foot, I can't run.'"

  Behind them, Zhen Mei Nan and a first-class officer were carrying a simple stretcher made of branches, they stopped when they saw Ma Cheng.

  He wasn't originally a patient, but since his old squad leader passed away due to illness several months ago, he hasn't been in the right mood and has been slacking off during training. Ma Cheng ignored him and asked Wu Da Fu, "Who's on the stretcher? The exercise just started and he's already exhausted, what's the point of carrying him? Just hand him over to the Blue Team."