Chapter 9: The Battle between the Platoon Leaders

The breakfast was not as big as yesterday, just a few bowls of rice and a large pot of vegetables, which made us realize that the strategic supplies on the front line were far less sufficient than the rear.

But thinking about it, I vaguely remember seeing it in modern information that when the counterattack started, our army mobilized nine armies to nearly 270,000 people. Although this army was far less than the million troops in the Korean War, it was not fully prepared before the war. Moreover, there were a large number of elite troops on the northern front to prevent Soviet attacks on the Sino-Soviet border, which made our army's logistics short of a period of time.

This breakfast was very dull. I don’t know if it was because I had been on the bus for too long or because I knew I was going to the battlefield. In short, every soldier had no appetite. The soldiers usually ate in the canteen and had long disappeared, and they all chewed slowly and ate slowly. So when the assembly number rang again, many soldiers only moved half a bowl of rice.

We were stuffed into the car again and drove in an unknown direction. This time, I could see that many soldiers were nervous, many of them were pale, and some were talking in a low voice:

"Is it going to the battlefield now? Is it too fast?"

"Hanging it will make people breathe, right?"

...

I even saw several soldiers climbing up several times because their legs were weak but they didn't climb up.

But I know that this is absolutely impossible to let us go to the battlefield. We don’t even know which company we are assigned to, the number of troops or even who our company commander is! What kind of battle can we fight with unorganized recruits on the battlefield? And I also know that there are still five days left to leave the battle, and even if we want to fight, we have no place to fight!

So I patted the rifle in my hand and said to Shunzi and the others: "Don't worry! It's not that fast to go to the battlefield. Who would let us go to the front line without even launching bullets?"

The soldiers under my command seemed to have a blind admiration for me, so after hearing what I said, they all felt relieved as if they had taken a reassurance.

"Platform leader!" Shunzi asked with some concern: "Then do you think...where will they take us?"

I glared at Shunzi with anger and cursed: "Why are you asking so many questions? You don't want to walk if you have a car!"

Actually, I also have the same doubt in my heart. As for how many days to leave the war, we should use these days to prepare in the barracks! For example, assigning them to the company to familiarize ourselves with our company commander and new comrades, and for example, let us do a few exercises with our new comrades and new superiors to get some exercises. Where did we take us there just now?

Half an hour later, the answer was finally revealed. The convoy stopped in front of a broken village. It was said that it was a village, but in fact it was a few sparse bamboo houses, all of which were made of bamboo and straw, and then mud was pasted. We could easily see the decorations in the room through the gaps between the bamboos. The lower floor was pitch black, with many green-headed flies buzzing, and there were also some livestock manure. The upper floor was cleaner, and there was no bed, and there was an iron rack in the middle and a pot was hung. This was the case with every household.

So I guessed that the people here all lived like this. The lower class raised animals and the upper class lived, and the whole family stayed together and slept around a pile of fire in the middle at night. This was later confirmed by the translation assigned to our company, but this was a story later.

"Comrades! Go here!" At this time, a soldier wearing glasses and cadre uniforms got off the jeep and waved to us. He looked like a civilian job, a bit like a tour guide or commentator, so I vaguely guessed the purpose of this trip.

As expected, not long after, we came to several bamboo houses that were bombed so badly. The soldiers wearing glasses pointed to the bamboo residues with only a little frame left, waved their hands and said in Kang's passionate words: "Comrades! Look, this is the good thing that Vietnam - this Asian hooligan did! They occupied the support of the Soviet revisionist, blatantly sent troops to invade my border, fired guns at my innocent border residents, and killed and injured many of my border residents. This is the scene of their crime of Taotian. On December 25, 1978, the Vietnamese invaders fired at the border soldiers who were performing normal patrol missions, killing and injured many of my border soldiers; on January 10, 1979, my border residents stepped on the landmines buried by the Vietnamese invaders, and many of them were injured and killed..."

I didn't listen much after that. This is indeed a good way to take the soldiers to visit the houses that were blown up by the Vietnamese army, the places where border soldiers died, and photos of the scene, etc. These can arouse the new soldiers' shared hatred to a certain extent. Just like Li Shuibo, who has hatred in his heart, the anger aroused by hatred will offset some of the fear in the soldiers' hearts.

However, as far as I know, the civilians wearing glasses in front of me who could tell everything vividly could only believe half of what they said. Because as a modern journalist, of course I would know that those "Vietnam invaders fired fire at border guards who were performing normal patrol missions, killing and injuring many of my border guards." In fact, our reconnaissance forces entered Vietnam for reconnaissance, and after being discovered by the Vietnamese army, there was a gun battle, which led to casualties.

However, there was an extremely strict rule for the scouts who entered cross-border reconnaissance or carried out captive missions, that is, when performing missions, they must be clean and neat under any circumstances, and they cannot leave a martyr, a wounded man, a gun, and any items that can be used as evidence for the Vietnamese army.

Because of this, although our army sent reconnaissance troops to cross-border reconnaissance, arrested prisoners, and exchanged fire with the Vietnamese army several times. The Vietnamese army also repeatedly challenged our Foreign Ministry. Although they had time, location, and casualties, there was no physical evidence, and no one could determine who was right and who was wrong.

This is the essence of media propaganda and *** stimulus. The struggle between countries is definitely not as we ordinary people imagine. No matter what we think, they are honest, moral, and reasonable. Those who will pay attention to these in war are only fools. Only strength, fists and interests are mentioned between countries!

"Comrades!" Finally, the cadres wearing glasses waved their hands and shouted at us: "Raising troops for a thousand days is used for a moment! The time has come for the country to need us. With the support of Soviet hegemony, Vietnam openly invaded Cambodia, and was still betrayed, repaid mercy and frequently caused bloodshed in the border areas of our country. What we need to do now is to severely punish the little overlord of Vietnam, defend the territorial integrity of the motherland and the peace of the people on the frontier! Resolutely defeat this loyal lackey of the Soviet revisionist!"

"Get to the Vietnamese bully!"

"Down with Su Xiu's loyal lackey!"

...

The soldiers also shouted slogans one by one.

Looking at this scene, I seemed to find a bit of feeling on the Korean battlefield, and I also saw some passion and anger in the eyes of the soldiers. It seems that this ideological class is still very effective, at least it seems like this at the moment!

Then we visited several bombed houses, schools, and overseas Chinese living in Vietnam. Of course, the civilian worker's commentary was indispensable. It may have effect in the ears of the soldiers, but I felt it was unnecessary. I just thought to myself, "If you want to fight, just fight, and you will have to do so many troubles!"

But even so, the Vietnamese overseas Chinese who were fully repatriated and left a deep impression on me. They were like a group of beggars, hundreds of people, regardless of gender, age, lived in a warehouse full of smell and musty smell. Their clothes were ragged, they drank dirty water from the wells, and they ate rice and grain sent by the troops...

According to cadres, these warehouses were originally used to store materials for resisting France and aiding Vietnam and resisting U.S. aiding Vietnam, but now they can only accommodate batches of returning overseas Chinese. Most of these overseas Chinese are rich businessmen in Vietnam. They have made outstanding contributions to the struggle against France and the United States. Many of the children of overseas Chinese have even participated in the war directly, but now they have been ruthlessly expelled and expelled from Vietnam!

I believe all this is true, because I saw sadness and anger in Li Shuibo's eyes, and also saw the murderous aura on his face...

The civilian cadres mastered the time just right. When we came back after a visit outside, it was just dinner time. I don’t know if the soldiers were so tired that they forgot their fear, or if their thoughts were effective, they all started to let go of their stomachs as soon as they entered the cafeteria.

When the fast-eating soldiers wanted to go back to the barracks, they realized that they didn't know where to go. While the soldiers were chatting in groups of three or five in the square, the assembly number sounded again.

The soldiers lined up in the square as fast as possible. Before the soldiers could react to what was going on, a row of veterans ran forward, took out one of the pictures in their pockets and started reading them:

"Zhang Zhongfa!"

"Hu Youguo!"

...

"arrive!"

"arrive!"

...

After each soldier who was called his name responded, he consciously stepped out of the line and lined up behind the veterans. After walking one by one, the soldiers were drawn one by one as if they were drawn in lots, and the queue became increasingly rare.

"Cui Wei!"

"arrive!"

Finally I read my name. Before I went up, I looked at the warrior who had reported my name. He was a slightly scholarly person. There was a pen in his left chest and a bulging pocket in his right chest. Later I realized that it was a notebook. He was the instructor of our company and graduated from high school. Whenever I had time, I took out the notebook and pen in my pocket to write poems. The soldiers quickly nicknamed him: "Poet"!

From the long list reported by the poet, I knew that the people in my hometown really had the means. The three of us ranked more than 100 people in the row were reported. Only the paper in the poet's hands turned page after page, and finally they were a little angry until they stood up and ended.

After that, the poet shouted at us: "Run and walk..." and took us out of the square trotted.

At this time, I was a little surprised. Why did other instructors tell the soldiers to walk in step, but the poet shouted to walk in one step, and later he occasionally remembered and asked, and the poet replied with a wry smile: "Didn't you see the new recruits looking at us? They are all scattered into the army, and only you are all in the entire system, obviously going through the back door. I can afford to lose that person, but I can't afford to lose that person! But now I know that this is not embarrassing, it is because you have the ability!"

We were taken to a few tiled houses, and there were already more than 30 veterans waiting in line. The leader's photo was the company commander. He was a dark and thin soldier. The wrinkles on his face made him look very old, and his eyes were a little numb and dull, lacking the wisdom that a commander should have.

Seeing this, I couldn't help but frown, and I felt that I wouldn't get along well with this company leader!

The poet took us to join the team, and then ran to the company commander to report: "Report to the company commander, and add 113 soldiers. All of them are brought here. Please give me instructions!"

"Yeah!" The company commander nodded, pulled the hem of his military uniform and saluted us, and said, "Hello comrades! I am your company commander, named Li Zhifu! We will be a comrade in a company from now on. Our number is the 5th Company of the 2nd Battalion, 639th Regiment, 213th Division, 71st Army. Our company is a glorious team, who participated in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the War of Liberation and the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. In these battles, countless revolutionary heroes have emerged in our team. I hope that after joining, you can inherit the spirit of your ancestors and carry forward their spirit..."

When I heard these excerpts from the company commander, I almost doubted that I had misunderstood. But later I realized that these excerpts were actually masterpieces of the poet. The company commander posted them for two hours before he memorized them, and he missed several sentences when he said them again!

"Now..." After the training, the company commander asked us standing in the back row: "I heard that a few of you are platoon leaders, are you?"

"yes!"

I, my hometown people and Yang Songjian responded and stood up.

Commander Li looked at us and asked casually: "How many years have you been a soldier?"

Yang Songjian and I answered for two months, while the hometown people answered for six years.

"Yeah!" Commander Li nodded and said earnestly: "Comrades, it's not that I don't trust you, but we will soon be in war. When we go to the battlefield, we rely on our strong military qualities and firm ideological and stance. Do you agree with this?"

When I heard Commander Li’s words, Yang Songjian and others understood that he wanted to remove all three of us platoon leaders and replace them with the veterans in his hands!

But this is also normal. Which veteran will obey the orders of the recruits? It’s okay for the hometown people. Yang Songjian and I are just new recruits who have just joined the army for two months. Can those veterans convince them?

But...if we all don’t serve as platoon leaders, then my training for more than a month will be wasted?

My hometown and Yang Songjian obviously considered this and turned their attention to me at the same time.

I smiled, raised my chest and replied loudly, "Report to the company commander, we agree!"

"Very good!" Captain Li smiled and patted my shoulder: "This comrade is still a high level of ideological awareness. Since there is no problem with comrade..."

"Report to the company commander!" I interrupted Captain Li and said, "I mean, it is precisely because of our three who have excellent military qualities and firm ideological stance that they become platoon leaders!"

"Yeah!" Captain Li nodded at first, and after a while, he raised his eyes and asked me: "What do you mean? Let's just explain it!"

"Report to the company commander!" I stared at the company commander's eyes without giving in and replied: "I mean... no matter who wants to be the platoon leader, you must use your real skills!"

"Report to the company commander! That's what I mean!" The people from my hometown quickly understood my intention and stood on my side without hesitation.

"Report to the company commander! And me!" Yang Songjian also joined us.

Commander Li obviously didn't expect that we had this trick. He looked at us for a long time before smiling and said, "Oh, everyone is holding troops!"

Then he suddenly changed his face and pointed at us and cursed: "I tell you, Li Zhifu is the famous soldier in our camp! He is with me! He Pingbiao..."

"Come!" A tall and powerful veteran stood up!

Commander Li glared at us fiercely, took a step back and said to the veteran named He Pingbiao, "Give me some strength and take the platoon leader back with your own ability!"

"Yes!" He Pingbiao immediately stood in front of us and waved to us with disdain, "New recruits! Which one will come first? The uncle told you to see what strong military qualities are!"

The three of us didn’t move, not because we were afraid, but because the people from my hometown and Yang Songjian were used to following my leader. I didn’t move, so they didn’t move either!

I smiled softly and said, "Squad Leader He... We are guests from afar. As the saying goes, guests will follow the host's will, so let you choose them!"

"Yoho! I'm so kind!" He Pingbiao looked at the three of us, then pointed at me and said, "Just you!"

With a coaxing sound, the soldiers all laughed out loud.

I know what the soldiers are laughing at, and I also know why He Pingbiao chose me.

Yang Songjian, who is tall and big, looks like a powerful person, and he will most likely suffer a loss when he comes to him. As the hometown said just now, he has been a soldier for six years, and he will never be a rookie, no matter how he says he is... Alas! The so-called people are good at being bullied, this is what he says!

But whether I am a good person or not is only the soldiers who have been tortured by me for more than a month know.

I smiled bitterly and shook my head, and walked up with relaxed steps: "I still say the same thing, what do you think of the guest as you please?"

He Pingbiao was obviously lost in confidence by the laughter from the soldiers, and he vaguely realized that he had chosen the wrong person. But after looking at my unstable figure, he soon became confident again and said, "Let's just capture the enemy!"
Chapter completed!