As a result, this was the first time they had conducted an exercise in this area, and it was also the first time they discovered that the magnetic field in the Death Valley area was extremely strong.
On the surface, they were sent to distract the 107th Regiment, but the compasses they carried malfunctioned due to the magnetic field.
The 107th Regiment was so focused on maneuvering with the Blue Army that by the time they realized something was wrong, they were lost in the depths of the vast forest, completely disoriented.
Death Valley is a primeval forest that is almost untouched by human presence year-round.
Everywhere was covered in snow, and the dense forests completely obscured the sky.
In such a primeval forest with a strong magnetic field and dense trees, even the most experienced forest rangers sometimes find it difficult to determine direction by relying on certain natural phenomena, such as the Big Dipper.
Besides, it's daytime now, where are we going to find the Big Dipper?
What should have been a life-or-death struggle has now turned into a situation where the two regiments of the red and blue armies realize something is wrong and temporarily put aside their mission. The two regimental commanders are discussing how to get their troops out first.
"There's nothing to eat here except snow. We have to get the troops out before dark."
This time, the two regimental commanders were in agreement.
The 107th Regiment of the Red Army was a reinforced regiment, but fortunately, the regimental commander only brought a reconnaissance company with him to fight this time.
Thinking about it, the reconnaissance company's capabilities were more than enough to wipe out an ordinary regiment or battalion of the Blue Army.
In other words, the total number of people in the Red and Blue armies is 620.
Even more tragically, both sides believed that this was going to be a quick battle and that they wouldn't need to stay here for too long, so neither of them brought their cooking squads.
If they can't get out of the mountains before dark, it means they'll go hungry tonight.
We're all young and strong men; going hungry for a day or two won't be a big problem.
However, the primeval forest is dense with trees, and in some places the sunlight cannot penetrate. Such places are usually filled with miasma.
There's no wind or rain right now, but the weather in the southwest is notoriously unpredictable. Who knows if it might suddenly get windy and rainy tonight?
How could the two regimental commanders dare to even think about the exercise again?
They quickly divided the work and first sent out two small teams of twenty to scout the way. "They marked the way along the route, and if they still couldn't find the way out after an hour, they would come back the way they came."
An hour later, both teams that had been sent out returned from different directions.
"Commander! How could we..."
After going around in circles, they finally returned to where they started.
Moreover, they came back from different directions, circling back.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the two regimental commanders dared not send any more men out.
If they get lost, they'll be hard to find in these vast mountains.
"From now on, everyone in both regiments will act together."
The two team leaders led their teams together, trying to find a way through this maze-like forest.
However, a few hours later...
"Commander, have you smelled a strange odor?"
"Oh no, this smells like miasma! There's miasma around here! Retreat!"
This wasn't a formal march, and the ranks were somewhat scattered. At this shout, everyone turned and ran like headless flies.
After running more than a hundred meters, someone else came running up. "Commander, the wind is picking up. I think I can smell that same odor over there."
"Commander, there's miasma over there too."
They seemed to have unwittingly walked into a miasma-filled area.
As darkness fell and they lost their bearings, they had no idea which way to run to escape the miasma.
If they stay where they are, these 620 people will likely die from poisoning.
Blindly running outwards will either lead to getting lost or venturing deeper into dangerous places, in which case eight or nine out of ten people will die.
Those who had just run through the area inhaled a lot of miasma during their run, and they are now starting to feel unwell.
"Commander Li, what do you suggest we do?" the commander of the 107th Regiment asked the commander of the Blue Regiment.
The Blue Army commander looked around and knew that Zhang Jizhou and his elite squad had been lying in wait nearby for some time.
Ever since they realized they were lost, he had been secretly keeping an eye out for any trace of them.
Unfortunately, after searching for most of the day, they found no trace of human activity other than the marks they themselves had made.
From the very beginning, the Blue Legion commander hoped that the elite squad would descend from the sky and rescue them from here.
By now, he has given up hope.
In his view, the elite squad was very likely wiped out.
Even if it hasn't been completely destroyed yet, it's probably in a precarious situation right now—barely able to save itself, and is currently seeking a way to survive in the Valley of Death.
"I……"
"The police force!"
"We are the elite squad."
Almost as soon as the other party shouted the word "police force," the newcomer introduced himself.
"The elite squad!?"
The Blue Army commander was very surprised. Just a moment ago, he thought that the enemy's entire army had been wiped out, or that he himself was in dire straits.
Unexpectedly, the next second, they actually fell from the sky.
"Are you alright?" The Blue Legion commander quickly recovered from his surprise and asked with great joy, "Have you found a way out?"
"Yes, because of the terrain, this place is actually a circle, and no matter how you go around it, it's very difficult to get out."
Among the four members who came this time was the little soldier who asked Zhang Jizhou for jerky last time.
However, dressed in his field combat uniform, he was no longer the childish man he once was; his seriousness and earnestness were truly convincing.
The elite squad arrived at Death Valley two days ago.
As soon as he entered the mountains, Zhang Jizhou immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Upon closer inspection, sure enough, the compass was malfunctioning.
"You guys stay put at the police station and wait for orders."
Since it was his first time in this place, he couldn't be sure if his guess was correct.
So Zhang Jizhou told his partner to stay behind with more than half of the team and wait for orders, while he took two experienced team members to go for a spin.
Just as he had guessed, an hour later, they were back where they started.
"This is a circle; you can't go in. Everyone, get out."
With his extensive experience and keen intuition, Zhang Jizhou led his elite squad around the labyrinthine maze, carefully carving out a path through Death Valley, step by step...
"Commander, our captain sent us to lead you out. Please quickly organize your troops. We must get out of this forest before it gets completely dark. Once it gets dark, it will be very difficult to get out."
They were all well-trained veterans, and they quickly got the team organized.
The members of the Sharp Knife Squad quickly led them out of the circular maze.
"Commander, we'll leave you here. We still need to go back and regroup with our captain."
Who knew that once they left, the entire elite squad would lose contact?
Moreover, they have been out of contact for a full two weeks now.
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