The report told a touching story. The protagonist of the story was an old man whose words turned the tide of the war.
The old man shed tears of heartache as he looked at the wounded and soldiers coming down from the front line.
He saw a soldier wearing a shirt with four pockets and asked, "Commander, why are there so many wounded? And you have all been evacuated. Did you encounter any difficulties? Can you tell me about it?"
The officer looked at the old man, sighed, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
The old man said, "I grew up here since I was a child. I am familiar with the mountains and rivers here."
When the officer heard that he was so familiar with the terrain here, he briefly explained the situation.
The old man, upon hearing this, said, "The mountain you are talking about! It is an empty mountain."
The officer asked, "How do you know?"
The old man said, "When they were digging this mountain, they captured people from our village to help dig! They were such bad people. After the project was completed, they killed several people from our village to keep it secret."
The officer asked in confusion, "How did you escape?"
The old man said slowly, "Back then, when they were building the fortifications, I was extra vigilant. I secretly observed their every move and finally discovered a secret - in addition to the main road leading to the outside, they also left a small opening in a very hidden place. I knew in my heart that these people would never let us laborers go easily."
At this point, the old man's voice trembled slightly, as if recalling the fear and tension at the time. He took a deep breath and continued, "Just before they attacked, a cousin and I snuck out through that small opening under the cover of night. However, in the panic, my cousin accidentally slipped and fell off the cliff. I was so frightened that I couldn't think about anything else but running."
The old man paused, a pained expression on his face. He continued, "I didn't dare return to the village, fearing they would find me. So I fled, desperately trying to escape to four provinces, where I hid for years. Only when the violence died down did I dare return. But since then, I've never had the courage to go back to that place again. It's like a terrible nightmare to me."
When the officer heard this, the flames in his heart suddenly flared up. His eyes widened like bells and he cursed angrily, "Damn ungrateful bastards! These people are so unkind! They pretend to be pitiful on the surface, but they actually play so many tricks behind the scenes! It turns out they have been planning to do something bad to us for a long time. Hey, I really underestimated them!"
The old man looked at the officer's angry expression, sighed softly, and said slowly, "Actually, those people themselves aren't particularly smart. The reason they're so cunning is mainly because those tall-nosed, blue-eyed people are behind the scenes directing them. These outsiders are the truly cunning ones. They take advantage of their greed and ignorance, making them their tools."
The officer was surprised and said, "You mean, this fortification was dug by foreigners?"
The old man nodded.
Upon hearing this, the officer couldn't help but mutter to himself, "I knew it! How could the people of this small country have such wisdom and strategy? They actually invited foreigners to give them advice."
The officer at this time asked him, "Old man, do you still remember the layout of that place?"
The old man nodded slowly and said, "How could I not remember? For so many years, I have even dreamed about that damn place! It is like a heavy stone, always weighing on my heart, making me unable to let it go."
When the officer heard him say this, his eyes lit up and he said, "Can you come with me to the headquarters? Describe the situation you know in detail to our commander."
The old man agreed and followed the officer to the headquarters, where he asked him to stand outside first.
So he knocked on the door of the command center and waited for a response before walking into the center. He saw that the leaders of the command center were all frowning.
He walked straight up to the commander-in-chief and whispered to him everything he had learned from the old man.
Upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed the commander's stern face. He realized that the old man's knowledge of the cave's interior might be the key to solving the current problem. Without hesitation, he ordered the old man to be brought into the headquarters immediately.
Soon, the old man, supported by staff, entered the command center. Despite his advanced age, he walked steadily, his eyes revealing the wisdom of a lifetime. At the commander's gesture, the old man slowly sat down and began to recount everything he knew about the cave.
Although his voice was a little hoarse, every word was clear and audible. He described in detail the location of the cave entrance, the direction of the passage, the internal structure, and possible dangerous areas.
The chief and other people present listened attentively, occasionally writing down important information in their notebooks and pointing to the map on the sand table.
As the old man continued his story, the atmosphere in the headquarters grew increasingly tense. Everyone realized that the complexity of this cave was far beyond their imagination, and the old man's information undoubtedly provided them with valuable clues.
After the old man finished speaking, everyone in the command post fell silent.
At this moment, an elderly officer with a weathered face and a calm demeanor suddenly asked, "Old man, the hole you just mentioned should be a ventilation hole."
The old man paused for a moment, seemingly pondering the question. After a moment, he slowly said, "Well, there's a possibility."
Upon hearing his response, the older officer immediately said, "This ventilation hole is likely the breakthrough point we've been searching for. If we can successfully find it, it will become much easier to descend this mountain."
After listening to the leader's detailed and in-depth analysis, everyone present nodded frequently, expressing their strong agreement with his views. The leader's analysis was like a revelation, bringing clarity to the previously hazy situation and filling everyone with confidence in the next steps.
Then, several people walked over to the sand table and engaged in further discussion around the key points the leader had just outlined. Sometimes they lowered their heads in thought, sometimes they engaged in heated debate, each actively expressing their opinions and suggestions, hoping to contribute to the plan.
Seeing that everyone had reached a consensus, the elder leader turned around and looked at the old man. "Do you remember where the vent is?"
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