Chapter 272: Returning to Camp Safely, Uninvited Guests
"Tell me about it."
Chen Mo paced to the front of the queue. At this moment, half of the battalion's soldiers fully demonstrated what it meant to be haggard and exhausted.
The team they were escorting had already reached the destination at around eight in the morning, and now it was already past four in the afternoon.
In other words, Fang Peijun and his team worked on consolidating the dike for a full eighteen hours.
On the way here by helicopter, Chen Mo learned that during the past eighteen hours, the dike reinforcement team had resisted a total of three flood peaks.
This number doesn't sound like much.
But once you really understand it, you will realize that three flood peaks in eighteen hours is a challenge to the wrath of nature. Without a strong fighting will and spirit, it would be impossible to persevere.
As everyone fights against the sky, they feel heroic and sad after their victory, and they feel the arrogance and dominance that they should have after challenging their limits.
At this moment, everything is integrated into the simple military movements from at ease to stand at attention.
"Comrades."
Chen Mo suppressed his heartache and said with a serious expression, "In flood relief and rescue operations, our Kyoto Demonstration Battalion and our brother unit, the 188th Division, have successfully completed the tasks assigned to us by our superiors."
"During this period, the military district leaders praised us, saying that we had produced a large number of outstanding achievements."
"Instructor Fang, despite a minor injury, stayed on the front lines. Chief of Staff Cheng escorted him all the way. Captain Liu overdrew his body and potential and is still in a coma. Sergeant Liu Hai fainted several times but got up and continued to fight. Senior Soldier Ma Rulong carried 400 sandbags by himself. Platoon Leader Man discovered a pipe burst during a nighttime dike patrol and handled it fearlessly, resolutely jumping into the water to rescue soldiers from his brother units."
"There are many more people, even every one of you brothers who have fought on the Gaoyang Levee. You are all great."
"As the battalion commander, I thank you. Please rest assured that the motherland will not forget us, and the people will not forget us!!"
Said.
Chen Mo saluted solemnly, a standard military salute, to the 266, no, 267, officers and soldiers in front of him.
The queue was silent.
Fighting floods and providing disaster relief, and blocking the flood for the people, is the duty of soldiers, there is nothing to say.
After a few seconds, Chen Mo slowly put down his hand.
"At the same time, we lost a second-class non-commissioned officer, Comrade Feng Tingzhao from the tank company."
"I know Comrade Feng Tingzhao. He is an excellent backbone. He was selected as an outstanding armor maintenance technician in the mechanized infantry brigade for three consecutive years. He was one of the most core backbones of the Blue Army Battalion. He joined the demonstration battalion again and quickly became a multi-functional backbone. He once won the third-class individual merit in the mechanized infantry brigade."
Chen Mo quietly recounted the history of the sacrificed soldiers and the military trajectory.
These do not require any detailed information to check. Chen Mo had done background checks in the camp before. Although he dare not say that he can understand all the soldiers in the camp, he can understand them.
But at least the backbone personnel and compound talents are the people you need to be familiar with in the first stage.
The demonstration camp bids farewell to a key member.
Three years of compulsory military service, two years of extension, two years as a first-class professional sergeant, and half a year as a second-class non-commissioned officer.
Eight years!
Eight years of military service!
The outstanding armored sergeant fell on the levee forever.
Just because of a damn steel bar, the pipe burst pierced his abdomen, and rescue was not timely, so the person was washed dozens of meters away.
Throughout the entire process, he didn't make a single sound or a single shout, but if he had roared when the water hit him, there was a chance that he would be noticed.
Do you know how difficult it is to train an armored backbone?
This was the heart and soul of all armored forces in the late 1990s. It was the backbone fed by 85, 88, and 96 tank engines and thousands of tons of diesel.
But, it was gone in the blink of an eye.
The problem is that this person was not trained by Chen Mo, but was trusted by other units, and the non-commissioned officers were also willing to come to the demonstration camp to do construction.
But now, the person is gone.
However, this is war.
At this moment, Chen Mo was far from being as calm as he appeared.
His sorrow was just hidden very deeply.
"Comrades!"
"We didn't let Veteran Feng down!"
"The Gaoyang dike is fine!"
"The people of Gaoyang are safe!"
"The evacuation work in the flood discharge area went very smoothly. The mountains and rivers are safe, and the world is at peace. We have fulfilled the martyrs' last wish."
That’s all for now.
Chen Mo's eyes were filled with tears, and his voice rose again.
"I've often heard that old soldiers never die, they simply fade away."
"I've often heard that the dead are gone, but the living continue to fight!"
"Comrades, I think these words are very well said. From the day our field army was born, we have been fighting for the highest goals."
"Defend the people and attack the enemy."
"The two are one: we are the people, and the people are the army."
"So, whether it's the powerful Americans who are armed to the teeth, or a massive catastrophe that shakes the sky and the earth, we are fearless. We will overcome all difficulties and advance under fire, forward!"
"Comrades, the spirit of veteran Feng will always be there, and his military spirit will illuminate our way forward."
"The vast heaven will surely bless the loyal."
"If one day, I die, I hope you can take over the gun in my hand and continue to move forward!"
"Everyone!"
"Hat off!"
Swish!
All the soldiers, whether they were lining up or coming with the helicopter, took off their military caps.
Nine non-commissioned officers, led by Wang Jianyong, stepped out, all holding brand new salute rifles in their hands.
"Fire!" Chen Mo gave the order.
Nine non-commissioned officers pointed their guns at the sky at a 45-degree angle, their sharp bayonets dazzling.
Bang!
Several people pulled the trigger at the same time, and suddenly, a puff of light smoke appeared.
Send soldiers!
When the gun fires!
. . . . . .
After the team disbanded, Chen Mo walked over and hugged several key cadres, especially Fang Peijun, Man Xuexi, Liang Hongjie and Wang Yanjun.
The scenes in the dream were so real.
It was so real that even Chen Mo, who was usually fearless, felt panicked and at a loss.
The joy and relief of meeting each other again is something that ordinary people cannot understand.
Chen Mo walked around the crowd, observing and caring about the conditions of all the soldiers. It was indeed as he had guessed.
If there is no dam breach and no pipe burst, the dam reinforcement work will not be too dangerous.
There were very few people injured here, and even if there were, they were only slightly injured. On the contrary, the injury rate among the escort group was extremely high. Among the more than 200 people, one-fifth were seriously injured and were taken to the 301 Hospital.
There were many minor injuries.
"Captain, I'm glad you're okay. I was scared to death."
Man Xuexue excitedly followed Chen Mo, chattering like a child: "You don't know, the first flood discharge was fifty minutes early, and it scared the instructor and me."
"When the pipe burst, I was the first one to jump in. I didn't think about anything at the time. I just wanted to block part of the water flow to prevent the flood from being released so completely."
"Thanks for your hard work."
Chen Mo took a deep breath and patted Lao Man on the shoulder.
Although as a soldier, I shouldn't believe in metaphysics or anything like that, but I think about it during the day and dream about it at night. It's either because I'm overly worried, or because Lao Man is always thinking about it.
That dream should not happen.
"hey-hey!"
Man Xuexi scratched his head with a smile, and followed Chen Mo for a while, acting more attentive than ever.
Many people thought that this was because he had just graduated and was frightened by the scene last night, so he stuck to the battalion commander.
But in fact, Chen Mo knew very well what was going on.
This guy isn't easily scared.
The fundamental reason is guilty conscience. Who knows where Lao Man and his men went last night when the whole battalion was on combat readiness.
Chen Mo was not clear about the specific situation.
However, it is not difficult to guess with just a little thought that this guy would not go out just to look at the mountains and rivers, chat with a group of veterans, and express his emotions.
Being sneaky is bound to bring bad things!
But now, Chen Mo was not in the mood to expose him.
As the battalion commander of the demonstration battalion, he at least followed the 188th Division to guard the levee.
After comforting the soldiers in the camp, Chen Mo called Shang Fang Peijun and Cheng Dong, and the three of them went to the resting place of the 188th Division, to express their condolences and to say goodbye.
The 188th Division suffered the heaviest casualties.
At the beginning of last night, three soldiers disappeared. It goes without saying what happened under such circumstances.
Later, they encountered waves and pipe bursts. As the main force to block the flood, 14 of them died by noon, and 7 were missing and have not been found.
When Chen Mo arrived at the other party's resting camp.
A colonel commander of the 188th Division was squatting on the ground, using the mineral water in his hand to wash the face of the soldier with his eyes closed. The atmosphere at the scene was extremely depressing.
The three of them stopped and remained silent for a long time.
Then salute and leave!
The dead are gone, and the living must always move on.
There is no way to go from the escort end point to Gaoyang Dike, and there are floods everywhere, but it is still possible to return to Jinyang Taishan from the dike by taking a detour.
Chen Mo and his team assisted the military district in arranging a helicopter to carry the deceased onto the cabin.
The entire battalion took roll call and calculated the details of the personnel in each class. In the end, there were 596 people in the entire battalion.
On the return journey, there were only 487 people.
Among them, 107 people were taken to the 301 Hospital, and one was taken to the logistics department of the Xiaocheng Anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade Headquarters to treat an ankle injury.
There is one person who will never come back.
On the way back.
Chen Mo was still sitting in the lead car, leading the way for the entire battalion. The convoy drove around Gaoyang City. The traffic brigade led the way and the ring road was cleared.
Along the way.
From what I saw and heard, apart from the municipal civil servants organizing the drainage, everything else has basically returned to its previous calm.
On both sides of the road, the young men were full of energy, holding the hands of their beloved girls and whispering to each other.
Occasionally, he would look up and see a convoy of military vehicles passing by. He would just stop in the crowd, watch the convoy passing by on the road, scratch his head, and introduce something to the girl next to him.
A middle-aged woman was pushing a baby stroller, enjoying the sunshine after the heavy rain, feeling comfortable and lazy.
An old man was walking on the street at a crossroads. He could be seen from afar and a little girl in school uniform ran over to help him.
Peace and prosperity!
Perhaps this is what the soldiers want to protect with all their might on the battlefield.
Chen Mo sat in the back row. He turned his head and watched silently.
As time slowly passed and it was almost dinner time, vendors pushing fragrant fried fruits appeared on the roadside, as well as a middle-aged man talking loudly, with a briefcase tucked under his arm and a watch on his wrist. He seemed very anxious, waiting for the convoy to pass by.
There was a white-haired old woman crying and wiping her tears. When she saw the military vehicles, she must have been thinking of her son who died in Indochina.
A group of primary school students wearing little red flowers passed by. They had just finished visiting the Martyrs' Cemetery and stood on the roadside, giving the Young Pioneers salute to the military vehicle.
Chen Mo returned the greeting with a smile.
Before I knew it, two lines of tears slid down my cheeks.
“I’ve seen it!”
"Good!"
"Squad Leader Feng, don't worry, the battalion commander will take you home!!"
. . . . . . . . .
The convoy traveled a long distance and did not return to the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy until nearly eight o'clock in the evening.
Huo Linshan, the instructor of the reconnaissance company who stayed behind at the academy, received the news early in the morning.
He had been standing at the gate of the west campus waiting.
Seeing the main force coming back and seeing that Chen Mo's injuries were not serious, Old Huo breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked at Cheng Dong, although his chest was wrapped in bandages like a dumpling.
But he looks very energetic.
Huo Linshan was completely relieved.
He stepped forward quickly: "Battalion Commander, Feng Ting will take care of him." The battalion was short of an instructor. Huo Linshan was not only the instructor of the reconnaissance company, but also in charge of armored infantry and tanks. This meant that he and the instructor were responsible for the education work of the entire battalion.
Therefore, he was also familiar with the people in the tank company.
"Um."
Chen Mo didn't wait for Lao Huo to finish his words before he nodded tiredly: "Where's Lao Feng's letter?"
"here."
Huo Linshan quickly took out a folded khaki envelope. Chen Mo reached out to take it and said, "Follow the rules. Copy the letter later and put a military flag in the honor room with the copied letter."
"Put Squad Leader Feng's old uniform in the Heroic Soul Room. Instruct the canteen to prepare more nutritious meals for tonight's dinner. Arrange for the remaining soldiers to purchase beer."
"No need for any show, just give the comrades a good meal."
"yes!"
After explaining all this.
Chen Mo walked quickly towards the office in the East Campus. He was tired and had pretended to be strong for long enough.
Now that the person has been brought back safely.
The battalion commander also needs some time alone to adjust himself.
When they returned to their offices, no one disturbed them this time. Wang Jianyong, Man Xuexue and the others were all tactful and returned to their dormitories.
Sitting in a comfortable office chair, Chen Mo lit a cigarette and took the letter from home out of the envelope.
Spread out flat on the desk, only half of the neat manuscript paper has words on it.
It was written crookedly.
Dear Parents:
When you see this letter, I may have already embarked on the journey to defend the battlefield. Today, the college suddenly sounded the air raid alarm. The battalion commander and many cadres did not say what was going on, but I saw earthquakes and floods in the news.
I saw a little girl's mother lose hope in life because of a few wooden boxes. At that moment, I knew it was our turn.
It is not difficult to see from the news that we set off relatively late. Maybe the demonstration camp is special. Haha, it is indeed quite special. From the battalion commander to the company commander, they are all young, even younger than me. But they don’t scold people and they respect me very much. I can also go to school here, which is pretty good.
Mom and Dad, I know that dangerous things will definitely happen in the first level of combat readiness. War is cruel, but losing your home is even crueler. Although you will face immeasurable dangers and unknowns on the battlefield and you may become a battle martyr at any time, this trip is glorious. I believe that good people will be blessed by heaven, and God will protect your destiny.
If I cannot come back safely, please do not be sad or upset. Be proud and proud of having a son who sacrificed his life for the country. Because I am a soldier, my duties and mission are glorious. I just look forward to going to the battlefield one day to defend this territory for the motherland and protect the peace of the people. Only in this way can I protect the people and prevent them from being bullied by foreign countries.
I'm sorry, dear mom and dad, I miss home very much, but to the Yu family, I cannot be a qualified son and cannot be with you. I hope that in the next life, I can still be there for you. I won't say more, mom and dad, I wish you good health forever, I'm leaving now.
salute!
Feng Tingzhao
September 5, 1999
This is an unfinished letter home.
Chen Mo sat in the chair in a daze, not coming back to his senses for a long time.
Feng Tingzhao is from Shandong. He is 26 or 27 years old and still unmarried. His family was influenced by the policies at the time. He is a city dweller and has only one son.
It is hard to imagine what the two elders would feel when they saw this suicide note.
Chen Mo just sat there, smoking one cigarette after another. He had never experienced anything like this before, but even if he had, it would be difficult for him to adapt.
The whole office was filled with smoke. After Huo Linshan finished his other work and pushed the door open, he was almost knocked down by the smoke.
"Smoke less, scholar." When there was no one else around, the cadres of the reconnaissance company still had the habit of calling him by this nickname.
He walked to the windows and opened them all, then turned on the big fan in the room.
"I mailed Xiao Feng's letter home to him. The military district is responsible for transporting the body, but the camp needs to show some kind of support. I've discussed it with the instructor and we think it would be best to organize a fundraising campaign to show our support."
"Okay, go ahead and do it. Write down the fundraising amount as 2,000."
Chen Mo responded.
He had been a cadre for too short a time and could not afford to take out more money from his pocket. Two thousand was already most of his belongings.
"good."
"Then I'll go back to Hedong. The Mail, Honor Room, and Heroic Soul Room are all over there. The most important thing is to let Xiao Feng rest in peace as soon as possible."
"I've already notified the local armed forces. Don't blame yourself too much. You're the battalion commander, and you need to cheer up before anyone else."
Huo Linshan raised his hand and patted Chen Mo's shoulder: "Oh, by the way, Commander Wang has returned to Qinglong Gorge this morning. He asked me to tell you that no matter how big the obstacle is, you must overcome it."
"The Jincheng Demonstration Camp is still waiting to clash with the Kyoto Demonstration Camp. Don't fall down."
"knew."
Chen Mo nodded.
The old man saw that the situation was not right and knew that the atmosphere in the entire camp would be particularly depressed after the rescue, so he guessed that it was not appropriate to pull people in.
This is an early jump.
However, Chen Mo was not surprised. According to Lao Wang's words, he should have left.
night.
All members of the demonstration camp had a meal in the cafeteria. Chen Mo arrived on time, but there was indeed no program.
At this time, it was unnecessary to arrange any program. Chen Mo took out a large iron basin from the cafeteria logistics and poured three or four bottles of beer into it.
He held the iron basin in his hand and stood in the crowd, saying in a loud voice: "Brothers, I won't say any more."
"I know everyone is suffering, but we are soldiers, so we have to endure the hardship. We just have to chew it and swallow it ourselves."
"Tonight, I allow you to get drunk. As long as you don't cause any trouble, if you pass out here, someone will naturally carry you back home. But tomorrow when the sun rises, it will be a brand new day."
"Everyone, you must wind me up and work hard for the future."
"Don't be afraid of building a camp. As long as tomorrow is better than today, that's our progress."
"drink!"
That’s it!
Chen Mo was the first to pick up the big iron basin, raised it to his mouth, and swallowed it in big gulps.
In the cafeteria.
One soldier after another raised their aluminum cups and iron kettles and poured the liquid into their mouths, imitating the others.
He's a man, and more importantly, a soldier.
No matter how big the obstacle is, we can just step over it. As long as we raise our glasses together, there is nothing we cannot overcome.
Liven up the atmosphere.
Chen Mo arranged for several active veterans from the reconnaissance company to sit at the tables of various classes and compete in drinking with the veterans.
He strolled out of the cafeteria and wandered aimlessly around the west campus.
The training in the camp will definitely not stop because of sacrifice. Tomorrow's drills, training, reviews, meetings, etc. cannot be missed.
We must get the atmosphere of the entire camp back on track in the shortest possible time.
Regular training does not need to last too long due to the advantage that the entire battalion is composed of veterans. The next stage is synthesis.
For comprehensive training, it is necessary to increase investment in information technology equipment.
This is another difficult problem.
Chen Mo was tired from strolling, so he sat on the curb with his trouser legs pulled up, adjusting his mindset while thinking about how to get the equipment.
He was lost in thought.
The gate railing not far behind him was lifted up, and a military jeep rushed in.
At first, Chen Mo didn't pay attention to the situation in the car.
But he didn't care. The driver seemed to be looking for him on purpose. He drove the car in front of him, braked with a "squeak", and pulled the handbrake.
Huo Linshan pushed the door and got out of the driver's seat.
"battalion commander!!"
"Why are you leaving your car here instead of parking it in the parking lot?"
Chen Mo looked up and asked.
Hearing this, Old Huo rubbed his hands in embarrassment and said, "The main thing is that I don't know how to say that we have guests in our camp."
"Who? Who is the guest?" Chen Mo was stunned.
What kind of customers can we bring back by going back to the Hedong Howitzer Camp?
Is there such a saying in the military camp?
They are either comrades, leaders, or family members, not guests at all.
"Hey, I don't know how to tell you. Just watch for yourself."
Huo Linshan walked to the back seat, opened the car door, and peeked inside. "We've arrived at the academy, comrade. Get out of the car. I'm sure you know the battalion commander."
Just when Chen Mo was wondering what Old Huo was doing.
In the back seat of the jeep, a tall girl, holding a black cloth bag in her hand, lowered her head and got out of the back seat of the car.
The man looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a white shirt and jeans, and looked like a student.
After getting off the car, I felt a little helpless because I was in an unfamiliar environment.
"Wang Luyi?"
Chen Mo looked carefully and recognized the person, but he was also a little dumbfounded.
What's going on?
The old man just left this morning, why did he bring someone else's daughter to the Non-commissioned Officer Academy?
If Old Wang knew about this, he would have to rush over from Qinglong Gorge overnight, because this girl is the apple of Wang Songhe's eye.
Chen Mo looked at Huolin Mountain in confusion.
Old Huo spread his hands and said, "I don't know what happened. When I went to the Hedong camp, she was staying outside the camp. She said she was looking for Commander Wang, but I made several calls to the camp and couldn't contact the 61st Division. I couldn't leave her at the camp, so I had to bring her back."
It’s a wonder you can get in touch with him, Chen Mo thought to himself.
The 61st Division should be withdrawing from Qinglong Gorge during an important military operation that spans an entire military region. It is not easy to find out the whereabouts of a division commander.
Lao Wang is inconspicuous in the college, but he is a very powerful figure outside.
But no matter what.
Bringing Wang Luyi back is like bringing an uninvited guest.
Chen Mo sighed, quickly straightened his military uniform, and planned to go up and ask himself.
what is going on.
Before Lao Wang ran away, didn’t he settle his family affairs?
This is too unreliable.
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