Wen Ziqing led the way, blazing a trail for everyone. He hesitated to trust anyone until Wang Xuyang was cleared of suspicion. He planned to bring all eleven lives back home.
Along the way, everyone had lost their joyful mood, and a faint sadness permeated the team.
Suddenly, Xiaohu started to cry. The thought of two comrades who had lived together day and night together being left alone on that hillside seemed surreal to Xiaohu.
Clearly, Zeng Dagu was still talking about his well-behaved daughter and his gentle and kind wife just a few minutes ago. Clearly, Xiao Jin was still saying that his family had found him a girlfriend and asked him to go home for a blind date. In just a short moment, they were separated forever. Although Xiao Hu knew the mission of a soldier when he put on his uniform and was prepared to sacrifice at any time, the scene that just happened still deeply shook him.
No one spoke during the entire journey, the silence seemingly allowing sadness to spread throughout the squad. "Thunder Squad" was known as the invincible squad on the front lines. After all, under Wen Ziqing's leadership, "Thunder Squad" had flown over a dozen missions in the past three months, each one completed flawlessly. Most remarkable of all, the death rate among "Thunder Squad" members was zero. Even in the perilous "Forest of Death," "Thunder Squad" had braved it without blinking.
After returning to the camp, Wang Xuyang and several other injured team members were immediately taken to the military hospital. Zhang Daqiang lost an arm, He Shuangyang limped, and Wang Xuyang had five or six shrapnel removed from his body, but his hands and feet were still intact.
Xiaohu and Gangzi were closest to Wen Ziqing, and both of them only suffered minor scrapes. After having their injuries bandaged by the nurses at the military hospital, Xiaohu and the others waited until Zhang Daqiang and his team had finished their surgeries and were wheeled into the ward before returning to the camp.
As the team leader, Wen Ziqing needed to report the mission to his superiors. When Captain Wu heard about the "Thunder Squad"'s two deaths and three serious injuries, he was so shocked he couldn't utter a word for a long time.
Captain Wu comforted Wen Ziqing a few words. On the battlefield, no one could predict who would be sacrificed in the next second.
Wen Ziqing left the battlefield command post and was about to go to the hospital to check on the wounded. Before he could leave the camp, he was called back by Xiao Zhu, the communications soldier of Captain Wu.
When Wen Ziqing walked into the command post, he saw Captain Wu with a face full of gritted teeth.
"Wen Ziqing, tell me honestly, do you have anything to do with the deaths of Zeng Wenwei and Xiao Jin?" Captain Wu couldn't help but yelled at Wen Ziqing. Just now, as Wen Ziqing walked out of Captain Wu's office, his phone rang.
The caller was a military commander who had received a report from a member of the "Thunder Squad" that Wen Ziqing had deliberately led someone into a minefield on his way back. Although Captain Wu didn't believe Wen Ziqing was such a person, he had to make a routine inquiry.
"Reporting to the battalion commander, Da Zeng and Xiao Jin died when they were returning to the camp after completing their mission. As the squad leader, I do have an unshirkable responsibility for their deaths." Thinking of Zeng Wenwei and Xiao Jin who were blown to pieces, Wen Ziqing felt heavy in his heart.
Captain Wu glanced at the telephone receiver on the table, which had not yet been placed, and a wry smile appeared on his face.
Xiaohu and Gangzi returned to the camp and were about to report the latest situation of their three hospitalized comrades to Wen Ziqing, but they heard the news that Wen Ziqing had been suspended.
Xiaohu was dumbfounded. If it weren't for the captain, their entire team might have died in that minefield. Why was the captain punished for saving everyone?
Xiaohu and several team members went to Captain Wu to speak on Wen Ziqing's behalf, but Captain Wu simply replied coldly, "If Wen Ziqing is truly innocent, the higher-ups will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation."
After saying that, Captain Wu directly ordered the signalman to drive Xiaohu and the others out of the command post.
The situation did not stop there. Because of this incident, the Thunder players' longed-for rest period was lost.
Three days later, the members of the "Thunder Squad" were isolated and investigated. Xiaohu heard that someone had reported Wen Ziqing for disregarding the lives of the team members, based on two grounds. First, Wen Ziqing had failed to properly arrange for reconnaissance at the outpost during the retreat. Second, Wen Ziqing was wearing a protective shield that could block the impact of the explosion, but at the moment of the explosion, Wen Ziqing did not save the team members' lives, but only let the shield protect himself.
Xiaohu was furious. Isn't this just a fabrication? Everyone could see it clearly; it was Wang Xuyang's lack of dedication that led them into this minefield. Wang Xuyang was seriously injured and hospitalized, so everyone was too embarrassed to tell Captain Wu that the accident was Wang Xuyang's fault. Now that the investigation team had been dispatched, Xiaohu and the others had to tell the truth.
Wen Ziqing was the last person to be questioned by the investigation team.
Wen Ziqing definitely denied the accusations leveled against him by the informant. During the retreat, Wang Xuyang was the team's vanguard, a fact known to all members. They only passed that hillside after seeing Wang Xuyang's "safe" hand gesture. However, Wen Ziqing couldn't explain the "protective shield" incident. After all, the jade token was around his neck, hidden from view. Furthermore, Wen Ziqing didn't want to drag Zhou Yuanyuan into the incident.
Wen Ziqing could still clearly remember the morning he left Zhou Yuanyuan. Zhou Yuanyuan's face was filled with indescribable fatigue. This level of exhaustion was the first time Wen Ziqing had seen her face in all those years. Thinking back, the little girl must have spent the entire night helping him with the jade token.
Zhou Yuanyuan said that the jade pendant could keep him safe. Wen Ziqing initially thought that the jade pendant meant good luck. Now it seems that Zhou Yuanyuan's jade pendant is not only a beautiful blessing, but also a protective shield that will automatically pop out to protect him from harm when he encounters danger.
Wen Ziqing couldn't, and didn't, dare to speak about the jade tokens. He feared it would bring endless trouble to Zhou Yuanyuan. After all, a jade token as powerful as this one could be invaluable on the battlefield. While Wen Ziqing didn't know how many jade tokens Zhou Yuanyuan had, he was certain: the crafting process must have been incredibly difficult. Otherwise, with Zhou Yuanyuan's kindness, she would have helped him get a few of them.
Facing the investigation team, Wen Ziqing did not mention Zhou Yuanyuan, and naturally could not explain why a protective shield suddenly appeared on his body at the moment of the explosion?
Things have reached a stalemate, and the rest period for the "Thunder Squad" has become a distant prospect.
Wen Ziqing was very depressed. He really couldn't explain the matter of the protective shield. Why didn't those people believe what he said?
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