Chapter 669 323: Zhao Meng: Can You Truly Understand the Road I Took? (Part 5)

Submachine gun, bullet belt, twelve grenades, a military bugle with flowing red tassels, two packs of compressed biscuits, a canteen.

Additionally, there were four heavy recoilless shells...

Clearly, these belonged to the artillery squadron, and he had voluntarily offered to help carry them.

Wang Wenxi gently helped Xiaojin up, after which Liang Erxi took Xiaojin's canteen, shook it, and there was still a sound.

He carefully placed the canteen to Xiaojin's lips, feeding him little by little: "Xiaojin, water, water..."

Throughout, Xiaojin's face remained frighteningly pale, with no response whatsoever.

All sorts of emergency measures were tried, but throughout, Xiaojin showed no reaction.

I trembled as I reached out to feel, and found Xiaojin's heartbeat had already stopped.

Liang Erxi silently and wordlessly took out his towel, wiping the dust off Xiaojin's face over and over.

He didn't even get to see the enemy before he left us like this.

As a bugler, he didn't even have time to blow his favorite charge horn, and now he has gone, resting forever in this place.

I touched his cold face and cried.

Back when I first arrived at Second Company, it was him who took care of me, filling the basin with water for me to wash up every day.

He prepared everything for me in advance, squeezed the toothpaste onto my toothbrush, and helped me into my uniform.

During fully-armed cross-country marches, he not only pulled me up from the ground but even secretly carried my belongings on himself.

You know, I was a whole head taller than him!

But I...

I was in such agony at that time, I wanted Xiaojin to come back to life, I wanted to personally tell him I'm sorry.

I wanted Xiaojin to forgive me, forgive me for being an incompetent instructor.

On the battlefield, time gallops uncontrollably like a wild horse.

Time was no longer moving by the hour, but by the minute, even by the second!

When we arrived at the forward position of Hill 323, it was already 7:05.

We were a full ninety-five minutes late compared to the originally scheduled arrival time!

But our Second Company is clear in conscience about this!

Upon reaching the designated position, Liang Erxi first arranged for each squad's soldiers to check their equipment, ensuring the weapons and ammunition they carried were undamaged.

Thankfully, everyone's equipment was intact and undamaged.

Unfortunately, most soldiers had lost their rations and canteens on the forced march for various reasons.

When we gathered all the remaining rations and canteens together, it was barely enough to fill everyone half-full.

After consuming these things, it would not be an exaggeration to say we were on the verge of running out of bullets and food.

Like most soldiers, my canteen had also been lost along the fast march.

When Liang Erxi handed me his canteen, I did not take it.

In the end, he forcibly stuffed Xiaojin's canteen into my hands, and I cried again.

That was Xiaojin's remaining water, how could I have the heart to drink it?

I handed over the canteen and the four shells to the artillery squad soldiers.

Once everyone had finished eating, we gathered around the map for analysis.

Liang Erxi: "Xiaobeiping's comrade is very right, when launching the 824 rocket launcher, we still need to get a bit closer to fully exploit its advantage."

"We must ensure that with one shot fired, the enemy's bunker is taken out! Otherwise, everyone knows the consequences! Thus, Deputy Company Commander, the operation will still start with your vanguard platoon, using the old method, bundles of grenades to detonate those mines set by the enemy in ambush..."

At this moment, Wang Wenxi's eyes were already red: "Damn it! Give me ten bundles of grenades first, I'll blow those bastards to kingdom come!"

Liang Erxi restrained the impulsive Wang Wenxi, assigning all the tasks.

Once the task allocation was completed, Liang Erxi turned his gaze to me.

He paused, then said, "Instructor, we may not be able to follow the plan above, as opportunities on the battlefield are fleeting; we need to act sooner."

"But in this situation, we should send a telegram to the camp, but now we are right under the enemy's nose, and if we send a telegram now, it would be to expose our position to the enemy, what do you think!"

I didn't hesitate for a moment:

"No need to report! I will bear any issues on my own responsibility! We must take this high ground sooner or later, and taking it now will always result in fewer casualties."

Xiaobeiping also nodded: "Yes, as the saying goes, when the general is abroad, orders of the sovereign should not be adhered to; special affairs require special measures."

Soon, the operation began.

Wang Wenxi led the vanguard platoon, slipping into the front positions under the cover of darkness, followed by bundles of grenades thrown into the minefields.

The sound of mines exploding, the blast of grenades, the roaring noises were deafening!

Through the dense smoke, the entire company quickly moved through the minefield.

As initially deployed, the first platoon provided suppressive fire, the second platoon charged, while the third platoon handled support.

In just a moment, gunfire ensued on both the mountain and in the valley...

Hiding in a trench, I silently counted the enemy's firing points: "Ten, they have set up ten firing points."

"No, there are more, twelve, twelve firing points."

As per the initial plan, Wang Wenxi and I, with the artillery squad warriors, circled around from both sides of the high ground to attack the mountain's fire points, striving to eliminate all enemy bunkers at once.

Wang Wenxi wasn't assigned a breakthrough task; as the artillery platoon leader, he had a more significant role.

With a rocket in one hand and rockets strapped to his back, he was determined to target the enemy's bunker fire points.

We relied on the trails of fire exchanged during the firefight to continuously approach the target.

I clawed upward with all my might, then Wang Wenxi grabbed me, calmly saying: "Instructor, you're rushing, follow behind me."