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墨書 Inktalez
Everyone who has been in the military feels this way: each day seems to drag on forever, yet when you look back after some time, you realize that time has flown by. It may seem contradictory, but it isn't at all. This is because there are so many things to do that you can't afford to relax. By the end of the day, all you want to do is sleep. Each day is also repetitive, so after a while, when you look back, those months feel monotonous and simple.
After the competition, life in the unit returned to its usual calm. Time passed unknowingly, and before I knew it, it was September 2000. During this period, everything was quite ordinary; nothing strange happened. However, a significant event occurred in the country—the SARS outbreak. Since my unit was located near the main gate and I had a medical background, the task of monitoring personnel entering and exiting the gate was assigned to me and my squad. We suspended our regular training and stood guard at the gate day and night. Our mission was straightforward: using a gun-type thermometer, we checked the forehead temperature of everyone entering or leaving the camp. If anyone showed an elevated temperature, we immediately reported it to the Superior Hospital for further assessment.
As mentioned earlier, busy days really flew by. It wasn't until the SARS situation began to settle down that I suddenly realized it was already late September. Applying for leave to go home was no longer possible since I had already exhausted my vacation days for the year; any last-minute requests would surely be denied. So, I decided to take on seven days of standby duty, allowing other Squad Leaders in the company some time off.
The Instructor had gone home to the city for vacation, and the Company Commander lived in the family quarters with his wife. However, I figured that during these seven days, he wouldn't be coming back to the unit often. Before leaving home, he specifically shared his leadership tips with me: "Leading troops means keeping them busy; always find something for them to do!"
I remained noncommittal; perhaps this was the biggest difference between Local University Student officers and those who grew up in military settings—different personal leadership styles. I arranged activities for our squad during these seven days. Aside from those warriors who were on leave proportionately, every morning after breakfast we engaged in chores, cleaning our designated sanitation area. Then we returned to the unit for cultural activities like watching television or movies or playing games. In the afternoons, we held political education and safety training sessions in the conference room. However, I didn't plan for these sessions to last too long; I intended to let everyone share their stories instead! After all, in just a month many would be leaving this big family behind; it would be nice for them to see another side of their comrades and deepen their impressions.
On National Day morning, I first called home and then made congratulatory calls to a few friends. To my surprise, Big Yellow and Old Bi had already gone out on dates; even Zhang Xing from the armed police was attending a matchmaking event with locals. That left me alone at the unit, holding down my post.
After breakfast, I checked the roster of personnel going out and saw that each squad's internal affairs had been organized. Standing downstairs, I blew the assembly whistle: "All squads gather your tools and clean your sanitation areas!"
After counting heads, aside from the Culinary Team and Duty helpers, I led the remaining personnel towards our assigned sanitation area—a small hillside where our company was responsible for cleaning up various sections assigned to each squad. Upon reaching our designated spot, I issued a dispersal order; each squad had an experienced leader guiding them as they began cleaning up leaves.
During holidays like this one, there weren't many leaders working overtime at headquarters, so the soldiers were rather lackadaisical about cleaning up. Without supervision, their playful nature came out—some were chasing each other around while others were slacking off or sneaking cigarettes. A few serious squad leaders occasionally scolded them to keep things in check. I couldn't be bothered either; I wandered around for a bit before heading over to my squad's sanitation area.
This area was on a shady slope with plenty of trees shedding leaves. As soon as I arrived, I heard He Baisha complaining in Chongqing dialect about how their assigned area was unfair—others finished quickly while they were still stuck working hard. I lightly kicked him and said, "You're about to retire! Put in some effort now as a contribution for your brothers left behind; you won't have this chance later!"
He Baisha paused momentarily but said nothing as he lowered his head and started sweeping leaves with his broom. Seeing everyone else getting into gear, I called over Garfield to chat.
"Garfield, what do you want to do when you go back?"
"I want to marry my girlfriend first and then open a barbecue restaurant."
"Oh," I laughed. "Old Liang, are you serious?"
"Why wouldn't I be? My girlfriend and I have been together for five years!"
"Hahaha! Forget about your wedding plans; I'm opening that barbecue restaurant!"
"Why not? Us Guangdong folks know how to eat! After spending a few years in the army, I've definitely improved my cooking skills—maybe I've got a talent for it."
“Do people from Guangdong really love to eat?”
“Well, let’s put it this way: we eat everything with four legs on the ground except for benches! Pangolins, toads, and oh, snakes—snake soup is truly delicious!”
Garfield swallowed hard.
Before I could react, I heard someone in the woods ahead shout, “Snake! Snake!! Come quick!”
In our designated sanitation area! Garfield and I jumped up and ran towards the source of the sound!
The reason for our urgency was my fear that someone might get bitten by a venomous snake. With retirement just around the corner, any trouble now would be a real hassle.
In just a few steps, we reached the edge of the woods and saw a large snake coiled on the path! Several soldiers were surrounding it but dared not approach.
I stepped forward for a closer look and shouted in shock, “Is that a King Cobra!? Everyone get back!”
Yes, it was indeed a King Cobra! I recognized it from previous encounters. I had researched this type of snake extensively; it is also known as the mountain wind snake or the great king cobra. Its head is oval-shaped, and its neck can expand flat. The front half of its body can also stand upright, which makes it resemble many other snakes, but there are clear distinctions: the King Cobra has a larger body, typically measuring between 3 to 4 meters long, with some reaching up to 6 meters; its neck does not have white band-like patterns, nor does its underside have black spots or stripes; however, its back is dark brown or yellowish-brown with about 40-50 white-edged black stripes. It also has a pair of large scales behind its head. When startled, like the King Cobra, it can raise its front body and flatten its neck while hissing and preparing to strike.
This snake is the largest venomous snake in the world. Ranked ninth among venomous snakes, the King Cobra preys primarily on other snakes, instilling fear in many species. Once threatened, it becomes extremely aggressive; its head and neck move skillfully towards its prey. If the prey attempts to escape, it's not an easy feat! The most terrifying aspect is that even if left alone, it may initiate an attack. A bite from this creature can lead to death within an hour due to its potent venom.
The snake before me was roughly estimated to be at least three meters long and as thick as a child's arm. As I approached, it suddenly raised itself higher, its flattened neck swelling up and tilting back while its front body stood tall. It flicked its long forked tongue in and out as if ready to strike at any moment.
Garfield had followed me over and was equally shocked by the sight. “How did a King Cobra end up here?!”
However, this was clearly not the time for scientific inquiry. I quickly urged the soldiers to step back—no one should get too close; no one could withstand its speed. To my surprise, as I gestured and shouted for everyone to move away, the King Cobra lunged toward me!
This was life-threatening; I was unarmed! Terrified, I hurriedly backed away while the snake continued to advance on me. Fortunately, we were on a path where friction slowed it down somewhat. I quickly turned and jumped onto a cement flower bed over a meter high, shouting loudly, “What are you all doing? Hurry up and grab something!”
This truly snapped everyone into action; soldiers from our unit rushed over with tools in hand. A few armed with shovels and brooms formed a perimeter around the massive snake.
Strangely enough, instead of fleeing, the snake remained still, flicking its tongue while trying to climb up onto the flower bed but struggling due to insufficient support from its tail. Each time it managed to raise its head and neck onto the flower bed, it would wobble precariously before losing balance and falling back down again.
I took a moment to observe from a distance of one or two meters away from the platform, feeling that there was no immediate danger. I wasn't in a hurry, but I had a question on my mind: King Cobras mostly inhabit areas like Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan-Guizhou, and Hunan. Would there be King Cobras here? Where did this King Cobra come from? A shiver ran down my spine as I recalled something from long ago.
As I pondered this, the warriors who had gone to find tools returned. Some carried shovels, others wielded kitchen knives, and there were even bamboo poles among them. However, no one seemed eager to approach; after all, none of them had ever encountered such a large King Cobra before.
Seeing their hesitation, I shouted, "We can't let it go! If we release it, one of our comrades might get bitten. We must keep it; tonight we'll have a feast! Everyone can celebrate the festival with Snake Soup!"
The warriors instantly became excited. Perhaps it was the collective wisdom of the crowd; someone suggested tying a knife to a bamboo pole so they could chop and hack from a distance.
The King Cobra in front of me seemed oddly fixated on me, making futile attempts to climb closer. Someone nearby shouted, "Squad Leader, it seems to have taken a liking to you!"
Laughter erupted around me, and I could only smile wryly and shake my head because perhaps only I understood why it was so determined to attack me.
Before humans, even the mightiest creatures are weak. The so-called most venomous King Cobra was powerless against several knives tied to bamboo poles. As we began to strike, it writhed in pain and started thrashing about. The warriors stood back for safety, and the large brooms issued by the unit proved effective; anyone wielding a broom would simply swat at the snake whenever it slithered too close, pushing it back into our encirclement. After several rounds of struggle, the King Cobra was left battered and bloodied, coiled up and slowly becoming still.
At that moment, I heard Garfield mumbling, "Just when we were about to have Snake Soup, we get a snake! Great! Let's have a full snake feast!" He was about to rush forward to grab the snake when I panicked and shouted, "Don't go over there!"
(To be continued; more exciting content tomorrow!)
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