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墨書 Inktalez
"Everyone, what should we do?!" I slowly scanned the crowd.
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Beta quietly asked, "How long until the Red Army reaches the Passage?!"
I quickly replied, "One of the Red Army's tanks has already landed on the Beachhead, and the follow-up troops should complete their landing within half an hour. The key issue is that I abandoned a truck on the road to the Passage, blocking the way. If we need to move it to clear a path for the tank, it will take some time. However, it's possible that the amphibious Special Forces might send someone over."
"I need to make arrangements," Beta murmured. "We can't let the Red Army pass through the Passage easily; let's delay them as long as we can. Old Wang, you make the call, and I'll cooperate with you." With that, Beta crawled out of the trench. Without asking, I knew he was heading back to his tank. That guy is really something; instead of sitting in a command vehicle, he insists on driving a tank himself.
"That's right, Old Wang, it's up to you. You're the highest-ranking military officer here," Old Tang was the first to speak up.
"I agree. According to wartime regulations, with the Company Commander absent and the Instructor fallen, command should pass to One Continuous Long in order of succession," chimed in both the Combat Engineer Company Deputy Commander and the Technical Deputy Commander.
Others began to voice their agreement as well, but I could clearly see that everyone lacked confidence. Many were likely thinking that someone had to take responsibility.
At that moment, I noticed more and more soldiers gathering around us. Although it was mainly officers who had assembled here voluntarily, the soldiers were anxious and unsure about what was happening, all drawn in to listen.
My first reaction was that we couldn't let morale falter! We needed to unite everyone's fighting spirit; otherwise, if we just sat here doing nothing, it would be better for us to be wiped out by the Red Army than to face a worse fate. With this thought in mind, my voice suddenly rose:
"Everyone! Military exercises are like battlefields! It seems that the Red Army is planning a major assault on us! Behind us lies a vulnerable rear defense; the command center is still unaware of our situation! The situation is extremely critical; we are the only Blue Army unit here. Whether we can withstand or delay the enemy's advance depends on us! You must understand that our hypothetical enemy is from the N Military District; this isn't just about our unit's honor—it's about our G Military District's honor! The Military District Commander is watching! The headquarters Leader is watching! We are facing a crisis! But it's also an opportunity! Do you all have confidence to stand with me against the Red Army? To create glory for our G Military District?!"
"Yes!" all the officers responded quietly in unison. There weren't many of us, and our voices weren't loud, but they carried a penetrating strength and determination that felt like they could reach the skies!
I had to admit that rallying before battle was indeed very important; everyone's emotions visibly calmed down. Xuanhua asked from beside me, "Company Commander, we're all listening to your orders! What’s our next step?! Should we go out and fight the Red Army?"
I shot him a glare. "How many troops does the Red Army have? It's impossible to confront them head-on. To defeat them, we can't rely solely on ourselves; we must first observe and find their weaknesses! Ideally, we need to get hold of a radio station to report our situation back to command and call for fire support and reinforcements."
Everyone nodded in agreement. "Company Commander, how do we get a radio station?!" asked the Technical Deputy Commander with concern. "We're not infantry and don't have strong firepower; facing an Amphibious Assault Unit makes ambushing them nearly impossible."
"Ah, if only the phone were still here," said the Deputy Commander of the Combat Engineer Company.
"Don't think about any underhanded tricks. Phones are to be turned in. Even if you hide one, there are no signal towers here, and the Red Army will definitely have signal jammers. We can't risk any radio transmissions reaching our command center—don't even think about it!"
His words plunged everyone into silence, and I had to quickly brainstorm for ideas. Suddenly, my gaze fell on the Tank Hat that Beta had left on the ground. I had an idea!
I spoke up, "Everyone, let's all lie low here for now and implement light control. Each leader should keep their subordinates in check—no noise, and absolutely no exposure. I'm going to discuss this with the Tank Company Commander."
Stepping out of the trench, I looked around. The night was dark, and the sounds of explosions had ceased. It seemed the Red Army had cleared the beachhead obstacles. I raised my infrared binoculars; the area where the passage emerged was still shrouded in darkness. It appeared that the Red Army hadn't yet cleared the obstacle trucks, but I couldn't be sure if any infantry had infiltrated.
However, I had a feeling there would be some. "Beta?!" I tried to walk a few steps toward Beta's tank hiding spot and called out softly.
"I'm here!" After a moment, a figure jumped down from the tank turret, skillfully sliding down and walking over to me.
"Hehe, you’re now the Supreme Leader!" Beta teased as he approached, showing remarkable composure and even joking around.
"I never thought I'd take on such a heavy burden; if you like it so much, you can have it!" I retorted. "No, no, I can be a strategist, but I absolutely cannot lead. I know my limits. Besides, we tankers have always worked in coordination with you infantry—it's combined arms."
"Brothers, we're just a bunch of mixed troops here," I said quietly. To be honest, my confidence wasn't high either. Just thinking about leading Ferry Troops, Engineers, and Technical Repair Soldiers against the elite forces of the Red Army's Amphibious Operations made me uneasy.
"We've come this far; don't overthink it—just do your best!" Beta said softly.
"I want to discuss something with you."
"Go ahead; you're in charge now. Once you give your orders, I've got to take my brothers to hold the Passage. Hehe, I'm going to drive my ride down to the cliff on the right side of the Passage; when they come out one by one, I'll take them down!" Beta said excitedly as he rubbed his hands together.
"I don't dare give orders; I just think you're being a bit idealistic. Right now we have no air superiority and no infantry support—do you really think your Tank Company can hold off at the Passage for long with just a fan-shaped defense?"
Beta fell silent for a moment. "If I had air superiority, I could block the Passage indefinitely. But in this situation, at most zero minutes—once I block the Passage, the Red Army will call in helicopter support at any moment. Helicopters are tank killers, and then we would all be wiped out."
"Exactly, but that can only buy us zero minutes. Besides, we don't know if the Red Army infantry has infiltrated here. If they open fire, your Tank Company will expose its position and could quickly be taken out one by one by anti-tank rockets."
Beta was silent for a long time. "So what do you mean?"
I didn’t answer him directly. "The urgent task is to report the Red Army's main offensive situation to headquarters so they can coordinate defenses and plan a counterattack. It would be best to grasp the movements of the Red Army, allowing us to strike when they are unprepared!"
Beta pondered for a moment. "But we can only transmit information through the radio. What do you mean?"
"Exactly!" I said firmly. "We need to seize a radio!"
"But how do we seize it?!" Beta exclaimed, grabbing his head.
"This requires your cooperation!"
"Me?!"
"My Dongfeng Truck won't hold out much longer. I estimate that in half an hour at most, their tanks will come out. At that time, your Tank Company must be ready to support." Beta nodded repeatedly.
"I hope your tanks stay hidden here and do not expose themselves."
"What!? You want me to abandon my brothers! I can't do that!" Beta jumped up.
"Listen to me first!" I stopped him.
"The sacrifice of your Tank Company won't be meaningless. After they fall, some Red Army troops will definitely stay behind to guard these so-called fallen units because there will be a garrison at the Beachhead. To maintain communication, there’s a high probability that a radio will be left behind. At that time, we need your tanks to raid them and reclaim the radio. Also, it's very likely that the Red Army's Vanguard has already been dispatched; even the slightest movement could be monitored. Do you think driving your tanks over there won’t expose us?!"
Seeing Beta remain silent, I continued, "And those tanks under your command, when they are not activated, may not be detected. But once combat begins, you won't even need to wait for the helicopters to attack; the infiltrating infantry can easily take them out one by one. Tell me, since it's already a doomed situation, why are you still here? Stay! Help me turn the tide!"
Beta lowered his head and thought for a long time before sighing, "It seems I have no choice but to do this." He looked up at me and said, "I used to think I was quite capable, but in this moment of assessing the situation and making decisions, I truly can't compare to you. I don't know why, but your words and presence always seem to instill confidence in others. Alright, I'll follow your lead. Come with me; I'll arrange everything for the Brothers at On the Vehicle."
I had to admit that climbing into a tank was no easy feat, especially in the dark. It took me quite a while to squeeze inside, and I bumped my head several times. Thankfully, my movements were slow; otherwise, it would have hurt more. Once inside the tank, there was barely any room to move. Beta took his position as commander and activated the vehicle's communication system. "All units, pay attention! This is Unit 1! Respond when you receive!"
"Unit received!" "Unit received!"
...
After all units reported in, Beta changed from our previous lighthearted banter to a serious demeanor. "Brothers! The Red Army has already landed ahead of us. What you will face is the iron torrent of the Red Army. We have no choice; behind us is an unprotected command center, and we can only hold our ground. I ask you all to engage with full force and destroy as many tanks as possible before being knocked out of combat! Is everyone clear on the mission?!"
"Understood!" came a chorus of responses over the communicator.
Beta nodded in satisfaction. "Brothers, this time I have another mission to attend to and won't be able to fight alongside you against the Red Army. However, rest assured that I will uphold the honor of our G Military District armored forces on your behalf!"
"Now I order that Unit 1 temporarily assumes command. From this moment on, all units shut down their engines and prepare for concealment. The Red Army has already sent in their Vanguard. When enemy tanks emerge from the Passage, open fire with all your might and strike them hard at any cost! Fight until we are destroyed!"
(To be continued; more exciting developments tomorrow!)
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