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墨書 Inktalez
The May Day holiday passed quietly on the water, but fortunately, the team promised that once it was confirmed that the Allies would not pass through here or after they arrived, we would get compensatory leave. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to explain it to the soldiers. I had repeatedly stated in the Unit that while training was important, it was also essential to balance work and rest. On weekends, I always tried to let more soldiers go out proportionately. Therefore, during training, the soldiers focused earnestly on their tasks, and during weekends, they relaxed and adjusted their moods. I didn't interfere much; after all, it's about finding a balance between discipline and relaxation.
However, during this holiday, I stayed with everyone without stepping away for a moment. The most direct loss was that my wallet became quite thin. The Unit had used up last month's leftover funds to buy watermelons and ice pops, which were still insufficient, so I had to cover the difference. Especially every time I saw Xuanhua and Sheng Xiong devouring almost an entire watermelon each, my heart felt like it was bleeding...
The two Units trained on opposite banks, which was naturally much more efficient than mixing together. Particularly after the Training Commencement practice, there were fewer constraints. Additionally, the team allocated eight Speedboats to us; only one soldier from Gao Ge Lian could operate a boat, while I commandeered the remaining five over here. During training, each Speedboat supported a Bailey Bridge, allowing us to connect in batches. As long as we worked together for less than a minute, we could set up the bridge in the center of the river. At that time, Gao Ge's Unit had only managed to assemble four sections of Bailey Bridge. The Deputy Chief of Staff was quite surprised by our speed; however, he insisted on connecting in the river. We had to wait until Gao Ge Lian's team assembled a few more sections before we could begin connecting. This delay was clearly unnecessary, but I couldn't say much; we were a team, not just a Unit—I understood that.
As the afternoon drew to a close, the Deputy Chief of Staff ordered both Units to practice together once more. Of course, Gao Ge and I had no objections. Everything proceeded according to protocol; we went through the entire process again. During the final connection phase, Gao Ge and I each stood on our respective Bailey Bridges to execute the connection, timing it at about half an hour.
It wasn't perfect but it was close enough; after all, we weren't from the same battalion's Unit. The Deputy Chief of Staff nodded in approval, feeling that there were no major issues left—just some fine-tuning needed for familiarity. Before concluding, he requested that everyone practice together one more time so that Commander could observe and identify any areas for improvement.
Early the next morning, both Units arrived at the Water Training Ground. After testing our walkie-talkies, Gao Ge and I took our respective Units across the river by truck while preparing on both sides.
The guards had been dispatched early on; Patrol Boats were intercepting sand dredgers outside. At eight o'clock sharp, Commander arrived with personnel. At this time, other Units had not yet commenced training and all eyes were on us; even the number of onlookers on the shore seemed greater than usual.
As Commander stepped out of the vehicle, Deputy Chief of Staff approached him with a report. After listening attentively and nodding in response, Deputy Chief of Staff turned back and shouted loudly, "Issue orders! Begin bridge construction!"
A staff officer fired a Signal Gun; with a loud bang, a Green Signal Flare shot straight into the sky—the performance began!
My soldiers rushed towards the riverbank equipment with enthusiasm, showcasing their training results with all their might. This was also my request: if we're going to do something, let's do it well; if we do well, everything will be fine—otherwise all that practice during the holiday would have been for nothing!
Regardless of how Commander assured everyone else, I had guaranteed them that as long as they did their best to complete the mission, I would take charge of future training—no wasted efforts! They could rest at home and after dinner I'd take them out for night patrol! (Other Company Commanders had their Training Commencement at 7 AM with teams returning by 10 AM and then resuming at 4 PM until 8 PM.) Our progress had already surpassed many other Units; there was no need to waste time sunbathing by the river when night training still needed practice.
Encouraged by my words and incentives, it was rare for soldiers who had just completed a long holiday to show such enthusiasm. One by one they shouted excitedly as they began pushing equipment into the water while those operating Speedboats started their engines and cruised along downstream waiting for Bailey Bridge deployment.
Everything proceeded swiftly and orderly. Standing on Dock Bridge helped my soldiers lower Bridge Boards while also stabilizing things onshore. Other soldiers quickly moved to assist with connections on the other side; everyone worked efficiently under pressure as time flew by unnoticed. Before long I found myself standing in the center of the river where my fifth Speedboat had already brought over Bailey Bridge for connection. Looking ahead revealed at least three more sections of Bailey Bridge still needing connection. Turning back revealed that the first Speedboat had actually completed its Bailey Bridge connection work and was idling by the riverbank. I couldn't help but think that if we pushed harder, perhaps that first Speedboat could have continued connecting another section of Bailey Bridge without stopping—maybe even synchronizing with Gao Ge Lian's efforts! If Gao Ge Lian slowed down just a bit more in their pace at last we'd only need to build a dock and extend Bailey Bridge further. That would save time! Though I thought this way, I knew better than to be greedy or seek personal glory in military matters; instead I'd focus on doing my own part well.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Gao Ge finally arrived. I directed the soldiers to extend the grappling hooks, and together they exerted their strength until the Bailey Bridge was finally connected. Once it was quickly secured, I took out the pre-issued Signal Gun and fired a green flare into the sky, signaling that the bridge was ready for use.
All the soldiers lined up on both sides of the Bailey Bridge. Old Tang led the convoy slowly onto the Floating Bridge, preparing for a trial run. I watched as Old Tang's convoy passed completely over the Floating Bridge before running with Gao Ge to the observation post, waiting for the Commander’s instructions.
At this moment, the Commander had finished giving instructions to the Deputy Chief of Staff. Seeing us arrive, he smiled slightly and said, "No wonder you two are my most capable units. It's been six minutes; not bad. However..." The Commander paused and continued, "Gao Lian and Wang Lian are faster than your unit. The connection seems to be happening in the center of the river, right? You need to work harder. If it really doesn't work out, consider extending Wang Lian's reach towards you." Gao Ge lowered his head and said nothing.
The Commander then glanced at me and raised his voice slightly, "This isn't about splitting things evenly; it's not just about completing tasks. This is training, and training is about maximizing performance. Company Commander Wang, I hope you won't hold back during training."
I quickly stood at attention and replied, "Yes!"
The Commander then slowly added, "On the eighth day of this month, brother units will be arriving." He stood up and addressed everyone around him seriously, "Comrades, we are a Special Forces unit with a glorious tradition; we are a Heroic Regiment. Our predecessor was honored with the title 'Bridge Hero Company' by the Military Commission! Therefore, you must live up to this title! Whether in training, during missions, or in competitions with brother units, you must embody strong honor and a sense of collective spirit. You should have that momentum of 'if not me, then who!' Everyone, do you have confidence?!"
The Deputy Chief of Staff was the first to shout, "Rest assured, Leader! For our first battle, we will win!"
"For our first battle! We will win!" everyone echoed loudly.
I am someone who dislikes shouting slogans; I always feel that only when something is lacking do people shout about it. I also firmly believe in the saying that a dog that doesn’t bark will bite. However, I found myself joining in anyway. After we finished shouting, the Commander nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand to dismiss us.
Just as Gao Ge and I were about to leave, the Commander spoke again. "You two stay." Reluctantly, Gao Ge and I stepped back into the observation point to await further instructions from the Commander.
The Commander waved his hand to send everyone else away and sat down with a long sigh. "Wang, Gao, do you feel like we’re just putting on a show?"
Gao Ge and I exchanged glances but dared not speak. In fact, I had felt this way since receiving the mission; there was no need to piece together a team. Our battalion could practice against each other—if we lost, we lost; there was no need for such theatrics.
Seeing us silent for a while, the Commander suddenly said, "So young people don’t want to admit defeat?"
I stood up abruptly alongside Gao Ge. "Leader, we dare not!"
"Sit down," Commander said as he pulled out a cigarette, slowly lit it, took a puff, and began to speak.
"In the future, there will be a major leader visiting the military district for observation. As you all know, the Allies are near the Provincial Military District, and this time the nearby Provincial Military District will also be led by a major leader. Once we meet, it is inevitable that we will have to compare our capabilities, and the result of that comparison could determine whether our unit's designation will be reclaimed by the military district." Commander paused for a moment, his tone significant. "We are one of the few specialized units in the entire army. If the leader believes we lack the capability to complete the tasks assigned by higher-ups, we will be restructured and become part of another unit, losing our independent designation."
Losing our independent designation? I understood clearly what that meant. Just as I was about to speak, Gao Ge beside me said in a low voice, "I know, Leader. Our unit has lost its designation once before."
I was taken aback and felt a bit ashamed because I hadn't taken the time to study our unit's history since I arrived. Commander squinted his eyes, gazing at the river surface as if recalling many past events. He spoke softly to Gao Ge, "Hmm, you know quite a bit. Go ahead and share what you know about our unit's history."
Gao Ge lowered his head and continued, "In 1955, we were established as an Independent Regiment by headquarters; in 1979, during the Sino-Vietnamese Self-Defense Counterattack War, due to the situation's needs, we were incorporated into a directly subordinate regiment of the military district; in 1998 during the Flood Control efforts, due to outstanding performance, we were restored to an Independent Regiment by headquarters."
The great flood of '98... I had just been a sophomore back then. Wait, why did Gao Ge's voice sound a bit off? I turned my head in surprise to look at him; he seemed to be sniffling, and his eyes looked a bit red. "Lao Gao, what's wrong?" I pushed him gently, worried he might lose his composure.
"Nothing," Gao Ge wiped his eyes and looked up at Commander. "All this information I've gathered from my brother. My brother is Gao Xin; he sacrificed himself during those Flood Control rescue efforts."
(To be continued; more exciting content tomorrow.)
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