Chapter 84: Snowfield Dagger

The bitter wind of the twelfth month whistled across Linhai Xueyuan, kicking up clumps of snow foam. Li Ping'an stood on the newly opened training ground, eyeing the gradually forming Flying Eagle Squad, and mentally calculated how to train the next Special Operations.

From today onward, what you'll learn isn't how to fight a war. Li Ping'an's voice was especially clear in the cold wind, but rather how to use the smallest capital to make the biggest profit.

Er Gazi rubbed his frozen red hands, breathing white vapor, and asked: "Instructor, haven't we already learned how to fight the Japanese Soldiers?"

Li Ping'an glanced at him: "What you call is fighting for your life, not warfare. Real Special Operations are about making the Japanese Soldiers die without ever knowing what happened."

The team members instantly perked up, each pricking up their ears to listen.

Li Ping'an gave no further explanation and led them to the newly built comprehensive training ground. It was built against the mountain, with an obstacle area, a climbing wall, and a simulated Japanese Army outpost.

"See that bunker?" Li Ping'an pointed at the distant simulated fortification. "Today your mission is to take out this outpost without alerting anyone."

The team members looked at each other, "In this ice and snow, how do we get close?"

Li Ping'an smiled faintly: "This is your first lesson—Infiltration."

He demonstrated himself: his body flashed and vanished into the snow. When he reappeared, he was already behind a thicket thirty meters away. The whole process was silent, and even the footprints in the snow were wiped clean.

"My mother!" Er Gazi widened his eyes, "Instructor, is that an invisibility technique?"

The subsequent training opened the team's eyes wide. Li Ping'an brought out Special Operations techniques he had learned from old TV dramas: how to use terrain for stealth, how to distinguish the Japanese Soldiers' bright Sentinels from hidden ones, and even how to make explosives from the simplest materials.

"Remember, Special Forces are not brutes." Li Ping'an demonstrated making simple explosives while explaining that you must fight with your brain. Sometimes a single grenade is more effective than a machine gun.

The most grueling part for the team was the physical training. Li Ping'an devised a Devil's Course: every day before dawn they did weighted cross‑country runs, then returned for Hand-to-hand Combat training; afternoons were for learning various skills, and evenings required cultural classes.

"Instructor, are you trying to train us to death!" a team member collapsed in the snow, gasping heavily.

Li Ping'an pulled him up: "Sweat more now, bleed less on the battlefield. You must know that future missions will be the most perilous; without solid skills, you're just marching to your death."

Even so, Li Ping'an took special care of the team off duty. He often led them into the mountains to hunt, improving meals. Wild boar, deer, and foolish roe deer meat were served in varied ways, and Mess Hall Team Lao Wangtou was delighted beyond words: "Following Instructor Li, our Mess Hall Team gets meat every meal; it's almost like the New Year!"

A month later, the Flying Eagle Team held its first comprehensive drill. Li Ping'an split the team into two squads, one playing the Japanese Army defending the outpost, the other acting as the resistance forces attacking.

The drill began, and the attacking side was quickly defeated.

Li Ping'an's face grew serious: "Do you know why we lost?"

The team members lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

"Because you're still using old thinking!" Li Ping'an raised his voice. "Special Operations isn't about brute force; it's about clever capture! Find the enemy's weak spot and strike a fatal blow!"

In the second drill, the situation improved considerably, but still wasn't perfect. Li Ping'an wasn't impatient; he patiently led them through review, summary, and improvement.

During a training break that day, Er Gazi shuffled over and asked: "Instructor, we've trained so long, when will we actually fight with real knives and guns?"

Li Ping'an smiled: "Why the hurry? Sharpening the blade doesn't delay chopping firewood."

Just then, Zhou Zhengwei hurried over: "Comrade Li, there's an important mission."

Intelligence showed that the Japanese Soldiers had built a new supply depot fifty li outside the base, storing large amounts of ammunition and medicine.

"That's a juicy piece of meat," Squad Leader Yang's eyes lit up. "We've been lacking those."

Li Ping'an stared at the map, thoughtful: "The supply depot's location is tricky, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one access road. A frontal assault won't work."

"What then?" Zhou Zhengwei frowned.

"Send the Flying Eagle Team." Li Ping'an was confident; it was a perfect chance to test the training results.

In the deep night, the Flying Eagle Team slipped out. Li Ping'an personally led, teaching night marching, terrain concealment, and signal transmission along the way.

When they reached the outskirts of the supply depot, dawn had not yet broken. Li Ping'an observed the enemy carefully and found that although the terrain was hazardous, the guards were not tight.

"It seems the Japanese Soldiers think this place is safe." Li Ping'an sneered, "Today we'll give them a lesson."

He quickly assigned tasks: Er Gazi led three men to deal with the Sentinels, the rest split into two groups—one for Demolition, the other for cover.

The team approached the depot silently. Er Gazi's squad slipped past the Sentinels like phantoms, completing the task cleanly and efficiently.

The Demolition Group successfully infiltrated the warehouse and set the explosives. Just as they were about to withdraw, an accident occurred.

"Baka! Who's that?" A night‑shift Japanese Army officer discovered them, and the alarm blared instantly.

Li Ping'an acted decisively.

The team quickly withdrew along the planned route, and the supply depot behind them erupted with a deafening blast, its firelight reddening half the sky.

Although the mission was completed, Li Ping'an's expression was not pleasant. On the way back to camp, he kept pondering which part had gone wrong.

"Instructor, didn't we succeed?" Er Gazi asked, puzzled.

"Success?" Li Ping'an shook his head. "If that Japanese Army officer hadn't risen at night, we would have completed the mission silently. This shows our Infiltration isn't thorough enough."

Back at the camp, Zhou Zhengwei and the team were already waiting. Upon hearing the mission succeeded, everyone cheered.

Li Ping'an, however, gathered the team: "Although we blew up the supply depot today, many issues were exposed. Let's start the debrief…"

At the evening celebration, Er Gazi couldn't help asking: "Instructor, how do you know so many Special Operations techniques?"

Li Ping'an looked at the flickering bonfire and said softly: "An old friend taught me."

Late at night, everyone slept. Li Ping'an sat alone by the fire, taking out a small notebook to record today's combat summary.

Zhou Zhengwei appeared at an unknown moment: "Still summarizing?"

Li Ping'an didn't look up. "Even though it succeeded, there are still many problems. Infiltration isn't thorough, and the retreat route has flaws…"

Zhou Zhengwei sat beside him: "You've already done well. Yan'an sent a telegram praising us, saying this tactic should be promoted."

Li Ping'an shook his head: "It's just the beginning. The value of Special Operations goes far beyond this. In the future, they can conduct deep‑enemy reconnaissance, carry out Decapitation Operations, and even influence the whole battle."

"What's your next plan?"

"The focus will be training behind‑enemy Infiltration and squad coordination," Li Ping'an said. "We'll also teach them multi‑skill usage; there's a lot to learn."

Zhou Zhengwei patted his shoulder: "Take it slow, don't rush. You're now our resistance's prized nugget."

Li Ping'an stared at the star‑filled sky and suddenly asked: "Commissar, you said once the anti‑Japanese war is won, will these skills still be useful?"

The Political Commissar smiled: "Useless? No way. Building the new China needs talent in all fields. You with special skills are the nation's precious assets."

Li Ping'an also smiled.

The next day, Li Ping'an got up especially early. He walked around the camp and finally stopped beside the training ground.

The team members arrived at the training ground one after another, and were stunned to see Li Ping'an. Today's instructor seemed somehow different, though they couldn't pinpoint exactly how.

Assemble! Li Ping'an's voice boomed.

The team members quickly formed a line and stood ready.

Starting today, we begin a new training curriculum. Li Ping'an's gaze swept over everyone. I will teach you how to survive behind enemy lines, how to conduct small‑unit coordinated combat, how to defeat many with few…

The team members' eyes lit up; these are real skills, indeed!

Cheering shouts rang out again on the training ground, louder and more forceful than before.

Li Ping'an watched these increasingly competent warriors, his heart filled with hope. The Flying Eagle Team has only just begun, and the road ahead is still long.

In the distance, a red sun rose from the mountaintop, illuminating the entire valley. A new day, new training, new challenges—all await them.