Chapter 93

In Yan'an's early morning, the thin mist had not yet cleared, and Li Ping'an was already standing on the drill ground of the Anti-Japanese University. He took a deep breath; the air carried the distinctive dry-grass scent of the Loess Plateau, and from afar came the trainees' morning exercise slogans.

Li Jiaoguan, this way please. A young staffer warmly came up to meet him; the leaders were all waiting in the big classroom.

Li Ping'an straightened his uniform and followed the staffer to a Yadong Classroom. He pushed open the wooden door; the room was full of people. At a glance, there were at least twenty-plus cadres, the youngest being a battalion-level cadre.

Zhou Zhengwei stood at the podium, saw him enter, smiled and introduced: This is Comrade Li Ping'an, founder of the Flying Eagle Team. Today he specially invited him to give everyone a talk on Special Operations.

Warm applause rose from below. Li Ping'an noticed that some cadres' eyes held curiosity, while others held suspicion.

Comrades, I'm just a small soldier who leads troops in battle; all the soldiers seated here are older than me. I only have some unique views; let's discuss and learn together. If anything I say is wrong, please criticize and correct me. Li Ping'an spoke, his voice loud and clear. Today I mainly want to share with everyone some experiences of our Flying Eagle Team.

He began speaking from soldier selection: Special forces are not ordinary soldiers; first they must have extraordinary physical strength and will. In our selection, cross-country running in the Ten-mile Mountain Area is just the basics; they also must be able to survive and fight in extreme environments.

A brigade commander downstairs interjected: Instructor Li Jiaoguan, regular troops can do those things too.

Li Ping'an smiled slightly: Let's continue. Special forces must know explosives, camouflage, reconnaissance, sniping and other special skills; they must also learn survival behind enemy lines and Qinna hand-to-hand combat. Most importantly, they must have absolute loyalty and the ability for independent thought.

He gave an example: Once, our squad went deep behind enemy lines; squad member Er Gazi, relying on his self-studied Japanese, successfully infiltrated a Japanese Soldiers outpost and obtained vital intelligence. This kind of improvisational ability is an essential quality of special forces.

The classroom atmosphere became lively; cadres raised questions one after another. Li Ping'an answered them all, and when he reached the exciting parts, he even demonstrated a few tactical moves on the spot.

Most importantly, Li Ping'an concluded: Special operations achieve big results with small forces, excel with elite troops over numbers, and suit decapitation operations; we must be like a sharp dagger, thrust straight into the enemy's heart.

After the lecture ended, Zhou Zhengwei grabbed him: "Ping'an, you gave a fantastic talk! Many cadres said they benefited greatly. By the way, Chairman Mao wants to see you."

Li Ping'an's heart leapt to his throat. Under the staffer's guidance, he went to Chairman Mao's cave dwelling. Chairman Mao was bent over his desk writing; seeing them enter, he put down his brush, smiled, and rose to his feet.

"Comrade Li Ping'an, your Flying Eagle Team has made the Japanese Soldiers tremble at the mere mention of it!" Chairman Mao grasped his hand and said affectionately.

Li Ping'an was so excited he could not speak; after a moment he said: "Chairman, these are all the result of comrades' joint struggle, they are the Party's army. I have a bold request: could you please write a phrase for the Anti-Japanese Allied Army? If the comrades see your calligraphy, they will surely receive great encouragement."

Chairman Mao readily agreed, spread out xuan paper, and with a bold brush wrote the four large characters "Hundred Battles Hundred Victories". Li Ping'an treasured it as if he had obtained a precious jewel, carefully putting it away.

In the days that followed, Li Ping'an began organizing training for a new batch of special forces. The registration office formed a long queue, all elites selected from various units.

First item, loaded cross-country! Li Ping'an stood before the formation; the last twenty would be eliminated!

The training was especially harsh. It began before dawn each day and lasted until the stars came out. Some soldiers vomited while running; some got injured in hand-to-hand combat training, but nobody lightly gave up.

"Instructor, isn't this too harsh?" a trainee who came from a company commander background couldn't help complaining.

Li Ping'an put on a stern face: "On the battlefield, the Japanese Soldiers will be even harsher! If you can't take it, you can leave now!"

Sure enough, someone chose to quit each day. Li Ping'an did not stop them; he knew special forces are not for everyone.

To provide extra nutrition for everyone, Li Ping'an often led people up the mountain to hunt. Wild chickens, wild hares, even wild boars became the trainees' extra meals.

"Instructor, your hunting skills are even better than your fighting!" the trainees joked.

Li Ping'an also laughed: "Only when you're full do you have the strength to fight the Japanese Soldiers!"

The training content was especially rich: in the explosives class, trainees learned to make various simple explosive devices; in the camouflage class, they learned how to blend into the environment; in the reconnaissance class, they learned tracking and counter-tracking techniques.

The most popular course was sniping. Li Ping'an personally demonstrated, hitting the target with a single shot from four hundred meters away, eliciting applause from the entire hall.

What a sniper needs is not marksmanship but patience. Li Ping'an instructed the trainees, sometimes to wait for a target one might have to lie in wait for several days and nights.

After three months, of the original over two hundred trainees, only eighteen remained. But these eighteen were each the best of the best soldiers.

Congratulations on passing the assessment. Li Ping'an looked at these dark-skinned, sturdy warriors, but the real test had only just begun.

He decided to lead the team in a live-fire drill. The target was a pseudo-army stronghold, garrisoned by a squad of Japanese soldiers and a company of pseudo-army troops.

At midnight, the squad approached the stronghold silently. Li Ping'an gave a hand signal, and the members quickly dispersed to their positions.

Action!

The explosives specialist struck first, destroying the stronghold's power facilities. Instantly, the stronghold fell into total darkness.

Enemy attack! The Japanese soldiers shouted in panic.

The sniper took the opportunity to pick off targets, and several of the leading Japanese soldiers fell. The assault team swiftly broke in and engaged the enemy in close combat.

A new team member hesitated in hand-to-hand combat and almost got stabbed by a Japanese soldier. Li Ping'an, quick-eyed and quick-handed, shot that soldier dead.

On the battlefield, one cannot be soft-hearted! Li Ping'an barked, mercy toward the enemy is cruelty toward oneself!

The members quickly adapted to the combat rhythm, their coordination becoming ever more seamless. In less than half an hour, they achieved total annihilation of the stronghold's garrison.

Clear the battlefield, withdraw quickly! Li Ping'an ordered.

Returning to the base, the team members were tired but their eyes shone. They finally understood what true special operations were.

Instructor, thank you! a team member exclaimed excitedly, I finally understand that your usual strictness was for our own good.

Li Ping'an patted his shoulder: You're all great. Remember, special forces are not just warriors, but strategic power. We must achieve maximum victory at minimal cost.

The next day, Li Ping'an brought the team to the training field.

A signalman came running in a hurry: Li Jiaoguan, urgent mission! A Japanese supply convoy is moving south, said to be transporting vital supplies.

Li Ping'an's eyes flashed with sharpness: Perfect timing! Let this supply convoy be your final graduation exam!

He turned to face the team: Everyone present! Prepare for action!

The eighteen warriors responded in unison:

Their voices shook the heavens, startling the birds in the forest. Li Ping'an looked at these warriors forged through countless trials, his heart filled with confidence. They were like tempered swords, about to be drawn and slash at the enemy's throats!