Chapter 476: Tense Standoff

Ma Dagang understood Lu Cheng's feelings.

If this batch of military equipment had already been handed over to the transport team, whatever happened on the road would have nothing to do with them.

But it hasn't been handed over yet, so if something goes wrong, Lu Cheng, as the person in charge, must bear responsibility.

The credit for arranging the transport of military supplies comes with the risk as well.

Therefore, when Lu Cheng asked to stay behind, Ma Dagang could only remain silent.

"Alright, Lu Jingzhang, you may stay, but everything must follow my orders. It's still unclear whether they're friend or foe; if they're enemies, we must fire decisively and never hesitate."

Ma Dagang was giving Lu Cheng a preemptive inoculation, preparing him mentally.

Since firing a gun means killing, to be honest, Lu Cheng has never killed anyone, but if they truly are invading enemies, he cannot have the slightest hesitation.

Otherwise, he could endanger everyone.

Thinking that, Lu Cheng's adrenaline surged again; this time it wasn't a brawl with thugs, but a face-to-face with real guns, requiring him to be ready to sacrifice at any moment.

"Don't worry, Squad Leader Ma, as long as the people are here, the equipment is safe."

Lu Cheng's stance was clear: he feared no sacrifice and was determined to protect the equipment.

Ma Dagang couldn't help but nod; he knew that for every escort mission of military supplies, the Railway Bureau was the first to recommend Lu Cheng.

The youngster had courage; earlier everyone was extremely nervous, yet Lu Cheng immediately thought of the forest farm's guns, showing he wasn't a reckless brute but someone who thought.

Of course, now is not the time for praise; figuring out who entered the forest is the priority.

Fortunately, they had cover: a train carriage and stacked timber.

Ma Dagang immediately dispersed the men, having everyone hide behind cover.

In front of the forest lay an open clearing; if the opponent were an enemy and still dared to approach, the shotgun in hand could certainly turn them into a sieve.

Everyone prepared, holding their breath and silently staring at the forest.

Since none of them had ever truly been to battle, Lu Cheng even heard the heartbeat of a young man beside him.

It showed that everyone, facing this sudden situation, had their hearts in their throats.

In the quiet of the late night, the train and the nearby forest farm lay still in the darkness, and the occasional rustle came from small forest animals.

After waiting roughly the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, the forest ahead suddenly fell silent, as if no one were there at all.

This made Lu Cheng can't help but exchange a glance with Ma Dagang, who wore a puzzled expression.

He wondered if they had misheard, since any beast appearing in this forest would be normal.

But whether human or beast, for safety Ma Dagang decided to wait a bit longer.

Being near the Frontline, a little extra caution was understandable, yet after another ten minutes, nothing happened.

At this point, the Railway Troops, who had been extremely tense, gradually relaxed, all agreeing that Squad Leader Ma had misheard and was overly cautious.

But then, someone in the forest suddenly shouted.

"May I ask which unit you're from? Do you have a password?"

The sudden shout startled Ma Dagang.

The main concern was that they had been discovered while hiding, and in real combat the worst thing is the enemy being concealed while we are exposed.

A young Railway Troop nearby said, "Platoon Leader, they're speaking our language, not the enemy's."

Lu Cheng added, "That's not certain; if the enemy learned our code and deliberately lured us into the open, it's possible."

Ma Dagang immediately scolded the youngster, "How did you learn your military drills? You're not as experienced as Lu Jingzhang, a Railway Passenger Police officer."

Lu Cheng smiled; he had simply watched too many war TV dramas in his previous life.

At that moment, Ma Dagang, mimicking the other side, stayed hidden and asked back.

"Which unit are you from? What's the password?"

Ma Dagang's shout was justified, since it was still unclear whether they were friendly forces or impostor enemies.

However, after Ma Dagang shouted, the opposite side fell silent again, with no one answering.

Obviously, both sides were thinking they didn't know whether the other was friendly or a fake enemy.

Under this mindset, no one dared to rashly answer, revealing their side's information.

Thus, the situation stalled right there.

The only certainty now was that the other side were humans, not beasts; whether they were enemy or friend, and how many of them, remained unknown.

However, this stalemate wasn't a solution; the night was so quiet that any tiny sound could be heard, and Lu Cheng noticed the other side hadn't chosen to stay silent.

Instead, they used the time to attempt a pincer movement from both sides.

Ma Dagang clearly heard, "Bad, everyone stay on guard; they're trying to surround us."

No one knew how many were encircling them, but if they were surrounded, with the enemy hidden, they'd be like meat on a chopping board, ready to be slaughtered.

Lu Cheng felt endless waiting wasn't a solution, so he shouted toward the forest.

"I advise you not to act rashly; I am Li Yunlong, commander of the Independent Regiment of the 386th Brigade, 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army..."

Nearby, Ma Dagang was stunned: "What Independent Regiment? Who's Li Yunlong? Which era's designation is this?"

Then he realized Lu Cheng's intention.

He was bluffing the other side.

If the opponent were enemy troops, they certainly wouldn't understand the designation, but would think it sounded impressive.

If they were friendly, they'd recognize them as comrades.

Lu Cheng didn't stop: "Everyone stay still; let me tell you, our forest farm has two divisions hidden, five hundred machine guns, three hundred artillery pieces, one hundred tanks, all ready!"

"If you dare move, we'll instantly turn you into a sieve!"

Ma Dagang looked at Lu Cheng speechlessly, thinking this was an outrageous boast.

It's just a small farm; where could they possibly hide two divisions, let alone that many weapons?

Nevertheless, Lu Cheng's intimidation was meant to break the deadlock, shifting from passive to active.

Don't even mention it, it really works!

Only to see the people coming from both sides to surround suddenly stopped moving.

Ma Dagang couldn't help but say: "Well done, Chief Lu, this tactic of making a show of strength is something you've pulled off."

Lu Cheng smiled, about to speak, when suddenly someone from the opposite forest shouted again, and it was a different person.

"May I ask if this is Old Lu?"