Chapter 179

Dig fast!

Dig faster!

On the exercise field, one kilometer behind the main position is the Second Battalion's second line of defense.

On an uneven slope, the soldiers of the Third Company are desperately constructing defensive positions.

Booby traps, anti-personnel landmines, barbed wire, and alternating bright and dark fire points are being hastily arranged.

The First Battalion's mission is to hold the rear high ground; they must absolutely not let the Second Battalion break through and occupy; if the enemy breaks through the battalion headquarters and plants its flag on the far rear slope, that means the Second Battalion wins.

But if the First Battalion can, during the Second Battalion's attack, wipe out the enemy and deprive it of the ability to organize another attack, then it is judged as a First Battalion victory.

In the distance, the main position's cannon fire rumbles; from afar one can see white smoke rising from the woods.

The incessant gunfire and artillery show how fierce this offensive-defensive battle is.

At a position to the rear, on a carefully concealed machine-gun emplacement, Kong Long is continuously pressing bullets into the ammo belt.

With each bullet pressed, his eyes dart back and forth, left and right, like a thief, showing he is very nervous.

Squad Leader, I need to pee.

Damn, how many times have you pissed already!

Are you nervous?

I'm not...

If you have, say you have!

The Heavy Machine Gun Squad Leader glared at him, and only then did Kong Long sheepishly admit.

I'm afraid I'll be taken out by an unseen sniper shot.

What the hell to be afraid of, this is a drill, not real combat, we're using blank rounds! Even if you die, it's just elimination, and besides the enemy hasn't even attacked yet!

The blanks used in drills have no bullet heads, only sealed primers.

When fired, you only hear a bang; what actually hits the target is the laser sight on the gun.

When the laser strikes the opponent, it triggers their smoke-detection device.

As soon as white smoke drifts above their head, it means that soldier is considered killed.

Although the Heavy Machine Gun Squad Leader said that, Kong Long still felt somewhat uneasy.

Blank rounds are lethal within one meter; what if someone points a gun at my head and it accidentally fires?

Also I heard that in previous drills, a grenade fell into the position, a soldier threw himself on it and pinned it under his body, and ended up being blown up and sent to the hospital.

And there's crawling under a tank, almost getting run over by the tracks...

The Heavy Machine Gun Squad Leader instantly flew into a rage: "Who told you these things!"

Kong Long glanced toward another ambush point: "Assistant Squad Leader Wan said so."

The Heavy Machine Gun Squad Leader, furious, picked up a clod of earth and hurled it toward Wan Baoshan.

The clod accurately struck Wan Baoshan's helmet as he was digging a pit, startling him; he thought the enemy had attacked.

Damn Wan Baoshan, your mouth is like the waist of cotton pants, spouting whatever comes out!

It's a newcomer's first drill; why are you telling him all this, just to scare him?

What did the instructor at the mobilization meeting say? Don't put too much pressure on new recruits; the first drill is mainly to familiarize them with the battlefield environment!

Wan Baoshan scratched his head guiltily: "I'm not just telling him some precautions to prevent him from being accidentally injured in the drill, am I?"

The Heavy Machine Gun Squad Leader flared up: "I'll naturally say what needs to be said; from now on keep your mouth shut, or I'll pull out all your teeth!"

Yes yes yes!

Wan Baoshan lowered his head guiltily, pretending to busy himself with his own tasks.

The Heavy Machine Gun Squad Leader sternly told Kong Long: "A drill is just like real combat; combat brings injury, even death; the battlefield is a soldier's destination; if you're even afraid of this, you might as well quit after your conscription ends!"

Kong Long quickly shook his head: "Understood, Squad Leader; I'll definitely kill more enemies later!"

Under the Squad Leader's persuasion, his movements became more nimble.

New recruits, on their first exposure to a drill, are usually nervous.

The unknown is the source of fear, especially when facing a strong enemy on the battlefield.

Looking at the scene of the main position ahead with artillery fire blazing, soldiers experiencing the battlefield for the first time inevitably feel nervous and afraid, but after a few times they get used to it.

As the Third Company soldiers hurried to finish their tasks, the Assistant Company Commander ran quickly from the rear headquarters, inspected the fortifications, and loudly urged them on.

The barbed wire over there still isn't set up—hurry up!

You few, go to the rear to guard and form crossfire with the right side!

And you few, stop huddling together like you're laying eggs, spread out...

Before the Assistant Company Commander's order was fully given, a whistling sound suddenly came from the air.

Then, seven or eight shells fell evenly all around, bursting into clouds of white smoke.

The Assistant Company Commander, unable to dodge in time, was directly taken away by this salvo of mortar fire.

Mortar fire—hit the deck!

The Second Battalion is coming, the Second Battalion is coming!

Conceal, conceal, everyone get into concealment in the defensive positions! This is a test fire; there will be covering fire later!

The platoon leaders shouted anxiously; the squad leaders led the soldiers to hastily dive into the prepared makeshift shelters, getting ready to meet the enemy.

The main position's defenses are even tighter than here; the only reason enemy mortar fire can land here is...

The main position has been breached!

Soon after, even denser artillery fire rained down like flowers scattered by a heavenly maiden.

Although they are practice shells, one can still tell from the smoke volume and blast radius that these are 60mm mortars.

On the scene, many of the recently laid anti-personnel landmines and the barbed wire meant to block infantry advance were blown up by the shells.

The artillery fire lasted for two full rounds, Kong Long's head was pressed firmly to the ground by the squad leader, and lying behind cover he didn't dare move a muscle.

Until the artillery fire ceased, Kong Long only then dared to carefully raise his head; ahead, the originally open and bright position was already shrouded in white smoke.

On the position, more than ten forward soldiers of the Third Company had smoke rising from their heads, they stood up cursing, obviously killed by the previous artillery fire.

「Just died like that? 」

「Didn't even see the enemy's face, and just died? 」

「Is this what fighting is like? It's too brutal! 」

Kong Long was still dazed, the squad leader's heavy machine gun had already spat out flames.

「Fire, fire quickly! 」

「At 2 o'clock direction, it's the Motorized Infantry Sixth Company's troops! 」

Following Kong Long's terrified gaze, he looked over and saw several motorcycles speeding across the uneven, pitted ground.

No wonder they managed to break through the main position so quickly; before the Third Company could even react, they had already killed their way to the front.

It seems the main position is still in melee; these guys are using the high mobility of motorcycles to directly cut across the battlefield.

The attack launched by the Motorized Infantry Sixth Company was extremely sudden, causing some of the forward defenses to be unable to function at all.

And the reason the Motorized Infantry Sixth Company could swiftly break through the main position was that Lu Yang, this precise shooter, played a huge role in the battle.

His marksmanship within 200 meters is nearly flawless; as soon as someone shows their head, they are immediately hit.

However, the firepower of the Third Company on the defensive position is equally fierce.

Even though the previous two rounds of mortar fire had already helped them dismantle part of their firepower.

But to truly scatter this defense line, capture the enemy's battalion command, and successfully plant their flag in the rear position, there remains great difficulty.

Especially because the enemy's heavy fire crossfire continues to concentrate, posing enormous resistance to infantry charges.

Looking on, several soldiers attempting to charge fell under the vicious fire of the heavy machine gun.

Ma Qing'an immediately shouted into the radio: "Lu Yang, take out the heavy machine gun position at five o'clock!"

「Yes! 」

In a grassroots company, it's not usual for every soldier to be issued a radio.

They are typically issued only to squad and platoon leaders, so the company commander can convey combat orders.

But Lu Yang is the sole exception in the entire company, because his importance in battle is irreplaceable.

Lu Yang received the order, quickly picked up his 85 sniper rifle, left the combat team, and circled to a raised dirt slope at the rear right.

Upon reaching the position, he used the protruding stone in front of the ground as a makeshift cover, quickly lay down and aimed his barrel at that vicious heavy machine gun emplacement.

As a major killer on the battlefield, the heavy machine gun is a tremendous threat to all infantry.

As for why not continue to call the platoon artillery team for a strike, it's because the enemy's rear positions are very dispersed.

Unless a mortar battalion is mobilized and a progressive bombardment is launched, it's difficult to uproot the enemy's fire strongpoints.

Whether in the past or present, as long as it's a small-scale offensive-defensive battle, it will inevitably devolve into the WWII-era pattern of 'artillery barrages, infantry charges.'

Fortunately, the Third Company is also a light infantry unit, lacking any armored concentration, so breaking through is merely a matter of time.

Through his scope, Lu Yang saw from the side of the enemy's defensive position that slightly panicked face.

It was Kong Long.

Lu Yang knew his position was that of assistant machine gunner.

In that case, the one responsible for firing beside him should be his squad leader.

But he did not immediately act to eliminate Kong Long; instead, he waited calmly.

Ma Qing'an's side grew a bit anxious: "Why haven't you fired yet? Is there a difficulty?"

Lu Yang picked up the radio from his waist and replied: "Company Commander, my position can only hit the assistant machine gunner; I need to wait for an opportunity."

Ma Qing'an immediately understood: "Cheng Jun, take three people, approach from the left and right sides of the position. Try to lay down fire to disrupt their rhythm and consume their ammunition!"

「Yes! 」

Cheng Jun hesitated not at all, immediately leading his men forward, crouching low.

And seeing more enemies approaching, the squad leader operating the heavy machine gun hastily turned the barrel and went crazy firing.

The heavy machine gun is dubbed the battlefield meat grinder; its advantages are rapid rate of fire and great power; its disadvantages are enormous ammunition consumption and the barrel easily overheating.

Although the exercise ammunition are all blanks, so barrel heating is not a factor; nevertheless, they must follow the director team's rule: every three ammunition belts must have a spare barrel swapped in, otherwise there is a risk of 'barrel explosion'.

「Kong Long, change the barrel! 」

「Yes! 」

Kong Long had been waiting nearby.

Seizing the time to replace the machine gun's spare barrel.

And his squad leader picked up a light machine gun, slightly exposed his body from cover and fired, to make up for the firepower gap while changing the barrel.

Lu Yang saw the machine gunner finally expose his head, seized the moment and fired a decisive shot, taking him out.

「Squad leader, squad leader, you, you're smoking! 」

「Damn, just showing your head and you're dead! 」

「What do we do now? 」

「Don't ask me, I'm already dead! 」

The heavy machine gun squad leader looked toward the direction the bullet came from, gritting his teeth in hatred: 'Damn sniper, truly fucking hell!'

Watching his squad leader fall, Kong Long's eyes instantly reddened; he took over the heavy machine gun and continued sweeping fire toward the advancing front.

Perhaps due to intense grief, or perhaps because he finally adapted to the battlefield rhythm, Kong Long, the assistant machine gunner, fired even more fiercely than the squad leader.

Cheng Jun and Liu Ziqiang, while approaching, were both hit by his lateral sweeping bullets and eliminated.

The heavy machine gun squad leader looked at this battle result, and then saw Kong Long suddenly spring up, taking over his position, overjoyed.

Indeed, Squad Leader is offering a sacrifice to the heavens, his magical power is boundless!