Chapter 185: The Special Mission Is Assigned to You

Soldier— that is why he is a soldier.

It is because they have never had systematic learning or exposure to tactical command.

Therefore, they can only mechanically fulfill the combat orders issued by the commander.

Even a Non-commissioned Officer still belongs to the ranks of soldiers, at most being a standout among them.

The Squad Leader receives orders from the Platoon Leader, the Platoon Leader receives orders from the Company Commander, and the combat orders are passed down layer by layer into the ears of the rank‑and‑file soldiers.

But now, a private who never attended a military academy can stand at the level of Platoon Leader and Company Commander to draft a detailed, complete offensive plan—how could they not be astonished?

Most importantly, everyone present except Lu Yang and Cheng Jun are properly graduated from military academies and have undergone systematic, thorough combat command training.

Naturally they can discern the rationality and feasibility of the plan Lu Yang presented; indeed, they cannot find any flaw.

Indeed, it is a steady, sure‑footed approach, seeking wealth through stability!

"Lu Yang, how do you know all this?"

Battalion Commander Xiao Yuan looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Lu Yang replied, "Reading books."

Xiao Yuan: "Just reading books?"

Lu Yang: "In my third month with the New Recruit Company I went to the training unit; there were many military books. I read some about World War I and II, and also Longguo's modern war history."

"After being assigned to a company, I've kept the habit; our Instructor also gives me some valuable books he's read."

"In my spare time I devour books, always feeling they might be useful later, so I unintentionally offered some humble opinions, not sure if they're correct."

Lu Yang's high‑EQ remark not only made the Sixth Company commander's face light up.

It also earned a response from He Zhen Tao, a smile appearing on his face.

Xiao Yuan gave a thumbs‑up: "Knowledge is power. You can patiently study these, no wonder you surpass your peers."

"A soldier must have patience, use knowledge to broaden horizons, and practice to expand perspective, so that on the battlefield one can constantly keep a calm judgment."

"Exercises are real combat; as commanders you cannot only chase victory, you must also be responsible for yourselves and for the safety of every soldier beneath you."

"All of us are born of parents, have families we care about. Winning a battle isn't skill; achieving the greatest victory with the least loss is true skill!"

The Battalion Commander's words thundered, earning deep agreement from everyone present.

As a battalion‑level commander, he commands three to four hundred troops.

Often a single erroneous order leads to countless innocent soldiers' sacrifice.

War inevitably kills, but how to achieve the greatest victory with the smallest sacrifice is an art.

It is also the ultimate pursuit of every commander's lifelong quest.

Kang Changyi's earlier sophistry was silenced by Lu Yang's tactical theory.

But he thought it must be coincidence, that Lu Yang happened to have seen a similar case, allowing him to apply it.

If a big‑headed soldier could, merely by reading books, learning modern war history, and self‑studying, lead troops in battle, then what's the point of his years at the military academy?

A person lives by his face, a tree by its bark; Kang Changyi is both tight‑lipped and good‑looking.

Although he acknowledges Lu Yang's tactical theory, he truly refuses to admit that he is not even as good as a private.

The meeting continued, briefly summarizing today's results, then moving on to discuss how to fight tomorrow's battle.

A large military topographic map was spread on the conference table, and the Battalion Commander began discussing the operation plan with everyone.

Unlike the previous round, this time the Second Battalion shifts to defense, while the Third Battalion attacks.

But how light infantry can use terrain advantage and limited fire support to hold back armored units is a dilemma.

It's somewhat akin to how a middle‑schooler, without weapons, can skillfully defeat a robust college student.

Although the arrangement seems unreasonable, combat sports have weight classes; light vs light, heavy vs heavy.

But war is not a negotiation table and has no fairness; even if both sides sign a so‑called equal treaty, it can be easily torn apart unilaterally.

Modern history textbooks show that most battles our predecessors fought were from the disadvantaged side, often with extreme disparity.

Yet our predecessors ultimately won battle after battle through stubborn will and fearless spirit.

That laid the strong foundation for today's peace, prosperity, and strength.

It is said that during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, many opposed sending troops, believing victory impossible.

The great leader, however, forced his way through opposition and said, "Some battles, if we don't fight them, we leave them for the next generation to fight."

That was the Seventeen Nations Alliance, with planes and artillery aplenty, while our Division then only had a few dozen guns.

Even then it was still the War of Resistance; the scrap metal captured during the Liberation War was what the Volunteer Army soldiers finally used to win, compelling the Seventeen Nations to cease fire and sit at the negotiating table.

Precisely for this reason, the exercises set up some seemingly unfair mechanisms.

Because pressure creates motivation, the troops can continuously maintain combat effectiveness.

However, pre‑millennium exercises were not like today's.

They were more formulaic, scripted processes, with the outcome decided before the exercise began.

No wonder the Gulf War shocked the world, yet it only awakened Longguo.

It was also from that time that the troops began massive recruitment, transitioning from mechanization to digitization and informationization.

Including the former Instructor of the Sixth Company being transferred to the Navy, also aligning with the information‑reform trend, adding bricks to the strong‑army construction.

Battalion‑level units have no staff department nor a Chief of Staff, so each company commander must assume the task of drafting operation plans.

At least three operation plans must be finalized for the Battalion Commander to choose; ultimately, the command system issues them to each squad and Platoon.

Lu Yang listened attentively; this was his first time taking part in a combat‑command discussion, and he enjoyed the feeling of overseeing the whole picture from a macro perspective, as if he'd already unlocked a god‑view.

"Lu Yang."

"Present."

The Battalion Commander suddenly called Lu Yang: "Your performance on the battlefield today was truly dazzling; this can't be hidden, I'm sure the Third Battalion already knows."

"Tomorrow's exercise, you may be specially targeted. So you must..."

Sixth Company Commander, this is your mission; even if we specially assign personnel to protect Lu Yang, you must ensure his safety.

Ma Qing'an nodded: "Understood."

The Battalion Commander placed both hands on the table, solemnly said: "According to the exercise requirements, as long as our Second Battalion can hold out for forty-eight hours without being breached, we can await a wave of heavy artillery fire support."

"Although light infantry vs armored troops is tough to fight, it's not completely hopeless."

"Grit your teeth and hold on; once artillery support arrives, there will be a chance to turn the tide."

"So, I hope that after you return, you will definitely do a good job mobilizing and strive for the greatest victory!"

"Yes!"

The meeting ended quickly, and just as everyone was about to leave, Lu Yang was specially kept behind by the Battalion Commander.

The Battalion Commander took a bottle of mineral water from the corner and gave it to Lu Yang: "Take it and drink."

Lu Yang also wasn't polite; he had eaten salty food at night and was indeed a bit thirsty: "Thank you, Battalion Commander."

The Battalion Commander looked at him: "Your performance today, although I didn't see all of it, just hearing about it is inspiring. Our Second Battalion has finally produced a sharpshooter."

Lu Yang explained: "Battalion Commander, my squad leader Cheng Jun's marksmanship is also very accurate."

The Battalion Commander laughed heartily: "His marksmanship is indeed good, but long-range sniping isn't his forte. You're different—whether it's precise shooting with an assault rifle at close range or long-range kills with a sniper rifle, you can do it."

"A sharpshooter is not limited to using just one type of weapon; they must be able to adapt to different battlefield situations."

"Alright, no more nonsense; I kept you back because I have a special mission to assign you."