Chapter 309: Assessment Suspended, Lawless Outlaws

You have one minute to get dressed and go downstairs!

Chief of Staff, what's going on...

At night, in the division reconnaissance battalion's dormitory.

Battalion Commander Yang Yong received a call from superiors; before he could ask for clarification, the other end hung up.

He quickly put on his clothes and rushed downstairs, where Xiong Yao was already waiting with a solemn expression.

Chief of Staff, what happened?

Just received news that the armed forces department of the neighboring city-county was attacked by bandits; the on-duty armory keeper was killed on the spot, and the armaments section chief is still being rescued.

Are the weapons missing?

One Type 56 submachine gun, three magazines, and over a hundred rounds of ammunition were lost.

"That's serious!" Yang Yong exclaimed in shock: "Who dares to do such a thing?"

Xiong Yao: "Currently, the suspect is identified as former armory keeper Sun Mou; it's unclear if he has accomplices. This guy used to be a militia member, received some military training, and is a very dangerous person."

The armed police have deployed large numbers of personnel to apprehend him and have blocked key transportation routes.

Superiors have ordered our reconnaissance battalion to cooperate with the armed police in action, to inspect nearby cities' train stations, bus stations, and other transportation hubs.

We must apprehend the suspect and recover all weapons and ammunition in a short time!

Yes, I'll now gather the troops and lead them out!

Regiment Commander, what are you saying? Cancel all assessment operations and return immediately!

At 3 a. m., Gao Feng, still asleep, received a call from the regiment commander.

Let them immediately cease all assessments, stay on standby, and a vehicle will soon come to pick them up.

Lu Yang, He Zhen Tao, Cheng Jun, and a few others resting together were also awakened, showing puzzled expressions.

Gao Feng pursued: "Regiment Commander, what happened?"

On the other end of the phone, Wang Zhongxi related the information he had received.

Upon learning that the county armed forces department where they were to go at dawn for live-fire shooting assessment had been attacked by bandits, Lu Yang and the others were all startled.

The situation is serious; the bandits don't know where they've fled, and the surrounding cities have been completely sealed off by military and police; with so many new recruits and so many guns, staying outside is too dangerous!

When will the vehicle come to pick us up?

At most a few hours; we'll discuss the live-fire shooting after we return; ensuring safety is most important.

Regiment Commander, after the vehicle arrives, could we wait half an hour before departing? It's almost dawn, and the children are still looking forward to the flag-raising ceremony; the schedule has already been arranged.

Not only Gao Feng, but Lu Yang, He Zhen Tao, Cheng Jun, and others felt the same way.

After great effort to get here, the children are all looking forward to the flag-raising ceremony at dawn, and the soldiers have also painfully rehearsed until late before resting.

Everyone hopes to present their best selves, to light a torch in the hearts of the mountain-area children, illuminating their future path.

The other end of the phone fell into silence; as regiment commander, Wang Zhongxi seemed also troubled.

As the final segment of the three-day-two-night new recruit training drill, and also the most important one.

If this segment is removed, the final significance of this training drill would be lost.

Being a soldier, what matters most is not physique or body, but faith and spirit.

One must know why one serves as a soldier, why one wants to be a soldier, and understand the meaning behind the four words 'defend the homeland and protect the country'.

After careful consideration and weighing pros and cons, Wang Zhongxi ultimately shook his head and refused the request.

The Type 56 submachine gun and the Type 81 rifle use the same caliber 7.62mm ammunition; what that means needs no further explanation.

Regiment Commander, do you think this would work?

Lu Yang proactively suggested: "If the vehicle arrives normally, first transport the two platoons of new recruits and all the weapons back, and let veteran soldiers escort with live ammunition en route to ensure safety."

The flag-raising ceremony will proceed as usual; after it ends, we can take the next batch and return by vehicle.

Splitting into two batches, front and rear, can ensure the safety of weapons and most new recruits, while educating the soldiers and not disappointing the children.

Okay.

Lu Yang's suggestion can be described as a win-win.

The regiment commander's biggest concern is also the weapons issue.

As long as the weapons are sent back, basically there won't be any major problems.

After all, the local military and police, plus the reconnaissance battalion personnel, have already spread out like a large net; safety is definitely assured.

Then that's settled; we'll notify you by phone when the vehicle arrives.

Yes.

The phone hung up, and the room fell silent.

No one expected to encounter such a thing at the final stage.

The last time such a serious incident occurred was in the 1990s.

That guy, for attacking sentries, seizing weapons, killing police, robbing and killing, was dubbed Longguo's first notorious bandit.

After that incident, the unit, whether on guard duty or patrol, all switched to the separation of weapons and ammunition.

That is, one person carries the weapon while another is responsible for guarding the ammunition; its purpose is to prevent such serious incidents from happening again.

But who would have thought that, after many years, this scene would replay itself, and the bandits would be even more brazen, heading straight for the armory of the armed forces department.

And he is someone who has received certain military training; the danger level is self-evident.

Cheng Jun, still uneasy, said: "One Type 56 submachine gun, three magazines, over a hundred rounds of ammunition—what does this guy intend to do, rob a bank?"

Lu Yang furrowed his brows: "No matter what he intends to do, he is an extremely dangerous individual. I propose that the flag-raising ceremony be held earlier, and after it ends we should hastily withdraw."

What Lu Yang said is correct. He Zhen Tao nodded in agreement: "The urgent priority is to quickly send the new recruits and all weapons back to the unit, ensuring no mishaps occur."

Hmm, then we'll split up: I'll notify the instructor; you go rally everyone and get ready early.

Okay!

Raise the flag, play the anthem, Young Pioneers perform the salute!

Get up......

At dawn, the children had already all gathered in the courtyard.

Watching the red flag slowly rise to the top, adding a splash of color to the overcast sky, the two teachers also smiled.

Because time was tight, the flag-raising ceremony was not held according to the original specifications.

Moreover, over half the people had already been taken away by vehicle in advance, so the whole process was somewhat rushed.

But there was nothing to be done; after all, no one knew where that "outlaw" with a gun had wandered off to, or if he had any companions.

Therefore, for safety's sake, the procedure could only be shortened as much as possible; but the core of value education, as well as the final gift-giving segment, could not be omitted.

The children eagerly received new backpacks, new clothes, new stationery, their smiles bright and pure.

Lu Yang found an opportunity and asked the two teachers which household the woman he had seen on the hillside last night belonged to.

Upon hearing this, their faces instantly turned extremely unnatural, yet they firmly insisted that Lu Yang had mistaken.

Lu Yang keenly sensed the change in the two, but also didn't know what they were covering up.

But they had pressing matters, needed to hurry back, so they didn't pursue the question further.

"Alright, children, we're leaving."

"Study hard, make progress every day; the People's Liberation Army uncles will come back to see you later."

Gao Feng had already led the team back early, carrying his gun.

By now he had returned to the New Recruit Company and called to inquire about their progress.

He Zhen Tao told him the flag-raising ceremony here had ended and they were preparing to depart.

The rain-soaked mountain road was slippery and hard to travel; Lu Yang and the others drove the minivan to lead the way, while the remaining recruits squeezed into a troop truck behind them.

"What a lovely bunch of children."

Kang Changyi looked in the rearview mirror at the students waving goodbye at the school gate, his face full of auntie smiles.

Liu Ziqiang and Sun Chen also wore expressions of emotion, hoping their presence would have some positive influence on the children's future growth.

Only Lu Yang furrowed his brow, staring at the alternately bright and dark sky outside and the clouds drifting between the mountains, pondering something.

He always felt that something was off, and also felt that the two teachers seemed to be intentionally hiding something.

Just as the minivan was approaching a bend ahead, a figure on the left steep slope fell with the falling rocks, landing heavily in the mud pit.

Kang Changyi was so frightened his soul almost left him; he slammed the brakes so hard he nearly wore a hole in the floorboard.

Fortunately Lu Yang reacted quickly and turned the steering wheel, otherwise they would have collided directly.

The woman struggled to climb out of the mud puddle, then rushed over like a madwoman, pulling hard at the passenger door handle, almost crying as she begged.

"Save me, save me, please take me away, take me away, I beg you!"

"Comrade, what's wrong with you, what happened?"

Just as Lu Yang pushed the door open, the woman clung to his arm like a lifeline, refusing to let go no matter what.

"I, I am, I was......"

The woman, overly frightened, spoke incoherently.

Only then did Lu Yang notice how cold the weather was; the woman wore only a thin garment.

She had no shoes on her feet, and the exposed skin showed large bruises clearly.

He Zhen Tao, Cheng Jun, and several recruits also got out of the rear vehicle to ask what had happened.

Just as Lu Yang was about to explain, the woman's eyes suddenly turned extremely fearful, causing her whole body to tremble violently.

Lu Yang turned his head; on the mountain road behind, marked by crisscrossing tire tracks, a group of people drove tractors in pursuit.

One of them, a man waving an iron shovel, was the most agitated, shouting at the top of his lungs while pointing over here.

"Over there, she's over there, don't let her run, don't let her run!"