Chapter 314: Where There Are Soldiers, There Is Hope

"What do you mean, 'temporarily not coming back'?"

"Explain to me what 'temporarily' means—are you saying you don't have to come back?"

In the New Recruit Company camp, Gao Feng stood on a flowerbed and asked the person on the other end of the phone.

He Zhen Tao said with a smiling squint, "Didn't I already tell you that when we left we rescued a trafficked woman? Ah, you didn't see the whole process—it was extremely dangerous."

Gao Feng: "After rescuing her, you just hand her over to the police station, right? What are you still doing there?"

He Zhen Tao replied with a hum, "That's right; there may be other women and children trapped in the mountains, so we want to stay and lend a hand, see if we can rescue them together."

"What are you rescuing, anyway? Is this our job?"

"At the moment it's indeed not our job, but from now on it will involve us."

"What does that mean?" Gao Feng didn't understand.

Rescuing the trafficked woman on the spur of the moment is a good thing.

But more specifically, this is the police's job.

Their skills are meant for defending the country against external enemies; using them for this is a mismatch of expertise and a gross waste of talent.

It's the kind of overkill—using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken.

Therefore, he doesn't understand how the Regiment Commander could approve them staying out there in such a dangerous situation to get involved in this matter.

He Zhen Tao was initially unwilling to speak, but unable to withstand Gao Feng's repeated questions, he found a deserted spot and quietly revealed some details.

"The thing is, the thugs who assaulted the militia unit and stole guns and ammo—haven't they been found yet?"

"Lu Yang boldly speculated that the thieves took the weapons to rescue some victim trapped in the mountains…"

"Wait, wait," Gao Feng interrupted, "How could it be that coincidental? This is all your baseless speculation, with no evidence?"

"What evidence do you need? Any clue will do."

"Where do the clues come from?"

"Shell casings—do they count as clues?"

"Shell casings?"

"Found on the mountain trail, several of them."

"Then that damn thing is a blank round that Lu Yang fired into the sky!"

"Whether it's a blank or not, just tell me—if it's 7.62 mm caliber, does that count as a clue?"

"Fine, fine, fine, we can reluctantly count that as one. Anything else?"

"According to enthusiastic locals at the foot of the mountain, gunshots echo in the valley—does that count as a clue?"

"Damn, that's pure framing…"

"Just tell me, is it a clue or not!"

"Alright, alright, I think I get it—you're trying to force two separate things together. Are you also going to say that because the suspect hasn't been caught yet, they must be hiding in the mountains?"

"Oh dear!"

He Zhen Tao clapped his hands, "Congratulations, you've even learned to answer on the fly!"

Gao Feng, his eyebrows crooked with anger, "Well, He Zhen Tao, you really are something—how many heads do you have to dare do this?"

"Lu Yang is young; wanting to uphold justice and eliminate evil for the people is understandable. How old are you, why are you mixing yourself into this?"

"Do you know what consequences there will be if this gets investigated later?"

He Zhen Tao was unperturbed: "The consequence is that the trapped woman will be rescued from the mountain, regain freedom, and reunite with her family. The consequence is that we make a huge contribution to social stability and prosperous strength!"

"Lu Yang said, if we screw up later, they'll still have to give us a silk banner?"

Gao Feng covered his face; he was completely defeated by He Zhen Tao.

He seriously suspected that He Zhen Tao had been misled and crippled by Lu Yang.

In short, they were planning to take advantage of the old militia's "mountain sweep" to forcibly rescue the trapped woman and then ride the wave of credit.

"He Zhen Tao, do you realize you're playing with fire? When they catch on later, they'll settle the score in autumn—do you still want a future?"

"Lu Yang's crazy, and you don't stop him, you go crazy with him? How dare you still expect the old militia to give you a silk banner? If I were them, I'd be so angry I'd want to pound your ears!"

"So what do we do? We can't just walk away, can we? If soldiers don't fight for the people, they'd rather go home and sell sweet potatoes."

He Zhen Tao, speaking righteously, "What's the point of this training exercise? Isn't it to plant a seed in the new recruits' hearts so they know whom to protect and understand a soldier's duty?"

Gao Feng, anguished, waved his hand forcefully: "I don't want to hear this, nor do I want to beat around the bush with you; this matter is far from trivial, your frail body can't handle it."

Seeing that the troops will soon be divided to the lower company, the Sixth Company can't do without you, and Old Ma also needs you; thus I'm driving over now to take your place; I will shoulder the hardships, and bear the sins.

"If there's merit, you also take it on my behalf?"

"You're using a petty heart to gauge a gentleman's belly!"

He Zhen Tao saw through his trick at a glance: "Fine, stay in the New Recruit Company and keep your peace; later we'll award the new recruits a collective third‑class merit in the lower company, which will at least make up for the hardships they've endured these three days and nights."

Gao Feng still tried to argue fiercely, but He Zhen Tao hung up the phone directly.

"What a sin!"

Gao Feng clenched his fists and stamped the ground hard with his right foot.

Had I known this would happen, I would have let He Zhen Tao lead the team back from the start; he could have stayed there to preside over the flag‑raising ceremony.

The golden glory slipped away right under our noses, what a loss, what a loss!

He Zhen Tao slipped the phone into his pocket, hands on his hips, with a smug face: "You still want to scheme me—are you the fool or am I?"

At this moment, Lu Yang had already changed into civilian clothes, was about to leave with Liu Ziqiang, but a small tail followed behind.

"Platoon Leader Lu, I beg you, take me with you, please?"

"I promise I won't be a hindrance; I won't cause you any trouble."

After learning the situation, they found out that LiMin knew Lu Yang was going back into the mountains to look for clues and was begging desperately to go along.

Lu Yang initially didn't want to agree; after all this wasn't a grand public operation but a quiet return.

But He Zhen Tao thought LiMin was still pretty clever; he would be assigned to the Sixth Company later, so he also wanted Lu Yang to bring him along.

So he persuaded Lu Yang to just bring him along; if they were later exposed and surrounded by villagers, more people would mean more help.

"Brother Yang, why not just bring this kid along?"

Liu Ziqiang also thought they could first train him.

They merely returned quietly to Hope Elementary School to question the two teachers.

For veteran soldiers, the mission isn't complicated and poses little difficulty; but for new recruits with no field reconnaissance experience, it's a good training opportunity.

After all, in a month's regiment‑scale exercise, the new recruits will also have to participate and carry out various tasks.

Starting now, accumulating experience will benefit the new recruits' growth and their future performance in combat.

"All right, go change clothes."

"Yes."

LiMin gave a salute, then eagerly went to change clothes.

He Zhen Tao patted his arm: "Pay attention to safety, be careful in everything."

Lu Yang thumped his thigh: "Don't worry, when it comes to slick‑footed speed, who can outrun our Iron Foot?"

"What's wrong with you?"

Hope Elementary School, the classroom empty and quiet.

The female teacher sat behind the lectern, rubbing her brow, her mind heavy with worry.

Her husband held a teapot, walking over concerned to ask.

"My eyelid keeps twitching; I always have a bad feeling."

"Don't dwell on it; they've already left—let the past be past."

"But I just can't get over that hurdle. Lately I keep dreaming of her, dreaming she comes back to find me, saying she'll take me away, saying she'll take me to live in the city......"

The female teacher covered her face, eyes red: "I watched her get on the tractor, I barefoot ran after her, the farther I chased, the farther she got."

The male teacher gently pressed her head against his chest, softly comforting her: "She's not wrong, you're not wrong; the fault lies with this mountain shrouded in ignorance and superstition."

"Do you think those soldiers will come back?"

The female teacher lifted her head, tears glistening in her eyes.

In the depths of those tears lay the only hope wrested from endless despair.

She had repeatedly placed her hope in the relevant authorities, but each time it came to nothing.

She personally saw those innocent girls abducted into the mountains, imprisoned in this place touted as "clear waters and lush hills."

From girls they became women, reduced to mere breeding livestock; finally, bound by the shackle called "blood‑and‑flesh kinship," they were doomed to remain here until death.

She had seen far too many such cases, and though she kept trying to change things, it was utterly futile.

The male teacher tenderly stroked her forehead, wiping away her tears, but in the end he still told a kind lie.

"They will return; someday they surely will—wherever the People's Liberation Army is, there will always be hope."

"Mm."

Thump—thump—thump.

The wooden classroom door was knocked.

The two teachers froze; they had already announced early dismissal, so nobody should be coming, right?

Could it be a student's parent?

Or could it be that their secret aid to the abducted women's escape has been discovered?

The two instantly grew tense; the male teacher shielded his beloved behind him and picked up the triangle ruler from the desk.

"Who, who is it?"

"It's me."

"Who are you?"

"I am, hope."