Chapter 456: Seventh Company Is Gone, Yet This Hard Bone Still Remains

Guo Yongwen?

Ah, I've been discovered!

The fourth‑phase veteran gave him an awkward, helpless smile.

Back then he was still in the training unit and had specifically taught Lu Yang how to camouflage in the field; he never expected that this time he would be caught by a soldier he had taught.

Lu Yang, surprised, asked, "How did you end up hiding here?"

Guo Yongwen explained, "I'm in charge of covering the rear to prevent a surprise attack, didn't expect to hide so well and still be discovered?"

Lu Yang crouched down, brushed the weeds from his face, and asked, "So, you heard everything I just said?"

Hmm.

Guo Yongwen calmly admitted, "You've changed a lot."

Lu Yang: "People always have to change; someday they'll become strangers to themselves."

Guo Yongwen: "I get it. I can't even recall what I was like before; it's fine. Seeing you change so much, becoming more like a commander, makes me quite pleased."

"Since we came here, everyone's changed a lot. Gao Feng's temper has mellowed; he always huddles with you Company Commanders and Old Ma for warmth, but that's not a good thing."

"They speak and act cautiously, fearing a misstep that would lead the unit into a ditch; plus, being unfamiliar with the terrain, after the assessment ends they don't know where to go, and everyone's heart is unsettled."

"Someone has to step forward and pierce this thin paper, tell everyone not to be afraid, not to panic; we're only temporarily lagging behind, we'll catch up eventually, and you're the most suitable to do it."

Lu Yang laughed, "You've changed a lot too. Back then three sticks couldn't even produce a fart, and you had to look up a dictionary to write a love letter?"

Guo Yongwen laughed, "I'm outdated, I'm OUT; otherwise I wouldn't have been so easily found by you. Come on, give me a clean one."

Lu Yang looked at his carefree upright chest, shook his head, "You hid well. I was just messing around, didn't expect to actually pin you out. Lie down, stay hidden, keep covert, aim to reach the extraction point before twelve."

Seeing Lu Yang turn to leave, Guo Yongwen hurriedly called out, "Lu Yang, what you're doing is against the rules!"

"I'm the examiner; I decide."

"But I've already been found by you!"

"My vision's blurred; I ate poisonous mushrooms and hallucinated. Is that not allowed?"

"Lu Yang, I don't need anyone's sympathy or pity; failing to advance to the fifth phase, I blame no one—it's my own inability, my level can't keep up with the unit's development!"

"Why so stubborn?"

Lu Yang turned back and glared at him.

Guo Yongwen, with a serious face, said, "It's not stubbornness, it's a matter of principle! I'm material for being a soldier, not for leading troops; I'm clearer on that than anyone else!"

"Back in the old unit, fifth‑phase Non‑commissioned Officer slots were already scarce; now, who would be willing to give you such a slot?"

"In the water, I'm far worse than those Navy‑Marine elites; it's only natural I can't stay!"

"Having trained a soldier like you, and even bringing Ding Tengfei out to become Gao Feng's right‑hand man, I'm satisfied; my mission is complete!"

Lu Yang, not wanting to argue further, said, "It's an order; you must obey!"

Guo Yongwen shook his head, pulled the barrel slightly back, aimed at his chest and decisively pulled the trigger: "Seventh Company is gone, but the hard bone forged in my over ten years of military life remains!"

"Even if I never serve again, we'll still be good men!"

"Stubborn donkey, you really are a damn stubborn donkey!"

Lu Yang kept cursing, and his eyes reddened.

He never thought of eliminating Guo Yongwen, nor of cutting off his last hope of staying in the unit.

But now, he saw with his own eyes this hard bone end up killing himself with a gun.

Guo Yongwen had white smoke, signifying death, drifting above his head; his face showed a sigh of relief, "Lu Yang, it's not your fault. My ability only got this far; you don't know how torturous the rolling‑and‑crawling training of the past three months was."

"My adaptability and learning talent are too poor; even now I choke on water while swimming. A soldier like me simply isn't fit to stay here any longer."

"You're different; your fortune is still ahead!"

Lu Yang turned away, unable to bear looking at him, could only "cold‑heartedly" say, "Whatever you wish," then strode away.

Watching Lu Yang's departing silhouette, Guo Yongwen plopped onto the ground, removed his helmet, and let out a weary sigh.

"That's it, let's stop here; I really don't have Zhou Kaidong's luck, sigh…"

Not far away, atop a tree branch, a meticulously camouflaged micro camera lens dilated and contracted like a pupil.

In a clearing outside the forest, a multifunctional command vehicle equipped with a satellite antenna was parked.

Inside the cabin were numerous assessment monitoring screens and technicians wearing headsets.

Zheng Chengfeng turned his head sideways and, tentatively, asked the nearby observing Commander, "Did Lu Yang violate the rules?"

Commander Gu Mingyuan removed his headset and said lightly, "Where was the violation? I didn't see any."

Zheng Chengfeng immediately corrected himself, "Right, right, I didn't see it either; I only saw a soldier who's cold outside but warm inside, a good man with affection and righteousness."

Gu Mingyuan gave him a glance, handed the headset to the nearby technician, stood up, pushed the door, and stepped out of the command vehicle, preparing to have a cigarette.

Zheng Chengfeng hurriedly followed out, swiftly pulling out a cigarette first, "Chief, would you like to smoke mine?"

Gu Mingyuan took the cigarette, lit it, inhaled, and said, "Having watched so many assessments, this side performed the most brilliantly and earnestly; it wasn't just a task to appease superiors."

"Lu Yang, that kid really learned something genuine at Jiao Long, not bad, not bad."

"No wonder Hou Yi, such an arrogant man, was eager to retain him and offered such generous conditions."

Zheng Chengfeng flattered, "Chief, if I may say, it's your keen insight that shines; in recognizing talent, I'm far behind you and need to learn more from you in the future."

Gu Mingyuan raised an eyebrow, not fond but not disliking the generic flattery, "Let's talk business. The South Sea Fleet Marine Corps Third Brigade is being organized; the Brigade Commander hasn't been chosen yet. Are you interested in trying it out?"

"Yes, absolutely!"

Zheng Chengfeng beamed with joy; at a time like this, don't hide it—seize the opportunity.

Gu Mingyuan chuckled, "From now on, talk to me like this; I like it straightforward, spare me the slick, flattering speeches."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"The formation of the Third Brigade differs from before, especially the construction of its core units—it's of utmost importance!"

"Chief, what is the attribute composition of this unit, and which direction should it develop specifically?"

You know the US Rangers?

"I know." Zheng Chengfeng nodded: "The Rangers are a unit with a long history, extremely strict training, and rapid global deployment, an elite light infantry assault force, the vanguard of the battlefield."

They excel at airborne assaults, rear‑enemy strikes, and airfield seizure, serving as a double‑edged spear in both conventional warfare and special operations.

They can directly launch assaults on high‑value targets on the battlefield to capture key figures; they can also cooperate with special operations units to conduct counter‑terrorism rescues, and when necessary provide long‑range fire support to cover withdrawals.

Chief, isn't the Third Brigade's special positioning meant to be built according to the Rangers' standards?

Zheng Chengfeng felt a faint excitement; if that were really the case, that would be damn awesome.

The Rangers are neither special forces nor traditional reconnaissance units; they exist somewhere between the two.

In other words, they can both cover special‑operations missions and perfectly fulfill the various functions of conventional units, making them a versatile force.

Such a unit has yet to appear domestically; perhaps someone once had a similar idea, but it can be said that most such attempts ultimately ended in failure.

Since Gu Mingyuan neither denied nor confirmed it, he said: "Before I arrived, the previous commander had once entertained a similar idea, selected a unit in the First Brigade for an experiment, and the result ended in failure."

In the end, it made special operations not look like special operations, conventional forces not look like conventional forces, consuming a great deal of time, money, and effort, yet failing to achieve the desired result.

I have summed up the predecessors' failures, plugged the gaps, combined the advantages of the Army units, and worked out a completely new plan.

We cannot simply copy the US model, nor directly plagiarize the work; we must adapt to the actual situation and build a rapid‑response force with Longguo characteristics that operates across land, sea, and air.

Zheng Chengfeng had also heard about the First Brigade's failure experience: it was because they tried to copy the work, and the result was a botched imitation that turned into neither fish nor fowl.

The previous commander, it seems, also retired early because of this matter, and Gu Mingyuan took over.

Yet no one expected that, as soon as he took office, he would launch a sweeping overhaul to restart the effort to build a new unit.

Being bold to try, daring to try brings new breakthroughs; he is willing to accept such a challenge.

Zheng Chengfeng probed: "Chief, what about funding, personnel, and facilities?"

Gu Mingyuan gave an acknowledging hum: "No funding, personnel undecided, no facilities for now."

Zheng Chengfeng's smile instantly froze: "..."