Chapter 62: Rainforest Hunter

Li Yi's large unit, in the mountainous region of Northern Thailand, discovered a cave; whether by luck or something else, the cave's entrance was extremely concealed.

The cave also contained a small spring, which nicely solved everyone's drinking water problem.

It could accommodate his entire company of 160 people, and even the 30 horses could settle in without any issue.

The only drawback is that people and horses share the same space, making the smell somewhat unpleasant, and the cave's entrance is narrow, otherwise it would be easy for the enemy to spot.

After Li Yi led his troops to Jingdong for the final resupply, there were no more supply points; the only way to resupply was to rely on the enemy, i. e., to fight with real blades and guns.

Even when passing cities, the larger the city, Li Yi would detour his troops; even if they entered a city, they did so in batches to purchase needed supplies.

The supplies of Li Yi's unit were kept at a standard of three thousand kilograms, and each person's daily ration was limited.

Even so, everyone could eat chocolate and candy each day, mainly to replenish calories.

Moreover, along the way Li Yi collected everything edible in the jungle; Li Yi's officer trait is Rainforest.

For others, this jungle is a green hell, full of poisonous insects, miasma, and a maze that leads one astray. But for Li Yi, it is a huge open-air depot. He is born with the ability to read the land's language and discern each plant's temperament.

"Stop, rest." Li Yi suddenly gestured, and the unit halted immediately; the weary soldiers leaned against the tree trunks, panting heavily.

He ignored the troops' fatigue, walked straight to an unremarkable broadleaf plant, crouched, and brushed aside the damp soil with his hand. His fingers, as if animated, felt around the earth for a moment, then he pulled hard.

With a "Puff" sound, a fist-sized tuber scented with earth was unearthed.

"Taro!" a soldier's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help exclaiming.

Li Yi said nothing, merely nodded, and continued to dig up several more. He wiped the soil from his palm and told the nearby soldiers, "Tell the brothers, any plant with heart‑shaped leaves and a bulbous root like this is food. Dig, dig up everything!"

With that order, the whole unit sprang to life! The soldiers surged forward, frantically digging in the area. Taro is an excellent source of starch! One taro equals two hard steamed buns! With it, the brothers can regain strength and keep fighting!

Li Yi did not join the digging, but kept moving through the forest. His gaze swept over the towering trees and soon locked onto a clump of broadleaf plants.

The jungle is not short of edibles, but when there are many people, these resources become insufficient!

"Banana tree!" he said, walking to its base and pointing at the thick trunk, "Cut the heart of the tree; the tender part can be eaten as vegetables. Those flower buds, boiled, are also delicious."

He pointed to another similar tree nearby: "That's a banana tree; don't touch the fruit up there yet, keep it for emergency rations. But its rhizome is also edible."

Under Li Yi's command, this once hopeless jungle instantly became a massive buffet. The soldiers not only dug up over a hundred jin of taro, but also felled large amounts of banana tree hearts and banana trunks. These water‑ and fiber‑rich foods greatly alleviated the soldiers' hunger and thirst.

It seemed luck was on their side. Beside a creek, Li Yi keenly smelled a sweet, cloying aroma. Following it, he found, on several tall trees, a few clusters of golden mangoes.

"Mango! It's mango!" a young soldier exclaimed, almost leaping with excitement.

"Careful, don't eat them all!" Li Yi warned, "These things cause heartburn if overindulged. Give each person one to satisfy cravings and replenish vitamins. Keep the rest; it's the best morale booster!"

Even more, they discovered a small patch of wild sugarcane in an open clearing. The soldiers were ecstatic, each breaking off a stalk and chewing it greedily; the sweet juice soothed their parched throats and dispelled days of fatigue and irritability.

All the food was taken into Shandong, and because taro stores well, it can serve as reserve rations.

The jungle also harbored many edible insects; of course, after Li Yi demonstrated once, the warriors followed him to hunt for insects.

With food still abundant, the troops were not interested in the insects!

That evening.

Li Yi deployed a Platoon, preparing to ambush a small squad stationed at the Myanmar‑Thailand Border.

It was also a Thai Patrol Squad encountered during the day; after Li Yi spotted them, he immediately maneuvered to avoid, instead trailing the squad from a distance.

"Platoon Leader." Li Yi crouched, trying to keep his body behind a large tree.

"Present." Platoon Leader Liu Zhengyi carefully approached Li Yi.

In the rainforest, even though insects chirped everywhere, they remained very cautious.

"Notify down, prepare to launch attack, gunfire as the signal," Li Yi glanced at the time; it was already 10:50 PM, ten minutes before eleven.

Not every soldier owned a watch; only the Platoon Company Commander, Jiang Anguo, would issue watches to everyone.

This time of night is when people are most drowsy; Li Yi saw the enemy numbers dwindling, with only three people by the fire. Li Yi had counted this squad during the day—indeed, these Thai soldiers had been marked by him earlier.

This group totaled 18 people, perhaps a Squad, or the size of two Squads.

They were carrying two horses to transport supplies, and had no heavy weapons, only light arms.

Li Yi's party carefully used the jungle's concealment; theoretically surrounding the enemy is optimal, but in the jungle, encircling the foe and having both sides fire at each other can easily cause one's own death.

The enemy had only a Squad's worth of men; Li Yi had a Platoon, about 40 men, completely overwhelming the opponent in numbers.

In jungle combat, more troops aren't always better; the larger the force, the more likely one's position is exposed!

Three people stood by the fire, surrounded by four tents.

At about twenty meters away, one of the people by the fire suddenly stood up, speaking words Li Yi couldn't understand, though he guessed it was Thai; fortunately it wasn't a Japanese Patrol Squad.

The opponent stood, then walked away, unbuckling his belt, apparently to relieve himself.

Li Yi also broke out in a cold sweat, but in the darkness the opponent didn't see him.

When Li Yi raised his hand, Liu Zhengyi behind him immediately ordered everyone to halt.

A burst of incomprehensible chirping sounds filled the air.

In the jungle, the insects' chirping effectively masked Li Yi's party's footsteps.

If one could see the warriors' faces now, one would notice no tension; instead, they bore an eager, excited expression toward the war.