Gao Fei studied the thermal imager for a while, then turned it off, because its battery was a proprietary model. To charge the battery separately, it had to be removed, and only a dedicated charger would work. But there was a USB port on the thermal imaging unit itself, so it should be able to run off a power bank.
This thermal imager was probably civilian-grade. A military thermal imager ought to use some kind of common battery, like 18650s or 17500s.
On the current Russia-Ukraine battlefield, civilian equipment being used as military gear was extremely common. Both sides were using civilian products in large quantities. As for performance, well, it could only be said to vary wildly. It was hard to sum up in a word.
But having it was definitely better than not having it.
The time that followed was spent getting familiar with the equipment they had picked up, then putting it to use on their own people.
Gao Fei got dizzy as soon as he put on the night-vision goggles, so he set those aside for the time being. He also did not change helmets, because he felt that this helmet had been lucky enough to save his life. There was no need to change it, and he could not bear to either.
They replaced all the walkie-talkies as well. Although they were all Motorola units, and there was some concern about backdoors or being monitored, the walkie-talkies Shokholov and the others had been using had no confidentiality function to begin with. All their communications could always be listened in on anyway. So in terms of security, changing them made no difference, but in terms of anti-jamming capability, the gap was huge. They absolutely had to switch.
It could not be called trading a bird gun for a cannon, but it was still a step up.
Then, more than an hour after the fighting on Gao Fei’s side ended, at one in the morning, fighting also broke out at the Ukrainian positions.
The battle was fairly intense.
After the fighting began, Gao Fei could not help turning on his thermal imager and looking for a while. The distance was too great. The thermal imager could see some little red dots running back and forth, but aiming and shooting was impossible.
The effective range of this thermal imager would not exceed four hundred meters. It was probably only useful at two or three hundred meters, but at night, that distance was absolutely enough.
Just from the shifting location of the fighting, one could tell that the Penal Battalion had broken through the line the Ukrainians had only taken during the day.
But the attack began very suddenly and ended very quickly as well. The battle lasted only half an hour, and its scale could not be considered large. They had probably struck at a few points, then withdrawn again.
Then Shokholov’s walkie-talkie crackled again. This time, Gao Fei also had a walkie-talkie on him, and the one he had newly captured had no static.
He could hear what was being said over the walkie-talkie very clearly. Unfortunately, he could not understand it. But Gao Fei did hear one phrase he had just learned during the day: fall back.
The conversation ended quickly. Shokholov let out a breath. He knew Gao Fei could not understand, so he said of his own accord, “All right, tonight’s fighting is over.”
“We’re fine now, right?”
“Mm. We’re fine.”
Shokholov thought for a moment, then said, “Tonight, we earned merit. After daybreak tomorrow, someone will come to collect the bodies and, while they’re at it, record and calculate our bonuses. For this fight, Ricks, you get three. Samir, you also get three. Glasky and I get one each.”
What did three and one mean? Gao Fei thought it over. Shokholov was probably talking about dividing the bonus by head count, with him and Samir each getting one share.
Gao Fei wanted to decline politely. Since they had agreed to split it evenly, then it should be split evenly. Besides, tonight, they would not have managed without any one of them. There was no reason for some to take more and others less.
But then Gao Fei thought of the fact that Samir was also getting three shares. If he declined, it would make things difficult for Samir, so he was not really in a position to say anything.
This time, however, Samir took the initiative and said, “No, no, sir. It should be split evenly.”
Shokholov shook his head, while Glasky said from the side, “Without you tonight, we’d all be dead, so you get first credit. And without Ricks, we’d also be dead. Even if you discovered the enemy, it would have been useless, so he gets as much as you.”
Shokholov said in a deep voice, “That’s right. Our spoils and bonuses should be split evenly, but in a situation like tonight’s, you two definitely deserve an extra share. That’s our rule. No need to say more. Tomorrow, this is how we’ll divide it.”
Samir and Gao Fei looked at each other, then both nodded at the same time.
Shokholov and Glasky also exchanged a look. Then Shokholov said, “Something like tonight has never happened before. I mean, there has never been a position where the enemy got this close and no one died. In fact, once the enemy gets close and even jumps into the trench, everyone is definitely dead.”
Glasky said grimly, “Yes. This is the first time I’ve been hit by a night raid.”
Gao Fei said in some surprise, “You’ve never been attacked at night before?”
“Never from this close. Anyone who let the enemy get this close is dead. So either you spot them from far away and call in artillery to drive them back, or you get killed by them.”
After saying that, Shokholov said bitterly, “Those bastards next door actually let them through without noticing. They have night-vision goggles, and we’re only fifty meters away from them. It definitely wasn’t an issue with the night-vision gear’s performance.”
Glasky also said viciously, “They definitely fell asleep. The sentry must have fallen asleep.”
Something had gone wrong at the neighboring position. What could be done about that?
Before Gao Fei could say anything, Shokholov suddenly said, “The platoon leader didn’t give an explanation. No, I’m asking him again.”
With that, Shokholov immediately picked up the walkie-talkie. Without hesitation, he said, “Squad leader, why didn’t Group One spot the enemy approaching? Why didn’t the drone spot the enemy approaching either? You still haven’t given me an explanation.”
After a moment, a weak voice came from the walkie-talkie. “There’s no way to explain it. Are you guys okay? Any casualties?”
“What do you mean there’s no way to explain it? Was Group One wiped out?”
“Shokholov, shut your filthy mouth!”
This time, the person speaking had changed. It was not the squad leader from before. It was probably someone from Group One next door.
“Suka blyat, you just wait.”
Shokholov put away the walkie-talkie and snapped, “Move!”
Glasky threw down the machine gun, snatched up his rifle, and strode over in a towering rage.
Gao Fei said blankly, “What are we doing?”
“The squad leader can’t give us an explanation, and the platoon leader and company commander aren’t saying anything either. Then we’ll go to Group One and demand an explanation. Fuck.”
They were going to fight?
That was right. They were going to fight.
They were abandoning their position and running over to the neighboring position in the pitch-black night to demand an explanation. In truth, they were going over to fight?
Was this a joke? This had to be a joke, right?
Gao Fei’s mind was filled with frantic question marks, but he did not say a word. He simply slung the rifle with the thermal imager over his shoulder, turned, and followed behind Shokholov.
At this point, even if Shokholov said he was going to poke a hole in the sky, Gao Fei would have to follow him.
Samir turned sideways to let the furious Shokholov and Glasky pass, then he stepped in front of Gao Fei.
The flares had already stopped, but Shokholov turned on a flashlight.
Risking their lives just to vent their anger—Gao Fei truly had not expected that Shokholov, a veteran who had survived a hundred battles, would still be this hot-tempered.
Shokholov picked up the walkie-talkie again and said without the slightest attempt to hide it, “Everyone listen up. I’m going to Group One’s position. I just want an explanation. Nevin, if you’ve got the guts, try shooting me in the back.”
Before going over, he still had to give them a warning. Otherwise, if Group One simply sent a burst of fire their way, it would no longer be a fight but a firefight.
Gao Fei did not have his gun in his hands, but Samir said in a voice that Shokholov and Glasky could both hear, “Ricks, don’t make a move later. You take your gun and keep watch from the side. If they dare use guns, shoot them directly. If they don’t use guns, then just watch us fight.”
“Huh? I’m not fighting? No way.”
Gao Fei refused, but Shokholov also said in a low voice, “That’s right. You keep watch with your gun. Don’t point it at them right away when we get there, but you have to guard against them opening fire.”
“All right…”
How could he not take part in a fight? But he did indeed have the important duty of holding the field, so Gao Fei could only suppress his eagerness to join in.
Urgent calls came through the walkie-talkie one after another, followed by shouted reprimands.
Shokholov ignored them completely, and fifty meters passed very quickly.
Gao Fei could already see people. A middle-aged man dressed the same way as them pointed at Shokholov and shouted, “What are you trying to do?”
Shokholov shone the bright beam of his flashlight straight into the face of the soldier blocking the way and roared, “What am I doing? You sons of bitches beep beep, I beep your beep beep beep…”
A string of curses poured out, so filthy they were impossible to listen to.
Shokholov’s flashlight shone on the man confronting him, while Glasky, behind him, suddenly darted forward and squeezed past Shokholov.
“I beep beep beep beep beep beep…”
Glasky forced his way through and immediately swung, throwing a punch. He aimed for the jaw of the man blocking the path, but the man jerked his head aside and dodged, then punched Glasky in the face.
At that moment, Shokholov followed up. He swung the flashlight, and with a bang, the man blocking the way staggered sideways and leaned against the earthen wall.
Glasky smoothly followed through, hammering down with two thudding punches, both landing on the man’s nose.
It was a little lacking in martial virtue, but that was how fighting was supposed to be.
“Fuck!”
“Suka blyat!”
Someone launched a flying kick that struck Shokholov, making him fall backward.
The trench was too narrow. There was no room to dodge. They could only trade blows.
Samir reached out and pushed Shokholov, keeping him from falling flat. Then Samir rushed up and kicked the man who had landed on one foot. His kick directly sent his opponent tumbling over.
Then Samir let out a strange yell, mounted his opponent’s chest, and began smashing his face. Though his opponent was lying on the ground, he had not lost the ability to resist. Even while prone, he kept flailing wildly at Samir’s face without any technique.
Shokholov steadied himself. He squeezed past the two pairs of men grappling together, the flashlight in his left hand swaying, while his right hand threw a vicious hook that struck a third man in the face. At the same time, however, his own face was also hit by his opponent’s punch.
There was no technique, only emotion. No method, just a chaotic brawl.
When it came to chaotic brawling, Gao Fei was actually rather good at it.
Although he had never learned any combat sport or martial art, Gao Fei had been in fights before, and knowing how to fight was enough.
“Beep beep beep beep!”
Gao Fei charged forward while shouting classic Chinese curses, but when he passed Samir, he lifted his foot and kicked hard at the opponent Samir was straddling.
They might be comrades in the same squad, technically speaking, but Shokholov had already hit them, and Glasky had gone in so ruthlessly. What reason did Gao Fei have to be polite?
The fact that he had not kicked the man in the neck or head already counted as Gao Fei showing mercy.
Shokholov was grappling with his opponent. He did not seem to have much of an advantage. Gao Fei was about to meet his own opponent, but in the wavering, flickering beam of the flashlight, he saw that the man was holding an entrenching shovel.
This was far too lacking in martial virtue. Gao Fei was shocked. He could only grab the rifle slung over him and swing it in one smooth motion, using the body of the gun to block the entrenching shovel that came slapping over rather than chopping down.
“Fuck your mother!”
Gao Fei kicked out, but his supporting leg was also kicked. A tremendous force struck him, sending him falling backward uncontrollably.
Things had gotten a little out of hand. Gao Fei, furious and flustered, was about to get up and fight again when he heard someone not far away roar, “Stop! I’m the platoon leader! I order you to stop!”
After shouting twice, seeing that no one had any intention of stopping, the man who had been shouting fired his gun. Two sharp gunshots rang out, and then the platoon leader roared, “All of you, stop!”