First a battle, then a brawl—the first day on the battlefield really was far too exciting.
Gao Fei did not dare point his muzzle at the platoon leader. The moment he heard the gunshot, he decisively stopped, but he did not lower his guard. If the opponent across from him, gripping an entrenching shovel, wanted to keep fighting, then he couldn’t just stand there and take the blow.
Fortunately, an officer’s words still carried weight. After the shot rang out, everyone immediately stopped.
Good. Now they could talk reason.
Gao Fei saw his platoon leader, a middle-aged man in his forties, his face filled with fury. After angrily stuffing his pistol back into its holster, he immediately pointed at Sholokhov and roared, “What do you think you’re doing!”
“Demanding an explanation.”
“What explanation! Is that your reason for abandoning your own position and running over here to fight? If you’ve delayed proper business, I’ll shoot you!”
The platoon leader’s words were somewhat unreasonable, but the battlefield truly was not a place for reason. And since this was not a place for reason, Sholokhov could be unreasonable too.
“Then just consider all of us already killed in the battle just now. The enemy got right up to our position, and Team One didn’t react at all. If not for good luck, we’d already be dead. Since we’re all dead anyway, does it make any difference whether we left our position or not?”
Sholokhov was arguing by force, but the platoon leader was left stunned speechless.
The platoon leader turned his head and said with a face full of anger, “Nevin! What the hell happened with you people!”
Nevin was the one who had been fighting Glazky. He shoved Glazky hatefully, but after hesitating for a moment, his arrogant bluster became hard to maintain, and he could only say in a helpless tone, “I fell asleep…”
“Move! Get out of the way!”
The platoon leader angrily shoved aside the people blocking his path. He stood in front of Nevin and snapped, “You’re a veteran. There’s no way you’d fall asleep while on sentry duty. Who did you assign to stand watch?”
At this point, the soldier who had been fighting Gao Fei with the shovel said in a low voice, “It was me. I’m sorry…”
“Sorry? You say you’re sorry?”
The platoon leader rushed over and kicked the soldier who had apologized to the ground. Then he picked up the entrenching shovel and smacked the fallen soldier’s thigh twice with a loud thwack.
The sound was loud, but it wouldn’t cause any real trouble. It was simply a practical way to vent some anger on Sholokhov’s behalf.
After smacking him twice in fury, the platoon leader said angrily, “One lapse from you could get your comrades killed. Is this your first day on the battlefield?”
Nevin said from the side, “Platoon leader, I’m sorry.”
The platoon leader roared, “You should be saying sorry to Sholokhov, not me!”
Just then, footsteps sounded from the distance again, and then three people hurried over.
“Sholokhov! Nevin! You two idiots!”
The newcomer stopped in the trench. He looked at the few of them, then said with an annoyed expression, “Sorry, platoon leader. I failed to keep them in line. This is all my responsibility.”
Not bad. Judging by tonight’s situation, although these people fought crudely, at least they still had a bottom line. The officers acted like officers and didn’t dump the blame onto the brothers under them, while the soldiers also acted like soldiers and didn’t hide in the back, too afraid to make a sound.
Sholokhov huffed angrily and said, “Squad leader, when you decided to give the thermal imager to Team One, you said they could watch over the positions of all three of our teams. This was the first night raid we’ve encountered, and Team One let the enemy right onto our position. We almost died. All of us!”
Sholokhov clung tightly to that one reason and refused to let go.
The squad leader roared at Nevin, “What happened with you! What happened with you! Suka blyat, what happened!”
“I’m sorry. Our trench collapsed. We spent the whole day digging trenches, and everyone was a little too exhausted. I failed to consider the brothers’ stamina.”
The squad leader pointed at Nevin’s nose and said angrily, “Apologize to Team Two.”
Nevin lowered his head, but he simply refused to speak.
The squad leader had still been roaring a moment ago, but seeing Nevin like that, he suddenly lowered his voice and said in a very puzzled tone, “Hm?”
Nevin sighed. He turned to Sholokhov and said, “I’m sorry.”
Sholokhov waved his hand and said, “Don’t let this happen again.”
That counted as the matter being put behind them. The squad leader let out a breath and said, “What’s your situation?”
“Eight enemies. All taken out.”
“What equipment?”
“Mm, ordinary elites, I suppose.”
The squad leader exhaled. He nodded and said, “All right. We’ll talk about anything else tomorrow. Go back to your position.”
Ever since the squad leader arrived, the platoon leader had not said a word. Now, seeing that the squad leader had suppressed the situation and the farce was about to end, he suddenly said, “Wait. Where did the fighting take place?”
Sholokhov said in a deep voice, “Twenty meters in front of the position. A few of them got into the trench.”
The platoon leader looked puzzled. He sized Sholokhov up and said, “The enemy got right in front of you and even entered the trench. How did you survive?”
Sholokhov smiled confidently. He pointed at Samir and said with a face full of pride, “This guy’s ears are sharp. It was all thanks to him. He heard the sounds the enemy made and warned us in time. If he’d been even a little later, we’d all be finished.”
The platoon leader frowned and said, “You discovered them in advance? But at such close range, even if you discovered… hm?”
The platoon leader suddenly turned to look at Gao Fei and said, “A rifle with thermal imaging? How many night-vision devices did you capture?”
“Platoon leader, we won’t report this as battle merit, but we definitely won’t hand over the night-vision devices we captured.”
“I’m not asking you for the night-vision devices. I’m asking why he’s carrying the rifle with thermal imaging?”
The platoon leader pointed at Gao Fei and said very seriously, “This guy only arrived today, right? Why did you let him use this rifle?”
Without the slightest hesitation, Sholokhov said, “Because this idiot can’t use a head-mounted night-vision device, so I could only let him use this rifle.”
The platoon leader smiled faintly and said, “Sholokhov, are you treating me like an idiot?”
“No. I wouldn’t dare. I haven’t concealed anything, sir.”
Sholokhov’s face could not help showing a hint of nervousness.
The squad leader suddenly said, “Team One made a mistake, and Team Two abandoned their position to come over and fight. Platoon leader, our squad has truly disgraced itself today. I’ll be sure to discipline them properly. You should go back. It’s dangerous with so many people here.”
The platoon leader had no intention of leaving. He looked at Gao Fei with great interest, then at Samir. After that, he pointed at Gao Fei and said, “Which unit did you retire from?”
Gao Fei said in a low voice, “Confidential.”
“Special forces?”
“No.”
“You’re a sniper!”
“No. I’ve never used a sniper rifle.”
The platoon leader smiled, then said with a gentle expression, “Come with me. Our platoon has a directly subordinate assault team. I’ll transfer you over, double your pay, and you won’t need to guard trenches anymore. Every day will be quite easy, and the assault team gets more and better spoils too.”
What did he mean?
Poaching?
Poaching him right to their faces?
No, did the platoon leader need to poach people too?
Gao Fei couldn’t figure out what was going on. He looked blankly at Sholokhov.
Sholokhov said urgently, “Platoon leader, he’s my man!”
The platoon leader abruptly raised his hand and said without hesitation, “I’ll give you two men tomorrow.”
Sholokhov was frantic, but before he could speak, the squad leader gave a light cough and said, “Your name is… Rex, right?”
The squad leader knowing who he was was perfectly normal. After all, there were only twelve people in a squad. Although they weren’t on the same position, the squad leader at least had to know the names of all his subordinates.
Gao Fei nodded and said, “Yes, squad leader.”
“Are you a sniper?”
“No!”
“Are you a good shot?”
Gao Fei said with a face full of shame, “Not especially. Barely qualified. Actually, I only participated in exercises before and have never been in real combat.”
“Mm. Are you special forces?”
“No!”
The squad leader said helplessly, “What can you do? You can’t do anything. What qualifications do you have to join the assault team? Get back to your position.”
Gao Fei immediately turned his head and started to leave, but the platoon leader reached out and grabbed Gao Fei’s arm. Then he said very seriously to the squad leader, “Even if he’s a rookie, I still want him.”
The squad leader sighed and said, “Platoon leader, my situation has only just improved a little. Do you have something against our squad?”
The platoon leader shook his head and said, “There will be more recruits sent over tomorrow. I’ll give you two. No, three. I’ll give all our platoon’s reinforcement slots to your squad. You know it too—right now, my assault team is short one good gunman.”
The squad leader looked at Sholokhov, his expression asking for his opinion.
Sholokhov shook his head slightly.
So the squad leader immediately took two steps forward. He went up and grabbed Gao Fei’s other arm, saying very seriously, “Platoon leader, if he’s in First Squad, he’s still part of the assault platoon. There’s no need for him to specifically go to the assault team. Besides, he’s just a newcomer. You heard him. He’s never even been in real combat before.”
The platoon leader did not let go. After thinking for a moment, he said very seriously, “Actually, I saw it.”
“Hm?”
“I saw the process of their fight. The drone side already told me.”
The squad leader froze for a moment. Then he grabbed Gao Fei’s arm with both hands and said to the platoon leader in a low voice, “Platoon leader, our squad has already given you four good men, one after another. Where are they now?”
“Trench warfare doesn’t need sharpshooters. Keeping them on defensive positions is a waste.”
“Platoon leader, can you leave a few good men for our platoon? Does attacking need sharpshooters? Isn’t it just marking targets and letting artillery blast them? Platoon leader, don’t go too far!”
At this moment, Nevin suddenly said, “Platoon leader, if Shmuel from our team were still here, tonight’s situation wouldn’t have happened either. You can’t hollow out our squad’s combat strength, can you?”
The platoon leader’s expression became somewhat unnatural. After hesitating for a moment, he finally released Gao Fei’s arm, but he still refused to give up. He said to Gao Fei, “This depends on your own wishes…”
The squad leader tightened both hands. Gao Fei hurriedly dodged to the side and said, “I’m willing to stay in First Squad and follow our team leader.”
The platoon leader looked regretful. The squad leader said angrily to Sholokhov, “Take your soldiers and get the hell back. Guard your position properly. If this happens again, I’ll shoot you first!”
Sholokhov pulled Gao Fei, placing Gao Fei in front of him, then gave him a heavy shove from behind.
The four of them said nothing and hurried away. They only heard the squad leader behind them angrily shouting at Nevin, “You idiot, how did you arrange sentry duty! If this happens again, I’ll shoot you! Platoon leader, why haven’t you left yet?”