The moonlit night was adorned with bright lights and not a drop of rain.
A vast open space in front of a farmhouse beca the rallying point for over 800 valiant soldiers.
On the dry ground, a large spread of kraft paper held many boxes emitting a dangerous scent, the kind that could level the area to the ground.
An order that was both familiar and strange.
"Look to the right... line up!"
"Look... forward!"
Varying voices over ten miles, yet even this common shout, when bellowed by this middle-aged colonel, had a distinct flavor.
Almost everyone was curiously observing Fang Huai, the lone deputy leader of the assault team standing to the front side of the formation.
His extrely youthful face didn’t resemble that of a leader at all.
If he weren’t wearing that firefighting ergency rescue suit but instead a suit, perhaps it would give rise to different ideas.
But within the forces, age and rank are in strict order.
However, with this temporary assault team, anything could happen as everyone was essentially risking their lives, so breaking the rules was not strange.
"Comrades!" the brigade commander roared, pulling back the thoughts.
"Today, we will march on foot for about seventy li to Tangjia Mountain!
Within these seventy li, there are close to 8 hours of night, high mountains, rolling stones, and cliffs. Are you afraid?"
"No fear! No fear! No fear!!"
Three calls thunderous as lightning.
people, with 829 standing below, when this column was spread out, it could fill a playground, but now huddled together, the sound they made was eardrum-shattering.
"No fear, that’s right! Because within, there lies a beast, waiting for us to ta it!
According to the instructions from our superiors, the water level in the barrier lake rises with every rain and is said to rise to an extent that shocks our nation and chills our courage!
When I heard this statent, I loudly answered the leadership, ’Will the courage of the People’s children be chilled?’
Tell , will it?"
"It will not! It will not! It will not!!"
The brigade commander smirked, "Just a re hill, we’re going to take it down now!
Now upon my order, explosives, rations, water, on your shoulders! We are not only going to conquer Tangjia Mountain but also provide assistance to the locals evacuating along the way!
hours! By tomorrow afternoon, we must arrive at Tangjia Mountain, get in touch with Command, and carry out the blasting! Do you all have confidence?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!!"
"Everyone, get ready! We depart in fifteen minutes!"
The psychological issues of the genuine soldiers who risked their lives at the grassroots level were much easier to resolve than those of the leaders at Command. Brigade Captain Jin’s re routine pep talk easily conveyed to all soldiers two enemies:
The "chilled courage" spoken by the leadership and the "hill" that is Tangjia Mountain.
"Comrade Xiao Fang, I heard from Command that you are very familiar with the geology of Tangjia Mountain. Later, you will take charge of the second-to-last team from behind. The soldiers from our brigade will lead the way! Comrades from the Ard Police Hydropower will be in the middle!"
As soon as Major General Jin dismissed the troops, he imdiately started communicating with the two deputy leaders.
Fang Huai gave a smile and said, "Major General Jin, comrades from the firefighting team should be interspersed at the front, middle, and end of the column, responsible for safeguarding the entire team’s advance. This was already decided by Command.
The primary task now is to protect your blasting pioneers. I suggest dispersing your explosive experts throughout the entire team as well to prevent large casualties in case of an accident.
Moreover, we need a local to lead the way."
Major General Jin imdiately pointed to a second stage officer, saying, "Rest assured! It has been arranged! One of our brigade’s Qiang ethnic soldiers is from Beichuan! He will serve as the point man!"
Fang Huai inspected the soldier’s epaulettes and said, "We should find another one just to be sure. At Command, I looked through the earthquake assessnt data.
Mountains have collapsed, and the rivers’ appearances have changed.
The fault rupture zone oscillated back and forth between Kangding and Beichuan, and there should also be an explosion zone created by a new tear fault near Beichuan.
I heard so mountains have rged together, so the original terrain might have completely changed.
This soldier can judge the direction at the front, but we need soone who has tread the path in the past few days to guide us safely through."
Major General Jin stroked his chin.
"You’re right. Before we head into the mountains, we’ll find a local to help."
Standing aside, Brigade Captain Chen of Ard Police Hydropower expressed with so regret, "What a pity, our equipnt hasn’t arrived, or else, with the ability of the few pioneers we brought, you’d all have to follow us. With our more than 300 people, we could have blazed a broad, smooth path for you!"
Fang Huai looked at Captain Chen, who emanated a strong military presence and had a competitive spirit, feeling a sense of admiration internally.
The reforms within the Ard Police Hydropower were indeed more extensive than those of the firefighting units; while firefighting simply changed their flag, the work remained the sa, Hydropower was directly transford into a business.
He couldn’t help but say, "I hope there’s a chance for you to showcase your skills soon. That way, the people of Beichuan will be fortunate."
Captain Chen laughed, "Comrade Xiao Fang seems young, but you speak with the air of a leader!"
Major General Jin also laughed heartily, "Old Liu from the chanized Brigade called . This young comrade is quite remarkable. He held his own at Command in a battle of wits. This mission was secured for us by his request, a rising star from the firefighting force!"
However, Fang Huai let out a sigh, "I just hope we succeed in one try. The leadership said that if we complete the mission, we will proceed to Beichuan for the rescue. If not, we’ll have to wait at the Tangjia Mountain Barrier Lake for the second batch of explosives to be delivered.
"It hasn’t even been 72 hours yet, and after tomorrow afternoon, it will only be the fourth day. If over 800 soldiers enter Beichuan for reinforcent, the morale boost it would give to the locals would be trendous."
Upon hearing this, Major General Jin’s expression changed.
"How co I wasn’t inford of this? Didn’t the chief say that after the blasting, we were to stay at Tangjia Mountain waiting for experts to arrive and assess the situation?"
Fang Huai shook his head and whispered:
"Only a small number of people need to stay behind to maintain the campsite. The leadership wants us to focus on dealing with the barrier lake and not to beco impatient.
This ssage shouldn’t be spread for the ti being. For the blasting, we need to remain calm and cautious, so the leadership told to inform you in person after I got here."
Major General Jin’s eyes widened, and after a two-second pause, he then turned his head towards the soldiers distributing detonators, explosives, and supplies and barked orders:
"Arrival ti adjusted to 12 hours! Full speed ahead! Move faster! Go, go, go!"
...
No consideration for life.
A forced march had turned into an ergency march.
While marching, the swishing sound of everyone’s backpacks made Fang Huai feel apprehensive.
Inside were things that shook and rattled – explosives.
"Major General Jin, tell them to slow down! Slow down a bit!" Fang Huai shouted.
"It’s fine! They won’t explode in the backpacks! Our explosives won’t detonate even if they’re dropped! They must be triggered manually! The detonators are all at the very back of the unit!
Moreover, the backpacks carrying the explosives have been shock-proofed. There won’t be any impact friction!"
"This stretch is a cent road, it’s easy to travel on! If we don’t move fast now, once we enter the mountains, it’ll be even harder to pick up the pace!" Major General Jin said, quickening his pace while waving his hand.
Though he said walking, it was more akin to racewalking, and the soldiers jogging beside him were barely keeping up with his speed.
Fang Huai, however, was taken aback upon hearing this.
"... My backpack isn’t processed. This is our firefighting mountain rescue pack!" he said.
Major General Jin frowned, "You’re with firefighting, why are you carrying explosives?"
As he spoke, he stopped and gestured with his hand:
"Let have a look at your backpack!"
Fang Huai raised his hand and passed it over: "Be careful."
Major General Jin looked at the large backpack, applying so force.
But it still sank heavily, and he quickly used his other hand as well.
"How much does this weigh?!"
"I don’t know, over a hundred pounds probably. It’s pretty heavy."
Fang Huai’s words startled Major General Jin.
Opening the backpack, the bottom was filled with biscuits, ham sausages, and water.
On top, neatly stacked explosives, which he couldn’t lift with one hand.
"Fuck... Are you planning to carry all this stuff over the mountain? One wrong step backward, and this bag could drag you down!"
Major General Jin scolded while removing the packaged explosives from his backpack and handing them over to the soldiers passing by.
"Take so each, move fast! Stay more than a hundred ters away from the detonators at the back!"
The soldiers, upon seeing the large backpack yanked out with five 10-pound packs of explosives still looking bulging, were all taken aback.
The standard issue was three packs of explosives, plus supplies weighing 20 pounds, and with the added weight of the pack, each carried around fifty pounds in total.
His pack alone had 50 pounds of explosives!
Fang Huai, hearing that the backpacks for explosives were processed, dared not insist on carrying them himself; he just asked the soldiers helping to take all the living supplies for him.
He wouldn’t hand over the explosives unless they took the supplies.
In the end, after dividing the explosive packs, Fang Huai’s backpack ended up even heavier as he took on a set of tent poles.
When they set out again, the pace seed even quicker.
Just now, Fang Huai could have easily joined the first echelon, but with so many explosives on his back, he was a bit worried about an explosion.
He ca on this trip ready to face death, but dying to an explosion on the road didn’t seem worth it.
Major General Jin didn’t carry any explosives, only about 30 pounds of supplies, making him light; seeing Fang Huai pick up speed, he eventually picked up pace too.
Walking turned into running.
The more he ran, the more he worried.
He couldn’t catch up!
Gradually, he gave up.
Seeing Fang Huai with a huge backpack charging forward, about to overtake the first echelon, his heart pounded.
This guy didn’t seem like so brainy expert but rather a brute from martial arts competition!
... How could a firefighter have such fierce physical strength?!
Maybe... when there’s a chance, he should take the soldiers from his brigade to challenge the local firefighters?
...
The flashlights held by the firefighters lit up the entire long column with dozens of beams.
By 10:20, they assembled at the Qiu family yard; leaving An County at 11:00, and finally at 12:30, they reached a junction leading into Beichuan where they t an old man coming out from inside.
Seeing their military attire, the old man stopped, and seeing the long column, he was so moved he wiped away tears and clasped the hand of a soldier.
"The People’s Liberation Army! The People’s Liberation Army! You’ve finally arrived!"
That soldier was a first-class soldier, seemingly overwheld, quickly pulling out a bottle of mineral water and a ration, stuffing them into the old man’s hand.
Fang Huai was puzzled and approached to ask, "Uncle, surely the People’s Liberation Army has already gotten inside, right?"
According to their intelligence, a good half of a battalion had already entered Beichuan through the mountain roads.
Such a big city, and with over a thousand rescue troops inside, he hadn’t seen the People’s Liberation Army?
And what about dostic and international earthquake rescue teams, dical personnel?
"Not enough, not enough!" the old man slapped his thigh and said urgently, "Everything collapsed inside – hospitals, schools, governnt offices, police stations, all gone, not a single survivor! There’s no way to rescue them all!"
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