"Give the command."
The Bookworm and the others were so inspired by Luo Zheng's fervent fighting spirit that they shouted in unison, their blood boiling with fervor. A soldier should die on the battlefield, wrapped in his steed's hide—better to perish with glory than live in ignoble survival. Excited, everyone's gaze was fixed on Luo Zheng, eager to join the fight imdiately.
"Set a firebreak, burn the hillside," commanded Luo Zheng imdiately.
At his command, everyone was montarily taken aback. What kind of order was this? The Bookworm was quick to react, bellowing, "What are you standing around for? Get moving! Set a firebreak, burn the hillside, and attract all the nearby enemies before we talk."
With that, everyone got the idea. Opening fire could certainly attract the enemy, but a shot or two would be useless if the enemy couldn't pinpoint the source. Firing indiscriminately would just waste bullets, while starting a fire was different. The greater the blaze, the more it would create the illusion of a ferocious battle for the enemy. The thick smoke rising up could be seen from afar.
Luo Zheng looked at the Bookworm, who had taken command, and smiled knowingly. This kind of tacit understanding born from shared life-and-death experiences was truly satisfying. He looked forward, unsure of how many enemies surrounded them and where Turul might be. Once the fire was lit, how would they retreat?
Soon, everyone had started a bonfire and kept piling on flammable materials to intensify the blaze. The Bookworm approached and spoke softly, "Captain, what's our next move? How about we head back to that dead valley from before and see if we can run into that big boss? If the big boss's life is threatened, they'll definitely order the scattered groups nearby to co support, and our retreating teams will be much safer."
"You're thinking along the sa lines as , but this could put everyone in a deadly situation. We must consider a retreat route," said Luo Zheng gravely, his gaze fixed ahead, sharp and resolute, brimming with intelligent insight. Suddenly, he had an idea. Turning to look at his n, he noticed that they all had military shovels attached to their packs, and he quickly ford a plan.
"Have you co up with a plan?" The Bookworm keenly sensed Luo Zheng's change in emotion and asked eagerly, "What's the best course of action?"
"Look around you, then look at the terrain beneath our feet," Luo Zheng said, pointing around them.
The surrounding slopes were low and covered with dense trees, stretching endlessly. The peak they were on happened to be the highest in the vicinity, an isolated peak. To the east were the mid-slopes, the direction the retreat team took. To the south was a steep cliff, to the west a gentle slope leading down, and to the north were more mid-slopes. The entire mountain was shaped like a 'U', with the bottom to the east and both sides ford by mid-slopes and cliffs, leaving only the front as a slope, at an angle of about thirty degrees.
"What do you an?" asked the Bookworm, puzzled as he studied the terrain.
"Instead of us taking the ti to find the enemy, it's better to wait at our leisure here. The ti it takes for the enemy to get here will be enough for us to dig dispersed fighting trenches. The south is a cliff, and the north mid-slopes, focus on defending the west. Let the first squad take that, split the second squad into two for defending the north and east. The sniper squad will set up an ambush in the center, sniping at will, providing fire support for the brother troops," Luo Zheng swiftly explained.
"And the south?" The Bookworm pressed on.
"I'm going to take a look first; arrange it imdiately. The Special Forces excel in special operations, but I hope everyone can also show their prowess in positional warfare. Fortifications and positional defense are the essence of the combat wisdom passed down from our ancestors. The enemy doesn't have aircraft or cannons, no heavy weapons. I'm not asking for much, just hold out until nightfall," Luo Zheng said with a serious expression.
"Yes," the scholar answered, hurrying off.
Luo Zheng went alone to the southern hillside and saw below a rugged terrain with bottomless depths, mist rising from the water below, and the mountain cliffs and peaks overgrown with weeds. While not steep, climbing up from there would not be easy; arranging for just two people to guard it would be enough.
After forming a plan in his mind, Luo Zheng returned and had the scholar arrange for two people to go there. There was no need for Luo Zheng to explain how to guard, as all were Special Forces trained systematically in military tactics; they knew what to do. Commanding such a force, Luo Zheng felt reassured. Seeing everyone quickly digging trenches, a touch of relief appeared on his heavy face. He called out loudly, "Dig several, and try to connect them. With echeloned distribution, the enemy will be nothing but live targets if they charge over. Don't waste this excellent opportunity for shooting practice; hide yourselves well and truly teach those bastards a lesson."
"Yes," everyone responded loudly. Positional warfare was not their strongest suit, but they knew the basic theory and skills, needing no excessive fretting from Luo Zheng. Each person knew what to do; battle morale was surging. The thought of large-scale positional warfare was exciting—where could one find such battles in peaceti?
"Brothers, we should feel fortunate. When was the last ti a large-scale positional battle was fought in our country over the past decades? Thirty of us against two thousand of the enemy—if we lose, we die gloriously, soldiers wrapped in horsehide, falling on the battlefield—there's nothing to be said. If we win, we return as heroes. The opportunity is right before you. Whether you'll be heroes or bear fools, that's up to you," the scholar also shouted, cheering everyone on.
"Yes," the response was thunderous, morale soared even higher, and the fervor reached a fever pitch.
As the scholar said, in tis of peace, a soldier might not see a battle in their lifeti. Special Forces fared better, but for the most part, the large units engaged in small skirmishes, ambushes, and hit-and-run attacks. A head-on positional defense battle? It was hard to co by, and their eagerness was evident as they feverishly dug foxholes, their combat spirit burning bright.
Luo Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there was morale and confidence, the battle wasn't impossible; at the least, they could delay the enemy, providing cover for the retreating troops. However, Luo Zheng didn't expect the enemy to arrive faster than expected, as the sniper on lookout duty sent a ssage that enemy troops had been spotted a kiloter away, and there were many of them.
According to Luo Zheng's deploynt, the sniper team was to provide central cover and fire support for the other teams. They didn't need to dig foxholes, having been sent by the scholar for periter watch duties. Luo Zheng looked at the birds startled into flight in the distance, his face grew cold as he said, "We're short on ti; tell everyone to hurry. The two of us will go take a look."
"Alrighty," the scholar, a bold and fearless sort, saw that Luo Zheng did not intend to bring anyone else and didn't bother to ntion it. He shouted for everyone to speed up, and seeing Luo Zheng already running ahead, quickly caught up. The two hurried forward, with the scholar constantly in contact with the scouting snipers through his earpiece.
The two rushed down the slope to the west and then up another hillside. A fully-ard sniper in a camouflage suit erged from the dense forest, adorned with so many branches that at first glance, he was nearly unnoticeable. The two climbed up the hill, looked back, and indeed saw a large group of people erging from the hillside below, quickly approaching the slope.
"Shall we open fire?" the scholar asked Luo Zheng with a stern look, making the suggestion.
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