First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 130
Chapter 130: Routine
As soon as the instructor finished speaking, the snipers who had revealed themselves immediately retracted their guns and hid again.
The students were momentarily bewildered, unsure of what decision to make next. Staying put and taking hits was definitely not an option, but acting rashly? Who knew what other special rules might be in play?
“What! What’s going on?” shouted the student who had previously taken three hits. “They shot at us, and you’re telling me they’re civilians? Are you kidding, Instructor?”
The instructor said, “Whether they are civilians depends on their identity, not what you think! Maybe they mistook you for outsiders? Maybe they were acting in self-defense? Maybe they were just passing through?”
The student clutched his chest and yelled, “I’m already dead! Why should I care about their motives?”
“As a soldier, killing a target without confirming their identity is wrong,” the instructor stated. “Look clearly, friends! Is the wilderness a place where you can just open fire randomly? This isn’t a combat zone either. Treating human life like grass—you’re simply deranged!”
The students protested, “Who’s more deranged?”
The instructor barked, “What’s the normal procedure? Did you issue a warning? Did you personally see him fire? Did you identify yourselves while marching?”
“I can’t die in peace!” Lian Sheng asked, “So, was his identity truly civilian or not?”
“It was,” the instructor confirmed. “Didn’t you see he didn’t fire just now?”
See what? They hadn’t seen anything, just rolled on the ground with him.
The instructor clapped his hands. “See? See? The punishment isn’t unjust. Would a real enemy let you spot them so obviously? Clearly not. You jump right into any pit dug for you. What can I say about such enthusiasm?”
The students: “…”
Gunfire whizzed over their heads. Yet, the students could only clutch their weapons and stare at each other.
Lian Sheng asked, “Are there any other setups?”
“Weren’t you chatting with me just now?” The instructor pointed ahead. “You didn’t even bother to click on the NPC right in front of you. Now, the NPC refuses to speak.”
Everyone: “…”
Why did they suddenly feel such an urge to beat him up?
Zhao Zhuoluo slightly raised his head, knowing that remaining deadlocked was pointless. He adjusted his posture, tensing his back leg against the ground, ready to move at any moment. “I’ll charge out and check. Cover me.”
With a powerful push-off, he dashed out from their cover, sprinting towards a dead tree not far away.
The snow on the ground was thick, making his figure particularly conspicuous and hindering his movement. Each step sank in, slowing his actions by half a beat. Zhao Zhuoluo simply bent low and rolled across the ground.
As his dark figure swept across the white snow, those hidden in the shadows seized the opportunity to attack forcefully. Lian Sheng raised her upper body and began to return fire.
These hundred students were, after all, elites selected from various military academies. Despite being tricked by the instructor and voicing their complaints, their reactions were swift.
The rear attackers immediately took position. There were only three opponents. This time, having pinpointed their direction, they fired simultaneously, dispersed, and advanced, quickly neutralizing the targets.
The explosive sounds of firearms seemed to still echo in their ears.
Snow rustled down from the surroundings, and then complete silence fell.
Zhao Zhuoluo stood up, brushed the fine snowflakes off his body, and rejoined the group.
“Alright, first stage of combat passed. Add weight and continue forward!” The instructor stood up as well. “In your backpacks, there are several black bags. Pack them tightly with snow; each can hold exactly one kilogram. Start packing now and hang them on your bags!”
Saying this, he took out his optical computer and began announcing the previous penalties.
Lian Sheng asked, “Individual training, yet collective punishment?”
“Although our training camp emphasizes individual strength more, the field march is a group activity. We hope to cultivate your sense of teamwork,” the instructor explained. “We don’t accept falling behind, nor do we accept fighting individually. Therefore, punishments must naturally be shared. Please protect those around you well, and protect yourselves well too. Every action you take, the entire team will be responsible for. Do you understand my meaning?”
The instructor supervised them packing snow nearby, though not very strictly. This part wasn’t something they needed to worry about.
The purpose of the training was self-improvement. How they viewed this training camp was their own business; the instructor wasn’t responsible for them. If they chose to violate such clear rules, there was little point in participating.
The penalties needed were administered in batches based on individuals. The first was Lian Sheng’s penalty for shooting the “civilian”: five kilograms for one kilometer. Following that were three kilograms for three kilometers, two kilograms for two kilometers, and one kilogram for two kilometers.
Less than two hours in, the trend didn’t look promising.
Combined with the original twenty-kilogram backpack and heavy winter clothing, the burden on their shoulders increased instantly.
Lian Sheng used her hand to lift the bottom of her backpack slightly. She needed to shed this extra weight as soon as possible and ensure their casualties weren’t so severe when the next surprise attack came.
Seeing they were ready, the instructor waved from the front. “Go, go, go! Keep moving! Time is tight!”
Lian Sheng sneezed. Her joints were already starting to feel warm, but the blood didn’t seem to reach her feet; her limbs still felt stiff.
The path ahead was buried in snow, making it very difficult to walk. Yet, the instructor led them steadily, picking up the pace.
With the extra weight, movement was already inconvenient. By the time they reached the middle section, even the obvious mountain path disappeared, replaced entirely by undeveloped dirt slopes.
The terrain here was rugged; pits could appear anywhere. The slopes were steep and slippery, making falls likely with any misstep.
They were constantly climbing.
Lian Sheng glanced ahead. She couldn’t spare a hand to check her optical computer, but judging by the sun’s position and her own feeling, at least two hours had passed. She asked, “Instructor, shouldn’t we have a rest break?”
“Weren’t you resting enough lying in the snow just now?” The instructor turned back, stopped, and said, “I say, treasure of the team, how did you fall behind?”
Just as Lian Sheng was about to reply, the instructor spoke again, “If you don’t catch up, I’ll have to make the people in front add weight and wait for you.”
The students collectively shouted again, “Damn it!”
During this field march, they had truly recognized the maliciousness of these instructors.
“Please show some respect for women, Instructor!”
“Please respect the rules you set yourself, Instructor!”
“We need to rest!”
“Yes, we need to rest!”
“You promised a rest every hour, and you’ve cheated us out of two rest periods! We protest!”
“We can’t keep up, Instructor! If you push us further, we won’t be able to keep up right now!”
The students were unprecedentedly united, fighting for Lian Sheng’s legitimate rights.
The instructor stared at them fixedly for a moment, then said helplessly, “Alright, rest in place for fifteen minutes. Drink some water and take a break.”
Lian Sheng sat down on the spot, and the male students quickly gathered around her.
These single individuals suddenly realized the importance of caring for women, supporting the weak, and maintaining team harmony. They constantly inquired about her physical condition and offered encouragement and support.
One boy reached for Lian Sheng’s backpack. “Have some hot water. Where’s your canteen?”
A boy next to him immediately snatched the canteen. “Let me open it, let me open it! Student Lian, don’t waste any extra energy!”
“Need your feet warmed, Ms. Lian?”
“Need a leg massage, Ms. Lian?”
“You absolutely have to hold on, buddy! No, sis! There’s still a long mountain road ahead, and the instructor has plenty more tricks up his sleeve!”
“No, no, there isn’t much left. Just hang in there a bit longer, and we’ll head back. We’ve been walking for over two hours, running part of the way at the beginning. I estimate it’s at least fifteen kilometers.”
“Are your feet really cold? I’ll contribute a pair of socks. You can change into them first.”
“Wear a couple more pairs. I’ll contribute a pair too.”
“Wear several pairs, make your feet bigger, just change your shoes directly. I’ll contribute a pair of shoes. Goddess Lian Sheng, what size shoes do you wear?”
Lian Sheng pushed their hands down, then took the cup and drank a sip. “It’s alright. My legs are just short; I couldn’t keep up just now.”
“I feel relieved hearing you say that. Please don’t be polite; we are a team.”
“We’ll try to find a chance to give you a push from behind later.”
“How come you people from Alliance University have so little brotherly love? Don’t you know to help someone when they fall behind?”
The Alliance University students looked at them contemptuously. Would they ever stop?
Fifteen minutes clearly hadn’t passed. The instructor shook his leg, did a quick mental calculation, decided it was about enough, and waved his hand. “Move out!”
Everyone packed up and set off. Lian Sheng was once again moved to the front of the line by the instructor for direct supervision.
The instructor turned back and asked Lian Sheng, “Have you felt the care of the iron-blooded men in the military camp?”
“…” Lian Sheng replied, “What is that?” Non-existent.
The instructor laughed. “Hahaha, give them some face!”
“It’s concern,” a student corrected. “Not quite love, but we care!”
After the previous lesson, everyone was extremely cautious during this leg of the march. They carefully scanned the surroundings for footprints and watched for any figures moving ahead.
Especially the students at the front and on the flanks, who were tasked with reconnaissance.
The team of over a hundred people moved up and down with the mountain terrain, leaving a long, winding trail of footprints behind them.
Lian Sheng glanced back, and the instructor announced they could remove two bags of weight.
They walked for another hour or so, maintaining alertness, but encountered no further combat exercises.
Then, a river appeared ahead. The instructor changed direction and led them down towards it.
Seeing this from behind, the students’ faces contorted, and groans arose.
“Prepare to cross the river!” the instructor ordered. “Take off your socks, roll up your pants. But remember to keep your shoes on; be careful of rocks and sharp ice at the bottom!”
The river surface was frozen, but the ice wasn’t thick enough to walk on. Stepping on it and having it break would be too dangerous.
The crossing point here had been scouted by the instructors. They specifically chose a section with higher banks and a lower water level, then went ahead and used tools to break open the ice.
It was all to make them feel the harshness of winter and temper their willpower.
The instructor waded into the water first, confirmed the depth, cleared away any dangerous sharp objects below, and then directed them to cross quickly.
“Quick, quick, quick! Who’s first? According to formation, the two right columns go first. Who wants to be the first one out?” the instructor shouted. “Don’t dawdle! Any delays will count against your own time!”
The male students subtly glanced towards Lian Sheng. She was a girl, after all, and they worried she wouldn’t be able to endure this part of the mission.
Lian Sheng just stared blankly at the opposite bank, saying nothing.
The water here barely reached past the instructor’s knees. Lian Sheng estimated it would be a bit higher on her.
Her insulated pants were very thick, and she wore another pair underneath. She probably couldn’t roll them up that high.
Lian Sheng took a deep breath, pulled up her pant legs as much as possible, and while the others were still observing and hesitating, she charged forward first with her pack, wading through the water.
After a splash of water, she was already on the other side.
“Whoa!” The male students applauded vigorously. “Warrior! Go! You’re the best!”
“Warrior? Isn’t this called a goddess?”
“Pretty Soldier!”
Lian Sheng sat down on the spot, turned her back to them, and expressionlessly began changing her socks and shoes.
A section of her pant legs was wet, but it wasn’t a major issue.
The boys behind followed closely, forming lines, sucking in cold air and yelping, then crossing over.
When the team was halfway across, Lian Sheng looked up alertly, scanning the area ahead. She seemed to faintly see uneven footprints on the snow in the woods nearby. Lian Sheng’s eyelids twitched. She raised a hand to rub her eyes and continued scanning deeper.
Although she didn’t see a clear figure, something ahead was definitely unusual. Lian Sheng immediately drew her gun and shouted, “Get down!”
The students on both banks reacted swiftly, dropping to the ground. The boys standing in the middle of the river muttered “Damn it,” hesitated between crouching and retreating, then covered their heads and bent over, trying to curl into a ball.
The boys who had already crossed moved out, cautiously approaching the area Lian Sheng indicated.
“Who’s up ahead?” Ye Buqing shouted. “Come out immediately and identify yourself. We mean no harm; we are soldiers on exercise from a nearby base. If you do not answer or come out now, we will treat you as an enemy and engage. I’ll count to three. Please respond within the time limit!”
“One!”
“Two…”
“Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!” A man emerged from behind a tree with his hands raised high. “I’m a tourist hiking in these mountains. I heard movement up ahead and didn’t know who it was, so I hid to check the situation.”
The students breathed a sigh of relief, and their weapons began to lower. They looked towards the instructor, smugly showing off.
“Instructor, at least change the soup and the medicine! We’re so smart!”
“Don’t play the same trick twice; we’ve already seen through it.”
“What kind of tourist or civilian comes out in this icy weather! This isn’t even a scenic spot! Instructor, can you make the scenarios a bit more realistic next time?”
Lian Sheng felt something wasn’t right. She frowned and shouted, “Keep your weapons steady!”
Everyone fell silent and looked at Lian Sheng.
Lian Sheng said, “Everyone, be careful! Last time, the civilian was mixed in with enemy forces. This time, it might not be just one person either! A combat exercise definitely involves enemy forces; maybe they’re still hidden.”
“Left, center, right flanks, check if there are any extra footprints ahead! Don’t rule out the possibility that footprints have been swept away. Stay vigilant!” Lian Sheng tilted her head slightly towards the comrades who hadn’t crossed yet. “The enemy likely intended to attack while our army was crossing the river and vulnerable. We can’t rule out ambushes on both banks. Comrades at the rear, pay attention to reconnaissance! Soldiers in the river, exit the river in an orderly manner and find safe positions! Don’t stay put!”
The students dutifully began scouting forward according to her commands.
The “tourist,” head lowered and hands still raised, chuckled twice at them, then tentatively lowered his hands. The students didn’t suspect much.
He clasped his hands together, tucking them into his sleeves. Suddenly, his right hand moved, pulling a miniature pistol from his sleeve. He aimed at a student in front and fired two shots cleanly.
Lian Sheng’s lips parted slightly. She had kept her weapon trained on him the whole time. Now, she immediately pulled the trigger, firing back. The “tourist” couldn’t continue his attack and fell directly.
The instructor waved his hand down. “One person counter-killed by a spy! Add three kilograms of weight for three kilometers!”
The students froze for a moment, staring at the tourist’s “corpse,” utterly astonished.
The instructor said expressionlessly, “Continue!”
The students stood rooted to the spot, protesting collectively.
“What the hell?”
“Damn it! Is there no end to this? This isn’t scientific!”
“Instructor, can we be sincere for once? What is all this? You just say whatever you want. Killing is wrong, not killing is also wrong. Why are you so difficult?”
“We have a girl in our team, can you watch your influence? Stop adding sins to us straight guys!”
The instructor at the front shouted sternly, “Quiet!”
He looked at the crowd, took a step forward, and snorted. “‘At least change the soup and the medicine~’ Who just said that? Weren’t you the ones asking for it? Instructor’s sins? With your level of quality and alertness, you still want to be soldiers? Stop kidding, alright?”
“Didn’t I tell you to observe carefully? You didn’t just fail to observe carefully; you lacked even the slightest awareness!” The instructor walked over to the tourist’s side and pointed at the man. “Think about it yourselves. In the middle of nowhere, you see a person in civilian clothes claiming to be a tourist, and you just believe him. Is there something wrong with you? Are your brains made of paste? Where’s the verification? The questioning? The body search? Confirming identity? Subdue him first, then observe, friends!”
The instructor continued, “Why did those who raised doubts and complaints convince themselves to believe? Self-hypnosis? Is it normal for a tourist to appear here? There’s only one set of footprints here; is it normal for it not to be an enemy? Even if this were just a game, it’s a huge bug you can’t ignore! How can you so easily believe what the other party says!”
The instructor declared, “Haven’t I told you? I said don’t treat it like a combat exercise; this is an enemy attack! Maintain your vigilance at all times! And you? You’re all playing house! Any more questions?!”
The students lowered their heads and didn’t reply.
Because it was an exercise, they subconsciously assumed the instructor’s words were correct. Although the opponent was playing the role of the enemy, it was still an instructor’s performance. Coupled with the previous inexplicable trick, their thinking had followed the established routine.
Disguise, concealment, or deception. They truly hadn’t considered such a dramatic plot. Or perhaps they had, but dismissed it with a laugh.
“Civilian or enemy, I told you to confirm first! If the weapon was found, what else couldn’t be confirmed?” The instructor waved his hand dismissively. “Put some effort into it! Because you lack self-awareness, our scenario setups have become very unscientific, okay? There’s no challenge at all. It just looks like we’re deliberately making things difficult for you.”
The students endured his reprimand without making a sound.
The “corpse” on the ground opened one eye, lifted his head, and said, “Give me a break. Being an enemy isn’t easy either; the ground is cold. Can’t you just leave after you’re done fighting? Can’t you lecture while walking? How long are you going to stop? I have a large contingent waiting for me up ahead, hey.”
The instructor glanced at him and waved his hand. “Team rest! Throw this guy on the ground into the river and wash him away!”
“Damn!” the man on the ground cursed contemptuously. “This life is unbearable! You forced me, alright? I’m leaving first.”
He stood up directly, patted his backside, and walked towards the next point.
Lian Sheng watched his retreating figure and shook her head. There was still a large group of pitiful people behind.
The fifteen-minute rest in place was just enough time for them to put on socks and change shoes. The few unfortunate souls stuck in the middle of the river were shivering uncontrollably. They dried off the water and applied a layer of anti-frostbite ointment.
Once everyone was ready, they set off again.
Want to dive deeper into the story? You can request bonus chapters or grab the complete Part 1 (147 chapters) as an EPUB from my Ko-fi shop!
How complex
ReplyDelete