First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 182
Chapter 182: Unloading
Before Cornell could call a halt, Lian Sheng beat him to it.
"Wait a minute, let me say a few words first." Lian Sheng leaned on her gun, took a deep breath, and said, "Brothers..."
The brothers responded self-consciously, "We're also very disappointed in ourselves."
Lian Sheng said, "Stop obsessing over your maps—throw them away! Not in all situations can external data be clearly transmitted to you, and not all data is accurate. More often than not, you're limited by conditions and can only rely on your own eyes and judgment. Your comrades are right beside you—why don't you trust them? Why don't you turn around and look at them?"
The group lowered their heads in silence.
"Every time before taking action, your first instinct is to check the map on your communicator. This is an extremely bad habit! Time on the battlefield is precious—precious in that split-second glance. When you're engaging or defending, you should already be observing all directions. If the situation around you is already in your mind, why look at a map? Just listen with your ears and think with your brain—follow my commands! Looking at the map is just an unnecessary action to reassure yourselves!" Lian Sheng said. "All technological advancements are meant to help you perform better, but if they become shackles holding you back, throw them away. Understood?"
One of the boys hesitated for a second before asking, "Throw... throw them away for real?"
Lian Sheng snapped, "...I'll throw you away!"
Harry burst into laughter on the other side.
"From now on, listen to my commands! And I mean listen to my commands! I'll be the one looking at the map! If there's any situation, I'll let you know. You all need to stay sharp—don't wait for a report just to fart!" Lian Sheng declared with full vigor. "Second platoon, pay attention! Keep an eye on the frontline situation at all times. If the frontline needs support, move up immediately. Attackers can substitute for scouts, but scouts shouldn't rush to their deaths! Everyone must be capable of both close combat and ranged attacks—if you notice a mismatch in positioning, adjust on your own."
Lian Sheng added, "Vice commander, from now on, stop giving them action prompts. Focus on relaying enemy movements and make rough adjustments based on my commands."
"Now let's start over! Everyone, listen to my commands!" Lian Sheng crouched back down. "If they piss you off, take them down! Positions! Line up!"
The two sides regrouped, waiting to begin.
They were too accustomed to maps. Whether in Sanyao training or inside mech cockpits, the maps were always displayed clearly before their eyes.
But real-life situations obviously wouldn't always be this ideal—in combat, they needed to rely more on instinct.
Lian Sheng pressed her lips together.
As a commander, it was incredibly frustrating to see soldiers with eighty-percent capability only performing at sixty percent.
This was terrible. If she didn't bring out their full potential, she'd be failing in her role as commander-in-chief.
The two sides started again.
Lian Sheng forced them to break their habit of checking the map. Lu Mingyuan's workload also lightened.
At least he didn't have to act like a nanny, marking every little detail on the map. A lot of data could just be processed mentally.
Ji Ban, gripping his scope, leaned against the equipment to observe the frontline and suddenly shouted, "Whoa whoa whoa!"
Lu Mingyuan checked the feed from his perspective but found nothing unusual. "What's wrong? Any changes?"
Ji Ban turned his head and said, "No. Nothing worth mentioning. I was just going 'whoa.'"
Lu Mingyuan: "..."
When it came to this most basic form of troop deployment, Lian Sheng had plenty of experience. She was also very accurate in assessing enemy strength—her commands usually hit the mark.
As long as the soldiers executed properly and moved fast enough, there wouldn't be any major issues.
Cornell and Harry were also considerate—they didn't charge in with the main force. During maneuvers, they would go easy based on the other side's performance.
Lian Sheng's side had a numerical advantage. Though there were some hiccups, they managed to hold their ground.
Afterward, everyone began collecting the training weapons to start another round.
They realized that teamwork was much harder than going solo. Not only did they have to watch out for enemy movements and their own safety, but they also had to be ready to support their teammates without causing disruptions.
The battlefield was a place with no second chances—one misstep could immediately affect others. Even in training, they were tense.
By the time they re-equipped themselves with various explosive weapons, it was almost noon.
Lian Sheng comforted them with saintly benevolence: "Troop deployment—you'll get used to it. No big deal. Teamwork takes time—take it slow."
The group: "..."
As if the person who had been raging like she wanted to murder someone earlier wasn't her.
They waited for lunch right under the watchtower.
The boys gathered together, reviewing the earlier battle, discussing how they should have reacted, what mistakes they'd made, and bragging a little about their own achievements.
Zhang Ce came over and asked, "Any thoughts, Commander-in-Chief? Any evaluations for us?"
Lian Sheng weakly shook her head. "The Commander-in-Chief has nothing to say."
She'd been shouting all morning—her throat was hoarse.
Cornell walked over to Lian Sheng, with Harry trailing behind. Cornell said, "You guys train on your own this afternoon—same as usual. You take charge."
After a pause, he asked, "Have you fought in a war before?"
That level of familiarity, quick adaptability in emergencies, and commanding presence were too different from other trainees. Only real combat experience could bridge the psychological gap when facing war.
If these trainees were fledglings with unformed wings, Lian Sheng was a battle-hardened eagle. The only similarity was that they were both unfamiliar with the weapons.
Cornell felt Lian Sheng was the same kind of person as them.
Lian Sheng dodged his second question: "You guys have something to do this afternoon?"
Harry said, "There's a supply shipment coming this afternoon. We're helping unload it."
Lian Sheng: "They?"
Harry: "The locals here."
"Hold on, we'll come too." Lian Sheng thought for a moment, then rolled up her sleeves and called out to the others, "We're helping them unload supplies this afternoon—who's in?"
The group responded enthusiastically: "Sure! I'll go!" "Count me in too!"
It was the beginning of the month, and the transport ships carrying Alliance supplies had arrived. The goods would be distributed to various stores by truck.
The military seemed to have a routine of sending soldiers to help locals unload supplies to ease tensions between civilians and the army. But these were just small gestures—most people weren't grateful, especially in the face of war.
Since Kafa's 12th District was a war zone, the personnel on daily patrol couldn't be withdrawn. They were already short-staffed, so not many could be spared. The delivery points were scattered, and the quantities weren't small—it was always hectic.
With Lian Sheng's group of over sixty reinforcements, Cornell split them into ten teams and assigned them to different locations.
Lian Sheng, Zhao Zhuoluo, and a few others followed Cornell to the largest store in the main district.
When they arrived, the trucks had already gotten there ahead of them. The shopkeepers nearby were unloading but stopped what they were doing when the soldiers arrived, stepping aside to mind their own business—clearly not intending to help.
Seeing this, Lian Sheng muttered, "No way—it's just the two of you unloading normally?"
Cornell said, "I'm not usually with him."
Harry grinned. "Heh. Normally, it's just me here. After I finish, I go find Cornell to hang out."
They didn't chat further, hopping onto the truck to start unloading.
Ji Ban couldn't handle heavy labor, so he directed them from the side, carried small items, ran errands, or handed out water.
The group worked diligently. Kafa's midday heat was unbearable—sweat poured down their bodies. None of the passing locals so much as thanked them or even spared them a glance.
Before they could finish unloading one truck, a second arrived.
And these trucks had multiple compartments, all packed to the brim—not easy to unload.
Hearing Lian Sheng's bitter chuckle, Ji Ban said, "If only my Moshi were here. It's great at manual labor."
Harry: "Moshi?"
Ji Ban said proudly, "My mech!"
Harry said, "Hey! If you dared to bring a mech here, they'd probably smash it to pieces."
With so many of them working together, they unloaded two trucks and delivered everything to the right places. Then a third truck arrived.
Lian Sheng waved her hand. "Stop for now—everyone take a break. Drink some water and watch out for dehydration or heatstroke."
Ji Ban handed out the water he'd bought.
Seeing that things were progressing well here, Harry plopped down on the truck, figuring there shouldn't be any issues. Cornell carried two more boxes before stopping to rest as well.
Lian Sheng asked, "Be honest—how much is left?"
Harry did a quick calculation. "About half."
Lian Sheng: "And normally, it's just one person—how do you even finish?"
Keep in mind that their group, including Ji Ban, had nine people, and unloading two trucks had taken three hours.
"Work until night," Harry said nonchalantly. "Once the base is off-duty in the evening, more people come to help."
Lian Sheng frowned and asked the most crucial question: "Do you get paid?"
The two: "..."
Cornell: "No. It's volunteer work."
Lian Sheng wiped the sweat from her brow. "This is child labor exploitation. Your military branch is way too harsh on you."
The two didn't respond.
They followed all military orders without question. Besides, there wasn't much else they could do.
Fang Jianchen was still working hard nearby.
His face was red from exertion as he said, "I really never thought being a soldier would involve so much grunt work."
Sweeping, unloading, mining—though an excellent soldier had to be versatile, were they really here to fight a war?
Lian Sheng: "This is nothing. Back when border garrisons were poor, military pay was insufficient, and manpower was lacking, soldiers were laborers—when there was no fighting, they had to farm and herd cattle."
Fang Jianchen's hands slipped. "Holy shit, seriously?"
Lian Sheng said, "Dead serious! When enemies showed up, they'd drop their hoes, grab swords, and charge into battle."
Fang Jianchen tried to picture it and found the image oddly impressive.
After resting for a bit, they decided to push through and get this miserable task over with.
They'd already unloaded half—if they picked up the pace, they could finish the remaining two trucks.
There was no denying that heavy labor took a toll on their muscles. Lian Sheng and the others were weak-limbed and trembling. Meanwhile, Harry and Cornell looked completely accustomed to it.
The store seemed to close at seven.
The delivery trucks drove off down the main road, leaving nine young soldiers drenched in sweat by the roadside.
They couldn't just come to this store and unload everything for nothing.
Lian Sheng said, "Let's go in and see what they brought. Buy something!"
Ji Ban: "Let's go!"
Lian Sheng said weakly, "You go first. I need to sit for a bit. Come back and tell me what you find."
The store was fairly large, and they were unfamiliar with it. Earlier, for efficiency, they had focused on unloading while Cornell and Harry handled distribution.
Lian Sheng said, "Lieutenant Colonel Cornell, lead the way. Is there any food inside? Get me something good first!"
Without a word, Cornell stepped forward, his actions signaling agreement. Lu Mingyuan, Zhao Zhuoluo, and the others followed him inside.
Seeing Harry still sitting outside—also a potential guide—Ji Ban said, "Then I'll wait here with you. Need any help, Lian Sheng?"
Lian Sheng: "Can you fan me?"
One group went inside, leaving three still resting by the roadside.
Then Harry stood up and paced near the entrance, occasionally glancing at Lian Sheng with a hesitant, flickering gaze.
Lian Sheng noticed and said, "What's up? If you want to ask something, just say it. I'm a good person."
After hesitating, he approached her, pointed at a small blackboard above them, and whispered, "How do you read this?"
Lian Sheng stood to look and found a string of gibberish she couldn't understand. The neatly arranged symbols made her raise an eyebrow.
Lian Sheng said honestly, "No idea."
Harry's expression immediately darkened. He huffed, "I didn't expect you to tell me anyway!"
Lian Sheng gave him a baffled look before calling out, "Ji Ban! Ji Ban! Come here!"
Ji Ban jogged over eagerly. "What's up?"
Lian Sheng pointed at the wall. "Read that."
Ji Ban glanced at it and said, "Sales today. The accessory store inside is 30% off. Leafy Fruit Store—apples are half-price. Wow! Some equipment store has new arrivals."
Harry pricked up his ears, then stared at Lian Sheng in shock. "You really can't read?"
Lian Sheng: "..."
Lian Sheng: "..."
Harry asked, "Did you not go to school either?"
Lian Sheng frowned. "This isn't Alliance Standard."
Ji Ban explained, "She graduated from Alliance University. Well... we technically haven't graduated yet, right? But we're already enlisted?"
Harry was stunned again. "Is Alliance University that easy to get into now? I thought you guys knew everything!"
Lian Sheng clutched her chest, not wanting to talk to him anymore, and sat back down.
Harry said, "Stay here—don't move. I have something to do inside first. I'll show you around later."
With that, he dashed into the store.
Lian Sheng bit her finger and exchanged a look with Ji Ban. The two of them sneakily followed.
They saw Harry slip furtively into a general store and soon emerge with a large bunch of fake flowers.
He exited through the back door, scattering the flowers one by one on the ground. After making a loop and emptying his hands, he returned to the store entrance.
Children playing nearby spotted the fake flowers on the ground and gleefully picked them up, running off to show their friends.
Harry hurried back to find Lian Sheng but didn't see her in her original spot. Turning around, he realized they were behind him.
The two were each holding a tub of ice cream, eating happily, and even showed off to him.
Harry snorted. "What?"
Lian Sheng shrugged and tossed him a tub from behind her back.
Harry said, "Are you rich or something? Why treat me?"
Lian Sheng said, "Yeah, I'm not short on money. I'm loaded."
Ji Ban added, "I'm also loaded."
Harry: "..."
Screw them!
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