First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 191
Chapter 191: Investigation
They operated in groups of six, with the other veterans moving in pairs. They approached the target area from different directions to begin their search.
However, lacking relevant experience, they weren't sure what normal targets should look like.
Fang Jianchen whispered, "What does the enemy's main camp look like?"
A veteran replied, "People—not too many, not too few. Land—not too big, not too small. The important thing is that if you recklessly approach, you'll probably die."
Fang Jianchen: "..."
Feeling thoroughly misled, Fang Jianchen shouted, "Lian Sheng! Command!"
"The number of people... should indeed not be too large. A place guarding an armory must have tight defenses, but too many people would make it easier to expose the target," Lian Sheng said. "Weapons wouldn't be stored in bulk—the risk is too great. If seized, it would mean game over. And to ensure timely supply from all directions, there should be more than one armory location. They're well-prepared and have many connections in Kafa—after all, the conflict has lasted over a hundred years. In theory, it's achievable. So the place storing the armory doesn't need to be too big."
Lian Sheng continued, "However, with fewer personnel, the surrounding security and surveillance systems would definitely be enhanced. It should be in a well-equipped location. Be careful of the surroundings before approaching."
The veteran said, "See? That's what I said!"
The others: "..." That's not at all what you said.
"Who has time to explain so much? Think for yourselves—the commander isn't your Q&A bot. It's not like you've never studied," the veteran said. "Anyway, you'll know something's wrong the moment you see it."
The others: "..."
The others: "..."
The others: "..."
The others: "..."
"Enough," Fang Jianchen said mournfully. "I was wrong."
Lian Sheng's group chose the nearest path, hiding behind sandbags to observe the situation ahead.
At the edges and within their designated search area, small groups of armed individuals were present. A few Kafa soldiers were confronting them.
But the enemy's weapons seemed limited—just simple firearms.
After cautiously observing for a while and seeing no further developments, they concluded there was no threat of large-scale destructive weapons.
Bullets flew everywhere.
Amid the crossfire, Lian Sheng identified several hostile positions.
A soldier taking cover behind stacked sandbags turned and saw them. "Reinforcements?"
Lian Sheng said, "We're training soldiers from the Alliance."
The Kafa soldier waved urgently. "Go! Hurry! What are you doing here? Where are you headed?"
Lian Sheng pointed ahead.
"Don't joke around! Can't you see we're fighting here?" the soldier said. "There are many people ahead! It's unclear if they're armed, but it's extremely dangerous. Get to your own shelter and stay put!"
The six ignored him.
Lian Sheng observed the enemy's firing frequency and said, "I'll go first."
She timed the gaps between shots, then dashed out. Rolling on the ground, she hid in the shadows before making another leap, successfully landing behind the sandbags where the Kafa soldiers were.
Her movements were as agile as a monkey's, limbs stretching out with remarkable flexibility.
Stray bullets grazed past her, ricocheting off nearby surfaces.
To the untrained eye, it might not be obvious, but she kept her vital areas shielded by always presenting her side to the enemy. The entire sequence was executed flawlessly.
The Kafa soldier's eyes widened in alarm. "Hey! You reckless fool!"
Even if the enemy's numbers were few and their aim poor, bullets didn't discriminate.
He felt a bullet whiz past his cheek, a slight sting following. He hastily crouched behind cover, raised his weapon, and blindly fired in the general direction without proper aim.
Amateurs—probably untrained recruits. What a waste of ammunition.
Lian Sheng patted the soldier's shoulder. "Lend me your spot."
The soldier snapped, "What are you doing? Move! We're in a hurry here!"
Lian Sheng shook her head, pushed past him, and took position, aiming at the previously identified targets.
The soldier, furious, clutched his gun and yelled, "Hey! What are you doing? If you don't get down, I'll report you! What kind of nonsense is this?"
If not for her Kafa military uniform, he'd have thought she was a spy sent by the enemy.
Lian Sheng raised a finger to her lips, signaling silence.
Then, adjusting her stance, she narrowed her eyes and fired. A figure at the right alleyway collapsed.
She reloaded, fired again. Another enemy at the upper right stairwell fell.
A final shot within range, and the area fell silent.
The Kafa soldier gaped, frozen in place, still gripping her collar and belt.
Lian Sheng gestured, and he finally let go.
The other five seized the opportunity to rush over and charge inward.
Lian Sheng holstered her gun and encouraged the soldier, "Practice your aim. Remember to keep your eyes open when shooting. I'm off now. But you all seem to be having fun here. Keep it up."
Shrimps versus crabs—equally matched. Fierce fighting with zero casualties. Impressive.
They sprinted ahead, moving deeper. The enemy seemed to notice, as nearby forces began converging.
Lian Sheng said, "Too many of us—we're too conspicuous. Let's split up."
The search area was a full circle, and their assigned sector was a wedge. The edges covered the most ground.
Lian Sheng pointed to several diagonal positions. "Search simultaneously and regroup at the center point."
The others agreed.
They proceeded to clear the buildings one by one.
Most structures were empty. With armed conflict raging outside, no one dared stay home. A single stray shell could trap them inside.
Using devices to scan each floor's layout, they checked every suspicious spot.
This being their first live operation, the Alliance trainees were tense. They didn't want to shut off comms but also weren't in the mood to talk. The channel was filled with gunfire sounds.
The veteran found the atmosphere unnervingly oppressive. "Don't be nervous. Tension leads to mistakes and oversights. Stay alert whether moving or holding position. Keep observing your surroundings. Stay sharp! Stay loose! Stay lively!"
"Stop staring at your comms—it's a bad habit. A high-end jamming system could render them useless. Use your eyes and ears!" the veteran said. "This isn't a drill—there are no safety nets. We're short-handed, so even if you're injured, help might not come immediately. If you don't want to die, stay on your toes!"
This... wasn't helping their nerves.
A sudden loud crash echoed through the comms—something had collapsed.
Startled, everyone gasped in unison, hands trembling so badly they nearly dropped their guns.
"Turn off your internal comms! All this noise will scare you to death," another veteran said. "Switch to one-way or squad-only channels. We'll notify you if anything happens."
They complied.
A male student asked quietly, "Senior, were you nervous during your first mission?"
The veteran said, "Of course. Still am. It's like fear of death—human instinct. Who can override instinct? But courage can be trained, confidence grows with skill, and situational awareness becomes habit. Once you develop new instincts, movements flow naturally. Even if you're scared, your body will save you."
The others nodded.
Strength was honed through battle.
Lian Sheng held a scanner, standing in the center of a mall's first floor, sweeping upward.
A few heat signatures showed on the middle floors, hiding in corners. Nothing noteworthy overall. After checking the storage rooms and confirming nothing unusual, she headed for the marked red zone.
As she exited, a gust of wind made her squint.
Suddenly, a dull pain struck her chest. Smoke curled from her comms.
In the dim light, the red bullet trajectory was starkly visible.
Staggered by the impact, Lian Sheng didn't dodge. Instead, she immediately raised her gun and fired twice toward the source. A muffled groan followed as the enemy fell.
Ducking behind a wall, she checked her comms. The display where it was hit, along with the surrounding area, had gone dark. Only the screen's corners remained functional.
She said, "Damn. My comms display is fried."
Comms units had two parts—one for audio, the other for maps and data.
A dead display meant no updates on team status or maps.
Hard to say if she was lucky or unlucky. No one dwelled on the implications.
Cheng Ze said, "Find cover. I'll come get you. Wait a bit."
"No need. I remember some. Meet at the marked point," Lian Sheng said, peeking out. "I'm almost there. Wait at the first intersection before the red-star building."
Cheng Ze: "Got it. I'm close too."
Others in the group exclaimed, "Close already? Don't slack off! Search properly! How could you be so fast?"
The veteran cut in, "No moving around. Visibility's poor now. Wait for full dark, then use night vision. Find a safe spot and rest!"
They obeyed.
Kafa nights were cold. Tonight, the wind bit deep, clouds smothering the sky, leaving no light. Utter blackness.
Once night vision became viable, Lian Sheng emerged from hiding and headed for the intersection.
The two met at the crossroads, scouting for guards.
The red star marked a commercial event square.
Cheng Ze carefully surveyed the area. "This is a private event space—no defensive weapons. Doesn't seem like the target."
Lian Sheng: "Move."
The square was usually semi-open but could be fully enclosed when needed. Now, solid walls blocked external views, preventing distant observation.
Even from afar, the clamor inside was audible. A few civilians, hunched against the cold, stood guard at the entrance.
Their hair whipped wildly in the wind, their gun grips awkward—clearly actual civilians.
Not wanting to alert them or provoke conflict, the duo circled to the back garden, found the ventilation system, and climbed in.
As a public venue, security was lax, and the layout simple.
After some disorienting crawling, they reached the main square's front.
Bright lights illuminated the interior.
Lian Sheng removed her goggles and peered through the wire mesh. The large square held thousands—sitting, lying down, crowded together.
The noise and cramped conditions had left them fatigued and irritable.
No one managed or cared for them, yet order was surprisingly maintained.
Lian Sheng said, "Why so many people here? All civilians."
Cheng Ze leaned in, pointing. "Look at their blankets."
Several slept under brown blankets emblazoned with Kafa's bomb shelter emblem.
Cheng Ze said, "They brought people from the shelters?"
Lian Sheng: "Obviously."
Shelters were packed. For insurgents seeking support, recruiting from shelters was the quickest method.
"Then the soldiers outside followed from the shelters?" Cheng Ze said. "Should we take them back?"
Lian Sheng said, "They don't think this place is dangerous. With so many people, they feel safer here."
Though often, crowds were the most dangerous places.
Lian Sheng said, "Our mission isn't evacuation. Even if they came, we couldn't house them. Let it be."
Cheng Ze nodded.
This wasn't the armory. They retreated.
Squatting under a park tree, they reported in.
Lian Sheng: "Third route clear."
The comms asked, "Find anything?"
Lian Sheng replied, "Nothing. Just a refugee site. Tens of thousands inside. Warn Kafa troops to avoid collateral damage."
A single misplaced bomb would wipe them all out.
With Harry and Cornell's teams, the search progressed swiftly. Their experience meant they could handle most tasks alone.
Their findings were similar—either empty or scattered civilians.
Ten minutes later, Fang Jianchen's team reported.
The veteran ordered, "Withdraw carefully! Next destination!"
Regrouping at the road, they boarded waiting vehicles.
Chilled, they settled into the cabin. The driver turned on rear lights.
The veteran handed Lian Sheng a new comms unit, urging caution.
Several red zones on the map had darkened—other teams' results.
Fang Jianchen calculated. "At this rate, assuming worst-case scenarios, we'll finish by tomorrow night without rest."
"Dream on. By tomorrow night, your buddies' corpses will be cold! Every second counts here. And the worst case—" The veteran tapped the screen hard. "—is when plans fall apart."
Everyone fell silent, staring at the map.
"Why so grim? Can't you be nicer to rookies?" His comrade shoved him. "First time in combat, everything's chaotic—give them some encouragement."
The veteran deadpanned, "How's your first life-or-death experience?"
They shook their heads. "Not great."
Veteran: "What? Scared you cry?"
Lian Sheng said, "Just hungry."
Veteran: "..."
They stopped midway, bought leftover buns and drinks from a vending machine, and brought them back.
Under the light, they ate ravenously.
Steam rose from the hot fillings. The heater blazed, warming their limbs.
In this war-torn wasteland, surrounded by trusted comrades, quietly eating a belated dinner as lights flickered past the windows—it felt inexplicably cozy.
Fear, worry, exhaustion—all momentarily forgotten. The tension eased, making them forget they were on a battlefield.
Perhaps this would be their recurring reality.
Half-full, they looked at each other and inexplicably laughed.
"Idiots. What's so funny?"
"You're the idiot."
"Dude, stop talking—you're spitting everywhere!"
"Gross!"
"S-sorry..."
The veteran leaned back, sighing. "Numbers are good. Feels alive."
Comrades were vital—entrusting lives meant sharing fears too.
"Fight, but remember to live," the veteran said sternly. "Seeing your 'I'm gonna die' faces today was awful. Lighten up."
Lian Sheng said, "Yes, sir."
The veteran sat up. "You could stand to lighten up. You look ready to murder everyone."
Lian Sheng: "..."
Fang Jianchen waved. "Don't tell her to relax. When she does, she turns into sludge. Took effort to get her like this."
The vehicle rocked onward. They stuffed their faces, then grew drowsy.
The veteran chuckled. Eat, then sleep—these kids adapted fast.
Soon, the driver stopped. "Second point, boys!"
He opened their door. Cold air rushed in, jolting them awake.
The veteran asked, "Still scared?"
Rubbing their eyes, they straightened. "No."
Shouldering his gun, the veteran led the way. "Then move! People are waiting!"
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