Chapter 68: Might Go Straight for the Summit
The cool wind blew through the branches, and the surrounding scenery was swaying and nodding.
In the dark, no one could see the dark glint in Zhou Wanfeng’s eyes. Her voice was very soft, but it carried an arrogance that no one could suppress. “With such advanced technology, you shouldn’t have many people. Counting the time, the next batch of cadets should be entering the forest. At the first checkpoint, our squad took out three of you. The new cadets will probably be here soon.”
Gao Chunjie was not stupid. He immediately understood what the female cadet, whose face he couldn’t see, was trying to do.
She leaned back slightly, her back against Jin Hongjie.
“Let’s try to run separately, one on one.”
But Jin Hongjie suddenly turned and charged at the enemy behind her, a flurry of wild movements. After forcing him back, she pushed Zhou Wanfeng hard. “You run! I’ll hold them off!”
Jin Hongjie shouted and attacked the person behind Zhou Wanfeng. “Liu Shupei said to protect you at a critical moment! I can’t be a burden to you! One against two, I think it’s worth it!”
Zhou Wanfeng didn’t run. Her eyes darkened, and she charged at the person behind Jin Hongjie.
“Oh my, Zhou Wanfeng, what’s wrong with you? I told you to go!” Jin Hongjie shouted in anger.
On the uneven ground, Zhou Wanfeng’s presence was like a rainbow. The moment Gao Chunjie saw the two of them fighting, he immediately knew that the new recruit he was leading was no match for them.
A straight punch to the face, an interception of the attack, a half-squat, and a hook to the abdomen. The wind from her fists was fierce and fast. Zhou Wanfeng was also flexible and varied, countering every move. Her practical combat experience was beyond anyone’s imagination.
Blocking and defending against punches, she pressed forward step by step.
Gao Chunjie was about to go and support, but Jin Hongjie was swinging the tree trunk in her hand like a big broom. She had only broken off a section, but she hadn’t had time to clean up the small branches, and they were still on it.
She knew very well that she couldn’t beat the tall person opposite her. From his presence, he looked like a small leader. She could not let him get close. Like sweeping the camp courtyard, she swept with her hand.
Jin Hongjie was prepared to be “killed in action.” At this moment, she had completely let go and was not afraid of anything. She knew that this person wanted to go over and help. “I can’t beat you, but I can still stop you! You dare to go one on one with Zhou Wanfeng? Your man is doomed to lose!”
Gao Chunjie remembered the name. He glanced back, wanting to get closer and find an opportunity. “Her name is Zhou Wanfeng? Why is he doomed to lose? The soldiers I’m leading are not bad.”
“During the training, she never lost a fight with the squad leader. And I don’t know why, but her state now is different from usual,” Jin Hongjie said, like a goalkeeper, cautiously guarding against the person opposite her, panting heavily. “Although she’s usually very serious about everything she does, I know that she has something she wants to do now, and you’re getting in her way.”
Zhou Wanfeng had completely let go. Her movements were open and unrestrained. In the past, she would have left a third of her defense when she fought. But now, she was launching a series of fast attacks, catching the other person off guard and forcing them to retreat again and again.
That person was also stubborn and gritted his teeth, holding on.
But whether it was speed or practical combat experience, he was no match for Zhou Wanfeng’s flexibility and speed.
Zhou Wanfeng’s moves were ruthless, each one aimed at a vital point. A chokehold, a neck lock, and a turning side kick.
The person rubbed his face, stood up again, got into a stance, and prepared to continue.
Gao Chunjie shouted, “Xiao Xu, you can’t beat her! Let her go!”
“Squad leader, I want to try again,” the person said, turning his neck and clenching his fists again, his tone full of unwillingness. With that, he took a step to the left and threw a straight punch.
Zhou Wanfeng dodged to the left, and her right fist shot out. This punch was fierce and heavy. The punch on his body made him arch his back, and a muffled grunt escaped his lips. Just hearing it sent a chill down one’s spine.
After one punch, she took a step to the right, turned back, and with a speed that was so fast that the other person’s waist had not yet straightened, a left whip punch went straight for his ribs.
Thud. The whole person fell backwards.
His jaw went cold, and his neck was choked. The person who had fallen was panting heavily, his big eyes filled with disbelief that he was being pinned to the ground and couldn’t get up.
“You’re killed in action,” a cold voice came from above. Only then did the person let go and stand up.
After Gao Chunjie was done, he threw the tree branch in his hand and cursed at him, “You’re asking for it.”
Zhou Wanfeng glanced at the “killed in action” Jin Hongjie, who was sitting on the ground, and instantly retreated. “If you have the guts, then chase after me,” she said, and then turned and ran back. With a few leaps, she was like a deer in the forest, disappearing into the darkness.
Gao Chunjie was panting. He walked to Xu Xiaoning, who was lying on the ground, and kicked him hard in the butt. “You’re like this on the battlefield too? You don’t know to run when you can’t win a one-on-one? Do you have to die at their hands to be happy? What a blockhead! Is your head full of the dough you drank this morning?”
Hearing that kick, Jin Hongjie’s brow furrowed. She suddenly felt that although their squad leader, Yu Aijun, usually didn’t have a smile on his face, he had never cursed them, nor had he been so sarcastic. In comparison, she realized that the squad leader was really good.
Xu Xiaoning sat up straight and muttered, “I was just not convinced. I got carried away in the fight,” he said, and then stood up. “Squad Leader Gao, why aren’t you chasing her?”
“Me, chase her? What about the mission tonight? Didn’t you hear her say that their squad took out three of us at the first checkpoint? This place will be crowded in a while,” Gao Chunjie thought to himself, Me, chase her? That smart cadet, she’d be happy if someone were chasing her.
A scholarly mind is a smart one.
“Hey, her name is Zhou Wanfeng?”
Jin Hongjie stood up. She was killed in action. Now she was standing there obediently and saluting properly. “Yes, her name is Zhou Wanfeng.”
After understanding the purpose of this assessment, Zhou Wanfeng had only one thought in her mind: to take out the infrared searchlight.
She didn’t dare to stay in one place. She was thinking as she ran. At the beginning, the mission was to successfully pass through this mountain forest. Now, it seemed that the other side had an infrared searchlight, a wireless communication device for easy contact and location determination, and a command center behind them. And on their side, as Liu Shupei had said, they were just a small team lost on the battlefield. To enter the second checkpoint was like a lamb entering a wolf’s den.
She couldn’t figure out the range of the searchlight, but she had known about this thing in her past life. She felt that her guess was probably at least 1500 meters in a straight line, and about 600 meters wide.
Based on the range of this small mountain and the two entrances, there were at least two infrared searchlights crossing. For the best effect, they should be set up near the summit.
The crossing area should be the best route to the summit, and also the disaster area. The hidden enemies at the two entrances should all be active in this area.
Zhou Wanfeng’s route began to deviate. At this moment, she had a simple geometric diagram in her mind, with arcs and semicircles, and she was quickly calculating in her mind.
The time-saving method was to go straight through the center line, but that was also the area where the enemy’s firepower was most concentrated and fierce. One against many, she had almost no chance of winning. To go in a large circle would be a waste of time. The compromise was to use the summit as the corner point, the entrance as the center line, and to walk a right-angle line.
Even if she deviated, it wouldn’t be by much, and she would have enough time to adjust. And she could also avoid the area of concentrated firepower and the disaster area.
Zhou Wanfeng quickened her pace. She was afraid that if she stayed for too long, her position would be captured, and the control center in the rear would transmit it to the surrounding area.
Gao Chunjie did indeed call the rear command center and briefly reported the situation. “First checkpoint, first entrance, we have confirmed three losses. Yes. And there’s a cadet from the new recruit training base named Zhou Wanfeng. She has figured out the current situation. The target is lost. Xiao Xu was taken out by her. She’s agile and fast, with skilled practical combat skills, rich experience, and a smart head. One on one… probably can’t get her. To capture her position, at least two people have to go. I guess she might go straight for the summit.”
Their mission this time was to prevent the cadets from successfully passing through this mountain forest. The first checkpoint was to let them be on guard and have some fun. At the second checkpoint, they basically had to be all left behind, and no one was allowed to pass.
Of course, after the second checkpoint, there was still a third checkpoint, and then the temporary command center and control center at the very back.
He hadn’t expected that there would be a few decent ones at the new recruit training base. In the previous few batches, there were a few with good skills and were particularly fast. They had run to the end of the overlapping area, and were only a few hundred meters from the third checkpoint.
In the eyes of Gao Chunjie and Duan Hangyi, to be able to get close to the third checkpoint basically meant that this cadet was outstanding.
Of course, in a fight, those who could hold on could also be considered outstanding.
He had thought that the subsequent cadets would be more or less the same.
Gao Chunjie hadn’t expected a cadet like Zhou Wanfeng to appear. “This cadet’s observation skills are top-notch. She knows that we’re using infrared searchlights and communication equipment. Her brain works so fast. We need to keep a close eye on her. On my side, because the first checkpoint was wiped out by three, two squads of cadets have come directly from the first entrance, or we can transfer three to the first entrance.”
In short, this Zhou Wanfeng was worth paying close attention to. Don’t underestimate her just because she’s alone.
The command center had the three people who were with Duan Hangyi at the second checkpoint take over the mission of the first checkpoint.
Duan Hangyi and his three people, who had received the mission notification, were preparing to go to another place for support. Now they could only go to the first entrance.
“Isn’t the first checkpoint near the first entrance Old Sha, Gangzi, and the others? What’s the situation now? Have they all been wiped out?”
“Total wipeout. They were killed by a cadet. They’re really a disgrace,” Duan Hangyi felt that even if they had completed their mission tonight and had not let a single cadet pass through the second checkpoint, just for the fact that three people had been taken out at the first entrance, they had lost all their face.
He was so angry that he couldn’t help but curse, “That Sha Shaoxing is always shouting. He’s always looking down on everyone. He’s so capable. But he’s disgraced himself in front of Qin Zhe at this juncture. This joke will be remembered for three years.”
“And Gangzi, with that strength in his hands, he can even knead a steel ball into a pancake. How did he lose?”
The three of them couldn’t figure it out.
At this moment, the second checkpoint was very busy.
Duan Hangyi and his three people were sent to the first checkpoint. But the previous batch of cadets, especially the ones from the first entrance, had entered the second checkpoint unscathed. They had gotten here without even figuring out what the assessment was, and had just been cautious all the way.
The two squads had formed a group, twenty-four people.
The target was large and concentrated. Gao Chunjie and the others directly surrounded them.
The cadets were like a school of sardines. The moment they were attacked, they scattered. The moment they wanted to fight back, they had missed the best opportunity to resist.
Without the baptism of the first checkpoint, their reaction was a little slow. The ones with fast feet had already taken the opportunity to run away.
At this time, if you tried to save someone or fight back, you would just get yourself into trouble.
Practical combat? You wouldn’t last three moves.
They had just run five kilometers, and their stamina had not yet recovered. They couldn’t win, so they could only run.
They ran for a long distance in one breath and had just stopped to rest in a place they thought was hidden. They didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly. But a few minutes later, two people surrounded them from the front and back, and they were caught like dumplings.
The strategy of the second checkpoint was to deal with them centrally at the beginning. The ones who had run away and were alone would then be in groups of two or three. Basically, before the next batch of cadets arrived, which was also in 15-20 minutes, they would have to take care of the scattered and lone cadets.
Gao Chunjie was now panting and leaning against a large rock. This batch of cadets was basically wiped out. The few who had run away were also being chased. Now he was catching his breath and taking the initiative to contact the higher-ups.
He wanted to know Zhou Wanfeng’s position.
“Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep. Through the captured image information, the target has been locked in the right light zone, at the nine o’clock direction. It’s about fifteen meters from the overlapping zone. We have contacted 2-3 people nearby to go and surround her.”
Hearing that two or three people had gone over, Gao Chunjie was relieved.
A teammate next to him squatted down to tie his shoelaces and chuckled. “You’re taking a cadet so seriously?”
“Everyone has worked hard all night. We can’t fail the mission in the end, can we? How are we going to explain it when we go back? A group of student soldiers just rushed us?” Gao Chunjie smiled. “You ask the higher-ups. How many cadets are there at the second checkpoint right now?”
The teammate turned his back to make contact, then turned back and replied, “Five.”
“The locked position should be here,” they had arrived at the location indicated by the higher-ups, but they didn’t see the lone cadet.
Another person pointed in front. “She must have gone ahead by now. Let’s chase after her,” he said. The three of them who had received the mission, the third person who was alone nearby had teamed up with another team.
The two of them had come to catch this cadet. They didn’t believe that this cadet was a rat and could have dug a hole and run away.
But the two of them had walked for dozens of meters and still hadn’t seen any trace of her. Not believing it, they continued to search forward.
Compared to the busy second checkpoint, the third checkpoint was so quiet that they were all sitting down, listening to the wind, or catching crickets in the withered grass. They were so bored that they were constantly yawning.
The defense position of the third checkpoint was actually not quite right. A few hundred meters behind them was the temporary command center.
But their squatting position was right near the boundary between the second and third checkpoints.
Secondly, it was near the left and right searchlights.
Speaking of being quiet, it was the ones who were guarding the searchlights. The left light was in charge of Cao Baoshan and Yu Aijun. The two of them had been assigned here, and they were so bored they were yawning.
“I wonder how the cadets in the forest are doing. Not a single one has come out of the second checkpoint. Those people are really determined to wipe them out in the second zone,” Cao Baoshan muttered, his mouth not idle, just bored.
He nudged the silent Yu Aijun next to him. “Tell me, what kind of fate do we have? To be here, blowing in the cold wind. Who can come to this place? They’re all heading for the middle for the mission. Hey, who would have thought that a new recruit training base assessment would use this thing?”
Yu Aijun didn’t answer. His eyes would occasionally sweep over the middle area, and then at the forest. Unfortunately, it was too dark to see or hear anything.
“The cadets must be so frustrated.”
Cao Baoshan couldn’t sit still. He walked around and muttered, “It would be fine if someone came and fought with me.”
“There has to be at least one person who breaks through the second checkpoint, right? Otherwise, the company commander will have a frosty face at the summary tomorrow.”
As he was speaking, he turned and saw Yu Aijun stand up. Cao Baoshan followed his line of sight. In the distance, a few people were walking around, running in a hurry, and looking in the direction of the temporary command center.
“What’s going on?”