The First Order

In the evening, the Pyro Company’s 3rd Division base was completely quiet. Everyone had already eaten dinner in the afternoon as they made a last-minute change to their meal plans. This was a sign that they were preparing to launch a surprise attack.

The artillery troops were already on standby atop the walls. This time, it would be an infantry brigade that would advance into the northern forest. What the artillery troops needed to do was to provide cover for the infantry brigade during their retreat.

The Pyro Company troops did not choose to set off at night because there were spotlights installed on the Great Wall. With all the lights switched on at night, their troops would be exposed to the barbarians.

But if they deliberately switched off the spotlights, it would also attract the barbarians’ attention. After all, they had been switching them on punctually every day. If the lights were not switched on today, it would be obvious that something was off.

Therefore, the best way would be to set out in the evening and quickly pass through the area where the spotlights would cover.

They roughly estimated that even though it was already spring, the northern sky would start turning dark at around 5 PM. They would have 38 minutes to pass through this terrain.

Ren Xiaosu wondered why the Pyro Company did not just carpet bomb the area since they had artillery. Didn’t the Pyro Company previously bombard an area with artillery fire? So why couldn’t they do that now? After all, this forest was still within range since it was only a few kilometers away.

However, P5092 explained to him that the forest in the north covered an area of over 600 hectares. Even if their supplies were not destroyed, they couldn’t possibly carpet bomb a forest this big. Comparatively, it would be more worth it to sacrifice some human lives in exchange for a targeted attack.

Ren Xiaosu had to admit that this was what was probably known as the mindset of a commander. Weapons and soldiers were nothing but chess pieces on the board. All they cared about was winning, and their only consideration was which pieces they had to sacrifice to gain a worthwhile victory.

Ren Xiaosu thought that if he really brought P5092 to the Northwest with him in the future, he would need to have a good talk with him. Although the Northwesterners were not afraid of sacrificing themselves, it would be better if they did not have to do that.

In Ren Xiaosu’s eyes, he always felt that everything was possible as long as people were alive.

But this was also why he could not become a military commander.

Now that they were facing a shortage of supplies, P5092 would have to carefully ration the ammunition they could use. During the afternoon, Ren Xiaosu realized the rations allocated to the field hospital had been reduced to half of what they used to be, leading to many people complaining they didn’t have enough to eat.

From this, it could also be seen that there were indeed some problems with the Pyro Company’s material supply chain. The destruction of the supplies at the forward operating base in the rear had affected the Pyro Company greatly.

When the sun finally set in the distant horizon, the sky quickly turned dark.

The gate of the Great Wall was slowly raised up to a height that was only about half a person tall. Then, the 3rd Division’s infantry brigade quickly passed through it.

Meanwhile, Ren Xiaosu joined up with an independent reconnaissance company and put on the Pyro Company’s combat uniform and tactical vest. He thoroughly inspected his night vision goggles, automatic rifle, pistol, and other items.

The reconnaissance company was extremely well-equipped. Every soldier was issued with an automatic rifle that had two scopes, with one of them being an optical sight while the other was a holographic sight.

This reconnaissance company played a similar role to the special forces within the 3rd Division. They would usually carry out challenging missions such as rescues, infiltration operations, and decapitation strikes.

Ren Xiaosu carefully sized up his “comrades” and realized these people were even bringing along single-shot, 40 mm, under-barrel grenade launchers with them, and each platoon had six soldiers capable of providing heavy weapons support.

Just as Ren Xiaosu was sizing them up, the elites of the reconnaissance company were also sizing him up. They already knew he was a friend of Commander P5092, but they didn’t expect the young man would participate in the battle as well.

To be honest, Ren Xiaosu had never shown his combat prowess before. Meanwhile, the mission assigned to the reconnaissance company by the General Staff Division this time was not to carry out a surprise attack, decapitation strike, or infiltration operation, but to protect this young man.

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As for all other matters, they would just have to follow this young man’s orders. Ren Xiaosu would become their acting commanding officer.

The reconnaissance company’s commander could not help but remind him after hesitating for quite a while, “After we get on the battlefield, please stay in the middle of the group. Don’t do anything unnecessary so your safety can be ensured.”

Ren Xiaosu was stunned as the company commander was quite polite. He nodded. “Don’t worry. I know that your mission is to protect me, but I don’t need any protection.”

The reconnaissance company commander thought to himself, ‘You don’t need any protection? You can really boast, huh?‘ However, they had seen people like him before. Before heading to the battlefield, they would be full of confidence. But once they were out there, they would not even know which way to turn.

A fighting force like the reconnaissance company had already fought countless battles, so they naturally had pride. On the battlefield, they had always been the most trustworthy comrades to others. If total war broke out, all of the troops would be hoping to fight alongside an elite unit like them.

As such, they understood the battlefield very well and had also taken on the barbarians before. The reconnaissance company’s commander knew that even supernatural beings were unlikely to survive if they were attacked by those extremely strong barbarians.

He asked again, “Sir, may I ask you something? Our mission is to protect you, but what is your mission?”

“Oh, my mission?” Ren Xiaosu started thinking with a frown. “I’m not sure what my mission is exactly either, so let’s just improvise.”

The reconnaissance company’s commander was at a loss for words. How could he not even have an objective?

Just what were they going on the battlefield for?

Ren Xiaosu patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, “Relax, everything will be fine. Just follow me and provide cover. By the way, what’s your serial number?”

“T40219.” The reconnaissance company’s commander answered with a mental sigh. They were probably going to encounter trouble on the battlefield this time.

Ren Xiaosu asked again, “So you’re a T4 combatant, not bad. What about the other soldiers?”

“They are all T3s,” T40219 answered.

Ren Xiaosu nodded. All T3s? The overall physical fitness level of this reconnaissance company was quite good, and it looked like they were the elites of the 3rd Division. He said to T40219, “Since they’re all T3s, make sure you all follow close behind me when I pick up the pace later. Don’t fall behind.”

T40219 almost laughed out loud. Fall behind? How could the reconnaissance company possibly fall behind?

But Ren Xiaosu did not say anything further and just led the reconnaissance company out of the gate. When the gate was slowly lowered again behind them, T40219 said coldly on the radio, “All units, radio check.”

“Loud and clear.”

“Loud and clear.”

“Loud and clear.”

When they quickly passed through the area where the spotlights would illuminate, T40219 said, “Bullet, switch on your helmet cam.”

In this way, their in-combat footage would be transmitted back to the command center in real time. Bullet was the call sign of one of the soldiers.

As night fell, Ren Xiaosu turned around and looked at the reconnaissance company behind him. He had not expected them to have call signs and thought they would address each other by their serial numbers.

Sometimes, Ren Xiaosu wondered if the Pyro Company soldiers desired to have a real name instead of just a serial number.