Chapter 4

At that moment, an old man's words suddenly appeared in my mind: "Many people think that the slower they move during a charge, the safer they are. In fact, if one truly does not want to die, they should charge as fast as they can."

In an instant, the sounds of gunfire and explosions merged into one. The soldiers, positioned high above, pulled the triggers at the Vietnamese enemy below, and in that moment, the bullets rained down upon the Vietnamese troops like a downpour. Blood splattered, cries of agony echoed, and occasionally, a few grenades were hurled from the soldiers' hands. Each explosion sent several Vietnamese soldiers tumbling to the ground, presenting before me a vivid tableau inscribed with blood and flesh

I could not help but shout along with the whistling of the shells; these shells ignited the fears I had buried deep within me, as well as my desire to survive. In that moment, I suddenly realized how superficial my former self had been. I once craved wealth, desired women, and sought various pleasures, but now I feel that all of these things are utterly unimportant. What matters is only my own life; what matters is that I can continue to live. I suddenly recognized how superficial my former self had been. I once craved wealth, desired women, and sought various pleasures, but now I feel that all of these things are utterly unimportant. What matters is only my own life; what matters is that I can continue to live.

My childhood was spent under the relentless pressure from old men like him, which is one of the reasons I harbor such hatred towards them

The soldiers shouted as they raised their rifles and charged towards Hill No. 7. I was momentarily stunned, but then I timidly raised my rifle and ran forward with the soldiers.

I must admit that I had no concept of artillery preparation; I thought it was merely a matter of larger scenes and louder sounds, as depicted in television and movies. However, when the first batch of shells exploded on Hill 7, I was left utterly stunned

At that moment, I realized I had made a mistake. I knew I had to race against time, but my comrades were unaware. Now, I was the only one left, all alone, facing so many Vietnamese people. Wasn't that tantamount to seeking death?

Why? At this moment, the old man would always respond with great pride: "When we were shelling, the enemy was hiding in the reverse slope trenches! Do you know what a reverse slope is?"

... ...

The old man arched his hands to form a mountain shape, and then pointed to the back of the mountain, saying: "The reverse slope is this; artillery shells cannot hit it. This tactic was used by the Volunteer Army during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea to deal with the American artillery. Later, the Vietnamese learned it from us to counter us. So at this moment, it is a race against time; when the artillery is firing, there is actually not a single Vietnamese soldier on the high ground. The faster we rush up, the safer it is. If we are slow, the Vietnamese forces will emerge from the tunnels and spread out on the mountaintop, and then no one will be able to escape... So at this moment, it is a race against time; when the artillery is firing, there is actually not a single Vietnamese soldier on the high ground. The faster we rush up, the safer it is. If we are slow, the Vietnamese forces will emerge from the tunnels and spread out on the mountaintop, and then no one will be able to escape..."

Strangely, at that moment, I suddenly felt no fear

With a sudden "puff!", the small stone that followed couldn't help but laugh, while the other soldiers were equally bemused by this strange occurrence before them

At that time, I never imagined so much. As soon as I saw that this tactic was effective, I couldn't help but feel delighted in my heart. Thus, I performed even more proudly, waving my hand and shouting in a grand manner: "Class One, you hold the left side. Class Two, hold this position, and Class Three, get ready..."

However, the distance between the enemy and us this time is at most several dozen meters, and I believe this is one of the reasons why we can aim accurately

With a bang, I only felt a slight tremor at my shoulder blade, and my eyes instinctively closed. Thus, the bullet was fired, yet I had no idea where it had gone.

Oh, why? It is not what I want to ask, but rather what I must ask; otherwise, the old man will once again employ his skill of discerning positions by sound.

As he fell, I noticed the grenade that had already been pulled was still in his hand, emitting a wisp of smoke. His companion hurriedly tried to snatch the grenade away and throw it aside, but the dead often grip tightly due to their tense nerves. Thus, I witnessed the grenade explode in a radial pattern, flipping over three nearby Vietnamese soldiers.

I stood there holding the gun, staring at the scene in a daze, unsure of what to do, because I still could not believe that humans could be so cruel, still could not believe that we could so easily take away one life after another... We didn't even know these Vietnamese people in front of us...

"Good and *Picture* Book!" The soldiers erupted in cheers, and some even stood up excitedly, raising their fists and shouting slogans. This made me furrow my brow: it seems that this unit, like me, has quite a few members without combat experience

Bang! Another gunshot rang out, and a Vietnamese soldier, who was about to throw a grenade at our military position, fell in response.

It is unclear how much time has passed, but the sound of cannon fire gradually ceased, followed by an ominous silence and a few faint cries from Hill 7.

Comrades! The squad leader stood up and waved his pistol: "For the motherland, for the people, charge!"

Do we really have to shoot? I keep asking myself over and over in my mind: What if I hit someone?

Boom... Boom... One shell after another exploded on Hill 7

Having said too much, I was determined to run forward, quickly leaving the other soldiers behind. I believe part of the reason for this was that the soldiers were unclear about the situation on the mountain and did not dare to charge ahead.

At this thought, I couldn't help but feel a shock in my heart. I looked around at the still smoke-filled mountain peak... Indeed, there was not a single person in sight. Thus, I steeled myself and, with my gun in hand, took large strides towards the summit.

The intense shelling seemed as if it would lift the entire Hill 7 into the sky, with the ground being violently overturned by continuous and muffled explosions. Each shell's detonation hurled large clumps of soil and grass into the air. As the bombardment continued, the sky was filled with the thunderous sounds of shells landing, the whistling of shrapnel, and the nauseating shrieks of shells flying overhead. In just a short while, the entire sky was shrouded in thick smoke and dust.

At first, I was worried that the Vietnamese soldiers might not fall for my tricks because they couldn't understand my words, but seeing the Vietnamese soldiers below collapsing in droves made me realize my concerns were unfounded. What I did not know was that there was a period of "comrades and brothers" between China and Vietnam, during which many Vietnamese soldiers learned to speak Chinese.

In dealing with those fleeing Vietnamese soldiers, the bullets of the warriors relentlessly pursued them, yet I could no longer bring myself to ruthlessly strike down those Vietnamese soldiers who were desperately focused on escaping.

Charge!

Because the distance was very close, I could even clearly see the red and white liquid shooting out from that wound. However, I did not spend much time paying attention to this disgusting scene, and soon aimed the gun at another enemy.

Should I stay and defend? ... It seems that is not an option either ... The disparity in strength is too great; I am even unfamiliar with the gun in my hand, yet I have to confront dozens of fierce Vietnamese soldiers. They can easily take me down with a single charge ...

Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but curse inwardly, questioning why we should bear the losses for the mistakes made by our superiors. However, I also knew that blaming the heavens and others was futile; regardless, we had to capture Hill 7 before nightfall. The reason was simple: our troops were unfamiliar with the terrain and could not engage in night combat on enemy territory. Moreover, if we failed to take it tonight, the enemy would be better prepared after a night of rest, making it even more difficult to fight them the next day. Our troops were unfamiliar with the terrain and could not engage in night combat on enemy territory. Moreover, if we failed to take it tonight, the enemy would be better prepared after a night of rest, making it even more difficult to fight them the next day

The No. 7 height is not high; it should be described as merely a small hill. Under my frantic retreat, I reached the summit in just two or three minutes. Looking around, there were indeed no enemy soldiers in sight; what lay before me was a trench that had been utterly destroyed by shellfire.

Ah! I let out a long sigh: "You finally arrived! Isn't that right? Just fooling those Japanese devils!"

Not bad! Scar, a bit excited, patted me on the shoulder and said, "You said you couldn't shoot, but look... you're doing quite well!"

Although I successfully prevented our army's last charge, this does not mean that this battle no longer needs to be fought

I noticed several soldiers around me looking at me with strange expressions. I knew what they were thinking; they believed that only cowards would scream in fear at the sound of cannon fire, especially when it was directed at the enemy's position. However, I did not care. I focused on the books because it was the only way I could ensure that I would not be paralyzed by fear, and it was the only way I could control myself from running away.

For some reason, this moment with the scar on his face reminded me of the old man, as if he were right beside me. Although this feeling flashed through my mind in an instant, it brought me an inexplicable sense of security. At the same time, it cleared away the distractions and concerns in my heart

This is the battlefield! We are soldiers! I repeatedly recall the old man's words: "On the battlefield, it is either you die or I live; a soldier must kill the enemy to save himself"

Damn it! Perhaps there is no suspense in this battle, so the scarred man beside me has been paying close attention to me. At this moment, he gave me a hard knock on the head and said: "Is this how you shoot? Are you shooting with your eyes closed?"

When the company commander came up and took a look, he did not say much. He waved his pistol and shouted: "Fire!"

Alas! I admit that I have fired a gun, but it was just a BB gun when I was a child... I remember when I was very young, my grandfather started using a BB gun to teach me shooting stances and such. Sometimes, as a punishment for my disobedience, he would even hang a few bricks on the barrel for me to hold up... I also enjoyed using the BB gun to shoot at small birds and the like; who would have thought that it would actually be effective!

As the Vietnamese enemy drew closer, I couldn't help but furrow my brow and devise a plan. I immediately rolled over and hid in the partially collapsed tunnel, shouting loudly: "Comrades! The Vietnamese enemy is coming, prepare for battle, wait until they are closer to engage!"

Later, I realized that this might be the instinct for survival in life. People often find calmness when they are on the brink of death or in extreme fear. At that moment, I was perhaps in such a state; dozens of enemies were right in front of me, yet I suddenly became calm and quickly conducted a rational analysis of my situation

It is said that I may have a rather timid disposition, but my running speed is indeed impressive. I have to thank the old man; I don't know if he is unable to go to battle because he is blind or if he has not had enough of being an official. Ever since I became aware of my surroundings, he has treated me as his personal training soldier. It started with one thousand meters, then increased to two thousand five hundred as I grew older, and by middle school, I was running five kilometers with a load every morning

Scar shook his head and said: "I don't know if it's your good fortune or those devils' short lives that allowed you to deceive them!"

With a bang, the head of that Vietnamese soldier tilted and he fell to the ground

Escape? No, if I flee, the enemy will take the opportunity to seize the hilltop position, and then they can set up their guns to shoot down from a high vantage point. At that time, it won't just be me; even the soldiers who follow me in retreat will also lose their lives.

In fact, I have no idea how to command; I am merely shouting aimlessly. ... Inside, I am quite anxious, just worried that if the enemy gets aggressive, they will charge at me ... . ... Then my little life would be over.

When I aimed for the third target, I found that the enemy had retreated like a tide. Our forces outnumbered the enemy, and with the geographical advantage, the outcome of this battle was doomed to be a defeat for the enemy from the very beginning

I dared not pause for a moment underfoot, and as I crawled over the trench and looked down, my goodness! Below was a dark mass of heads, with dozens of Vietnamese soldiers hurriedly making their way up the mountain! The closest distance was merely a few meters.

Scar effortlessly deflected my bayonet and asked incredulously, "What are you doing?"

At that moment, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind, startling me. As I turned around, I nearly thrust my bayonet into them.

Soon after, I found my thoughts quite amusing; isn't the purpose of shooting to hit the enemy? Yet, I was worried about hitting someone.

As per the superior's instructions, the road must still be traversed, and the high ground must still be seized. Moreover, due to the earlier mistake, we have wasted a considerable amount of time, which has consequently tightened our timeline for completing the task.

Forget it! I gritted my teeth and pulled the trigger decisively

As I thought about it, I aimed my sights at a Vietnamese soldier who was raising his gun to fire back, and without hesitation, I pulled the trigger

Thus, I had no choice but to follow the soldiers back to the front lines, reluctantly waiting for the artillery preparation.