Chapter 9

... ...

Comrades! The company commander has appeared before us, looking very excited. Without waiting for the soldiers to line up, he raised his hand and called out: "We have just received news from higher authorities that our regiment has successfully breached the enemy's defenses in the Xiao Cao area. Now is the time for us to advance towards Lao Street!"

"Canned food!" Scar exclaimed in surprise, "Have you really never eaten canned food before?"

Having been busy all morning, I was indeed feeling a bit hungry. Without further ado, I quickly pried open the iron box, and upon lifting the lid... I was left dumbfounded; it turned out to be filled with broad beans.

Damn! I couldn't help but curse inwardly, what kind of ridiculous order is this

Where did it come from

Lao Cai, the capital of Lao Cai Province in Vietnam, is located at the confluence of the Red River and the Nam Xi River. It has both railway access to Hanoi and road and waterway transportation via the Red River, making it a significant military stronghold and transportation hub in Northwest Vietnam, as well as an important gateway to Hanoi. In simple terms, if we capture Lao Cai, we can continuously transport strategic materials through the estuary to Lao Cai, and externally, we can directly reach Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, by car. Therefore, its strategic significance is crucial for the entire counter-offensive war.

... ...

"Get down! Come back!" I heard the bayonet shouting at them. It was evident that they were misled by the scenes depicted in movies or the propaganda of "revolutionary soldiers fear neither sacrifice nor death," using their own bodies and lives to confront the enemy's bullets

Stop advancing, rest in place

In fact, this is a question that perplexes all of us. Initially, we thought that this provincial capital of Vietnam, although not as prosperous as Shanghai or Beijing, would at least resemble a town in some way. However, when we saw the dilapidated brick and tile houses and wooden structures, we realized that reality often differs from our expectations

However, I do not feel that being able to see it with my own eyes is a form of luck. The reason is simple: we are not here to travel, but to fight. Seeing it also almost signifies that another war is about to begin.

Another implication is that at this time our army did not have sniper rifles, and the fact that the fallen soldier possessed a sniper rifle means that he must have eliminated a certain Viet Cong sniper and obtained his weapon

The command was relayed down from the front, and the soldiers, who had been on edge, immediately scattered upon hearing it. Soon, lamentations filled the air, with some pounding their backs and others massaging their feet, resembling a group of refugees.

Still thinking about your gun, huh! Scarface observed my distracted demeanor and advised from the side, "Don't think so much. Even if you use the 56 semi-automatic, you still managed to take down that Vietnamese sharpshooter, right? There will always be a first and a second. Just focus and do well"

On the battlefield, a sniper is even more important than taking out an entire enemy company. Moreover, because they always hide in the shadows to eliminate their targets, both sides in the conflict harbor a deep hatred for each other's snipers, whether on the battlefield or after being captured. This is why snipers go to great lengths to conceal their identities after being captured, with some even hiding their sniper rifles when they anticipate being taken prisoner.

Thus, I found it strange; the opponent was neither a sniper lying in wait nor an ambusher, so what was his purpose for being here

However, this is Vietnam, which has been plagued by continuous warfare for decades. Just a few years ago, the Viet Cong were still fighting against the Americans! The American planes and artillery are not to be underestimated; it would indeed be strange if this old street had any semblance of order.

There is a situation

Unlike the bayonet, I did not make an effort to call those soldiers back in the hope of saving their lives, because I knew it was impossible

But before the rocket launcher operator could arrive, Company Commander Li loudly ordered with a map in hand: "Do not use the rocket launcher! There are orders from higher-ups to protect the property of the Vietnamese villagers! Besides, what if there are Vietnamese civilians inside?"

"Oh! I am just a country person, not used to much food!" I casually responded and took the can, but no matter how I looked, I couldn't find a place to open it... At first, I thought I was seeing things, but it wasn't until Scar handed me a dagger that I realized that pull-tab cans hadn't made it to China yet

Just as I was lamenting my own fate, I noticed a soldier nearby playing with the rifle I had surrendered, drawing a crowd of soldiers around him, who watched in admiration and expressed their awe.

While I was still reeling from having surrendered my sniper rifle, Scar handed me an iron box

It is indeed correct to not fear sacrifice or death, but that does not mean they can recklessly charge forward to their demise

What does it mean for someone going to the battlefield to be unable to spare the wearing of shoes? I only know that if I were to face death on the battlefield, I would swallow even a ginseng fruit without hesitation.

To be honest, this is indeed a good idea. Who cares who is in that residential building and how many weapons they have! A barrage from a rocket launcher will suffice

I rolled in the filthy ditch at the fastest speed, and the dark, foul water instantly soaked my entire body. Although the stench made my stomach churn violently, I ultimately forced myself to suppress the nausea. I had no time to vomit, nor the right to do so. After crawling a few meters in the ditch, I slowly poked my head out to look in the direction from which the sound was coming.

Well! Since a rocket launcher cannot be used, it is time to call for a sniper. ... Thus, I once again set my sights on the sniper rifle not far away ...

What is this? I stared blankly at the cylindrical iron box

***

"Rocket launcher! And *illustrated* book" I heard Scar shouting loudly

I found a rock and leaned my rifle against it, eagerly sitting down to rub my sore and painful feet, lamenting in my heart: terrible food, less than an hour of sleep, swarms of mosquitoes and flying insects, ... and one death mission after another ...! ... I was almost driven mad by this world! You must understand, in modern times, I would get in a car as soon as I stepped out and turn on the air conditioning as soon as I entered; when have I ever endured such suffering!

In an instant, the entire unit was thrown into chaos. Some soldiers lay on the ground, raising their guns and firing wildly in the direction of the gunfire. Others were in such a panic that they resembled headless flies, frantically searching for cover. Additionally, some soldiers even charged into the civilian houses with their chests exposed, completely disregarding their own safety

Charging forward despite the enemy's hail of bullets may have had some effect in the past, but it is no longer applicable in today's era of highly advanced individual weaponry

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but wipe the sweat from my brow; fortunately, the sniper rifle was not in my hands just now, otherwise...

This sniper rifle represents two layers of meaning: first, the Vietnamese troops believe that a soldier holding a sniper rifle is a marksman

After glancing at the sniper rifle a few meters away, I seemed to understand something

"Eat! What are you waiting for?" Scar urged, "Hurry up, we have tasks to attend to later!"

In fact, we initially believed that the war should have started an hour ago. Our objective was to breach the defenses of Old Street, was it not? A regiment of the enemy relied on solid fortifications to block the advance of one of our divisions from the front, did it not? My regiment chose to attack from the flank, breaking through the Xiaocao area to plan a pincer movement against the enemy located in Old Street. However, to our surprise, when we cautiously entered Old Street as if facing a formidable enemy, we found it to be an empty city, devoid of any people. My regiment chose to attack from the flank, breaking through the Xiaocao area to plan a pincer movement against the enemy located in Old Street. However, to our surprise, when we cautiously entered Old Street as if facing a formidable enemy, we found it to be an empty city, devoid of any people.

Regardless of which of the two meanings it is, it can incite the Vietnamese troops to hate him to the core, prompting them to shoot at him without restraint

Hey! What kind of gun is this

Some may say that this hardly resembles a military unit, nor does it look like soldiers. However, the reality is indeed as such; we have fought on the battlefield and achieved merit, but that does not mean we are strictly disciplined. The reason is simple: many of us have only served for a few days, just like me

Still carrying a magnifying glass

"It's rare to see such surprises!" Scarface replied irritably, "The Japanese have been at war for decades; all their money goes into buying guns and ammunition. Haven't you noticed that their soldiers can't even afford shoes? What's so strange about that?"

Stop advancing, rest in place

The gunfire in front of the residential houses grew increasingly intense, and in the blink of an eye, four out of the more than ten soldiers who charged forward had fallen. The remaining seven or eight, perhaps sensing the danger, wisely refrained from advancing further, or it could be said that their instincts and intuition warned them against proceeding.

Having something to eat is certainly better than going hungry, as I do not wish to find myself on the battlefield later without the strength to even walk. However, the taste was not as bad as I had imagined (I later realized this was entirely because I had never eaten such food before). It was just that the fava beans were as hard as steel bars, and I could not chew them at all.

Now I have to admire the old man; I really don't know how this old fellow has managed to survive

Just as I was lamenting my own belated realization, a sudden gunshot rang out with a "bang," and a soldier holding a sniper rifle was struck, bursting forth a spray of blood as he fell to the ground

I have seen people who use canned goods before, but in modern times, there are only various types of canned meat or canned fruit. Who uses vegetables to make canned goods?

After Scarface mentioned it, the other soldiers and I felt relieved. The Vietnamese soldiers we encountered these past few days indeed did not wear shoes. At first, we thought it was just a habit, but when we saw their bodies with shoes still attached to their gear, we realized they were unwilling to wear them.

Is this the old street? After walking for a while, Xiao Shitou could no longer contain his curiosity and softly asked, "How can the capital of this province be inferior to our county town?"

... ...

Prepare for battle

For most Chinese people, this place may be both familiar and unfamiliar. It is familiar because most people have heard of this name, even now. It is unfamiliar because there are not many who have the fortune to come to this city and see it with their own eyes

I did not think much and leaned back, falling into the stinking ditch behind me. Although I could not stand the suffocating smell of the ditch, it was nothing compared to my own life. Before I fell into the ditch, I had also conveniently taken my rifle with me.

Good! The warriors were all in high spirits, each one eager to rush to the battlefield, yet I was the only one sitting there listlessly, preoccupied with the can of broad beans in front of me

Oh! I reluctantly responded with a sound, grimacing as I reached out my hand towards the fava beans that were huddled together like a pile of insects.

It was a civilian house, located no more than two hundred meters away from us. Therefore, I concluded that the person hiding inside was not a sniper, for a simple reason: no sniper would be foolish enough to set an ambush with a sniper rifle so close to the enemy. At the same time, the enemy could not be conducting a premeditated ambush either, for the same simple reason: if it were a premeditated ambush, I would choose a more powerful weapon such as a rocket launcher or a light machine gun, or at the very least, the AK47 commonly used by the Vietnamese troops. However, the gunfire coming from that civilian house indicated that the enemy was using two rifles and one AK.

He patted my shoulder and walked away, leaving me sitting there with a bitter smile: Who knows if I will be the next to die!

Seeing it makes me feel quite uncomfortable; the sniper rifle that I worked so hard to acquire has ended up in someone else's hands... If I had known earlier, I should have told Scar to let me keep it for safekeeping before handing it over to the superiors for "development". At least I could have shown it off in front of my comrades, right