Chapter 6: Loyalty

"When we arrived in the tropical rainforest, to be honest, it was only then that I realized how wonderful the world is if you don't see it. The instructor told us that ordinary soldiers, without specialized terrain training, once they lose their way inside, it is very difficult to get out alive. In this rainforest, there are so many creatures we have never seen or even imagined. Because of ignorance, this place is full of danger and unpredictability for us! On the trunk that seemed unusual, there might be a dangerous creature draped entirely in camouflage. Stepping onto seemingly solid ground, the area beneath might be a swamp that would slowly sink no matter how hard we struggle. There are trees everywhere here, so dense it's unbearable! ”
"Of course, there are some really interesting things here. I've never seen a lizard float on the water before!" I planned to catch it for my own lunch, but that little thing, only about ten centimeters long, was very alert. Sensing danger approaching, it propped up its two front legs and ran with all its might, using its hind legs like a human. When it passed a pond, it actually used its hind legs and sprinted wildly across the water! ”
Yajie'er could easily imagine that Zhanxiage must have been stunned at the time. But a lizard that could run on two legs, even over water, was really fun to think about.
"Later, the instructor told me that if we can make our legs burst eight to twenty times stronger, we can run on the water like that lizard!" Sweat, eight to twenty times stronger—even if you invited Bruce Lee, it would still be far from enough, right?! While writing this letter, I kept pondering one question: Should I find a way to catch such a little creature and give it to you as a cute and fun pet? ”
Yajie'er replied to Zhanxiage: "I'm still very bored, still watching TV alone every day." ”
Zhanxiage underwent special training in tropical rainforests, plains jungles, alpine jungles, and hilly jungles. When he left the second training base, he had another jungle medal on his collar.
"We went to the third training base for mountain training. I really have to admire the quality of our school's choice of training base. Just one mountain includes the most classic terrain like slopes, cliffs, valleys, alpine jungles, streams, and so on. The temperature changes are like a child's face. Just now it was so hot I wanted to skin myself alive, and then it was so cold my teeth were pounding. The rain came suddenly, hail the size of mung beans made our helmets clatter wildly. I still hadn't found a place to take shelter. Hey, the rain is over and the sky is clear! ”
When Zhanxiage walked out of the third training ground, another mountain medal appeared on his collar.
The instructor at the third training base stared at the collar of Zhanxiage's collar, the medal representing military honor and pride. After a long moment, he patted Zhanxiage on the shoulder and said, "If you go to the international mercenary battlefield now, your net worth is already worth two million dollars!" And in some people's eyes, your head is worth two million! ”
Letters reporting her academic performance were sent from all over the country to Yajie'er's single dormitory, mixed with small collectibles collected from various places. Time passed by little by bit. Every time she received a letter from Zhanxiage, Yajie'er could make her happy for several days.
Although they both belonged to the Fifth Special Forces, due to confidentiality rules, their correspondence had to pass through security inspections. They could only use ordinary language to convey their joys and sorrows, striving to dig into the surface of each other's letters to dig for the hidden feelings that could suddenly spark a sense of passion.
She read the letters Zhan Xia Ge sent her over and over. To avoid causing misunderstandings, they didn't dare to exchange letters frequently. Zhan Xia Ge always arrived at a new training ground, and only when she was about to leave would she confide in Yajie'er. In a year and eight months, Yajie'er only received three letters from Zhanxiage.
She could almost recite every line from Zhanxiage's letter, but she still couldn't help looking at them. Looking at the woman in the mirror, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and the undeniable happiness in her eyes, Yajie'er asked herself more than once: Am I really dating herself?
Yajie'er kept calculating when Zhanxiage would return. By the time she received the third letter, Zhanxiage still needed four months to return!
The last training ground he was to visit was the Ice and Snow World, home to the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, where he would undergo survival training for plateau and snowy forests.
The instructor at the fourth training ground was a major. Unlike the other training grounds, this instructor did not immediately give these trainees, who had undergone years of rigorous training and developed the temperament of a Blood Iron Soldier. He pointed at several military vehicles and said, "My name is Long Jianhui. Welcome to the Snow Mountain Training Ground." Since you've come here, you must follow the rules of the snowy mountains. Come on, I'll take you out for a walk so you can truly understand the snowy mountains beneath our feet. ”
With a gentle sway, the car drove along the so-called "Forbidden Land of Life" from Xinjiang to Tibet Highway. As they entered a stony beach road similar to the Gobi, Zhanxiage checked the military altimeter on his body, which showed they had reached the plateau at 5,100 meters above sea level. On the dark red hills on both sides of the road, white snow covered the car slowly drove into the Karakoram mountains.
Whether or not he had worked on submarines, he had already developed enough adaptability to the harshest environments. Surprisingly, Zhanxiage did not experience altitude sickness like the other trainees in the same boat.
Long Jianhui glanced at Zhanxiage in slight surprise, and in his metallic voice, he quietly introduced Zhanxiage and the other two trainees, who were sitting in the same off-road vehicle as him: "This place is called Quanshuigou." Many years ago, the troops stationed in Tibet camped here. After dawn, a dozen or so brothers would shout whatever squad leaders, platoon leaders, and company commanders did, and shoved ginger slices into their mouths and chili water. Because of altitude sickness, they never opened their eyes again. Once night falls at Quanshuigou, the environment is extremely harsh. Troops can rest here or cook here, but they must never stay overnight. Later, we called this place the Dead Man's Ditch, serving as a warning to later brothers not to risk their lives in this ditch! ”
Zhanxiage looked out the car window at the road already soaked by lake water. The driver drove his imported jeep, carefully avoiding the puddled road. His gaze finally fell on the utility pole by the roadside, where a prayer flag unique to Tibetan residents was displayed atop. Due to a broken road, it was only at 10 p.m. that Instructor Long Jianhui led twenty-five trainees from the Fifth Special Forces to the Tianshuihai garrison.
The car had just stopped at the entrance of the garrison station when the howl of the military dogs suddenly rang out. With a whoosh, a group of people rushed out from inside, and the gang war hero Ge and his group nimbly opened the car door. Before Zhan Xiagege could jump out of the car, two soldiers reached out without giving him a chance to grab his arms and pulled him into the barracks.
"Tired, aren't you? We've already prepared hot water. You can wash your faces well. If your altitude sickness is severe, don't force yourself. We still have oxygen here—just a few puffs and you'll get a comfortable night's sleep. When you get to the plateau, the most important thing is to be able to eat and sleep. By the way, did you prepare some candy for yourself? When altitude sickness is severe, taking a few pills will help you......
Zhanxiage stared in astonishment at the two nagging stationed soldiers beside him, even more noisy than meddlesome. They looked nothing like soldiers at all, but rather like two waiters doing everything they could to win over customers! Zhanxiage was like a pillar of cement, firmly pinned to the ground. No matter how hard the two soldiers pulled him, they couldn't move his body at all.
Instructor Long Jianhui nodded secretly and said to Zhanxia Ge, "Go with them. Each of them is a real man. It's just that after staying here for so long, they have no contact with the outside world. Every day they see faces that are incredibly familiar. Now that friends have come over, it's normal for them to get overly enthusiastic." ”
Zhanxiage only relaxed his strength slightly before being forcibly dragged into the barracks by two soldiers. It was already ten o'clock at night. The diesel generator at the barracks had stopped, and gasoline lamps were lit in the barracks. As soon as they entered the fighting houses, a wave of heat hit them. On a stove made of bricks, a huge iron kettle spout was steaming with moisture. A burly man sitting on a stool jumped up, stretched out a hand to Zhanxiage, and said with a simple, honest smile, "I'm Nie Hua, the station chief of this station. Welcome, welcome!" ”
Zhan Xiagege reached out his hand, their hands tightly clasped, each feeling the explosive power hidden within each other's bodies. Zhanxiage's gaze fell on Nie Hua's right hand. This burly man's fingernails were unusually deeply sunken, looking like several oddly shaped little spoons.
After nearly three years of special training, Zhanxiage had learned to face everything with silence and calm, but Nie Hua still understood his gaze. Nie Hua used his left hand, which was also like five small spoons, to scratch his short hair and smiled honestly, "This is just altitude sickness. It's normal. Almost everyone here has something like this." ”
A soldier who forced the war hero song into the barracks chimed in, "Yeah, we even held a dripping bead competition." We use syringes to drip water into each person's fingernail to see whose nail can hold the most drops. But our station chief was just the station chief. The big man from Shandong was fierce, not only was he number one in military technology, but he even won the dripping water contest by holding eleven drops of water! ”
Zhan Xiaoge stared at the burly man from Shandong before him, who wore a simple, honest smile. He really couldn't imagine what it meant for someone to hold eleven drops of water under their fingernails. He was dragged onto a small folding stool, a rice jar with instant noodles just soaked in was shoved into his hand, and then a piece of naan, which had been baking on the stove until fragrant, also fell into Zhan Xiaoge's arms.
Nie Hua shouted, "Xiao Zhang, go to the supply depot and fetch some canned food to entertain our distinguished guests!" ”
A young soldier, at most twenty years old, responded and dashed off like the wind.
"Go ahead and eat. There's nothing good either, and you've really been wronged. But here, you can at least have a hot meal."
The others were also crowded into the house, making the space feel cramped. In front of so many people, Zhan Xiaoge used an aluminum rice spoon to slowly eat the soft instant noodles and the warmly baked barley flour steamed buns. Inside the noodles were some hard chunks of meat, which Zhan Xiaoge had to chew carefully to barely chew the dried meat and swallow it down into his stomach.
The little soldier ran back carrying a box of canned fruit. Zhanxiage was genuinely surprised. In an environment where oxygen was only half the ground and even bare hands meant carrying twenty kilograms, this seemingly skinny and small child could run so fast carrying a heavy box of fruit cans.