stonecrandall Chapter 22: The Iron Fist Gang's Counterattack! Uncle 3 is going to behead someone!
Chapter 22: The Iron Fist Gang's Counterattack! Uncle 3 is going to behead someone!
The Iron Fist Gang's temporary assembly point was replaced by an almost absurd ecstasy.
The soldiers formed a circle, looking at Fan Tianlei in the middle as if he were some rare treasure. He had been untied and was holding a hot water cup, his face turning red and white in turns.
"Chief of Staff, are you thirsty? Would you like another bowl?" Wang Yanbing leaned over and handed over another glass of water with a grin, his expression as if he were fawning over his own father.
Fan Tianlei's lips twitched. He glanced at Li Erniu, who was happily roasting sweet potatoes next to him, and angrily took the water glass: "You brat... don't think I'll forget about you blowing up my oil depot just because of this."
"Oh dear, sir, you can't blame me for that."
Wang Yanbing looked completely innocent. "That was all under the command of Brother Niu... oh no, Comrade Li Erniu. He said that in war, you have to strike unexpectedly and catch the enemy off guard. You see, that's why we 'invited' you here."
The surrounding soldiers burst into laughter.
Gong Jian had also recovered his senses by this time. He walked up to Fan Tianlei, saluted, but the expression on his face just couldn't be serious:
"Chief of Staff, look at the mess this has made... How... how did you get caught up in Erniu's mess..."
"So, you got tied up by him?"
Fan Tianlei glared at Gong Jian, annoyed. "Gong Jian, you've really made me proud. I've led troops for twenty years, and this is the first time someone's ever sneaked out of my command post, carrying a pot on their back and climbing a cliff barehanded! Tell me, where will I put my face if word gets out?"
Kang Lei then walked over, patted Fan Tianlei on the shoulder, and said in a teasing tone:
"Old Fan, if you ask me, you've already lost all face. From the day you set your sights on our Iron Fist Gang, you should have known this day would come. But then again..."
Kang Lei looked at Li Erniu, his eyes full of admiration: "I really didn't expect that our Iron Fist Regiment's biggest trump card would be a cook. Erniu, you've really done a great service to our Iron Fist Regiment this time!"
"Not only did they disrupt the Blue Army's rear, but they also captured their commander alive! This is unprecedented in the entire military region's exercise history!"
Li Erniu broke the roasted sweet potato in half, handed one half to Fan Tianlei, and ate the other half himself, saying indistinctly:
"Commander, it's nothing. I just feel that Old Fan looks down on our mess corps. We may be wielding spatulas, but we have the same patriotic fervor in our hearts. Besides, I'm Gong Jian's great-uncle; I can't just stand by and watch my grand-nephew get bullied, can I?"
"puff--"
The surrounding soldiers burst into laughter again.
Gong Jian's face turned bright red, and he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Fan Tianlei shook his head helplessly, took a bite of the sweet potato, and had to admit, the sweet potato was roasted to a perfect crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, and very sweet.
"Alright, Lao Kang, don't get too cocky."
Fan Tianlei swallowed a sweet potato and said seriously, "Even if I 'die,' the exercise isn't over yet. The absence of us Wolf Fang members won't have a significant impact on the overall situation."
These words made the atmosphere at the scene slightly more tense.
Kang Lei nodded: "Old Fan is right. Although Er Niu created a miracle, in the overall situation, we are still at a significant disadvantage. The Blue Army's troop strength, equipment, and information technology level far surpass ours. We are now like a scattered guerrilla force, and we have no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation."
Everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to the cook who was earnestly munching on a sweet potato.
Li Erniu swallowed the last bite of sweet potato, dusted off his hands, and stood up.
He walked up to Kang Lei and Fan Tianlei, his eyes no longer showing the previous naivety, but becoming sharp.
"Commander, Lao Fan, you're both right. We definitely can't win a head-on fight."
In Li Erniu's mind, images from the TV dramas he had watched in his previous life flashed by rapidly—
The location of the Blue Army's supreme command: not in some heavily guarded military base, but rather in a seemingly inconspicuous abandoned factory in a valley. The terrain there is complex, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and most importantly, who would expect the supreme commander to be there?
"However," Li Erniu changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing before finally settling on Kang Lei's face, "we don't have to fight head-on."
"Oh? What's your idea?" Kang Lei's eyes lit up.
"Commander, I need some things," Li Erniu said. "A large amount of explosives for the exercises, smoke grenades, flashbangs, and powerful smoke generators. The more the better."
"What do you need all this for?" Gong Jian asked疑惑地. "We only have this many people. Are you going to blow up the Blue Army's armory?"
"No," Li Erniu shook his head, "I'm going to put on a 'fireworks show' for them. But the three of us alone can't do it."
He pointed to He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing: "Chenguang and Yanbing, come with me to set off 'fireworks.' But we need the rest of our sharpshooter fourth company to help us attract the 'audience's' attention."
Kang Lei frowned: "Er Niu, you mean, send the main force to launch a feint attack, create chaos, and cover for the three of you to carry out your secret mission?"
"Yes!" Li Erniu nodded. "Commander, we don't have many men now, but they are all elites. Rather than fighting head-on and getting wiped out, we should break up into smaller groups, take the initiative, and strike at the Blue Army's weakest point."
"They probably think we're completely routed and only thinking about hiding and saving our lives. We'll do the opposite and wreak havoc in their rear!"
"The most painful spot?" Fan Tianlei couldn't help but interject. He vaguely guessed what was going on, but found it unbelievable. "Li Erniu, you wouldn't be thinking of..."
Li Erniu grinned at Fan Tianlei, a smile that made Fan Tianlei's heart skip a beat.
"Old Fan, you guessed right. To cut the weeds, you must pull out the roots; to catch the thief, you must first catch the king. Your Blue Army leader should be in a... rather unique place right now, right?" Li Erniu said meaningfully.
Fan Tianlei's pupils contracted slightly, and although he quickly returned to normal, the fleeting look of astonishment did not escape Li Erniu's notice.
There is a play!
Li Erniu felt much more at ease, as the plot information basically matched!
"Nonsense!" Kang Lei immediately objected. "Er Niu, I know you're capable, but the defense level of the Blue Army's highest command is definitely not something the three of you can break into! That's no different from suicide!"
"Captain, it's precisely because everyone thinks it's impossible that we have a chance."
Li Erniu said seriously, "Moreover, I don't need my brothers to actually risk their lives. You just need to use the terrain and these 'fireworks' I gave you to create a big enough commotion on the periphery, pretending that the remaining main force of the Red Army is launching a counterattack, and attract the attention of the Blue Army's defense forces. The bigger the commotion, the better, but fire and move on, and never get entangled."
He looked at Gong Jian and the soldiers of the Sharpshooter Fourth Company: "Little Gong, brothers of the Fourth Company, you are the spearhead of the Iron Fist Regiment. This feint attack is also quite dangerous; we might be surrounded and intercepted by the Blue Army. Do you dare to take on this mission?"