Bright Sword: This unit is really ruthless

Zhang Ling's cigarette was damp. He felt very guilty and sorry for his subordinates.

Zhang Ling stood outside the headquarters, the breeze blowing across his face, but his heart was like a stone pressing on his chest, so heavy that he couldn't breathe. The battle in the early morning was over, and although they barely held their position, Zhang Ling knew in his heart that this battle was not fought beautifully.

He took out a pack of cigarettes and prepared to light one to relieve his anxiety. However, when he took out a cigarette, he found that the tobacco had been soaked in the humid air and became soft. He frowned and tried to light it, but after a few strikes, the tobacco could not burn at all.

"Damn it!" Zhang Ling cursed in a low voice, holding the cigarette in his hand, but felt powerless. He knew that the current predicament was far more than just this wet cigarette. The telegraph machine at the headquarters had just been blown up. Although they had barely restored communication, the enemy's offensive was still fierce, and the morale of the troops was also affected to a certain extent.

Zhang Ling walked back to the headquarters, full of doubts about his command ability. He knew that as a commander, he had the responsibility to provide the best protection for his soldiers, but now, he couldn't even give them a pack of good cigarettes. He felt deeply guilty and powerless.

When Li Yunlong pushed the door open, he saw Zhang Ling standing in front of the table, holding the damp cigarette in his hand, with a serious look on his face. He frowned slightly, walked to Zhang Ling, and asked softly: "Commander, what's wrong? Although the battle just now was not easy, didn't we still hold on?"

Zhang Ling looked at Li Yunlong and forced a smile, but he couldn't hide the self-blame in his heart, "Yunlong, we did hold the position this time, but you know, I always feel uneasy in my heart."

Li Yunlong was a little confused, "Commander, what do you mean..."

Zhang Ling was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Our telegraph machine was blown up, and communications were almost cut off. Today's battle was very difficult, and many soldiers in the army were in low spirits. The worst thing is that even my pack of cigarettes got damp, and I can't even give a cigarette to my brothers."

Li Yunlong was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "Commander, you are too hard on yourself, aren't you? We are at war now, not on vacation. If the cigarette gets wet, it's fine. The brothers won't care about it."

Zhang Ling shook his head with a hint of worry in his eyes, "No, Yunlong, it's not that simple. You know what? Sometimes, these little things can determine morale. Every detail on the battlefield may affect the battle situation, and as a commander, I must be responsible for every detail."

Seeing Zhang Ling's serious expression, Li Yunlong also put away his smile and said seriously: "Commander, you are right, morale is indeed very important. However, our brothers will not lose their fighting spirit for a few cigarettes. Although the battle today was difficult, we still held on in the end, which is enough to prove everyone's tenacity."

Zhang Ling sighed slightly, still unable to let go of the burden in his heart, "But, Yunlong, the soldiers have already paid too much in the battle, and I... I couldn't even meet their simplest needs. This makes me feel sorry for them."

Li Yunlong looked at Zhang Ling, pondered for a while, and then said: "Commander, I understand your feelings. But don't blame yourself too much. Nothing in this war is perfect. What the soldiers need is your strength and determination, not a pack of good cigarettes. Our mission is to win the war. As long as you lead us to victory, everyone will understand."

Zhang Ling knew that what Li Yunlong said made sense, but the self-blame in his heart did not diminish. As a commander, he always thought about how to make his soldiers live better and how to protect their lives in this war. But now, he couldn't even meet these most basic requirements.

At this moment, Zhao Gang also walked in. Seeing Zhang Ling's strange expression, he asked in confusion, "Commander, what happened?"

Li Yunlong patted Zhao Gang on the shoulder and said with a smile: "It's nothing. Our leader just feels guilty for the brothers' cigarettes getting wet."

Zhao Gang was stunned for a moment, then he smiled understandingly, "Commander, you have taken such good care of us. It is a great thing to be able to smoke on the battlefield. The brothers will not take such a small matter as getting the cigarette wet seriously."

Zhang Ling looked at Zhao Gang and said in a deep voice: "Gangzi, you are right, but I still can't get over it. As a commander, I always feel that I should do more."

Zhao Gang was silent for a while, then he said in a low but firm voice: "Commander, you have done so much for us. You personally command every battle, and you carefully consider our safety before every battle. You are worthy of us and your own conscience. We know that you care about us, but we also have to understand you. There are too many uncontrollable factors on the battlefield, and you can't take all the responsibilities on yourself."

Zhang Ling felt a warm current in his heart when he heard Zhao Gang's words. He knew that Zhao Gang was telling the truth. There were too many things on the battlefield that he could not control, but he always tried to take on everything. Perhaps he needed to learn to let go of some burdens so that he could make decisions more calmly in this war.

Li Yunlong also said: "Commander, we brothers all know that you are the person we trust the most. No matter what kind of battle is ahead, we are willing to follow you forward. As for the cigarettes, we will look for them after the next battle is over. We will definitely be able to get some!"

Zhang Ling finally revealed a sincere smile and looked at Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang with gratitude. "You are all good brothers. We have been through so much together. I know you can understand me. But I still have to say that this battle was not fought perfectly. Next, we must do better."

Zhao Gang nodded and said, "Don't worry, Commander. We will go all out to achieve greater victory in the next battle."

Li Yunlong also echoed, "Yes, Commander, we can't let the enemy have any chance to breathe. This incident is a lesson. In the next battle, we will never let the enemy succeed again."

Zhang Ling looked at the two soldiers who had been following him, and the self-blame and burden in his heart seemed to be lightened. He knew that the battle was still going on, and he and his soldiers had to be stronger and more determined. Although they were facing severe challenges, as long as they were united, they would be able to overcome all difficulties.

Zhang Ling stood up again and glanced at Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang with a determined look. "Okay, in that case, let's keep moving forward. The enemy is still waiting for us, and we can't let them down!"

Zhao Gang and Li Yunlong responded in unison: "Yes, Chief!"

Zhang Ling strode to the map of the headquarters, pointed at the enemy's position and said: "Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, we are going to launch a counterattack next, not only to regain the initiative, but also to boost morale. Your task is to lead the team and win a beautiful victory!"

Li Yunlong immediately patted his chest and said with a smile: "Commander, don't worry, I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer this time!"

Zhao Gang nodded calmly, "We will do our best to ensure the completion of the task."

Zhang Ling nodded with satisfaction, and then issued a specific action order. Following his instructions, the entire command center quickly moved, and all the soldiers began to prepare for the upcoming battle.

Zhang Ling gradually let go of his self-blame. He knew that victory or defeat on the battlefield did not depend on a pack of cigarettes, but on the efforts and sacrifices of each of them. As long as they could hold on, victory would eventually belong to them.

The sky gradually brightened, and a new battle was about to begin. Zhang Ling stood in front of the command post, looking at the battlefield in the distance, his heart full of fighting spirit and hope. He knew that no matter how difficult the road ahead was, he and his soldiers would go through it together and win the final victory of this war with blood and sweat.

Zhang Ling went to the toilet and was frightened by Blind Cheng, who kicked him down.

The mountain breeze in the early morning brought a hint of coolness. After a busy night, Zhang Ling finally took a few minutes to go to the toilet to clear his mind. He walked alone to the simple toilet behind the camp. It was quiet and silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind. At this moment, the soldiers were preparing for the next move. Zhang Ling was still thinking about the next deployment, but his physical fatigue made him relax temporarily.

Zhang Ling pushed open the door of the makeshift toilet and walked in. Just as he was about to relieve himself, he heard a slight noise from the corner of the toilet. Zhang Ling tensed up instantly. His battlefield instinct made him subconsciously think that there might be an enemy lurking. He turned around suddenly and kicked towards the source of the sound. With a muffled sound, a dark shadow fell to the ground.

"Ouch! Chief, it's me, Blind Cheng!" A familiar voice came from the ground, with pain and surprise.

Zhang Ling then saw clearly that the person lying on the ground was none other than his subordinate Cheng Xiazi. Zhang Ling was startled and quickly squatted down to help him up, and asked anxiously: "Cheng Xiazi, are you okay? Why are you not making any noise? What are you doing hiding here?"

Blind Cheng covered his kicked stomach, with a bit of pain on his face, and smiled with difficulty: "Commander, I really didn't expect you to be so sharp. I didn't even have time to say hello before you kicked me down."

Zhang Ling then realized that he was too nervous just now and mistakenly thought that an enemy had sneaked in, and he actually kicked his own men. While helping Cheng Xiazi to stand up, he said self-reproachfully: "I'm sorry, Cheng Xiazi, I thought there was an enemy just now and overreacted. Are you okay?"

After Cheng Xiazi stood firm, he shook his head gently and patted the dust off his body, "It's okay, Commander, I have thick skin and flesh, so a kick from you is nothing."

Zhang Ling looked at Blind Cheng's grinning face, and he felt even more guilty. "It's all my fault, old blind man. I really kicked him hard this time."

Blind Cheng waved his hand, not caring at all, "Captain, don't take it to heart. We've been fighting for so long, we're used to falling and getting beaten up, this little injury is nothing."

Zhang Ling still felt bad. He knew that although Blind Cheng didn't talk much, he was always reliable and down-to-earth, and was one of his most trusted men. He felt very guilty about his mistake just now. In order to ease the atmosphere, Zhang Ling smiled and asked, "Speaking of which, why are you here? What do you want to talk to me about so early in the morning?"

Blind Cheng scratched his head and said awkwardly, "Actually, I just wanted to talk to you about the recent deployment arrangements. I thought about it last night and felt that there were a few places that needed to be guarded more tightly. I didn't expect you to come here so early. I wanted to not disturb you and wait for you to come out before talking, but I didn't expect you to kick me."

Zhang Ling felt even more sorry when he heard this. Blind Cheng was so dedicated to his job, but he got him injured because of his mistake. He patted Blind Cheng on the shoulder, his tone full of gratitude: "Old Blind, thank you for your hard work. Let's take a look at the places you mentioned later. Your suggestions are always reasonable, and I can't ignore them."

Blind Cheng nodded, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes, "Commander, every battle we fight now is crucial, you are our backbone, you must take care of yourself. Seeing you so tired last night, I was a little worried, and I wanted to tell you that you must pay more attention to rest."

Zhang Ling felt warm in his heart, knowing that Cheng's concern was genuine. Although he had always been a strong commander, he also felt a surge of warmth in his heart when faced with the sincere care of his subordinates. "Thank you, old blind man, I will pay attention to it." Zhang Ling said, his tone full of gratitude.

Blind Cheng grinned and said, "Commander, I feel relieved when you say that. But we have to be careful in our next move, the enemy will definitely have a backup plan."

Zhang Ling nodded, thought for a while, and then said, "Yes, the enemy's actions are becoming more and more bizarre, and we can't take it lightly. The reinforcement of defense you mentioned is very important, and we will discuss it in detail later."