Bright Sword: This unit is really ruthless

Zhang Ling struggled violently. He loved Xiuqin and respected her father, but he knew that he had to stick to his bottom line as a soldier. He gently wiped away the tears on Xiuqin's face, and said with a choked voice, "Xiuqin, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry...but I have to do this."

Xiuqin looked at Zhang Ling's determined eyes and suddenly felt that she was a stranger to herself. She pushed Zhang Ling away angrily and shouted with tears streaming down her face, "Zhang Ling, you are so cold-blooded! I will never forgive you!"

After saying this, Xiuqin turned around and was about to leave. Zhang Ling reached out his hand to keep her, but finally let go. He knew that he could not change Xiuqin's decision, and Xiuqin could not understand his pain at the moment.

Just as Xiuqin was about to walk out the door, Li Yunlong suddenly appeared outside. He saw Xiuqin's tearful face and was stunned for a moment. Then he looked at Zhang Ling with a questioning and worried look in his eyes, "Captain, what's wrong?"

Zhang Ling remained silent, but Xiuqin spoke first, her tone full of pain, "Captain Li, you came just in time! Tell me, do you think it's wrong to send my father to the military hospital for treatment when he's so seriously ill?"

Li Yunlong obviously didn't expect to be asked this question, and was a little embarrassed for a moment. He looked at Xiuqin, then at Zhang Ling, and asked tentatively, "Xiuqin, what happened to your father? Is the situation serious?"

Xiuqin nodded, tears welling up again, "The doctor said he might die at any time, and he has to be sent to a better hospital to have hope. I begged Zhang Ling to send him to a military hospital, but he refused to agree!"

Li Yunlong's expression became complicated. He knew that this was a very thorny issue, involving the conflict between military discipline and personal feelings. He looked at Zhang Ling, with some understanding in his eyes, but more of helplessness and worry, "Captain, I understand your difficulties. But Xiuqin is right, this is a matter of life and death..."

Zhang Ling remained silent. He knew what Li Yunlong meant, but he could not change his position. After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice full of pain, "Yunlong, I know you think I am cold-blooded, but I have to do this. If I make an exception because of personal relationships, what will the other soldiers think? They fight for their country and their people, and I cannot let them feel unfair because of personal feelings."

Li Yunlong nodded. He knew Zhang Ling's sense of responsibility and the perseverance of a soldier, but he also knew how cruel this decision was for Xiuqin. He sighed and tried to reconcile, "Xiuqin, don't worry. Maybe we can think of other ways, such as asking a doctor to come over, or contacting other hospitals to arrange a transfer as soon as possible."

Xiuqin shook her head, her face full of despair. "Other hospitals simply don't have the conditions to treat him. My father won't last that long. It's easy for you to say, but my father's life depends on it! Are you going to let my father wait for death just because of military regulations?"

Li Yunlong looked at Zhang Ling, his eyes full of helplessness. He knew that no matter what, the key to this matter still depended on Zhang Ling's decision. He said softly, "Captain, perhaps we can weigh the pros and cons..."

Zhang Ling took a deep breath and interrupted Li Yunlong. "Yunlong, I have made a decision and cannot change it. The resources of the military hospital are already tight, and every bed may be related to the life and death of the frontline soldiers. I understand Xiuqin's pain and feel sorry for her, but we cannot violate military regulations."

Xiuqin looked at Zhang Ling's determined face, and tears welled up in her eyes again. She said nothing more, but pushed Li Yunlong away and hurriedly left the command center.

Li Yunlong looked at Xiuqin's back, sighed deeply, turned around and said to Zhang Ling, "Captain, I understand your difficulties, but if you do this, I'm afraid Xiuqin will find it hard to accept it."

Zhang Ling closed his eyes, his voice low and painful, "I know that doing this may lose her trust, or even her love. But I have no choice. As a soldier, I must stick to my principles and cannot undermine military discipline because of personal feelings."

Li Yunlong was silent

Zhang Ling's college classmate Wu Ren came to the army, hoping to borrow some weapons and equipment.

The morning sun shone through the cracks in the tent onto the ground. Zhang Ling was reviewing last night's battle report in the headquarters, frowning slightly, obviously a little worried about the current situation. At this moment, the adjutant hurried in and said to Zhang Ling with a complicated expression: "Captain, there is someone who says he is your old classmate. He is waiting outside the camp and wants to see you."

Zhang Ling raised his head, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, "Old classmate? Who is it?"

"He said his name is Wu Ren and he is your college classmate." the adjutant replied.

"Wu Ren?" Zhang Ling was stunned for a moment, then recalled the name. Wu Ren, a friend from college, was an idealist who was once very popular in school, but after graduation he took a completely different path from Zhang Ling. Zhang Ling still remembered that Wu Ren had chosen the path of technology development and had never been involved in the military. How could he appear on the front line now?

"Let him in." Zhang Ling nodded. Although he had many doubts in his heart, he decided to meet this old friend first.

Soon, Wu Ren was brought in. Compared to the high-spirited young man many years ago, Wu Ren now was obviously more mature and experienced. When he saw Zhang Ling, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes, and he walked forward quickly, "Zhang Ling! I haven't seen you for many years, are you okay?"

Zhang Ling stood up, smiled and shook Wu Ren's hand, "Wu Ren, long time no see! I didn't expect to see you here, why did you come to the front line?"

Wu Ren sighed, his face showing some fatigue. "Zhang Ling, it's a long story. The situation is tense right now. I came here this time because I want to ask you for help with something very important."

Zhang Ling frowned slightly, with a bad feeling in his heart, "What's the matter? You came here in such a hurry, are you in trouble?"

Wu Ren nodded, his expression becoming serious. "Zhang Ling, I came here this time to borrow some weapons and equipment from your army. Our laboratory is in the rear and has been threatened by the enemy recently. We must strengthen our defense, but our resources are limited and we cannot guarantee the safety of the laboratory. I know your army is well equipped, so I would like to ask you for a favor."

Zhang Ling's expression instantly became solemn. He was silent for a few seconds, then he said, "Wu Ren, I understand your difficulties, but you also know that the situation on the front line is very tense now, and our resources are already very tight. If we lend you weapons and equipment, there will be loopholes in our front-line defense, which is not a trivial matter."

Wu Ren obviously anticipated Zhang Ling's reaction, but he still insisted: "Zhang Ling, I understand your concerns, but our laboratory is responsible for very important research and development tasks. If it is breached by the enemy, the consequences will be disastrous. What we develop is also crucial to the front line. If you help us, you are actually helping the entire war situation."

Zhang Ling frowned even more. He knew that what Wu Ren said made sense, but as a commander, he couldn't make such a decision easily. He asked in a deep voice, "What exactly are you researching in your laboratory that makes you so nervous?"

Wu Ren hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to tell Zhang Ling, "We are developing a new type of communication equipment that can greatly improve the communication efficiency between troops and is not easily monitored by the enemy. If successful, we will have a greater advantage on the battlefield."

Zhang Ling was slightly moved when he heard this. This kind of equipment is indeed of great help to the battle situation, but he still couldn't completely let go of his worries. "Wu Ren, you know it's not that I don't want to help you. But the current situation is that the weapons and equipment we have are also very limited. Once they are allocated to you, the defense force on the front line will be greatly affected. I can't take risks with the lives of the soldiers."

Wu Ren seemed a little anxious, and his tone became urgent. "Zhang Ling, I understand your position, but we can't wait any longer. The enemy has discovered our laboratory and is now increasing its offensive. We don't have much time left. If the laboratory is destroyed, it will not only be a loss for a few of us, but the entire battle situation will be affected."

Zhang Ling looked at Wu Ren's anxious expression and kept weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He knew that Wu Ren was right. The front line needed new equipment to strengthen communication and combat effectiveness, and Wu Ren's laboratory was obviously the key. But he also knew that the soldiers on the front line were facing life and death tests every day, and every weapon and every piece of equipment could determine their life and death.

After a long silence, Zhang Ling finally spoke, his voice carrying a difficult decision, "Wu Ren, I really hope to help you, but I can't easily transfer the weapons on the front line. Let me help you contact the headquarters and ask them to transfer some equipment to you as soon as possible. This is the best I can do."

The hope on Wu Ren's face dimmed instantly. He knew Zhang Ling had tried his best, but this result obviously could not solve their urgent needs. He sighed, his voice full of helplessness and anxiety, "Zhang Ling, I know you have your difficulties, but time really does not wait for anyone. The transfer from headquarters may take several days or even longer, but we can't hold on that long."

Zhang Ling was also struggling. He understood Wu Ren's difficulties, but he also couldn't ignore the safety of the soldiers on the front line. He rubbed his temples and said in a low and firm voice, "Wu Ren, I really can't allocate weapons without authorization. You may not fully understand the situation on the front line. Our defense line is already at its limit. Every shell and every weapon is crucial. If I weaken the defense because of this, the soldiers on the front line will be in greater danger."