The last leader of the world starts with an elite infantry squad!

boom!

The heavy chemical protective boots thudded on the rough cement ground of the city wall, mingling with the sparse but still alarming gunfire, the groans of the wounded, and the low, unsettling thuds of the fungal beasts in the distance.

Gu Chengyun stood in the shadows at the entrance to the reconnaissance battalion's defense zone, looking at the familiar position before him, now stained with heavy smoke and blood.

A few emergency lights cast a dim glow through the smoke and dust, illuminating the crooked sandbags, the shattered wall plaster, and the still-wet stains on the ground, a mixture of mud and dark red to black liquid.

"Faster!! Faster!!"

"Hang in there!! Bro! Just a little longer!!"

Ahhhhhh————

...

Amidst painful cries, two medics hurriedly carried a convulsing wounded soldier past the edge of the barricade, their protective suits splattered with an unidentified sticky substance.

The pungent, acrid smell mixed with a burnt odor in the air seemed to stubbornly penetrate the nostrils, even through the filter.

Everything silently testifies to the brutality of the close-quarters combat that had just taken place.

hiss--

In this situation, Gu Chengyun took a deep breath, the filter canister emitted a clear hiss, suppressed the lingering palpitations in his chest and a certain indescribable feeling of exhaustion, and strode towards the location of the battalion command post in his memory.

Bypassing a section of charred bunker wreckage, corroded by blast waves and still emitting wisps of white smoke, Gu Chengyun spotted that familiar figure—

Battalion Commander Gao Cheng was kneeling behind a reinforced crenellation, his body turned to the side. One hand was pressed against the communicator next to his ear, while the other hand pointed in a certain direction outside the wall. He was urgently speaking to a platoon leader covered in soot next to him.

His hazmat suit had a noticeable tear at the shoulder, revealing a dark lining underneath, with dark stains on the edges, whether blood or mud, it was unclear.

His movements still carried that unique, fierce energy, as if he were about to pounce at any moment.

"battalion commander."

Gu Chengyun walked closer, stopped, and spoke through his mask with a hoarse voice, as if he had just experienced a violent jolt.

Before he could finish speaking, Gao Cheng abruptly stopped.

The hand holding the communicator suddenly paused, and the finger pointing outside the wall slowly lowered.

He suddenly turned his head.

Behind the dark goggles of the gas mask, Gu Chengyun's equally heavily wrapped figure was clearly reflected in those eyes, which were always sharp as knives but were now bloodshot, in the dim light of the emergency lamp.

For the first half second, his gaze was one of habitual scrutiny and vigilance. Then, it was replaced by an undisguised astonishment. And then, beneath that astonishment, a genuine, almost overflowing joy spread out like ripples from a stone thrown into a deep pool!

Gao Cheng didn't speak, but stared intently at Gu Chengyun, his breathing under the mask seeming to soften for a moment.

Gu Chengyun could feel the weight of that gaze, penetrating through the thick protective gear and landing on his face, filled with inquiry, disbelief, and an indescribable, rapidly warming feeling.

To be honest, when the battalion clerk rushed over and whispered that "the political instructor has been urgently summoned by the brigade commander," Gao Cheng's heart sank.

To rise to the position of battalion commander at such a young age, besides having excellent military skills, one's political acumen is equally indispensable.

At this critical juncture, the brigade commander's private meeting with a battalion political instructor with powerful connections led him to almost subconsciously assume that this was the beginning of some kind of "special arrangement."

This young partner, who was parachuted in and has powerful connections, will likely disappear from the reconnaissance battalion's ranks and leave this desolate place, which is about to turn into a bloodbath, in some "reasonable" way.

Gao Cheng couldn't tell whether he felt anger or sorrow, perhaps both, but more than that, he felt... a profound sense of powerlessness.

Faced with a disaster of this magnitude and the will of the people from top to bottom, his opinion as a mere battalion commander was utterly insignificant.

Moreover, he never considered this parachuted instructor as one of his own; he was only worried that the instructor's sudden departure would severely damage the morale of his troops.

After all, nobody's stupid; most of the time, it's just a matter of tacit understanding.

However, just as he forcibly suppressed the surging emotions within him, preparing to refocus all his energy on the upcoming, even more brutal battle—

He's back again!

At the moment when the gunfire was fiercest and death was closest, the young instructor who had been called away actually came back on his own.

He returned to this hellish place, back to the reconnaissance battalion's position, back to Gao Cheng's side.

At that moment, a certain hard lump that had been accumulating in Gao Cheng's chest seemed to be quietly washed away by a warm yet powerful stream of water.

After the initial surprise came genuine joy, and an indescribable sense of warmth that rose from the deepest part of my heart.

This feeling has nothing to do with background or job title.

It's all about choices, all about... "comrades-in-arms".

At this moment, Gao Cheng, the battalion commander of the reconnaissance battalion, truly and completely accepted the political instructor named Gu Chengyun.

His lips twitched slightly beneath the gas mask, as if he wanted to say something...

But in the end, all the words were reduced to just four words, spoken through a mask, somewhat somber yet carrying a clear smile:

"Just come back."

They didn't ask why they were called away, what the brigade commander said, or reveal the slightest possible speculation.

It's just the simplest, most direct, and most trustworthy sentence—

Just come back.

it is more than words.

Hearing these four words and seeing the genuine warmth behind Gao Cheng's blindfold, Gu Chengyun's tense heart, which had been hanging in the air, suddenly felt grounded.

A touch of bittersweetness, mixed with relief and a sense of groundedness as if I had found my "anchor," quietly crept into my heart.

He nodded slightly, his voice still coming through the mask, but no longer hoarse; instead, it held a firmer tone.

"Yes, I'm back. Battalion Commander, how's the situation here? What do you need me to do?"

Gao Cheng grinned, and even through the mask, Gu Chengyun could feel his childlike excitement.

He grabbed Gu Chengyun's arm and pulled him to a relatively safe observation position near the crenellation. Pointing to the area outside the wall, repeatedly battered by artillery fire, now dotted with scattered fluorescent lights and with more shadows writhing about, he spoke quickly and clearly:

"That volley of artillery just now cleared out a large number of those bastards right in front of us! But it wasn't completely cleaned up! Look, on both flanks, and in those cratered areas, they've all popped up again!"

“There are fewer climbers now, but the pus-spitting things seem to have gotten smarter. They're hiding further away and their attacks are more tricky! Also, did you see that particularly dark area with a particularly dense concentration of fluorescent dots? About 400 meters away, I feel like there's a ‘big guy’ gathering there. Something's not right!”

"Our battalion suffered 57 casualties, but the rest can hold on. We're going through a lot of ammunition, especially heavy machine guns and rocket launchers; I've already sent someone to urge them to replenish them!"

"You've come back just in time!" Gao Cheng turned his head, his mask almost touching Gu Chengyun's, his eyes burning:

"The 3rd Mechanized Infantry Company on the left flank just took heavy hits from the paddlewheel bombs. Their fortifications are badly damaged, and their morale is a bit affected. You're the political instructor, go and talk to them, keep them calm! Also, check their ammunition reserves and the condition of their wounded, and keep an eye on things for me!"

"There's also a slight disconnect between the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Company and the machine gun company on the right flank. Go and coordinate that, clearly define the areas of responsibility and the range of fire coverage! Don't let any blind spots appear!"

"Also..." Gao Cheng paused, lowering his voice, "Tell the brothers that the brigade commander is on the wall, with us! We'll have more shells!"

A series of orders and explanations quickly brought Gu Chengyun back to the rhythm of battle.

There were no unnecessary pleasantries, no affected sentiments, only the most practical tasks and the most pressing battlefield needs.

But this is precisely the highest level of trust and acceptance—entrusting him with crucial matters concerning the stability of the position and the lives of the soldiers.

"Understood!" Gu Chengyun nodded emphatically without the slightest hesitation.

He took one last look at the tear on Gao Cheng's shoulder, wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back. He simply raised his hand and patted Gao Cheng's other, undamaged shoulder forcefully.

Gao Cheng retaliated by punching him on the arm with his other hand, the force of which was not light.

The two exchanged a glance and turned around at the same time.

The battle is far from over.