A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

On the other side of the border river, after fierce fighting, the exercise command determined that the Red Army had occupied the Blue Army's main position. The Blue Army retreated to a backup position they had set up behind the main position, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. The Red Army would then carry out defensive operations.

On the Blue Army's main position, the battle had just ended and the smoke of war had not yet dissipated, while the Red Army was cheering and celebrating their hard-won victory.

Suddenly, two green signal flares rose from the position of the Blue Army's left-wing outpost. Immediately afterward, even louder cheers erupted from all the Blue Army positions! The Blue Army soldiers on the positions were jumping, leaping, laughing, and shouting, their cheers thundering and echoing through the sky!

The Red Army soldiers looked at each other, completely bewildered. What had gotten into the Blue Army? What made them so happy?

The Red Army, of course, had no idea that the two green signal flares were a relay signal from the Blue Army: the assault team had successfully captured the Red Army base!

Cheers erupted from all the Blue Army positions, and senior officials at the exercise command and observation platform were puzzled: What's wrong with the Blue Army? Why are they so happy even though they've been ruled to have lost the position?

Soon, the directorate's mobile liaison group reported back: the Blue Army's mobile assault detachment had raided the Red Army's rear base and successfully captured the position. The Red Army suffered heavy casualties, and more than 20 Red Army remnants were regrouping with the main force, while the Blue Army's mobile assault detachment was in pursuit.

The remnants of the Red Army base displayed an unprecedented ability to run cross-country with heavy equipment, covering a distance of 5 kilometers in half an hour.

Zhang Yi's assault platoon served as the vanguard of the Blue Army's assault detachment, while the cavalry of the spearhead reconnaissance team followed closely behind the defeated Red Army troops.

At this moment, on the main position of the Blue Army base, Wang Zhixin, the combat staff officer of the Red Army battalion, a senior student, was uneasy. He had already sensed a hint of doubt, and the Blue Army's unusual behavior was truly puzzling.

Wang Zhi then recalled that a few days ago, before the exercise started, Tian Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi were often secretly discussing something behind his back. He paid close attention and found that they seemed to be discussing the exercise, but no matter how he asked or probed, the two of them refused to reveal a single detail.

During the exercise, Wang Zhi made a special observation and did not seem to see the two belligerent individuals, Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi. The problem was that some of the Blue Army's troops seemed to have disappeared as well, and there were several strange signal flares, all of which were abnormal! Wang Zhi vaguely felt that the Blue Army might be setting some kind of trap, and he felt it was necessary to remind the commander.

Inside the Red Army battalion headquarters, Battalion Commander Thorpe and the rest of the battalion also felt something was amiss. Commander Thorpe held binoculars and kept looking around, but no one could find anything unusual.

After brainstorming, Battalion Commander Thorpe issued the following orders: all units should quickly reorganize their positions, strengthen vigilance, move sentries forward, and prepare for a potential counterattack by the Blue Army. He also dispatched a communications soldier to contact the base and ordered Company C, which was remaining at the base, to transfer its forces to the Blue Army base for the next phase of defensive operations.

Brigadier General Louis, the exercise's chief director, walked from the command post to the observation platform and reported the Blue Army's "masterpiece" to Major General Smith, the commanding officer. Brigadier General Louis said with a wry smile, "It seems the Red Army hasn't realized this yet."

Major General Smith listened to the report in silence, then went to the high-powered artillery scope and carefully observed the positions of the Red and Blue forces and the surrounding area. After a moment of contemplation, he said to Brigadier General Louis, "Let's wait and see how things unfold. The exercise continues. Let's quietly observe how both sides respond to the next situation."

He shook his head slightly and said with a wry smile, "This 'old cat,' he really treats the exercise as real combat."

A short while later, three more green signal flares rose from the Blue Army's forward outpost position—signaling that the Blue Army assault team had crossed the border river.

On the Red Army's position, everyone felt the tense atmosphere of an impending battle. They stared wide-eyed as they could see the Blue Army's companies and platoons advancing from the front lines, forming combat formations according to the infantry offensive tactics, and moving towards the attack area. The Blue Army's agile and nimble figures continued to leap forward, relying on the terrain for cover.

The Red Army was on high alert, and a major battle was about to break out.

A short while later, unusual movements were heard from the Red Army occupying positions on the original Blue Army outpost. They spotted a force of about 20 men rushing out of the distant mountains and forests, hurrying towards them. Their rearguard group kept glancing back nervously, as if they were being pursued. Meanwhile, the Red Army communications soldier who had just been sent out to contact Company C was now riding at full speed ahead of this column, desperately trying to catch up.

Before long, a Red Army communications soldier arrived on horseback. Without dismounting, he shouted urgently from horseback: "The base has been captured by the Blue Army! The remnants are approaching here, and the Blue Army convoy is following closely behind. They will be here soon!"

The hurried sound of horses' hooves raised clouds of dust as the communications soldier sped away, heading back to the main position's battalion headquarters to report the news.

"Blue Army? A convoy?" The Red Army soldiers on the guard post looked at each other in confusion.

They soon discovered that the Blue Army's scouts on horseback were following closely behind more than 20 Red Army remnants.

A sharp alarm immediately sounded!

"Alert! Alert! Prepare for battle!" shouted a Red Army officer.

More than 20 Red Army remnants, panting heavily, rushed into the Red Army's position and collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. Pursued by the Blue Army assault platoon, they broke their best armed cross-country record.

The Red Army soldiers on the outpost looked at the deserters who were lying on the ground panting with pity. It was really hard on them. The production team had ordered them to take the equipment and ammunition of a mortar and a water-cooled heavy machine gun and do a cross-country run with heavy loads. They had reached their physical limit and were almost exhausted. Of course, it was impossible to expect them to engage in fierce fighting.

The Blue Army reconnaissance scouts dismounted at a distance and remained on guard.

Soon, the Red Army soldiers on the outpost spotted a "convoy" consisting of trucks, pickups, tractors, and horses. The truck beds were loaded with exposed sand and sandbags, and appeared to be carrying various weapons and equipment, such as heavy machine guns and mortars.

Before they could even see clearly, the Blue Army "convoy" in the distance split into two arrowheads, forming two combat groups. The large arrowhead thrust straight at the left flank guard position, while the smaller arrowhead thrust diagonally at the right flank guard position, creating a situation of encirclement, suppression, and blockade of the two positions.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!", "Thump! Thump! Thump!", "Clang clang clang clang clang clang!"

Immediately, the various heavy weapons carried by the Blue Army convoy erupted with a terrifying roar! The Red Army soldiers stared in disbelief at this sudden turn of events.

After the Blue Army finished firing a round of artillery fire, the vehicles immediately started moving forward and launched another round of intensive artillery fire at another designated firing position.

"Bang bang bang bang bang!" The roar of the 12.7mm "Lao Gan Ma" heavy machine gun, accompanied by the flashes of fire shooting out of its thick barrel, provided continuous fire support as the vehicle moved.

This is the Blue Team simulating an armored vehicle guiding an infantry attack!

Soon, the Blue Army's combat formations had crossed the attack launch line, and the infantry companies' attached 60mm mortars and 7.62mm heavy machine guns, which had moved into position, also launched a dense and continuous barrage of accompanying fire.

Under the cover of armored vehicles and continuous accompanying fire, the attack formations of the Blue Army's platoons, squads, and groups rapidly advanced along the concealed terrain to reach the assault launch line.

Meanwhile, the former Blue Army outpost platoon, which had retreated to the flanks to prepare positions and was confronting the Red Army's outpost guards, immediately moved forward to join in the division and encirclement of the Red Army's outpost defenders.

The Blue Army, its morale soaring, launched a full-scale assault on the Red Army's left-wing outposts. Once successful, they would concentrate all their forces and weapons to attack the right-wing positions!

At this moment, the production team that had been following them called a halt to the Blue Team's actions!