A nation's industrial development begins with junior engineers.

"Hehe, old company commander. Don't provoke me. After they're done, I'll loosen all the soil in the entire stockpile!"

Pushing the old company commander out of the workshop and into a smoking area, the little brat started shaking again.

"Heh~~~", the old company commander scoffed, "An excavator? Your grandpa's seen them all before, let me tell you..."

The old company commander leaned closer: "I've shot down two of those big-nosed machines, just like yours!"

"What? Really?"

"Of course it's true. At first, I thought that big claw in front of the machine was for grabbing people. One bazooka and..."

"You aborted him?"

The old company commander took out a cigarette, lit it, and sullenly blew out a smoke ring.

"No, I was ignorant at the time, so I just went straight for that big claw. The first shot punched a hole in it. But the driver got scared and ran away..."

"Haha, different paths lead to the same destination, so just stop. Oh, by the way, in which battle did they bring these things up?"

The old company commander paused, a hint of nostalgia and a touch of anger in his eyes.

"I can't say exactly which battle it was, but I remember it was on a small bridge built over a cliff. The Bald Eagles tried to escape, so we blocked them. We bombed them three times..."

"Three times? Three times the Watergate Bridge was blown up?" Jiang Xia thought to himself with a chill: This was the key moment in that "battle for survival".

Hehe, listen to the battle between the pretty white rabbit and the silly bald eagle!

Jiang Xia moved a piece of timber and plopped down next to the old company commander.

"Yes, the first time it was blown up, their engineers repaired it with wooden frames. The second time, we were really serious and blew up the entire bridge surface and burned all the surrounding wood."

"They came to fix it with those weird-looking machines. Hey, those bastards were really capable. They even managed to build a simple steel bridge."

"The third time, we decided to blow up the bridge piers as well. A reinforced platoon and a heavy machine gun squad, each of us carrying dozens of kilograms of explosives, rushed in wearing our cotton-padded coats inside out."

At this point, the old company commander proudly raised his head: "Hey, that heavy machine gun was captured from Big Nose the first time we blew up the bridge. It was really exciting to fire with that thud! It was the first time my company had such fierce firepower!"

A company? Isn't it a reinforced platoon?

Jiang Xia thought for a moment, then swallowed the stupid question that was about to come out of his mouth. However, the originally neat tuft of hair on his head had somehow drooped down.

"Set up the heavy machine guns, carry the 'big plate chicken' (a type of fried chicken), and we'll plant the explosives on the base of the steel bridge. With a bang, the bridge deck and foundation of the new bridge are destroyed!"

As the old company commander finished speaking, he raised his head and reached out to pat Jiang Xia's head.

"At the time, the experts who were with the team said that the bridge was so badly damaged that it would take at least six months to repair. Only after hearing what the experts said did the rest of us feel at ease and return to the field hospital."

"Ugh! We shouldn't have gone back! Otherwise, we could have carried the explosives and blown it up again!"

After the old company commander finished speaking, he stubbed out his cigarette and fell silent.

Jiang Xia recalled the relevant reports and knew that this last time, it was Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan that rushed to produce 8 sets of M2 steel and wood standard bridge kits overnight and urgently transported them to the battlefield by airdrop.

That's how they managed to get rid of that arrogant First Division.

If there had been sufficient logistical support and communication equipment, the 1st Marine Division would not have been able to escape that lake.

Even so, the 1st Marine Division was demoralized and suffered repeated defeats in the ensuing battles. It was repeatedly "beaten" by multiple units of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, its morale plummeted, and it even began to doubt its own combat effectiveness.

He was eventually reassigned to a second-tier position by the top brass of the Bald Eagle.

Jiang Xia sat there blankly, his two fingers unconsciously tracing patterns on the snow. After a while, his ahoge (cowlick) stood up again.

"Old Company Commander! We remember all those debts! We'll settle them one by one sooner or later! Now, we can build those 'monsters' too, and they're even better than theirs! If you don't believe me, I'll show you!"

"Okay, okay, okay! I'll wait and see!"

The old company commander also regained his smiling demeanor and stuffed the entrenching tool in his hand into Jiang Xia's hand.

"Hmm? What's wrong with this entrenching tool? Is it broken? Let me fix it for you?"

The old company commander, still smiling, pointed to the material storage area not far away: "Now go and finish your training. The machines are machines, even if they can turn the whole ground upside down with one shovel, you still have to complete your own training. Go, dig a human bunker..."

Seeing that the little brat wanted to argue, the old company commander slowly said, "To struggle with the heavens is endless joy; to struggle with the earth is endless joy; to struggle with people is endless joy."

"Whose words were these? Have you forgotten?"

Tsk, you're even bringing up the old folks' words. Who said you're uncultured!

Oh right, it's that big idiot Yang Youning. Hey, why haven't I seen him these past few days?

The little brat carried the entrenching tool, found an open space, and shoveled it down.

Rock hard!

A layer of solid ice had formed on the ground sometime during the day, and the recoil was so strong that it almost numb the little guy's hands.

"Tsk tsk, that won't do, kid. Back in the day, when we were digging fortifications in the snow, we didn't have shovels this good. We used stones. Those dark stones, which were angular when smashed. Even so, the slowest comrade could dig a shallow pit in 10 minutes!"

Jiang Xia was not convinced, so he adjusted the entrenching tool into the shape of a hoe, raised it high with both hands, and slammed it hard into the ground again.

A tingling sensation traveled from his arm all the way to Jiang Xia's brain, even making his teeth chatter.

"Hey! Don't go straight up and down! Slant it a little!"

The old company commander sighed helplessly and began to instruct the young boy on his movements.

Thankfully, the little guy has been eating well lately and has managed to hold on. The individual burrow in the snow is gradually taking shape.

Jiang Xia was inevitably covered in dust, and his hands were stained with blood.

"Hey, that's right! Cover yourself with lots of dirt and leaves to blend in with your surroundings. When you're lying on the ground, you'll look like a mound of dirt from a distance. If you get injured, don't yell or expose your location. Just grit your teeth, bandage yourself up first, and then deal with the rest when it's safe to do anything else."

Looking at the disheveled Jiang Xia, the old company commander lit another cigarette and said slowly.

"Also, if you see something that can stop bullets or shells, quickly hide inside it. Rocks, embankments, shell craters, and ruins are all natural cover. Don't just stand there like an idiot. Cover is not a safe haven. You have to move to a new place after firing a few shots. If the enemy finds out your location and comes to cover you with fire, even the best cover will be useless."

……

And so, the old company commander went on and on about a lot of practical tips for surviving on the battlefield.

Only after the individual bunker was completely completed did the old company commander stop the disheveled young man.

"Son, is it my fault? Why did I push you so hard?"

Jiang Xia shook his hand and pushed the old company commander toward the mess hall: "What's the big deal? If others dug, I dug too. We're all revolutionary comrades... But you're acting strange today?"

The old company commander gently patted Jiang Xia with his rough, calloused hand:

"Hey, that's good. Learn more so you can stay alive. If you're dead, all your cleverness is useless. Wang Kui isn't omnipotent; there are some things you need to learn yourself!"

"I don't have any special skills, so this is all I can teach you..."

"You haven't read the newspaper yet, have you? The Lobster Army has deployed a lot of nuclear bombs in that port city. Everyone says those eggs are powerful. More than 40 of them could blow up our entire land..."

"If that day ever comes, and you can use what I taught you to save your life, then you can help me get revenge, right?"

Nuclear deterrence?

Hmph, you won't be smug for long!

Jiang Xia recalled the cheerful tone in Teacher Deng's voice when he called a few days ago.

"Old Company Commander, don't be afraid! Our big tree is already sprouting new buds!"