In the afternoon, the cooks provided an extra meal, but looking at the table full of delicious dishes, no one had much of an appetite. The sight of the food even gave people a feeling of 'the last supper'.
Only the carefree Deng Zhenhua and Shi Dafan, and Li Ling, who didn't take this so-called real combat seriously, ate heartily.
Seeing everyone struggling to swallow, Deng Zhenhua helplessly urged, "Live to work, die to live. We're about to go and die, so we can't die as starving ghosts! Stop staring, eat up!"
"Ostrich, do you think everyone has a small brain like you? Everyone has a lot to worry about!" As usual, whenever Deng Zhenhua opened his mouth, Shi Dafan would inevitably follow up with his complaints.
Deng Zhenhua glanced at Shi Dafan and said irritably, "Then why are you eating so heartily?"
“Me? I’m different.” Shi Dafan blinked his innocent eyes at Deng Zhenhua and said, “I don’t have a brain at all.”
Upon hearing this, Deng Zhenhua immediately laughed, "Hey, you've improved."
Li Ling couldn't stand it any longer. After swallowing a piece of beef, he said to everyone, "What are you all doing? We've risked our lives for so long, isn't this all for this day? We're soldiers for fighting, what's the point of being a soldier if we're not going to fight?"
"Besides, who are we? Even if we're not special forces, we're still the elite of the elite reconnaissance troops. We're just a few drug dealers. It's like playing live-action CS. A few shots will take care of us. What's the big deal?"
"Pfft...cough cough cough..."
After hearing Li Ling's words, Gray Wolf at the Old Bird Table couldn't help but spit out his drink. Li Ling glanced at him but ignored him.
Seeing this, Chen Pai finally picked up his bowl and called everyone to eat: "Xiao Zhuang is right. We train for war, not for show. We've trained for so long, I don't believe we can't beat a few drug dealers."
"As far as I know, the chances of special forces dying on the battlefield are much lower than the chances of dying in training. There's no need to worry too much. Being timid will only affect your performance. Don't think about anything else, let's eat!"
"Come on, eat, eat."
Everyone then picked up their chopsticks, but the sergeant sitting next to Li Ling remained seated, seemingly lost in thought.
"What's wrong with you? Why aren't you eating?" Li Ling asked, looking at him.
The sergeant hung his head and muttered dejectedly, "My mother only has one son, me."
Geng Jihui's cheek twitched slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Everyone here is an only child, what do you mean?"
"I'm sorry, I... I can't bear to think about how heartbroken my mother would be if I died." After saying this, the sergeant looked up at Li Ling, then got up and walked out of the tent, heading straight to the training area.
Li Ling watched his retreating figure, her lips moved slightly, but in the end she didn't say anything, only sighing in her heart.
"Who else is afraid of dying? Leave now, or you'll drag everyone down with you on the battlefield." Chen Pai watched the sergeant walk out of the tent, glanced at the people at the table, and said calmly.
After a few seconds of silence, Chen Pai nodded with relief and said, "Now there are nine of us left. We are all brothers. We were not born together, but we will die together."
After Chen Pai finished speaking, he stood up and extended his right fist. The other eight men followed suit, raising their fists in unison. As if making an oath, they all shouted in unison, "We will live and die together!"
...
The next morning, the rookie team A checked their equipment and cleaned their guns on the parade ground, while the veterans went to the ammunition depot to move live ammunition.
Just as the sun was about to rise in the east, Gray Wolf's vehicle returned. Standing on the vehicle, Gray Wolf shouted, "Move the ammunition!"
Old Cannon and two other scouts stepped forward and carried the ammunition boxes down. Gray Wolf checked his watch and said, "There's still half an hour. After you're done packing, you can write your wills."
Upon hearing Gray Wolf's words, all the rookies' expressions changed simultaneously. Even the usually carefree Deng Zhenhua replied with a grim face, "I won't write it. I can survive."
Gray Wolf said solemnly, "Everyone must write it down and keep it in their own locker. This is an order."
Deng Zhenhua impatiently retorted loudly, "What if I survive? Should I keep it to write a little will?"
Gray Wolf strode over to Deng Zhenhua, squatted down, looked at him, and said in a deep voice, "You didn't fail this time, but there will be a next time. If you don't fail next time, there will be a time after that. Be prepared for anything."
This short sentence weighed heavily on the hearts of the rookies, but as soldiers, they could not back down.
These are the lovely people who protect our country!
Gray Wolf glanced at the others and continued, "If you choose this path, you're not only responsible for yourself, but also for your family, understand?"
Upon hearing this, everyone began writing their wills, including Li Ling. Although he knew this was an assessment, he still pretended to write a letter to Zhuang's parents.
...
"Comrades, tonight is your final test, a real battle. Are you all ready?"
"Always be prepared!"
"I wish you a successful first battle and a triumphant return."
"Loyal to the motherland! Loyal to the people!"
"Set off!"
The convoy drove out of the camp and headed towards the border. After more than three hours of driving, Gray Wolf ordered his men to get out of the vehicles and walk into the forest.
It was late at night, and a full moon brought a faint light to the forest. The rookies remained silent, their minds tense, following behind the Lone Wolf Special Assault Team A, led by Gray Wolf, as they crept deeper into the forest.
Upon arriving at a location, Gray Wolf ordered his men to remain hidden and await further orders. He then pulled out a military flashlight and shone it in one direction.
Soon, the same signal appeared on the other side, and the next moment, two indistinct figures appeared in everyone's sight.
"Rookies, listen up, these are our men. Lower your guns, don't hurt your own people. We're firing live ammunition now," Gray Wolf whispered the order.
Li Ling watched this scene with great interest. Was Xia Lan about to make her appearance?
Li Ling knew perfectly well that this was just a setup by the veterans, and there was no real combat involved.
Everything was just a facade created to give them a final test, a mere illusion of real combat.
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Chapter 55 These days, everyone's an actor.