"How many of us are left?"
"Including the eight people who are exploring the road outside, there are still... one hundred and twenty-two people in the company."
The purple star on the military cap was covered by the strips of cloth that were randomly wrapped around his face. Xia Xiaoyuan gently patted the deputy company commander's shoulder, but it knocked off a cloud of gray snow on his collar. He smiled wryly. , then took off his ear protection hat, and slowly turned back to sit on the arms box under the surprised eyes of the deputy company commander.
"When the whole company set off, there were a total of one hundred and twenty-two people. The cavalry squad and the maintenance team together had sixteen people. Five days, five days... seventeen people, seventeen people..."
Xia Xiaoyuan put his left hand on his thigh, tilted his body and turned his head to look at the shivering soldiers in the camp. It was true that the snow had reduced slightly, but the fine dust-like snow mist shrouded everyone's heads. At first, it only brought Coldness, then disbelief, now growing despair.
They lost their direction, got lost in the snowstorm, ran out of supplies, had no target in front of them, and no reinforcements behind them.
"The rations are only enough to support dinner. By tomorrow, all food will be gone."
Xia Xiaoyuan listened quietly to the deputy company's report. He simply replied: "Kill the horses. Hundreds of horses are enough to last us until the thaw. If not, we can wait until the radio station sends a positioning signal."
As the commander of the first company, he must not show any signs of vacillation or depression. Xia Xiaoyuan forced himself to cheer up and waved for the deputy company commander to come over. The two of them used their palms to block the wind, making it difficult for them to light up a cigarette.
"Don't leave if you can't walk. Set up a camp on the spot and prepare to kill the horses one by one. After eating this meal, send an order to go down and say that you have contacted the base. The snowstorm will be over within a week at the latest and there will be helicopters. come over."
Although I know this is a lie, it is a white lie. There is no hope. I am afraid that fewer people will wake up tomorrow morning.
The deputy company commander stood upright solemnly and saluted the company commander.
Just as they were about to leave, there was a sudden commotion in the camp. The two exchanged glances, and invariably held the guns on their waists and walked toward the commotion one after another.
Walking through the camp where people were neighing and horses were screaming, Xia Xiaoyuan saw people crowding around two scouts whose beards and hair were dyed frosty white. The latter even had two gray rabbits around his neck. Were they hunted?
Seeing the company commander squeezing through the crowd, the scout quickly picked up the rabbit with long ears and said: "Company Commander! We found an old base in the mountain col ahead! There is geothermal heat there! The road is not freezing even if we get closer, these two rabbits I was the one who shot it on the top of the mountain ahead!"
"How far is it estimated to be? How long?"
"We can walk up to twenty kilometers northeast! If the weather is better, we can get there in half a day!"
Xia Xiaoyuan pulled the scout over and asked in a low voice: "What old base? Why don't I remember it? Did you two see it with your own eyes or what happened! There is no one else here, don't try to trick me again!!"
Seeing the silence of the two scouts, Xia Xiaoyuan sighed and did not blame him too much. They were not combat reconnaissance. Now... they just need to bring back "good" news and let the whole company hold on for a while. These are scouts. Before setting off, Xia Xiaoyuan secretly asked them to do this.
Seeing that no one was around, the scout took out a roll of maps from his pocket, handed it to the company commander, and whispered back: "Company commander, you are using the latest version of the map. There is indeed no sign on it called 'Sulfur Spring' The old base, I have an old map from the 2073 version in my hand, which my brother left for me when he was demobilized! Look, company commander, this version is marked."
Of course Xia Xiaoyuan knew about old and new maps, but he had just joined the army ten years ago and had never used the old version of the map. Naturally, he would not have much impression of some of the canceled military depots and small bases. However, after trying hard to recall, a vague impression of the "Sulfur Springs Base" appeared in his mind.
That was what I saw on a battle map for senior officers spread out next to the regimental commander when he was debriefing at the regiment headquarters last year.
"I remembered that the Sulfur Springs base was canceled in 1975. After the victory of the Abnormal Species War, the Qianshan Mountains were wiped out. The sites established for the war were basically abandoned, leaving only the Blackhead Mountain base in the south, so the new map is I won’t mark it again,” Xia Xiaoyuan recalled.
When the scout heard that it was a combat base, he immediately became excited and said, "Company Commander! The base must have reserves during wartime! And it's close and in the right direction! If we go to Ganjingzi, we have to walk at least sixty or seventy kilometers more!" "
"Company commander, why not go to the sulfur spring!"
"Company Commander..." Deputy Company Commander Zhang Ya came closer and said, "Should we set up a permanent camp and stay on the same spot, or continue walking? If we want to leave, should we go to Ganjingzi or Sulfur Spring?"
Walk? Keep?
Xia Xiaoyuan knew very well that his single order could determine the fate of more than a hundred people in the entire company. If you follow the scouts to the old Sulfur Springs base and hold on for half a day, you can get out of trouble. If they haven't arrived by nightfall tomorrow and the whole company is demoralized and weak, I'm afraid they won't even be able to set up a permanent camp. It’s not as simple as reducing a few employees.
As for going to Ganjingzi? This was no longer within the scope of his consideration. With the Sulfur Spring Base as a reference, he immediately understood in his heart that because he got lost in the wind and snow two days ago, he accidentally bumped into someone along the way. In fact, he was going against the direction of the Ganjingzi Military Station. direction to go. If we want to turn around again, even if the weather is fine and we follow the map, it will still be more than 60 kilometers!
What if we don’t leave and camp? Although he could make a living by killing horses, who could predict how long it would take before he was finally rescued? How many more people will be lost?
Facing everyone's eager gazes, Xia Xiaoyuan moved her lips, but did not give an answer for a long time. How quickly can you give an order? With one command, everyone will circle around his baton, reincarnate, and reincarnate in death.
Having been partners for many years, Zhang Ya saw the company commander's hesitation, so naturally he would not rush him and announced for him that a meeting would be held to decide on follow-up actions.
"Go and call all the platoon leaders here. I can't make this decision arbitrarily." Xia Xiaoyuan said according to the situation.
Zhang Ya took a deep look at the company commander and wanted to say something, but finally accepted the order and left.
The temporary tent was full of more than a dozen people, including three platoon commanders, nine squad leaders, as well as the cavalry squad and maintenance team. People listened carefully to the company commander's speech about leaving or staying.
"Vote, leave? Stay? Those who want to leave, raise your hands." Xia Xiaoyuan said.
Shen Rusong glanced around and saw that everyone bowed their heads and said nothing. Zhao Haiqiang came over and whispered, "Do you want to leave or stay? We are in a platoon and we cannot go against the platoon leader."
"I will do whatever the platoon leader does." Shen Rusong replied.
There was a stalemate in the atmosphere. At this time, Chen Xiaoxiang stood up, turned around and stared at everyone one by one. She said in a serious tone: "Comrade Luo Weicheng in my class is sick and has a bad cold. Go forward to the old base, he still has There is hope of life, but if he stays, without medicine, without fire, and eats horse meat, he will not survive."
"The situation in each class and platoon is not good, and the number of sick people is increasing day by day. I know in my heart that in this weather and environment, even minor illnesses can be fatal. I will not let my class make unnecessary sacrifices and die on the battlefield again. I will do it for them." Are you happy to die here, in this ghost place where dad doesn’t know what mom doesn’t know? I just have the same attitude..."
Chen Xiaoxiang took a "poof" and then raised his hands high.
Shen Rusong looked at Zhao Haiqiang and Xin Jie, and saw that Xin Jie, who was usually silent, was the first to raise his hands. Then Platoon Leader Xu raised his hands, so naturally, he and Zhao Haiqiang also raised their hands.
"Squad Leader Chen is right, I would rather die on the way forward than sit back and wait for death!"
"Let's go! It's only twenty kilometers! In the past, we could cover fifty kilometers in a day's march!"
"It's time to go, not one step too many, but one step too little. Eat your fill and get on the road!"
In an instant, arms were raised like a forest.
Xia Xiaoyuan saw that the deputy company next to him also raised his hand. He nodded and announced: "Let's set off overnight!"
The news that the Sulfur Springs Base was close at hand and the order to set off overnight spread throughout the company. The soldiers had eaten their last rations. Now everyone's backpacks were lighter than ever before, and their bodies regained the enthusiasm they had not had for a long time. People raised their heads. I heard the company commander's mobilization.
"Even if you fall, you have to fall on the way forward!"
