Leitao was the first to regain his composure. He stepped forward, a sneer on his face, and said, "Don't claim I'm one of your Central Army men; you have no right to order me around. As for them, they do belong to your Central Army, but why don't you ask them what their status is? Here in this desperate jungle, everyone is fighting to survive. We aren't here to play your little bureaucratic hierarchy games."
The Colonel Staff Officer’s face flushed red at these words, and he retorted loudly, "Do you have any idea how critical the intelligence I carry is? I must return to my unit immediately. This is a matter of the highest strategic importance. If you refuse to comply, you are defying military orders!"
The Military Statistics Captain stepped forward, his tone cold. "In this jungle, nothing is more important than our collective survival. We are operating according to a set plan, and we will not disrupt our deployment just to satisfy your individual demands."
Chapter 173