[Ding! Simulation starting!]
[You lead your squad toward the field hospital and arrive successfully!]
[You settle the wounded.]
[While at the hospital, you are reassigned to the Yunzaobang direction.]
[Along the way, you pass a village and encounter two Japanese squads!]
[You capture detailed Japanese operational deployment maps and a radio!]
[You continue toward Yunzaobang!]
[The Japanese Air Corps spots your trail and drops aerial bombs on you!]
[You are dead!]
As the word "dead" appeared, that familiar chill washed over him again. Lin Feng had been prepared for it, but he still felt a prickling sensation, as if needles were pressing against his back.
"Damn it! Sooner or later, I’m going to take down the Japanese Air Corps!"
Lin Feng cursed inwardly. The greatest disadvantage for the Gan Country’s National Revolutionary Army on the Songhu Battlefield was their lack of air power, which had been severely depleted early in the conflict. This left the entire Songhu front almost completely without air superiority. It made life miserable for the Gan Country soldiers; lacking anti-aircraft weapons, they could only fret helplessly when faced with Japanese planes.
"Yunzaobang! They’re really forcing me to lead these men to their deaths!"
The text of the simulation continued to scroll, mentioning locations increasingly familiar to Lin Feng. Currently, the most intense fighting on the front lines was concentrated in the areas of Luodian and Dachang. The Yunzaobang sector lay directly between the two, a place where countless Japanese and Gan Country troops were locked in a desperate, brutal slaughter. Even for a full division, let alone Lin Feng’s two platoons, holding a defensive position in that area would be an immensely difficult task. This field hospital mission, he feared, was certainly not going to be simple.
[Simulation ended. Host may choose from the following options!]
[1: Japanese strategic deployment map]
[2: Basic physical enhancement and recovery]
[3: A radio]
The rewards for the white-tier simulation were as modest as ever, consisting of three simple choices.
"I choose two!"
Lin Feng didn't hesitate this time; he chose to recover and strengthen his body immediately. The Japanese strategic maps and the radio had little practical use for him at the moment. First, he lacked the status to communicate with the Gan Country high command; second, he didn't know how to operate a radio. If either condition were met, he might have considered them.
There was another reason: Lin Feng had been in this world for a full eight hours. The experiences during that time had transformed him from an ordinary civilian into a soldier. Even with his strong willpower, his body was hitting its limit.
As his choice took effect, a warm current surged from the soles of his feet, rushing straight to the top of his head. The exhaustion and sleepiness that had clung to him were washed away by this warmth. His body felt energized; he could clearly feel that his strength had increased, and even his five senses had become much sharper.
He stopped in his tracks for a moment, causing the soldiers behind him to halt as well.
"Company Commander, what’s wrong? Are you alright?"
Hu Youming, who was close by, noticed Lin Feng stop and hurried over to check on him.
"Nothing, I’m fine! Keep moving. I was just thinking about something," Lin Feng replied, shaking off the sensation and resuming his stride to avoid worrying the men.
It was deep into the night. Everyone was trekking through the dark on difficult terrain; they couldn't afford to delay the march.
"Company Commander, let me carry you! If you’re tired, take a nap. It’ll be fine!"
Hu Youming stepped closer and braced himself, clearly sincere.
"That's right! Commander, you can't be having any trouble!"
The soldiers following Lin Feng, who were shouldering the grenade dischargers, also chimed in with concern.
"Get out of here, Old Hu. You’re exhausted too. Don’t start with that nonsense, I’m perfectly fine!" Lin Feng laughed, giving Hu Youming a playful swat on his hunched-over backside.
"Alright then, I’m heading back to the front." Hu Youming rubbed his lower back, and seeing that Lin Feng was truly fine, he continued forward.
Lin Feng withdrew his attention from the simulator. The group of nearly a hundred men, including over thirty wounded, had been marching since the middle of the night until dawn. Suddenly, someone shouted, "We're almost there! Almost there!"
The voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. After five or six hours on the muddy road, the news gave them a final burst of strength. Sure enough, after another ten minutes of walking, they could see a small, low building in the distance. With Japanese planes scouting everywhere, the building didn't dare fly a Red Cross flag.
"Halt! What unit are you from?!"
Two soldiers from the field hospital’s security detail approached the front of the group.
"Company Commander..." Hu Youming looked at Lin Feng, unsure how to report their unit designation anymore.
Lin Feng nodded, walked to the front of the formation, and smiled at the armed corporal. "Greetings, Sergeant. I am a Major from the 264th Brigade, 88th Division, here to escort these wounded soldiers."
"Leaf of the 180th Regiment, 45th Division, Sergeant Ye Hongfei, reporting to the officer!"
Seeing the rank on Lin Feng’s uniform, the soldier immediately saluted. "Major, my unit is stationed at this field hospital. We have orders regarding wounded from the 88th Division."
After the salute, the sergeant named Ye Hongfei spoke again, his eyes scanning the group Lin Feng had brought.
"Orders? I’ve been out there on the front lines fighting for my life, and you’re talking to me about orders?" Lin Feng’s expression darkened as he realized the sergeant had no intention of letting them through.
"Sir, this field hospital is of the utmost importance. Without orders, we cannot allow entry!" The sergeant’s tone wavered under Lin Feng’s outburst, but he still stood his ground.
"Orders, you say? Hu Youming, bring me paper and a pen!"
Hu Youming, standing behind Lin Feng, immediately pulled a crumpled notebook from his tunic. He tore out the last page carefully and handed it over, along with a pen they had brought when they set out from Sichuan. Lin Feng took them and wrote the word "ORDER" on the paper.
"Sergeant, in my capacity as a Major, I order you to clear the way immediately!"
He threw the paper at the sergeant, who caught it firmly. Seeing this, the sergeant finally stepped aside and cleared the path.
"Well, well! That’s quite the display of rank!"
As Hu Youming and the others prepared to move into the hospital, another man in uniform approached from behind the two guards, followed by several armed escorts.
"Regimental Commander!" The two soldiers turned and saluted immediately.
"Hm," the commander nodded, gesturing for them to step aside. "Truly impressive! You’ve got quite the temper for a battlefield, don't you?"
The commander was powerfully built, clearly no pushover, but someone who had undergone serious training.
"Lieutenant Colonel, the situation is critical. Once these wounded are dropped off, my unit must return to the fight immediately!" Lin Feng did not flinch, meeting the commander’s scrutinizing gaze head-on.