Daliao Military District.
Deep in the mountainous hinterland dozens of miles away, thick fog, like undiluted milk, shrouded the continuous ridges tightly.
Pei Zhengnian was conducting field training with ten soldiers, including Xiong Lei and Sun Xuelin. Their army-green training uniforms were already damp with morning dew, trouser cuffs caked in mud.
"Regiment Commander, the Eagle Beak Cliff is just ahead. According to the plan, we'll rest there."
Sun Xuelin held a map, pointing towards the mist-shrouded hollow ahead, his voice unusually clear in the silent mountain forest.
Pei Zhengnian nodded, wiping the dew from his face with his hand. His boots made a soft rustling sound on the rotten leaves.
"Pick up the pace, try to reach it before the fog lifts. Stay alert, the terrain in these woods is complex."
Pei Zhengnian's gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, sweeping over the depths of the dense forest.
This training ground had been pre-scouted by the unit; safety was supposed to be guaranteed.
It was just that the weather wasn't cooperating today—the fog.
Xiong Lei volunteered to lead the way.
In the early morning deep mountains, the ground under the trees was damp.
Xiong Lei lost his footing, stepping on a loose rock covered in moss. He slipped forward, stumbling and lurching ahead.
"Oof!"
He instinctively reached out to grab the nearby bushes but froze the moment he landed.
There, under his right foot, was an inconspicuous, earth-yellow metal object, its edge revealing a few thin wires, half-buried and faintly visible beneath the rotten leaves.
"R-Regiment Commander..."
Xiong Lei's voice instantly changed pitch, his face turning as pale as paper. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he even forgot to breathe.
"I... I think I stepped on something..."
Pei Zhengnian's heart sank. He rushed over in a flash, and when he saw what was under Xiong Lei's foot, his pupils constricted sharply.
It was a new model anti-personnel mine, its casing camouflaged the color of dirt, its pressure fuse exposed, wires connecting to the surrounding soil.
Pei Zhengnian's face instantly darkened.
This wasn't a training simulation mine. It was the real thing!
"Don't move! Nobody come any closer!"
Pei Zhengnian barked sharply.
He quickly crouched down, his fingers stopping about ten centimeters from the mine, his eyes scanning the surrounding ground like torches.
Sure enough, within a three-meter radius around Xiong Lei, several identical mines were hidden under the rotten leaves, their wires interconnected, forming a small minefield.
Sun Xuelin and the other soldiers were too terrified to make a sound, hastily retreating to a safe distance, hands on their holstered pistols, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
"Xiong Lei, take a deep breath, listen to my instructions."
Pei Zhengnian's voice was unusually calm, yet fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead, tracing down his firm jawline.
He pulled the multi-tool army knife from the side pouch of his backpack. The blade gleamed coldly in the fog.
"Tell me, how does it feel under your foot? Do you feel distinct pressure?"
Xiong Lei's teeth chattered as he tried to steady his breathing.
"N-No..."
"It just felt hard when I stepped on it, like it didn't depress fully..."
His leg was already going numb, the cold sweat on his back soaking through his training uniform, clinging to him with an icy sting.
Pei Zhengnian let out a slight sigh of relief.
Good, the fuse hadn't been triggered.
He carefully brushed away the rotten leaves around the mine, revealing the complete body and connecting wires.
It was a Type 72 anti-personnel mine, pressure-activated, highly sensitive. Pressure over five kilograms would detonate it.
There were three others around it, forming a linked cluster. The one under your foot is the primary mine. If it explodes, the other three will go off simultaneously.
Xiong Lei was worried sick.
"R-Regiment Commander, how is it?"
"It's fine."
Pei Zhengnian didn't reveal the truth.
He shot a glance at Sun Xuelin.
Sun Xuelin understood instantly. He took off his backpack, carefully observing the surroundings as he slowly moved closer to Pei Zhengnian and Xiong Lei.
Pei Zhengnian observed the wire layout, his frown deepening.
This mine was newly laid.
The wire cuts were fresh, the soil wasn't fully compacted, and the dew on it hadn't dried.
At most, not more than three days old.
"Newly laid?"
Sun Xuelin drew a sharp breath.
"Regiment Commander, this area is a regular training route for the unit. Last month's reconnaissance showed nothing. Who would bury mines here?"
Right!
Who would bury a mine here?
Pei Zhengnian didn't speak, his fingers lightly touching the wires, sensing the direction of the metal strands inside.
The technique was professional. The wires were buried deep, the camouflage well-executed. Not something an amateur could do.
Pei Zhengnian's eyes turned cold. This wasn't an accident. It was more like a carefully laid trap.
"Xiong Lei, listen. Now slowly shift your weight to your left foot, lean your body forward, don't wobble."
Pei Zhengnian's voice was abnormally calm, steady as a rock.
"On the count of three, quickly lift your right foot and jump half a step to the left. Remember, it must be fast, precise, and steady. Don't disturb anything."
Xiong Lei gritted his teeth hard and nodded, his knuckles white from the strain.
The surrounding soldiers held their breath.
"One—two—three!"
At Pei Zhengnian's command, Xiong Lei jerked his right foot up, his body leaping to the left like an arrow from a bow, landing heavily on the ground.
Almost the instant he landed, the army knife in Pei Zhengnian's hand had already precisely severed the main wire of the primary mine. His movement was swift as lightning, the blade even picking up a bit of soil.
"Clear!"
Pei Zhengnian uttered a low shout. The cold sweat on his forehead finally coalesced into droplets and fell.
He slumped to the ground, breathing heavily, the back of his training uniform soaked through with cold sweat.
Xiong Lei scrambled over to Pei Zhengnian, clutching his arm and wailing.
"Regiment Commander! I almost got you killed! I'm sorry!"
"Stop wailing! No backbone!"
Pei Zhengnian patted his shoulder, his voice carrying a trace of belated fear but still stern.
"Get up! Check your gear. We need to get out of here, now!"
Sun Xuelin had already led the soldiers in marking the area with branches, establishing a perimeter around the minefield.
"Regiment Commander, these mines... ordinary people can't get their hands on them. Could it be..."
He didn't finish, but the suspicion in his eyes was clear—there was a problem within the unit itself.
Pei Zhengnian stood up, gazing into the fog-drenched mountain forest, his eyes as cold as ice.
"Now's not the time for speculation. Mark the minefield clearly, notify the following units to detour."
"We'll proceed according to the original plan for now. Heighten your vigilance."
After leaving the minefield, the thick fog gradually dispersed. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Pei Zhengnian walked at the front, clearing the path.
He crouched down, carefully examining the footprints on the ground. Besides their own, there were several faint, unfamiliar prints, with large shoe sizes, resembling military sneakers.
Sun Xuelin pointed at the steep slope ahead.
"Regiment Commander, going down from here leads to the bottom of Eagle Beak Cliff valley. According to the map, there's a stream where we can replenish our water."
But Pei Zhengnian stopped, his brow furrowed as he stared at the weeds on the steep slope.
That patch of grass grew taller than the surrounding area, yet there were several spots clearly flattened...
