As dawn was about to break, the engineering company arrived!
The arrival of the engineering company brought a bustle to the valley. They brought professional equipment to clear the minefields and traps.
The company commander leading the team shook Pei Zhengnian's hand.
"Regiment Commander Pei, our preliminary inspection shows five locations, each with two cluster mines buried."
Pei Zhengnian's expression grew even grimmer.
"Any clues found? Like fingerprints, footprints, anything like that?"
"Very difficult."
The company commander shook his head helplessly.
"The other side is very cunning. Every place they touched has been treated, leaving no fingerprints. There are a few footprints, but they've been deliberately obscured. We can only tell they're military rubber-soled shoes, can't distinguish the specific model."
Pei Zhengnian nodded, asking no more.
He knew it would be hard to find the mole through these means. Whoever did this must have prepared thoroughly.
At ten in the morning, an order came from headquarters, instructing them to end the training exercise and return to base.
Back at the base, before Pei Zhengnian could even catch his breath, he went straight into his office and started working.
It wasn't until the sun sank in the west that he finally stretched his limbs and headed home with his duffel bag.
Before he even reached his doorstep, Pei Zhengnian stopped in his tracks.
There were sounds in the courtyard.
Someone was there.
Pei Zhengnian calculated the time, and a surge of joy rose in his heart.
Taking the steps two at a time, Pei Zhengnian pushed open the courtyard gate.
The setting sun gilded the edges of the grapevines. Shen Nanchu sat quietly beneath them, the evening breeze gently stirring her hair and the hem of her dress, dappled light swaying softly on her shoulders.
Seeing Pei Zhengnian, Shen Nanchu raised the corners of her mouth.
"You're back?"
"Mm."
Pei Zhengnian also smiled, his previous weariness swept away.
Hearing the commotion, Pei's Mother came out from the kitchen.
"Second Son, you're back?"
"Perfect timing, let's eat."
A dining table was set right under the grape arbor.
Golden stir-fried chicken with wood ear mushrooms, tomato and egg stir-fry, and greens fried in lard steamed hot, their aromas rising.
"I'll go take a quick shower first."
Pei Zhengnian was afraid the smell on him would offend Shen Nanchu directly.
This little lady was quite particular!
Pei Zhengnian took a very quick, combat-style shower.
If not for the familiar scent of soap that wafted from him, Shen Nanchu would have suspected he had just poured water over his head.
Pei Zhengnian was indeed hungry. He picked up his rice bowl and dug in.
Pei's Mother watched with heartache, occasionally putting food in Pei Zhengnian's bowl, not forgetting to do the same for Shen Nanchu.
...
The next day,
Shen Nanchu was awakened by the sound of the military bugle, and Pei Zhengnian's figure was already gone.
For several days in a row, Pei Zhengnian left early and returned late, sometimes even going back to work after dinner.
Shen Nanchu didn't think much of it.
Soon, Pei Zhengnian was to lead his men to the capital for a military exercise.
This exercise would last half a month. By the time Pei Zhengnian returned, Shen Nanchu would be nearly at her due date.
Shen Nanchu didn't dwell much on Pei Zhengnian's departure.
After all, with Pei Zhengnian's skills, he was sure to handle this exercise with ease.
...
Hundreds of kilometers from the capital,
Rolling mountain peaks stretched into the distance.
The military exercise was in full swing, with elite troops from seven major military regions locked in a tug-of-war across the rolling hills.
Pei Zhengnian crouched behind cover, his army-green training uniform smeared with dirt and dust, the barrel of his rifle still emitting the faint blue smoke from the exercise blanks.
He had just led the vanguard battalion in tearing through the Blue Force's first line of defense.
"Regiment Commander, scouts report the Blue Force has deployed heavy troops at Dangyan Cliff!"
Sun Xuelin ran over in a crouch,
"Looks like they want to block our supply line."
Pei Zhengnian bit open his canteen lid and took a gulp of cold water, the stream trickling down his neck into his collar.
He raised his well-worn binoculars, his gaze sweeping over the distant, mist-shrouded ridge.
"Have the Second Company feign a frontal attack, draw their fire."
"We'll take the main force and climb the cliff from the flank, take out their command tent."
The team made their way through a thorny, overgrown ravine, enduring great hardship, and finally climbed halfway up the mountainside.
Pei Zhengnian picked up his binoculars to scout the situation at Yandang Cliff.
Suddenly, a figure among the Blue Force caught Pei Zhengnian's eye.
The figure was adjusting a radio. The profile revealed under the military cap looked exactly like that of Pei Zhengwei, the eldest Pei brother who had been sacrificed!
Pei Zhengnian's heart clenched violently, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the binoculars.
Back then, the army had only sent back his elder brother's pen and a notice of death in action, not even his remains could be recovered.
He blinked hard, suspecting it was a hallucination from days of exhausting exercises, but as the figure turned, Pei Zhengnian saw his full face. That familiar face... wasn't it Pei Zhengwei?
It couldn't be wrong!
"Regiment Commander, what's wrong?"
Sun Xuelin sensed something off and asked in a hushed voice.
Pei Zhengnian's throat tightened. It took him a long moment to squeeze out the words, "It's nothing. Continue climbing as planned."
Pei Zhengnian suppressed the storm raging inside him, but the hand holding the binoculars trembled slightly.
Elder brother was clearly sacrificed. How could he appear in the Blue Force's position?
To uncover the truth, he just needed to reach the mountaintop.
Pei Zhengnian's pace suddenly quickened.
It startled both Sun Xuelin and Xiong Lei.
Why the sudden burst of energy from the Regiment Commander?
...
Just as they were within a mere meter of the cliff top.
A string of boulders suddenly tumbled down from above, followed by deafening explosions.
The Blue Force had actually set explosive traps in advance!
"Take cover!"
Pei Zhengnian roared, pushing Sun Xuelin aside and diving for cover himself.
Fortunately, everyone reacted in time.
But this was just the appetizer.
The sound of machine gun fire erupted from the cliff top.
Pei Zhengnian and his men were instantly stunned.
This was an exercise. Live ammunition wasn't allowed.
A bullet struck the ground right in front of Pei Zhengnian. Luckily, Pei Zhengnian moved agilely and dodged it.
Immediately after, bullets kept firing towards Pei Zhengnian.
A tempest raged in Pei Zhengnian's heart.
This was an attempt on his life.
But, why?
While dodging, questions flooded Pei Zhengnian's mind.
Did his elder brother want him dead?
No, he had to charge up and see for himself.
"Everyone, take cover and hide."
"I'll lead the way."
With those words, Pei Zhengnian made several leaps and climbs, nimbly charging upward.
The machine gun fire continued.
Pei Zhengnian dodged it all.
Just as he was about to reach the top of the cliff.
A face appeared in Pei Zhengnian's line of sight.
A face he could never forget, even in death.
It was the face of his elder brother, Pei Zhengwei.
A flash of disgust passed through Pei Zhengwei's eyes.
He pulled the trigger.
Bang~~~
A gunshot rang out.
Pei Zhengnian was shot in the arm.
His body tumbled down the cliff like a kite with its string cut, dry branches tearing his skin, rocks bruising his bones.
Fortunately, Pei Zhengnian managed to grab onto a tree branch.
The wound on his back burned with a fiery pain. The coarse training uniform was soaked with blood, sticking to his skin, cold and stiff.
The walkie-talkie...
He felt for his waist. Luckily, the device was still functional.
Pressing the talk button, Sun Xuelin's tense voice came through,
"Regiment Commander! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Pei Zhengnian's voice was hoarse, each word tugging at his wound,
"Find good hiding spots and wait for my signal."
