The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 572 Ace Scout He Qiu!!!
When fellow villagers meet, their eyes are filled with tears. This is the most true portrayal of the battlefield on the front line.

During the war-torn years, two fellow villagers who had not seen each other for a long time met on the front line. Their excitement was beyond words, as if all their words had turned into familiar hometown accents.

The reunion of Liu Xiaotao and He Qiu seemed to be arranged by fate. They had endless topics to talk about, from the changes in their hometown to their experiences on the battlefield. Every sentence was full of affection and resonance.

When the last wave of pursuing enemy troops was completely defeated and returned safely to the base, He Qiu couldn't wait to go to Liu Xiaotao's base with a bottle of precious "Taihang" wine.

The two men raised their glasses and drank together, the aroma of the wine was mixed with nostalgia for the past and expectations for the future. This comradeship was particularly precious in the war.

Liu Xiaotao was new to the battlefield and was eager to ask He Qiu, the veteran, to teach him some combat experience, which was gained at the cost of his comrades' lives and was extremely precious.

He Qiu consciously took good care of the younger brother who was his fellow villager and good friend, without Liu Xiaotao even reminding him.

Don't underestimate these clichés, they may save your life at critical moments.

On the battlefield of the Two Mountains War, the mission shouldered by scouts like He Qiu was like dancing on the edge of a knife. Every action was full of unknown risks and huge tests.

They often have to go deep behind enemy lines, overcome numerous difficulties and obstacles, and collect extremely critical intelligence to provide solid and strong support for the troops' combat decisions.

Crossing a minefield is a life-and-death challenge that scouts often encounter while performing their missions.

The minefield in the L Mountain area is like a deadly trap hidden in the darkness, with Type 72 anti-personnel mines and Type 66 anti-personnel directional mines scattered everywhere. If you make the slightest mistake, you will trip a mine and end up being torn to pieces.

Whenever He Qiu and his team go on a mission and have to cross a minefield, they must concentrate highly, rely on their keen insight and rich experience, and carefully explore the landing point of each step.

They often lie on the ground, groping forward bit by bit with their hands, their clothes soaked with sweat, but with only one firm belief in their hearts: to complete the mission and return safely.

It would be useless to just talk without practice. He Qiu felt that he had to take Liu Xiaotao through the minefield to experience it for himself.

He Qiu's breathing seemed particularly heavy in the silent minefield, and the only sound he could hear was the sound of the wind and the occasional bird song.

His fingers gently touched the ground, feeling the subtle changes of every inch of soil. Suddenly, his fingers paused, and he felt something strange at his fingertips - it was a slightly raised piece of metal with an edge as sharp as a knife.

His heartbeat suddenly quickened and cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

He held his breath, slowly retracted his fingers, and tapped the ground lightly with his nails, carefully distinguishing the subtle differences in the sound.

"Stop!" He Qiu shouted in a low voice, and Liu Xiaotao behind him immediately stopped what he was doing and held his breath.

He Qiu pulled out a mine detector from his waist, carefully inserted it into the soil, and tested the location of the metal piece.

His movements were extremely slow, as if time was stretched at this moment.

When the mine detector touched the metal sheet, there was a slight "click" sound. He Qiu's pupils suddenly contracted and his fingers trembled slightly.

"It's a Type 72 anti-personnel mine," he whispered, with a hint of nervousness in his voice, "Go around it, don't touch it."

Liu Xiaotao nodded in understanding and carefully avoided the minefield, every step being like walking on thin ice.

He Qiu's mind kept replaying every detail of the mine clearance, reminding himself not to be negligent in the slightest.

His eyes swept across the ground in front of him, and suddenly, the soil under a dead leaf was slightly concave, which caught his attention.

He Qiu suddenly lay down and gently pushed away the dead leaves with his hands, revealing a tripwire as thin as a hair, which was connected to another landmine.

"Be careful, there are trip mines!" He Qiu's voice was low and rapid, and Liu Xiaotao immediately broke out in sweat on his face. Fortunately, He Qiu had experience, otherwise he might have triggered this chain of mines.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment. He Qiu's fingers gently pinched the tripwire and carefully cut it.

He moved extremely slowly, fearing to cause any vibration.

The moment he cut the tripwire, He Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, but the tension in his heart did not completely dissipate.

Veterans know that every inch of land in a minefield may hide deadly danger.

"Keep moving forward?" He Qiu asked Liu Xiaotao in a low voice.

Liu Xiaotao gritted his teeth and said with a hint of determination, "Keep going. We are not far from the safe zone anyway."

He Qiu smiled and gave Liu Xiaotao a thumbs up, "Okay, brother, you are just like Liu Wu. Everyone in your Liu family is a hero, hahahaha..."

After passing through the minefield several times, Liu Xiaotao felt that he had gained a lot.

The two reconnaissance troops were stationed not far from each other. In his spare time, Liu Xiaotao often came to ask He Qiu for advice on the battlefield.

"By the way, Xiao Tao, is there any news about Liu Wu recently?" Under the scorching sun, after training, He Qiu wiped his face with cold water and asked casually.

Liu Xiaotao handed over the towel and shook his head gently: "I haven't contacted my second brother since he went to the front line. The last time I spoke to him, I heard that he had made great contributions in flood relief!"

When He Qiu heard this, his eyes widened and he exclaimed: "Wow, Liu Wu can still make contributions even if he leaves the front line!"

Liu Xiaotao smiled and nodded: "Who says not? His temperament is like my uncle. He can make some noise wherever he goes!"

He Qiu nodded in agreement: "I firmly believe this. Speaking of your uncle, I can't help but feel a little regretful..."

"Regret? What do you mean?" Liu Xiaotao asked curiously.

He Qiu sighed softly, with a little disappointment in his tone: "My regret is that I finally came to the front line with great difficulty, and I thought I could finally fight side by side with your uncle and fulfill my childhood dream. But who would have thought that he would be transferred away again, alas..."

Hearing this, Liu Xiaotao smiled with understanding. His uncle Liu Zhiye was a living legend and the idol of the new generation of young people since childhood.

"You know, the person I envy the most right now is Yi Yuanchao from our hospital. He is currently working under your uncle. Wow, he has a really bright future!" He Qiu sighed to the sky, feeling a little envious.

Liu Xiaotao laughed and said, "Brother He, you are not bad either, a captain of the scout squadron..."

"You little brat, you're good at talking. Okay, let me continue to tell you what we scouts should pay attention to..." He Qiu said with satisfaction.

"...Hiding from the enemy's sight is undoubtedly an extreme challenge to our scouts' willpower and endurance..."

He Qiu often had to lurk around enemy positions for days or even weeks, suffering from hunger, severe cold, mosquito bites, and the constant fear of being exposed at any time.

During a covert reconnaissance mission, He Qiu and his comrades hid in the grass in front of the enemy's position for seven days and seven nights.

They were unable to make fire to cook and could only rely on the compressed dry food and rainwater they carried with them to solve the problem of food and clothing; they could not move their bodies at will and could only maintain one posture, allowing mosquitoes to wreak havoc on their bodies.

Once, He Qiu was accidentally bitten by a poisonous mosquito. A big bump soon appeared on his face, which was painful and itchy. However, he forced himself to endure it and dared not make a sound for fear of alerting the enemy.

During these long seven days and seven nights, they always kept a close eye on the enemy's every move, not missing any details, and finally succeeded in obtaining key intelligence, providing important information for the troops' combat operations.

He Qiu said that the most dangerous moment they faced was a head-on firefight with enemy agents.

The enemy's agents have also received systematic and rigorous training, and are proficient in guerrilla tactics and sneak attacks. They often take advantage of their familiarity with the terrain to launch sudden and unexpected attacks on our army.

When confronting enemy agents, our scouts must not only have superb military skills, but also have calm thinking and strong fighting spirit.

One day, He Qiu and his comrades were on a reconnaissance mission when they suddenly encountered a team of enemy agents.

A fierce battle broke out between the two sides in the dense forest. Bullets whizzed past ears and many comrades were injured one after another.

At that time, He Qiu had just become a scout, but he was not afraid of danger. He used trees as cover and flexibly avoided the enemy's attacks while looking for opportunities to counterattack.

He Qiu noticed that an enemy agent was about to shoot his injured comrade, so he rushed over without hesitation and engaged in close combat with the enemy.

After a fierce fight, He Qiu finally succeeded in subduing the enemy and ensuring the safety of his comrades.

During the mission, the scouts also have to face the harsh natural environment.

The L Mountain area has a subtropical mountain jungle climate, with high temperatures, high rainfall and a humid climate. The vegetation in the mountains and forests is extremely lush, and poisonous snakes and mosquitoes are rampant.

Scouts often have to travel long distances in such environments, putting their bodies under great pressure.

He Qiuyou's comrades suffered from severe skin diseases and arthritis due to long-term marching in a humid environment, but they still insisted on fighting;
Some comrades were bitten by poisonous snakes while crossing the mountains and forests, but they simply treated the wounds and continued to move forward.

With their strong will and firm belief, they overcame the test of nature and completed one difficult task after another.

One night before the Spring Festival two years ago, He Qiu received a difficult task:

He led a 60-man special reconnaissance company, sneaked into the territory of the "White-Eyed Wolf" and annihilated a group of enemy agents entrenched on the hilltop.

This group of enemy agents was very cunning and well-trained, causing a lot of trouble to our army.

He Qiu clearly understood that this mission was full of dangers, but he had no intention of retreating and carefully planned the battle plan. They waded through the minefield, crossed the enemy's blockade, arrived at the designated location on time without making any noise, and then lurked quietly.

For five consecutive days and nights, He Qiu and the soldiers endured hunger, fatigue and mosquito infestation, hardly closed their eyes, and always maintained a high level of vigilance.

Finally, late at night on the fifth day, enemy agents took action again.

When the enemy entered the range, He Qiu gave the order: "Fire!"

In an instant, bullets rained down on the enemy troops.

Some of the panicked enemy agents were killed on the spot, while others hurriedly retreated into bunkers and engaged in a firefight with our troops.

He Qiu took the lead and led the soldiers to advance bravely, engaging in a fierce close combat with the enemy.

Amid the fierce gunfire, He Qiu's ears were filled with the sound of bullets whizzing past, but he did not retreat at all.

He held the rifle tightly in his hand, his eyes sharp as a torch, and quickly judged the enemy's movements.

The enemy agents obviously did not expect them to counterattack so quickly and were thrown into disarray.

He Qiu seized this opportunity and led the soldiers to quickly approach the enemy's bunker.

"Follow me!" He Qiu shouted in a low voice, with unquestionable firmness in his voice.

The soldiers followed closely behind with steady steps, their eyes revealing the belief that they would win.

They have a tacit understanding with each other and know how to cooperate without much words.

Bullets flashed blindingly in the night, smoke filled the air, and the pace of the battle became increasingly tense.

He Qiu rolled over to avoid the enemy's gunfire, then quickly stood up, aimed at the enemy behind the cover, and pulled the trigger.

A gunshot rang out and the enemy fell to the ground.

His movements were clean and neat, as if he was dancing a dance of life and death on the battlefield.

Under his leadership, the soldiers' morale was high and they gradually gained the upper hand.

At this moment, the enemy's reinforcements came from the flank, and the situation became critical again.

He Qiu made a quick judgment and ordered the soldiers to act separately, with one part continuing to suppress the enemy in the front, while the other part quickly moved to the flank to prepare to meet the enemy reinforcements.

"We can't let them surround us!" He Qiu's voice echoed in the darkness, full of determination and strength.

The soldiers carried out the order quickly without any hesitation.

He Qiu knew very well that the outcome of this battle not only concerned their life and death, but also the direction of the entire war.

The night wind howled and the flames of war burned. The figures of He Qiu and the soldiers appeared particularly tall in the firelight.

They demonstrated fearlessness and loyalty with their actions and defended the land beneath their feet with blood and sweat.

He Qiu relied on his superb fighting skills and tenacious fighting will to kill several enemy agents in succession.

Under his leadership, the soldiers were full of fighting spirit and the battle ended quickly in less than an hour.

In this battle, dozens of enemy agents were killed and the remaining enemies fled in a panic. However, the special reconnaissance company where He Qiu was located was safe and sound, achieving brilliant military exploits.

It is said that people who have been to the battlefield will have scars on their bodies.

He Qiu is no exception!

Last March, in a raid on a certain high ground, He Qiu led the entire squadron to lurk at the front line of the enemy's position for as long as 3 days.

During this period, they overcame numerous difficulties and obstacles and held on until the battle began.

After the attack order was issued, he led the entire squadron with his clever and courageous command and successfully annihilated more than 60 enemy troops and destroyed 6 enemy artillery pieces.

But on the way back, incendiary bombs dropped by the enemy ignited the thatch around the passage, and the entire company was surrounded by fire.

He Qiu, who was in charge of the rearguard, remained calm in the face of danger. He and his comrades worked hard to put out the fire while directing everyone to take turns to evacuate the seriously injured.

He Qiu personally carried the tallest and heaviest wounded soldier in the company on his back. He protected the wounded soldier with one hand and held the straw tightly with the other hand, moving with difficulty on the rugged rocky path.

At this time, his knees and elbows were worn by the gravel, and sweat and blood mixed together.

Because he had a bad cold at the time and had been in hiding for seven consecutive days and nights, He Qiu was exhausted both physically and mentally and eventually fainted.

When he was awakened by the roar of the mines detonated by the fire, his comrades urged him to evacuate first, but He Qiu said firmly: "As the squadron leader, I will never leave as long as there is a comrade behind me."

Afterwards, with extraordinary perseverance and regardless of the danger to his own life, he rescued his trapped comrades in the fire.

Flames raged around He Qiu and the thick smoke made it almost impossible for him to breathe, but he seemed to feel no pain or fatigue, and his eyes were only on his comrades who were waiting for rescue.

His palms were blistered by the high temperature and the soles of his feet were scratched by the gravel, but he still gritted his teeth and persisted, groping his way into the sea of ​​fire step by step.

Every time he rescued a comrade, he would do his best to carry them to a safe area, and then turn around and rush into the sea of ​​fire.

When He Qiu rushed into the fire for the last time, his strength was almost exhausted. The world in front of him began to blur and the only sound in his ears was his own heavy breathing.

He staggered forward and finally found his last comrade behind a rock surrounded by flames.

The comrade was already unconscious, his face covered in ashes and blood.

He Qiu used up his last bit of strength to carry him on his back, but found that he could no longer stand.

His legs felt like they were filled with lead, and every step he took felt like he was walking on the edge of a knife.

"Hold on, we will definitely get out!" He Qiu gritted his teeth and whispered to himself and his comrades on his back.

His vision became increasingly blurred, and the only sound he could hear was the roaring fire, but he still insisted on moving forward.

Finally, just as he was about to fall, he heard the shouts of his comrades in the distance.

Several soldiers rushed over and took the wounded from his back.

He Qiu collapsed to the ground, unable to move. His hands were still clenched, as if he was still trying to grab something.

His comrades gathered around him, their eyes full of admiration and concern.

He Qiu's consciousness gradually became blurred, but the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a relieved smile.

He knew that he had done it, rescued all his comrades and fulfilled his duties as a squadron leader.

When the rescue team arrived, He Qiu had already been carried onto a stretcher.

His face was covered in ashes and blood, but his determined eyes were still as bright as ever. In the moment before he fell into coma, he whispered softly: "Mission accomplished..." Then, his consciousness fell into complete darkness.

When Liu Xiaotao learned that He Qiu had nearly died in the fire, he was shocked and blurted out, "Brother He, are the parts of your body not burned?"

He Qiu didn't say much, and decisively took off his training uniform, revealing his scarred back.

There are scars crisscrossing He Qiu's back, some are as deep as ravines, some are as shallow as thin lines, but all of them reveal traces of his struggle on the brink of life and death.

Liu Xiaotao's heart suddenly tightened, and his throat seemed to be blocked by something, and he was unable to speak for a while.

"These are all my medals." He Qiu's voice was low and firm, as if he was talking about something very ordinary.

He slowly turned around and looked directly at Liu Xiaotao. There was no trace of emotion in his eyes, but they made people feel an invisible sense of oppression.

"Brother He, how did you manage to survive?" Liu Xiaotao finally couldn't help but ask.

He Qiu was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly: "Faith. As long as you have faith in your heart, no matter how big the difficulties are, you can overcome them." He paused, looking into the distance, as if recalling something, "Every time I fall, I tell myself that it can't end like this. I still have unfinished tasks and people who need to be protected."

"Brother He, I understand." Liu Xiaotao nodded solemnly, with a determined light in his eyes. "No matter how difficult the future is, I will stick to my beliefs like you and never back down."

He Qiu patted his shoulder, the corners of his mouth slightly raised: "Good boy, I feel relieved when you say this."

(End of this chapter)