We promised to develop a game called Candy Crush, what the hell is the Third Reich?

Chapter 206 [The Long March] Crossing the Grasslands, [The Beginning of the War of Resistance] (4.6k)

As the Red Army arrived in Fang Ming's live broadcast room.

Other livestreamers also joined the Red Army troops who were about to cross the grasslands.

same.

These streamers are assigned different roles within their respective storylines.

Some were assigned to the reconnaissance and exploration team because they were local indigenous people, while others joined the medical team by utilizing the Blue Star's modern emergency rescue knowledge through photon supercomputers.

There are also logistics teams, publicity teams, and so on.
Fang Ming joined the scouting team, a dangerous position that new recruits shouldn't normally be assigned to.

However, Fang Ming, with his status as a local native at the start of the game, and with the assistance of the Photon Supercomputing, had some knowledge of grassland protection.

I successfully joined the exploration team.

at this time.

In the live broadcast room.

Fang Ming, holding a long stick, was sharing his own experience with grasslands, based on the precautions compiled by the photon supercomputer.

Fang Ming used his long stick to part the grass and explained to the surrounding soldiers:

"The most dangerous part of this grassland is those muddy swamps."

As he spoke, he lowered the long stick in his hand.

The long stick in Fang Ming's hand sank into the ground as soon as it touched the grass.

With Fang Ming exerting force.

It went deeper and deeper until the long stick, as tall as a person, was only exposed with a hand gripping it.

Fang Ming pulled outwards with all his might, and everyone could see the very slow and laborious movements.

If the stick is like this, I don't even want to think about what would happen if a person fell in.
Continue until the stick is completely pulled out.

Fang Ming shook his aching arms and said:
"This is the man-eating meadow."

"The stick is so big that once someone steps in it, it will sink over the top in a few seconds."

The surrounding soldiers listened attentively, and Fang Ming wiped his sweat and continued:

"The second one is poisonous water."

As he spoke, Fang Ming parted the grass again, revealing a small, clear puddle inside:

“These small puddles may look clear, but they are actually contaminated by silt and toxins from the grass.”

"Drinking just one sip can cause a high fever at best, and death at worst."

"Furthermore, the wound must not come into contact with this water. If it does, a high fever and coma are almost inevitable."

Fang Ming was explaining, but the Red Army's forces were far too large for the local area.

Fang Ming's explanation couldn't convey everything.

Fortunately, the various units of the Red Army had interviewed many local people to understand the situation.

After Fang Ming finished explaining, leaving the reconnaissance and exploration team to digest the information, he went out for a stroll and saw Red Army soldiers making serious preparations everywhere.

not far away.

As the propaganda team members walked by, they shouted to those around them:

"The leg wraps must be tucked in tightly, and the straw sandals should be padded with two layers."

Several young soldiers nearby were using straw ropes to tie their trouser legs tightly together, making them completely airtight.

In the distance, the cooks were distributing the purchased barley flour to the soldiers.

However, there was still too little barley flour.

The head cook personally distributed barley flour to each soldier, constantly giving them instructions, like a nagging elder:
"Each person needs five jin of flour, so we have to eat it sparingly."

"It takes several days to catch just two handfuls each time."

Fang Ming walked along, observing his surroundings.

Suddenly, I grasped the concept of working together as a team.

Only through such concerted efforts can this team reach the final victory.

As night falls.

Fang Ming returned to his reconnaissance squad to rest, skipping the night's events.

After a while.

A skip button will pop up on the page.

Fang Ming clicked.

When I opened my eyes again, quite a few people were already up.

Fang Ming quickly tidied up and got up.

Because they were a reconnaissance and exploration team, they had to set off before the main force.

Fang Ming felt a strange sense of responsibility.

Don't be fooled by how knowledgeable he seemed when he was explaining things to others yesterday; he was actually just reading the answers given by the photon supercomputer, even though the photon supercomputer could remind him.

However, oversights are inevitable, since it is Fang Ming in the game.

The Photon supercomputer was only mounted in the live stream room and could not accurately analyze the situation Fang Ming encountered in the game.

After Fang Ming finished tidying up, he went out and joined the ranks.

As a soldier in the same reconnaissance platoon, after seeing Fang Ming come out, he looked at the platoon leader and said with a smile:

"Squad leader, everything is ready."

The scout leader nodded to Fang Ming, then looked at the others with a serious expression:
"Everything is ready, let's go."

"We bear a heavy responsibility. Have you all remembered what the new comrade said yesterday?"

The other soldiers in the reconnaissance platoon said in unison:

"remember!"

Seeing this, the reconnaissance squad leader spoke up:
"set off!"

Fang Ming's reconnaissance squad set off before the main force.

The grassland on the first day appeared harmless to humans and animals.

The knee-high wild grass swayed in the wind, like a green ocean. This place was near a residential area, so the situation was a little better, but no one dared to be careless.

The reconnaissance squad leader walked in front, constantly probing downwards with the stick in his hand.

The soldiers behind also peered out to the sides, and there were also soldiers marking the numbers for the main force behind them.

However, this cautious exploration did not proceed very quickly.

At this speed, they simply couldn't get out of the grassland before running out of rations.

Seeing that they were moving too slowly, the soldiers in the reconnaissance platoon were afraid of delaying the advance of the main force behind them, so they unconsciously sped up their movements, but they hadn't gone far.

A patch of grass that no one had just walked through and hadn't gotten stuck in.

As the soldier marking the way for the main force behind them walked over, his legs suddenly gave way, his thighs sank into the mud, and his body was uncontrollably thrown backward.

The terrified cries startled the soldiers at the front.

I turned around instinctively.

Fang Ming was at the back of the group, so he was relatively close. He rushed over in a few steps and stretched out the wooden stick in his hand, hoping that the soldier would grab it.

But because it's leaning backward, even reaching out your hand is moving backward.

In the blink of an eye, before the wooden stick could even reach him, the soldier had already sunk in and was completely submerged in the mud.

Fang Ming suddenly stopped, looked at the still bubbling mud, and quickly inserted the wooden stick into it.

Fortunately, the stick was grabbed by the struggling hand this time.

The soldiers who arrived later also helped pull him out. One person was stuck in the mud, and it was difficult for four or five people to pull him out.

But they were finally rescued.

The soldiers, covered in black mud, were seen gagging on the ground, spitting out the mud from their mouths.

Fang Ming, whose face had just lit up with joy after saving his comrade, suddenly turned grim and quickly pulled out his water bottle, handing it to the soldier.
"Quick! Rinse your mouth!!!"

The crowd was initially confused, but they quickly realized what was going on.

This is a meadow!

What I talked about yesterday is still fresh in my mind. Even the seemingly clear puddles are polluted and highly toxic, not to mention the mud that has accumulated over who knows how many years.

There might be insects or rotting animal carcasses inside.

These are all sources of highly toxic substances.

See this.

People around quickly handed over their own containers of water.

After the soldier finished rinsing his mouth.

The expressions on everyone's faces had recovered somewhat, and they felt that this was about enough.

However, Fang Ming and the viewers in the live stream felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

Simply rinsing your mouth only reduces the chance of poisoning; a full medical checkup is necessary in this situation, but we don't have the facilities for that here.
Not to mention that medical care was not as advanced in that era.

Fang Ming tried his best to remain calm, but in reality, he and the netizens on Blue Star in the live broadcast room were frantically trying to come up with a solution.

But
There's no way around it; the conditions here limit everything.

Just as Fang Ming was thinking of a solution, he left not long ago.

The soldier who was marking the way behind suddenly collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Everyone turned around and saw it, then quickly ran over.

Fang Ming's heart skipped a beat. The poison in this grassland was stronger than he had imagined, and it had only been a short time.

Everyone crowded around and touched it.

The scout leader's face darkened: "He has a high fever."

Hear the words.

Everyone fell silent.

The implications of having a high fever in this situation are self-evident.

Fang Ming and the netizens in the live broadcast room felt a deep sense of powerlessness, but there was nothing they could do.
But the pace of progress will not stop.

soon.

The group took turns carrying their comrade, who had a high fever, as they continued forward.

A new player suddenly commented with confusion in the live stream chat:
Why carry a soldier with a high fever forward instead of turning back? Or simply give up?

Looking at this comment.

Fang Ming fell silent.

Go back? Go back to which direction?

This boundless grassland offers no way back.

And if we go back...

What about the main force of soldiers?

There is no turning back.

Whether to stop or turn back, given the medical conditions of this era, this soldier with a high fever would either be doomed.

Although moving forward also leads to death, it can bring hope of life to more people.

The journey must not stop.

If you stop, you'll be stuck here forever.
The atmosphere in the group was heavy, and their steps were slow, but they never stopped for a moment.

Giving up is even more impossible.

If they give up, then this team is no longer the Red Army.

Inside the live stream room next door.

Unlike Fang Ming's reconnaissance squad, which marched forward with tragic determination, the cooking squad, where anchor Lü Lang was located, was experiencing a different kind of purgatory.

They were currently crossing a grassland.

Fang Ming's side set off first with the main force, and the cooking squad's side did so in a similar fashion.

It was only because they needed to ensure that the main force in the rear had drinking water that all nine men in the class were carrying heavy iron pots on their backs as they marched.

Now it was Lü Lang's turn to carry the heavy iron pot.

His unsteady gait looked somewhat comical, prompting viewers in the live stream to send teasing comments.

Lü Lang echoed the response, but with each step he took, he had to use all his strength to pull his legs out of the mud.

After walking for a while, I was already panting heavily.

The heavy copper pot and the muddy grass made it almost impossible to move an inch, but even so, the cooks did not give up.

There are nine people in one class.

They were protecting that copper pot.

This scene left many netizens on Earth puzzled.

Why carry such a big copper pot on your back? Can't you find a smaller one?

[Yeah, is the pot more important than life?]

Why not use iron?

【Iron? Are you trying to crush the streamer?】

[The grass is damp and cold; iron will rust easily, right?]

[That's not all; you've all overlooked one problem. The Red Army didn't have the money to buy them.]

【Yes. 】

Furthermore, most of the Red Army's troops used copper pots, indicating that smelting technology was not advanced during the Republic of China era, and iron products were not widely available.

The barrage of comments scrolled by densely.

Lu Lang, however, was in no mood to watch, because the burden on his shoulders was too heavy.

It's not just about its own weight.

More importantly, this pot was the lifeline for the entire company, and even for the larger force that followed.

Its intactness is more important than anything else.

As long as it exists, it means that the main force in the rear can drink hot water to warm themselves and relieve the cold weather.

As long as it exists, it means that the main force behind the lines can cook those unpalatable wild vegetables, grass roots, and even leather belts into a hot meal that can barely fill their stomachs.

This copper pot was the last safeguard for survival.

I don't know how long it took.

Lü Lang felt a sudden release behind him as a soldier lifted up some copper pots:
"It's time to change shifts."

Lu Lang nodded without any pretense or bravado, and promptly handed the pot behind him to the soldier.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He stood there catching his breath, then picked up the bag the soldier had left behind and quickened his pace to catch up with the cooks.

Another half day passed.

The group found a relatively quiet spot with less grass and prepared to start a fire and cook for the main force behind them. Some went to find firewood, while others went to gather wild vegetables.

A young soldier from the cookhouse wanted to place the copper pot that had just been removed onto a relatively flat surface.

However, danger lurked everywhere in this meadow.

The ground looked perfectly fine.

The moment the young soldier stepped in, he sank in.

Lu Lang, who was sitting on the ground, saw this scene, his eyes widened, and he suddenly stood up, but felt dizzy and fell to the ground.

The young soldier on the other side was instantly submerged by half his body due to the heavy copper pot.

The young soldier struggled instinctively, but the descent became faster and faster.

Seeing that the muddy water was about to reach his neck, the young soldier seemed to have thought of something, grabbed one corner of the copper pot, and pushed it upwards as much as possible:

"pot!"

"pot--!"

After shouting "pot!" twice, the little soldier's head was already submerged in the mud, and his little hands, the last ones sticking out, were trying their best to push the pot outwards.

When Lü Lang scrambled over, he only managed to grab the copper pot, half of which was stuck in the mud.

The young soldier was no longer moving or struggling; he had completely disappeared into the mud.

Lü Lang's mind went blank.

He gripped the edge of the copper pot tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The muddy handprints left by the young soldier when he pushed the pot still remain on the rim. The five scratch marks are clearly visible, as if they are still transmitting the last warmth.

The chat room was silent as everyone thought of that comment from just now.

Is a pot more important than life itself?

The pot is more important than life.
The storyline of crossing the grasslands is progressing smoothly.

Because of the multiple perspectives, the Blue Star players were able to roughly piece together the experiences of the entire Red Army unit in various locations.

Whether it was the reconnaissance troops, the cooks, or the propaganda team, the main force brought an unprecedented shock to the players of Blue Star.

The identity is within the reconnaissance team's live broadcast room.

The soldiers were willing to risk their lives to scout ahead for the main force. The main force had a clear path ahead, but the number of scouts was dwindling.
The identity is in the live broadcast room of the cooking squad.

Nine cooks sacrificed themselves one after another to protect the copper pot that could guarantee the water supply for the main force in the rear. Even when they were stuck in the mud, they pushed the pot out in their last moments.

The identity is in the live broadcast room of the tasting class.

With insufficient food, they could only try to find wild vegetables in the vast grasslands. To prevent soldiers from accidentally eating poisonous wild vegetables, the Red Army established "Party and Youth League Tasting Groups".

Party members and Youth League members tasted the wild vegetables to ensure they were free of poison before allowing the main force of soldiers to eat them.

Because some wild vegetables are highly poisonous, several Party and Youth League members lost their lives in just a few days.
The identity is within the propaganda team's live broadcast room.
His identity was that of a porter.
A series of heroic and tragic scenes unfolded before the eyes of the audience on Earth.

Each live stream is like a window into time, showcasing every detail of the most tragic and heroic march in human history to the people of Earth without reservation.

In each live stream, the team winding its way across the grass had no rousing background music or sentimental narration.

Only the howling wind and the footprints of varying depths in the mud tell the story.

The Red Army's Long March has repeatedly redefined the world's understanding of faith.

Faith can be so profound.

That pot, those footprints, those silent sacrifices.

It's just so that those who come after can keep moving forward.

Meanwhile, in the live stream room on the other side of China in the [Awakening Era] DLC.

Because of the different timelines.

Some of the faster-progressing broadcasters have already reached July 7, 1937.

And this day.

A tranquil suburb of Beiping.

boom--

A gunshot pierced the night sky over North China.

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident began.

(The monthly pass giveaway ends tomorrow. Everyone can vote, and remember to join the group if you vote.)
(End of this chapter)