Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei's War Journey

Chapter 81 Healed, Beating Up Other Platoon Leaders

Inside the trenches, all the soldiers of the Ninth Company were rebuilding the fortifications that had been damaged by the flood. They had to restore the trenches to normal before the French army attacked.

"It's been almost a week, and your sergeant is still not ready. You can give up!" A soldier from the second platoon said as he dug, his voice filled with undisguised mockery.

"Surviving typhus is a miracle, and you want to continue commanding? Dream on!"

Otto was carrying a sandbag when he heard this. He slammed the sandbag to the ground, splashing mud everywhere. He turned around, his burly body like a wall blocking the soldier's path.

"Say that again, you fucking idiot?" Otto's voice squeezed out from between his clenched teeth, like the growl of a wild beast.

The soldier, intimidated by his imposing manner, took a step back, but continued relentlessly, "I'm telling you, William Hans is dying! There's no cure for typhus, he won't make it through the week! Your third platoon should face reality and find a new platoon leader!"

The soldiers in the other platoons around them stopped what they were doing and watched this scene nervously. In the more than a week that Lu Mingfei had been ill, the cracks within the company had become more and more obvious. The soldiers in the other platoons all hoped that Lu Mingfei would die as soon as possible so that he could be buried as soon as possible.

After all, they weren't familiar with Lu Mingfei. If it were trench fever, they could endure it, since no one would die. Although it was very painful, at least they could rest in the rear for a few weeks.

Typhus is considered an incurable disease here, and no one wants to be infected. If Lu Mingfei were left to fend for himself in a house far away, they wouldn't have so many complaints.

However, the soldiers of the third platoon arranged for Lu Mingfei to stay in a barn not far from the trench, taking turns to take care of him. This greatly increased the infection rate of other soldiers in the company, and it was impossible for the soldiers of the other platoons not to care.

Otto's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and veins bulged on his forehead. Just as he was about to throw a punch, a calm voice came from above the trench: "Otto, go back to your position."

Everyone looked up. At the edge of the trench, Caesar stood there. Although his uniform was covered in mud, his aristocratic aura remained strong. His face was expressionless, but his icy blue eyes could make anyone's heart flutter.

"Corporal Caesar—" Looking at Caesar, Otto reluctantly lowered his fist. Lu Mingfei had temporarily entrusted their platoon to Caesar's management, and he also wanted to listen to Caesar's orders.

Caesar jumped down from the trench, walked over to Oto, patted him on the shoulder to calm him down, and then turned to the soldier.

"What's your name? Which class are you in?"

"Dieter Muller, second platoon, first squad," the soldier instinctively reported, standing at attention.

"Private Muller." Caesar walked up to him, a head taller than the soldier, and his imposing presence completely overwhelmed him.

"What's your basis for saying Sergeant William Hans is dying? Are you a doctor? Or have you ever seen a case of typhus?"

"I—I heard it—" the soldier stammered.

"Who told you that?" Caesar pressed.

Müller was speechless, his eyes darting away.

Caesar looked around, his voice not loud, but every word clearly reached everyone's ears: "I know that everyone is panicked these days, with infectious diseases, death, and a war that seems to have no end—we are all afraid, but fear is not a reason for us to spread rumors and slander our comrades."

"Sergeant William Hans did indeed have typhus, that's a fact, but he's recovering, that's also a fact. Dr. Thomas examines him twice a day and confirms that his condition is improving day by day."

"But—the mortality rate of typhus is so high—" someone muttered quietly.

"A high mortality rate does not mean certain death. Moreover, even if he does meet with misfortune—that is a matter for the future. Right now, he is still our acting platoon leader and our commander. Until he is officially relieved of his duties or his death is confirmed, everyone must respect his authority."

His beam of light swept over every soldier: "This is not a request, it's an order. Anyone who spreads rumors about Sergeant Hans's condition or tries to undermine morale will be treated as disobeying orders, understand?"

Just then, three second lieutenants walked over together; they were the former platoon leaders of the Ninth Company.

"We have already asked the company commander to remove him from the front line. He won't do well here, and your platoon really needs a new platoon leader. It's a joke to have a mere sergeant leading a platoon," one of the officers said.

They all looked down on Lu Mingfei. After all, they were all officers who graduated from regular military academies. Who was Lu Mingfei? A peasant who came out of basic training camp. Why should he be on the same level as them?

Moreover, the new company commander highly values ​​this junior sergeant, so this is a good opportunity to get rid of this junior sergeant named William Hans.

Upon hearing the officer's words, all the soldiers in the third platoon's expressions changed. What would they do if Lu Mingfei was transferred to the rear? Moreover, they didn't think that the people in the rear would take good care of Lu Mingfei. What if they shot him to prevent the spread of infectious diseases? Those officers didn't have much integrity.

"We will never let Sergeant Hans leave here," Caesar said, clenching his fist.

A lieutenant in his thirties, leading the group, walked up to Caesar with an arrogant expression, looked him up and down, and a faint, mocking smile appeared on his lips.

His name was von Drell, he was the platoon leader of the second platoon of the ninth company, and he was also a descendant of nobility, but his status in the family was relatively marginal.

"Corporal Kaiser von Hoffmann, I've heard you come from a—declining new Junker family?"

He emphasized the word "declined," clearly intentionally, because although he didn't hold a high position in the family, he could still put on airs in front of a declining new Junker.

Caesar looked at him expressionlessly: "That's irrelevant to the current issue, Lieutenant."

"Of course it's relevant, because I want to remind you, and everyone here, that the military command system has a strict hierarchical structure. A sergeant acting as platoon leader is only a temporary, expedient arrangement. Now that Sergeant William Hans is seriously ill and unable to perform his duties, a regular officer should take over command of the third platoon."

His gaze swept over the surrounding soldiers as he continued, "This is for everyone's good. After all, commanding a platoon requires professional knowledge and experience, which a recruit who has only trained for a few months cannot handle."

These words caused quite a stir. The soldiers of the third platoon glared at him, while the soldiers of the other platoons whispered among themselves. Clearly, many of them agreed with von Drell's point of view.

Otto couldn't help but want to retort, but Caesar stopped him with a look.

"Lieutenant von Drell," Caesar's voice remained calm, but was a few degrees colder than before.

"If I remember correctly, Sergeant William Hans was officially appointed acting platoon leader by Captain Henrik after Sergeant Hermann was killed in action. This appointment has not been revoked to this day. Therefore, the issue of command of the third platoon should be decided by the captain, not discussed privately by a few second lieutenants."

Von Drell's expression changed slightly. He hadn't expected this corporal to dare to talk back to him like that. Moreover, they had approached Captain Henrik several times, hoping to remove Lu Mingfei from his position, but Captain Henrik had not agreed.

"Captain Henrik is a good man, but he's too easily swayed by emotions. Sergeant Hans is his old subordinate, so naturally he's biased. But this is wartime; what we need is efficiency and professionalism, not personal relationships!"

"Efficiency?" Caesar suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with undisguised sarcasm.

"Lieutenant von Drell, what achievements has your 2nd Platoon made in the past two months? How many French attacks have you repelled? How many positions have you captured?"

Von Draer was stunned and speechless for a moment.

Caesar turned to the other soldiers and raised his voice: "Let me tell you all that in the past month or so, the 3rd Platoon, led by Sergeant William Hans, has successfully repelled three French company-sized attacks, killing and wounding more than 250 enemy soldiers."

"As for the other platoons' records, everyone can recall for themselves who was the first to break down during the shelling?"

Who lagged behind during the attack? And who rushed to retreat?

These words struck a nerve, and the three lieutenants' faces turned extremely ugly. Von Drell shouted sternly, "You are questioning the competence of your superior officers! I can take you to a court-martial!"

"Go ahead," Caesar said without fear.

"But before that, please answer my questions: During Sergeant William Hans's illness, was the construction of the third platoon's fortifications behind schedule? Was the soldiers' discipline lax? Was combat readiness inadequate?"

No one could answer that. In fact, under Caesar and Otto's management, the Third Platoon had the highest work efficiency in the entire company. Even when Lu Mingfei was not around, the soldiers of the Third Platoon maintained strict discipline and high morale.

"Enough!" Von Drebbels was utterly enraged.

"I am now ordering you, in my capacity as the second platoon leader, to immediately cease spreading statements detrimental to officer unity and to retract your previous remarks!"

"Sorry, Lieutenant," Caesar said, straightening his back. He now understood why Lu Mingfei had been somewhat unfriendly to him before; no one liked that arrogant way of speaking.

"I am a corporal in the third platoon and only take orders from the third platoon commander and the company commander. Unless you can prove that Sergeant William Hans has been relieved of his duties as acting platoon leader, you have no right to order me around."

The standoff reached a stalemate. Von Drell was furious, but there was nothing he could do. According to military regulations, he was indeed not allowed to command soldiers from other platoons.

"Although I have no authority to order you around, you have publicly insulted your superior! I will send you to a military court! Guards, arrest him!" von Drebbels shouted.

In any country's army, openly defying a superior officer is a serious offense, and he certainly had the right to send someone to a military court. Soon, the soldiers in the second platoon next to him began to move forward to arrest Caesar.

"Let's see who dares!" Otto and the three rows of soldiers next to him all surrounded Caesar and stood in front of him.

"Are you planning to betray us?!" Enraged, von Drebbels drew his pistol and fired two shots into the air.

"If you continue to block my way, I have the right to shoot you dead on the spot!"

Gunshots echoed under the gloomy sky, making everyone's eardrums ring. At that moment, the trench fell into a deathly silence.

The soldiers stared at the still-smoking Luger pistol in von Drell's hand, then at the three rows of soldiers blocking Caesar's path, and their expressions froze.

Defection is one of the most serious charges in the military, usually meaning execution on the spot.

But the three ranks of soldiers did not retreat. Otto stood at the very front, his massive body like a mountain, completely blocking Caesar behind him.

Although the other three platoons were nervous, there was no sign of retreat in their eyes. They had all come from the same recruit camp and had experienced so many life-and-death situations together. The bond between them could not be explained in just a few words.

Caesar patted Otto on the shoulder and shook his head at him. Lu Mingfei had entrusted this platoon to him; he couldn't let the entire platoon be sent to a military court.

"Take good care of Sergeant Hans, and I'll go with you." With that, Caesar walked calmly toward von Drell.

Just as the soldiers in the second platoon were about to tie up Caesar, a brick struck von Drell's gun-wielding hand, accompanied by an angry shout.

"You fucking dare kidnap my men! I'm not dead yet!"

Everyone turned to look at the source of the sound. At the entrance of the barn, Lu Mingfei stood there, his face as pale as paper, his body swaying, barely able to stand by holding onto the door frame, but his eyes burned with a heart-stopping golden light.

"Platoon leader!" Otto called out first, his voice filled with surprise and worry.

The soldiers of the three platoons all looked at Lu Mingfei, their eyes rekindling with hope.

Even the soldiers from the other platoons were dumbfounded when they saw that this man, who was supposedly on the verge of death, could still stand up and throw such a precise shot.

"Sergeant Hans, you—" von Drell clutched his wrist, his face filled with shock.

"Beat them up! I'll take full responsibility!" Lu Mingfei shouted. His weak body straightened up, and he was filled with heat as his face regained its rosy hue. He pounced like a cheetah and tackled von Drell to the ground, his fists raining down on him.

He overheard everything being said outside while inside the barn. He could understand why they wanted to send him to the rear, since he was now considered a pathogen. However, he couldn't accept that Caesar would be sent to a military court for speaking up for him.

"Platoon leader!" The soldiers of the second platoon saw Lu Mingfei beating their platoon leader and hurriedly tried to pull him away, but Otto and his men were not to be trifled with. Since their platoon leader had taken the lead in the charge, how could they possibly stand up for him?

Otto and the soldiers of the Third Platoon were already locked in combat with the other platoons. Although the Third Platoon was outnumbered, each of them had survived life-or-death situations and their fighting strength far surpassed that of the other platoons. In addition, they were united in their hatred of the enemy and their morale was high, so for a time they managed to suppress the larger number of opponents.

Lu Mingfei didn't kill him; if he had, it would have been a true betrayal. After beating von Drell to a pulp, he joined forces with Caesar to beat up the other platoons of soldiers and officers.

Neither of them hit hard; at most, there were bruises on their faces and bodies. However, both of them had smiles on their faces as they swung their fists. They had never felt so good before. This was not a life-or-death struggle; it was just a simple beating.

The two worked together incredibly well. Lu Mingfei held off everyone from the front, while Caesar was responsible for the flanks, intercepting anyone who tried to launch a sneak attack.

Chaos reigned in the trenches, a cacophony of fists clashing, curses, and groans.

"Stop! Stop it, all of you!"

Captain Henrik's roar finally rang out as he arrived with his company, rifles pointed at the fighting crowd.

The scene gradually quieted down. The soldiers stopped fighting and retreated to both sides. There were still more than a dozen people lying on the ground, groaning in pain, but no one was dead.

"Can anyone tell me what's going on?" Henrik said, his face ashen.

Silence fell; the soldiers lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

Henrik walked up to von Drell, the lieutenant who had been helped up. His face was so swollen that it was unrecognizable, one eye was completely closed, and his lips were cut and bleeding.

"Lieutenant von Drell, explain," Henrik said.

Von Drell tried to speak, but opening his mouth aggravated his wound, causing him to gasp in pain: "He—"

They —rebelled —

"Who betrayed us? Explain yourself," Henrik continued.

"Sergeant Hans—Corporal Kaiser—and all three platoons—they attacked their superior officers—" von Drell mumbled.

Henrik turned to Lu Mingfei: "Sergeant Hans, what do you have to say?"

Lu Mingfei straightened his back and said without hesitation, "Reporting to the captain, I admit that I took action, but Lieutenant von Drell first drew his gun to threaten the three platoons of soldiers and wanted to send them to a military court for treason. I cannot accept that my deputy is being treated this way for defending me."

"So you resorted to violence?" Henrik asked.

"Yes, but I controlled my strength and didn't kill him. If I really wanted to kill him, he would be a corpse by now," Lu Mingfei admitted frankly.

These words, spoken calmly, sent a chill down everyone's spine. They believed Lu Mingfei could do it; in the battle just now, he had already demonstrated astonishing strength and speed.

Henrik then looked at Caesar: "Corporal Caesar, and what about you?"

"I assisted Sergeant Hans; the responsibility lies with both of us, not with the other soldiers," Caesar said without hesitation.

"No, I'm also responsible, I did it too!" Otto shouted, stepping forward as well.

"Me too!" "Me too!"

One by one, the soldiers from the three platoons stepped forward, willing to share the responsibility.

Henrik watched this scene with mixed feelings, but military discipline had to be maintained and infighting could not be tolerated.

"Sergeant Hans! Corporal Kaiser! Corporal Otto! One week of confinement! Awaiting a court-martial investigation for your actions today! I will be in charge of the third platoon for the time being!"

The crime of assaulting a superior officer was too serious; even he couldn't cover it up. All he could do was protect the soldiers in his platoon.

"Yes!!!" the three said in unison. They had no objections, after all, they had really hit someone, and it was already good enough that they could protect the other soldiers.

"Sergeant Hans, have you really recovered?" After finishing the punishment, Henrik couldn't help but look at Lu Mingfei. Before, Lu Mingfei was lying in the hospital bed unable to move, but now he was jumping around.

"Fully recovered, Captain," Lu Mingfei replied.

Henrik pondered for a moment, recalling some battlefield legends about soldiers who, after experiencing life and death, would awaken a special ability. Although he did not believe in supernatural phenomena, Lu Mingfei's changes were indeed inexplicable by common sense.

Moreover, within the aristocratic circles, there is a rumor of an even more powerful circle of nobles, whose members are not only powerful and wealthy, but also possess special abilities.

He had vaguely heard of a top family in Prussia called the Kassels, but that family had suddenly disappeared from people's sight fifteen years ago.

He shook his head, letting those thoughts go; since he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it anymore.

"Take them away," Henrik ordered. Soon, someone took Lu Mingfei and the other two to a room and locked them up. The three of them sat down against the wall.

"Thank you," Lu Mingfei said to Caesar beside him.

"It's nothing, we're comrades-in-arms," ​​Caesar said with a smile.

"How will they judge us?" Otto asked with some concern.

"Beating a superior officer is at least a demotion, and in serious cases—execution. However, since Captain Henrik hasn't implicated anyone else, it means he wants to protect us, but the final decision rests with the military court," Caesar said.

Lu Mingfei asked, "When will the military court arrive?"

"It usually takes one or two weeks. The situation on the front lines is complicated, and the military courts are understaffed, so we still have time," Caesar said.

"What's the use of time? We can't exactly break out of prison, can we?" Otto said with a wry smile.

"No, we don't need to break out of prison. We just need to prove our worth," Caesar said mysteriously.

"How can we prove it?" Lu Mingfei and Otto asked together.

But as soon as they finished speaking, an explosion was heard outside, followed by panicked shouts from soldiers.

"Enemy attack!"

The next moment, the door to the solitary confinement cell was flung open, and a messenger rushed in, his face ashen: "The French have attacked! The entire front is under fire! The captain orders Sergeant Hans, Corporal Hoffmann, and Corporal Otto to be released immediately and sent to the front lines to command!"

The three men exchanged a glance, then stood up simultaneously. Caesar's lips curled into a smile; the opportunity he had been waiting for had arrived.

More than ten minutes earlier, he noticed that the French troops on the other side had discovered the chaos on this side and were planning to launch an attack. From that moment on, he realized that this was an opportunity.

"Let's go!" Lu Mingfei was the first to rush out of the confinement room.

The scene outside was already chaotic. The French artillery bombardment was more intense than expected, with shells raining down and turning the already muddy position into a complete mess.

Soldiers scattered and fled in all directions through the trenches, while officers shouted orders at the top of their lungs, but to little avail.

Captain Henrik, somewhat alarmed, was directing the battle from the third platoon's position. When he saw Lu Mingfei and his two companions approaching, he didn't waste any words: "The French have committed at least two companies. The third platoon's defensive zone is under the most pressure. I need you to return to command immediately!"

"Captain, our confinement—" Caesar warned.

"Temporarily lifted," Henrik said decisively.

"If you can hold your ground and repel the French army, I will have grounds to defend you in a military court; if you cannot, then there is nothing more to say."

"Understood." The three immediately stood at attention and began to direct the battle.

>