signingbooks Chapter 1386 Little Monkey
Chapter 1386 Little Monkey
On the northern frontier, large raindrops mixed with fist-sized hailstones poured down from the sky. This extremely harsh weather was like a cruel and merciless trial of life and death, relentlessly testing the brave team that was guarding the front line of the border.
Wang Chao and his comrades, clad in heavy military uniforms, tried to withstand the demonic storm. However, in this bone-chilling environment, even simply standing still caused their bodies to gradually stiffen like stone under the relentless onslaught of the cold.
In order to retain a bit of warmth in the biting wind and snow, the soldiers huddled together, passing on their body heat to each other, forming a close-knit group.
Little Monkey, this young recruit from the south, had never experienced such terrible weather. Even though his comrades carefully surrounded him, he was still shivering from the cold, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.
"How about that? You were so defiant just now, but you're chickening out now, aren't you? Haha..." Wang Chao couldn't help but laugh and tease the little monkey as it curled up in a ball.
Although it was a joke, his eyes were full of concern and affection. In Wang Chao's heart, these new recruits were like his younger brothers, especially Little Monkey. He was deeply impressed by Little Monkey's courage and determination to leave his warm hometown and go to the cold northern frontier.
Afterwards, Wang Chao solemnly issued an order, requiring everyone to take good care of Xiao Houzi, because in his view, these young recruits were the future hope of the border defense. If one day these veterans were to pass away, the responsibility of guarding this sacred land would be taken over by passionate new recruits like Xiao Houzi.
Every soldier willing to stay and guard Area 2 in northern Xinjiang has endured countless hardships. The veterans, having fought their way through this land, have tasted its bitterness and sweetness, and therefore understand the difficulties faced by the new recruits. Like elder brothers, they care for and protect these young, newly arrived lives with meticulous care, using their experience and warmth to help the new recruits adapt to the arduous life on the border.
A gunshot rang out.
The bullet pierced through the monkey's chest and back, and blood gushed out like a surging spring.
"Take cover! There's an undercover agent! There's an enemy attack!" Wang Chao's reaction was a little slow. Only after the little monkey was shot did he shout at the top of his lungs.
In an instant, everyone fell to the ground.
"Little monkey, little monkey..." Wang Chao was extremely anxious, as if his heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand.
Ignoring the danger, he rolled rapidly towards the little monkey, feeling the hardness and coldness of the ground with each roll. When he finally saw the monkey, his heart sank into an endless abyss of darkness. The monkey's body convulsed uncontrollably, and the blood on the ground congealed rapidly in the extreme cold, forming a shocking crimson patch in the icy landscape, like a despairing rose blooming in the dead of winter, piercing the hearts of everyone present.
"Hold on, you hold on for me, quick... get the first aid kit..." Wang Chao shouted, his voice trembling with despair.
He held the little monkey's hand tightly, as if in doing so he could transfer all his strength and warmth to this young and fragile life, allowing it to escape the clutches of death.
"Deputy Platoon Leader..." Just as Wang Chao shouted, the little monkey, whose body was convulsing, used its last bit of strength to suddenly grab his hand, its voice muffled and weak.
“I’m not going to make it… I’ve written a lot of letters, some to my country and some to my mother. If I don’t make it, give the letters to my country to my old unit, and the letters to my mother… Please, Deputy Platoon Leader, send them back…” The little monkey’s eyes were filled with longing, reluctance, and unwillingness.
“I brought some food with me, but I’ve been reluctant to eat it… Let’s share it. Lin Chao likes chicken legs, give it to him…” The little monkey’s voice grew weaker and weaker, and his breathing became intermittent.
"No, I won't let you die, that's an order..." Wang Chao's low roar echoed in the raging storm, filled with endless grief, resentment, and anger. His tears rolled down uncontrollably, instantly freezing on his cheeks.
He was filled with self-blame and regret, unable to understand why it was this youngest and most energetic little monkey who was shot. He wished he were the one lying there, sacrificing his own life to save the little monkey.
“Go back and divide it yourself. You’re my soldier. Your squad leader is here too. Chen Zhi, Chen Zhi, come here quickly. This is an order. You hold on for me…” Wang Chao shouted loudly at the little monkey.
The light in the little monkey's once clear, bright, energetic, and hopeful eyes gradually dimmed. He said haltingly, "Deputy platoon leader... squad leader... Little monkey obeys your orders, but this time... it's no use. Please tell my mother not to cry, that her son isn't a coward, that he chose to come to the harshest frontier... Thank you..."
At this point, his voice completely dissipated into the swirling snowflakes, merging into this cold and cruel world.
"Get up, open your eyes, this is an order..." Squad leader Chen Zhi crawled over, his knees and palms leaving bloody marks on the rough ground, but he was completely unaware.
Seeing the little monkey's eyes begin to glaze over, its life about to fade, he cried out in a sob, "Get up, get up, class monitor! Your grades aren't good enough yet, you have to keep training... The class monitor said he'd give you extra food when we get back, and let you eat meat... Wake up."
"Chen Zhi, stop crying! The enemy is trying to cross the border. Damn it, let's fight them!" Wang Chao, who was beside them, suddenly realized amidst his grief. He understood that the gunfire was coming from behind them. These cunning enemies were clearly trying to take advantage of the storm to sneak across the border and launch a surprise attack.
"I'll go..." Chen Zhi, the machine gunner, saw that the little monkey had lost all life, and his grief instantly transformed into a raging fire of revenge. His eyes were bloodshot and red as he crawled forward with difficulty, every movement filled with pain and rage. He hugged the machine gun tightly to his chest, as if it were his closest comrade-in-arms, and without hesitation, opened fire in the direction from which the gunfire came.
"Rat-a-tat-tat..." The machine gun roared angrily, firing wildly, bullets raining down on the enemy, carrying the hatred and fury of the soldiers. From the distant storm, several muffled groans echoed; clearly, someone on the other side had been hit.
"Enter battle mode! Don't let a single one escape! Avenge the little monkey!"
"Kill!" the soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the storm, filled with power and courage.
Their eyes burned with rage as they surged out from behind cover, quickly seeking advantageous cover to launch their counterattack, just as they had always practiced. Little Monkey was a recruit they had personally trained; in their hearts, he was like a brother. Now that their brother had been killed, only one unwavering thought remained in their minds: to avenge Little Monkey!
Bullets flew through the storm as both sides engaged in a fierce firefight.
Hundreds of meters away, in the midst of a storm, a group of armed men were attempting to sneak across the border. They had meticulously planned this operation, intending to take advantage of the storm to ambush Wang Chao and his group, seize their weapons, and then successfully cross the border.
However, they severely underestimated the border guards' reaction speed and fighting spirit. The first wave of attack only hit one border guard before it was met with a fierce counterattack, and several of their comrades fell in an instant. Blood stained the white snow, forming shocking bloodstains on the ground.
"Those border guards have heavy firepower; we can't beat them head-on. Let's split up and escape..." A pockmarked militant looked resentful. As the leader of this group, his carefully laid plans had been disrupted, and he was truly unwilling to accept it. But seeing his men falling one after another, he had no choice but to make the decision to retreat. At this moment, he was filled with regret and remorse, regretting that he had underestimated these border guards.
"Retreat..." The pockmarked man gritted his teeth and gave the order. He simply didn't have the courage to continue fighting the brave and fearless Yan soldiers; at this moment, survival was the most important thing. A hint of fear flashed in his eyes as he turned and ran into the darkness, his steps hurried and frantic.
What these people called a retreat was actually a desperate, frantic escape. They ran wildly along the rugged mountain paths, trying to use the harsh terrain and weather to shake off the border guards. The wind howled, making it almost impossible for them to stand; hail pelted them mercilessly, causing sharp pains. But they paid no heed to any of that; only one thought occupied their minds: to escape this terrible place.
"Don't let them get away, hurry and chase after them..." Chen Zhi could vaguely see retreating figures in the distance. His eyes were bloodshot and red. He stood up from his hiding place, machine gun in hand, and charged forward without hesitation. A dense barrage of bullets poured from the muzzle, as if he wanted to vent all his anger and hatred on the enemy. His steps were firm and powerful, each step carrying his longing for the little monkey and his determination for revenge.
"Don't let them get away! They killed all the monkeys, leaving none alive..." The soldiers roared, following Chen Zhi in the direction the militants had fled. Their steps were firm and powerful, their hearts filled with only one belief: to avenge the little monkeys!
At the scene, Lin Chao was left to guard the little monkey's body.
Looking into the little monkey's still-closed eyes, as if it were still clinging to this world, Lin Chao's tears flowed uncontrollably, freezing on his cheeks. Remembering that the little monkey had specifically asked him to save the chicken leg for it before it died, his heart was filled with grief and self-reproach.
"Rest in peace. The brothers have caught up with them and will definitely kill all these beasts to avenge you," Lin Chao said softly.
"Little monkey, I was just joking. I wasn't thinking about eating your chicken leg. Your brothers are always with you..."
After an unknown amount of time, suddenly, footsteps sounded nearby. It turned out that Chen Jun had arrived with his men. Platoon leader Fang Xingwu, upon seeing the little monkey's corpse on the ground, froze instantly, as if frozen in place, unable to believe what he was seeing. His eyes were filled with shock and grief, his lips trembling slightly, yet he couldn't utter a word.
"It's still a bit too late, they were ambushed..." Lin Chao looked up and saw that it was the platoon leader coming over. He could no longer control his suppressed emotions and burst into tears: "Platoon leader... Little Monkey was ambushed and sacrificed. The other brothers went to chase after him..." His voice was choked with sobs and echoed in the storm, full of sorrow and helplessness.
"Salute..." Chen Jun led the way, solemnly saluting the bodies covered by wind and rain on the ground. As a former soldier who had served on the border, he knew the hardships and difficulties these border guards faced. They not only had to endure harsh natural environments but also constantly faced the threat of the enemy. He never expected to encounter the tragedy of his comrades' sacrifice so soon after arriving here, which filled his heart with grief and anger.
For Wang Chao and his team, Little Monkey was a newcomer. This young man from the south, initially unable to withstand the cold winds of northern Xinjiang, was often teased, becoming the only source of amusement in their monotonous border life. But no one expected that this cheerful ray of sunshine would suddenly leave them like this. His eyelids remained closed, clearly indicating unfulfilled wishes and a heart full of worries and reluctance.
“My squad leader, Shi Guo, also encountered armed militants. That time, he was crippled…” In the wind and snow, Chen Jun clenched his fists, and scenes from the past flashed through his mind. The pain of the past and the sacrifice of his comrades made his eyes burn with anger. He slowly took off his military cap and gently covered the young soldier’s face.
“Follow me, I’ll avenge him. I know where they are…” Chen Jun, having activated his heat-tracking imaging skill, instantly became like a terrifying location tracking device. His eyes filled with murderous intent as he scanned the crowd and firmly stated, “Follow me…”
"Commander, it's dangerous ahead, and your identity is special..."
"Enough nonsense! I've said it before, I'm from the border guards. The sacrifice of my brothers on the border is my revenge. Kill them..." Chen Jun roared.
"Kill..." The next moment, everyone subconsciously followed with a low roar.
……
Meanwhile, Wang Chao led his men in pursuit. Ahead, they had reached the border; the wind and rain intensified, and the road became increasingly rugged and difficult to traverse. The howling wind shrieked, threatening to knock them over; hailstones the size of fists pelted down relentlessly, making every step fraught with danger. These armed men had clearly done their research; they had chosen this most difficult route, attempting to use the harsh terrain and weather to evade the border guards.
At this moment, the soldiers faced not only harsh weather, but also treacherous terrain. A chasm, hidden beneath thick snow, could appear at any moment; a single slip could send them plunging into the endless abyss.
This is the infamous Valley of Death.