AWB Chapter 16 Returning to the Border
Chapter 16 Returning to the Border
In front of the Southwest Military Region Headquarters building, Chen Jianfeng's car slowly came to a stop. Lin Zhe got out of the passenger seat, turned around and saluted the commander inside the car.
"Lin Zhe, go back and do a good job." Chen Jianfeng rolled down the car window, his eyes full of expectation. "I've already spoken to the border defense regiment. You're a major now, so you shouldn't be able to continue as deputy company commander, but special circumstances call for special measures—you can lead them for another three months and teach them everything you need to know."
"Yes! Thank you, sir!" Lin Zhe straightened his back.
"Go ahead." Chen Jianfeng waved his hand. "Remember, you're the youngest major in the entire military region. Many people are watching you, so you need to be extra careful in your actions."
As the car drove away, Lin Zhe, carrying his backpack, walked towards the parking lot opposite the headquarters. There, a car sent by the regiment to pick him up would be waiting.
The driver was Li, a young soldier in his early twenties from the regimental headquarters. Seeing the major's rank on Lin Zhe's shoulder, his eyes widened, and he hesitated for a long time, unable to recognize him: "Lin...Deputy Company Commander Lin?"
"It's me." Lin Zhe smiled, tossed his backpack into the trunk, and said, "Let's go back to headquarters."
Throughout the journey, Xiao Li would steal glances at Lin Zhe in the rearview mirror, hesitant to speak. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Major Lin... was your rank... acquired during this trip to Beijing?"
"Yes, it was specially approved by the Central Military Commission." Lin Zhe said calmly, looking at the scenery rushing past the window.
Xiao Li swallowed hard, his eyes filled with a mixture of envy and awe. A nineteen-year-old major! That's one of a kind in the entire Southwest Military Region!
When the car arrived at the regimental headquarters, Regimental Commander Zhao Tiezhu was already waiting in front of the office building. Seeing Lin Zhe get out of the car, this towering man strode forward, carefully examined Lin Zhe's shoulders, and suddenly burst into laughter: "Good lad! You've really made yourself a major!"
"Commander." Lin Zhe saluted.
Zhao Tiezhu returned the greeting and patted Lin Zhe's shoulder forcefully: "Come on, let's go inside and talk."
Political Commissar Zhou Wenbin was also in the regimental commander's office. The two men looked at Lin Zhe with complicated expressions.
"Lin Zhe," Zhou Wenbin pushed up his glasses, "your promotion speed is rare in the entire army. A nineteen-year-old major, let alone our regiment, in the entire military region, there haven't been many like him since the founding of the People's Republic of China."
"It's the leaders' kind words that I'm saying this," Lin Zhe said modestly.
"Kindness is one thing, but you also need to have real skills." Zhao Tiezhu lit a cigarette. "The commander informed me about this trip to the General Armaments Department. Your system impressed all the experts there. Impressive!"
He took a drag of his cigarette and continued, "Logically, you're a major now, so you shouldn't be serving as a deputy company commander anymore. But the commander specifically instructed that you return to the reconnaissance company for another three months. What do you think about that?"
Lin Zhe sat up straight: "Regimental Commander, Political Commissar, although I haven't been in the reconnaissance company for long, I've developed a strong bond with my comrades. They trust me and learn from me. I want to train them for a while longer, teaching them as much as I can."
Zhou Wenbin nodded: "It's good that you have the intention. But Lin Zhe, you know yourself that the reconnaissance company is no longer a big enough place for you. The military region will definitely have new arrangements in three months."
"I understand," Lin Zhe said calmly, "but before I leave, I want to leave behind everything I can."
Zhao Tiezhu stubbed out his cigarette: "Alright! It's settled then. You'll go back to being the deputy company commander—a major deputy company commander, a first for our regiment, haha!"
After leaving the regimental headquarters, Lin Zhe got into the vehicle heading back to the reconnaissance company. The mountain road was still bumpy, but this time, his state of mind was different.
He knew this was his last time in the border defense company. Three months later, he would step onto a wider stage. But before that, he wanted to leave something behind for his comrades who had shared life and death with him.
It was already 3 p.m. when the vehicle arrived at the reconnaissance company headquarters. The camp was quiet; the soldiers should be on the training ground.
Lin Zhe was carrying his luggage towards the dormitory when he ran into Wang Dashan, who had just returned from the training field. The company commander was initially delighted to see Lin Zhe, but then his gaze fell on Lin Zhe's shoulder insignia, and he froze.
"Company...Company Commander." Lin Zhe stopped in his tracks.
Wang Dashan stared at the major's star insignia for several seconds, then suddenly laughed, a somewhat complicated smile: "You, Lin Zhe, you went out for a while and came back with a higher rank than me."
"Company commander, I..."
"Alright, alright, stop explaining." Wang Dashan waved his hand. "This is a good thing, I'm happy for you. It's just a little... awkward. I'm a company commander, a captain; you're a deputy company commander, a major. Who the hell would believe that?"
Lin Zhe also smiled: "In the reconnaissance company, you will always be my company commander."
"Don't give me that." Wang Dashan took Lin Zhe's backpack. "Let's go back to the dorm first. I've already arranged for everyone to gather at the training ground. Once you're ready, you can meet them."
The dormitory was still the same, simple and tidy. Lin Zhe changed into a training uniform—the shoulder insignia had been changed to those of a major, but the clothes were still the same faded training uniform.
On the training ground, all eighty-plus officers and soldiers of the company stood in formation. As Lin Zhe approached, everyone's eyes were focused on his shoulder.
Major!
Suppressed gasps rippled through the ranks. Although everyone was somewhat prepared—Lin Zhe's performance meant his promotion was inevitable—the impact of seeing a nineteen-year-old major standing before them was still immense.
"Attention!" Wang Dashan commanded, and the entire room fell silent.
Lin Zhe walked to the front of the group, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces. Old Zhou, Big Liu, Little Zhao, Awang... these comrades who had gone through thick and thin with him were all staring at him with wide eyes.
"Comrades," Lin Zhe said, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying throughout the entire area, "I'm back."
These four simple words brought tears to the eyes of many veterans. In the battle at Eagle's Beak Cliff, Lin Zhe led them to create a miracle and forged a bond that transcended life and death.
"This trip to Beijing is mainly to report on our work. I am grateful for the organization's trust in granting me the rank of major." Lin Zhe paused, "But here, in the reconnaissance company, I am still me, still everyone's deputy company commander. For the next three months, I will continue to train, patrol, and fight alongside everyone."
He raised his voice: "I may be transferred soon, but before I leave, I want to teach you everything I know and can teach. Not for any other reason than to give you a better chance of survival on the battlefield and to improve your skills in killing the enemy!"
"Alright!" A roar erupted from the team.
Wang Dashan walked over to Lin Zhe, patted him on the shoulder, and then turned to the entire company: "Did you all hear that? Deputy Company Commander Lin—now Major Lin—is going to teach you real skills! These three months, train like crazy! Anyone who slacks off, don't blame me, Wang Dashan, for being ruthless!"
"Yes!" The roar shook the heavens.
In the days that followed, the reconnaissance company's training intensity doubled. Lin Zhe no longer held back, combining what he had learned from Chen Qingshan and Zhang Jianguo with his knowledge from his previous life, and combined it with the realities of border defense to develop a near-brutal training plan.
At 4:00 AM, a 20-kilometer cross-country run with weights; at 6:00 AM, two hours of combat training; at 8:00 AM, shooting practice; in the afternoon, tactical drills and wilderness survival; in the evening, theoretical study and equipment maintenance...
On the training field, Lin Zhe was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. He personally demonstrated every movement and corrected every detail. While the soldiers were exhausted and collapsed, he was still practicing extra.
"Deputy Company Commander, aren't you tired?" After a combat training session, Xiao Zhao collapsed on the ground, looking at Lin Zhe who was still hitting the sandbag.
Lin Zhe wiped his sweat: "I'm tired, but I can still keep going. Human potential is limitless. You'll never know your limits unless you push yourself."
He walked over to Xiao Zhao and squatted down: "Do you know why I can take on forty people by myself? It's not because I'm naturally more powerful, it's because I trained harder than them and thought more deeply than them. On the battlefield, the more skill you have, the more chances you have to survive."
When this news spread, the entire company's enthusiasm for training soared even higher. Even the laziest soldiers in the company felt embarrassed to slack off after seeing Lin Zhe working so hard.
But Lin Zhe knew in his heart that his rapid growth was largely due to the "benefits" of his transmigration—the dual enhancement of his brain and body. Although these border guards were formidable, they were limited by their talent and circumstances, and it was impossible for them to reach his level in a short period of time.
Therefore, he focused more on teaching them practical skills: how to hide in the jungle, how to set traps, how to cooperate with the squad, how to survive in a disadvantageous situation... These are all life-saving skills on the battlefield.
During training breaks, Lin Zhe would chat with the soldiers, listening to them talk about their hometowns and their experiences in the army. These simple and honest soldiers mostly came from rural areas and had limited education, but they were all sincere and principled—if you treated them well, they would treat you with their whole heart.
One evening, Lin Zhe was writing a training summary at the company headquarters when Wang Dashan pushed open the door and came in carrying two bottles of beer—a contraband in the border defense company, but they would sometimes turn a blind eye.
"Want some drinks?" Wang Dashan handed over a bottle.
Lin Zhe took it, and the two clinked bottles together.
"Lin Zhe, to be honest, I didn't think much of you when you first came here." Wang Dashan took a big gulp. "I thought you were just a rich kid who came here to get some experience, and that you'd be crying and begging to go back after a few days."
Lin Zhe smiled but didn't say anything.
"But I was wrong." Wang Dashan looked at him. "You're a real man. Capable, responsible, and not arrogant. Now that you're leaving, I'll miss you."
"Company Commander..."
"Let me finish," Wang Dashan waved his hand. "I know the reconnaissance company can't keep you. A dragon like you will eventually soar to the sky. But I have a request for you—no matter how high you fly in the future, don't forget the brothers in the reconnaissance company. They are all good soldiers, they just lack opportunities."
Lin Zhe nodded solemnly: "Company Commander, don't worry. The reconnaissance company is where my military career began, and I will never forget it."
"Good! Just hearing that is enough!" Wang Dashan patted Lin Zhe's shoulder forcefully. "Come on, let's do it!"
The two men tilted their heads back and drank. Outside the window, the night sky over the border region was ablaze with stars.
Meanwhile, in a conference room in Beijing, several generals and experts sat together, with Lin Zhe's complete file spread out in front of them.
"...Family background: Father Lin Guodong, mayor of Jinghua City, ministerial level; Mother Su Wan, founder of Wanyue Group, one of the top 100 enterprises in China; Brother Lin Feng, secretary to a leader of a ministry; Grandfather Lin Weiguo, founding major general..."
Upon reading this, an elderly general took off his glasses and rubbed his temples: "With a family background like that, going to the front lines of border defense?"
"Not only that," a senior colonel next to him added, "Look at his educational background: first in his grade in high school, top scorer in science in the college entrance examination, graduated from the National University of Defense Technology in one year, breaking multiple records. After graduation, he volunteered to go to the Southwest Military Region, and specifically to the most arduous border defense regiment."
"Once they arrived at the unit," another expert chimed in, "they fought two border battles, killing over fifty militants and earning two first-class merits. During this time, they also submitted several technical improvement proposals, and their individual combat system was deemed to be more than ten years ahead of existing equipment."
A long silence followed in the meeting room.
"We even tried to persuade him to come to the General Armaments Department," the old general who spoke first said with a wry smile. "Now it seems we were overthinking it. If a young man like him really wanted to pursue a research career, he wouldn't need to suffer in the military. With his family background, he could easily get into the Chinese Academy of Sciences."
"He genuinely wanted to be a soldier," the colonel remarked. "And the kind of soldier who fights real battles, charging into the fray. Look at his combat record—he didn't just hide in the back and command; he personally went into battle, killing more than twenty people in close combat. He's a ruthless character."
The old general put his glasses back on and carefully examined the photo in the file. It was a picture of Lin Zhe in military uniform, his young face sharply defined, his eyes resolute as iron.
"A nineteen-year-old major, two first-class merits, a technical genius, a combat ace..." he muttered to himself, "A person like this might not appear once in decades. Our Dragon Nation's army has truly struck gold this time."
"What about the General Armaments Department..."
"Give up," the old general waved his hand. "A talent like him should be sent to the place most suitable for him. If he wants to be in a combat unit, then let him go. Our General Armaments Department just needs to coordinate."
He paused, his eyes gleaming: "I have a feeling that this Lin Zhe will have a lot of contact with our General Armaments Department in the future. Let's just wait and see."
The file was closed, and the people in the conference room exchanged smiles. They knew that a new star was rising, and they were fortunate enough to witness its first rise.
Lin Zhe, far away on the southwestern border, was unaware of everything that had happened in Jinghua. At that moment, he was leading his reconnaissance company in nighttime ambush training in the jungle.
More than eighty people lay in ambush in the darkness, silent and stealthy. Lin Zhe was at the forefront, like a leopard waiting for its prey.
Time passed second by second, and three hours later, one of the soldiers finally couldn't hold on any longer and his body swayed slightly.
Lin Zhe didn't blame him, but simply said softly, "Hang in there. On the battlefield, the time spent lying in wait might be even longer. Remember, whoever moves first dies first."
These words put everyone on edge.
At four in the morning, training ended. The soldiers were soaked in sweat and exhausted, but their eyes held something new—a resolute determination born from enduring extreme trials.
On the way back to camp, Lin Zhe walked at the back of the group. Looking at the backs of his comrades ahead of him, he felt a mix of emotions.
He's about to leave to embrace even greater challenges.
But no matter where he goes, he will never forget the border defense company, the reconnaissance company, Eagle's Beak Cliff... these names will be forever etched in his military memories.