Chapter 2: 2. Chapter 2: First Encounter, "Tension in the Air

Chapter 2: First Encounter—“Tension in the Air”

She was just about to turn around and excitedly report to Company Commander Zhang: "This vehicle has a secret compartment, and there are things hidden inside..." Before she could finish, a series of rapid, overlapping gunshots rang out.

In an instant, bullets streaked through the air like meteors, making sharp, whistling sounds as they pierced the atmosphere.

The soldiers reacted swiftly, immediately seeking cover while returning fire.

Muzzle flashes flickered erratically in the dim environment, and bullets striking the vehicle and surrounding objects sent cascades of sparks flying.

Before Meng Youyou could even react, two dark, human-shaped shadows lunged toward her from her side and rear amidst the chaos.

Before she could see them clearly, she was jerked by a massive force and subsequently hijacked into a vehicle. The car door slammed shut with a "bang," and the vehicle sped away like a runaway horse.

...

Extreme terror had rendered Meng Youyou's consciousness profoundly chaotic. Blurred phantoms began to dance before her eyes, and weak whimpers escaped her throat.

She was being violently dragged by a dark, burly man. After an unknown amount of time, Meng Youyou vaguely felt as if she were being dragged into a bottomless mountain forest, with passing branches constantly scraping against her body.

*I’m probably going to die here today.* Before losing consciousness completely, this was the only thought left in Meng Youyou's mind.

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps a very, very long time—Meng Youyou's hazy consciousness drifted back slightly. When she opened her eyes, she saw a tall man in military uniform, about four or five meters away, engaged in a brutal, hand-to-hand struggle with the dark, burly kidnapper.

After a fierce bout of fighting, the soldier clearly began to gain the upper hand. His gaze was resolute and determined, his movements decisive and clean; he raised the dagger in his hand and stabbed fiercely toward the kidnapper's chest.

The moment the dagger sank into the flesh, the kidnapper's body jolted. A look of agony crossed his face as blood continuously poured from his mouth, and his eyes went dull, as if he had lost all ability to resist.

Seeing this, Meng Youyou thought the fight was nearing its end and had just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the kidnapper suddenly pull a grenade from seemingly nowhere after being stabbed. Her eyes widened in sheer terror.

Huo Qingshan instantly sensed the danger. His gaze tightened, he shoved the dagger forcefully, and then swiftly kicked the grenade far away.

Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted toward Meng Youyou, tackling her to the ground instantly.

Meng Youyou felt a powerful force strike her as she was pinned tightly beneath him; she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

With a deafening explosion, the grenade detonated nearby, the shockwave causing the surrounding trees to shake violently.

Before falling into a complete blackout, Meng Youyou thought she heard a low, suppressed groan.

*

When she woke up again, it was already the following afternoon. Meng Youyou first felt a headache. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her waist as she moved. She slowly lifted her hands, which were covered in various abrasions, serving as a reminder of yesterday's ordeal.

She turned her head slightly and discovered she had been changed into a clean, neat, light green cotton shirt. The style was simple and elegant, possessing the understated charm characteristic of this era.

Enduring the pain in her body, she wanted to learn about the battle from the previous night. She was desperate to know: at the critical moment when the grenade was about to explode, was the soldier who tackled her to protect her injured? Was it serious?

Just as Meng Youyou arrived at the training ground, she heard the "ding-ding-ling—" of the meal bell. The soldiers on the field moved quickly, running toward the assembly point.

Peering through the crowd, Meng Youyou saw a somewhat lonely figure running vigorously across the field alone. Looking closer, wasn't this Company Commander Zhang, who had checked the post yesterday?

She hurried over, and Zhang Yong stopped his pace when he saw her approaching.

"Company Commander Zhang, you aren't injured, are you?"

"I'm fine. But how are you feeling, Translator Meng? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"

"I'm quite alright, no major issues. Company Commander Zhang, why is everyone else going to eat while you're here running alone?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yong hesitated for a moment before explaining, "...During the tactical execution last night, I made a serious error in my duties. My Battalion Commander is punishing me with a ten-kilometer run."

Pausing, the man continued, "By the way, Translator Meng, please don't call me Company Commander Zhang anymore. I am now the Deputy Company Commander; that title isn't quite appropriate."

Through this conversation, Meng Youyou had gathered most of the details about last night.

It turned out that the border patrol unit had detected anomalies before she discovered the problem. They had notified Zhang Yong, who was on duty at the checkpoint, via radio to let them through, and the base had already sent people to lie in ambush ahead. However, due to Meng Youyou's interference, two new recruits at the checkpoint were indirectly injured.

Meng Youyou grew agitated. "That was my mistake too, what does it have to do with you? How can your Battalion Commander blame you and demote you? Can a leader be so indiscriminate?"

As Zhang Yong watched a man approaching from a distance behind Meng Youyou, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly interjected, "Translator Meng, don't say such things. You must be mindful of your influence when speaking in the military."

Unaware of the anomaly, Meng Youyou continued to complain, "If you ask me, your Battalion Commander is just the kind of incompetent, biased official you'd find in ancient times."

Until a cold, sharp male voice rang in her ear: "Zhang Yong, who told you to stop? Keep running!"

At that moment, Meng Youyou's throat tightened, and her words died abruptly.

"Yes, Battalion Commander," Zhang Yong replied, immediately adjusting his posture and sprinting forward with all his might.

That chilling, piercing male voice lingered in her ears. Even though Zhang Yong had run far away, Meng Youyou's heart was still thumping uncontrollably. She instinctively straightened her back and slowly turned around to look.

She saw a man standing there like a towering mountain, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's, staring intently at her.

A flash of panic crossed Meng Youyou's face, but she quickly regained her composure. She struggled to steady her voice and spoke, "Are you his Battalion Commander?"

The man's gaze swept over her like a blade, moving up and down as if it could pierce through her soul, carrying a chilling scrutiny. "Yes."

The single word was like ice shards hitting the ground, making his authority and unquestionable nature feel particularly heavy.

Meng Youyou was instantly stunned by this aura. Having been an exemplary student since childhood, in her twenty-plus years of life, she had never encountered such a person—someone who commanded respect without even being angry, possessing an incredibly powerful presence.

She fought to steady her nerves, forcing herself to continue the negotiation. "I... I'm sure you heard what I just said. I didn't mean to speak ill of you behind your back, but I truly believe there was a problem with your decision-making. It's unfair to Company Commander Zhang; if it wasn't his fault, he shouldn't be blamed."

The man opposite her curled his lips into a faint, mocking smile, his eyes full of disdain. "If it wasn't his fault, then whose fault was it?"

The question was pointed. The answer was self-evident; everyone present knew it, including Meng Youyou.

She felt a surge of shame and indignation. After a fierce internal struggle, Meng Youyou finally admitted it candidly: "It was my fault. It was my problem. I shouldn't have acted on my own and interfered with your internal operational plans."

After saying this, she couldn't help but try to defend herself. "I didn't think that far ahead at the time. I just arrived here and don't understand many of the circumstances. I didn't do it on purpose, and I didn't know my actions would directly lead to soldiers being injured."

"A pile of excuses. Knowing you didn't understand the situation yet acting arbitrarily—reckless, impulsive, and thoughtless. In a battlefield, this kind of self-will and conceit can lead to unpredictable and severe consequences. The punishment of a ten-kilometer run and a demotion to Deputy Company Commander is light for him."

"One must take responsibility for one's own actions. There is no reason for others to take the fall for my mistakes. Just punish me directly," Meng Youyou said, chin held high, looking as if she were ready to face death.

Hearing this, Huo Qingshan merely lifted his chin slightly, his eyebrows arching. "A high-level translator sent by the Central Command... a young lady deigning to come to this small, desolate place to polish her resume. The entire unit is terrified of offending Translator Meng, let alone anyone daring to punish you?" His tone was filled with casual arrogance and contempt.

His disdain for her was almost blatant; he made no attempt to hide his dismissive attitude as he confronted her directly.

Meng Youyou truly couldn't take it anymore, and her temper flared instantly. "Do you think you're so great just because you're a Battalion Commander? Who are you looking down on? I made a mistake, and I admit it. Punish me however you see fit, I have no objections. But what kind of man is this, just standing here being sarcastic? You're not a man at all; I look down on you."

The group of soldiers passing by the training ground after their meal happened to witness this scene: the new beautiful female translator pointing her finger at their "Living Yama" and cursing: "Not a man at all!!!"

Every single one of them looked distressed, wanting to find a hole to crawl into immediately to escape this tense confrontation.

Huo Qingshan's expression could not be described as good; it was as dark as the sky before a storm. Those originally deep eyes were now burning with fierce rage, as if he might scorch the person before him at any moment. "Fine. As you said, I will punish you exactly as you deserve."

The man turned and shouted to Zhang Yong, who was not far away, "Zhang Yong, no need to run. Go eat now."

Then, turning back, he commanded Meng Youyou, "He has five kilometers left. You run them for him. Until he finishes tonight, no eating and no sleeping." He stared directly into Meng Youyou's eyes, his gaze heavy with overwhelming pressure.

Meng Youyou's head spun. Being naturally frail, even the 800-meter run in college physical exams used to nearly kill her. Five kilometers? What kind of concept was that? It was enough to take three of her lives.

But the situation was laid bare before her. She had just thrown out such harsh words; she couldn't exactly retreat now—that would be too humiliating.

Besides, who knew how this damn Battalion Commander would mock her?

Having set herself on fire, and seeing no way to back out, Meng Youyou could only grit her teeth and accept the arrangement. She huffed and threw out a final remark: "Fine, I'll run. Who's afraid of whom?"

With that, the girl turned and began running laps around the field.

The sky gradually darkened. The originally orange-red sunset glow seemed to be slowly wiped away by an invisible hand, replaced by a night as thick as ink.

Meng Youyou trudged forward with great difficulty, her clothes long since soaked with sweat.

Her face was pale, her lips colorless, and her breathing was heavy. Her legs felt as heavy as lead, every step seemingly requiring her entire strength. Her hair clung messily and wetly to her cheeks. Her eyes were full of exhaustion and pain, yet carried a trace of stubbornness.

Meng Youyou felt her body had reached its limit and that she might collapse at any moment, but she continued to grit her teeth and persevere, unwilling to be looked down upon by that arrogant officer.

Entrusted by Zhang Yong, Zhong Heng secretly ran over to bring Meng Youyou dinner. He intercepted the girl as she was running slowly on the field. "Comrade Meng, eat something first. You'll need the strength to keep running."

Meng Youyou looked at the newcomer. His skin was a healthy wheat color, and a bright, almost excessive smile hung on his lips, breaking the overly serious and somber impression this place had given her.

Meng Youyou did not hesitate and declined bluntly, "I said I would accept the punishment, and I will keep my word. I assume your Battalion Commander didn't suddenly show mercy and let me eat? Or has he become so insidious that he sent you to lure me into breaking the rules? Is he entrapment-policing me?"

Zhong Heng was bewildered. "What entrapment? Zhang Yong asked me to bring you food. You stood in front of him to take his punishment today, and he feels bad about it. But since he still has a self-reflection report to write, the task fell to me. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Zhong Heng."

"Zhong Heng," Meng Youyou repeated the name softly. "I remember now. Company Commander Zhang mentioned you this afternoon. It was you who led the team to ambush the enemy last night and caught them all in the trap. I haven't had a chance to thank you properly. Thank you for saving me."

Zhong Heng scratched his head, expressing a bit of bashfulness, "Actually, it wasn't all my credit. You don't need to thank me specially. In the end, it was because our Battalion Commander's deployment was good, and last night he was..."

Meng Youyou, now filled with resentment whenever she heard about their Battalion Commander, interrupted him directly, "Stop flattering him. I don't want to talk about him right now."