Chapter 13: The Assault

Chapter 13: The Attack

The rustling sound was faint, so subtle that one might not notice it without paying close attention.

Yet, Xu Qiao did not think she was imagining things; she instantly became alert.

The area around her was tightly enclosed, making it impossible for wild animals to be the cause. This eerie noise forced her to remain vigilant.

Originally lying in the grass, Xu Qiao had padded her resting spot with some dry hay for comfort. Now, this made for an excellent hiding place, making it difficult for anyone to spot her while she nestled within.

Before fully understanding the situation, she refrained from rash action, carefully observing her surroundings.

At that moment, the sound came again, softly. Xu Qiao turned her head toward its source.

What she saw made her heart skip a beat.

A few figures clad in camouflage were stealthily approaching through the nearby woods.

They were expertly concealed, blending almost seamlessly with the surrounding trees; if not for their movement, it would be impossible to discern that they were people.

Under such circumstances, the sudden appearance of these individuals, creeping toward the camp in a furtive manner, could not be their own comrades.

When she caught sight of one of them, a spark of recognition flickered in her eyes.

Judging by their quick reactions and marksmanship moments ago, Xu Qiao knew she could never stand toe-to-toe with them in a direct confrontation. Her survival so far was due to the swift response of the communications company, who had drawn the enemy’s fire away; otherwise, her exercise would have ended then and there.

She chuckled bitterly to herself and glanced again toward the cooks’ quarters.

But she was unwilling to flee in defeat. Where else could she go?

More importantly, she worried about her comrades—both the cooks’ unit and the third squad. She hoped they were safe.

With gun barrels already trained on her, Xu Qiao kept calm and simply watched their movements.

Whether or not the one giving commands was the officer, anyone capable of such gestures could hardly be a mere foot soldier. For the moment, there was no better target.

Bang! A gunshot rang out, and bullets whistled through the air.

Had she been hit by those shots, there would have been no tears left to shed.

Yet, she hadn’t expected their reactions to be so swift—no chance to evade.

When she realized the second company had been completely wiped out, Xu Qiao accepted just how formidable the enemy was.

This realization brought a grim relief: at least they were not as monstrous as she had feared, wiping out an entire company with just a handful of men.

With so many enemies bearing down on her, the pressure on those inside the encirclement eased considerably. Naturally, they wouldn’t miss such an opportunity. Gunfire and explosions erupted, and with sheer force, they carved a path through.

This meant the communications company’s annihilation was only a matter of time.

As bullets flew, she could only rely on instinct, rolling behind a tree to avoid the deadly assault.

But ultimately, she found that no matter what she did, her efforts were negligible against overwhelming force.

The enemies, having emerged from the shadows into the open, were attempting to encircle the few still resisting.

Seeing their determined forms, Xu Qiao felt an inexplicable pang in her heart, as if witnessing the sacrifice of comrades.

Silently eradicating an entire company with such efficiency sent a cold sweat down her spine, filling her with dread.

The combat effectiveness of the communications company had never been high; even with training, it could not compare to the second company. If the second company was no match, how could they stand against these foes?

Gunfire erupted not only from one direction but from all sides—there were more attackers than she had initially thought.

But now, that seemed impossible.

No matter how powerful the enemy, they were still human. Xu Qiao had slain even Yamamoto; what was there to fear? Besides, she was hidden in the shadows—she refused to believe she couldn’t find at least one ally to join her.

Pew, pew... bullets struck the tree trunk before her.

Near the communications vehicle, a group sat dejectedly, as if defeated.

Yet even in real combat, Xu Qiao had never been a deserter.

Perhaps they were overconfident, or perhaps her presence was too inconspicuous. No one noticed the “remnant” she was, conveniently isolating her outside the encirclement.

Bullets swept past; Xu Qiao braced herself and scanned her surroundings, realizing the shots weren’t aimed at her. The near-fatal rounds earlier had been stray bullets.

It wasn’t that her marksmanship was exceptional—it was simply that the enemy was so numerous she couldn’t miss.

Without lingering, Xu Qiao, shielded by the trees, dashed toward the cooks’ vehicle.

Though her single shot had prematurely revealed their position, the enemy’s strength was far superior to the communications company’s, forcing them into a steady retreat.

Relaxed both mentally and physically, she surprisingly managed to reach near the cooks’ quarters.

With her comrades fallen, there was no reason for her to remain. Even with nowhere to go, she couldn’t stay to await death.

Xu Qiao stumbled and collapsed behind a tree.

Gunfire was everywhere, bullets flying from all directions. An ordinary recruit might have been terrified.

Countless thoughts raced through her mind as she wished she could help resolve the communications company’s crisis.

Facing such an enemy, she could do little more than this one chance and vowed not to waste a single bullet.

Rolling once more, she finally slipped back into the woods.

Cold sweat broke out instantly. The sensation of bullets whizzing overhead was all too real.

Though worried for her comrades, Xu Qiao had done all she could—she must accept fate. Worrying further was futile.

They all wore identical camouflage and disguises; it was impossible to tell who the commander was.

Bullets chased her relentlessly. She crouched behind a tree, trying to blend into the bark itself.

Ignoring her own aim, she fired a few shots without hesitation, then dove aside.

Amidst the hail of bullets, she dared not linger and scrambled from cover in a somewhat disheveled state.

The outer defenses had vanished, and the enemy was now at her side, yet no one had noticed her. Considering their combat skill, the communications company was nothing more than prey.

Without reinforcements, all she could do was cling desperately to survival.

Xu Qiao took a deep breath, eyes fixed intently on her target. As the figure paused, she squeezed the trigger with all her might.

Pew! The training round struck its mark, blue smoke curling up.

Her shot required little aiming—it hit the target directly.

At the sound of her gunfire, the attackers ignored her, focusing their efforts on the communications company.

Xu Qiao’s position was outside the encirclement, unnoticed as a lowly private. Escape was still possible.

With this thought, she gritted her teeth and slowly raised her weapon.

Then, with a sudden leap, she summoned all her strength and sprinted forward.

While waiting, she suddenly noticed a hand signal. Her eyes brightened, and her gun was immediately trained on the sender.

“Run!” came a familiar voice.

Gunfire had lessened, meaning fewer were resisting—likely all but wiped out.

She knew the hope was bleak; someone had almost certainly fallen. Yet she stubbornly wanted to take one last look.

But she also knew that now was the time to stay calm. A single company was no match; if discovered, she would be cannon fodder.

Bang, bang! A rapid volley of bullets came flying.

Familiar figures lay or sat on the ground, spirits crushed. Blue paint marks on their bodies signified early elimination.

Their presence here meant the outer guards of the communications company had likely suffered casualties.

The sound of gunfire was like a drop of water falling into a pot of boiling oil.

Reaching the camp, Xu Qiao was eager to check on the situation, but a fierce volley rang out.

She fired again, bullets flying—some hitting, some missing.

Finally out of their firing range, she was nonetheless closer to another group of attackers.

An entire communications company had been annihilated. For those who felt a bond with this unit, the pain was unimaginable.

If she didn’t leave now, she never would. Gripping her rifle, she slowly began to retreat.

Without hesitation, she fired a shot; blue smoke rose among the enemies.

The gunfire grew more intense. Only the second company guarded the communications company here; other units were nearby but couldn’t arrive in time.

Seeing this, Xu Qiao knew hope was lost unless reinforcements came immediately.

“Enemy attack!” The communications company reacted swiftly, combatants rushing out as gunfire erupted.

Under such tension, it was difficult to perform beyond normal levels, even maintaining baseline skills was a challenge. Yet, the pressure sometimes brought out unexpected prowess.

Having experienced true combat, Xu Qiao was unafraid of this simulated battle.

Taking a deep breath, she stopped watching them and turned to seek the third squad—but the sight left her despondent.

Both friend and foe were thrown into chaos by the gunfire.

Her heart sank instantly.

Boom! An explosion shattered the air, and gunfire intensified once more. Xu Qiao instinctively looked toward the source.

No—they had lost. A crushing defeat.

Here stood not only the cooks’ unit but also the third squad’s communications vehicle; she had returned for them.

Before she could react, a hand grabbed her, pulling her to run.

Xu Qiao stumbled but managed to keep up.

Running and dodging alongside the others, they surprisingly shook off the pursuers.

“Squad leader, you’re amazing! You actually got out of here?”

(End of chapter)