Chapter 466 - Total strength: 184, present strength: 183 (2/2)
When the troops were about to arrive at the rendezvous point, it was already evening. Zhou Yinglong had been waiting at the entrance of the camp for a long time. Not only Zhou Yinglong, but Wang Fengyuan, Zhang Jinglin, and the other important commanders were here as well.
The rendezvous point was the Northern Headquarters of Fortress 178.
After Zhang Xiaoman and the Razor Sharp Company jumped out of the vehicles and limped, Zhou Yinglong kicked him and said, “Why are you pretending to be injured when you’re not?”
Zhang Xiaoman quickly stood to attention and said with a cheeky smile, “It makes us appear even more valiant, no?”
As they spoke, the Razor Sharp Company assembled behind Zhang Xiaoman. Zhang Xiaoman shouted, “Count off!”
“1!”
“2!”
“…”
“182!”
Throughout the counting off, the voices of the Razor Sharp Company’s soldiers were sonorous. However, the count-off ended at 182. Zhang Xiaoman thought that something was not right. “Why are we short one person?”
There should be 184 of them in total, including Zhang Xiaoman himself. But why was one of them missing?
Jiao Xiaochen wondered, “Hey, wait a minute, where’s Ren Xiaosu?”
“That’s right! Where’s Ren Xiaosu!”
Zhang Jinglin stood calmly in front of the formation. Many of the commanders had only stayed behind because they wanted to see what that legendary Ren Xiaosu looked like. But in the end, Ren Xiaosu had disappeared?
Zhou Yinglong looked at Zhang Xiaoman. “What’s wrong with you? How could you lose Ren Xiaosu?”
Zhang Xiaoman was also starting to get anxious. “Did any of you see Ren Xiaosu just now?”
“Yes, he was still around a moment ago. He was just sitting there in the bed of the truck. I dunno where he suddenly disappeared to.”
“Yeah, I saw him as well!”
Zhang Jinglin sighed. “Never mind, leave him be.”
Zhang Jinglin knew that Ren Xiaosu had temporarily joined Fortress 178 because of the Zong Consortium. But it was also because of the destruction of the Zong Consortium that he had left again. His heart did not belong here, after all.
Wang Fengyuan whispered, “Could he really have felt estranged?”
Zhang Jinglin shook his head and said, “It’s not important.” Then Zhang Jinglin looked at Zhang Xiaoman and said, “Carry on.”
Zhang Xiaoman stood to attention and swung his hand up energetically close to his ear in a salute. “Reporting in, Commander! The Razor Sharp Company has assembled. …”
Zhang Xiaoman was full of pride when he spoke. But now that the Razor Sharp Company was short one person, he somehow felt very empty and miserable inside.
Ren Xiaosu actually left without bidding farewell.
Thinking back on the times they spent together for the past month or so, the difficulties and dangers they faced were deeply imprinted in their minds.
As he kept speaking, Zhang Xiaoman grew depressed. Zhou Yinglong snapped at him, “Haven’t we already won the war? So what’s with that expression of yours?!”
“Battalion Commander, sir! We had made an agreement that no man would get left behind, but we’ve failed to bring Ren Xiaosu back with us!”
Everyone suddenly fell silent. No one had ever expected that the entire Razor Sharp Company would truly survive the war.
The dying sun blood-red. [1]
[1] This is the last line from the ci poem, Loushan Pass, by Mao Zedong. Mao wrote this poem after the Red Army defeated the KMT after a fierce battle and occupied the pass. | |
Fierce the west wind,
Wild geese cry under the frosty morning moon.
Under the frosty morning moon
Horses’ hooves clattering,
Bugles sobbing low.
Idle boast the strong pass is a wall of iron,
With firm strides we are crossing its summit.
We are crossing its summit,
The rolling hills sea-blue,
The dying sun blood-red.