Chapter 15: Being Alive Allows One to Do More

Chapter 15: Living Allows You to Do More

Xu Qiao stubbornly stood up, but before she could steady herself, her legs buckled, nearly causing her to fall back down. Hastily, she grasped a nearby stone for support and obediently sat back down.

When she looked up, she saw only the squad leader staring at her, showing not the slightest intention of helping her up.

Xu Qiao couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Squad leader, you’re not worried at all. If we keep delaying like this, we’ll never catch up.”

The squad leader simply pointed at her and said, “I only know that if you keep going, you’ll really collapse.”

“Don’t worry. They won’t get away. If you rest a little longer, you can still keep up.”

His words reassured Xu Qiao—not because she blindly trusted him, but because she had come to respect the abilities he had demonstrated throughout their pursuit.

They had been cautious all along, not daring to get too close for fear of being detected, trailing at a distance so far that sometimes they couldn’t even see the others’ figures. Yet no matter how far behind they fell, the squad leader was always able to track them down by following the traces they left behind.

Xu Qiao understood he was using this opportunity to teach her something: practical, hands-on experience was far more valuable than theoretical knowledge.

“A full infantry regiment is stationed here, plus at least one reconnaissance company. There’s no way there’s no activity at all.”

Having experienced war herself, she knew that an army must always remain vigilant. Facing an enemy that could appear at any time and in any manner, failure to maintain constant alertness could mean dying without even knowing how.

“If you call that bold and reckless, then you’ve got problems with your head,” the squad leader’s face darkened.

It was only then, hearing his words, that she immediately believed him.

“You’re overthinking it,” the squad leader said bluntly. “In an exercise like this, the command post wouldn’t be set up in such a large camp.”

“We can’t handle a whole regiment, but as soon as they start moving, it won’t be the entire base acting in unison. That will be our chance.”

His tone was stern. “We’re soldiers. Sacrifice on the battlefield is normal, but senseless sacrifice is unacceptable.”

Realizing this, Xu Qiao let out a light laugh and relaxed completely. She looked toward the direction they had come from. “Squad leader, who exactly are these people? Their physical fitness is even stronger than those in the second squad.”

“They’re likely reconnaissance troops. Their combat ability is unquestionable. If they weren’t far stronger than those others, how could they have pulled off such a silent, successful ambush?”

Xu Qiao’s expression changed. “So we had no precautions at all before?”

She glanced around but, perhaps due to their excellent concealment, saw nothing but a few sentries in place.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been at peace too long. Few people think like you do anymore.”

“They probably began preparing even before the exercise started, scouting the troops assembling and identifying their enemies.”

Fortunately, the squad leader finally stopped moving. Before Xu Qiao could ask more, he said, “Look ahead.”

“Of course, we wouldn’t have chased them for nothing. Since we’ve found the reconnaissance company’s main base, it will be useful.” He withdrew his gaze. “I told you, it’s all about patience now.”

“Protecting yourself and your comrades as much as possible comes first, then completing the mission. And there are many ways to complete a mission; you don’t have to trade your life for it.”

Xu Qiao paused, finally understanding.

---

“You’re too self-important. With such tight security, thinking you can slip in unnoticed and carry out a decapitation strike is just a pipe dream.”

Thinking that she could become as confident as they were, no longer needing to sacrifice herself for a fleeting peace, brought her some comfort.

“From the start of the exercise, we’ve already been under surveillance. That’s why it seemed so easy to wipe us out.”

“If we wait any longer, who knows if there will even be a chance. If it were me, I’d rather charge in and go down fighting—at least it would be dramatic.”

“Our army doesn’t need that. I believe with our ability, any enemy invading our territory can be defeated and repelled, not just by killing an insignificant commander.”

After hours of walking and stopping, they finally reached this point, still on track thanks entirely to the squad leader’s tracking skills.

“You’re really too naive,” he glanced at her. “Do you think killing a regiment commander will cause the entire regiment to lose command?”

“Are you seriously thinking about raiding the camp?”

“We’ve followed them this long for this very reason. A counterattack is only fair, isn’t it?”

While in the barracks, she had observed other companies’ training and had a general understanding of their abilities.

“This place is perfect—nestled between two mountains, a low-lying jungle area with excellent concealment. Satellite reconnaissance would have difficulty, and with good sentries, they could even carry out long-range counter-surveillance.”

“That’s impossible. If the commander falls, there’s the deputy commander. If he falls, there are staff officers and battalion commanders. Someone will always take over. The combat effectiveness of a regiment can’t be destroyed so easily.”

“If it means dying, then dying is worth it if we can take someone down with us,” Xu Qiao glanced ahead. “If we’re lucky enough to find the camp and kill the commander, wouldn’t that cripple the regiment?”

She carefully studied the area, trying to discern how he identified it as an infantry regiment’s base and where the enemy sentries might be.

The squad leader shook his head. “In real war, no one is so important that losing them would cause a unit to retreat completely. Even if that happened, it would only be to buy time, which is of little use to us.”

After some conversation, Xu Qiao finally felt her strength returning and, not wasting time, used a nearby tree trunk to help herself stand.

The squad leader gave her a helpless look. “Just the two of us trying to raid such a large camp and then expecting payback? That’s suicide.”

But this wasn’t a real training moment; he just smiled and said, “No need to get closer for now.”

Xu Qiao’s heart leapt. “This is the Blue Army’s main base. Does that mean the command post is here too?”

But most modern soldiers hadn’t experienced actual war. Though training was more advanced and scientific, their war awareness was lacking.

The squad leader could tell she hadn’t located the sentries yet, but pointing it out now was useless—they wouldn’t be visible until they were right in front of them.

Xu Qiao felt dazed; this was different from the training she had received.

She was struck by the confidence in his tone.

“There are no rules in real war,” the squad leader said.

Xu Qiao shook her head helplessly. “If this were not an exercise but a real enemy, could we really bargain over rules?”

If these were those troops, even a male company wouldn’t have left her so exhausted.

“For example... if we had the chance to assassinate the enemy’s most important commander, and his death would force a retreat...”

She asked reluctantly, “If their defensive depth is enough, does that mean we can’t get any closer to observe?”

Xu Qiao felt crushed. “Then all this chasing was for nothing?”

---

She finally realized the difference between herself and them. In an era of peace and a powerful army, although they were more comfortable and lacked the baptism of war, they were far more confident.

After several hours, they had already penetrated deep into Blue Army territory, yet the enemy had not stopped.

There was only one chance for an assassination, so they naturally chose the most reliable method—while no one had ever considered her life.

Otherwise, with her stamina, she might have been left behind long ago.

They were willing to risk everything to complete the mission, even sacrifice their lives for victory.

Just like when she had attempted to assassinate Yamamoto—she never expected to survive.

Following the direction he pointed, a concealed camp came into view.

The squad leader nodded appreciatively. “You’re right—there are no rules in war.”

He surveyed the camp again. “This should be an infantry regiment’s base.”

Looking back, there were indeed other methods, but those with higher chances of success were far less reliable.

“Don’t overthink it. These aren’t your concerns anyway,” the squad leader said with a light laugh. “Besides, that’s exactly what this exercise is for. If these problems don’t come up, how can we improve?”

He continued forward, tracing the marks left behind, never losing their trail or taking a wrong path.

They had assumed the enemy would either attack other targets or return directly to their camp.

“Since we know there’s an exercise, shouldn’t they be preparing not just for battle readiness but also to guard against Blue Army reconnaissance?”

Hearing they still had to wait, Xu Qiao sat down immediately. “Squad leader, you really have patience.”

Surprised by her attitude, the squad leader asked, “Don’t you think what they’re doing breaks the rules?”

Xu Qiao’s eyes lit up as she looked at him. “Isn’t that true?”

She was exhausted and hungry, her whole body feeling like it was falling apart.

Life was cheap in those moments. If it could bring victory, sacrifice seemed worthwhile.

Thinking of this, Xu Qiao couldn’t help but ask, “What if the mission must be completed, even if there’s only one chance?”

Then she shook her head. “But it’s not as extreme as you think. Even if they’re stronger, it’s not impossible to resist them.”

Seeing her smile, the squad leader asked with a chuckle, “Got it?”

Xu Qiao nodded vigorously. “We wait here for a better opportunity. Even if none comes, others are still working hard. A war isn’t decided by the whims of one or two people.”

The squad leader was pleased. “Your sensitivity to war is stronger than others’, you don’t even seem like a rookie.”

“But this habit of trading lives for lives isn’t good. Remember, your life is more important. Living allows you to do more.”

(End of Chapter)