Chapter 1039: Escape intact
Sun Zhen held the rifle with one hand and held the tree trunk with the other, breathing heavily. He now needed to calm down his breathing as soon as possible to avoid affecting the accuracy of his subsequent shooting. Although the current situation is very urgent, what he is thinking about at the moment is completely unrelated to the things in front of him.
Sun Zhen remembered the night when he fled from his hometown. Behind him were the blazing fires and vague miserable howls in the village. At that time, he was running away like this desperately, for fear of being overtaken by the rebels. He escaped in such a hurry that he didn't have time to take any of his family members with him, nor any of his belongings, nor any weapons that could be used to defend himself. Sun Zhen fled from the village that night. At dawn, he found that he had escaped thirty or forty miles in one breath. Even during the training after joining the army in Penghu, he never ran such a long distance in one breath.
Shooting is not Sun Zhen's strong point, and the training he received in the special operations camp can only keep him at a passing level. In the team he commanded this time, there were several people who were better at shooting than him. The reason why Sun Zhen stayed to direct this strenuous blocking battle was not because he relied on his shooting skills, but because he knew his responsibilities as a commander very well and must take care of everyone in the team and ensure everyone's safety. Evacuate the battlefield, otherwise this orderly retreat will easily turn into a disorganized escape.
Since joining the army, this is probably the most passive situation Sun Zhen has ever been in in actual combat. In the past, whether in Taipei or Zhejiang, only his opponents were beaten to death by special operations battalions. He has never encountered such a situation. Being chased by an opponent in such an embarrassing situation. It was precisely this that made him involuntarily think of the scene when he was chased by the rebels during the Denglai Rebellion.
However, compared to the situation at that time when he had almost no power to fight back, Sun Zhen now at least has extremely lethal weapons in his hands that can deal with the pursuing enemies. Although these natives are very fierce, after taking several rounds of cold shots, they had to temporarily choose to hide their movements to avoid being used as living targets under the opponent's guns. This also made the three who stayed behind to block the attack The team finally had some breathing room.
Sun Zhen knew that the natives would not lie dormant for too long, and the rest time left for him was very limited. He had to quickly weigh how much time the current blocking measures would buy for the previously retreating comrades, and the physical and mental strength of the three of them were at a loss. How long can it last? Should it continue to stick to the current tactics, or should it be better to leave the battlefield as soon as possible.
If it were Sun Zhen a year ago, he would definitely have chosen to save his life without hesitation. In order to save his life in the war, he even failed to take care of his own family, but now as an officer in the special operations battalion, Sun Zhen must consider more factors. In addition to ensuring the safety of the people he led, he also knew very well that he now represented the dignity of the special operations battalion. If this invincible force fell at the hands of a group of natives on Taiwan Island who used cold weapons, , no matter what the objective reasons are, it is an unacceptable result. Even for the sake of the group he belongs to, Sun Zhen will never tolerate this mission being messed up in his own hands.
Sun Zhen turned to look at where his two companions were, and saw that they were also looking at him from behind tree trunks and grass. Since there was a distance of more than ten meters between them, they did not dare to speak loudly and reveal their positions. They communicated through simple gestures to confirm whether each other's status was still able to continue fighting.
At this time, three hours had passed since they started to retreat from the vicinity of Maolishe. During this period, they only briefly stopped a few times to drink water and rest. The physical exertion was very high. Although I still had some dry food on me, I didn’t have time to eat properly. But at this time, they didn't care so much. Before the natives attacked, the three of them took out some dry food and ate it first. If they didn't eat something, it would be difficult for them to maintain their physical strength until nightfall.
Sun Zhen believed that he was not the only one suffering from hunger at this time. Those natives chased for several hours at a stretch, and their physical exertion was not necessarily less than his own. Moreover, they set off in a more hasty manner. Some natives might not even be able to drink water. He followed the team into the mountains without bringing any weapons. If he still has the physical strength to fight after chasing him, then Sun Zhen can only express his admiration.
After a few mouthfuls of fried noodles, washed down with cold water, Sun Zhen's thoughts finally returned to the situation at hand. Judging from the weather, it would get dark in about two hours, and by then the possibility of escaping the tracking of the natives would increase. many. In the current rainy season, after nighttime, the outdoor environment is wet and cold, and the natives with thin clothes or even topless clothes will definitely find it difficult to survive. Sun Zhen even thought that they might retreat soon, because if they want to continue If they continue to pursue, it is very likely that the natives will not be able to drive back to their tribe tonight.
Of course, if the natives take this into consideration, they will probably give it a go and try to launch the last offensive of the day. As long as they can leave even one enemy behind, their pursuit today will be considered to have been worthwhile.
Sun Zhen once again observed the surrounding environment. The terrain of the creek bank was relatively flat, perhaps because of the water erosion during the rainy season every year, and the forest density was relatively sparse. It would be difficult for the three of them to escape silently from the surveillance of the natives. As long as you make any move, you will definitely be discovered by the other party soon. Sun Zhen weighed it again and again, but still felt that he could not leave too much time for the opponent to breathe. At this time, whoever can grit his teeth and persist will be the final winner. The active side will obviously have more psychological advantages.
Sun Zhen gestured to the other two companions, indicating that they were ready to take action. After receiving the response, Sun Zhen stood up and hunched over, using the cover of the trees and grass, to retreat back. Seeing this, the other two people followed suit.
However, the actions of the three people could not be hidden from the eyes of the natives. Soon the roars of the natives could be heard in the forest, and then several people rushed out of their hiding places and pursued them relentlessly.
Sun Zhen's prediction turned into reality. This time the natives were obviously planning to produce a result. After the two or three people who were rushing in were hit by musket bullets and fell to the ground, the other natives did not choose to dodge like before. , but continue to rush forward. Sun Zhen fired two shots. During the retreat, he noticed some natives marching in the forest on the east side. It seemed that the truce just now was an illusion. They wanted to use this to paralyze Sun Zhen and others, so they sent a team of people. Secretly infiltrate Chen Cang and outflank the opponent's retreat from the side. If Sun Zhen hadn't acted early and had rested for a while, the natives on this side of the road might have been able to go to the front and cut off their retreat route.
"Meng Gui, on your left!" Sun Zhen warned loudly.
Meng Gui reacted quickly enough. He immediately turned his head and aimed towards the forest. About half a second later, he opened fire. With the sound of a gunshot, someone fell to the ground in the forest more than 20 meters away.
Meng Gui immediately retreated after firing a shot, because he had seen that at the same time as he fired, there were several natives in the forest who stopped and bent their bows and arrows, preparing to launch an attack on his side. As soon as he moved, several bamboo arrows and a bamboo spear flew over and were inserted into the position where he had just been hiding.
Sun Zhen discovered that the natives had indeed learned to be smart this time. They did not just rest during the truce, but sent a team of people to go around to his side. The traces of the natives' activities in the forest could not be clearly seen. Maybe someone has already copied it to the front. In this way, the natives could rely on their huge numerical advantage to surround them in a small area near the stream bank.
"Cross the river!" Sun Zhen made a new decision decisively, and immediately swam across the unknown stream before the natives could get too close. There happened to be a few large rocks about half a man's height on the other side of the stream, which could be used as a cover for them to swim ashore and shoot at the natives who were chasing them.
"Meng Gui goes over first and covers us when we get ashore!" Sun Zhen decided to let Meng Gui, who has the best marksmanship, go over first, so that he can use the range of the firearm and his own accuracy to help his companions who are crossing the stream at a farther distance. Provide covering fire. Meng Gui understood Sun Zhen's intention without any explanation. He immediately raised the rifle and ammunition bag above his head and strode into the stream. Although this stream is only seven or eight meters wide, the place where Meng Gui entered the water is not shallow. Halfway through, his feet are dangling in the air, and he needs to step on the water to cross. However, the training they received in the past included armed swimming. Even Sun Zhen, a northerner who was not very good at water, can now hold up half a navy, so crossing this creek is not too big. problem.
Before Meng Gui climbed up the bank of the stream, Sun Zhen had already discovered that there were natives coming from the lower reaches of the stream. If they had not made a decisive decision and chose to cross the stream here, the three of them would have closed the circle when the natives approached. I can only be trapped and die by this stream.
"Liu Da, hurry up and leave!" Sun Zhen ordered Liu Da while hurriedly loading bullets. He now regrets that he didn't apply to Chen Yixin for the latest seven-shot rifle before setting off. Even if there was only one, he wouldn't have to be in such a hurry now. Loading one round at a time, this loading efficiency is simply life-threatening at the moment.
Liu Da also followed Meng Gui's previous method, jumped into the stream with his gun and ammunition bag, and flopped towards the other side with all his strength. At this time, Meng Gui had already set up a stance on the other side of the stream and started shooting at the targets here, providing fire cover for the two companions behind him.
Sun Zhen saw more and more enemies, and the closest distance to him was only ten meters away. He immediately jumped into the water and swam to the other side. The natives who caught up behind him used their bows and arrows to shoot at Sun Zhen, who was still in the water, against the scattered bullets fired from the other side.
Liu Da and Meng Gui estimated that they had never tried such a fast shooting frequency since they became soldiers. The speed of loading bullets was at least twice as fast as during normal training. They knew very well that they could hit one more target now, and Sun Zhen escaped from danger. The hope will be one more point.
Although they tried their best to shoot wildly at the natives, and almost every shot hit the target, Sun Zhen, who had become the target of concentrated fire, was still hit by an arrow when he climbed up the stream bank. Fortunately, it was only shot in the arm. , there is no immediate danger of life. Liu Da leaned out half of his body from behind the stone, grabbed the armed belt on Sun Zhen's clothes, and dragged him and his weapons behind the stone.
Sun Zhen gasped and said, "I can't lift this arm anymore, so I guess it won't be of use now!"
Liu Da stuck his head out and fired at the other side, and responded: "Squad leader, you still have an arrow stuck in your arm, just lie down!"
Sun Zhen said nothing, sat up and loaded ammunition into his rifle. Although he couldn't lift the gun and shoot with one hand, he could barely complete it by helping to load the ammunition. Now the three of them are trapped here. If they can't stop the natives on the other side of the stream, then they basically have no hope of escaping.
With Sun Zhen, a wounded soldier, helping to load the ammunition, Meng Gui's shooting speed also increased a lot. There were already three or four natives who were hit by him and fell into the stream. The natives who caught up later also realized that entering the water here was a perfect target, and immediately shot the bows, arrows and spears in the direction of the big rock where the three of them were hiding.
Meng Gui almost subconsciously shrank his head, and a bamboo arrow grazed his face. He stretched out his hand to touch it, and his face was already covered with blood. If it had been a little higher, it would have gone straight through the eye socket. He was so frightened. He also cursed and killed the native who was shooting the arrow with one shot.
"Squad leader, we probably can't go back!" Meng Gui crouched down to avoid a spear, and took the loaded rifle handed over by Sun Zhen: "There are at least seventy or eighty natives on the other side. Even if we take one shot of these bullets, we probably won’t have enough to shoot them all.”
When swimming just now, Sun Zhen dropped his ammunition bag in the water because he was hit by an arrow. However, he had the best physical strength so he carried a large amount of supplies. Now that the ammunition on the three people was gathered together, there were only five or six left. Ten rounds. Because Meng Gui fired continuously, his right hand and half of his face had been smoked black by gunpowder smoke, and he looked very strange.
Sun Zhen shouted: "If you can't go back, you have to kill a few more. If you kill two, you will earn one! But save your bullets and shoot when you see someone entering the water!"
Liu Daying said: "Squad leader, the natives are not fools. When they find that they can't make it here, they will naturally find another place to swim upstream or downstream."
Sun Zhen was stunned, and his mood suddenly dropped a lot: "Yeah, I still couldn't escape in the end, and I was blocked by these guys in this place! Now I can only hope that the reinforcements will arrive quickly..."< br>
The place where they separated before was about ten miles away from the camp. If they were marching at a normal speed, they would definitely arrive in an hour. And the reinforcements might arrive a little faster. After all, they are physically stronger than those who ran for dozens of miles to report the news. People definitely have advantages. But if the reinforcements cannot arrive here in a short time, they may not even be able to collect the corpses in time for Rehu.
(End of chapter)