Liu Jiangyuan didn't know what Fang Chen thought about this? He only knew that he had become numb, and even his mind had become sleepy.

The so-called "recruits" are actually refugees who have just been drafted into the army and have undergone two weeks of basic training.

In peacetime, the training period for newly recruited recruits lasts for at least three months. This is just the beginning. In the case of field troops, the basic training period will reach half a year, or even longer. Only those who win the final test are eligible to become warriors.

Training is different now. Physical fitness, cross-country and long-distance obstacle courses have all been cancelled, and shooting, fighting and equipment handling have been listed as training priorities. Even the most basic military curriculum, the queue, has been simplified to a minimum.

Liu Jiangyuan belongs to the old qualified military officers. He certainly wouldn't approve of these changes. However, in the face of the helpless status quo, he could only remain silent.

The front-line death rate is alarmingly high, and in order to maintain the combat effectiveness of the front-line troops, the logistics supply center can only repeatedly reduce the training time of new recruits. With the strengthening potion as the basis, physical and technical training is of course completely abandoned. The purpose of the soldier's existence is only to kill mutated creatures. All they need to do is learn how to shoot, fight, and defeat more opponents in the battle of the abandoned city, and that's enough.

Every day, the battle is based on the old and the new. The ratio of combatants entering abandoned cities tends to be 50 per cent new and 50 per cent veterans. Despite the Air Force's full support on the eastern front, with airships monitoring each abandoned city, mutant creatures have a variety of ways to sneak up and launch surprise attacks from unexpected locations. In this war of attrition with no end in sight, it is difficult to say who is the real hunter? Who is the real prey?

Only soldiers who have struggled back from the line of death know that searching with their eyes and mental consciousness is definitely not enough. Although the personal computer is connected to the surveillance airship, the formulaic data cannot be trusted. Humanoids are not zombies, and there are hundreds of variants of them. The agility and speed of the Blood Corpses are beyond imagination, and they can travel quickly over any complex terrain. High-rise buildings and underground culverts are not obstacles at all, but they are the best hiding places.

If you want to survive the battle and kill those damn mutated creatures, you have to know more.

When new recruits first arrive at the front, veterans tell them to learn to use their noses and fingers.

Mutated creatures have a strong smell, which can be used to a large extent to discern each other's movements and traces. As for the fingers, they refer specifically to the touch of the found traces. For example, feces, footprints, secreted mucus, etc...... You'll have to come into contact with them to determine if they're fresh or old, and how old they'll be, so you can see if there's a mutated creature hiding around.

The preciousness of battlefield experience speaks for itself. The military department has also produced a similar pamphlet for recruits to distribute to each recruit, and everyone is required to memorize it. However, the training period is too short for the recruits to memorize much, so they can only rush to the battle, using their lives to verify the links that have long been recorded by the dead.

The battle death rate and replenishment rate have been out of balance. The 517th Division had a shortage rate of 30 percent. Liu Jiangyuan had no choice but to repeatedly adjust the ratio of new and old combat units entering the city. From the first 50 percent, then 40 percent, then 30 percent, 20 ......

Fang Chen seemed to be able to see through the thoughts in Liu Jiangyuan's mind at the moment. He sighed and shook his head again and again: "If it goes on like this, I'm afraid there will be no more veterans." I'm in a similar situation to you. Now, anyone who has two battles in the city can be considered a veteran. But even so, this part of the soldiers accounted for only a quarter of the total number of the division. ”

Liu Jiangyuan pondered for a moment and asked seriously: "Do you think we can win this war?" ”

This question was very strange, Fang Chen turned his gaze to Liu Jiangyuan, staring straight at him, his eyes full of doubts

After a long time, Fang Chen slowly shook his head: "I haven't thought about this problem. Because there's no need to think about it at all. No matter what, we have to fight. Mutated creatures don't ......"

"You didn't understand what I meant."

Liu Jiangyuan flicked the cigarette ash, wiped a handful of hot sweat on his cheeks, and interrupted the other party's words in an accentuated tone: "We have the most advanced weapons, the number of troops exceeds any period in history, and the material supply is also sufficient, occupying the defensive advantage in the geographical environment. However, since the outbreak of the virus, almost every battle has not been won. Many people died in battle, and many more were replenished. We transport the corpses of hundreds of mutated creatures from abandoned cities every day, but we never actually drive them out of the city. Don't you think it's a terrible cycle? ”

Being able to become a general in command of a division, Fang Chen is certainly not a fool. He thought for a moment, and quickly understood the hidden meaning of Liu Jiangyuan's words.

"What do you mean...... Su Hao? ”

Liu Jiangyuan took a long puff of cigarette and nodded with a dull face: "He is the most outstanding soldier I have ever seen." He is very familiar with mutated creatures, and knows their weaknesses and basic habits. It is no exaggeration to say that Su Hao really won the first battle since the biological war. Without him, we wouldn't be alive until now

Fang Chen only felt the corners of his eyes twitch, and his heart was beating wildly for no reason. He swallowed hard, stood up, walked briskly to the door, scanned his surroundings warily, and closed it.

Although this was a private conversation between two division commanders, there was no guarantee that no one was eavesdropping. This is not a time of peace when the legal system is sound, and many inadvertent complaints may be infinitely magnified by those who have a good heart, and evolve from a few insignificant words to a huge cause that can be fatal.

"Those guys in the military department only know how to fight for power and profit. They don't seem to have much interest in winning biological wars. It's been three years, and the front is still the same. Even the Lujiang River that we captured was once again occupied by mutated creatures. None of the bigwigs came forward to take responsibility for this, and the military department only issued documents depriving several combat commanders of their posts. Hmph, those guys didn't belong to the combat establishment in the first place, and they were purely gilded by the cronies of a high-ranking official. Instead of being punished, they went back to another department and continued to serve. Anyway, it is always the lower-level officers and soldiers who die in battle, and it has nothing to do with them. ”

Fang Chen extended his mental consciousness detection tentacles to the extreme, and his expression nervously judged every suspicious signal around the room. He lowered his voice and hurriedly wanted to stop Liu Jiangyuan: "I understand your feelings. But now is not the time to say that. We'd better talk about it at a different time and place. ”

"Another time?"

Liu Jiangyuan raised his head, looked at Fang Chen, who was sweating on his head with a tired face, and smiled bitterly: "I don't know if Lu Dao can live until that time." The 517th Division has only replenished more than 300 recruits this month, and your 5th Division is no better, and the replenishment rate is about the same as mine. Since the beginning of this year, the number of supplementary troops has been maintained at more than 60 percent. At present, the 517th Division, including the logistics and support departments, has less than 4,000 personnel. With the current combat attrition, in less than two months, we will be all wiped out. ”

Fang Chen fell silent. He slowly walked back to the chair and sat down, took several puffs of cigarette in a row, gasping heavily, not sure, but asked expectantly: "Lao Liu, ...... you What exactly are you trying to say? ”

"We were abandoned"

Liu Jiangyuan sneered and pointed out the crux of the problem: "We do not belong to the descendants of those people in the military department. It is impossible for them to give us care or preferential treatment. There is not enough replenishment of recruits, just a façade on the surface. If the entire division is completely annihilated in battle, they will have enough excuse to reinstate their formation. Of course, important positions such as division commanders and chiefs of staff will definitely be filled by others. We have only two endings: either we will die on the spot; Either escape the abandoned city alive and then be court-martialed and sentenced to death on the pretext of "cowardice". ”

"Don't think I'm talking nonsense. I was sober and didn't talk nonsense. Look at the people around us, Lao Zhou died in the Battle of Guangzhou last year, and the remnants of UU Pei returned to the new Nanjing base to accept the reorganization. 77 Pei suffered heavy losses in the siege of Wuhu, Kang Mingguang was dismissed on the spot, and after being escorted to the No. 1 base in Beijing, there was no more news. There is also Li Hansheng's 48 Pei, who also suffered serious battle damage and retreated to the rear to rest, and then was ordered to go to Xinjiang to take charge of the construction of the new base city. I called him during the Dragon Boat Festival, and 48 Pei had changed to a new commander. He told me that Lao Li disappeared on the base site last year and was judged by the Investigation Committee of the Ministry of Military Justice to be "absconding in fear of crime." At present, the division commander and chief of staff of 48 Pei are all people directly appointed by the military department. ”

Looking at Fang Chen's slightly trembling gaze, the depths of Liu Jiangyuan's eyes released a fierce fierceness like the sun. He raised his right index finger and pointed to the ceiling: "As long as it's a lost battle, someone needs to be held accountable for it." The definition of the word "failure" is not exact. In the eyes of many people, a long-term stalemate, excessive losses, or even consumption exceeding gains should be counted as failures. We were sent here after the Battle of Hefei, and about half of the divisional commanders on the Eastern Front were transferred for various reasons. I've checked, and they're all the kind of people who don't have a background. After the dismissal of the troops, new commanders were also appointed. This practice is no longer the system we are familiar with within the military, and has completely turned into a competition for personal power. ”

"Look at our neighbors: UU Pei's recruit replenishment rate has always been 100 percent; 79 Pei's supplies and ammunition were never lacking; It took only three months for Pei to complete the formation and reorganize into an armored division. Looking at the daily results of these units, the number of mutant creatures killed has never exceeded twenty, and the battle rate has even been zero for several weeks. Hehe, even so, they are still listed as "pacesetter troops", "fist divisions", "defender divisions...... Those guys received awards from the military department one after another, pennants and certificates were given softly, and all kinds of ordnance equipment and material support were sufficient. And what about us? Lower-ranking officers and soldiers can only receive a minimum "D-level ration", and even daily cooling electricity in such hot weather cannot be satisfied. ”

Fang Chen was silent and threw away the cigarette butt in his hand. He felt that his palms were full of sweat, but there was no slightest temperature, and it was cold and damp, as if he was holding an invisible piece of ice.

Liu Jiangyuan did not talk nonsense.

Just yesterday, when Fang Chen was routinely inspecting the troops, he found that several soldiers had died of heat stroke.

Since last year, Pei has been in short supply of all kinds of combat materials. Food, water and ammunition are barely enough to sustain themselves, and the shortage of medicines, clothing and fuel is as high as more than 60 per cent. According to the relevant military regulations, this is a special war zone with high temperature or extreme cold environment, and the 30-man barracks must be equipped with air conditioning. However, when he took over the barracks from the last batch of garrison troops, Fang Chen had never seen anything like it, and he had not received any corresponding ration lists.

As for the neighboring troops...... Last week, when Fang Chen led his soldiers past the 79 Pei garrison to the abandoned city, he found that the division's personnel actually had ice cream and soda supplies.

At that time, Fang Chen's subordinates were indignant. Fang Chen could only smile bitterly at this. The new division commander of 79 Pei is said to be the nephew of a certain military commissar. Of course, it is impossible to compare a person with no background like himself.

Fang Chen also had similar thoughts to Liu Jiangyuan. It's just that he is not as radical as Liu Jiangyuan, and he says the thoughts in his head directly.

Liu Jiangyuan stared at Fang Chen closely, his tone was cold and resolute: "I am willing to die in battle like a real soldier, but I am never willing to become a victim of the struggle for power." If the current situation continues, no more than two months at most, we will end up with nothing more than death in battle or imprisonment by the Judge Advocate General. ”

Fang Chen glanced at him deeply, constantly licking his lips, and his tone became decisive: "Tell me, what are you going to do?" ”

"Trespassing without permission is a mortal offense. However, to stay, the same is to die. The only way for us to survive is to go south. ”

As he spoke, Liu Jiangyuan stood up, took out a map from the desk drawer, spread it out on the table, and pointed to the abandoned city of Guiyang, which is located in the southwest: "This is the range of the 505th Group Army's potential. They are strong, and Su Hao is a trustworthy guy. I can't think of anyone else who would take us in but him. ”

Fang Chen kept frowning and asked, "How should we go?" From here to the new Guiyang base, the distance is too far. Once we left, it was not long before we were found from above. There will be no one to supply us along the way, and there is a high possibility that we will be surrounded and annihilated by neighboring forces. Maybe, no one will be able to escape. ”

"The best way to do it, of course, is to break it into pieces and rush out of it."

Liu Jiangyuan raised his thumb, pressed his troops' current garrison area heavily, and forcefully drew a line on the map connecting with the southwest region: "Since the beginning of the year, I have been secretly stockpiling all kinds of supplies. Food consumption is enough to last for more than two months, and fuel can last about 4,000 kilometers. There will always be people who will die, but as long as they arrive alive at the new Guiyang base, there will be no more danger. ”

The last sentence is not superfluous. Whether it is Liu Jiangyuan or Fang Chen, they can't help but think of the scene when Su Hao led a commando team of hundreds of people on the highway to resist the pursuing creature frenzy and save himself from the monster's mouth during the Battle of Hefei.

"This is definitely not treason, I just want to win this war under the leadership of someone more suitable.

Liu Jiangyuan looked directly at Fang Chen and said seriously: "He is different from those idiots in the military department. He didn't lose. He may well be the only one who can lead everyone to win the war. Although, he is not a member of the military department and does not have a prominent background. ”

Fang Chen felt the blood rush to his cheeks in an instant, burning his entire skull to a boiling heat.

He gritted his teeth vigorously, and a categorical sentence burst out from between his teeth: "I listen to you, let's do it now"

Zhao Zhikai has always been a figure who perfectly combines theory and practice. After getting Yuan Zhicheng's promise, he issued a dispatch order as soon as possible.

A full twenty divisions left their respective stations and began to move in a southwesterly direction. Of these, 12 divisions are newly reorganized or reorganized and replenished. The recruitment rate is as high as 60 percent, and the combat effectiveness is also worrying. However, in the face of overwhelming numerical superiority, the quality of the soldiers was completely offset by the numbers.

The Xi'an base sent seven divisions, as well as three armored divisions, two motorized infantry divisions, one airborne division, and two infantry divisions to leave their respective bases, move south along the railway, and assemble in the designated area, forming a semicircular encirclement network, and constantly moving closer in the direction of Xinguiyang.

This is a joint military operation on a massive scale. In order to ensure success, the Air Force dispatched more than 300 fighters of various types to the Xi'an base. All adjacent theaters of operations within the border sent troops in the same direction. Among them, there are large-caliber self-propelled artillery that disappeared into the army sequence when the virus broke out, and there are also long-range artillery units that are huge in number but have not been put into biological warfare.

High-energy radiation weapons are only forbidden against mutated creatures, but can be widely used in warfare between humans. After all, the dead do not come back to life in the air currents created by the explosion of shells. As a result, the virus will mutate again and become the most terrifying existence that human beings cannot resist.

Zhao Zhikai did not directly issue the departure sentence of Su Hao's "traitor". He issued documents related to the "joint military exercise in the southwest region" within the army. The entire military operation was disguised in the name of "exercises", and large-scale mobilization of troops became logical. Although the goal of the plan was to completely eliminate the 505th Army, it would always be good to reduce the casualties of his troops by administrative means.

The maritime search force has so far found nothing. Although the navy scooped up the wreckage of the plane, no trace of Su Hao was found. There were no bodies, not even fragments of human bodies. It was as if he had completely disappeared into thin air, or had been broken down by the sea. As a last resort, the report submitted by the Navy even used words such as "suspected of being swallowed by large sea creatures".