Chapter 1312 Receiving Troops
Beibei District, Chongqing, outside Xishui Railway Transportation Station
In late autumn, the desolate wilderness of northeastern Chongqing, a post-apocalyptic landscape, displays a breathtaking, almost frenzied abundance.
On both sides of the railway line, the former farmland and neat woodland have long been swallowed up by the rampant growth of mutated vegetation.
Dark green vines, as thick as a child's arm, entangled the rusted telephone poles, blooming with scarlet or indigo flowers that exuded a cloying, rotten fragrance.
The waist-high wormwood swayed in the chilly wind, making a rustling sound like ocean waves. The serrated edges of the blades reflected a cold, metallic light.
In the distance, the outline of the Wuling Mountains appears even more somber under the leaden clouds, like a lurking beast. Occasionally, a long, sharp cry, neither bird nor beast, echoes through the forest, piercing the damp air and reminding us of the savagery and unknown beyond the boundaries of human civilization.
In stark contrast to this untamed and perilous wilderness, the Xishui Railway Transportation Station is bustling with activity and orderly activity.
After the apocalypse, reinforced and heightened concrete walls and watchtowers provided tight protection for the station area.
Inside the walls, the lights were on, and various diesel and electric-powered equipment roared incessantly.
Huge gantry cranes move slowly above the tracks, hoisting containers or heavy equipment parts; tractor units painted with military digital camouflage puff out white smoke as they push flatbed trucks loaded with ammunition, fuel, and prefabricated fortification materials onto different tracks; personnel in various work clothes or military uniforms hurry along, with commands, whistles, and calls from walkie-talkies rising and falling.
This is a sturdy rivet driven into the desolate wasteland by human civilization, a powerfully beating heart on the veins of war, filled with the clash of steel, the scorching heat of fuel, and an urgent sense of mission.
On the edge of this landscape where ruggedness and precision, barbarity and civilization intertwine, a dozen dark green "Mengshi 3" armored assault vehicles were parked in advance outside a relatively secluded special platform on the east side of the transport station.
They are like silent steel behemoths, with the insignia and numbers of different units painted on their bodies, coming from various main brigades under the Chongqing Military Region.
The engine wasn't completely shut off; its deep, even idling sound was like the snoring of a pack of sleeping giants, and occasionally a wisp of white smoke would come out of the exhaust pipe, blending into the cool air.
The atmosphere on the platform was somewhat complicated.
At the heart of the group was Lieutenant Colonel Xu Zhigang, the personal staff officer of Lu Chong, commander of the Chongqing Military Region.
He was dressed in a crisp casual suit, his posture still upright, but the corners of his eyes and brows betrayed his weariness, and there were a few streaks of blood in the whites of his eyes.
After coordinating the final allocation of personnel and supplies before the decisive battle and dealing with one unexpected situation after another for many consecutive days, even the most resilient person would inevitably show signs of fatigue.
At this moment, he stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance where the railway stretched out, waiting quietly.
Surrounding Xu Zhigang were several officers of the highest rank and with the most imposing presence—all senior colonels, and political directors from the main force and sharpest edge of this "city breach" operation: the combined arms brigades and branch brigades under the 3rd Group Army.
They were also dressed in civilian clothes, the gold stars on their epaulets gleaming under the platform lights. They chatted and laughed with each other, their tone relaxed yet carrying an unspoken confidence and sense of superiority.
"Old Xu, this time we've really brought the essence of the first phase of the Fuxing Project!" The political director of the 31st Combined Arms Brigade smiled and handed Xu Zhigang a cigarette.
Xu Zhigang took the lighter, lit it with the flame offered by the other party, took a deep breath, exhaled a smoke ring, and twitched the corner of his mouth: "Director Liu, your 31st Brigade is the main attacking force on the northern front handpicked by the Commander. Good steel should naturally be forged on the blade first."
“Of course, not just anyone can light the fire in our combined arms brigade’s mess hall,” another senior colonel from the artillery brigade chimed in, his words carrying the characteristic reserve of an elite unit.
A little further away from this small circle, in another group, were some leaders from various infantry brigades in Yezhou and the 77th Army Corps, with ranks ranging from lieutenant colonel to colonel.
They were also talking in hushed tones, but their smiles were slightly reserved.
Occasionally, their gazes would drift to the senior colonels in the inner circle, chatting and laughing, their eyes filled with complex emotions—envy, self-deprecation, and the indomitable tenacity of a veteran powerhouse that had fought its way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
“Look, that’s what a real son looks like.” A deputy brigade commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade of Yezhou said to his companion in a low voice, his tone neither sarcastic nor sentimental.
"Just focus on fighting our battle well. While the main force tackles the tough parts, we also need to clean out the scraps from the cracks in the flesh." His comrade responded, his gaze resolute.
The atmosphere on the platform maintained a delicate balance between this apparent serenity and the clear distinction between the underlying tensions.
Woohoo!!!!
The deep, long whistle, like the roar of an ancient beast, came from the end of the railway line, instantly drowning out all the noise in the station area.
Everyone perked up, and the conversation abruptly stopped.
Whether it was the senior colonel in the inner circle, the junior officers on the periphery, or even the soldiers guarding both sides of the platform, they all subconsciously straightened their backs and turned their eyes in unison to the direction from which the sound came.
Clang, clang, clang... The rhythm of the wheels hitting the rails went from slow to fast, and then from fast to slow again.
A seemingly unremarkable dark green military passenger train, with all its windows sealed, slowly pulled into the station, carrying the dusty smell of a long journey, and finally came to a steady stop at its designated position with precise braking.
laugh--
The hydraulic brakes released a large amount of white vapor.
The carriage doors opened one by one.
The first to step out of the carriage were two middle-aged officers with the rank of senior colonel, composed expressions, and sharp eyes.
They were wearing neatly pressed graduation gowns from the Advanced Studies Department of the Fuxing Military Academy, and their backpacks and bags were taken by the accompanying orderly.
Despite the fatigue from the long journey, the unique aura of someone tempered by systematic higher military education, blending practical experience with theoretical depth, still emanated from him.
Following closely behind, more officers filed down—colonels, lieutenant colonels, majors, and the largest number of captains, whose faces were relatively young and who carried the excitement and caution of newcomers.
The dozens of people instantly made the originally spacious platform seem a bit crowded.
Although they held different ranks, they all maintained the excellent discipline cultivated in them by the military academy, quickly lining up on the platform by carriage and waiting quietly.
Upon seeing the two senior colonels leading the way, the crowd waiting on the platform immediately began to move.
Two senior colonels, who had been waiting nearby, both wearing glasses and exuding a refined yet capable air, quickly stepped forward, their faces beaming with warm yet measured smiles.
"Welcome! Welcome, Deputy Brigade Commander Liang Xing, you must be tired from your journey!" One of them shook the hand of the senior colonel, who was the first to get off the car, with a lean face and deep eyes.
"Deputy Division Commander Gao He, welcome to the front lines in Chongqing! We've been waiting for you!" Another corps leader greeted the burly colonel with a fierce air about him.
