Team Leader

"Quick, check on Sokholov!" A medic wearing a red cross armband and carrying a first-aid kit inspected Sokholov's wound before turning to the company commander. "The wound isn't very large, but shrapnel is still inside, blood vessels need suturing, and he's suffered quite a bit of blood loss. If possible, it's best to send him to a field hospital in the rear for treatment." Without hesitation, the company commander said, "Send him to the field hospital! You take him!" They only had two medics in total; losing one meant having one fewer here. The barrier platoon leader immediately spoke up. "I can help take him. Let me go. If anyone stops him in the rear, it'll be easier if I'm the one escorting him." The company commander didn't have a good attitude toward this barrier troop either; he hadn't even wanted to acknowledge the platoon leader. Yet hearing the man make this offer, the company commander's expression shifted. He glanced at Gao Fei and said, "In that case... very well. But you must guarantee you'll get him all the way to the hospital!" "I will definitely get him to the hospital, and I will stay until the doctor operates on him before leaving. Please rest assured." The barrier troop addressed this directly to Gao Fei. Once finished, he spoke to Gao Fei again. "I'll take some men and drive him to the field hospital in our vehicle. It'll be fast—ten minutes at most." With that, the barrier leader lifted his walkie-talkie. "Bring our vehicle around. Someone come with me to transport a casualty." Gao Fei said earnestly, "Thank you. Also, my brother here—" Pulling Samir to his side, Gao Fei continued seriously, "My brother is also wounded. Could you take him along to get treated?" The barrier leader looked troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he lowered his voice. "It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but strict orders forbid lightly wounded soldiers from leaving their positions without permission. If... if I take him along, it will certainly be treated as a violation of military orders. It wouldn't be good for him either." Gao Fei had no choice but to drop it. Seeing Gao Fei's disappointed expression, the barrier leader quickly added, "From what I can see, his wound just needs basic dressing. Treating it right here won't be a problem, right?" There was no way to send Samir back as well. Gao Fei looked at the company commander, who barked without delay, "What are you waiting for? Treat his wound already!" Sokholov's condition was critical and could brook no further delay, so Gao Fei could only say, "All right. Please get him to the field hospital. Thank you." The barrier leader replied unhesitatingly, "Of course, of course! It's my honor. I'll go get the vehicle and my men. Wait here, I'll be right back." The barrier leader hurried off, and the company commander muttered under his breath, "These damn blue berets... er, I didn't mean you... Have you eaten since you got here?" Gao Fei had claimed to be military police, making him one of the blue berets the commander had just cursed. "No." "Let's start with some coffee. Make it two cups." At the commander's order, an orderly took out some coffee, though it was anyone's guess where the hot water would come from. Gao Fei asked quietly, "How's the situation right now?" "Not good. The reinforcements promised to us never arrived, and supplies aren't getting through properly either. Some food and ammunition reached the rear, but it's all piled up back there—we don't have the manpower to carry it forward. In a bit, I might have to order the frontline troops to send people back to retrieve their own supplies." The company commander looked irritated and helpless as he grumbled, "It's all a load of horseshit. Say, how did you get through? Did you really shoot drones the whole way over?" Gao Fei nodded. The commander sucked in a sharp breath. "I kept hearing continuous explosions, but I never imagined you actually shot drones all the way here. That's a miracle!" "I just wanted to keep my squad leader alive." As they spoke, the barrier leader returned, driving a tricycle. It was the most common kind of electric cargo tricycle. Even though Gao Fei knew the Russians had long begun using Chinese-made electric trikes, seeing one in person still took him by surprise. "Lift him up! I'll take him to the field hospital personally." Several men scrambled to heave Sokholov into the cargo bed. The barrier leader said, "I'm off, Rex. We'll chat again when there's a chance. Don't worry, I'll definitely see him to the field hospital." There was no time to chat. The barrier leader drove up front with another soldier beside him, while Sokholov was curled up in the cargo bed, his two legs dangling over the tailgate. Sokholov was hauled away like cargo. Awkward and painful as the posture was, he would likely survive. Watching Sokholov depart, Gao Fei let out a soft sigh. Samir had stripped off his top and was letting the medic apply medication to his wound, grimacing and gritting his teeth in agony. Seeing that no outsiders remained, the company commander suddenly said in a low voice, "How about this: I'll issue an order for you to carry a dispatch to regimental headquarters." Gao Fei looked at the company commander in astonishment. Hesitating, he asked, "Is the situation that dangerous?" The commander said nothing. Silence was tacit admission. It seemed conditions on the forward positions were not going to improve. The commander wanted to reassign Gao Fei simply to keep him alive. Gao Fei didn't refuse outright. He just looked at Samir and Andrey, then whispered, "What about the two of them? And Glaski? Can they—" "No!" The company commander cut him off flatly, then said in a hushed tone, "The barrier troops are positioned ahead of us, but if I were to retreat, they wouldn't hesitate to shoot me either. Behind them, there's another red line set up by the blue berets—anyone falling back without orders is shot on sight." Pausing, the commander continued quietly, "However, if I officially order you alone to report the situation to the regimental commander, and considering how much respect those blue berets have for you, you might actually reach regimental headquarters." "No." Gao Fei shook his head, a wry look on his face. "The brothers are still on the frontline. What kind of person would I be if I ran away on my own? I'm staying with them." "You could stay at the company command post instead—" Gao Fei said nothing, merely shaking his head once more. Gao Fei detached the magazine from his shotgun, swapped in a full one, and then drew loose shotgun shells to reload the half-spent magazine. The company commander pressed no further, only murmuring, "Take supplies when you head back. As much as you can carry." Gao Fei nodded. "Understood." "Head back a bit later. The enemy is bound to be furious right now, and their drones are definitely waiting for you." Gao Fei hesitated. "All right, but not too late. We have too few men on the front line; I'm afraid we won't hold against an enemy assault." "Commander, the coffee." The orderly brought the coffee over. The commander handed one cup to Gao Fei, gestured for the orderly to give the other to Andrey, and whispered, "The wounded shouldn't drink coffee. You men eat something first." The commander popped open a can of rations and tore open a packet of compressed biscuits. This was all the commander had to eat as well. Gao Fei didn't refuse. He and Andrey began eating. Once Samir's wound was dressed, the three of them quietly ate breakfast inside the company command post's shelter. "Commander, the supplies are here." The orderly brought over several cans of rations, a container of water, and two two-hundred-round belted ammunition boxes for a machine gun. "Carrying too much will only get in your way. Take these with you, and be careful on the way back." Gao Fei would carry nothing himself, as he still had to shoot drones the entire way back. They rested for roughly an hour, mainly to ensure the enemy drones were no longer hovering nearby. Before Gao Fei and the others set off for the forward position, the barrier leader who had taken Sokholov away returned. Catching sight of Gao Fei, the barrier leader grinned as though claiming credit. "I delivered your friend to the field hospital! They took him straight into surgery. Extremely lucky—they had enough blood plasma and put it to use right away." The barrier leader seemed overly excited, gesturing animatedly. "They were all wondering how a casualty managed to make it down. When I told them you blasted every single drone out of the sky and crossed the entire main position, not a single soul believed me!" Gao Fei wasn't sure how to respond. He detested barrier troops, but he was genuinely grateful to this barrier leader who had helped save Sokholov. "Thank you. I owe you one." The barrier leader didn't care much about the company commander, but Gao Fei's goodwill clearly delighted him. "Don't mention it, we're all on the same side! Would it be convenient to exchange phone numbers? That way we can stay in touch if anything comes up." Gao Fei hadn't wanted to share a number, as mobile phones were forbidden on the frontline. But seeing that such rules felt rather meaningless at this point, he dialed the barrier leader's phone using the captured mobile phone, effectively trading numbers. Just then, explosions rumbled in the distance ahead. Though the blasts were not heavily concentrated, Gao Fei's expression changed instantly. Turning to the company commander, Gao Fei said, "Fighting has started up front. We need to head back." The commander didn't try to keep him any longer. He nodded and whispered, "All right. Stay safe! And remember, if things really... you understand. You can come back. Got it?" The company commander was hinting that Gao Fei could pull back on his own, but Gao Fei made no reply. "Let's go. Grab the gear." Andrey picked up the two belted ammunition boxes, while Samir carried the water container in one hand and stowed the canned rations and compressed biscuits into his pack. As they set off this time, quite a crowd gathered behind them to watch. Glancing up at the sky first, Gao Fei saw no drones. He waved his hand. "Move out." Gao Fei had only taken a few steps when the company commander suddenly called out, "Wait. When you get back, pass on my order: Glaski is appointed acting 1st Squad leader. You are deputy squad leader, concurrently serving as team leader." A promotion. Now Gao Fei had legitimate authority over three men. Though it wasn't a massive deal, Gao Fei still felt a faint spark of excitement. He had started as a complete recruit, masquerading as a veteran while fighting tooth and nail on the front line. Outstanding as his performance had been, he had never imagined he might become a squad leader or team leader. Yet escorting Sokholov back had begun to shift his mindset. He had been forced to take charge—or rather, to direct the actions of Samir and Andrey. Going from a mere private following orders to leading a small team through an entire operation was a subtle shift, but an essential one. Now that it was official, Gao Fei truly began to view things through the lens of a team leader. Gao Fei looked back at the company commander and gave a formal reply. "Yes, Company Commander!"