The hot and humid air is like a rag that cannot be wrung out, clinging to every inch of the jungle in southern Yunnan. Chen Rui lay under the camouflage net, rubbing the dark brown wet soil mixed with rotten leaves and soil on the tip of his nose. The gun belt was wrapped three times around his left wrist, and the cold metal buckle rubbed against his skin, reminding him that he was not at the camp's tactical training ground at this moment.
"Ruizi, are you touching the soles of your shoes again?" A low-pitched, joking Northeastern accent came from beside him. Zhao Tiezhu used demolition pliers to push aside a thorny bush, revealing half of a mechanical prosthetic leg wrapped with a camouflage strip. "Your habit is so evil in our company, it's like carrying gold bars."
Chen Rui didn't look back, and through the leather of his combat boots, his middle finger touched the edge of the half piece of compressed biscuit in the midsole of the shoe. It was as hard as a stone, a problem he had inherited from the recruit company. Late at night when he was punished for copying "Sun Tzu's Art of War", the old squad leader gave him half a biscuit and said, "Sometimes what can save your life on the battlefield is not your marksmanship, but your survival from hunger." Later, every time he went on a mission, he would hide a piece of it in the sole of his shoe. His comrades laughed at him for being "so earthy", but he felt at ease.
"It's better than hanging two strings of firecrackers on your waist." Chen Rui replied in a low voice. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the red silk firecrackers dangling from Zhao Tiezhu's waist - said to be for psychological deterrence. The last exercise blew up all the pots in the friendly army's cooking class.
"This is called tactical deterrence!" Zhao Tiezhu grinned, showing his molar teeth, "Why, are you afraid that the gun will go off and your biscuits will be shattered into crumbs?"
"It's better to be broken than to try to light a firecracker without your hand." The one who spoke was Zhou Ziang from behind. He was lying in the sniper position with a Type 88 sniper rifle.
