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墨書 Inktalez
After the last update, many Book Friends messaged me, wanting to know what other Terror music exists. I could only think of that one CD, and I didn't have time to listen to it. I believe there must be similar music besides the famous "Black Friday," "My Way Blood Incident," and "International Music Mystery." The fact that such beautiful art forms created by humanity are used in such a way to kill is the greatest mockery and insult to art.
Alright, let's begin today's story. I'm sure everyone is aware of the incident involving the Malaysia flight. As of now, it has been 40 hours since the event occurred, and the performance of the Malaysia government has left many puzzled. They are neither confirming the crash nor ensuring safety; their statements are full of contradictions, as if they are trying to cover up or hide something.
Well, those matters are beyond our understanding. While reflecting on the impermanence and fragility of life, I recalled an experience from years ago that bears some resemblance to the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight. I dug it up for everyone’s reference. Of course, you will never know the truth; it's been ten years, and I wonder how many people still remember this incident.
It was August 2000, shortly after the Music Massacre Incident. Our unit was tasked with sending personnel to participate in a Military Exercise in a certain area of Guangxi. That year was fortunate for us as it was a Ground Training, not at sea (otherwise, I would have been in for a rough time). Except for one battalion left behind, all other units were designated as training participants.
Not long after our unit was fully mobilized, we quickly geared up and collectively headed to the station for loading. First by train, then by vehicle; in short, we traveled a thousand miles until we finally reached our destination.
Due to the relationship between our battalion and Company A, our vehicle was among the first to set off, led by the Company Commander, who also acted as our scout. The Company Commander sat in the driver's seat of the truck with me. Seeing that it was my first time here, he was quite curious and gave me a brief introduction to the surrounding environment. It turned out that this was a county in southern Guangxi, mostly mountainous terrain typical of subtropical jungle landscapes. Previously, we had conducted our Ground Training here as well. The forest coverage rate here is about 50%, with several timber farms within its borders, totaling over 400,000 acres. Due to its diverse geographical environment and well-preserved forest vegetation, it maintains a rich array of plant and biological resources.
I looked out through the truck window on both sides; on the left was a cliff with winding roads stretching into the distance along its edge, while on the right was an endless expanse of forest. In the distance, hills rose and fell gently; they didn’t appear very high. Under layers of clouds and mist, mountain peaks appeared faintly.
"This place isn't bad; if you're lucky, you might catch some game. But if luck isn't on your side and it keeps raining, it'll be quite uncomfortable for half a month—soaked through," said the Company Commander, pulling out a cigarette and taking a whiff before casually speaking.
"The weather seems nice," I replied.
"The weather here is unpredictable; don't be fooled by this sunny day—it might start raining by evening," said the Company Commander, leisurely lighting his cigarette. Our Company Commander was quite remarkable; he could smoke at least one pack daily but still ranked first among all officers in our unit during physical training! He even excelled in the 400-meter Crossing the Sea to Island Obstacle, with only a few exceptional soldiers able to surpass him. His military skills were outstanding; no wonder he received great favor from the Commander, leading one battalion—any unit that ranks first is prioritized for development.
In my own unit, things were manageable; however, this exercise involved joint drills with several other units where comprehensive comparisons were inevitable. I silently grumbled about this being my first time participating in a Military Exercise. I didn't even know what I should be doing.
"Company Commander, is Ground Training really difficult? What should I pay attention to this time?" I couldn't help but ask. "Difficult? It's extremely difficult!" The Company Commander murmured to himself, causing my heart to sink suddenly. "Wild boars, yellow monkeys, and porcupines are tough to deal with—heh heh—but rabbits, doves, and Bamboo Rats are much easier!"
Watching the Company Commander swallow nervously, I awkwardly said, "Company Commander, can you teach me? I'm feeling uncertain." The Company Commander turned to glance at me and replied, "Haven't you all been trained at the military academy? Just do what you're told, follow the procedures and protocols. What good does it do to feel uncertain? Just listen to me!"
I lowered my head silently, realizing that my question was indeed foolish. When we were deployed, it would simply involve bridging, breaching obstacles, and laying lines—just like we had learned in training. As I thought this, the vehicle made a sharp turn and veered onto an inconspicuous road that led into a dense forest.
The path felt entirely man-made, as the vehicle bumped along the uneven terrain, surrounded by trees on both sides. A gust of wind rustled the leaves, creating a soft whispering sound. In that moment, I could vaguely see the shadow of a Military Tent deep within the forest. Had the coordinating units already arrived?
"They're all from the same drill unit; they should have arrived early," the Company Commander explained, noticing my confusion. "Our area is the same as last year, a bit further in near a mountain, at the Foot of the Mountain. The Command Headquarters is deeper inside, on the other side of the mountain."
I looked ahead at the mountain not far away; it didn't seem very distant or high. It was lush and densely covered with trees and vegetation, but a layer of mist clung to its peak, giving it a mysterious appearance.
As our vehicle continued deeper into the area, I noticed we were getting closer to the Foot of the Mountain. It finally came to a stop in an open space scattered with sparse trees. Could this be our campsite?
"Wang," the Company Commander patted my shoulder. "Gather everyone to disembark and stretch their limbs. Prepare to unload equipment and set up tents. There are more people this year; I'll go check if there’s enough space inside."
I nodded and quickly organized everyone to get off the vehicle and sort out their backpacks. Turning around, I saw the Company Commander leading several soldiers as they disappeared into the forest at the foot of the mountain. While on the vehicle I had felt we were almost at the base; now that we had actually disembarked, I realized how true that old saying was: "Seeing the mountain makes one feel like they’ve run out of breath." It was at least another one or two kilometers to reach the foot of the mountain.
After resting for a bit, more units arrived at our stationing area. The Deputy Chief of Staff began dividing zones with several operations officers. The Base was divided into five sections: the Regimental Command Post in the center, transport and equipment slightly to the right of the entrance, and Second Battalion to the left. Our battalion was assigned to the innermost area near the edge of the forest at the Foot of the Mountain, with each Unit designated a section for their respective security tasks.
One tent per squad; I shared one with A Squad. The squad leader (named Liang, known as Jiafei—a person from Guangdong who resembled Garfield due to his round face) led his soldiers in setting up tents while I started organizing for tonight's Mobile Sentinel duty. This was my first time participating in a Military Exercise, and I felt anxious throughout. I specifically instructed my soldiers to dig drainage ditches along the forest edge and set up snake pits while ensuring enough snake repellent was deployed before I entered our tent to sort my backpack and lay out my sleeping mat.
The Company Commander was indeed correct; by dinner time, dark clouds began to gather overhead and light rain started to fall. Since we had just arrived at Base and food supply trucks had yet to be set up, everyone received field rations. With just my water bottle for company, I took a few bites.
At that moment, a Communicator from our Unit rushed over. "Wang Pai, there's an order from headquarters: tonight we rest in place; no one is allowed to leave Base. Tomorrow we will enter Drill status and receive our mission."
"Got it!" I replied. One night really wasn't enough; I hadn't even dug the makeshift toilet yet. With things to do at night, I turned to look at the warriors who were eating and joking around. I couldn't help but envy them; at least they didn't have to worry about such problems. By the end of the year, they would be free to leave.
After dinner, the rain intensified, and large droplets hit the ground, creating a mist that obscured visibility in the distance. I put on my raincoat and checked all four tents. Thankfully, the warriors were skilled; everything was tightly sealed. No matter how heavy the rain outside, it remained dry inside. The generator had just been set up, and the wires weren't connected yet. I instructed the warriors to wear their raincoats and use flashlights to quickly dig the makeshift toilet, as this was also part of the inspection by our superiors, and we couldn't afford to be careless.
So we busily worked away until we finally had a moment to pause. Glancing at my electronic luminous watch, I saw it was already past 9 PM. According to regulations, we should have been in bed by now. Sure enough, as soon as the curtain was lifted, the Company Commander entered with several warriors holding flashlights. They were checking each squad one by one. After confirming everyone was present, the Company Commander gave us the password for the night before leaving with a sense of relief.
I was exhausted. After sending out a mobile sentinel, I lay down on the ground and unknowingly drifted off to sleep amidst the sound of pouring rain...
To be continued; tomorrow will be even more exciting!
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