CHAPTER 80: CHAPTER 79: THE IMPOSSIBLE TASK [ILLUSTRATED AT THREE INSTITUTIONS] (2.7K)

The other side.

Polestar Game Company.

Inside the office.

The opening of [Bloody Battle of Sanshuli] was detected.

Zhao Ming brought up the current in-game scene, wanting to see how far the Great Xia Federation’s army could progress.

Currently, [Bloody Battle of Sanshuli] hasn’t opened the Republic volunteer army’s data because this mission is nearly impossible to complete.

So currently, inside there is only the U.S. 9th Army moving along the route, and Shen Yan with the ready-to-receive the mission Special Battalion One.

Zhao Ming wanted to see if anyone could successfully reach the destination, if the Great Xia Federation’s army really couldn’t.

Then they would open the Republic volunteer army’s data, let them join the volunteer forces, and experience how it is to arrive at Sanshuli five minutes ahead of the enemy.

At this time.

On the side of the Seventh Special Operations Brigade.

As the words [Bloody Battle of Sanshuli] slowly dissipated.

Shen Yan appeared with his subordinate Special Battalion One in a camp that seemed just to have finished a battle, scattered around were uncollected equipment, and smoke lingered in the camp.

The cold air breathed in through the nostrils, could feel the temperature around negative 20 degrees Celsius in the air.

For these cold air, the soldiers from the northern part of Great Xia were accustomed to it, after all, the Songgel Ice Field is also covered in snow and ice all year round.

Shen Yan looked around, the soldiers were fully equipped, and their uniforms were changed into ones never seen before.

According to the last scene from the CG just now, the guess was that this task should be the last sentence ’five minutes ahead of the enemy, occupy Sanshuli’.

So is it a forced march task?

This thought flashed through everyone’s minds, then a prompt appeared before Shen Yan.

[Please go to the tent to receive the mission.]

Shen Yan called over Battalion Commander Liu Feng and several company commanders under him, and entered the tent.

What came into view was a map placed in the center of the tent, marked with enemy and our troop positions.

Shen Yan walked over, saw the papers placed on the table next to it.

[Please assault Sanshuli within 14 hours, block the U.S. 9th Army attempting to flee south.]

Shen Yan passed the task on the paper to Liu Feng, then went to look at the map, Liu Feng and the several company commanders beside him glanced and also went to the map to study it.

Quickly found the marked ’Tokugawa’, where they currently were, and Sanshuli.

Also the current location of the U.S. 9th Army, and some information like the equipment configuration of the U.S. 9th Army.

Battalion Commander Liu Feng, glanced at the map and widened his eyes, subconsciously exclaimed:

"How is this possible?!"

Just looking at the map.

The distance between Tokugawa and Sanshuli, although the straight-line distance is closer, is mostly mountains.

Inserting and maneuvering through the mountains would likely be a longer distance to reach Sanshuli than the U.S. 9th Army.

And judging by the sunlight outside, the time should be afternoon.

So this 14-hour forced march is mostly at night.

It’s already negative 20 degrees during the day, it can only get colder at night, according to their many years of experience dealing with ice and snow in the Songgel Ice Field.

The temperature at night is at least negative 30 degrees or lower.

The ’five minutes ahead of the enemy, arrive at Sanshuli’ from the opening CG, how is this possible?

Company Commander Fang Hui went up to measure the distance on the map, and looked at the data of the U.S. 9th Army, also unbelieving:

"Brigade Commander, Battalion Commander, according to the map markings, the distance requires a detour of 72.5 kilometers on mountain road."

"And this U.S. 9th Army, from the data, is a fully mechanized unit doing a road march."

"This task...."

Shen Yan also frowned, speaking:

"Since such a task is assigned, it must be possible to complete."

"You also found the [White Reaper] incredible."

"But after so many trainings, haven’t we gradually understood, it’s entirely Simon Hayer’s disguise and sniper techniques being too strong."

"This task.... let’s give it a try first."

But in Shen Yan’s tone, there was also some lack of confidence, truly overturning common sense.

Liu Feng and others immediately answered:

"Yes!"

Then Shen Yan looked at the map and a few subordinates, researched a route.

Led all the soldiers of Special Battalion One in an assault towards Sanshuli.

Due to the march, there was no skipping involved.

Those in [Bloody Battle of Sanshuli], including Shen Yan and others, literally ran through the night.

...

...

Until the next morning.

The sun had already risen for a long time, and the team was still continually marching.

Shen Yan looked at the steep and towering mountains ahead, feeling colder inside, took out the map while running, and called Liu Feng and others.

Liu Feng and others gathered around, panting heavily:

"Brigade Commander?"

A night’s assault made everyone’s faces pale, the white breath quickly froze, fingers were stiff and numb from freezing.

Shen Yan turned to look, although none of his soldiers fell behind, they were still too far from Sanshuli, took out the pocket watch to check the time.

It was already 7:28.

Looking at the mountain in front, even if given another hour, they couldn’t climb over, Shen Yan gritted his teeth:

"Speed up!!!"

Liu Feng and others were shocked.

Still need to accelerate?

"Battalion Commander, this..."

Seeing Shen Yan’s gaze, Liu Feng took a deep breath:

"Yes!!!"

He then turned to issue orders:

"Everyone follow, accelerate forward!"

Then they charged towards the mountain, but just as they passed the foot of the mountain.

[End of Round]

Four big characters suddenly appeared in front of everyone.

Then they were all ejected from the game, returning to the main interface.

The members of the Seventh Special Operations Brigade withdrew one after another.

Shen Yan and his soldiers rose from the Virtual Cabin, each with a pale complexion. Although the Virtual Cabin would not cause physical harm, a night of forced march was also a torment to the mind and will.

Shen Yan looked exhausted on this side, sitting in the chair to take a break:

"Cadres above the company commander level of the First Battalion, meet."

Then he got up and headed for the meeting room.

Battalion Commander Liu Feng ordered his soldiers to rest, then took the company commanders to the meeting room.

Inside the meeting room.

Everyone looked exhausted, having sprinted all night, and did not want to say a word.

Shen Yan took a sip of water on this side and calmed down:

"Everyone, let’s discuss."

"Opinions on the [Bloody Battle of Sanshuli] and the issue of this forced march."

"Why could the Republic’s volunteer army reach in the CG?"

"Yet we are so far away from reaching?"

"According to the soldiers appearing in the CG, their physical quality should be inferior to those present."

"They can reach, but we can’t reach, why is that?"

However.

This statement left everyone below looking at each other.

Liu Feng hesitated for a moment on this side:

"Battalion Commander."

"Why not ask Zhao Ming, the creator of [World War II: Empire’s Rise]?"

"We admit that the [White Reaper] as an NPC is difficult."

"But this [Bloody Battle of Sanshuli], this distance, this environment, and this order, is beyond what human limits can achieve."

"We could barely maintain no one falling behind at that speed."

"I’m afraid to think what it would be like if we went faster, wouldn’t people drop dead?"

"This..."

Shen Yan furrowed his brows, shook his head:

"No."

"Whenever there’s a problem, go to the creator. Last time with the [White Reaper] someone suggested the same thing, and now again? Aren’t you ashamed?"

"Didn’t we train past the [White Reaper]?"

"Since [Bloody Battle of Sanshuli] issued this mission, it means it can be accomplished, you’ve seen the CG too."

"Capture Sanshuli five minutes before the enemy."

"Clearly stated."

"Have the Chief of Staff bring the Second Battalion for more training, I don’t believe it."

"Everyone else summarizes experience, then sleep after summarizing."

Liu Feng and others immediately responded:

"Yes!"

If the [White Devil] is a mental oppression, then the [Bloody Battle of Sanshuli] is a test of the mind, and a long-term one at that.

...

...

Seven days later.

Inside the meeting room.

Just after exiting a session, Shen Yan and the members of the First Battalion looked pale. Even the persistent Shen Yan started doubting if this task could really be completed?

Fourteen-hour forced march, synchronized with real-time.

Excluding rest time.

In just seven days, Shen Yan led the First Battalion in five full sessions.

The latest session only reached the top of the closest mountain to Sanshuli.

Shen Yan sat on a chair in the meeting room, rubbing his temples.

He had already asked the Chief of Staff to submit all training footage and data of the entire brigade during this period for computation and analysis by the photon supercomputer cluster. He believed results would come out soon.

After a while.

The Chief of Staff entered with a document:

"Old Shen."

"The analysis results from the supercomputer cluster are out."

Shen Yan lifted his head and looked at the Chief of Staff:

"What does it say?"

The Chief of Staff shook his head:

"This is simply an impossible task."

"According to the calculations."

"Even if the best-performing First Battalion rushes at peak speed for 14 hours continuously, they can reach Sanshuli before the US 9th Army."

"But the non-combat attrition rate would reach about 80%."

"Meaning that even if they reach Sanshuli, they would lose combat capability."