Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 1073 - 698: To Blast or Not to Blast (Part 3)

"Understood," Han Yu thought for a moment and then said, "Please reassure the Deputy Chief of Staff, we don't smoke, there won't be any open flames."

"Alright, I'm off then."

"Go ahead, Master Yang, don't worry, we won't leave. We'll be right here waiting for you."

Just after seeing off the three experts, an army officer wearing a "Commander" red armband approached and reminded, "You're Secretary Han, right? Not only is smoking prohibited here, but mobile phones and walkie-talkies should best be avoided."

"Sorry, we didn't know before."

"It's fine now that you know."

"May I have your name? Which unit are you with?"

"The surname is Liu." The Captain looked around and said with some embarrassment, "I'm responsible for the explosive company that blows up the dams. The explosives under our feet were buried by our company."

Han Yu was taken aback, and in a low voice, asked, "What about the Civilian Soldiers around?"

"They're mainly assisting. Our company has less than eighty people, and moving the pre-buried explosives isn't just two tons, but twenty tons, so we need the Civilian Brothers' help."

Lieutenant Liu scratched his neck, thought for a moment, and added, "Their next task is to issue a warning. From the center where we stand, there will be a shooting warning officer stationed every ten kilometers, each equipped with a Type-79 submachine gun and fifty bullets. Before the dam blasting, they will fire thirty bullets to issue a warning."

Explosions are very dangerous, and detonating twenty tons of explosives at once is even more dangerous.

Han Yu greatly admired the Captain before him and pursued further, "Lieutenant Liu, how long have your company been here?"

"Our company arrived early, we've been here for thirteen years."

"Lieutenant Liu, you're not joking, right?"

"Secretary Han, I'm truly not joking with you."

Lieutenant Liu, who has heard of the "Hong Kong Garrison" more than once, faced with the "Hong Kong Garrison" responsible for rushing to dangerous spots like firefighting, felt very uncomfortable. After a long silence, he bitterly smiled, "Our company was established just to blow up this silt barrier.

I've been a soldier for 13 years, worked from a warrior to a company commander, and the purpose of training all these years has been singular: to be able to blow up this three-kilometer-long silt barrier smoothly in the fastest manner."

The wait always makes people anxious, Han Yu felt restless inside, wanting to chat with someone, couldn't help but ask, "Just a few hours left to detonate, to really blow it up, how are you feeling at this moment?"

Lieutenant Liu thought for a moment, asked, "Secretary Han, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

"Of course, the truth."

"To be honest... I want to blow it up, yet I don't want to."

Lieutenant Liu took several deep breaths in a row, looked back at the distant Inflow Gate and said, "The reason I want to blow it up is because our company has been undertaking this task since 1986 and rushing over for training every year at the flood season. Loading explosives, inserting detonators, laying wires, dragging 17,000 meters of wire within two hours. Explosion plans are drafted yearly, troops run five kilometers daily, from North Gate to Silt Barrier, a round trip is exactly five kilometers.

Thirteen years, never once seriously done it. Troops are unyielding as the barracks but soldiers move on, company officials come and go, and I've gone from being a soldier to the fourth company commander. I want to blow it up, perhaps just to prove that hundreds of us soldiers haven't wasted being in this army!"

Lieutenant Liu couldn't continue, and Han Yu saw clearly that he was in tears.

Dongdong, profoundly shaken, couldn't help but ask, "And why don't you want to blow it up?"

Ancients said a decade honing a sword, but people have prepared for thirteen years.

Han Yu could understand the feelings of Lieutenant Liu at this moment, and before he could speak, Han Yu softly said, "I understand that, I feel the same as you, as do eight million Jingzhou people, we all hope it won't be blown up."

"But Secretary Han, your understanding can never be as deep as mine, the bitterness in your hearts can never be as deep as mine!"

Lieutenant Liu wiped away tears, said with some self-deprecation, "You know, our company might be the only unit in the entire army that's not welcomed by the public."

"Is it really that serious?" Han Yu patted his arm, trying to comfort, "You're just following orders from your superiors."

"It's serious!"

Lieutenant Liu interrupted Han Yu's comfort, said bitterly, "Nearby, there's an elderly man who miraculously survived the flood diversion in '54, and whenever he sees someone from our company, he picks up his cane to hit us, curses us for doing heartless things by damaging the dam.

The warriors would keep their distance whenever they see him, as if we had done something shameful. That was '54, none of us were born yet, it's not our fault! But now isn't '54, now we really have to blow it up, and we're the ones to detonate."

Han Yu was silent, not knowing how to comfort him.

Lieutenant Liu took several deep breaths, continued, "Other liberation army fight desperately to protect the big dams, while we train desperately to blow up the big dams. When burying the explosives, we felt honored as the nation had entrusted us with such a sacred duty. But after burying them, we felt uncomfortable, even a bit resentful towards ourselves. But my identity is a soldier, whether to explode it or not isn't up to me, I only follow orders from above."

"So, you need not blame yourself, after the task is completed, I'll treat you to a meal, our camp meals are decent."

"I know, I've heard people say that you're like Linghai Hotel."

In a deliberately relaxed tone, Han Yu said, "We also have Linghai Hotel." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

In just a few hours it really will be blown up!

Lieutenant Liu did not joke anymore, kept his eyes on Han Yu very seriously and sincerely said, "Many reporters have come, both domestic and foreign, even the Central Television Station. A reporter told me at noon, once the silt barrier is blown up, I, this small company commander, would be famous.

I would rather not be famous, I'd rather the thirteen years of training be wasted and not blow it up! A flood diversion impacts civilians greatly, a family might not recover for five, ten years.

Secretary Han, you are the main force for flood control and rescue, you surely see Vice President. If you meet him when you return, convey to Vice President for me, the order to load explosives I've resolutely executed, the task of loading explosives we've completed without compromise. But I think, even if there's just a one percent chance, can't we not blow it up? Can't we give the flood control area a way out? This is the wish of the common folks, and it's the wish of our explosive company!"