Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 885 - 841 Time Is Life

Chapter 885: Chapter 841 Time Is Life

Chapter 885 -841 Time Is Life

A great provincial governor actually resorted to using the word “beg,” which left Ye Tao and Jia Chen extremely shocked. This shock was heartfelt, stemming from the depths of their souls.

Ye Tao was somewhat stupefied. As a military commanding officer, as the leader of the directly affiliated reconnaissance team of the Tianfu Military Region, the 211 Battalion, Ye Tao had solid military literacy and command capabilities. However, at the same time, Ye Tao was a true soldier, uninterested and disdainful of the politicians’ games. He was stationed in the bustling world, within Tianfu City, the largest city in the southwest, and had grown accustomed to the behaviors of high-ranking officials.

The attitude of Nie Zhenbang was like a refreshing spring, moistening his heart. For a long time, he didn’t speak, still immersed in surprise.

It was Jia Chen, a political officer, who wasn’t lost in thought like Ye Tao; he was naturally a step deeper in his thinking than Ye Tao. As a qualified political officer, he was adept at political and ideological work, with a delicate mind—a prerequisite for a political officer.

After a moment of silence, Jia Chen discreetly touched Ye Tao and said to Nie Zhenbang, “Governor Nie, about your suggestion of sending an assault team ahead, I have no objections. However, Governor, you are also aware that tonight, especially in these remote forests, setting aside the potential presence of wild beasts. Even without them, the roads are treacherous in the dark and possible aftershocks could occur at any moment. I think it would be better for Captain Ye to lead the assault team ahead, and you could follow with the main force. What do you think?”

Jia Chen didn’t dare to take this risk. The governor, at this moment, was an important part of the entire earthquake relief operation. If something were to happen, he could not bear that responsibility. Even the entire Tianfu Military Region could not afford that responsibility, considering that the leading officers of the major military regions correspond to the provincial ministerial level rank, Governor Nie’s position was on par with that of the commander of the military region.

Ye Tao also came back to his senses at this point, realizing it was indeed too risky for Governor Nie to lead the assault team. Looking at Nie Zhenbang, Ye Tao felt somewhat embarrassed but still braved opening his mouth and said, “Governor, why don’t I take the assault team ahead? I guarantee to complete the mission within five hours.”

With that, Ye Tao was cutting off his own retreat. From here to Yizhou City was still over sixty kilometers away. Walking the mountain roads at night, unfamiliar with the road conditions, facing aftershocks, and various dangers, those roads were not easy to navigate.

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Nie Zhenbang, observing the expressions of the two men, understood their thoughts. He smiled lightly and said, “Captain Ye, are you worried about my physical fitness? Let me tell you this, I wonder if you’ve heard of the Northwest Military Region Tiger Battalion?”

As a military man, it was impossible for him not to be aware of Tiger Group, the domestic unit with the most combat experience in peacetime. It was the ace unit of the Xibei Military Region.

Nie Zhenbang continued, “To tell you the truth, I spent three years with the Tiger Battalion. Captain Ye, if you don’t believe me, we can compare notes right now.”

Having finished speaking, Nie Zhenbang released his own aura without hesitation. This aura immediately made all the pores on Ye Tao’s body explode. Danger, an extremely dangerous aura emanated from Governor Nie.

Over the years, although Nie Zhenbang had not formally systematically trained, he had not neglected his Shape-Intent Fist skills, which he had now mastered to near perfection. His aura fully released, Ye Tao, a soldier who had been through hundreds of battles, immediately felt this distinct charisma.

After a moment of silence, Ye Tao’s view of Nie Zhenbang underwent a profound change. He looked up at Nie Zhenbang and said, “Commander, I have no objections.”

This statement showed that Ye Tao was completely convinced. Nie Zhenbang nodded, then said, “Call for volunteers.”

As the leader of the 211 Battalion, Ye Tao was very familiar with the situation of his troops. In short order, a thirty-man assault team was quickly selected.

Nie Zhenbang’s gaze was sharp, and at a glance, he could tell that these men were indeed the elite of the elite from the Tianfu Military Region, worthy of the title Soldier King.

Li Jupeng, on the side, felt some concern and said to Nie Zhenbang, “Governor…”

Nie Zhenbang immediately waved his hand, understanding exactly what Li Jupeng was about to say, but this was a forced march, not a leisurely excursion. As a former soldier, Nie Zhenbang understood this clearly. If it had been during the day, it might have been acceptable, but at night, Li Jupeng absolutely could not.

He spoke gravely, “Ju Peng, no more words. For this operation, Wu Li will come with me, and you will follow the main force. That’s an order!”

Looking at the thirty men selected, Nie Zhenbang nodded to Wu Li nearby. Wu Li immediately stepped forward, and as a guard from the Central Security Bureau, he too was in the active military service. Familiar with these situations, he promptly commanded the assembly, and after the team was in place, Nie Zhenbang gave the order with a wave of his hand, “Move out.”

A line of people agilely flipped over the landslide debris and walked towards the broken bridge. After wading across the river valley below, according to the military map, there was a path on the other side leading to Yizhou City.

In the mountains at night, especially compared to the city, it was much darker. The group moved swiftly through the woods, not slowing down at all, each soldier with a miner’s lamp mounted on their head, ensuring visibility wasn’t an issue.

Following the mountain road ahead, the group marched at full speed. As special forces of the Tianfu Military Region, jungle warfare was part of their training regimen. Currently, in these mountains, they moved as if on flat ground.

To the soldiers’ surprise, Nie Zhenbang and Wu Li managed to keep up easily. A governor, no less a prominent leader, keeping pace was an admirable feat that inspired admiration among the soldiers.

After about two hours, they had completed approximately half of the 60-kilometer journey. The soldier leading the way had already stopped.

Inside the assault team, a major who led the team turned around and reported, “Sir, the road ahead has been severed, half of the mountain has collapsed, creating a cliff ahead of us. The situation below is unclear.”

Without waiting for Nie Zhenbang to speak, Wu Li had already swiftly taken out the military map and flashlight, shining it on the map. He quickly pinpointed their location and spoke with a grave tone, “Governor, look, based on our speed, we should be here at Old Dragon Ridge. Below should be a small river that connects to the Dajiang, Camel River. With so much earth and rock collapsed, there must be a Landslide Lake formed below. We can’t see the other side clearly, and if a cliff has formed there as well, our path is blocked, and we’ll have to take a detour.”

With that, Wu Li looked at the others and continued, “If we detour, we will need to walk at least an additional 30 kilometers of mountain road. Moreover, the conditions on that side are unknown.”

Silence, a moment of silence followed. As the highest-ranking officer in the assault team, all the soldiers’ eyes were on Nie Zhenbang.

After pondering for a moment, Nie Zhenbang spoke, “Camp Commander Zhang, immediately signal Captain Ye and the others to take another route. Shine the high-beam flashlight to check the situation on the opposite mountain.”

At this time, fog had risen in the mountains, severely reducing visibility. The flashlight’s bright beam could only illuminate a vague shadow on the other side.

Yet, faintly, the silhouettes of some trees could still be discerned. That was enough; the presence of trees meant the other side hadn’t collapsed, or at least, not severely, indicating it was still climbable.

With this in mind, Nie Zhenbang commanded firmly, “Deploy ropes and descend along the cliff, and everyone be careful.”

After everyone descended, a large lake revealed by the flashlight confirmed the presence of the Landslide Lake. Nie Zhenbang didn’t speak a word as he led the charge into the water for an armed swim. For these well-trained soldiers, it wasn’t much of a challenge.

Back on the road and after another arduous two-hour march, only a few kilometers remained from the total distance of over sixty kilometers. However, everyone was exhausted. The long-distance forced march coupled with the night travel was taxing on both the body and mind.

Looking at his team, Nie Zhenbang also glanced at his watch; it was after one o’clock in the morning.

Wu Li approached and whispered, “Governor, we can’t go any further. By now, the soldiers have reached their limits in terms of both physical and mental energy. Besides, entering now would not aid the disaster relief effort. It’s best we rest here for a while. The last ten kilometers of the mountain road are becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. We are now at the epicenter of the earthquake; it’s crucial to conserve energy.”

Nie Zhenbang nodded. Three years of military experience wasn’t for naught; he understood this concept and agreed, “Alright, we’ll rest here for an hour to replenish our strength and nutrition.”

The hour passed in an instant, and seeing the soldiers standing up, Nie Zhenbang spoke, “Comrades, ten kilometers ahead of us, our compatriots, our parents, our brothers, and sisters are suffering the torment of the earthquake. Many villagers lie buried under the rubble. At this moment, I know we are all tired, I am too, but I trust that we will bear our military insignia with honor. Right?”

The response to Nie Zhenbang was the unified shout of thirty soldiers: “Yes!”

Nie Zhenbang had a good grasp of the situation. At this critical moment, a necessary boost to morale was essential. To maintain the troops’ combat effectiveness, orders alone were insufficient. From the looks of it, the effect was good, and their spirits had been lifted. Surveying everyone, Nie Zhenbang spoke with gravity, “Comrades, time is life. Let’s move out!” (