Mission 10: A Fairy Tale of Autumn

Mission 10 · A Fairy Tale of Autumn

Preface:

History moves through contradictions.

—Nikolai Bukharin

"This survival knife was made in Yangjiang. Forty yuan apiece." Colonel Liu Zhicheng had taken the high ground. "Sergeant Maquire, the genuine article costs over seven hundred yuan, and its sheath and straps aren't even as well made as this knockoff."

Maquire asked in confusion, "Made in Yangjiang?"

"Just like the countless counterfeit military goods at Yiwu's small commodities market. But this knife—" Liu Zhicheng sliced off a piece of raw beef, scooped some chopped pickled mustard greens from a can, gave the meat a basic parasite treatment, and put it in his mouth. Chewing, he continued, "—has a hardness of 59 HRC. That's not far off the genuine article's 420 stainless steel."

"So where exactly did all that money go?"

Liu Zhicheng smiled and pulled another teardrop-shaped fighting knife from behind his waist.

"The genuine article has a better-looking coating, without that greasy sheen, and its edge is more carefully honed than the Yangjiang knockoff's."

"As basic tools go, our soldiers are very handy. We can save the military more than six hundred yuan."

Maquire looked closely. There wasn't much difference between the two knives. Aside from the slight difference between the matte finish and the sheen on the blades, they felt the same when cutting beef—just as smooth.

"Then where does the money you save go?" Doctor Maquire had only recently arrived at the front and didn't understand the difficulties the personnel department faced. "Did the quartermaster pocket it?"

"Hey! That's a good question." Colonel Liu Zhicheng was just about to explain in detail when a sharp whistle sounded in the distance.

The veteran immediately went on alert. He vaulted over the blast wall around their defensive position and leaped toward an SA-75