Border Ghost II

One kilometer away, Rabbit Outpost.

It was just as cold here, but clean and orderly.

The soldiers on duty stood in the sentry boxes with ramrod-straight backs, staying vigilant even in the dead of night.

Yet the atmosphere inside the outpost was somewhat oppressive.

Four young soldiers, all barely in their early twenties,

surrounded a squad leader in his thirties with a resolute face, their expressions filled with indignation and anger.

"Squad Leader! Today, I really..."

A baby-faced young soldier clenched his fists tightly.

His eyes reddened. "Did you hear what that White Elephant bastard said? He insulted our female soldiers!

He insulted our sisters! I..."

"Zhao Xiaohu, calm down." Squad Leader Li's voice was low as he sat on an ammunition crate.

He slowly wiped his gun with a cloth. "I heard him."

"Then why did you stop me?!" Another tall soldier raised his voice.

"I already had my rifle up! If you'd given the order, I guarantee I would've put a bullet through that bastard!"

"And then?" Squad Leader Li raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the four young faces.

"You shoot him, and then what?"

"Then... at worst, we fight a war!" Zhao Xiaohu gritted his teeth.

"Are we afraid of them? Decades ago, we beat them flat. We can do the same now!"

Squad Leader Li put down his gun and stood up.

He walked to the observation window and looked at the lights of the outpost across from them, falling silent for several seconds.

"You think I don't want to make a move?" His voice was soft, but every word carried weight.

"I want it more than any of you. Eight years ago, my old squad leader was right on this line.

A cold shot from White Elephant hit his femoral artery. They couldn't save him.

Back then, I was more impulsive than you. I wanted revenge. I wanted to charge over there immediately."

He turned around and looked at the soldiers. "But higher-ups ordered us to exercise restraint.

Why? Because this isn't decades ago.

Back then, we had nothing to lose, so we fought when it came to it.

But now? Our country is at a critical stage, and Bald Eagle is in the South China Sea.

They're encircling us on every front—technology wars, trade wars, diplomatic wars. We're competing everywhere."

He walked to the map on the wall and tapped it with his finger.

"Why does White Elephant dare to act up here on the western front?

Because they know our main focus isn't on them.

They're here to cause trouble, to tie us down and distract us.

If we fire the first shot here, even if we only kill one provocative soldier,

how will the international news report it the next day? There'll be all kinds of footage.

China fires first at the border, creating tensions.

Those Western media outlets will call white black.

The peaceful image we've built over decades will be damaged, and we'll be put on the defensive diplomatically."

"But, Squad Leader, they keep provoking us like this, and we just keep taking it?"

The tall soldier's tone softened, but he was still unwilling to accept it.

"Enduring isn't the same as being afraid." Squad Leader Li's eyes sharpened.

"It's strategic resolve. We'll strike back, but we have to do it in a way they can't speak out against.

If we hit them, we hit them until it hurts, until they're scared.

Hit them until they never dare extend their claws again, yet don't dare cry to the international community.

Because even if they cry about it, no one will believe them—or it won't matter if they do."

He patted Zhao Xiaohu on the shoulder. "I know it feels suffocating.

I feel worse than you do. But we're soldiers. Obeying orders is our duty.

Trust the country. Trust higher-ups—they see farther and see more than we do. When it's time to act, they won't show mercy."

The young soldiers fell silent. They all understood the reasoning, but the fire in their chests still burned painfully.

Just then—

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the outpost's iron door, the rhythm steady and the force measured.

Everyone froze.

Squad Leader Li checked his watch. "The patrol shouldn't be back to relieve us for another hour."

"Who is it?" he asked warily, one hand already on his holster.

"Squad Leader Li, please open the door." A low, steady male voice sounded from outside. It was Chinese.

Squad Leader Li signaled for the soldiers to stay alert, then walked to the door and peered through the peephole.

Twenty people stood outside.

They all wore dark gray mountain combat uniforms, with no insignia, ranks, or even national flags.

Their equipment was unusual—not standard-issue rifles, but crossbows made from some kind of composite material and short blades.

Compact field packs were strapped to their backs, and camouflage paint covered every face.

At the front stood a man around thirty, as straight and upright as a pine tree.

Even through the door, Squad Leader Li could sense that... unusual presence about him.

Squad Leader Li's pupils contracted slightly. These people's attire and bearing clearly did not belong to an ordinary unit.

He took a deep breath and opened the door. Cold wind rushed inside.

Wang Qiang raised his hand outside and gave Squad Leader Li a standard military salute.

His movement was crisp and precise.

"Squad Leader Li, I am Wang Qiang, commander of Thunder Squad."

"Under orders from the highest command, we are here to carry out a special border-clearing operation. This is the order document."

He handed over a sealed electronic tablet.

Squad Leader Li took it. The fingerprint verification passed, and the screen lit up.

It displayed an encrypted order and a bright red seal.

He skimmed it quickly, and his heart suddenly lurched.

"Thunder... Squad?" Squad Leader Li looked up.

His gaze swept across the nineteen soldiers behind Wang Qiang, who stood like statues.

They were almost blended into the night itself, their breathing barely audible.

"Yes."

"The mission objective is to eliminate all White Elephant personnel and forward outposts that have crossed the line and provoked us within sectors S17 through S23.

Carry out the elimination mission. Requirements: zero gunfire, zero evidence."

Squad Leader Li understood instantly.

The frustration and anger he had suppressed for days transformed into wild joy and excitement at that moment.

"Wonderful!" He nearly shouted, but forcibly lowered his voice again.

"The country has finally acted! Captain Wang, you have no idea how stifled we've been lately..."

Wang Qiang's expression did not change. He merely nodded slightly.

"You've worked hard. Please provide the latest map of enemy deployments and indicate the best concealed route to engage them."

"We have them! We have everything!" Squad Leader Li immediately turned around.

"Xiaohu! Bring the thermal surveillance records and the outpost distribution map!"

Zhao Xiaohu and the other soldiers snapped out of it as well.

They looked at the Thunder Squad members outside, their eyes shining.

They had no idea what kind of unit this was, but one look told them it was special forces!

The maps and materials were quickly spread across the table.

Wang Qiang and two deputies reviewed them swiftly, their fingers moving across the map as they spoke in low voices.

"This outpost added five men this afternoon."

"The patrol route hasn't changed, but the frequency has dropped. It's probably because of the weather."

"The main outpost has a diesel generator and a heat source, but the observation posts on both sides are separate and heated."

Wang Qiang nodded and turned to Squad Leader Li. "We need to go through your Observation Point Three.

We'll descend from the cliff on the rear side and bypass the minefield at the front."

"No problem! There's no one at that observation point now. The key is right here!"

Squad Leader Li immediately handed over the key. Wang Qiang took it and checked his watch.

"Operation window: 02:30 to 04:00 tonight.

Maintain normal duty status. Do not make any unusual movements."

"Understood!" Squad Leader Li came to attention, but after hesitating, he still spoke.

"Captain Wang, I have a request..." Wang Qiang looked at him.

"Can we... can we come along?"

Squad Leader Li's voice was filled with suppressed excitement.

"We won't participate in the operation! We'll only observe from a distance! We guarantee we won't interfere with you or expose you!

We just want... we just want to see those bastards' fate with our own eyes!"

The young soldiers behind him looked on eagerly as well, their eyes full of longing.

Wang Qiang was silent for two seconds. One of the squad members behind him said softly,

"Captain, it complies with protocol. Observers will assist with the follow-up report."

"Approved."

Wang Qiang nodded. "But you may only bring one person. Observe from the designated observation point under concealment.

Maintain radio silence throughout. Do not carry any equipment that could reflect light."

"Understood! Understood!" Squad Leader Li nodded vigorously, then looked at Zhao Xiaohu.

"Xiaohu, you're coming with me. The rest of you, guard the outpost and keep everything normal!"

"Yes!"