What? Climbing trees in a downpour?
The tree trunk is as slick as if it’s been oiled, isn’t it? It’s a sheer struggle to climb up these slippery poplar trees.
Fortunately, we’re all reconnaissance soldiers. Although it’s tough, thankfully, everyone made it up.
Xiaoliu’s guess was spot on. Indeed, our army would consider conducting surprise reconnaissance in the rain. The enemy hadn’t let their guard down at all.
They conducted a carpet-style search and clean-up operation in their area every once in a while, just to make sure there weren’t any fish that slipped through the net.
Especially in this area, which is very close to the command headquarters.
A small team of twelve soldiers, carrying their guns, wove through the jungle, looking for any infiltrating enemy forces.
The torrential rain made it nearly impossible to open one’s eyes, let alone look up to the treetops, so the enemy just glanced and moved on.
Xiaoliu secretly admired Commander Tian’s strategy; it seemed that climbing trees was the right choice.
After this squad passed by, another small patrol arrived, apparently to change the guard. With night approaching, once they changed guard, it was likely that no one would come for quite some time.
Tian Niu felt that continuing to search this way wasn’t working. Since this squad was here to change guard, they must be close to the command headquarters, or maybe they had come straight from there.
Why not take the opportunity to "grab tongues" and ask questions?
"Tongue," in wartime, meant prisoner. To "grab tongues" meant to capture a couple of prisoners who knew the inside scoop to inquire about the enemy situation.
This tactic was often used during wars.
Tian Niu signaled to his subordinates, and everyone instantly understood. So, as the enemy patrol passed by, at Tian Niu’s command, six reconnaissance soldiers slid down from the trees like monkeys.
Xiaozhou was the fastest, with five or six meters left to the ground, he practically jumped.
By the time he landed, the others were just coming down. They took advantage of the enemy’s momentary confusion to wipe out the ten men, leaving two "alive."
Just as the enemy was about to sound the alarm, Xiaoliu and Tian Niu pounced with a swoosh. Each grabbed a prisoner, quickly pulling out handkerchiefs from their pockets and firmly stuffing them into the captives’ mouths. They then wrapped them up with rope and took the two men out.
Once they returned to our army’s territory, Tian Niu began an intense interrogation.
In real battle, when life or death is threatened, there is always a prisoner who will tell the truth.
But in a drill, after all, no one will open up so easily.
Facing these two prisoners, Tian Niu exerted an immense effort but could not pry their mouths open.
Finally, he lost his temper, "Take off their socks and tickle their feet."
Tickled mercilessly, the prisoners laughed so hard they collapsed.
This method was truly grinding. Normally, on the training field, they were heroes who would bleed and sweat without shedding a tear, but now their faces were streaked with tears, turned into bears after being tickled on the soles of their feet.
"I’ll talk, I’ll talk! The command headquarters is right beneath your feet."
Tian Niu was overjoyed, "Are you saying it’s underground, just at the place we were just now?"
"Not ten miles from where we were captured, the engineers dug the headquarters underground," the enemy finally spilled.
Tian Niu jumped three feet high with joy, "Xiaozhou, quickly report to the Chief of Staff! We’ve found the enemy’s lair."