Chapter 113: Single-handed Effort

"Marcos, come, give me the rifle."

Lying in the damp and muddy fields, Lin retrieved the assault rifle and asked from Private Tanze for the Mauser rifle equipped with a sniper scope. He held it up and scanned the fan-shaped area in front of him twice.

They were about two kilometers away from the Soviet position ahead, and those defensive fortifications seemed to be hastily constructed upon the arrival of the attacking forces. There were no barbed wire, no anti-tank ditches, and probably not even defensive minefields. What truly hindered Lin and his team from infiltrating the position were the tirelessly operated searchlights. They were spaced about a kilometer apart, deployed along the winding and long defensive line, resembling an endless row of streetlights. The bright columns of light pierced through the darkness of the night, scanning irregularly in front of the defensive line, vigilant against any German combat units attempting to attack or penetrate their position!

Beyond this point, they would enter the range of Soviet heavy machine guns, Lin thought. If they were spotted on their way to the Soviet position, even if they could find a shell hole or depression to avoid bullets, the Soviets had more than a hundred ways to eliminate them. From the direction of the Soviet position, it seemed impossible to bypass the position on foot within a single night. In this case, the only option seemed to be "retreat."

Whether he would be ridiculed by his comrades for returning empty-handed didn't matter. Lin's character was forged to resist surrender easily since he was young. The rapid transformation from a rookie soldier to a night combat elite in a short period was a clear proof. If he wanted to earn more military merits, hone his soldiers, and relieve the defensive pressure on their own forces, he must find a way to cross the Soviet defensive line.

Glancing at his watch, it was not even 9 p.m. yet, there was plenty of time for him to work. Lin bit his lip and then said firmly, "Listen to me, all of you. I'll try to take out the Russian searchlights. Follow me, don't get too close, don't fall behind, try not to make any noise, and do as I do, understand?"

Some responded with "Understood," some with "Hmm," and some remained silent.

Lin felt helpless. Sometimes, he felt like he was not a commander but a battlefield cleaner, a nanny-like war babysitter.

After a moment of thought, Lin removed the battery box and the MP44 with the infrared device from his body and handed them to Private Tanze to carry. He then equipped himself with the Mauser rifle with a 4x scope and the shotgun he carried with him. Rolling up his sleeves, lowering the brim of his helmet, Lin transformed into a "black cat" on the battlefield without hesitation, crouching low and running forward.

The initial five hundred meters were areas where the Soviet searchlights visited less frequently. Lin observed while running and led the soldiers to the area between two searchlights. When approaching the defensive line, he began to use shell holes and natural depressions as jumping-off points, always observing the next foothold and the direction of the Soviet searchlights before leaving each support point, looking for a relatively safe opportunity, lowering his body as much as possible, and completing the "jump" of thirty to forty meters or even shorter distances with a sprint. This process was repeated dozens of times. When he reached a large and deep shell hole less than three hundred meters from the Soviet defensive line, he stopped.

Compared with the muddy ground outside, the interior of the shell hole was relatively dry, and the fine sand felt smooth to the touch. Judging from the direction of the Soviet offensive and the position of the German defensive line, it should be a masterpiece of German heavy artillery. A few days ago, Lin had seen a railway gun entering Orlaningburg and then concealed in the urban area with chunky gray and white camouflage nets. The railway gun itself and the previously unseen urban camouflage nets made Lin deeply feel the Germans' creativity. Pursuing perfection was not wrong, but the complex craftsmanship led to increased costs and maintenance difficulties, making it difficult for these exquisite weapons to meet the needs of large-scale warfare.

Lying at the bottom of the shell hole, Lin gasped for breath, suddenly feeling that it was a good grave. If he buried himself here, he would also save himself from the various agonies, troubles, and entanglements ahead, and everything would be settled!

But whenever the idea of giving up arose in his heart, images of Alice and little Caroline would involuntarily appear in front of Lin's eyes, thinking of the happiness of family reunion and the joy of harmony, he suddenly felt that life was still very worthwhile. He soon caught his breath. After resting for a while, his physical strength finally recovered to a relatively ideal level. Lin moved up against the wall of the shell hole, and when he was close to the edge of the shell hole, he took out the lens from his pocket, carefully extended it— the front Soviet defensive line was still pitch-black, with only the searchlights on both sides moving back and forth.

When Lin was concentrating on observing the front, those guys behind him slipped into the shell hole without saying a word, one after another, like dumplings. Lin hurriedly put away the lens and looked over. Well, all four of them had come down, and this large shell hole had enough space to accommodate five people. But in this way, weren't their lives tied together?

Lin was speechless but had no way to rebuke them. Although cooperation on the battlefield required tacit understanding, it was not something that could be formed overnight, and it also depended on individual comprehension. As long as these four didn't cause trouble, Lin couldn't expect them to cooperate tacitly.

Like a player responsible for attracting boss monsters in the game, Lin not only had to be agile in his movements but also had to attack quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly. Disregarding distractions, he quickly simulated and calculated the positions, distances, and possible situations of various targets in his mind. After completing these, he adjusted the Mauser 98k's range to 600 and lightly pushed the bolt to load the bullet. He waited for the beam of the searchlight to sweep through this area, then immediately "turned the tables," lying down at the edge of the shell hole and peeking out with the sniper rifle.

Lin viewed these searchlights the same way a thief views door locks. He raised the muzzle based on his instincts and adjusted for the wind to leave just the right amount of "offset." Praying, holding his breath, he fired.

A crisp gunshot immediately broke the calm of the night. After firing the bullet, Lin immediately retracted back into the bottom of the shell hole without even looking.

The light instantly dimmed.

"Wow! Right on target! Impressive!" Both Wolfhrum and Grafloom couldn't help but admire.

Lin was least interested in compliments, furrowing his brow. "Shh..."

Out of nowhere, the response from the Soviet position was somewhat delayed, but the subsequent gunfire, along with the densely fired bullets, was like a torrential rainstorm. Lin felt countless bullets whizzing past overhead. If it were just bullets, he wouldn't be afraid to hide in this shell hole, but without the sounds of cannons or the screams of flying shells, loud explosions suddenly came from nearby.

To protect his poor eardrums, Lin plugged his ears with his fingers. But in the intervals between explosions, he still vaguely heard the veteran Wolfhrum murmuring, "Damn mortars, if one lands on us, we're done for!"

Lin intended to scold him to be quiet, but considering that the oppressive atmosphere on the battlefield could easily cause excessive tension and even lead to some uncontrollable actions, he moved back a bit and patted the veteran's shoulder with one hand. "Don't worry, we're not that unlucky!"

The veteran nodded repeatedly. "Let's hope so! Let's hope so!"

Lin glanced at the other three again. Grafloom endured the torment of enemy artillery with a blank expression. As for the two flamboyant young men, Techermeil hugged Tanze tightly. This posture might lead people to think about their relationship in a normal environment, but on the cruel battlefield, Lin had no such thoughts. He noticed that Tanze, who was slightly older, although panicked, didn't keep his eyes closed all the time. So he casually said, "Hey, buddy, how do you feel? Actually, the Russian shelling is not that big of a deal!"

The young private responded with a faint "Hmm," and when a mortar shell exploded nearby, he closed his eyes tightly, only slowly and cautiously opening them after the loud explosion.

At this point, Lin continued nonchalantly, "These shells only have a temporary effect on our ears, nothing else!"

The young private continued to respond with an indifferent "Hmm," but when the next explosion came, he finally just squinted his eyes slightly.

Seizing the opportunity, Lin continued, "My brother is about your age and is fighting on the battlefield too. He wrote to me, saying that he was scared to death at first, but after enduring the initial fear, he felt that he had grown up and become a real man!"

"Really?" Marcos Tanze gave a more positive response, and in a moment, the gunfire outside suddenly subsided. The battlefield, which was just noisy and bustling, became as silent as death.