Chapter 34: Camouflage and Concealment

"Instructor, this is a relevant description I came across in a foreign military research paper, used to define the marksman who accompanies a squad or platoon in combat," Su Yang replied confidently.

"You read foreign military papers? Tell me more in detail!"

Vulture took a long, searching look at Su Yang. He hadn't expected this private to be not only proficient in training but also well-read in military theory. Even as the commander of the Langya Sniper Company, he hadn't necessarily studied such things himself.

"Yes, Instructor. The designated marksman is a new, combat-oriented configuration resulting from changes in traditional squad firepower. It's somewhat similar to a sniper within a special operations team, but it's not quite the same."

"The differences manifest in four main areas."

"First, regarding organization, they are meant to accompany the squad in combat, unlike a special operations sniper team that can operate independently away from their unit."

"Second, a sniper operates with freedom; their area of operation is not fixed. A designated marksman's area of operation is determined by the defensive sector of the squad they are assigned to."

"Third, the nature of the mission is different. A designated marksman primarily engages targets of opportunity within a thousand-meter range, whereas a sniper focuses more on neutralizing high-value targets."

"The most important point is the weaponry. Snipers typically use high-precision rifles, while a designated marksman does not need a bolt-action sniper rifle. Instead, they require a semi-automatic marksman rifle with decent accuracy that can provide both precision fire and support the squad's overall firepower."

At this point, Su Yang sighed. "Unfortunately, we don't currently have such a marksman rifle for squad-level fire support."

Vulture listened and remarked, "Interesting. According to you, our company's squad firepower configuration needs to change. But I have a question: if the enemy has snipers and you only have designated marksmen, your range isn't enough, and your precision isn't enough—how do you deal with them?"

Su Yang laughed. "Instructor, I'm thinking from a practical combat perspective. When we encounter an enemy sniper in real combat, why would we force a sniper duel with them? Are our rocket launchers just for show? Or is the artillery in the rear just scrap metal?"

"We possess these assets, but do you think it's that simple? We lack this type of integrated firepower configuration, and communication between different branches isn't that smooth yet." Vulture understood Su Yang's meaning, but he felt Su Yang didn't fully grasp the current situation of the People's Liberation Army. Even within Langya, obtaining rear-echelon fire support wasn't easy, and for scouts in conventional units, it was even harder.

"Therefore, Instructor, I believe informatization is the only path for our military. Only then can we integrate frontline combat squads with rear command headquarters and fire support units into a single entity," Su Yang stated firmly.

Vulture fell silent. He realized that the digital terminals the Langya Brigade was currently pushing for seemed to be moving in exactly that direction. After a moment, Vulture looked up at Su Yang, his eyes showing a touch of appreciation for his talent. "Any interest in joining the Langya selection at the end of the year?"

Su Yang was stunned. He was happy to have earned Vulture's recognition, but he had his own concerns.

"You're nodding and shaking your head—what does that mean? Are you not interested in special forces?" Vulture couldn't quite figure him out.

Su Yang quickly replied, "Reporting, Instructor, I am very interested in Langya, but I plan to take the military academy entrance exam next year. I'm worried about a scheduling conflict."

Vulture laughed. "Is that all? You can still take the exam after joining Langya, or even get promoted and sent to the academy. But you have to pass the selection first, otherwise, none of that matters."

"Then I will definitely participate in the selection," Su Yang said with firm resolve.

...

In the woods far from the training base, Vulture watched Su Yang and the others, who were fully armed and covered in camouflage paint, and pointed to the nearby forest.

"You have twenty minutes. Find your own hiding spots within a three-hundred-meter radius. If you are found, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Understood!" the trainees shouted in unison.

"Good. The timer starts now. Move out!"

With a wave of his hand, Vulture dismissed the trainees like a heartless capitalist. He turned back to the off-road vehicle parked at the intersection, pulled out some snacks he had scrounged from somewhere, and began to eat.

Su Yang charged into the woods with the others, quickly assessing the environment. He selected a corner favorable for concealment and set up his hide.

After more than a month of training, he was familiar with most of the terrain around the base, but today was different; Vulture and his team had specifically chosen an unfamiliar area for them. The goal was to test exactly how well everyone had learned scout camouflage and concealment.

Su Yang hid on a small hillside, where he could clearly observe the surroundings while using the thick layer of fallen leaves to cover himself.

Soon after he was hidden, Vulture's voice echoed from outside the woods.

"Hide well! We're coming in, and we'll pull you out one by one."

Outside the forest, Vulture put down his megaphone and glanced at his watch. He said to Old Pang, who was beside him, "Time's up. You go find them first!"

Old Pang picked up a stick from the ground and entered the woods, beginning his search for the hidden soldiers. Although Vulture followed him into the forest, he didn't join the search; instead, he stood back, scanning the area with his binoculars.

"Get up! Look at this hiding spot—anyone with eyes can see someone's here."

Although Old Pang wasn't from a special forces background, he was a seasoned elite instructor. He quickly dragged a soldier out from a dense patch of grass.

"I’ve stressed this multiple times: don't just blindly hide in the thickest spots. While it’s hard for people to see you there, everyone’s attention is naturally drawn to those areas, making you incredibly easy to expose."

Old Pang kept a blade of grass in his mouth, swatting at the brush with his stick as he shouted.

Watching his comrades being found one by one, Su Yang felt the tension rise. He saw Vulture, who had been standing still, lift his binoculars and look toward his hiding spot.

Just as Su Yang thought he had been discovered, he saw Vulture take two steps in his direction and kick a nearby cluster of dense grass.

"Get up! Who told you to hide like that?"

A soldier wearing a grass-covered camouflage net scrambled up from the supposedly dense brush. It was Cheng Peng from Su Yang's squad.

"Reporting! I don't understand how you found me!" Cheng Peng sounded dejected.

"Are you a pig? Look at the ground—all the grass around you has been trampled or cut, but your spot is strangely dense. Even a fool would know you’re hiding there." Vulture glared at him. "One hundred push-ups."

Vulture continued his observation. Meanwhile, Old Pang found several more; some had dug pits to bury themselves but failed because they hadn't managed the soil properly, while others were found simply because their positions were too obvious.

"One, two, three... still missing three people." After searching for a while, Old Pang confirmed the count and realized three were still unaccounted for, yet he couldn't find them anywhere.

"Still missing three?" Old Pang walked over to Vulture.

Vulture asked, "Which three?"

"Everyone, look around. Who is still missing?" Old Pang gestured.

The Ninth Squad quickly answered, "Reporting, our squad's Su Yang and Zhong Huatao are still hidden."

"Our Third Squad also has one..."