Ace Troops Episode 38 Recap
> Ace Troops Recap
A new round of battle commenced on Qiaotou Island. Gao Liang addressed his Special Force Two, informing them that they would receive no supplies or reinforcements. As the Blue Army commander, he issued a single order: eliminate any enemy landing on the island at all costs. At 6:25 PM, the Red Army launched a forcible landing, engaging in over four hours of combat with casualties on both sides.
By 10:50 PM, the Blue Army successfully counterattacked, forcing the Red Army to withdraw. The director department noted the Red Army's difficulty in landing. A director reported that Gao Liang had previously sunk two decommissioned supply ships in the water near the wharf, blocking effective landing points. Red Army assault boats couldn't get close, forcing soldiers to swim over a hundred meters from distant intertidal zone, exposing them to Blue Army snipers and causing heavy losses.
A Chief Director questioned why the Red Army, despite having reinforcements and a four-to-one numerical advantage (Blue Army had less than three companies left), withdrew instead of holding their ground. The director explained the Blue Army's strategy: special troops employed frogmen to attack Red Army naval vessels offshore, organized firepower in the intertidal zone, and set up barriers on the island. Once Red Army soldiers landed, the Blue Army retreated to underground fortifications, launching special force group raids at night.
This made night combat disadvantageous for the Red Army, forcing them to retreat and attack at daybreak, creating a stalemate. Despite three effective rounds of bombing by the Red Army's aerial firepower, which destroyed the Blue Army's heavy artillery and radars, leaving them with only light weapons and a few shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank rockets, the Blue Army remained incredibly resilient. Inside the observation post, the TV signal abruptly cut off.
Li Shaobing and Song Jianshe complained about needing repairs. Zheng Yuan asked Qin Hanyong to get some fresh water. Qin Hanyong soon returned with natural mineral water, explaining he collected it from an air vent during the rain. Seeing this, Li Shaobing attempted to do the same but was promptly turned away by a Special Operation Battalion soldier. The soldier also berated Song Jianshe for his frequent urination, claiming he was a nuisance, which left Song Jianshe deeply frustrated.
Zheng Yuan reminded everyone that as hostages, they shouldn't cause trouble. He speculated that Gao Liang was intentionally withholding fresh water, noting that since yesterday's attack, the captured soldiers no longer had flour on their faces. Zheng Yuan believed Gao Liang was trying to prolong the war indefinitely. Li Shaobing, still angry, vowed to "hang and beat" Gu Yiye if he failed to capture Qiaotou Island today.
That night, Li Shaobing and Song Jianshe secretly planned to rescue the Red Army hostages and blow up the Blue Army's ammunition depot. Though Li Shaobing was hesitant, Song Jianshe argued that as captives now involved in the war, fighting back aligned with their roles. Qin Hanyong became furious upon learning of Song Jianshe's actions.
He felt that since authority had been delegated to Gu Yiye and Gao Liang, and Song Jianshe disregarded the rules, he too should join the fight. As Qin Hanyong passionately prepared to rush out, Zheng Yuan immediately stopped him. Zheng Yuan then reminded everyone that as hostages, their captors were their enemies, making rebellion a justified act. Song Jianshe then approached the captured Red Army personnel, announcing his intention to restore their combat identities and lead them in a counterattack.
Platoon Leader Zhao Xiaoyong of the First Battalion of the Red Regiment 700 quickly volunteered. Song Jianshe divided them into three groups: two to seize weapons and control passages, and one to follow him to blow up the ammunition depot. As Song Jianshe and his group attempted to force open the ammunition depot door, they were intercepted by Blue Army forces led by Jiang Weixing.
Song Jianshe, refusing to be a captive again, engaged in a fierce struggle with the special forces, along with the Red Army hostages, ultimately sacrificing themselves after their escape attempt failed. News of their demise reached the director department. A Chief Director praised Song Jianshe's sacrifice, considering him a "hero on the intelligence front." Zheng Yuan proposed reporting Song Jianshe's actions to the Military Command for an award, a suggestion that received unanimous approval from the directors.
The Red Army launched another landing, employing a point-to-point attack on the Blue Army's fire bases. The Blue Army suffered heavy casualties, with fewer than one and a half companies remaining, yet they stubbornly resisted from their underground fortifications. Despite their tenacious defense of Qiaotou Island, the Special Operation Battalion soldiers were at their physical limits, having gone without food or water for days.
Private Ma Jianfei from the Ninth Company, Second Platoon, Fifth Squad, secretly collected freshwater from a storage pool and brought it to his company commander, Li Guoqiang. Li Guoqiang, realizing the water's origin, angrily reprimanded Ma Jianfei, explaining that drinking the supposedly poisoned water, even a drop, equated to being eliminated from the exercise. Ma Jianfei defended his actions, stating he didn't want his company commander to bleed to death and had heard the water was not actually poisoned.
Gao Liang, observing the scene, acknowledged that the water only contained vitamins and wasn't truly toxic. However, he declared that according to exercise rules, both Ma Jianfei for consuming the "forbidden" item and Li Guoqiang for being involved in the situation, would be ruled as "fallen in battle." Ma Jianfei reported his "elimination," and Li Guoqiang, despite protesting, was also instructed to report to the medical room.
Second Platoon Leader Ding Youyuan was appointed as the acting company commander for the Ninth Company. The director department observed that the Red Army commander was not on the island. Gu Yiye had changed his operational plan, choosing to personally interrogate Major Niu Mancang. He staged a deceptive act to extract information about the distribution of Qiaotou Island's underground fortifications and the location of the "hostages."
Niu Mancang, initially smug and believing Gu Yiye was destined to lose, unwittingly revealed crucial intelligence. He boasted about Gao Liang outmaneuvering Gu Yiye by having two-thirds of his forces in underground facilities (the "Ninja Turtles") while Gu Yiye struggled on the sea, and that the observation team was safely hidden in the most important fortifications. When Niu Mancang finally realized his blunder, it was too late, leaving him filled with regret.
Gu Yiye confirmed he had gleaned the information he needed from Niu Mancang's unwitting confession. Following the interrogation, the Red Army commander reported to the director department that they had obtained the entrance location of Qiaotou Island's central underground fortifications and requested a final wave of overwhelming firepower, with all Red Army forces to land in an hour. He Zhigeng believed Operation Azure should now conclude.
However, Jiang Nanzheng received a message stating that the Red Army's Mountain Net Number Two recording system had problems and she was specifically requested by the Red Army commander to fix it. Jiang Nanzheng arrived by helicopter at the Red Army's command ship, understanding that Gu Yiye intended to use her to gain an advantage over Gao Liang.
Gu Yiye didn't deny this, explaining that Jiang Nanzheng would go to the island as a civilian and thus could not leak any military intelligence to Gao Liang. Gu Yiye informed Jiang Nanzheng that the Special Operation Battalion was running out of supplies. Gu Yiye also brought up Zheng Yuan's predicament to further persuade her. He then asked her to bring fifty boxed meals to the island, explicitly stating they were poisoned.
Jiang Nanzheng initially refused on principle, but Gu Yiye had anticipated her reluctance to abandon such a valuable data collection opportunity. He pressed further, stating that his own soldiers had been tolerating the harsh conditions for too long and he feared they might commit a "slaughter" if they landed without restraint. He saw Jiang Nanzheng as Gao Liang's "only soft spot," hoping her presence would make Gao Liang "restless and break down," thereby saving his own soldiers.
Jiang Nanzheng, calling his tactics "contemptible," was compelled to agree. Meanwhile, on Qiaotou Island, Jiang Weixing expressed his frustration to Gao Liang, noting that the Special Operation Battalion had been without food and water for days, constantly vigilant against Red Army attacks. He suspected the director department was deliberately targeting them. Gao Liang initiated a direct call to the director department, seeking confirmation of the hostages' exact identities.
He stated his plan: if even one of his Special Operation Battalion soldiers remained fighting on the island, the hostages would remain safe, guarded by tripwire bombs that would detonate if anyone tried to enter their detention site. However, if all resistance on the island ceased, the hostages would be executed without exception. After relaying this ultimatum, Gao Liang promptly cut off communication with the director department.
