Operation: Special Warfare Episode 15 Recap
> Operation: Special Warfare Recap
Impatient with Ning Meng's leadership, Yang Shu suggested taking a shortcut to be the first to reach the camp, asking if anyone would follow her. However, a teammate immediately intervened, reminding Yang Shu that the situation was still unclear and it was not the time for reckless heroics, as blindly rushing ahead would only lead to disaster. He reiterated Qin Guan's explicit order for everyone to follow Ning Meng's command. Though inwardly frustrated, Yang Shu reluctantly fell back in line.
Ning Meng then addressed her team, acknowledging the steep mountain ahead and the seven hours they had already marched, leaving her uncertain of what challenges lay beyond. Despite her concerns, her teammates expressed unwavering confidence, declaring their readiness and refusal to be underestimated. Observing their struggles and trust, Ning Meng privately pondered the correctness of her leadership, hoping to live up to their faith. As their arduous march continued, Yang Shu suddenly collapsed.
Her teammates quickly gathered, and Zhuang Qian, examining her, diagnosed a fever of 38. 6 degrees Celsius caused by tonsil inflammation. Zhuang Qian admonished Yang Shu for not revealing her serious condition earlier, especially after enduring the freezing water. Ning Meng offered to carry Yang Shu, but a male teammate cautioned against it, noting that the mountainous terrain would quickly deplete Ning Meng's energy. Other male soldiers promptly volunteered to construct a stretcher and carry Yang Shu.
Lin Yi, despite his own exhaustion, insisted on continuing to carry her. Yang Shu, feeling like a burden, tried to insist on walking, but Ning Meng and her teammates stopped her, stressing the need for rest due to her high fever. Ning Meng reassured Yang Shu that Blue Lightning would never abandon a comrade, emphasizing that their only chance of victory lay in collective effort.
Motivated, Ning Meng rallied the team, highlighting their proximity to the camp—less than a kilometer away—and their current lead over the Special Training Team. Meanwhile, observing the competition, the detachment leader and other officials discussed the teams' strategies. While the Special Training Team impressed with its direct, aggressive assaults, the detachment leader commended Blue Lightning for its flexible, evasive tactics that minimized casualties.
Zhao Brigade, however, openly favored the Special Training Team's confrontational style and mocked Blue Lightning's more cautious approach, to which Qin Guan retorted sharply. As the two teams converged near the camp, the detachment leader announced a sudden rule change: from that moment on, they could engage and attack each other, with victory going to the team that first crossed the red line. A chaotic brawl immediately erupted as both teams sprinted for the finish.
During the melee, Yang Shu was knocked from her stretcher. Despite her condition, she began crawling toward the finish line before collapsing again from exhaustion. As the fight raged, her teammates rushed to her side. In the end, Ning Meng broke through the fray and was the first to cross the line, securing a hard-fought victory for Blue Lightning. In the aftermath, a gloating Qin Guan celebrated his team's win.
Zhao Brigade, irritated, shot back that he shouldn't be so smug, pointing out that Blue Lightning had already lost one of its snipers due to injury. He warned Qin Guan that the next sniper competition would be tough, as Qu Bo, the top sniper from the anti-hijack team, was on his team. Unfazed, Qin Guan expressed his complete confidence in Lin Yi. Upon regaining consciousness in the medical tent, Yang Shu’s first concern was whether the team had won.
Learning that her evacuation would result in penalty points, she adamantly refused to leave. She tore out her IV, declared she was no deserter, and reported for duty, insisting on continuing with the team. The next module tasked the teams with a 10-kilometer covert march through a foul-smelling, zero-degree water ditch filled with decaying waste, aiming to attack an enemy command post and find a target. Soldiers were ordered to smear the putrid mud on their faces for camouflage.
This segment was a direct confrontation between Blue Lightning and the Special Training Team, with the prize being a much-needed steamed bun. The key challenge involved a sniping duel between Blue Lightning's Lin Yi and Qu Bo, a renowned sniper from the anti-hijack team now with the Special Training Team and Lin Yi's childhood friend. Ning Meng noticed Lin Yi's troubled demeanor.
Plagued by Qu Bo's recent taunts about his father's anger over a previous demerit, and his warning that another loss would be a "stain on his father's life," Lin Yi's focus wavered. At the makeshift shooting range, where three assault team members and one sniper from each team would compete, Lin Yi's internal turmoil caused him to miss his target.
Despite the other Blue Lightning members hitting their targets, Lin Yi's critical miss with the sniper rifle led to the Special Training Team winning the round in 45 seconds, besting Blue Lightning's 53 seconds. Zhao Brigade smugly celebrated their victory, provoking an annoyed Qin Guan to remind him about the dangers of arrogance. Following their loss, the Special Training Team received their steamed buns and ostentatiously celebrated in front of Blue Lightning, who were penalized ten minutes for their defeat.
Xu Dongdong and other teammates rallied around Lin Yi, assuring him that no one blamed him and urging him to let go of his disappointment to focus on future challenges. Lin Yi apologized for costing them time, and Ning Meng reassured him that they would make up for it by pushing harder. The journey through the putrid ditch continued, with subsequent supplies being minuscule. At a meager resupply point, Chen Haozhe found a small bread roll.
A heartfelt exchange of selflessness ensued, with every male soldier insisting the female soldiers take it, and the female soldiers, in turn, deferring to one another. Ultimately, everyone agreed that Yang Shu, still recovering from her illness, needed the sustenance most, and she gratefully ate it. This act of sharing their scarce food deeply strengthened the team's camaraderie.
As they progressed, a simulated bomb blast provided Blue Lightning an opportunity to gain ground on the Special Training Team, which was soon penalized five minutes for a soldier's equipment loss—a critical error in a combat scenario. Qu Bo, however, arrogantly dismissed it as an "accident," claiming it would make their eventual victory even more convincing.
Ning Meng seized the moment to emphasize vigilance, instructing her team to meticulously check their gear, a display of foresight that earned her praise from the detachment leader for her clear judgment and commanding presence. In the final sprint to the endpoint, Blue Lightning and the Special Training Team once again converged. In a thrilling dash, Blue Lightning secured victory, completing the 10-kilometer cross-country in 6 hours, 20 minutes, and 39 seconds, a mere two seconds ahead of their rivals.
Qin Guan reveled in his team's triumph, much to Zhao Brigade's visible fury. Zhao Brigade then warned Qin Guan of the challenges ahead, stating that the next confrontation would be with "real knives and real guns," and not to expect mercy. The next task led them to a supply point promising instant noodles in two separate houses, one for male and one for female soldiers. However, the catch was a heavy deployment of tear gas within the rooms.
Donning gas masks, the female soldiers immediately struggled, many rushing out to vomit, while the male soldiers valiantly pressed on. Ning Meng, witnessing her female teammates' distress but observing that the male soldiers were still inside, sternly rallied them, refusing to let them surrender and urging them to continue the search. After a renewed effort, they successfully located the instant noodles.
