Glory of Special Forces Episode 29 Recap
> Glory of Special Forces Recap
After successfully completing a re-take of their mission, the Ninth Squad celebrated their flawless operation: 25 enemies eliminated, 4 injured, zero casualties, a rescued hostage, and a captured enemy leader. However, Qin Feng remained stern, reminding them that a re-take was "barely a pass" and no cause for celebration. He urged them to internalize the lessons learned and apply them to future missions by exploiting enemy weaknesses.
When an officer suggested a reward, Qin Feng relented, announcing extra dishes for dinner, which was met with cheers. In the volatile Red Scorpion stronghold, Xing Tian, now a dominant figure, introduced Miya to General Xin Min. Miya reacted with uncontrollable rage, attempting to shoot Xin Min, forcing Xing Tian to intervene and kick her into a river.
Later, a bound Miya revealed her deep-seated animosity: Xin Min, once a captain under Miya's father – who was the supreme commander of their guerrilla unit – had betrayed her father for money and gifted her to one of his subordinates. When she resisted, she was imprisoned and subjected to forced drug injections. Miya eventually escaped, but her addiction led her to attempt theft from the Red Scorpion, resulting in her capture.
Miya, discerning Xing Tian’s intentions, observed that he sought Xin Min for his resources and would not keep him alive indefinitely. Xing Tian confirmed this, promising Miya the opportunity to exact her revenge personally. The next day, Xing Tian orchestrated a public knife fight. He provoked Xin Min by praising his renowned knife skills, then presented Miya as his opponent, urging her to seize her chance. Miya, demonstrating remarkable skill, swiftly killed Xin Min.
Xing Tian mockingly highlighted Xin Min’s defeat by a woman, and the deceased general’s men immediately pledged their allegiance to the Red Scorpion, accepting Xing Tian as their new general. Meanwhile, Xing Tian sought to bolster his forces with heavy artillery. He was introduced to Nan Da, an acclaimed "Mortar God" from the government's former artillery unit.
To prove Nan Da's precision, Xing Tian ordered him to hit a distant pine tree and then a specific rock, both of which Nan Da struck flawlessly. For a final, audacious test, Xing Tian stood directly in front of a target, challenging Nan Da to hit a circle behind him. Despite the arms dealer's protests and warnings from Xing Tian’s men, Nan Da, without hesitation, hit the target perfectly. Xing Tian, exhilarated, remained unscathed.
He then offered Nan Da three times the price of his current employment, purchasing him from the arms dealer with a vast sum of money, enough to equip an entire new army. Xing Tian declared that Nan Da was capable of creating miracles under his command. Back at the military base, Lv Tu, a former artilleryman, delivered a lecture on the primary threats to special forces: artillery and aerial assault.
He detailed the devastating impact of heavy artillery shells, emphasizing that even a prone position would not save a soldier caught in an open area. He introduced the cluster flechette cartridge, capable of raining thousands of steel arrows over a wide area, rendering a squad useless. Lv Tu dismissed concerns about international conventions, stating that enemies would not abide by them, and warned that the only defense was to avoid being caught.
Yan Poyue, however, argued that special forces’ agility and electronic countermeasures would make heavy artillery largely ineffective, akin to "an elephant trying to catch a mouse." Lv Tu acknowledged the point but countered that enemies would anticipate such tactics and instead use mortars, the "nemesis of all infantries." He explained mortars’ portability, curved trajectory, ease of operation, high rate of fire, and versatility in firing various types of shells, including flechette-style rounds by expert users.
At the end of the lesson, Lv Tu instructed everyone to burn their notes after a mere three-minute review, prioritizing immediate retention. Yan Poyue was the first to swiftly memorize and burn his notes, quickly followed by Guo Xiaoxiao. As the annual Red vs. Blue drill approached, a Special Operations Brigade detachment was dispatched to a newly formed plateau base. Yan Poyue, recognizing the location, realized he would be facing his former comrades.
During dinner, the familiar taste of braised tofu stirred nostalgia for his cooking days. Xiao Yun Jie teased him about missing his old job. They overheard other soldiers mocking the new base's occupants, the reformed Squad 247, as "professional punching bags," and disparagingly noted that two of their former cooks had joined the elite Cheetah Commando. Xiao Yun Jie, angered, was restrained by a remarkably calm Yan Poyue, who pointed out that fighting would lead to their disqualification.
Commander Liu, eagerly anticipating his confrontation with his old rival, Qin Feng, recalled Qin Feng’s legendary nickname, "Three Shells Qin," earned by single-handedly destroying a drug cartel with three bazooka shells early in his Cheetah Commando career. Commander Liu wondered how Yan Poyue, who reminded him of a young Qin Feng, had been molded by the Cheetahs. He rallied his Blue Team with the audacious slogan, "Capture Three Shells Qin alive! Turn the Cheetahs into kittens!"
In a separate briefing, Qin Feng galvanized his Cheetah squad, emphasizing their "quality over quantity" philosophy and setting a target of over 50% casualties on their numerically superior opponents, warning that failure would bring shame to the entire Cheetah Commando. Aboard a helicopter en route to the base, Yan Poyue and Xiao Yun Jie confirmed their resolve to fight without holding back, believing their former comrades would "despise" them if they did.
Zhou Zi Jian, also present, expressed his long-held anticipation of confronting Yan Poyue. Commander Liu also implemented a strategic psychological operation. He ordered an armed helicopter converted into a medical air ambulance, offering it for enemy rescue on humanitarian grounds, instructing the Cheetahs to use two red and one green flare for assistance. However, his staff officer correctly identified this as a ploy.
Commander Liu confirmed his true intent: to capture high-value prisoners for intelligence gathering, as their gear or unguarded "hero" interviews could reveal crucial information. Furthermore, if the Cheetahs suffered heavy losses, Commander Liu planned to spread rumors of a "traitor" within their ranks, anticipating that such an accusation would shatter the proud Cheetahs' morale more effectively than any military defeat. The helicopters arrived, and the Red and Blue forces met.
An announcement stated that the official confrontation would begin in three hours. During these three hours, the Blue Team was forbidden from initiating an attack. The Red Team was given one hour to vacate the meeting area and prepare, after which any remaining Red Team members would be considered captured. The Blue Team's defiant chant, "Capture Three Shells Qin alive! Turn the Cheetahs into kittens!" rang out.
Lv Xiao Tian, presenting his "winning dish" of braised tofu, playfully approached Yan Poyue and Xiao Yun Jie, who pretended not to know him until he revealed the secretly made pork hocks. Yan Poyue jokingly questioned if they were poisoned. They then asked Guo Kui about their former squad leader, Fan Jin. Guo Kui assured them Fan Jin was well and conveyed his encouragement, stating that no matter which side won, the kitchen squad would earn credit.
Meanwhile, Qin Feng visited Commander Liu, observing his team's high morale and noting Liu’s growing reputation as the "Army Whetstone." Commander Liu responded with false humility, contrasting his new team’s fearlessness with the Cheetahs’ potential embarrassment in defeat. Qin Feng, equally sharp, retorted that Liu was adept at grandstanding, suggesting the drill was an opportunity for the "Army Knife" (Cheetahs) and "Army Whetstone" (Blue Team) to learn from each other.
