Glory of Special Forces Episode 8 Recap
> Glory of Special Forces Recap
Due to a severe rainstorm, a landslide trapped Li Xiang's mother and Yan Poyue inside a tunnel. Yan Poyue quickly made his way to Li Xiang's mother, reassuring her that Li Xiang and the others were outside, trying to find a way to rescue them. Li Xiang's mother was still stuck in a truck, her leg pinned by the deformed vehicle, and she expressed how difficult it was just to see her son.
Outside, the regiment mobilized for rescue, but bulldozers couldn't access the tunnel. Ai Qianxue proposed a "human-wave tactics" approach using traditional tools to dig from above the collapsed section, emphasizing speed and constant vigilance against further rockfalls or landslides. This was deemed the only viable method. Inside, Yan Poyue managed to pry open the car door, getting Li Xiang's mother out, and immediately bandaged her injured leg.
Li Xiang's mother pulled out an old phone Li Xiang had bought her, lamenting that she couldn't get a signal now, even though he usually didn't allow her to call. Yan Poyue comforted her, assuring her that Li Xiang would definitely rescue them. Suddenly, the tunnel collapsed again. Yan Poyue quickly pulled Li Xiang's mother to a relatively safe spot and shielded her with his body from falling debris. Li Xiang was frantically digging outside, his emotions running high.
Inside, Li Xiang's mother asked Yan Poyue his name and how long he had been in the army, then eagerly inquired about her son. Li Xiang's mother fondly recalled her son's kind and shy nature, how he would blush before even speaking, and Yan Poyue added that Li Xiang was even kinder to him than his own father. Above the tunnel, the soil layer became unstable, threatening a massive landslide.
The regiment commander, Liu Chuan Ming, received a report that continuing the rescue would be suicidal, and was advised to withdraw all units. Liu Chuan Ming reluctantly gave the order to retreat. Li Xiang relayed the evacuation order to his troops. Lu Xiao Tian, crying, stubbornly refused to leave, shouting that Yan Poyue was still inside and begging everyone not to abandon him, but Fan Jin physically dragged him away.
Li Xiang, heartbroken, knelt before the debris, crying out in despair for his trapped mother and comrade. Inside, the ventilation shaft was blocked by rocks, and Yan Poyue realized they would soon run out of oxygen, in addition to facing intermittent collapses. Outside, it was confirmed that the heavy rain would not stop for another two days, and even professional rescue teams with heavy equipment would be ineffective under the current conditions.
Recognizing that continued general rescue would only lead to more casualties, Li Xiang, with a heavy heart, requested to halt the broader rescue operation as a soldier. However, as a son and an elder brother figure to Yan Poyue, he pleaded for one opportunity to act alone. Miraculously, a signal temporarily appeared in the tunnel. Xiao Ting, who had been persistently calling Li Xiang's mother, got through and immediately handed the phone to Li Xiang.
Yan Poyue quickly informed Li Xiang of their situation: Li Xiang's mother had a minor leg injury that had been bandaged, they had one bottle of water but no food, and were running out of oxygen inside an unknown safe room. Regiment Commander then spoke to Yan Poyue, instructing him to conserve energy and battery, promising hourly contact.
Yan Poyue, in turn, reassured Li Xiang's mother, telling her that Li Xiang and the Regiment Commander were both outside, working to save them, and they would definitely get out. They shared the precious bottle of water, one capful at a time, as instructed by Li Xiang, with Yan Poyue insisting Li Xiang's mother drink more. The tunnel's layout included three safe rooms, and their exact location remained unknown.
The provincial Blue Sky Rescue Team arrived, with their leader Cheng Gong noting the dire situation. Ai Qianxue, concerned about Yan Poyue, suggested using several trucks as a temporary protective wall across the landslide-prone area to buy more time, an idea quickly approved and implemented, deploying all available personnel except sentries. Inside, Yan Poyue, semi-conscious, experienced a vivid flashback of his father's harsh training, pushing him to be stronger. Waking up, he refused to sit idly by.
He frantically worked to clear the blocked ventilation shaft, eventually discovering that they were in Safe room No.3. Seeing Li Xiang's mother becoming disoriented and succumbing to oxygen deprivation, Yan Poyue, using his last ounce of strength, managed to call Ai Qianxue. He could only utter "Safe room No.3" before collapsing. Ai Qianxue, grasping the critical information, desperately encouraged him, promising to buy him dinner if he made it out alive.
Lying in the mud, Yan Poyue, with what little strength he had left, tapped on rocks, repeating his mantra: "Complete the mission. Go back alive!" Outside, despite the trucks barely holding back the imminent landslide, Li Xiang and Xiao Yun Jie heard the faint tapping sound. They quickly identified the source and began furiously digging. Time was running out, with only two minutes before the landslide. They reached Yan Poyue and Li Xiang's mother.
Yan Poyue, prioritizing Li Xiang's mother, insisted she be pulled up first. She was successfully rescued. However, as it was Yan Poyue's turn, the tunnel collapsed a second time. Li Xiang, Ai Qianxue, and Xiao Yun Jie screamed his name in anguish as they were dragged away by other soldiers.
Li Xiang's mother, upon regaining consciousness, immediately pleaded with the Regiment Commander to save Yan Poyue, recalling how he had fiercely refused to leave her behind, yelling that "the soldier here is not dead yet, it's not your turn to play the hero." The Regiment Commander assured her they would bring their soldier back. After the second collapse, Yan Poyue disappeared beneath the debris again.
Lu Xiao Tian, who had been assigned to the kitchen squad, distraught and refusing to eat, ran back to the tunnel. Xiao Yun Jie, overwhelmed, cried out in anger and despair, berating Yan Poyue, questioning his strength and his promise to be the "King of Recruits." Lu Xiao Tian joined in the desperate shouts. Li Xiang continued to dig relentlessly, while Ai Qianxue, remembering her promise to buy Yan Poyue dinner, mechanically shoveled at the rubble.
United, everyone tirelessly dug and called out Yan Poyue's name. Finally, after an arduous effort, Yan Poyue was pulled from the rubble. Yan Poyue was hospitalized with a lung infection, severe dehydration, and hypoxia. Fan Jin stood by his bed, scolding him for his recklessness, despite acknowledging that Yan Poyue was now considered a great hero by the entire regiment.
Fan Jin warned him that even with his tough spirit, luck wouldn't always be on his side and that life was a gift not to be squandered. Yan Poyue calmly responded that his only intention was to save people, questioning why it couldn't be him. Lu Xiao Tian and Xiao Yun Jie came to visit, and Fan Jin advised them not to talk for too long to allow Yan Poyue to rest.
Xiao Yun Jie shared the "good news" that Yan Poyue's heroic deeds had spread throughout the regiment, assuring him of commendation and a likely transfer to a combat squad. He then delivered the "bad news": Li Xiang would be transferring out of the military. Yan Poyue was not happy to hear this, reflecting that losing Li Xiang felt like losing a rival.
He realized that Li Xiang had inadvertently pushed him to grow through frustration, anger, and perseverance, and he found himself starting to miss that challenging dynamic. The tunnel incident deeply affected Li Xiang. He confided that he had been with Xiao Ting for six years, and they had discussed marriage multiple times without resolution as she waited for him.
Li Xiang explained that his mother, unable to bear seeing Xiao Ting wait any longer, had personally brought her future daughter-in-law to the base. Their shared goal was to bring Li Xiang home.
