Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1264 Two Paths for You to Choose From

Although the men in front of him were dressed in grime and dirt, as a veteran, Platoon Leader Yang was certain that these men had seen blood and their eyes were filled with murderous intent. They were not at all comparable to the local security forces.

Before Platoon Leader Yang could react, they were tied up, blindfolded, and stuffed into a horse-drawn carriage. After a bumpy ride, they were forced off the carriage and blindfolded again. The cold, hard earthen bed, filled with the smells of mold, sweat, and fear, constituted Platoon Leader Yang's entire field of vision.

The black cloth bag over his head was suddenly ripped off, and blinding light streamed in through the cracks in the dilapidated cave door, making him dizzy. A dozen or so of his men, their hands and feet bound just like his, were crammed into a corner like livestock awaiting slaughter, their faces ashen, their eyes filled with nothing but terror.

"Damn it..." Platoon Leader Yang stretched his sore and numb neck, and had just muttered half a curse when the creaking wooden door of the cave was pushed open.

The light outlined two figures. The one who came in first was the burly, dark-faced man who had kicked him so hard he almost suffocated. He looked like a charred tree stump, exuding a menacing aura that kept strangers at bay. The young man following behind him was tall and upright. Although his clothes were also covered in yellow dust, his calm, scholarly air was like a protective stream.

Platoon Leader Yang's heart leaped into his throat. His intuition told him this was the real person in charge! He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, and was about to plead for leniency, "Gentlemen..."

"Brother Hao!" Heiwa's rough voice interrupted him instantly, filled with suppressed anger: "It's these bastards! They came to Xiagou Village and demanded 5,000 catties of grain! And that's not all, they used their weapons to ravage all the laying hens and piglets in Old Chief Zhang's yard! They're even more ruthless than bandits coming down from the mountain!"

Heiwa's hand unconsciously pressed against the holster of his pistol at his waist, his knuckles turning white as he clenched it. His eyes glared at Platoon Leader Yang with a sharp, piercing gaze: "In my opinion, we should just shoot them all! Keeping them alive is just a waste of our rations!"

The word "killed" was like a red-hot branding iron, making those originally dejected soldiers jump up instantly.

"Gentlemen, spare my life! Spare my life!"

"It's all his fault! He forced us to do it!" The youngest soldier, his face streaked with snot and tears, pointed at Platoon Leader Yang in terror: "We're just soldiers who follow orders! Disobeying orders means certain death!"

"Yes! He's the one who gave the order!" Immediately, four or five people echoed, vying to point their fingers at their platoon leader.

Platoon Leader Yang was so angry that his vision blurred and his lungs felt like they were about to explode! He stood up straight with a "whoosh," trying to break free of the ropes binding him, but to no avail. He could only curse, "Bullshit! When we were eating meat and drinking, you were all the ones who fought over it the most! We poured the liquor down your throats and you didn't eat a drop less! And now you're trying to pin this on me? You sons of bitches! When I get out of here, I'll fucking shoot every single one of you and feed you to the wild dogs!"

The cave dwelling instantly erupted into a chaotic mess, filled with pleas for mercy, curses, and accusations of shifting blame—a cacophony more irritating than a hundred flies.

"Shut up, all of you!" A cold shout, not loud, but like a steel needle tempered with ice, instantly pierced through all the noise.

Qin Hao's gaze slowly fixed on Platoon Leader Yang's face, which was twisted with anger and fear. His voice was terrifyingly calm: "You're their leader?"

Platoon Leader Yang deflated like a punctured balloon, his arrogance vanishing instantly. His back slumped involuntarily, his face contorted with utter grievance and distress: "My lord, please understand! I... I'm nothing but a newly promoted platoon leader! My life is miserable... The higher-ups gave a death order: we must collect enough grain! If I go back empty-handed, failing the mission... my head will be chopped off! I had no choice..."

Qin Hao's lips curled into a cold smile as he interrupted his complaints: "Stop spouting nonsense. Listen, now, I'm giving you two choices."

"First rule," Qin Hao said, holding up a finger, his voice echoing clearly in the cave, "Stay here in this cave for ten days to half a month. Food will be provided, you won't starve. Once things have calmed down, we'll let you go, and each of you will be given some travel expenses."

Before the words were even finished, the soldiers' eyes lit up with an astonishing light!

"I choose the first option! I choose the first option!" The soldier who had been crying the most was the first to shout, his voice filled with both sobs and ecstasy.

"Yes, yes, yes! This is the one! This gentleman is kind and righteous!"

"I've wanted to quit being a soldier for ages! I was conscripted! I want to go home! Give me money and I'll go back home and farm!"

A dozen or so people rushed to express their support, their voices urgent, afraid that if they were a step too slow, they would miss out on this great opportunity. Just think about it, no fighting, a few days in jail and you get paid, and you can go home safely? It's practically a windfall!

Platoon Leader Yang's heart skipped a beat. Go home? His mind raced, weighing the pros and cons. Compared to these seasoned young soldiers, his thoughts were far more complex.

Choosing the first option seems ideal on the surface, a safe escape. But the problem is, is this "Brother Hao" reliable? What if it's a trap, and they lower their guard...? Even if they pay to release him, what if the Zhen Song Army recovers and comes after him, tracking down this missing platoon leader? Besides, if he just runs away, he'll be a deserter from now on. Can he really have a good life?

Qin Hao raised a second finger: "The second option: I'll let you go back."

Go back? Everyone was stunned, including Platoon Leader Yang. This sounded even more like a trap than the first one! Heiwa's eyebrows shot up as he looked at Qin Hao with suspicion.

“I can let you go now,” Qin Hao said, his gaze falling on Platoon Leader Yang’s face with a playful scrutiny. “You can go back and report to your commander of the Zhen Song Army. However, you haven’t collected a single grain of food, and you’ve also ‘lost’ your weapons on Bailu Plain. Whether you go back empty-handed or not depends on how your commander feels.”

Qin Hao's words were casual, but they struck Platoon Leader Yang like a thunderbolt. In an instant, his last shred of hope vanished. No food, no guns, no men! Going back to report would only mean certain death. He knew better than anyone what kind of men Liu the Blind's troops were!

"I choose option one!" Platoon Leader Yang shouted without hesitation, his voice even drowning out his men. He didn't care about the "authority" of a platoon leader anymore; his life was at stake! Going back meant certain death, while staying offered at least a glimmer of hope and some money! Deserting and living under an assumed name was better than losing his head on the spot!

"Sir! I choose option one! We all choose option one! Stay put, behave yourselves, and never cause trouble!"

Qin Hao nodded slightly: "You guys know what's good for you. Heiwa, keep an eye on them. If anyone tries to escape, kill them all."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the cave, and Heiwa immediately followed.

"Brother Hao, why bother with all this trouble? You're even providing food and travel expenses? These sons of bitches didn't hold back when they were swaggering around the village! I think we should just drag them to the ditch behind the mountain tonight, dig a hole, and bury them all! Leaving them alive is just in case word gets out..."

Qin Hao stopped and turned to look at Heiwa, who was filled with resentment. He asked with a smile, "How many men are in the Zhen Song Army?"

“They said… 100,000 people,” Heiwa said in a muffled voice.

"How many people would the security force consist of, if all the villages were to join together?"

“More than four hundred.” Heiwa’s voice was lower.

“Even if most of the 100,000 people are surrounding Xi’an, they can still send 500, 1,000, or even more to Bailuyuan.”

Qin Hao patted Heiwa on the shoulder: "We killed them today, which was satisfying, but how many can we kill next time the Zhen Song Army sends men? And if the Zhen Song Army hears that we leave no survivors, they'll definitely fight us to the death. Food and money are just external things; we can grow more and earn more if we lose them. But human lives are the pillars of our families, our relatives and brothers. If one of them is lost, it's one less. We can't afford to lose them."

Heiwa listened in silence, the fierceness on his face slowly fading, replaced by solemnity and contemplation.

“…Brother Hao, I understand.” Heiwa nodded heavily.

"Well, it's good that you know your limits." Qin Hao patted his broad shoulder, then changed the subject: "However, this grain requisition team didn't return to report on time. If this goes on for too long, the Zhen Song Army will definitely send people down again."

"Go back and tell Chief Zhang of Xiagou Village that if another grain requisition team comes, tell them that the commander of the first grain requisition team has already 'taken' all the grain from Xiagou Village! Not a single grain is left! The village really can't produce any more grain, so cry poverty, cry poverty to the extreme!"

He scratched his head and asked, "Brother Hao, is this... even useful? What if those sons of bitches come in a second wave and don't believe Elder Zhang's words, and still try to rob us by force?"

"Let them rob if they want, put on a good show, let them rob! Let them search as much as they want! Once they've taken their fill, they can leave Xiagou Village satisfied with what they've 'collected'..."

Heiwa's eyes suddenly lit up. He understood: "Wait until they leave the village and enter our ambush, then...we'll deal with them?"

“That’s right!” A glint flashed in Qin Hao’s eyes, his killing intent palpable. “Remember not to let any of them escape. Send the prisoners to the cave and lock them up. If the Zhen Song Army doesn’t receive any news, they won’t be able to gauge our strength or weakness. The longer it drags on, the more advantageous it will be for us.”

Liu the Blind has been besieging Xi'an for a full eight months, and it has only been a little over a month since then, so a protracted war is inevitable.

Another half month passed in the blink of an eye. The smoke of battle on the walls of Xi'an had not dissipated; instead, it was stained even deeper by more blood and fire. The Zhen Song Army, like a tireless swarm of ants, surged towards the city walls wave after wave, only to be met with fierce resistance from the defenders, leaving behind piles of corpses as they retreated in disarray.

Inside the central command tent, Blind Liu pounded his fist on the table in agitation, making the map and teacup jump. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the trembling quartermaster before him, his voice hoarse like a dull knife scraping the bottom of a pot: "Grain! Where's the grain?! Ten thousand mouths are waiting for rice to cook! I've sent out so many grain requisition teams, even the dogs should have brought back some bones by now! The granaries are practically overflowing with rats, what the hell is going on?!"

The quartermaster's forehead was covered in cold sweat, his face contorted like a bitter gourd: "Commander, please calm down! The grain requisition teams did bring back some... but it's just a drop in the ocean! For an army of 100,000, a single day's consumption is a bottomless pit! And the grain requisition teams that went to the Bailu Plain area, an entire platoon has vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead, without sending back a single word! It's been half a month, and not a single grain of rice, not a single message!"

"What?!" Liu the Blind's one eye widened suddenly, shooting out a terrifying glint of light: "A platoon? Vanished right under our noses? Send another one! I want to see if Bailu Plain is a den of dragons and tigers, or if someone has deserted. Send me two platoons! Turn those villages in Bailu Plain upside down, don't let a single grain of food escape! Tell them that if they don't collect enough rations, they'll come back with their heads!"

Thus, a massive grain requisitioning team, consisting of two reinforced platoons and nearly eighty fierce soldiers, led by two platoon leaders, stormed towards Bailu Plain, especially towards Xiagou Village, where a platoon had mysteriously disappeared. These thugs were mostly former bandits and outlaws, their eyes revealing a primal greed and a thirst for blood.

When Chief Zhang saw the soldiers marching in formation amidst the rising dust, nearly twice as many as last time, his heart sank. He forced himself to remain calm, and tremblingly approached, his face contorted with deep sorrow and despair: "Commenders...you're here again...Good heavens, Xiagou Village is truly out of food!"

Wu, the leader, rolled his triangular eyes, his fleshy face twitching, and spittle almost sprayed onto Zhang, the clan chief's face: "Bullshit! I've already inquired, and in this Zishui County, Bailuyuan is the richest place, so how come we're the only ones who aren't rich? It must be you bunch of scoundrels who have gone into hiding!"

Chief Zhang knelt down with a thud, his withered hands pounding the ground, and cloudy tears streaming down his face: "Sir! Just a few days ago, Platoon Leader Yang and his men ransacked our village! They took everything edible and valuable! They didn't leave us a single grain of wheat! Look... look at this village, which house still has smoke rising from its chimney? Which child isn't crying from hunger? We're all surviving by digging for wild vegetables and gnawing on tree bark..."

Platoon Leader Wu squinted suspiciously: "Search! Search every house, every inch of ground! Turn over every brick, every inch of ground! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to! If I find it... humph!"

The soldiers stormed into every house like wolves. In an instant, chaos erupted in Xiagou Village, with the sounds of banging on doors, wailing, and the soldiers' shouts and curses filling the air.

After rummaging around for most of the hour, the "spoils" they scavenged were pitifully meager: half a bag of moldy chaff, a few handfuls of withered wild vegetables, and a few sweet potatoes hidden in the stove hole.

"Damn it! A bunch of poor bastards!"

"Damn it! Let's go! Let's go to the next village!"

A brief period of calm seemed to have returned to the mountains and fields, with only the slow footsteps of the grain requisition team and the complaints of the soldiers.

They were completely unaware that the moment they crossed the last mountain ridge of Xiagou Village and entered a narrow mountain path, the surrounding light seemed to dim.

The last few soldiers in the grain requisition team were still complaining: "Pah! We made this whole trip and didn't get a single thing..."

next moment!

"Whoosh!" "Crack!" As if by magic, countless dark shadows suddenly "grew" out from the steep earthen cliffs on both sides of the road and from the slightly higher pass ahead! The dark muzzles of guns, like the fangs of venomous snakes, emerged coldly from the waist-high withered grass and behind the jagged boulders, instantly locking onto every soldier on the road below!

Anger and murderous intent surged in Heiwa's eyes as he roared, "Fight! Beat him hard!" (End of Chapter)