A military vehicle wobbled to a stop at the roadside; an officer clad in a greyish-green coat jumped out of the car, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and placed it in his mouth.
Another officer in the car rubbed his eyes, then stretched lazily, his hands hitting the roof of the car. He instinctively shrank back and asked languidly, "Where are we now?"
"About 10 kilometers ahead, Zheng Country's King City," the officer who had gotten out struck a match, lit his cigarette, and replied as he released a puff of smoke.
He hadn't slept for two days and had been pushing on continuously; it was almost his limit, as well as that of his unit.
"The first battalion's first company should be about 4 kilometers ahead, and the second company is right behind us... Has the third company reached its designated position?" The officer inside the car took out a map from his bag, spread it on his knees to have a look, and continued with a hint of irritation.
