Chapter 52: Little Japanese Reinforcements Mobilize

"Charge!"

Taking advantage of the enemy being blown to pieces, the soldiers roared and launched a fierce assault. The momentum was immense, but their actual footwork remained surprisingly careful and steady.

In contrast, the covering machine-gun fire was extraordinarily intense.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

Dense rounds slammed into the sandbag fortifications of the Japanese position, kicking up showers of dust and dirt.

The grime-covered Japanese lieutenant paid no mind to the sand in his mouth, gasping dizzyingly for the scorching air.

It took him a moment to regain his wits. He violently threw himself behind the cover and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Baka! Grenade dischargers! Heavy machine guns! Counterattack! Quick, counterattack!"

With the lieutenant's direction, the Japanese soldiers, who had suffered heavy casualties during the bombardment, finally mounted a defense.

"Left, to the left!"

"Ah... dasu kaide!"

"Reload! Reload! Hayaku!"

"Tenno Banzai!"

Amidst the terrifying rip-like rattle of gunfire, the Japanese counterattack was pitifully weak. The fiercely cautious soldiers immediately dropped prone to take cover, resulting in negligible casualties.

For the soldiers, that dense, cloth-ripping sound of friendly machine guns brought an immense sense of security.

Conversely, the Japanese were left with sheer terror. That bizarre machine-gun sound delivered a torrential downpour of lead.

At every moment, someone by their side was struck by bullets, collapsing to the ground with miserable screams.

Coupled with the high-caliber mortar shells that dropped periodically, there was no shortage of severed limbs, shattered bodies, and spilled entrails.

Amidst these tragic wails, the morale of this Class-C division's garrison was plummeting visibly.

A sergeant braved the hail of bullets and lunged toward the lieutenant. Half of his ear was already gone, and one side of his face was stained a blackened red. Enduring the agonizing pain, he cried out desperately, "Lieutenant, our casualties exceed fifty percent, and our flank is about to be breached! We need reinforcements!"

The lieutenant roared with impotent rage, "Bakanoyaro! You must hold the position! For the Greater Japanese Empire, and for His Majesty the Emperor!"

"Haii! For His Majesty the Emperor!" Failing to secure reinforcements, the sergeant had no choice but to retrace his steps; otherwise, if he stayed too long, the remaining Japanese soldiers under his command might suffer a complete collapse.

"Kikisou!!!" The lieutenant already realized that relying solely on his men, he could no longer hold the Yongan stronghold.

Compared to facing punishment himself, losing the supplies and equipment stored within the stronghold would bring everlasting shame to his family.

Without further hesitation, the lieutenant retreated back into the stronghold and dispatched a telegram for help.

"This is Lieutenant Yasuda at the Yongan stronghold. Our unit is under attack by the main force of the Eighth Route Army!"

"The enemy possesses large-caliber mortars and a large number of light and heavy machine guns. Their firepower is ferocious, and our casualties are severe. We request tactical guidance! Please help!"

The content of the telegram was quickly transmitted to the Third Battalion Headquarters of the 21st Regiment, 4th Independent Mixed Brigade in Wuyin County Town.

The radio operator was deeply shocked by the message and hastily rushed it to the command room.

Major Akai, who was just about to enjoy his lunch, set down his chopsticks. Seeing the solemn expression on the operator's face, he realized an emergency had occurred.

"Read it!"

"Yes, Lord Battalion Commander! This is a telegram requesting tactical guidance sent from the Yongan stronghold!"

Upon hearing the contents of the telegram, Major Akai sprang to his feet. He did not doubt its authenticity; he knew Yasuda well enough to know that he would never ask for help unless things had reached a truly critical juncture.

"Notify them immediately: the First Company, the Second Company, the Machine Gun Company, and the Artillery Platoon are to assemble at once and rush to reinforce the Yongan stronghold. The Third and Fourth Companies will remain behind to guard the base. Hayaku!"

Upon receiving the orders, the radio operator quickly departed. Major Akai geared up with his weapon, grabbed his command saber, and strode toward the barracks.

The Japanese assembly was swift, completed in a mere ten-odd minutes.

Mounted on his horse, Major Akai gave a grand wave of his hand, "Move out! March swiftly to the Yongan stronghold!"

The imposing column of Japanese troops surged out of Wuyin County Town, sending unaware civilians scrambling into hiding.

This entire scene was observed by the soldiers of the Second Company, who had long been concealed in a mountain forest outside the town.

After noting the scale and troop count of the departing Japanese, one soldier immediately got up and left to report the news.

He first located Zhang Dabiao, who was lying in ambush by the roadside, and briefed him on the situation. "Good! The battalion commander's tactics have worked! Go quickly and notify the battalion commander!"

Dispatching the messenger, Zhang Dabiao pulled back the bolt of his M3 submachine gun. "Brothers, perk up! The Japanese will be here at any moment. We must not let a single one of them pass!"

Behind an earthen slope by the roadside on the outskirts of Liuwang Temple, Liu Yunlong received the news that the Japanese had sortied out of the city, and his spirit lifted instantly. "Haha, the time has come. Let's move out!"

He then turned his gaze toward Huang Tianning, who was dressed in tattered military uniform, with a look of extreme displeasure.

"Platoon Leader Huang, you have quite a nerve, bullying and holding me back like that. Watch out, I might just kick you later!"

Grumbling as he cursed, Liu Yunlong had originally intended to personally lead the team disguised as puppet troops to launch a surprise attack. Unfortunately, he had been physically restrained by Huang Tianning and Huzi, who refused to relent no matter what, ultimately leaving him with no choice but to handle the assault on the backyard instead.

"Hehe, don't worry, Battalion Commander! Once we complete our mission, you can kick me however you like!"

Huang Tianning flashed a cheeky grin, snapped a salute, and then led his squad away from the earthen slope and onto the main road.

The soldiers disguised themselves as puppet soldiers, escorting Huang Tianning and his men in the middle, followed by two donkey carts covered with yellow cloth. The procession swaggered down the road toward the Liuwang Temple prisoner-of-war camp.

Watching the departing group—specifically the trembling puppet army platoon leader sandwiched in the middle—Liu Yunlong muttered, "Let's go!"

Leading the last platoon of soldiers, Liu Yunlong skirted around Yunqing Mountain toward the rear courtyard of the camp.

On the side of the Japanese reinforcements, after a forced march along the road, they had reached the Tongji Canal Bridge.

"Okashine...?"

Major Akai, riding on horseback, felt a subtle sense of strangeness. This bridge had surprisingly not been blown up, nor had they encountered any enemy obstruction. This aroused his suspicion.

Even so, the Yongan stronghold still had to be saved. "Hayaku, cross the bridge quickly!"

Vigilantly watching as the entire column crossed the bridge, Major Akai dispatched an additional squad of scouts to advance to the head of the formation for reconnaissance.

Fearing that his troops might fall into an ambush by the Eighth Route Army, he involuntarily slowed down the marching pace.

Far away in the dense bushes near the Tongji Canal Bridge, Captain Zhang and his squad members closely tracked the receding Japanese column until the very last silhouette vanished at the horizon's edge.

"Quick, everyone ready the explosive packs!" Under Captain Zhang's leadership, more than a dozen members clutched explosive packs and sprinted toward the bridge.

With utmost speed, they planted five or six explosive charges beneath the bridge piers and uncoiled the long fuses.

After lighting them, the dozen men rapidly retreated. A dozen seconds later, having fled just over a hundred meters, the militia members threw themselves prone behind an earthen slope.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!"

Amidst the violent explosions, smoke and dust soared into the sky, and the bridge shattered and collapsed. Even from a hundred meters away, the shockwave rattled the militia severely.

With a deafening roar, the startled warhorse nearly unseated Major Akai.

The Japanese reacted swiftly; at the shouting of their officers, they scattered to both sides of the road to take defensive positions.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Machine gun company! Artillery platoon! Deploy rapidly!"

"Hayaku!"

Like startled birds, the Japanese began scanning their surroundings aimlessly in all directions.