Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

At dawn the next day, on the Luxi Plain.

The darkness before dawn is the deepest, and all is silent except for the occasional gust of wind that stirs up the withered grass.

But this was just the calm before the storm.

It was exactly 4:00 AM.

As three signal flares pierced the sky, their piercing cries instantly tore through the night.

"Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!"

At this moment, more than 100 105mm American howitzers and 75mm mountain guns from the artillery brigade directly under the 88th Group Army and the artillery regiment under the 308th Division roared simultaneously.

Deploying such a large amount of artillery firepower in such a small battlefield area created a firepower density never before seen on the anti-Japanese battlefield!

The orange-red flames spewing from the cannons formed a continuous line, resembling an angry fire dragon lying across the wilderness.

Dense artillery shells, accompanied by the whistling of death, rained down on the Japanese positions on the outskirts of Liaocheng like a meteor shower.

The earth trembled violently, and the Japanese army's painstakingly constructed forward fortifications, bunkers, and barbed wire were ripped into the air by the first volley of fire.

Black smoke and flames intertwined, turning the area outside Liaocheng into a burning inferno.

"do not stop!"

"Continue loading!"

"The artillery fire must be sufficient; we must smash the Japanese devils' turtle shell!"

On the artillery positions, commanders waved command flags, and the shirtless gunners were drenched in sweat, yet their movements were as swift as lightning.

Of course.

The elite artillerymen in the 88 episodes did not use simple artillery barrages, but rather a "gradual barrage".

The artillery fire was like a giant iron plow, turning over the ground layer by layer from the front line into the depths, leaving behind scorched earth and limbs with every step forward.

"attack--!!!"

The voice of Yin Chongyue, the brigade commander of the armored brigade, was transmitted throughout the army via radio.

Zhao Meng, the company commander of the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Armored Regiment, was leaning half his body out of the turret of the Sherman tank "No. 033".

"Attention, all company!"

"Wedge attack formation! Maintain distance!"

Zhao Meng swung his arm violently, then pulled back into the turret, slammed the hatch shut, and roared into the throat communicator, "Our objective is Lijiaji! Crush them!"

"Rumble--"

The Sherman tank's Ford V8 engine roared deeply as its wide tracks rolled across the scorched earth, kicking up clouds of dust.

On the sides and behind the tanks, the infantrymen of the Kang Huolian Vanguard Regiment crouched low and, under the cover of the tanks, surged toward the enemy lines like a tide.

Zhao Meng stared intently at the periscope. Although the Japanese troops were disoriented by the heavy artillery bombardment, these old devils from the 8th Division were incredibly resilient.

They were less than fifty meters away from the Japanese forward positions.

A dozen or so earthen-yellow figures suddenly sprang out from the ruins.

They were strapped with explosives, some even carrying anti-tank mines, with white cloth strips wrapped around their heads, looking like demons crawling out of hell, howling "Banzai!" as they charged towards the tank tracks.

"Japanese suicide bombers! At the eleven o'clock position!"

"machine gun!"

Zhao Meng shouted.

"Da da da da da-"

In fact, Zhao Meng didn't even need to remind them; the infantry squad leader following the tank's flank had already raised his PPSh-41 submachine gun and American-made Garand rifle.

At the same time, the M2 heavy machine guns on the M3 half-tracks accompanying the attack also emitted a dull "thump-thump" sound.

The dense hail of bullets instantly riddled the Japanese soldiers who were attempting a suicide attack with bullets.

"Boom! Boom!"

With several loud bangs, the bodies of the fallen Japanese soldiers exploded ten meters away from the tank, turning into clouds of crimson blood mist and bits of flesh.

Zhao Meng secretly praised, "This is our new tactic!"

In the past, when tanks charged alone, they were most afraid of these reckless human bombs.

Especially during the Battle of Shanghai, many tanks were destroyed by the Japanese army because they lacked infantry cover.

As experience in armored coordinated operations becomes richer, tactics become more rational.

Now that the infantry brothers are protecting them closely, these Japanese devils can't even touch the edge of the tank!

"Crash it over!"

Zhao Meng's vehicle, "Iron Ox," took the lead, crashing through a section of the broken breastwork and rushing into Lijiaji Village.

Urban warfare is exceptionally brutal yet highly efficient.

The Japanese army used the ruins to set up booby traps behind doors, dug underground tunnels, and even mounted heavy machine guns on the stoves of ordinary people, attempting to slow down the advance of the National Revolutionary Army through the complex village terrain.

"Three o'clock!"

"Second floor of the stone house! There are machine guns!"

"parking!"

Zhao Meng quickly adjusted the turret, and the dark muzzle of the 76mm main gun slowly rotated, aiming at the stone house that was spitting fire.

"High-explosive shells! Fire!"

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the entire wall, along with the Japanese machine gun squad inside, vanished instantly, leaving only a pile of smoking rubble.

However, the Japanese resistance remained stubborn.

In a dead end of the alley, a well-hidden bunker spewed flames, pinning down the following infantrymen who couldn't even lift their heads.

The tank's firing arc is limited, making it impossible to hit that blind spot.

"Oh shit!"

"That's a blind spot! Da Niu, suppress with machine gun!" Zhao Meng was sweating profusely with anxiety.

"Bazooka!"

"Take it from me!"

At the command of the infantry platoon leader, two soldiers quickly knelt down and shouldered the Type 31 rocket launcher.

"Boom! Boom!"

Two rockets, trailing plumes of flame, were fired, but due to the angle, they only blasted off a corner of the bunker, while the machine gun inside continued to roar.

"Step aside!"

"Send the flamethrower soldiers!"

Two flamethrower soldiers carrying double fuel canisters, under the cover of several submachine gunners, used the tank's hull to block bullets and quickly approached the side of the bunker.

"call--!!!"

Two ferocious fire dragons instantly burrowed into the bunker's firing ports.

A piercing scream rang out instantly.

Immediately afterwards, several "fire men" covered in flames rolled out screaming, only to be shot dead by infantry before they could run two steps.

"Well done!" Zhao Meng slapped his thigh excitedly. "That was fucking exhilarating!"

Tanks demolish walls and bombard buildings, while infantry clear out and finish off the enemy.

When faced with a tough opponent, rocket launchers and flamethrowers are used to attack.

This was nothing short of a meticulously coordinated and violent demolition!

Instead of sacrificing lives, we will use steel and gunpowder to achieve victory.

This is the change that massive amounts of US aid brought to this military.

"Baka! These Chinese people are devils!"

A Japanese captain hid behind the ruins, watching in despair as his defenses crumbled inch by inch under the advance of steel and fire.

He gripped his sword tightly, wanting to rush out and fight to the death, but reason told him that it was pointless.

10:00 AM.

With the collapse of the central watchtower of Lijiaji by Zhao Meng's cannon, this key stronghold guarding the eastern gate of Liaocheng changed hands.

Zhao Meng pushed open the hatch, crawled out of the turret, took off his goggles, and revealed a face blackened by gunpowder smoke.

He took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of blood and burnt flesh, and looked at the infantrymen around him who were cleaning up the battlefield, and the tanks that were steaming hot.

"Company commander!"

"Order from brigade headquarters!"

The communications officer ran over with a walkie-talkie, his face covered in excited mud: "Commander, you have awarded our company a collective third-class merit for being the first to break through Lijiaji as the vanguard unit. This has already been reported to the North China Joint Command."

"Okay!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately beamed with joy.

"In addition, the brigade commander ordered: rest in place for two hours to replenish ammunition and fuel!"

Zhao Meng took the water bottle and took a sip, his gaze fixed on the majestic ancient city wall of Liaocheng to the west, his eyes gleaming with a wild light.

"Tell the brothers to hurry up and eat something hot!"

"At 2 PM, let's go to Liaocheng city to celebrate!"

At noon, the forward command post of the 88th Group Army.

The command center was bustling with activity, with phones ringing incessantly.

As the smoke of battle gradually dissipated, it was replaced by frequent reports of victories from various units.

The communications officer excitedly reported to Xue Jie, "Commander!"

"Telegrams from all divisions!"

"The 306th Division has captured the high ground on the north side, cutting off the Japanese army's retreat route to Linqing!"

"The vanguard of the 307th Division has arrived in Dong'e and is constructing blocking positions. The trap is now closed!"

"On the main battlefield, Brigade Commander Yin and Regiment Commander Kang have worked together seamlessly and have successively captured seven key Japanese strongholds, including Lijiaji, Wangzhuang, and Shilipu, annihilating a large Japanese force!"

"Currently, our army is able to directly attack Liaocheng, and the Japanese outer defense line has been basically cleared!"

"it is good!"

"Commander, it's a call from headquarters."

"coming."

After answering the phone, Xue Jie gripped the receiver tightly with both hands and stood ramrod straight, maintaining the same respectful posture as if he were facing the chief consultant himself, even on the other end of the line.

However, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes revealed a hint of anxiety that he could not hide.

"Your Excellency, I understand your meaning."

Xue Jie lowered his voice, his tone earnest and cautious: "But at this moment, our army's morale is high, all attacking units have moved into position, and the general offensive has begun."

"The Japanese 8th Division is already at its last gasp. I am worried that this sudden halt is a delaying tactic by the Japanese."

“Once they are given a chance to catch their breath, even if it’s just for a few hours, they will reinforce their fortifications. If the brothers attack again then, the casualties will probably increase.”

Xue Jie suddenly received a ceasefire order, but he neither complained nor roared.

As a frontline commander, he was simply fulfilling his duty to explain the actual risks on the battlefield to his superiors.

On the other end of the phone, Chu Yunfei's voice was calm and composed: "Xue Jie, your concerns are valid. From a purely military perspective, now is indeed the best time to take Liaocheng in one fell swoop."

Okamura Yasuji wanted to buy time for the Kwantung Army's reinforcements to arrive, but it was also better to fight their Kwantung Army elites on the plains than to retreat to the Luzhong defense line.

After all, the hilly and mountainous terrain in central Shandong is not conducive to the performance of our artillery and armored forces.

From a purely military perspective, I would disobey orders from headquarters and command the troops to directly attack the city.

"However, this battle is not only a military battle, but also a political one." "I just received an urgent telegram from the Chairman of the Yamashiro Constable's Office."

"The Japanese army, through the neutral country of Switzerland, issued an appeal to the international community regarding the evacuation of civilians from Liaocheng."

"Japan claims it is willing to temporarily cease fire and evacuate civilians in order to avoid civilian casualties."

"This matter has become a huge uproar in just one day, and it's hard to say which country is behind it."

"If we launch a strong attack at this time, resulting in the Japanese army massacring the people in the city, the British will never let go of this opportunity for propaganda and publicity, and public opinion will be very unfavorable to us."

Chu Yunfei paused, his tone becoming earnest: "We are the army of kings, sent to restore our homeland and liberate our compatriots."

"If we are going to win, we must win honorably; our victory cannot come at the expense of the people."

"In addition, internationally, countries are conducting strategic counter-offensive operations."

"On the Soviet side, they were engaged in a war with the Germans involving millions of troops, and the Allied forces were also landing in Sicily to attack Italy. The High Command intended to exaggerate the significance of this counterattack, so this battle was of extraordinary importance."

"Xue Jie, don't worry, they can't cause any big trouble in just one day."

Hearing Chu Yunfei's confident and reassuring voice, Xue Jie's anxiety slowly dissipated, replaced by absolute obedience and trust.

Since Your Excellency has already considered this point, there is no need for him to say anything more.

"Yes!"

"Your Excellency has great foresight; I will immediately issue the order."

"besides!"

Chu Yunfei's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a chilling murderous intent: "Stopping the attack does not mean letting your guard down!"

"Order the troops to prepare for battle. If the Japanese dare to play tricks or take the opportunity to move their forces, they can be engaged in battle at any time without needing permission!"

"Yes!"

"Execute the order without fail!"

Xue Jie snapped to attention and hung up the phone.

He turned around, took a deep breath, and ordered the group of staff behind him: "Pass on the Commander's password!"

"All units, cease attack immediately and await further orders!"

"Maintain the highest level of alert!"

……

3 PM, outside the East Gate of Liaocheng.

A makeshift marching table was set up on an open area between the two armies' positions.

The air was still thick with the lingering smell of gunpowder and blood, and both sides had their guns pointed at the unsafe "negotiation table" from the shadows.

On the Nationalist side, the person in charge of the negotiations was Kang Huolian, the commander of the advance detachment. He was dressed in a combat uniform covered in dust, with a Browning pistol at his waist, followed by two equally menacing bodyguards and a translator.

Opposite him was a gaunt-faced lieutenant colonel from the Japanese army. He was the chief of staff of the Liaocheng Garrison Command and his name was Sato Ichiro.

"Commander Kang."

Although Ichiro Sato tried his best to maintain the so-called "dignity" of a junior officer, the occasional flashes of panic in his eyes betrayed his inner fear.

Especially when he saw the rows of tank gun barrels pointing skyward not far behind Kang Huolian, his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

"Without further ado."

Kang Huolian sat imposingly in his chair, not even glancing at the other person, and said coldly, "We'll give you twenty-four hours. By 3 p.m. tomorrow, all the civilians who want to leave the city must be released."

"Hi!"

Sato Ichiro bowed slightly, then tentatively said, "But we have one condition: during the evacuation, your army must retreat three kilometers."

"fart!"

Kang Huolian slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups on it bounce around: "Sato, get this straight! I'm giving you a way out, not begging you!"

"Retreat?"

"There's no door!"

"Not only will we not withdraw, but we will also send people into the city!"

Sato Ichiro's expression changed drastically: "What?! Enter the city?! This is absolutely unacceptable..."

"Why not?" Kang Huolian leaned forward, his murderous aura, forged in the carnage of countless battles, forcing Sato to instinctively lean back. "We don't trust you beasts!"

"To prevent you from using civilians as human shields or infiltrating the evacuation crowd with plainclothes officers to cause sabotage, we will dispatch a 100-person 'unarmed special investigation team' to enter the major city gates of Liaocheng to assist and supervise the evacuation of civilians!"

"This is the bottom line, there's no room for negotiation!"

Sato Ichiro's face turned ashen: "This is impossible! Allowing the enemy into our defensive zone is an insult to the Locust Army!"

"humiliation?"

Kang Huolian sneered, pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, and slammed it on the table: "Take a look at this."

Those are photos of Japanese positions burned to ashes by napalm bombs, and the horrific scene of Japanese soldiers lying dead after being attacked with poison gas.

"To show our sincerity, and also for the sake of all the people in this city."

Kang Huolian stared into Sato's eyes and said, word by word, "Chief Advisor Chu promised that as long as you honestly release the people, our army will provide assistance in the upcoming siege."

"No first use of chemical weapons!"

"We will not be the first to use the new type of US-made incendiary bombs (napalm bombs) for indiscriminate coverage!"

"We will wage a real battle to annihilate you in Liaocheng!"

Sato Ichiro's pupils suddenly contracted.

Specialized ammunition and napalm bombs are now the biggest nightmare for the defenders of Liaocheng.

The unquenchable fire and the suffocating smoke had completely shattered the Japanese army's psychological defenses.

If we don't agree, and the Nationalist army uses that weapon, Liaocheng will instantly become a giant crematorium. Let alone holding out for 24 hours, it probably won't even last two hours.

This is not a promise; it is in fact a blatant threat!
In exchange for the right to supervise the city, they would "leave you a complete corpse".

Sato Ichiro wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with trembling hands.

He knew he had no other choice.

The Japanese troops defending Liaocheng also had no choice.

"it is good"

Sato Ichiro seemed to have all his strength drained away, and he lowered his head dejectedly: "On behalf of the garrison command, I agree to your request."

"We allow your unarmed personnel to enter the city to assist in the evacuation."

"But they can only move around near the city gates and are not allowed to enter the core defense zone."

Kang Huolian stood up, straightened his uniform, and looked down at the other man:

"Chief Advisor Chu also said that if you choose to surrender within 24 hours, we can guarantee your safety."

"If you put up a stubborn resistance, then I suggest you prepare your own coffin in advance."

"Remember, there are only 24 hours."

……

The setting sun, like blood, cast its last rays upon the mottled ancient city walls of Liaocheng, turning this weathered city into a somber, dark red.

With a tooth-grinding creak, the long-closed East Gate of Liaocheng seemed to sigh heavily and slowly opened to both sides.

Inside the city gate, the deathly silence was broken by a series of disordered and suppressed footsteps.

Hundreds of ragged, emaciated people, like a flock of frightened birds, tentatively surged outwards.

Most of them brought their families, carrying tattered bedding rolls, clutching their last remaining food rations tightly in their arms, their eyes filled with fear of the unknown and an instinctive dread of death.

"Third Master, is it really possible to get out of here?" A young woman holding a child asked in the crowd, her voice trembling. She clutched the hem of the old man's clothes tightly, her eyes darting fearfully toward the Japanese sentries at the city gate, bayonets at their sides, their faces grim. "Why have those little devils changed their tune today?"

The old man, addressed as Third Master, was hunched over, his cloudy eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty. He lowered his voice and said in a trembling voice, "I heard that it was a Nationalist army officer outside who pleaded for us. Don't speak, keep your head down, and hurry up and leave!"

"Once we step out of this door, even if the King of Hell doesn't want to take us anymore!"

"Nationalist Army?"

"Sigh, I don't even know if we can be trusted." A middle-aged man beside him sighed, his gaze wandering. "These past few years have been filled with war and chaos. If they trick us into going out to be used as human shields, then we're in real trouble."

Before he could finish speaking, the crowd suddenly froze as if under a spell, followed by a suppressed gasp.

Against the direction of the setting sun, on the official road leading out of the city, a hundred-man marching column was approaching in orderly steps.

That was an army I had never seen before.

They wore crisp, grey-green military uniforms, their leggings tightly tied, and each of them wore a conspicuous red cross armband and a military police armband.

The middle-aged man's eyes widened: "Good heavens, have these soldiers gone mad?"

"This is the Japanese devils' lair!"

"Just barge straight in like that?"

A commotion arose among the crowd, their eyes filled with confusion.

The leader was a Nationalist Army captain with a stern face and piercing eyes.

He walked up to the people, without any condescending reprimands. Instead, he turned to the side, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd, before speaking in a loud and serious voice: "Fellow villagers! Don't be afraid!"

"The road ahead is clear, and our convoy is waiting three miles away. There will be hot porridge and a doctor!"

"We are here on the orders of Commander Xue Jie to enter the city and assist everyone in evacuating."

At this point, the captain's eyes sharpened like a hawk's, piercing the shadows of the city gate:
"We will never allow any Japanese soldier or spy who dares to disguise themselves as civilians to sneak out into the crowd and harm people!"

"We will never allow them to stab our fellow villagers in the back!"

Hearing this, the woman holding the child froze. Looking at the young officer, tears streamed down her face. "Sir," she cried, "you're risking your lives! This city is full of Japanese soldiers! What if they..."

The captain smiled slightly, a smile that exuded strong confidence and composure: "Don't worry, big sister, they wouldn't dare even if they had ten times the courage."

As soon as he finished speaking, the team started moving again.

One hundred Nationalist soldiers, amidst the shocked and stunned gazes of the people, pierced straight into the city gate like an invisible sieve, simultaneously forming a defensive line between the Japanese army and the civilians with their bodies.

At the city gate, several Japanese sergeants and sentries gripped their Type 38 rifles tightly, their knuckles turning bluish-white from the excessive force, and the veins on their necks throbbing.

Their eyes were filled with humiliation, anger, and murderous intent; the muzzles of their guns trembled slightly, as if they might accidentally fire at any moment.

However, faced with this blatant killing intent, the hundred Nationalist soldiers didn't even blink.

Their gazes were completely unconcerned about the bayonets; instead, they were fixed on every person passing through the city gate. The scrutinizing look sent chills down the spines of the Japanese soldiers—it was the look of someone eyeing prey, of someone identifying criminals.

When they passed the Japanese checkpoint, the Nationalist captain even stopped and gave a cold glance to the Japanese sergeant next to him who was trembling with anger. His eyes held only an undisguised warning—as if to say: Don't try to play tricks or take advantage of the chaos.

The Japanese sergeant gritted his teeth, but ultimately, under that invisible pressure and the faint roar of tanks coming from outside the city, he dejectedly lowered his gun.

This scene was clearly seen by the people who were leaving the city.

"Did you see that? Did you see that?!" The middle-aged man, who had been hesitant just moments before, was now red-faced and slapped his thigh hard. "The Japanese devils are chickens out!"

"These bastards have finally met their match! Those are our soldiers! Those are our army!"

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!" In his cloudy old eyes, Third Master suddenly shone with astonishing brilliance. He turned around shakily and bowed deeply to the backs of those going against the flow: "They are risking their lives to guard our gate! These are heavenly soldiers and generals! China is saved!"

"Mom, that uncle's eyes are so bright!"

The child in the woman's arms pointed at the departing procession, his innocent voice filled with admiration.

The woman wiped away her tears, hugged her child tightly, and her steps became lighter than ever before: "Yes, that's to catch the eyes of bad people."

"Child, remember this: when you grow up, be like them and protect your own people!"

Panic and confusion vanished in that moment, replaced by a long-lost, burning sense of pride.

The people straightened their backs, no longer cowering and avoiding the Japanese army's gaze, but instead strode out of the city gates and towards the blue sky, white sun, and red army flag fluttering in the wind outside the city.

This is a battle without gunfire.

However, in this confrontation, whether from the perspective of military strategic deterrence or from the perspective of political and public sentiment, the initiative has been firmly grasped in the hands of the National Revolutionary Army.

From this moment on, the once invincible Japanese army's psychological defenses and city fortifications completely collapsed; they had no other choice! (End of Chapter)