The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 334 The Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment! The Offensive (Two-in-One Chapter)

At 4:31 p.m., on the position at the General Valley Pass, east of Pingding County.

When Superman looked up again to check the sky, Van Gogh, who was beside him, finally couldn't help but shout, "Iron Man, stop looking!"

The weather is quite nice today; it won't get dark for at least another hour.

So we absolutely cannot hold out until nightfall; let's just wait to die.

Upon hearing this, Chaozi, whose head was haphazardly wrapped in gauze and resembled a rice dumpling, couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

As Van Gogh said, his current act of looking up at the sky was actually to see when it would get dark.

More accurately, it's about looking forward to nightfall.

In that case, he and Van Gogh would have fulfilled their dying wish to keep the enemy at bay until nightfall, and they could then lead their troops to retreat.

This allows the last remaining members of the special operations battalion attached to the position to evacuate, preventing the entire army from being wiped out.

However, reality is cruel; they may not be able to survive until that time.

After continuous high-intensity fighting, the original 903 brothers in the blocking force here have now been reduced to only 127, including the two of them.

At first glance, it seems like a lot, but there are 71 seriously wounded among them, leaving only 56 people who can fight.

Their current ammunition reserves consist of 27 pistol bullets, 55 rifle bullets, 13 wooden-handled grenades, and 1 explosive charge.

They even collected and threw away any slightly larger stones around the position.

The Japanese troops below the pass currently number at least two thousand, along with about twenty cannons of various sizes and ammunition.

Damn it! In this terrible situation, even a god couldn't handle it.

The only good news is that the Japanese aren't made of iron.

After several unsuccessful attacks, they are now significantly affected in terms of physical strength and morale, and are currently making adjustments.

This gave these remaining soldiers a brief respite.

Unfortunately, there was no time to repair the fortifications, and there wasn't even a large rock to be found nearby. What could they do besides lazily sitting in the bomb crater to rest?
Realizing that the position would definitely not be able to hold out in the next Japanese attack, and that it would be his last chance, Chaozi actually relaxed completely.

So be it! He'd be gone in the blink of an eye, and he didn't have any major regrets.

Before leading his team here to ambush the enemy, he left all the blueprints for subsequent improvements and upgrades to his key personnel, in addition to the various equipment from the Zhangjiayu Arsenal.

In addition, it left behind dozens of technologies such as 'electroslag remelting' and 'top-blown oxygen converter steelmaking', which are still considered quite advanced technical data even more than a decade later.

Even with these technologies, Chaozi only knew some of the principles, and didn't leave behind many technical details.

However, with the current technology, breaking through is only a matter of a thin veil, which should still play a significant role and make his time travel worthwhile.

After thinking it through, Chaozi took out a pack of Flying Tiger brand cigarettes from his pocket.

He kept one cigarette for himself and handed the cigarette box to the brothers next to him; they each took one and passed it on until there were none left.

Seeing this, Van Gogh also took out his cigarettes and did the same.

What else? Could the Japanese soldiers really find him on his body and keep smoking?

But after Chaozi lit a cigarette and took only two puffs, he noticed a man in his forties next to him, whose name should be Wang Dong if he remembered correctly. Before joining the army, Wang Dong was an old bachelor who was a shepherd.

He held a lit cigarette in his hand but didn't smoke it. Instead, he solemnly held it in both hands and muttered something under his breath.

After hesitating for a moment, Chaozi couldn't help but ask, "Wang Dong, what's wrong with you, you old rascal?"

Wang Dong didn't answer Chaozi's question directly. He stuck his cigarette into a pile of loose soil before asking a question in return:
"Commander Chao and Commander Fan, you two are cultured people, you know a lot; you've seen far more of the world than us shepherds and farmers."

So, do you think a person can be reincarnated after death?

When Wang Dong asked the question, Chaozi could clearly see that many of the other brothers around him instinctively pricked up their ears, showing that they cared a lot about the question.

After exchanging a glance with Van Gogh, the two of them suddenly had a flash of inspiration and understood the meaning behind Wang Dong's question:

These brothers were very superstitious, or more accurately, they hoped they would have an afterlife.

Because it seems that they have no hope left in this life; they can only hope that in the next life they can live a peaceful life without war, and have enough to eat every day.

Instead of dying on an empty stomach like those brothers who have already fallen on the battlefield, who will be starving ghosts on their way to the underworld.

Even after death, the corpses were either missing limbs or blown to pieces; flesh and bones were scattered everywhere, then rotted and were carried away by wild dogs.

Having figured all this out, Chaozi nodded vigorously and answered with unusual certainty:

"Don't worry, you'll definitely be reincarnated!"

However, so many people have died in recent years that everyone would probably have to wait in line to be reincarnated in the underworld, and it would be decades before they were actually reincarnated.

Being reborn later in life is also a good thing.

By then, we will have driven out the Japanese devils, all the foreign devils who bullied us, and those lords who oppressed us.

"At that time, in such a large country, it will be us workers, farmers, shepherds, and other poor folks who will be in charge."

This statement immediately left Wang Dong and the others dumbfounded, because it was something they wouldn't even dare to dream of, even in their wildest dreams.

Van Gogh then followed suit, speaking with unwavering certainty:
"Chaozi is right, everything will be alright in time."

Not only could they eat their fill, with white flour and meat at every meal, but they were also worried that getting too fat would make them less agile, so they specifically sought out some coarse grains and wild vegetables to eat, and some wild vegetables were even more expensive than meat.

Children can all go to school, even the children of farmers can go to university in big cities and don't have to toil in the fields for a living.

"If everyone is willing to put in the effort, every family can live in a two-story villa and drive a car even more beautiful than Yan Laoxi's..."

If everything Chaozi said was something that Wang Dong and the others dared not even imagine.

So everything Van Gogh depicted was beyond their wildest imaginations; after Van Gogh finished speaking, the battlefield suddenly fell silent.

Because of Chaozi and Van Gogh, two time travelers from the modern world.

Suddenly it dawned on them that the country and society in the modern world were the ones they always complained about, grumbled about, and were even angry about.

It is truly remarkable that the country has transformed itself from its current dire state to its current state in less than a century.

In just over eighty years, China has covered the path that took other great powers hundreds of years to develop. How could there be no problems at all?

So it's okay for everyone to complain, grumble, and get angry. We're all human beings, and everyone has a temper. The key is that after everyone has finished complaining, we need to work together to solve these problems.

Meanwhile, Wang Dong and his brothers were completely immersed in the beautiful world depicted by Chaozi and Van Gogh.

Even if they can't believe it, it's based on humanity's expectation for a better future.

In an instant, the anxious and painful expressions on their faces, which were covered in gunpowder and blood, disappeared, replaced by genuine smiles, and they all became entranced.

It wasn't until about five minutes later, when they heard the sound of the Japanese attack about to begin from the bottom of the slope, that Van Gogh and his companions came to their senses.

But at this point, everyone on the position was remarkably calm as the final moment approached.

Even Wang Dong, the old bachelor shepherd, after thinking about something for some unknown reason, suddenly made a rather bold suggestion:

"Officers, I'm afraid the brothers won't be able to hold out this time. Since we can't hold out either way, why don't we launch an attack on the Japanese as well, so they won't laugh at our Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment for only hiding on the front lines like turtles?"

"Alright! Our Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment only knows how to attack, not retreat. Today, let's show the Japanese what to do."

Thinking that even if they held out, it would only mean holding out for a few more minutes, which wouldn't affect the overall situation at all, Van Gogh readily agreed.

Having been relentlessly bombarded by the Japanese for so long on the front lines, he too had long felt extremely frustrated.

However, Chaozi quickly realized a crucial problem: what would happen to the seriously wounded soldiers on the front lines after they charged?
Seemingly sensing Chaozi's worry, one of the brothers, whose leg had been blown off, spoke up:
"Sirs, count us in too when it comes to attacking the Japanese. We can keep going by supporting each other, it'll just be a bit slower."

Also, leave the grenades and explosive charges to us; we definitely won't fall into the hands of the Japanese alive."

After hearing this, Chaozi remained silent for a few seconds before shouting out his final command:
"First, send a telegram to the dead man, telling him that the entire Independent Battalion's blocking force is about to be wiped out; please make sure to capture Pingding County, so that so many brothers don't die in vain."

At the same time, destroy all excess weapons and supplies, leaving the Japanese with nothing of value…

"By the gods! We're finally about to break through this damned pass."

As they began to assemble at the starting position, preparing to launch an attack with their comrades, Private First Class Inukai Tsugio muttered to himself with a sigh of relief.

The main reason was that in the past, facing these poorly equipped garrison troops who were clearly just armed farmers, one company after another charged forward, but in the end, they all retreated with heavy casualties.

After most of the day's fighting, the casualties of this reinforcement force that set out from Shijiazhuang were already terrifying.

Fortunately, the defenders at the pass have reached their limit, so a simple charge will be enough to annihilate them.

But just as their company commander drew his katana, a colleague shouted:
"What are those people planning to do? Have they finally surrendered?"

Upon hearing this, Inukai Tsuyoshi immediately looked towards the pass, thinking viciously to himself, "At this point, you still want to surrender and save your life?"
Too late! I'll bayonet them all to death.

However, after seeing the situation at the pass clearly, Inukai Tsugio no longer dared to think that way.

More than a hundred guards were slowly walking down towards them.

The fifty or sixty men in front wore tattered uniforms and their faces were covered in gunpowder and blood, but the rifles, bayonets, and broadswords they held high were gleaming.

Behind them were sixty or seventy people, including wounded soldiers who could only walk with the help of others, and disabled people with only one leg who used rifles to support their bodies as they moved.

There are blind men who need to put one arm on the shoulder of their comrade in front of them in order to maintain the correct direction of movement.

There were even seriously wounded soldiers who had lost the ability to move and were now being carried on the backs of other wounded soldiers.

More importantly, their gazes towards us were not pleading, but rather filled with an indescribable arrogance, as if they were looking down on ants.

Being stared at like that, Inukai Tsuyoshi suddenly felt like a clown in a farce.

Therefore, the defending troops were not preparing to surrender, but rather launched an offensive with their last hundred or so remaining soldiers against their main force of two thousand men.

Despite launching such a proactive attack, the outcome was predetermined from the very beginning.

But at this moment, Inukai Tsugio's heart was filled with fear; he knew they would never be able to conquer this land with such brave warriors.

Private First Class Inukai Tsugio was not the only Japanese soldier who was inexplicably frightened.

Soon after, a Japanese colonel, his voice trembling slightly, gave the order: "Fire! Fire! Kill them! Kill them now!"

At this command, a hail of bullets was unleashed.

However, the defending troops did not stop and continued to advance while firing their guns.

Until the last blind man, after his comrade who had led the way had also fallen, pulled the pin on a wooden-handled grenade hanging around his neck, cursing as he did so:
"You little devils, I'll fuck your ancestors!"

Later, when Inukai Tsuyoshi and his men were cleaning up the battlefield, they discovered that all the Chinese soldiers who had charged out had been killed in action.

And every single one of them was shot in the front, and they all died on the way to the attack.

From that moment on, Inukai Tsuyoshi, a former Japanese private first class who had been fanatical about the war, became a staunch anti-war activist.

However, this change was definitely not because he had a change of heart; it was simply because he had been hurt and was afraid of being beaten.

After cleaning up the battlefield, the Japanese soldiers continued their advance, but their morale was terribly low, and their pace became extremely slow...

******
At 4:57, when the sky was still not dark at all, in Suanzaopo, in the southern part of Pingding County.

"Laugh! Laugh at your grandma's legs, how can you still laugh at a time like this?"

Looking at the group of brothers in front of him, smoking, spouting all sorts of lewd jokes, and grinning like idiots, Mr. Nanze mentally launched into a tirade.

But after he finished complaining, he quickly lowered his head.

He didn't want his brothers, who were only half his age, to see him, a middle-aged man in his forties, with red eyes and on the verge of tears.

I'd rather see veterans cry than new recruits laugh!
This phrase, "that damned Hu Biao, who sometimes talks about war in a rambling, almost mystical way," is exactly what Mr. Nanze is thinking about right now.

That's right! Mr. Nanze and the three battalions of blocking troops led by Moyu are now at their final moment.

Cuttlefish is long dead. After the last retreat of the Japanese, Mr. Minamisawa is too lazy to keep track of how many people and how much ammunition are on the position now.

What's there to count? A quick glance around reveals that there are only about sixty or seventy people gathered together on the position, barely breathing.

There were at most ten people, each carrying a wooden-handled grenade or a small melon grenade.

For the others, having half-filled bullet boxes in their weapons was the best-case scenario; they certainly didn't expect to hold out against the Japanese attack next time.

This is also the main reason why, before the next Japanese attack, everyone did not reinforce the fortifications or reload the magazines as usual.

Instead, they gathered together, smoking and making lewd jokes with a grin.

It was precisely this kind of scene that made even a seasoned veteran like Mr. Nanze, who had experienced the bloody battles of Tengxian and Taierzhuang, find it hard to bear.

These were originally rookie recruits, but through continuous bloody battles and the constant casualties of their comrades and themselves, they grew into veterans at an astonishing speed.

According to Mr. Minami's experience, veterans would often cry and complain to their superiors before a battle.

Even throwing tantrums and making all sorts of demands and haggling is perfectly normal and there's no need to worry too much.

But their current grinning and joking demeanor only shows that they are ready to set off and have given up all illusions.

Every officer naturally hopes to see his soldiers possess such a fighting spirit of being ready to die for their cause.

The key point is that every one of these smiling faces here is a brother whom Mr. Nanze personally recruited and who has shared life and death with him.

Even so, when these brothers shouted, "Commander Nan, you've eaten and seen it all, tell us something funny!"

Mr. Nanze quickly composed himself and immediately launched into a well-worn joke:

"The Wang family was blessed with a son. The child could call out to people as soon as he was born. He called out 'Grandpa' first, and then Old Master Wang died; he called out 'Grandma' first, and then Wang Lishi also died."

He called out "Father" one last time, and Master Wang cried out in alarm, then lay down on the bed to await his death.

Unexpectedly, he didn't stop breathing for a long time. Instead, they heard someone shout from next door, "Something terrible has happened! Master Liu is dead!"

A few seconds later, the brothers who had come to their senses burst into laughter, seemingly oblivious to their commander's reddened eyes...

(End of this chapter)