The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 434 Entering the City and Escaping (Two-part chapter)

"Grandpa! You've been working so hard lately. Is your body still holding up?"

Amidst the cheers, Hu Biao strode forward, gave the approaching Lao Tai a warm hug, and then asked him with concern.

So, after a fierce bombardment by the merciless artillery, the two forces attacking the north gate finally met up successfully.

Both sides were overjoyed upon meeting.

Unfortunately, today's battle was only a good start and was far from over; so after giving Lao Tai a warm hug, Hu Biao hurriedly asked the question he had just asked.

Because in the upcoming battles, these troops entering the city will need the help of Lao Tai and others to carry out some very crucial follow-up operations.

Faced with Hu Biao's question, Lao Tai answered with great enthusiasm:

"Don't worry, Xiao Hu. My old bones are stronger than you think. Whatever the task, just give me the assignment."

Seeing that Lao Tai had said so, Hu Biao didn't have time to be polite any longer and immediately issued a series of commands:
"The tanks of the newly formed 22nd Division, and the 3,000 veterans of the 1st Honorary Division will be arriving soon."

There are 26 tanks in total. Eleven of them, along with a thousand veterans, will be sent to directly attack the Xiyuan Hotel, the Japanese stronghold in the city.

The other 15 tanks and another 2,000 veterans will be divided into three groups to attack the Japanese defenses from the rear from other directions, opening more gaps to allow friendly forces to enter the city.

We are not familiar with the city's terrain, so we need you to lead the way and cooperate in the battle.

You also need to point out in advance where the Japanese have built barricades and bunkers, to prevent anyone from falling victim to their ambush.

"No problem, I guarantee I'll complete the mission." Old Tai accepted the order with a serious expression.

However, when he turned around, the old man still paused noticeably, as if he had accidentally twisted his back during the fight.

I can understand; he's getting on in years after all...

A few minutes later, the tank unit, which had been waiting behind the Subei Independent Regiment, and its elite veterans finally arrived at the North Gate after speeding all the way.

Old Tai led about a hundred of his men to join one of the teams that went straight to the enemy's stronghold; the other three teams that went to attack from behind the Japanese defense line also had fifty or sixty men assigned to each team to cooperate in the battle.

With their help, Hu Biao and his men found their subsequent operations much easier.

For example, the Japanese had pre-positioned a Type 92 infantry gun behind several barricades, with the muzzle leveled, ready to unleash a direct-fire attack on the Nationalist tanks.

Under normal circumstances, with the T-26 tank's 15mm frontal armor thickness, it really wouldn't be able to withstand a single hit from this thing.

However, under the leadership of Lao Tai and others, Hu Biao and his small force bypassed the barricades by using alleys and rooftops, and even blasted open walls, and launched an attack directly behind them.

The Japanese Type 92 infantry guns often didn't even have a chance to fire before the artillerymen were killed by stray bullets.

Or you could just fire a rocket launcher and knock the Type 92 infantry guns to the ground.

The machine gun bunkers that the Japanese had built beforehand, or the firing positions they had set up on some buildings, were indeed built to be quite well concealed and vicious.

Often, the crossfire from two light machine guns can block out a street, and the attacking forces would have to pay a heavy price to take them down.

But before entering these streets, Lao Tai and his men pointed out the locations of these hidden firing positions in detail.

This made things much simpler. The tanks led the way and slowly drove forward, followed by a small number of infantrymen who hid behind the sturdy tanks for cover.

Once it reached a position where it could fire, the tank stopped, raised its gun barrel, and fired a 45mm shell.

In a loud explosion, bricks and the flesh and blood of Japanese soldiers flew everywhere, and these hidden bunkers and firing points were easily destroyed.

In short, that's the impression Hu Biao and his group got.

The Japanese remnants in Nanning were really not very good at street fighting tactics; they were not even as good as the men of the Taierzhuang Seya Detachment.

Thus, with the cooperation of Lao Tai and others, these teams may not have advanced very quickly, but they steadily moved forward.

Given the relatively small size of Nanning, it wouldn't be long before they could reach the Japanese command post...

As early as ten days ago, Lao Tai's meeting with Uncle Bo revealed that they had already developed more than 1200 people under their command.

Having developed to this point, the number of troops can only be greater, at least 1,500 to 1,600.

Why was it that only Lao Tai and his two or three hundred men appeared during today's battle?
What happened to the remaining at least a thousand people? It can only be said that they now have a more important task: protecting the safety of the stranded civilians in the city.

Through the efforts of Uncle Bo and others, or perhaps by blatantly invoking Uncle Sam's coattails.

The Japanese finally agreed to establish four safety zones in Nanning; they temporarily gathered most of the city's population, and every room was packed with people.

The Japanese also promised that they would not send troops into these safe zones after the National Revolutionary Army invaded.

The problem is, can we completely trust what the Japanese say? Once they're really in a frenzy, what are these inhuman bastards capable of?

So at the start of today's battle, the entrances to these safe zones were immediately blocked.

Meanwhile, in each safe zone, three hundred people and about one hundred guns were stationed as a guard force in case the Japanese invaders broke in.

In this way, the safety of the safe zone can be basically guaranteed.

After all, the Japanese were already under immense pressure facing a full-scale offensive by the Nationalist army. Even if they were driven to madness and wanted to commit atrocities, they couldn't spare many troops to do so.

Many of the Nationalist army's attacking units received an order early in the morning.

Once the city is successfully captured, a portion of the troops must be quickly deployed to these safe zones to ensure the safety of the people there.

With the above arrangements in place, the vast majority of the city's residents are now basically safe.

At the same time, the huge explosions from the explosive charges fired by the six unscrupulous cannons, followed by loud cheers and shouts of killing, reached a safe zone established in the east of the city.

Uncle Bo and Shen Zui, who were in the middle of it, exchanged a secret glance and both could see a flash of ecstasy in each other's eyes.

Because they knew that this commotion meant that Hu Biao and his men had successfully stormed in through the north gate.

Next, more troops will enter the city and advance to the safe zone to provide support. This means that their biggest mission upon entering the city is to protect the city's residents, which is basically guaranteed.

The difference was that, a devilish impulse surged into Uncle Bo's heart the next second:
He wanted to lead his men to rescue the poor old Yu from the Japanese devils.

Indeed! Even when Hu Biao and his men stormed into the Xiyuan Hotel, the Japanese, in a desperate situation, killed the poor old Yu.

The silent man can be perfectly resurrected even in the modern world with just a blink of an eye.

Furthermore, based on everyone's judgment, once Nanning City is recaptured, it might be the time for these people to return to the modern world.

On the contrary, Uncle Bo's rash rescue operation has a high probability that he will not only fail to rescue the person, but also get himself killed.

None of the reasons he could have given for not rescuing his partner were valid.

Whether a rescue can be successful is merely a matter of ability and luck; but whether to rescue or not is a very serious matter of attitude.

We are all close partners fighting side by side, so there is no reason not to save people because of the reasons mentioned above.

At this point, Uncle Bo coughed lightly a few times while subtly making a gesture to take action.

Who were they going to attack? Of course, they were targeting the dozen or so Japanese soldiers who were currently standing around them.

Even now, when their troop strength is severely depleted, the Japanese still send a military police major with about ten soldiers to monitor this small observation group.

Fortunately, after so many days, they failed to find anything amiss with Uncle Bo and the others, and their vigilance gradually decreased.

So much so that when Uncle Bo and his men suddenly launched their attack, the Japanese soldiers were completely unprepared. And just like that! When Uncle Bo suddenly made his move, he locked the Japanese major's right wrist with his left hand and pulled it back, while his right fist slammed hard into the man's heart.

Then he grabbed his belt and threw him over his shoulder, which is a move called "hip throw" from the military combat manual.

The Japanese major's face showed not only the pain from the blow, but also an indescribable bewilderment.

Unfortunately, before he could fully react, Uncle Bo's hands, which were locking his wrists, pulled him upwards with force, while his right foot, clad in a military boot, stomped down repeatedly on his head, face, and neck.

He stomped his feet seven or eight times before stopping.

When Uncle Bo stopped—no, when he stopped kicking—the Japanese soldier, whose jaw was shattered, had completely passed out.

Meanwhile, the other Japanese soldiers were successfully subdued one by one by the reconnaissance company brothers who suddenly sprang up around them.

Two people attacked a Japanese soldier. One covered his mouth with one hand and twisted the soldier's arm behind his back with the other.

Before they could even make a slightly loud noise, these Japanese soldiers were pinned to the ground, their hands and feet bound, and a smelly sock stuffed into their mouths.

After doing all this, Uncle Bo growled in a low voice:
"Come on, a dozen or so brothers, put on these Japanese soldiers' uniforms, pick up these Japanese soldiers' weapons, and come with me to rescue Commander Yu."

He was taking advantage of the fact that his identity had not yet been exposed, and he planned to use this disguise to sneak into the Xiyuan Hotel to rescue people.

After saying that, Uncle Bo turned to Shen Zui and Bill Eulton, the foreigner, and said in English:

"Thank you both for your cooperation and help during this time. Your mission is now complete. Just stay here and wait for the war to end."

After the words fell, Shen Zui took a 20-round Mauser pistol from one of the reconnaissance company soldiers, hid it under his coat, and said calmly:

“We’re all brothers, count me in when it comes to saving people.”

Even Bill Eulton, after a moment's hesitation, spoke up:
"Buddy! I think I've guessed your plan. We're a team, and if the Japanese don't have me, the real foreign devil, during the operation, they'll get suspicious."

So let me join you, let's rescue poor Yu together, and get him out of there quickly.

In your words, he must have suffered terribly.

After pondering for a few seconds, knowing that now was not the time to hesitate or dawdle, Uncle Bo quickly made a decision in his heart and solemnly said to the foreigner in front of him:

"Alright! Regardless of whether this rescue is successful or not, Hu Biao, us, and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment all owe you a favor."

After disguising themselves, the group of more than ten people emerged from the temporarily cleared passageway into the safe zone and boldly headed towards the Xiyuan Hotel, the Japanese stronghold...

******
At 9:37 a.m., in a relatively secluded small building on one side of the backyard of the Xiyuan Hotel, which was used by the Japanese military police as an office and detention center.

I could hear the sounds of gunfire and shouts of battle getting closer and closer outside the window; they were probably less than a kilometer away.

It must be the Nationalist army's attacking force. Now they have not only entered Nanning City, but they will soon reach the Japanese command post at the Xiyuan Hotel.

On the contrary, the movements of the Japanese military police outside the gate became less and less frequent.

For a moment, Lao Yu, who was lying in bed pretending to be asleep, felt not the joy of being rescued, but rather an indescribable sense of solemnity and tension.

Because he knew that he had to find a way to escape now, and the sooner the better.

Otherwise, given the Japanese devils' madness, they would have certainly taken drastic measures before their demise, killing everyone imprisoned in this building, including Old Yu.

It should be noted that all the acquaintances, including Hu Biao, Uncle Bo, and even Bill Eulton, believed that Lao Yu had suffered countless beatings and hardships at the hands of the Japanese during this period.

At this moment, there is not a single wound or sign of beating on his body, and he has even gained two or three pounds.

This was entirely due to the immense panic he caused among the Japanese soldiers after taking so many photos of them with that strange Leica camera.

In the past week, at least seventy or eighty Japanese officers and non-commissioned officers have suffered misfortune due to various bizarre accidents.

Even Ando Rikichi, the highest-ranking Japanese soldier in the city, almost died from a sudden heart attack.

So much so that the Japanese soldiers in the city seriously suspected that they had committed too many sins in the past, which led to them being haunted by ghosts.

Morale and the morale of the troops were severely shaken.

Left with no other choice, Imamura Hitoshi, the second-in-command of the Japanese, could only strictly block any news about the new unfortunate individuals and unexpected events, forbidding anyone from discussing them.

At the same time, the Japanese military police were strictly ordered to investigate whether anyone was up to something.

It would be strange if the Japanese military police could find out anything; they had been busy for many days but had come up empty-handed. However, because of this, they were so busy that they had no time to care about Lao Yu.

By sheer luck, this guy has been living a life of plenty, with good food and drink, and even has a Japanese woman by his side. He's living a very comfortable life.

What torture, what torment? That's all nonsense.

His recent lifestyle consists of eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, and messing around with that Japanese old woman.

Of course! Old Yu also knew that this kind of good deed of taking pictures of the Japanese with that weird Leica camera and killing many Japanese soldiers was impossible to replicate.

It's unlikely we'll encounter such good fortune again during future time travels.

The main reason was that, through his exploration, he discovered that the Leica camera could only unleash its "evil" properties when taking close-up photos, preferably up close to the face, capturing very clear facial details.

Therefore, such an opportunity to infiltrate the Japanese army and take photos at will is unlikely to come again in the future.

But then again, being able to have such a great time is already incredibly lucky, what more could I ask for...?

Having made up his mind to escape, Lao Yu naturally didn't linger any longer.

He acted immediately, but instead of getting up, opening the door, and running away, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he prepared to kill someone first.

Specifically, while the old Japanese woman was kneeling by the bed, staring intently at the window with its thick iron bars welded to her face, her expression full of tension and fear, she was not paying attention.

Suddenly sitting up in bed, he covered the other person's mouth with his left hand and forcefully pushed them back onto the bed.

With his right hand, he reached for a steak knife from the bedside table next to the bed, intending to use it to slit the old Japanese woman's throat.

There was not a trace of lingering affection for the passionate days they had shared.

Well! He has indeed tormented this Japanese woman quite a bit during this period, but he has absolutely not developed any feelings for her. Therefore, he has not forgotten what is right and righteousness, nor does he have any hesitation about taking action now.

However, the old Japanese woman's behavior became somewhat strange after she sensed that death was imminent.

Instead of struggling desperately, she looked pleading in her eyes and pointed a finger at her lower abdomen.

With just her bright eyes, she clearly conveyed one message to Lao Yu: I'm pregnant with your child.

Seeing this, Lao Yu suddenly hesitated to do it.

Only he himself knew that during this period he was either idle anyway, or he was trying to mislead the Japanese military police.

They really gave those Japanese women a lot of trouble, firing countless bullets back and forth.

So there's a real possibility that I've already successfully slept with this Japanese woman.

"What a tragedy! I should have let her eat me instead." With this thought in mind, Old Yu abandoned his plan to kill the old Japanese woman.

After binding his hands and feet tightly and gagging him, he was thrown onto the bed.

Ironically, even now, Lao Yu still doesn't know what that Japanese woman's name is, hasn't asked, and has no intention of asking...

(End of this chapter)