The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 461 Breakthrough (Two-in-One Chapter)

Time: 9:52 PM that night, amidst the ruins of the ancient Great Wall.

He slowly stretched out his arm, carefully rolled up his sleeves a little, and, by the dim starlight of the night, barely managed to make out the time.

The warehouse manager couldn't help but mutter to himself, "There's only about an hour left before I can change shifts. I need to rest immediately after the shift to make sure I'm well-rested."

It should be noted that the warehouse manager is currently on lookout duty.

With Cross, a complete novice, on his side, the two of them formed a team to keep watch together.

However, the two did not gather together. Instead, the cross-man moved around on top of the beacon tower, monitoring the surrounding situation from a high vantage point, making it a visible sentry.

The warehouse manager, from among the several camouflage cloths he carried with him each time he crossed over, chose one that was similar in color to the city wall and draped it over himself.

Then he secretly lay down in another position dozens of meters away, acting as a lookout.

Even the obvious sentry at the crossroads no longer knows the exact location of the hidden sentry, the warehouse manager.

The warehouse manager did this because he wanted to achieve two goals.

Firstly, having two sentry posts, one visible and one concealed, provides better defense. If someone were to launch a surprise attack in the middle of the night, their attention would likely be drawn to the visible sentry, making it easier for the concealed sentry to issue a timely warning.

This is one of the little tricks that Hu Biao and his fellow veterans have learned after traveling through so many times.

Secondly, it was also an opportunity for the warehouse manager to observe the character of the new recruit, Shizi, to see if he was serious when on watch and whether he would slack off.

After nearly three hours of observation, the warehouse manager had a very good impression of the guy named Shizi.

The young man was carrying a 10.5-kilogram Czech-made light machine gun and kept walking around the top of the beacon tower, looking around with his eyes wide open, appearing very dutiful.

Not only did he not slack off, but his physical strength was also quite good.

In short, aside from not discovering the existence of this hidden sentry and being somewhat incompetent, there was nothing wrong with their attitude.

Being a little sloppy isn't a big deal; as long as you're willing to practice and practice a lot, you'll improve over time.

Just when the warehouse manager was quite satisfied with the newbie, Shizi, and thought he could be properly trained in the future, he suddenly had a big jolt of realization.
Thanks to his excellent 2.0 vision, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a faint reflection flashing by on his left-hand side with his peripheral vision.

This unusual situation immediately alerted him.

After opening his eyes wide and looking carefully in that direction, the warehouse manager could see a group of dark figures slowly creeping over from that direction.

Coincidentally, a cold night wind blew by, carrying with it the distinctive sound of Japanese soldiers' Type 5 military boots stepping on the stone slabs.

So that means the Japanese devils are coming; the reflection just now came from their bayonets.

Upon realizing what was happening, the warehouse manager didn't hesitate for a moment and shouted at the top of his lungs, "The Japanese are coming!"

At the same time, he didn't even aim at the original Mauser sniper rifle in his hand, relying solely on the gun feel he had developed from countless bullets in the battles during his previous time travels and in the shooting range of the modern dimension.

He raised his hand and fired a shot, and a dark figure could be vaguely seen falling to the ground.

The moment the trigger was pulled, the warehouse keeper instinctively rolled away from his original position.

Two or three seconds later, as several bullets landed at the spot where he had been lying in ambush, sending sparks flying from the broken walls and ruins, he had already moved several meters away.

He quickly raised his gun and fired again, taking down another shadowy figure even in the darkness and chaos.

The shadowy figures that were about to sneak up stopped in their tracks and opened fire in his direction, temporarily blocking their advance.

Even so, the warehouse manager felt no pride, only intense anxiety.

No other reason than that, a second after he fired, the rookie on the crossroads above the beacon tower also picked up a Czech light machine gun and started firing 'rat-a-tat-tat'.

The key point is that the direction he fired was completely different from that of the warehouse manager; it was to the right of the beacon tower.

Given the terrain of Dalongmen, there are only two small paths, one on the left and one on the right. What does this mean?
This means that Japanese troops are attacking from other directions as well, and that they have been surrounded by the Japanese. Judging from the dense gunfire, the Japanese may have a company, nearly two hundred men.

In the past, this wouldn't have been a big deal.

They consistently triumphed over the weak. In every battle they encountered, the Japanese forces outnumbered them several times over, yet they still managed to hold their ground and drive the Japanese back.

This time the situation is completely different. Even if they manage to defend the beacon tower with their fighting strength, they will only live for a few more hours.

When the surrounding Japanese troops arrive after receiving the distress call, or even arrive with artillery, they will only be killed by the shells.

Therefore, this place is a dead end, and we must not continue to hold out. The only right thing to do is to break out as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, out of their 43-person team, only a dozen or so were capable fighters; the rest were wounded and children, making it extremely difficult to break through the encirclement with them.

What to do? In a flash, the warehouse manager came up with a solution, a solution that would at least make it easier for Hu Biao and the others to break through.

However, the price is quite high; he might die within 24 hours of this time travel.

But after thinking about those children's brave, flustered, or bright little faces calling him "Uncle Warehouse Manager," I realized...

The middle-aged man in his forties gritted his teeth and decided to do it anyway.

He pulled out a small melon grenade, pulled the pin, tapped it against a hard rock in front of him, and threw it.

The grenade exploded shortly afterward. Although it didn't hit any Japanese soldiers, it drew the attention of hundreds of Japanese soldiers attacking from that direction.

At this moment, the warehouse manager immediately shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Company commander, the Japanese are about to come up, what should we do?"

After shouting, he ran several steps to the right, drew his pistol from his waist, and fired three shots in quick succession. Then, in a rough voice, he shouted again:

"Comrades of the 3rd Company, don't panic. Follow me and retreat from here immediately."

Then, he ran alone towards the canyon behind him.

During the process, in addition to constantly changing his voice and making various sounds, he would also turn around from time to time and use a variety of weapons such as rifles, pistols, shotguns, melon grenades, and wooden-handled grenades to attack the Japanese soldiers behind him.

He single-handedly created a large number of people, making a commotion as they ran towards the depths of the canyon.

This was also a method devised by the warehouse manager: to create as much commotion as possible to attract away some of the Japanese troops, making it easier for Hu Biao and his men to break through.

Thanks to the dim starlight of tonight, the warehouse manager achieved his goal.

The Japanese soldiers who had crept past from the left hesitated for a moment, then most of them broke off and chased after the warehouse manager, heading towards a dead end...

******
When the warehouse manager shouted in a gruff voice, "Comrades of the 3rd Company, follow me!" it reached the ears of Hu Biao and the others.

Based on the excellent teamwork they had developed through countless battles, they realized that their comrade intended to lure away some Japanese soldiers in this way to facilitate their breakout.

If they remembered correctly, that direction was a dead end, meaning the warehouse manager had virtually no chance of escaping.

Even knowing all this, no one cared about the warehouse manager's inevitable tragic fate; because there was an even bigger problem for them.

The Japanese invaders arrived too suddenly, but that was actually a minor problem.

In order to be able to leave as soon as they get up early tomorrow morning, they have done a lot of preparations before going to bed.

This included lightening the load by removing all the seamless steel pipes, Mo Shuiyan's complete set of fitter's tools, printing plates for multiple currencies, and cracked printing technology.

Even the finished products, such as fifty kilograms of US dollars, British pounds, and military scrip, were carried by each person in only a small amount.

The rest, along with seamless steel pipes, were buried in a relatively hidden place; this significantly reduced the average load on the team.

Therefore, the key issue at present is that there are some troubles that Hu Biao and his team did not anticipate.

Sure enough! Upon hearing the gunfire from both sides and realizing that his side was surrounded by the Japanese, Hu Biao instantly understood something:
We cannot be blocked here by the Japanese; we must break through immediately.

Immediately, Hu Biao quickly issued a long string of orders: "AT, Xufeng, Huang Adi, and Dashou, the four of you take an MG34 general-purpose machine gun and cover the rear."

Guard, call down Cross, and add Old Car, Foreman, Xiao Ding, Xin Huo, Veteran, and Fifteen to carry the stretcher.

Together with Annie, Xiao Cui, and Sister Yi, I led four students, the remaining children, and the wounded in the middle, while the others followed me as the vanguard to break through.

Sister Yi, please carry the grass on my back.

Did everyone hear me clearly? Are there any further questions?

Given the critical situation, the seasoned veterans knew this was not the time for bargaining, so they naturally had no objections.

The group of novices and students, on the other hand, would quickly switch to the identity of Commander Hu once Hu Biao transmigrated, and his decisive and ruthless aura would be astonishing when he issued orders.

This was no longer the gentle, authoritative Mr. Hu from the modern world, who commanded instinctive obedience. Immediately after he gave his order, a chorus of "Understood," "Okay," and "No problem" echoed in Hu Biao's ears, just as he had expected.

Unexpectedly, amidst the above replies was a barely audible voice, now so anxious it was almost on the verge of tears:
"We...we have a problem."

Many of us suffer from corns, which make it difficult to see clearly when we go outside at night.

'Chicken eyes' are actually night blindness, a visual impairment caused by a lack of vitamin A. In the absence of light at night, people often cannot see clearly.

This kind of illness was experienced by many of Hu Biao's troops when they were in the Pingding County base area.

The problem is that it's in northwestern Shanxi, a notoriously poor place, and people are like this because they can't even get enough to eat.

The Pingxi base area is located in many areas that are adjacent to the North China Plain, which has been a land of abundant resources since ancient times. Why is this the case?
It's fair to say that this was a problem that Hu Biao and his team had never considered.

Then the crucial question arises: how do we break through with these people who are practically blind at night?

Upon hearing this, the veterans, who were just as frustrated as Hu Biao, all looked in the direction of the voice and found that it was Xiao Hao who had spoken.

Xiao Hao was already extremely nervous, and with so many eyes on him, he was even unable to speak for a moment.

Fortunately, Fang Youcai, the second platoon leader, spoke up in time to explain, and they finally understood the reason.

This reason, however, evokes an indescribable sense of heartache and helplessness:

"Since last year, the Japanese have carried out multiple sweeps and requisitions of grain, which has led to a continuous deterioration of the situation in the base area; now, let alone proper grain, there is not even enough black beans to feed the livestock in previous years."

Horses have become thin and turned into donkeys, and donkeys have become thin and turned into dogs.

When people are hungry and lack oily foods, most of them develop corns (eyeballs).

By the time Fang Youcai finished speaking, the four men from AT who were covering the rear had already engaged in firefight with the remaining fifty or so Japanese soldiers who had split up on the left side of the beacon tower.

With time running out, Hu Biao was extremely frustrated, but he knew that he had to break through no matter what.

With a determined effort, he offered a solution that was hardly a solution:

"Sister Yi, you carry Cao'er and walk in front, then have the people with night blindness hold onto their clothes one by one and follow along; Annie! You keep an eye on them."

Annie: "Ah~"

While letting out a gasp of surprise, Annie couldn't help but mentally complain:
"You think this is a game of eagle catching chicks, with each one leading the other? Brother, this is about breaking through, okay?"

But despite her complaints, the girl actually understood one thing: this was the only feasible solution under the current circumstances...

Seconds later, when Hu Biao shouted "Make your move!", Van Gogh was the first to act.

He extended the barrel of an MG34 general-purpose machine gun from a lookout window on the beacon tower and began firing wildly at the Japanese soldiers approaching from the right side of the tower.

The kind of finger that never leaves the trigger after it's been pulled.

Instantly, this thing unleashed terrifying power with a firing rate of up to 730 to 800 rounds per minute.

Amidst the distinctive tearing sound of gunfire, spent bullet casings rained down on the ground, creating a dense, clanging clattering sound.

The bullets sprayed out in a fan shape, like water being poured out.

Meanwhile, the ninety-odd Japanese soldiers who had crept in from the right, the first dozen or so of them, had already rushed more than thirty meters away.

In such a brutal barrage of fire, five or six people were taken down in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that things were going badly, the remaining Japanese soldiers immediately stopped advancing, one by one lying down on the ground or looking for cover to the left and right.

Before long, a temporary defensive line was formed.

Because of their large numbers and the wide area they covered, this temporary defensive line covered a considerable area; it effectively blocked the road to the right of the beacon tower.

At the same time, several Japanese officers and sergeants shouted words like "machine gun" and "grenade launcher".

This is a preparation to organize firepower and regain the advantage on the battlefield.

But just as they lay down, Hu Biao, Lao Yu, Lao K, Lao San, Uncle Bo, Hei Xing, Mo Shuiyan and others rushed out.

Despite having only seven men, they launched a counter-attack against an enemy force thirteen or fourteen times their size.

The five men in front, including the sniper Uncle Bo, each carried a submachine gun. Taking advantage of the opportunity to suppress the Japanese with the MG34 general-purpose machine gun, they quickly advanced forward with rapid firepower.

So, the reason why Uncle Bo served as the sniper in the team was because he was the best shot in the early days of the team, so he was the tallest among the short.

Over time, the sniper's job became firmly ingrained in his mind.

Essentially, the real soldiers in this modern world still prefer to act as fire assault troops.

He finally had his fill tonight, charging forward while firing his submachine gun in bursts, and soon he tore through the Japanese's makeshift defensive line blocking his way.

So here's the problem: Van Gogh's single MG34 general-purpose machine gun certainly wouldn't be enough to suppress so many Japanese soldiers.

Uncle Bo, who was originally a sniper, was temporarily converted into a fire assault soldier. How would they deal with the threats posed by the Japanese light machine guns and grenade launchers?
Of course, it was thanks to Hei Xing and Mo Shuiyan, the two who rushed out from behind.

Black Star didn't use any firearms, but instead carried two pouches of wooden-handled grenades on his body. The moment he rushed out, he pulled the pins on the grenades one by one and swung them out.

Even though the starlight was dim tonight and greatly affected visibility, Black Star's grenades were still quite accurate.

Before long, the bomb killed many Japanese soldiers who were hiding behind natural bunkers and firing in this direction.

One person can achieve the effect of a mortar, and a very accurate one at that.

The only limitation to his effectiveness was the throwing distance of the hand grenade.

Although he has improved his physical fitness many times and can now throw wooden-handled grenades at a distance of nearly 80 meters, it is still not enough.

But it doesn't matter, Mo Shuiyan is still here.

The moment he rushed out of the beacon tower, he executed a beautiful sliding knee.

Putting aside the fact that such a sliding kneeling motion is cool, it's just that the knee that lands on the ground hurts a bit from the friction; when his body stops after a short slide, the Type 87 grenade launcher in his left hand is already on the ground.

The next second, the grenade launcher in his left hand was adjusted to the correct angle.

He stuffed a special-purpose fragmentation grenade, which he was holding in his right hand, into his mouth.

With a muffled thud, a Type 92 heavy machine gun hastily set up on a mound had barely fired a few bullets before its gunner and assistant gunner were brought down to the ground.

Then, just two or three seconds later, another shot was fired.

This time, they took down two grenade launcher teams that were crouching together and setting up their equipment ahead of time.

Even so, Mo Shuiyan was still cursing inwardly; it was all because the environment he was in this time travel was too terrible, not giving him any opportunity to modify his equipment.

Otherwise, he had planned to modify the Japanese grenade launcher into a DIY grenade launcher before he came here.

This way, you don't have to crouch down or kneel on one knee every time you launch; you can use it standing or lying down, even while charging, which is much more convenient.

And so, despite Hu Biao and his group being only eight people, they suddenly launched an attack.

Before long, they managed to tear a passage through an enemy force that outnumbered them by more than ten times.

That is, all the Japanese soldiers on the road and by the roadside were killed. Although there were still about sixty Japanese soldiers left, they could only be scattered dozens of meters away from the road.

Even so, Hu Biao and his men, whose defenses had been breached, did not advance further but remained in place to continue firing, and were rendered unable to lift their heads in defeat.

Normally, they would have considered themselves to have successfully broken through by this point.

But today's events are just the beginning; the truly difficult times are yet to come.

Because behind Hu Biao and his group, a team consisting of four stretchers and one person led by another like an eagle catching chicks stumbled and staggered into the night.

That leisurely pace nearly made Hu Biao and the others so anxious they almost had a stroke.

Unfortunately, they had no better solution to this.

The only option was to continue firing to suppress the Japanese soldiers on both sides of the passage. As the intense firepower gradually brought these initially stunned Japanese soldiers back to their senses, the pressure on them increased...

(End of this chapter)