Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 183 The US military launches a general offensive on Seoul!

"Third-class merit medal?"

Hearing Wu Wanli's words, Chenggong fired even harder. Although his hand gripping the machine gun was slightly red and swollen from the recoil, the rate of fire did not decrease at all.

"Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump..."

Countless large-caliber bullets shot into the sky, instantly piercing countless holes through pure white parachutes.

U.S. paratroopers who lose their parachutes fall rapidly downwards in panic, but by the time they hit the ground, they are often nothing but piles of flesh.

"Happy, happy!"

"To wipe out so many American troops at Chosin Reservoir, it would have taken at least a division to encircle and suppress them!"

"Now, with just one of our hundreds of large-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns, hundreds or even thousands of American soldiers will be wiped out!"

Yu Congrong had just finished firing a long belt of ammunition, and rubbed his red and slightly numb hands as he waited for the reload to begin.

"Commander, these American paratroopers are clearly doomed to lose, so why won't they leave?"

"Do they really think they can turn the tide of the war under these circumstances?"

Looking at the white parachutes filling the sky and the transport planes hovering in mid-air, Liu Hanqing asked with a hint of doubt.

"They did have a chance to turn the tide, after all, the US military's fighter jets and bombers were heading to Seoul Airport."

“Once they destroy all our air power and then turn back to bombard us, we will be powerless to resist on this open plain.”

"Our M2 heavy machine gun has an effective range of about 1800 meters, right? Even at its maximum range, it's only 2500 meters..."

"But the maximum flight altitude of the US B-29 bombers is 10,000 meters. They can easily bomb from a distance of just over 2,000 meters. The blasts we sprayed directly gave them their navigation position, and they simply couldn't resist us."

Wu Wanli smiled and immediately guessed what the US airborne commander was thinking.

"It's reasonable for them to think that way. These American devils are just unlucky to have run into a commander like you, Wanli!"

"They were able to deduce the US airborne operation from so much ambiguous intelligence and even predict the landing point of their raid."

"More importantly, even the air force's advance takeoff was arranged. They were meticulous, had excellent judgment, and were able to decisively mobilize all their main forces to attack!"

"I've been wondering, after you go back to China, who will be able to teach you military subjects?"

Looking at Wu Wanli's calm and composed command, Liu Hanqing couldn't help but sincerely admire him.

"There are plenty of people who can teach me!"

"Although I have made some achievements, how can I compare to the rich battlefield experience of Li Yunlong and Commander Chen?"

"Not to mention his brilliant military strategy, such as crossing the Chishui River four times..."

"Moreover, in modern warfare, generals should also improve their ideological and cultural theories, otherwise their potential will be limited."

Wu Wanli shook his head, showing no arrogance whatsoever.

"You want to learn?"

"My father is also a teacher. I can mention it to him and see if he can take you on as a student?"

"His literary skills and ideological awareness are extremely high; I guarantee you will gain a lot from him!"

"We won't charge you tuition. As long as you can shoulder the responsibility of the socialist cause after you graduate, you'll be fine!"

"After I finish shooting these live targets, I'll go back to Seoul and write a letter in advance. As soon as this battle is over, I'll have it sent back to the capital!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing's heart stirred slightly. After hesitating for a while, he finally took a deep breath and said.

"Okay!"

"Hahahaha... Is Instructor Liu going to write me a letter of recommendation? Could it be a professor from Peking University?"

Wu Wanli was slightly startled. After a long pause, he forced himself to remain calm and laughed heartily.

"It's kind of a recommendation letter, but it has nothing to do with Peking University. I don't do things that involve backdoors, even if it's a private school."

"Since it's a letter of recommendation, Wanli, why don't you also leave a message? I can write it in the letter and treat it as an entrance exam."

"By the way, my father knows your achievements very well. Tell me, when you see the words 'Serve the People,' what comes to mind? That will also help him understand your ideological awareness."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing smiled and said.

Actually, he didn't expect Wu Wanli to utter any earth-shattering literary lines; he just wanted to give him extra points.

After all, his father used to keep him studying at home all day, so it would be nice to have a companion to talk to.

"Serve the people..."

Wu Wanli was slightly taken aback, and began to daydream in a daze.

As a time traveler from the 21st century, he had always believed that time was money and efficiency was life. He wasn't an expert in these kinds of essay topics, so he didn't really know what to say for a moment.

But as a boy born under the red flag, after a few seconds of confusion, he still thought of those words that were deeply rooted in his mind.

"Human life is finite, but serving the people is infinite. I want to dedicate my limited life to the infinite service of the people..."

"Whether I am currently commanding operations on the front lines of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, or engaging in production and construction activities after returning to China, I must contribute my talents and efforts for one purpose: to become a useful person to the people."

Wu Wanli looked at Liu Hanqing with a solemn expression and said seriously.

"We must dedicate our limited lives to the boundless service of the people..."

"Okay! I'll remember that and write it in the letter. If Comrade Wu Wanli isn't considered to have any awareness, then this standard is a bit too high."

Liu Hanqing looked into Wu Wanli's eyes with a touch of emotion, and felt that he could clearly see the passion in his eyes.

“Buzz buzz buzz buzz——”

At that moment, the roar of fighter jets in the distance interrupted his thoughts.

Pinghe, who was not far away, immediately raised his binoculars and looked at the sky.

In the sky, a large group of fighter jets chased after a small group of only a dozen or so bombers.

When Pinghe saw a Chinese red color on one of the pursuing fighter jets, he instantly felt relieved.

"Our air force! This is our air force!"

"Battalion Commander, the US military's plan to raid the airfield has indeed failed. Their air force has suffered heavy losses and is no longer able to support these paratroopers!"

After Pinghe finished his observation, he immediately reported the information loudly to Wu Wanli.

"Well done! I knew Wang Wei and his team, leading a large number of fighter jets, couldn't possibly be outmatched by a group of American aircraft that consisted mostly of bombers!"

"We now have air superiority!"

"Battalion Commander, the situation in the air is now settled. We should send men to eliminate the paratroopers on the ground!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong said happily.

"Yes, Battalion Commander, those American transport planes were too high, so the American troops that were airdropped were quite scattered. Some of the American paratroopers still managed to land successfully."

"We need to clean them up, otherwise we might not be able to find them after dark."

Upon hearing this, Gao Daxing immediately echoed.

"The city of Seoul is completely sealed off, and the villages outside the city are basically abandoned. We have people guarding both the Ansan and Han River exits, so these American soldiers have nowhere to run even if they want to."

Upon hearing this, Shiqian said...

"That's right, they can't turn the tide!"

"Pinghe, Yu Congrong, Lei Gong, Gao Daxing, order your troops to split up and search for American paratroopers in squads."

"Be careful not to pull too far away. If you encounter a situation, just fire and the others can provide support."

"Guards platoon, follow me! With me here, I guarantee not a single American paratrooper will escape!"

Wu Wanli looked at the location of all the US paratroopers on the Sky Eye map in his mind and said confidently.

"Wanli, it's getting dark. Wouldn't it be a bit unsafe for you to go?" "You're the commander-in-chief now. You can't act rashly. It's better to take care of yourself."

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianli immediately offered a low-pitched word of advice.

“Yes, Wanli, the army and air force in Seoul are all counting on you to command the battle. If something happens to you, the entire war situation could collapse instantly…”

"After all, this precise counter-attack shows that no one can replace your role."

Seeing this, Mei Sheng also offered the same advice.

"Don't worry, if it were really dangerous, that would be one thing, but the entire Steel Seventh Battalion can easily wipe out such a small group of defeated soldiers."

"But there are probably still a couple hundred or so of these defeated soldiers. Our Volunteer Army only has a little over a thousand troops. I'm worried that they might hide and launch an attack at a critical moment, which would be no small matter."

"In short, trust me, I can remove them safely."

"Brother, Instructor Mei, you should take the Third Battalion back to Seoul to maintain order. I'm worried that those South Korean soldiers won't be able to control the situation. Leave this to the Seventh Steel Battalion."

Wu Wanli shook his head and said resolutely.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianli and Mei Sheng exchanged a glance and could only salute in response.

....................................

In the sky, on the transport plane
“Sir, I’ve confirmed it many times. It seems the Chinese Air Force knew about our surprise attack plan a long time ago, so all the fighter jets took off ahead of time.”

"Our air force formations are mostly composed of bombers, which are simply no match for the more than one hundred fighter jets of the Chinese Air Force!"

Major Davis reported anxiously.

"Damn it, why didn't we bring more fighter jets to escort them?"

"Who exactly is the US military and who is the Chinese military? Why did our air force lose and lose air superiority?!"

Colonel James was unable to accept this outcome and roared angrily.

"Sir, our air force is several times larger than the Chinese air force, but we have to support both the Goyang battlefield and the Uijeongbu battlefield, not to mention that Hengcheng and other places on the eastern front are also calling for air support every day."

"Moreover, after they captured Seoul, they also seized some of our warplanes."

"China committed all of its air force to this secondary battlefield, which ironically gave us local air superiority."

"Sir, let's go quickly. Those bombers behind can still hold off the Chinese Air Force and buy us some time."

"If we keep hesitating like this, we might really be unable to leave."

Upon hearing this, Major Davis quickly replied.

"Fuck you!"

"Damn it, there must be a spy among us, otherwise how could the Chinese army have carried out such a precise counterattack!"

"Withdraw! Withdraw immediately! I must report this to my superiors!"

Upon hearing this, Colonel James immediately gave the order.

Upon receiving the order, the US military transport planes immediately fled towards Suwon at top speed.

..........................................

South bank of the Han River, US 25th Division Command Post
"At this point, there's no need for me to hide it anymore!"

"Although out of humanitarian considerations we let the North Koreans cross first, this caused the main force to stagnate."

"But this doesn't mean we should sit idly by and wait to die!"

"We have dispatched a force of over a thousand elite paratroopers to launch a surprise attack on Seoul. We estimate they have already breached the undefended city!"

Major General William looked at the blond, blue-eyed war correspondents with excitement and anticipation.

"So, if the attack in a few hours is successful, the Seoul area will be recaptured by the United States?"

Upon hearing this, an Associated Press reporter with a high nose and long legs immediately asked.

"This beautiful lady is right!"

"The Chinese army is nothing but a bunch of cunning and opportunistic troops who have won by luck. How could they possibly stop our elite American troops?"

Major General William said with a smug look on his face.

"In that case, congratulations, Major General William! You will become a renowned general in the Western world, on par with MacArthur and Montgomery!"

An AFP reporter, upon hearing this, also praised it.

"Hahahaha... Not at all, but I think we can already pop some champagne to celebrate a little!"

Major General William picked up a bottle of champagne that had been prepared beforehand, ready to open it, and said with a beaming smile.

British journalists raised their cameras, ready to take pictures.

"Sir, something terrible has happened!"

"The Chinese military learned of our plan in advance, and their fighter jets took off ahead of time, while their air defense forces lay in ambush at our landing site!"

"Our air force formation has now suffered 90% loss, and the entire airborne regiment of over a thousand elite soldiers has been wiped out!!!"

At this moment, the US military staff officer, who was so panicked that his hat flew off, anxiously reported.

"What?! The entire army was wiped out!!!"

Major General William had just opened the champagne when he heard this, and his eyes widened in shock, his mouth agape as if he could swallow a goose egg, and he shouted loudly.

"Click——"

At that moment, the British journalist, surprised, subconsciously pressed the shutter of his camera, and a photograph that recorded the history of the war was born.

In the photo, Major General William's panic and anger contrast sharply with the champagne in his hand, while the staff officer next to him, whose hat has been blown off, adds to the comical scene.

Reporters from the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, recovering from their initial surprise, quickly snapped photos of the scene.

As top-notch professional journalists, they knew that this photo was probably more than just material that could make a news story sell well; it was also a photograph that recorded history and was of great significance!
"Oh my God! This will be a great news photo!"

"General, I will take military secrets into consideration and release this information a few days later, so please rest assured!"

The British journalist immediately recognized the value of the photograph, took a few more shots, left a comment, and hurriedly fled.

The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse reporters made almost the same assurances before hurrying away, fearing the photos might be lost.

Major General William had no time to worry about saving face; he was still in a state of utter shock and disbelief.

"Sir, General Ridgway is closely monitoring the situation on the Seoul battlefield and has instructed us to report the situation to him immediately."

"Should we...?"

The U.S. military staff officer was stunned for a long time before finally mustering up the courage to ask.

"Fuck! No one is allowed to say a word! We have a traitor in our army, but we can't let it affect morale!"

"How long will it take for those damned Koreans to be evacuated?"

Major General William clenched his fists and roared with red eyes.

"Reporting to the general, according to our estimates, the evacuation will be completed in at most three hours!"

The U.S. military staff officer, slightly frightened, instinctively took a half step back and said.

"Three hours...okay!"

"General Ridgway, please don't say that our air force has been completely wiped out. In order to ensure complete firepower suppression, we request more fighter jets to be sent to the battlefield to cooperate in the operation!"

"Pass on my order: all units prepare for battle. Three hours from now, launch a general offensive against Seoul from both Anshan and the Han River. We must take Seoul at all costs!"

Major General William slammed the champagne bottle onto the ground and roared angrily.

(End of this chapter)