Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 197 A Great Victory in the Defense of Seoul! (6K)

"Don't fire the guns, fire the cannons!"

Wu Wanli looked at the Iron Heart Sky Eye map in his mind and said.

"fire?"

Pinghe and the others were slightly taken aback, looking at Wu Wanli in surprise.

"Commander, I beg you, my sister is still in the hands of the American soldiers, please don't fire, save her!"

Upon hearing this, Takeshi Kaneshiro felt a pang of guilt and immediately pleaded with a tearful voice.

"Comrade, my shelling will not harm your family."

"Once the American troops approach, mobilize half of the artillery, replace the shells with smoke bombs, and bombard the front of the American troops!"

"Aim the other half of the artillery at the rear of the American forces and bombard them at maximum range. Blow out their follow-up troops!"

"Comrades, fix your bayonets and charge forward while the shells are firing to rescue the North Korean civilians."

After offering a word of comfort, Wu Wanli issued the order.

Through the Heart of Steel Sky Eye map, he clearly observed that these Seoul citizens were forced to stand at the front, with no American troops behind them.

As for the buildings near the shelling range, they had already been destroyed by the indiscriminate bombardment of the US military, so there was no possibility of them being accidentally damaged.

Main Street Position

"Hahahaha... These Chinese really don't dare to fire!"

"Thanks to you being such a tank, I'll reward you properly for the whole night when we get back!"

"Guys, you can all line up and have some fun too!"

The U.S. Army captain gave Xueyan's buttocks a lewd slap and laughed loudly.

"Sir, isn't she a family member of a South Korean rebel soldier?"

"It would be even more fun to capture her brother and tie him up!"

Another fat American soldier licked his chapped lips and stared at Kim Seol-yeon with a smile.

Jin Xueyan couldn't understand English; all she knew was that her thigh hurt terribly and that the American soldiers' gazes were disgusting.

But unarmed and forced by the gun, she could only walk forward with a numb look in her eyes.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."

In an instant, countless shells traced graceful arcs in mid-air, hurtling towards the American troops with a piercing whistling sound as they tore through the air.

"Fuck!"

“Get down!!!”

The US captain was surprised that the other side dared to fire, so he quickly lay down on the ground.

Seeing this, the other American soldiers also immediately lay down, still cursing the cruelty of the other side in their hearts.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom..."

The American troops in the rear were instantly engulfed in a continuous cloud of fire, and they were blown to pieces and fell to the ground.

Kim Seol-yeon and other Seoul residents stood there dumbfounded, completely unsure of what to do.

They were positioned directly in front of the American troops, facing artillery fire from the positions in front and the constant threat of American soldiers shooting at them from behind; it seemed there was no way out.

"what!!!!"

Jin Xueyan only paused for half a second before enduring the pain in her thigh and rushing forward like a madwoman.

Her thinking was simple: since she was likely to die either way, she hoped to be closer to her brother's unit.

The other civilians in Seoul hadn't paid any attention, but when they saw Kim Seol-yeon run away, they all followed her like a flock of sheep, rushing towards the position.

"Fuck! These are just smoke grenades!"

"The Chinese army still doesn't dare to inflict friendly fire; these human shields are still useful. Quickly control them!!"

The U.S. Army captain sensed something was wrong and immediately shouted.

"Drip drip drip drip drip drip!!"

In an instant, the bugle call of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army sounded with overwhelming momentum.

"Comrades, the time has come for the Party and the people to test us. Charge with me!"

"Korean comrades, your families may be in the hands of the American troops. Rush over and rescue them!"

Wu Wanli shouted loudly, and charged forward with his bayonet in hand.

This time, the blood of both the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and the Korean uprising troops was ignited, and they charged madly towards the American troops with bayonets in hand.

Needless to say, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army would fight to the death even without Wu Wanli's encouragement, just like every charge they had made before when they fought to the death for their country.

Upon hearing that they had Korean comrades, the Korean troops felt instantly reassured and charged forward, killing American soldiers and earning merit. They were Chinese!

Takeshi Kaneshiro, preoccupied with his younger sister, exerted every ounce of his strength, almost keeping up with Wu Wanli's pace, gritting his teeth as he charged forward.

However, when he saw the figure coming towards him, his expression changed drastically.

"Yukiken!"

"What did those Americans do to you?!"

Takeshi Kaneshiro roared angrily as he looked at Kim Seol-yeon, whose hair was disheveled and clothes were torn.

"I……"

The moment Kim Seol-yeon saw her brother, before she could even utter a word, tears streamed down her face.

"boom!"

A gunshot rang out behind her, and Jin Xueyan was shot in the chest. Her crying stopped abruptly as she collapsed.

"What are you all standing there for? Open fire!"

Through the smoke, a U.S. Army captain brandished his pistol, which was emitting white smoke, and shouted a warning.

The American soldiers below then realized what was happening and raised their guns to prepare to fire.

However, at that moment, two grenades landed precisely in mid-air and exploded instantly.

"Boom! Boom!"

Accompanied by flashes of light and explosions, shrapnel flew wildly, sending shockwaves crashing down on the American soldiers below.

"Fuck!"

"I surrender, you must get medical personnel..."

The U.S. Army captain looked at his shattered lower body and weakly raised his hand.

However, Takeshi Kaneshiro, his eyes bloodshot, charged forward and stabbed the American soldier with his bayonet.

"puff--"

With a dull thud as a bayonet pierced flesh, the American captain felt a sharp pain in his heart and quickly collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.

Wu Wanli brandished his bayonet, and with his terrifying fighting prowess, he led the guard platoon through a bloody path.

Soon, the US military formation became a concave shape.

Wu Siyi and Shi Qian followed closely behind Wu Wanli, panting heavily, clearly exhausted.

Real battlefield assassinations are life-or-death struggles, highly tense and exhausting. If an ordinary person were to do it, they would be exhausted within minutes.

Wu Wanli, who was also aided by the system, was even more exhausted. There was no chance to take turns fighting, and they charged forward through blood and the cold glint of bayonets.

"kill!"

Wu Wanli forcefully kicked an American officer to the ground, then plunged his bayonet downwards and pulled it back, causing warm blood to splatter instantly.

It was at this moment that the terrified American troops finally abandoned their attack and retreated in full force.

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

US 25th Division Command
"Sir, the Chinese army has repelled our attack again..."

"Not only that, we have suffered heavy casualties, and our elite assault troops are severely lacking."

The U.S. Chief of Staff reluctantly handed the telegram to Major General William.

"What?!"

Did those Chinese people open fire on civilians in Seoul?

William stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his brow furrowed as he asked.

“Sir, they did not harm any civilians in Seoul.”

"They used smoke bombs to attack the front and artillery shells to attack the rear, and with one round of charging and hand-to-hand combat, we were defeated."

"Aside from the wounded, the entire division now has only four thousand combat-ready soldiers left, equivalent to a reinforced regiment of the American standard."

"The casualty rate is 60%, we can't continue fighting."

The U.S. Chief of Staff sighed and said helplessly.

Normally, an ordinary unit would collapse if its casualty rate reached 30%, and it would be considered an elite unit if it could maintain its formation even if its casualty rate reached 40%.

If a unit can continue fighting even with a casualty rate of over 50%, then that unit is definitely a battle-hardened elite force.

The US 25th Infantry Division has not collapsed despite suffering 60% casualties, which is worthy of its reputation as an elite unit that fought bloody battles in the Pacific theater and landed in Tokyo.

Of course, there was another miracle in the Battle of Shangganling.

The Eighth Company's mortality rate reached 500%, yet they fought to the death and refused to retreat, truly deserving of the title of the world's pinnacle of light infantry.

"report!"

"Sir, according to our air force reconnaissance, the Chinese army has dispatched a division that is moving south of the Han River and will arrive soon!"

"In addition, about two more Chinese divisions are heading towards Seoul, seemingly intending to attack us!"

A U.S. military staff officer rushed in and shouted anxiously.

"what?!"

"Is the Chinese army really that fast?"

Major General William felt a chill run down his spine and said, his face pale.

"Sir, the issue now is not whether to retreat or not."

"Given the previous series of defeats and heavy casualties, continuing to fight to the death would mean that even if we captured Seoul, we would be quickly annihilated by Chinese reinforcements, so it would be pointless."

"Let's figure out where we should retreat to as soon as possible, whether to head west to Incheon or south to Suwon."

The U.S. Chief of Staff sighed and offered a reminder.

"How many troops does Suwon Castle have? Can they come to our aid?"

Major General William asked.

"Suwon only has a French foreign battalion and a South Korean regiment. Even if we send troops to support them, it will be a drop in the ocean."

"And if we were to launch another Han River offensive, our men might not have the same fighting spirit as before."

The U.S. military chief of staff said.

“But aren’t there two Chinese divisions blocking our way to Incheon? Wouldn’t that make it even more difficult?” Major General William stared at the battle map, his brow furrowed.

"Sir, the 25th Division is in a different situation than before. The casualty rate we suffered in Seoul is definitely a tragic one."

“If Ridgway doesn’t send someone to meet him, he will definitely be criticized by his superiors.”

"Moreover, going south would require traversing the natural barrier of the Han River, while quickly passing through Anshan to the west would allow us to avoid the treacherous terrain."

The U.S. Chief of Staff looked at the battle map and said.

"In that case, let's do as you say!"

"Telegram to General Ridgway: The 25th Division has suffered nearly 70% casualties and is now attempting to break out. Requesting reinforcements!"

"In addition, all troops have withdrawn from Seoul and are heading towards Incheon."

Major General William hesitated for a moment, but finally gave the order.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, the US Chief of Staff quickly agreed.

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

Seoul, Blue House Command Center

"Wanli, it's one thing for you to be the commander-in-chief and boost morale, but why did you have to charge into battle?"

"You don't value your life at all, but you leave me worried about you at the command post!"

When Liu Hanqing saw Wu Wanli return covered in blood, he couldn't help but scold him.

"Even if I'm gone, you're still there to hold down the fort at command."

"Moreover, the situation was urgent at the time, and I had to lead from the front; otherwise, those South Korean troops might not have dared to fight the American forces to the bitter end."

Wu Wanli shook his head, then picked up his military water bottle and gulped down the water.

"report!"

"Commander-in-chief, the American devils have retreated! They've all retreated!"

At this moment, a messenger walked in excitedly and said...

"Great! The Battle of Seoul has been a resounding victory!"

"Wanli, it must be Commander Li Yunlong leading his troops to make dumplings, that's why these American devils are in a panic!"

"Given the current battlefield situation, the American devils are most likely not going anywhere!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing said excitedly.

"No! They still have a last chance to survive."

"Quickly cross the Anshan Canyon on the west side, and with the support of Ridgway and his men, retreat to Incheon."

"Once they reach Incheon, with the cover of aircraft carriers and naval guns, they can easily withdraw."

Wu Wanli looked at the battle map and frowned as he spoke.

"This……"

"Even so, their remaining few thousand men might not be able to break through."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing frowned.

"If the fighting continues like this, the final result will probably be that more than a thousand people from the 25th Division will have to withdraw."

"But I won't be satisfied until I destroy this unit of American aces."

"Hanqing, you lead the main force to pursue and slow down the American troops!"

"I will lead the 7th Steel Battalion on a raid into the Anshan Canyon, and we must annihilate the US 25th Division here!"

A murderous glint flashed in Wu Wanli's eyes as he spoke.

“Wanli, the US Air Force still has an advantage, so you probably can’t travel by car.”

"If we were to run on foot, not only would we not be able to make it, but we might even run ourselves to death..."

Liu Hanqing hesitated before speaking.

"I've calculated it. The difficulty of raiding Anshan is much lower than that of raiding Sansuoli!"

"If their 113th Division can do it, how could our Steel Seventh Battalion not be able to!"

"Hanqing, I'm begging you, try your best to put pressure on the 25th Division and buy us more time!"

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

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing immediately agreed.

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

27 Army

"All of you, hurry up and get on with it! Stop dawdling!"

“Some of you are veterans who fought your way up from northwestern Shanxi; you should set an example!”

"The 113th Division of the 38th Army was able to launch a surprise attack on Sansuoli, covering seventy or eighty li in one night. How can we be inferior to them?!"

Li Yunlong, riding on a mule, asked loudly.

"cannot!"

Upon hearing this, the volunteer soldiers below immediately agreed and sped up their pace.

"pat-"

At this moment, a volunteer soldier was so exhausted that he collapsed not far away.

Upon seeing this, the medic quickly stepped forward.

"Come back to me after you're treated!"

Seeing this, Li Yunlong felt a pang of pain in his heart, and without hesitation, he rolled off and said.

"Old Li, the designated temporary command post is just ahead. We'll have the men continue the march shortly."

"But Lao Li, why don't we let the comrades rest for a bit? I'm afraid they can't take it if they keep running like this."

Kong Jie pointed in the distance and said.

"Yes, Lao Li, the main problem is that the comrades have been hungry for too long. They just had a full meal and then had to make a long march, carrying so many weapons and ammunition. It's really tough for them."

"Besides, we're exhausted from the forced march and the subsequent battle. Let's rest first."

Zhao Gang looked at the soldiers gritting their teeth and continuing their forced march, and also felt sorry for them, so he tried to persuade them.

"Have a rest!"

"Do you think I don't feel sorry for them seeing them like this?"

"But think about how long Wanli held out there. Shouldn't we feel sorry for the comrades in Seoul?"

Li Yunlong hesitated for a moment, but ultimately refused.

"Report to the commander!"

"Commander Wu Wanli has sent a telegram: The Battle of Seoul has been a great victory!"

"The US 25th Division has been annihilated, leaving only about 4,000 men, who are now breaking out towards Incheon!"

"The Seoul troops will spare no effort to delay and block the US 25th Division in order to annihilate the entire US 25th Division!"

At this moment, the military chief of staff rushed in excitedly and said...

"A resounding victory in the Battle of Seoul, with the US 25th Infantry Division retreating?"

"That was awesome! So awesome!"

"Old Li, look! Wan Li, that kid, actually led over a thousand Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers and South Korean troops to defeat the US 25th Division, which had nearly 20,000 men, without any support!"

"You have to understand that in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, it took the entire Ninth Army Corps to wipe out the US 1st Marine Division!"

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie was shocked, and his face showed undisguised elation.

"Damn it! Wu Wanli really made me proud!"

"Over a thousand men held off 20,000 elite American troops and still managed to defeat them, leaving only 4,000 survivors who fled in disarray?!"

"This kid has the same fighting spirit I had when I charged straight into the Sakata Regiment!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong couldn't help but burst into laughter and praise him.

"These American devils even used the underhanded tactic of using Seoul civilians as human shields."

"Fortunately, Comrade Wu Wanli stood firm and skillfully defused the situation; otherwise, our Chinese People's Volunteer Army would have been smeared."

"If it were someone else, they might not be able to balance the interests of civilians and the gains of the war."

Upon receiving the battle report, Zhao Gang immediately praised it from a political perspective.

"But Lao Li, the US 25th Division withdrew too quickly, much earlier than we expected."

"In this situation, we might not be able to reach Anshan Canyon in time before the US military."

Kong Jie looked at the battle map and said.

"In comparison, if the troops in Seoul fight with all their might, they might be able to complete this mission."

"Commander, what do you think? Give Comrade Wu Wanli an order, and have them..."

said the chief of staff.

"I don't think it will work."

"The Seoul troops must have suffered considerable losses as well, and they also had pursuit missions, so they were already at their maximum capacity."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gang immediately offered a reminder.

"You guys do the math: breaking through the Imjin River, capturing Tasan-ri, raiding Seoul, burning Ansan, the great victory at the Han River, the air support from Goyang, and the street fighting in Seoul..."

"Wanli has done his best in this battle. We can't let that kid Wanli win all the battles, can we?"

"Wanli said he would stop and delay at all costs, so let the kid do whatever he wants."

Thinking of everything that had happened before, Li Yunlong felt a pang of heartache.

"Old Li is right. In fact, he has been fighting desperately since the Battle of Chosin Reservoir."

"After this battle, he should be promoted, and his troops will definitely be expanded."

"If such a hero were to die while trying to keep the US 25th Division in the US Army, then no amount of achievements would be worth it."

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie couldn't help but sigh and said.

"We've already traversed the 25,000-li Long March, so why should we be afraid of this short distance?"

"Order the entire army to continue the forced march. I'm not going to stay in any command post anymore; I'm going to fight to the death with them!"

"No matter what, we must wipe out the elite 25th Division of these American devils!"

Li Yunlong waved his hand domineeringly and gave the order with a resolute look in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)