Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 233 Wu Wanli VS NATO Commander-in-Chief!
US military positions

The flames from the 27th Army's bombing gradually subsided, but the resounding bugle calls grew ever closer.

As soon as a U.S. Army major looked up, before he could even touch his gun, he saw countless figures rushing towards them through the thick smoke.

Among them, Li Yunlong, who rushed to the front, was extremely close to him.

He could almost see the murderous intent emanating from Li Yunlong's eyes through the smoke of gunpowder.

"Fuck!!!"

"The Chinese are coming up, quick..."

The U.S. Army major frantically prepared to raise his gun, but the next second he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"What the hell are you babbling about? Go to hell!!!"

Li Yunlong cursed angrily, plunged his bayonet into the chest of the American major, and quickly withdrew it.

The next second, warm blood splattered on his face.

When he smelled the familiar scent of blood, he seemed to be transported back to the spirited days when he charged into Cangyun Ridge.

However, at this moment, two American soldiers reacted and, with bayonets in hand, fiercely stabbed at Li Yunlong.

"Commander, be careful!"

Duan Peng rushed over, deflected the bayonets of the two American soldiers, and quickly stabbed them twice, killing them on the spot.

"boom!!!"

Zhao Gang, standing behind, raised his pistol and calmly killed a U.S. Army captain.

"Duan Peng, protect the commander well!"

"If you even get a scratch, I'll hold you accountable!"

Zhao Gang put away his pistol, picked up his bayonet, and charged forward while saying this.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Duan Peng immediately continued to approach Li Yunlong.

"Not bad, Lao Zhao, your skills haven't declined!"

"Duan Peng, why the hell are you sticking your finger at me like that!"

"Old Zhao doesn't know how to handle a knife!"

"If anything happens to him, I'll skin you alive!"

"Go!!!"

Seeing this, Li Yunlong quickly pushed Duan Peng aside and shouted loudly.

"Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, is it only you who care about each other?!"

"I'm fucking surrounded!!!"

Kong Jie, who was not far away, cursed angrily, dodged the stabbing attack from the American troops on the flank, and plunged his bayonet into the chest of the American troops in front of him.

But at that moment, the U.S. Army captain behind him drew his pistol, preparing to fire a sneak attack.

"what!"

Li Yunlong picked up the butt of his rifle and smashed it hard against the head of the American captain.

The U.S. Army captain felt a headache coming on and immediately collapsed to the ground.

"Brother, I'll protect you myself!"

Li Yunlong leaned against Kong Jie's back and said.

"Hahahaha... That was awesome! So awesome!"

"It's been so long since I've felt this good to kill myself!"

"If Ding Wei were here too, our Jin-Sui Iron Triangle would stand back to back and fight hand-to-hand, fearing no amount of American troops!"

Kong Jie felt a surge of excitement and laughed loudly.

"almost!"

"I reckon Ding Wei has reached the Yalu River. Let's finish this battle as soon as possible, and then the three of us will have a drink together!"

"Don't leave him a single American devil, let him be depressed by himself, hahahahahahaha..."

"kill!!!"

After Li Yunlong finished speaking with a loud laugh, he picked up his bayonet and joined Kong Jie on the battlefield.

Seeing Li Yunlong and his men, the soldiers of the 27th Army jumped into the trenches with renewed vigor and fought against the American troops.

The American troops had never seen such a sight before, and were soon routed, fleeing in droves.

"Chase!!!"

"Fight your way up!!!"

Li Yunlong looked up at the circling American warplanes, roared, and continued his charge.

At this point, we absolutely cannot back down; we must chase the American troops all the way to their command post.

Once the US Air Force finds an opportunity, it will bombard them fiercely, using firepower to separate Li Yunlong and his men from the US forces.

"Rush!!!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers continued to hold their bayonets and charged towards the Eagle's Lair with all their might.

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

Cavalry Division Headquarters

"boom!"

A newly captured shell blasted nearby, sending dust flying and settling on the chief of staff's cap.

"Fuck!!!"

"Ridgway and his men didn't go to the front lines at all?!"

The chief of staff of the 1st Cavalry Division shook his head, brushing off the dust.

“Sir, I saw them retreating to the rear…”

"A U.S. soldier said in a low voice."

"Sir, Ridgway said that the US 2nd Brigade will arrive at Dead Eagle Ridge in ten minutes, and the armored forces will be able to surround it in fifteen minutes."

"He told us to persevere..."

At that moment, a U.S. military staff officer said.

"He's already run away, and you expect me to keep going?!"

"Burn the documents and leave immediately!!!"

After finishing his speech, the chief of staff of the 1st Cavalry Division walked straight outside.

The remaining American soldiers exchanged glances, lit a fire at random, and hurriedly followed the 1st Cavalry Division Chief of Staff.

Soon, they arrived outside the command post and headed toward the last remaining military vehicle.

"Ignore the people behind you, just drive!"

The chief of staff of the 1st Cavalry Division boarded the vehicle in a panic and shouted loudly.

"Yes, sir!"

The U.S. military driver quickly tried to start the engine, but failed to get it going several times.

far away
Zhao Gang and Li Yunlong had already arrived, and they happened to see the chief of staff of the 1st Cavalry Division and his men in their field of vision.

"I'll shoot that American driver dead, and Old Li, you'll stay sober for a month, or you can drink as much as you want... Shall we bet?"

As Zhao Gang spoke, he raised his rifle and aimed it at the American driver.

"No gambling! No gambling!"

Li Yunlong shook his head, recalling his experience of quitting drinking.

"boom!"

The moment Li Yunlong spoke, a gunshot rang out, and a scorching bullet flew rapidly into the distance.

The American driver had just started the engine when he was shot in the head and died instantly.

Seeing this, the chief of staff of the 1st Cavalry Division looked at the volunteer soldiers who had already fought their way to a nearby location and helplessly raised his hands in surrender.

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

Inside the headquarters
"Old Li, I have bad news."

"The armored forces behind us and the US 2nd Brigade in front have both arrived and are now surrounding us at the foot of the mountain."

"But the good news is that all the units have withdrawn and are now able to hold their ground at Eagle's Nest."

"There were trenches and air-raid shelters that the US military had dug in advance, a command post, and even a lot of weapons, ammunition and supplies that were captured."

"To put it dramatically, we can hold out for six months!"

Zhao Gang said with a smile.

"See, I told you so!"

"Only by daring to unsheathe the sword can one carve out a bloody path!"

"Otherwise, we'd still be squatting over there on Tiger Mountain eating frozen potatoes!"

"No! Those American airmen planned it all out."

"If we don't take a gamble, we'll probably get bombed into the American armored forces' encirclement."

"In that case, we might lose more than half of our troops, or even be completely wiped out!"

Li Yunlong raised his head and said smugly.

"Looking back now, Lao Li, you were right to act recklessly this time."

"If this happens again in the future..."

Seeing Li Yunlong's arrogant demeanor, Zhao Gang couldn't help but laugh and lecture him.

"Alright, alright... no need to say anything more."

"My dear Director Zhao, he's been talking about it from the Shanxi-Northwest region all the way to the Korean War. I'm sick of hearing it!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong quickly replied.

"Old Li, the casualty figures and approximate spoils are in!"

"We suffered more than 4,000 casualties, and about 10,000 comrades who were still able to fight were left." "Most of them were tied down by the American devils at the first two lines of defense and then dealt with by the subsequent armored forces."

"More than 3,000 rifles, more than 100 machine guns, six howitzers, twelve mortars, and a total of fifty boxes of shells were seized."

"Now we can arm a regiment of American-equipped soldiers and an artillery battalion."

Kong Jie said.

"understood……"

"Old Zhao, did you see that? So many dead and injured! This is suicide!"

"Amidst a hail of bullets, tanks, and aircraft, without decisive action, the entire army could be wiped out at any moment!"

"I was a little proud before, after all, we had defeated the five main forces of the National Revolutionary Army, so what was the US military?"

"But after witnessing the firepower of the American devils, I realized that wars could be fought like burning money."

"We're poor, we don't have that much firepower."

"We can only fight at night, we can only use tactical infiltration, who the hell doesn't want firepower coverage!"

"Except for that kid Wu Wanli, aren't all of us Volunteer Army soldiers living on a tight budget?"

"It pains me to see my comrade fall, but there's nothing I can do!"

"Only when bayonets are pointed at their faces are we truly equal to the American devils."

"If this happens again, I'll continue to lead the charge!"

"Whether it's the US military, South Vietnam, South India, or even the Soviet Union that Ding Wei is worried about..."

"I am a Chinese soldier, I am not afraid of them!"

Li Yunlong slammed his hand on the table and said domineeringly.

Looking at Li Yunlong's resolute expression, Zhao Gang didn't try to persuade him with the same nagging and pleading as before. Instead, he smiled knowingly and nodded.

He knew very well how many times his old comrade-in-arms had faced immense pressure, how many times he had been in grave danger, and how many times he had fought to the death.

However, if there is a next time, he will definitely stop it again.

Li Yunlong was responsible for making decisive decisions, he was responsible for providing cautious reminders, and Kong Jie was responsible for shouting "That's awesome!" That's what a complete team should be like.

"Old Li, we have no shortage of guns, ammunition and artillery now."

"Should we fight another battle and break through to join Zhang Dabiao and the others?"

Kong Jie said.

"That's why I call you Kong Erlengzi! You're just so stubborn!"

"I'm just staying here, what can those American devils do to me?"

"If they dare to attack, then attack. Do you believe that my 10,000 men can wipe out the rest of the 1st Cavalry Division?"

"Send a message to Zhang Dabiao, tell him to stay nearby and not move."

“If the American devils dare to attack us, they will directly attack the rear of the Second Brigade of the US Army. If they don’t move, we will just wait and see.”

"Anyway, the grand strategy is to push the west and release the east, so who am I afraid of? Let's just wait and see!"

"Duan Peng, bring up the seized foreign liquor and canned goods."

"I'll live the high life and let those American devils just stand there watching!"

Li Yunlong laughed and said.

He firmly believes in the spirit of "showing the sword," but showing the sword does not mean being a reckless fool.

He knew exactly when to charge and when to wait.

"If you don't want to fight, then don't fight."

"This Li Yunlong, he was calling me 'brother' all the time when we were fighting with bayonets, but now that we're off the battlefield, he's calling me Kong Erlengzi."

"Ding Wei is still the best. He plans three steps ahead in battle and considers the overall situation steadily."

"Unlike fighting alongside Li Yunlong, where you're constantly on edge and have to suffer like a submissive wife."

"When Ding Wei arrives, I will submit an application to my superiors to transfer him to his army."

Kong Jie pursed her lips and said with a hint of resentment.

"Doo dooo dooo dooo..."

"Old Kong, I was just saying a few words to you, and you're glaring at me like you're made of bull's balls."

"Let's have a couple of drinks when the wine arrives, then go to the air-raid shelter for a good night's sleep."

"We don't need to worry about this battle for now; let's focus on Wanli's side!"

"As long as he can take Chipyong-ri, we can begin a strategic encirclement."

"If they still don't withdraw by then, then they can expect the news of the complete annihilation of the 17-nation coalition on the Korean Peninsula!"

Li Yunlong said.

"So, we're just keeping the UN forces hanging here?"

Kong Jie, sensing nothing amiss, asked.

"With Ridgway having created this situation, how could he dare to retreat?"

"They could either concentrate several divisions to launch a fierce attack on us, in which case we could try to counter-encircle them."

"Either we remain in a stalemate here, maintaining a strategic balance, and waiting for Freeman's First Brigade to break the deadlock."

Li Yunlong looked at the battle map and said.

"Old Li is right."

"Now that both sides have played most of their cards, the remaining battle will be fought in the Yeoju-Tipyeong-ri area."

"In other words, this is a clash between Wu Wanli's 7th Steel Regiment and Freeman's 1st US Brigade."

"In terms of local tactics, Freeman's 1st Brigade had the advantage in manpower and firepower."

"From a strategic perspective, the 7th Steel Regiment of Wu Wanli has the advantage due to the 40th Army which is on its way."

"If the 7th Steel Regiment captures Yeoju-Tipyong-ri, the US general offensive will be completely disintegrated, and the Fourth Campaign will be nearing its end."

"If the US 1st Brigade takes Yeoju-Chipyeong-ri and holds off the 40th Army's counterattack, then Freeman will be an American hero who rebuilds the UN forces."

Zhao Gang said.

"What?"

"If we hold our ground, we can fight again, right?"

Kong Jie was slightly taken aback and asked.

"These are the latest casualty statistics for the 38th and 50th Armies. Take a look."

"The casualty rate has reached half..."

"The US military did indeed withdraw a division, but the artillery and air bombardment have been constantly intensified, keeping them under constant pressure."

"Especially the 38th Army, which was assigned to our 113th Division, can only hold out for a few more days at most."

"If Freeman takes Yeoju-Chipyeong-ri and holds out for the next few days until our 38th and 50th Armies are wiped out, then the US military can strategically encircle us."

"We lose the land but the people; we lose both the land and the people."

"Even if we break through after being surrounded, we won't have enough strength to defend the Seoul-Incheon line."

Zhao Gang looked at the battle map and said soberly.

"Then let's hope that Wanli can lead the 7th Steel Regiment to defeat Freeman's 1st US Brigade and completely occupy the Yeoju-Tipyeong-ri area."

"After fighting for so long, it still comes down to the Seventh Steel Regiment of Wanli to decide the overall situation!"

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie looked in the direction of Lizhou and sighed.

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

At this time, the 4,000 elite troops of the 7th Steel Regiment had just marched to the vicinity of Lizhou.

"Commander, are we really not going to rescue Lizhou?"

"Lei Zhen, Chenggong, Xu Mumu, and the others are still in Lizhou, as are those comrades from the Seventh Steel Regiment who have persevered for so long."

Yu Congrong listened to the faint sounds of gunfire in the distance and said anxiously.

"Yes, Commander, the garrison of nearly 5,000 men has been reduced to just over 1,000. The veterans of the 7th Steel Regiment are estimated to be down to just over 300. They did their best."

"If we continue fighting like this, we may be completely wiped out."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing also felt a pang of pity and offered some words of advice.

"Commander, didn't we say we would never abandon or give up on anyone...?"

Gao Daxing also looked at Wu Wanli and said.

Lei Gong didn't speak, but silently looked in the direction of Lizhou and sighed.

"Commander, how about I take a battalion to rescue them first, while you continue attacking Chipyong-ni?"

Pinghe said.

"Believe me, I will never abandon any of my soldiers."

"But we can't go there now, we can only head straight for Chipyong-ri."

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

On the map, all the artillery of the US 1st Brigade is on standby, with its muzzles turned towards the 7th Steel Regiment.

Freeman even confidently positioned his armored forces on the flanks, while the central army camp was already in ambush, just waiting for the 7th Steel Regiment to suffer a crushing defeat.

Taking Lizhou is not a true victory, but if we can eliminate the Seventh Steel Regiment and take Lizhou, we will have won half the battle.

"Pass on my order: the entire army must accelerate and launch a full-speed assault on Chipyong-ni!"

Wu Wanli gritted his teeth and gave the order directly.

"Yes!"

Although the core members of the Seventh Steel Regiment were worried, they still obeyed Wu Wanli's orders unconditionally.

"Freeman, isn't he the future NATO Army Commander-in-Chief?"

"I'm not afraid of you!"

"With me here in this life, there will never again be a tragedy like the one in Chipyong-ri where eight regiments were defeated by a single regiment!"

Wu Wanli took one last look in the direction of Lizhou before leading his army toward Dipingli.

(End of this chapter)