Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 62: The final assault begins, and yet another permanent god-level reward!

Hagaru-ri, 1st Marine Division Command
"Sir!"

"The main force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army has surrounded Hagaru-ri!"

We're in danger!

The U.S. military chief of staff said with considerable anxiety.

"When we spotted the Chinese army, it meant the decisive battle was about to begin tonight."

"Anyway, the Chinese army lacks heavy artillery and has very little ability to attack fortified positions, so we don't need to be so pessimistic."

"There are still several hours until dark, let's make the final arrangements!"

Smith glanced at his watch and said.

“Sir…”

"The Chinese army has heavy artillery, and quite a lot of it..."

The U.S. Chief of Staff lowered his head and whispered a reminder.

"what?!"

"Damn it, you mean the Polar Bear Regiment's artillery?"

"Aren't we General MacArthur, who telegraphed Tokyo?"

"Weren't the planes at Xingnan Port subjected to relentless bombing?"

Major General Smith's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked.

"Sir!"

"The carrier-based aircraft from Xingnan Port were all deployed, killing many light infantrymen of the Chinese army, but..."

"But their heavy artillery is nowhere to be found!"

The U.S. Chief of Staff sighed and explained.

In fact, according to the original plan, all the 105mm howitzers in Battalion Commander Yang's artillery battalion would have been destroyed.

However, thanks to Wu Wanli's efforts, all of these cannons were saved.

In addition, Wu Wanli and the Steel Seventh Company's capture of enemy generals and artillery at Xinxingli brought the Battle of Xinxingli to an early end.

The encirclement and attack on Hagaru-ri was brought forward, giving the US military much less time to react than before.

The US military would never have imagined that Wu Wanli and the Steel Seventh Company, with their small numbers, could quietly influence the balance of artillery fire in the decisive battle of Hagaru-ri!
"Fuck you! This battle was fought wrong!"

"On the western front, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army launched a surprise attack on Sansuoli, and light infantry cut off the retreat of the Ninth Army. Our mechanized marching speed became a joke!"

"Now on the Eastern Front, we are facing an attack from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, which has several times the size of us and is equipped with a regimental artillery unit of American weaponry!"

"Furthermore, our air force advantage will be greatly reduced after dark. How can we fight then!"

Major General Smith slammed his coffee cup to the ground and roared.

"Sir! There's no need to be so pessimistic!"

"We also have the artillery regiment of the 1st Marine Division!"

“三个105毫米榴弹炮营共54门105榴弹炮。另有一个155毫米重型榴弹炮营，共18门火炮！”

"In addition, we have armored forces with dozens of tanks!"

"The Chinese People's Volunteer Army cannot defeat us!"

Seeing Smith's anger, the U.S. Chief of Staff quickly tried to appease him.

"I hope so..."

"Hasn't our airport been built?"

"Is it possible to evacuate by air?"

Smith's heart skipped a beat, and he asked.

"Sir, our air force is limited and not enough to support the evacuation of everyone at once."

"Unless we defeat the Chinese army in the next defensive battle and drive them back, we will not be able to buy enough time to retreat."

The U.S. military chief of staff said.

"Damn it! Repel the Chinese army in a defensive battle? Don't even dream about it!"

"Having learned a lesson from the Polar Bear Regiment in Xinxingli, do you still believe General MacArthur's claim that the Chinese army is a bunch of peasant soldiers?"

"Let's move the wounded soldiers away first. When the battle goes against us, they are the most likely to be killed or captured by the Chinese army."

"They shed blood and risked their lives for America; we can't let them never be able to go home..."

"The others reinforced the defenses and remained on high alert."

"Only by winning this battle can we retreat with peace of mind!"

"I don't know anything about Christmas offensives anymore, all I know is that I'm taking these old buddies home..."

Smith sighed, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes, and spoke slowly.

"Yes, sir!"

The U.S. Chief of Staff was deeply moved and responded loudly.

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

27th Army Headquarters outside Hagaru-ri
"Reporting to the Commander, the main force of the 20th Army is ready and prepared to launch an attack together with our 27th Army at any time!"

"The commanders of the 20th Army even said they didn't expect us to arrive so quickly to join the battle. They have to thank the Steel Seventh Company for that, hahaha..."

The chief of staff said with a smile.

"Yes!"

"I never expected the Seventh Steel Company to perform so well. I just don't know if they can achieve the same results as Xinxingli in this battle!"

"By the way, are our cannons alright?"

Kong Jie stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the battle map.

"Commander! I heard that the artillery battalion of the 80th Division was supposed to be bombed by American bombers, but Comrade Wu Wanli discovered the situation in advance and has saved those 105mm howitzers!"

"According to intelligence, the situation in Hagaru-ri is similar to that in Sinhung-ri, with the US military deploying a large number of infantry positions with firepower around the perimeter."

"After breaking through the outer defenses, US tanks and armored vehicles will rush in to plug the gap."

"If we break through the US armored forces, their artillery positions will be exposed to us!"

"Finally, there was the headquarters of the 1st Marine Division."

The chief of staff said with a hint of excitement in his heart.

"Okay!"

"Wu Wanli is simply a lucky star! He managed to save the artillery firepower of an entire division!"

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie's eyes lit up, and he said with admiration.

"With this batch of artillery, the initial assault will be no problem!"

"If an elite force could break through the US defenses ahead of time and seize the US artillery, the artillery fire could be turned around and used to bombard US aircraft and command posts!"

"It's just a pity that this is an impossible task..."

Kong Jie sighed and continued.

"An elite force..."

"Commander, is it possible for the Steel Seventh Company to give it a try?"

The chief of staff suddenly remembered this elite force and said.

"I know that the Seventh Steel Company is elite and has strong combat capabilities. They have made a name for themselves in Xinxing!"

"But... this is the headquarters of the 1st Marine Division, not the headquarters of the Polar Bear Regiment!"

"such a pity!"

"If we had ten Steel Seventh Companies working together, the Ninth Army Corps could sweep across the entire Chosin Reservoir!"

Kong Jie slammed his hand on the table and said regretfully.

According to the original plan, the 7th Company broke in together with other units before the artillery battalion took control of the cannons, rather than breaking through alone.

Facing the positions of the main US divisions, breaking through their lines alone is extremely difficult, almost impossible.

"I think even if you formed ten Steel Seventh Companies, you still wouldn't have ten Wu Wanli..."

The chief of staff shook his head and said incisively.

"Yes!"

"Never mind all that, just relay Chief Song's orders!"

"At midnight, launch the final offensive!"

Kong Jie slammed his fist on the table, his voice filled with murderous intent as he gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff immediately agreed.

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

11 PM, Hagaru-ri, the Seventh Steel Company

"Brother, there's only one hour left before the final assault begins!"

Wu Wanli looked at the watch that Secretary Liu had given him and gave a reminder.

"Pinghe, how's the situation going?"

Wu Qianli nodded slightly and asked.

"Reporting, Company Commander!"

"The US military had laid a large number of landmines on the outer perimeter, and after the landmines, there was a long barbed wire fence blocking the way." "The US infantry positions were only inside the barbed wire fence."

Pinghe said.

"Company commander, does that mean we have to use our lives to fill in the landmines and barbed wire before we can break into the American positions?"

"When the Seventh Company was blocked by landmines and barbed wire, the American devils unleashed a barrage of light and heavy machine guns and all kinds of firepower at once. How many people must have died!"

"Those American devils are so cunning in their war tactics!"

Yu Congrong frowned and complained.

"There was no other way. Hagaru-ri had a longer preparation time than Sinhsin-ri, and the American devils had built more complete fortifications."

"Let's sacrifice ourselves, even if it means getting our heads bruised and bleeding, we'll take down the American devils' position!"

Wu Qianli said with a resolute look in his eyes.

"Brother, you don't need to make such a big sacrifice!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli immediately shook his head and frowned.

"No need for such a huge sacrifice?"

"Comrade Wu Wanli, do you have any ideas?"

Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng quickly asked.

"Brother, instructor, maybe we've been too afraid of poverty, and that's why we've fallen into a misconception,"

"The artillery platoon now has more artillery than some of the previous volunteer army battalions, so let's just bombard them!"

"Just bombard the area with mortars, break through the minefields and barbed wire, and then we can charge in, right?"

Wu Wanli scratched his head and said.

"You little idiot, do you think cannonballs are free?!"

"If we use these to plow away the landmines and barbed wire outside, what will we do if we don't have enough for the assault later?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Gong said with some heartache.

"You feel sorry for the shells, but don't you feel sorry for the lives of your comrades?"

Wu Wanli sighed and said.

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianli and the others fell silent for a moment.

If given the choice, they would be willing to sacrifice themselves to provide the troops with new cannons and shells.

It's like how pilots in China were once less valuable than airplanes.

"Ding--"

"The system has detected that the host is about to participate in the Battle of Hagaru-ri. Activation selected!"

"Choose an unparalleled feat: lead the Steel Seventh Company to break through the outer positions and armored forces of the US 1st Marine Division!"

"Destroy all aircraft at the US airfield and kill all officers in the division headquarters, including Major General Smith!"

"Choose Reward One: Permanent God-like Agility Boost!"

"Choose Reward Two: A Springfield sniper rifle equipped with a 16x scope, plus 100 rounds of ammunition (to be directly sent to your system space)!"

"Choose Reward Three: Super God-Level Luck Boost Experience Card!"

"Option Two: Breaking Through the Enemy's ...

"This allows the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to use American artillery to bombard American aircraft and destroy any hope of an American air retreat!"

"Choose Reward 1: Permanent God-level Physical Fitness Boost. After obtaining it, you can fight for three days and three nights without feeling tired!"

"Choose Reward Two: Super God-Level Luck Boost Experience Card!"

"Choose Reward Three: God-Level Agility Experience Card!"

At this moment, the system's cold notification sound rang out again.

"Choose one reward is pretty good too. I don't have a sniper rifle with a scope yet, but killing Major General Smith and all the senior officers is too difficult, isn't it?"

"This isn't just a regiment, it's the main force of an entire division!"

"Besides, even if the Steel Seventh Company manages to kill their way there with great difficulty, there's no helicopter there that they can just escape from!"

"Forget it, superb physical fitness is also very important on the battlefield. Otherwise, if the Steel Seventh Company were to have a mission like the raid on San Suoli, I'd probably be finished!"

"Choose two!"

After thinking for a moment, Wu Wanli immediately made a decision in his heart.

"Ding--"

"Host's selection successful! Rewards will be issued!"

The system's cold notification sound echoed in Wu Wanli's mind once again.

Soon, Wu Wanli found that the slight fatigue he had felt earlier had disappeared, and his body seemed to have become lighter.

As for the luck and agility bonuses, Wu Wanli was already used to them and didn't react much.

"Wanli, is there no other way?"

"What Lei Gong said makes sense. If we run out of ammunition in the later battles, our comrades in the Steel Seventh Company might suffer even more casualties!"

Wu Qianli patted Wu Wanli on the shoulder and asked.

"Brother, believe me, these shells are nothing!"

"Let's break through their lines and be the first to charge in, heading straight for the American devils' artillery positions. We'll use their artillery to bombard their planes!"

"The Battle of Hagaru-ri is already half a success!"

Wu Wanli said with a firm gaze.

"Breaking through enemy lines alone and capturing American artillery positions?"

"Wanli, this is a main force division, not just a regiment!"

Mei Sheng, who had always supported Wu Wanli, hesitated and offered some advice.

"Instructor, we don't need to wipe out all the American troops along the way. As long as we seize their artillery fire, our men will definitely be able to break in!"

"And if their rear is in trouble and their air retreat is cut off, the front line will be thrown into chaos!"

Wu Wanli insisted.

"Company commander, political instructor, give it a try!"

"If we risk our Steel Seventh Company, we can save two soldiers from being bombed, and maybe even save thousands of comrades from sacrificing their lives!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong immediately chimed in.

"Yes!"

"As for the artillery shells that Lei Gong mentioned, as long as we capture the American devils' artillery positions, why would we be afraid of not having artillery and shells?"

Wu Wanli said.

"Instructor, what did the higher-ups say about the mission we're tasked with?"

Wu Qianli stroked his chin, hesitatingly asking.

"Reporting, Company Commander!"

"What the higher-ups said is that after the general offensive begins, we should make every effort to break through the US military positions and give full play to our initiative to strike the US military to the greatest extent possible!"

Mei Sheng said.

"Alright! Let's do it!"

"When the general offensive begins, Lei Gong, you lead the artillery platoon to blast a path for our Steel Seventh Company!"

"After we break through, the firepower platoon will launch the main attack, while the reconnaissance platoon will take out the American enemy's firing positions to provide cover."

"We must break through quickly; we can't afford to lose this battle!"

Wu Qianli made up his mind and gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the members of the Seventh Steel Company immediately agreed.

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

At midnight, the moon was bright and the stars were few.
The sky above Hagaru-ri was covered by thick clouds, and a tense atmosphere permeated the air.

Suddenly, a blinding red light pierced the silence, shooting straight into the sky like a sword. The red signal flare shone brightly in the darkness.

The red light bloomed in the sky, like the most dazzling ray of light in the sunset, yet it also carried a chilling sense of oppression.

"Drip drip drip drip drip drip..."

In an instant, the bugle call of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army tore through the sky and echoed in the heavens!

As the bugle call resounded, countless volunteers, guns at the ready, leaped to their feet.

These Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers, in groups of three or three, launched wave-like charges towards the American positions at Hagaru-ri.

Each wave maintained a distance of more than ten meters from the others, taking turns to cover the charge, completely different from the hordes of people in the movies!

"Comrades of the Seventh Steel Company, three-three formation, follow me!"

At this moment, Wu Qianli, holding a Thompson submachine gun, roared and charged towards the American position.

"Come on!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli, Yu Congrong, and the others grabbed their guns and rushed down.

At this time, the mortars of the artillery platoon were also ready.

"Fire according to the preset parameters!"

Lei Gong waved his hand and roared.

(End of this chapter)