When they arrived at the courtyard house and the celestial bridal chamber, they discovered it was a

As Lao Fan watched the battle reports coming in from the command post, his face grew increasingly grim.

The communications soldier stumbled in: "General! Our forward positions are about to fall! The Volunteer Army's artillery fire is too intense!"

Old Fan jumped to his feet, grabbed the communicator, and roared into the microphone, "Lady Clara, requesting reinforcements and artillery! We need support!"

Clara paused for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, then said coldly, "General Fan, the US currently has no intention of expanding the battle line with the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. You must rely on the existing troops to hold the position and then safely withdraw the troops."

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Old Fan held the microphone, frozen in place, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head.

He slowly released his grip, and the communicator fell to the ground with a clatter.

He staggered back a few steps, leaning against the wall, his face pale and his eyes filled with despair. He felt abandoned by Clara, like a discarded pawn.

Despite his despair, Lao Fan was, after all, a seasoned general, and he quickly forced himself to calm down.

He knew that now was not the time to be discouraged. If they continued to succumb, they would not only lose their position, but also be surrounded by the 13th and 15th Iron Armies of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

At that point, both elite divisions will be completely annihilated, without even a chance to retreat.

He's finished too; he'll definitely face a military court.

And so it was. Old Fan took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and used all his strength to prop himself up. He leaned against the wall and stood up little by little. The despair in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a hint of ruthlessness and determination.

"Pass down the order!" Old Fan's voice was still hoarse, but it carried an undeniable authority. He wiped away the tears on his face, his eyes sharp as knives.

"First, concentrate all remaining artillery fire to saturate and bombard the Volunteer Army's multiple high grounds and positions, delaying their advance and buying time for our retreat."

"Second, immediately organize the troops, prepare for retreat, and evacuate in batches. Panic is strictly prohibited; violators will be dealt with according to military law."

"Third, send another regiment to the Wusheng Mountain area immediately. We have already built bunkers halfway up the mountain to strengthen the defenses. Leave a portion of the troops to hold the line. We cannot give up Wusheng Mountain so easily. Even if we retreat, we must make the Volunteer Army pay a heavy price!"

"Yes, General!" the staff officers and guards responded in unison, and immediately turned around to relay the orders.

Soon, the US artillery roared again, and a barrage of shells rained down on the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's positions.

Flames soared into the sky, smoke filled the air, explosions were deafening, and dirt and gravel flew everywhere. The Volunteer Army's position was instantly engulfed in flames.

At this point, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers, who had been sniping hard at various positions, failed to realize that although the US artillery bombardment was fierce, it had lost its previous momentum. They did not know that it was more of a perfunctory and delaying tactic—their minds were already in disarray.

Even the intensity of the artillery fire was about the same as before.

In other words, although the US lost an important artillery base, it has not been significantly affected in the short term.

Meanwhile, in the Wusheng Mountain area, American soldiers, while watching their comrades continue their ascent, were frantically building and reinforcing their bunkers.

They didn't know that this was the last task Lao Fan left them; they were also expendable pawns, used to lure out reinforcements from the Volunteer Army.

Large numbers of American engineers, wielding shovels and steel picks, frantically dug through the soil and moved stones to speed up construction. The outlines of more bunkers gradually became clear, and machine gun emplacements were pointed down the mountain, ready for battle.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army had no idea that Lao Fan's elite division of one and a half American troops was preparing to flee, and continued its aggressive advance.

After Zhou Zheng'an destroyed a key artillery base of the United States, the main force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army officially launched a general offensive. With high morale and flexible tactics, they advanced rapidly and broke through the United States' defenses.

At this point, the main force of the US military quickly withdrew.

Soon, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army split into two groups: one group continued to pursue Lao Fan's main force, while the other group reinforced the Volunteer Army at various positions.

About two regiments of volunteer soldiers arrived at the foot of Wusheng Mountain. Looking at the halfway point, they quickly began to charge upwards.

The soldiers were all eager to get started, their eyes filled with determination.

"Comrades! Charge! Take Wusheng Mountain and completely crush the enemy!" A company commander brandished his submachine gun, shouted loudly, and took the lead in charging up the mountain.

The soldiers followed closely behind, like tigers descending a mountain.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the American bunker on the hillside suddenly opened fire. The Chinese People's Volunteer Army's assault troops, not expecting the Americans to have built a bunker there, were hit by machine gun fire in large numbers.

Many soldiers were killed immediately.

Company Commander Wang Jianchu watched as the machine guns in the eagle bunker suddenly opened fire wildly, bullets raining down on the volunteer soldiers. The dense firepower formed an invisible barrier, pinning his entire company down on the hillside, making it impossible for them to advance.

Unable to contain his anxiety, he lay down while shouting, "Lie down! Lie down now!"

Even so, heavy machine gun bullets grazed his head and nearly hit him.

The soldiers lay prone on the ground, searching for cover, but the hillside was bare and offered little cover.

As the machine gun fired again, many soldiers were unable to dodge and were hit by bullets, falling into pools of blood. Screams, gunshots, and explosions mingled together, creating a horrific scene.

"Company commander! The enemy's firepower is too strong, we can't get through!" a soldier shouted. His arm was hit by a bullet, and blood stained his sleeve, but he still gripped his rifle tightly, his eyes full of anxiety.

Looking at his fallen comrades, Wang Jianchu was filled with grief. He looked up towards the bunker and saw that the machine gun muzzle was still spitting fire, and bullets were constantly hitting the soldiers. If this continued, they would only suffer greater casualties.

"We must destroy that bunker!" Wang Jianchu gritted his teeth, his eyes resolute, veins bulging on his forehead, every blood vessel burning with rage.

He glanced at the soldiers around him and shouted, "Platoon Leader Zhou, take two men, form a demolition team, flank from the side, and blow up the machine gun emplacements of the bunker!"

"Yes, Company Commander!" Platoon Leader Zhou responded immediately. He was not tall, but very sturdy, with a bronze face full of determination and eyes that revealed a resolute spirit.

He quickly selected two soldiers, who, with equally determined eyes, followed closely behind Platoon Leader Zhou without the slightest hesitation.

Because of the war with the United States, we have to deal with their tanks at any time, so each company is equipped with personnel to learn tank-destroying techniques and has a dedicated demolition team.