Bright Sword: I built Italian cannons for Li Yunlong

The entire battle, from exposure to complete control of the compound, took less than twenty minutes.

The battle is basically over.

The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder, blood, and that unique burnt odor.

The soldiers began cleaning up the battlefield, collecting weapons, and guarding the prisoners.

A large crowd had gathered around the two bunkers that were still emitting faint smoke.

"My God... Look here." A new recruit, Zhao Tiezhu, pointed to a charred corpse in the bunker on the left, his voice trembling.

Veteran Liu Sanpo crouched down and carefully poked at the burnt remains of the puppet troops on the ground with the tip of his bayonet.

The part that the bayonet tip touched instantly shattered into pieces of charcoal.

"It's burnt through..." he murmured, his face not looking too good when he stood up.

"I've fought for six years and seen plenty of people with their intestines spilling out and their heads split open... but this... burned to ashes, this is truly a first."

Several soldiers watching began to whisper among themselves.

"See that? This fire has been stuck to the wall for so long, and it's still burning!" A soldier pointed to the dark red embers that were faintly visible in the cracks between the bricks.

"I heard it was Zhou, the new advisor at the regimental headquarters, who did it. Aren't scholars supposed to be all refined and gentle? How could he... come up with something so ruthless?"

"Ruthless? That's right! The ruthless the better when dealing with the Japanese devils!"

Kong Jie walked over carrying a large sword, and the soldiers immediately fell silent and continued with their work, but they all secretly glanced at him out of the corner of their eyes.

Kong Jie stopped in front of the bunker ruins, the strong smell making him frown.

He used the tip of his knife to pick up a piece of charred brick. Beneath the brick, the greasy residue was still bubbling.

His pupils contracted, and after a few seconds of silence, he suddenly raised his foot and kicked the brick away.

"What are you all standing there for? Clean up the battlefield and take stock of the spoils."

"Gather all the horses together."

The roar startled everyone, and the soldiers immediately scattered and got to work.

Kong Jie turned around and looked into the depths of the town, his face beaming with the joy of victory.

Zhou Zhen put down his binoculars and let out a long breath.

His hands were still trembling, but he quickly pulled out a small notebook and a pencil.

He began to summarize the practical effects of the Molotov cocktails.

He discovered that although the clay pot Molotov cocktail had excellent adhesion and flammability, its throwing accuracy and distance were not ideal because the clay pot lacked a handle like a hand grenade and its shape was uneven.

He was so focused on writing that he didn't even notice Zhang Dabiao walking up to him.

"Advisor Zhou, we should move forward," Zhang Dabiao said.

"Deputy Commander Kong told us to meet up in town."

When Zhou Zhen entered Wanjia Town, surrounded by Zhang Dabiao and his guards, the battle was completely over. Kneeling puppet troops surrendered were everywhere on the streets, and soldiers were busy collecting weapons and inventorying supplies.

"Advisor Zhou, this way." Zhang Dabiao led him towards the courtyard. "Deputy Regiment Commander Kong is counting the spoils of war."

Zhou Zhen nodded, but his steps involuntarily turned to the left bunker.

The closer you get, the stronger the smell of burnt meat becomes.

Several nearby soldiers saw him and made way for him with admiration.

The scene inside the bunker was even more chilling than the outside.

The cramped space was a mess, with the walls and floor blackened by smoke.

"Advisor Zhou." Kong Jie's loud voice came from the direction of the compound.

He strode over, his face beaming with the excitement of victory, but his smile faded when he saw the burning scene.

He patted Zhou Zhen on the shoulder.

"The effect is undeniable! It's just... a bit too brutal. But it's perfect for dealing with these traitors and Japanese!"

Zhou Zhen forced a smile and didn't continue the discussion. Instead, he asked about the casualties of his own soldiers.

"We only had seven lightly injured," Kong Jie said.

"They were all hit by machine gun fire during the first wave of the attack. If it weren't for your Molotov cocktails, they would probably be in danger."

He paused, then said solemnly, "On behalf of the soldiers of the First Battalion, thank you."

Zhou Zhen shook his head: "I only did what I was supposed to do. What were the results?"

Speaking of this, Kong Jie became animated again: "We captured 367 intact military horses, 84 pack horses, more than 200 rifles, 4 light machine guns, and a number of bullets and grenades."

The scene inside the compound was bustling with activity, with captured weapons piled up like small mountains.

Rifles, pistols, grenades, ammunition boxes...

The most conspicuous were the two Type 92 heavy machine guns dragged out of the bunker. Although they were blackened by smoke, their main structures were intact and could be used after a little cleaning. In addition, there were five Type 91 light machine guns, which were surprisingly well maintained.

But what excited the soldiers even more were the warhorses in the stable. The soldiers stroked the horses' backs with great affection, their faces beaming with joy.

With these horses, the Independent Regiment's mobility will be greatly enhanced, and it may even be able to form a true cavalry force.

Zhou Zhen smiled, but his gaze fell into the warehouse: "Deputy Regiment Commander Kong, I'll go in and see if there's anything else useful."

"Sure! Look all you want, they're all ours now." Kong Jie waved his hand generously.

The warehouse was filled with a lot of regular supplies such as grain and bedding.

Zhou Zhen quickly searched and soon found several unusual wooden boxes in the corner.

The box was clearly labeled in Japanese as containing "medicine" and "gas mask".

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stepped forward, carefully prying open the first box with a crowbar.

Inside were neatly arranged brown glass bottles, containing tincture of iodine, the best disinfectant of the time.

"Iodine tincture..." Zhou Zhen carefully picked up a bottle and examined it against the light from the doorway.

The dark brown liquid sloshed slightly in the glass bottle.

This is an excellent disinfectant under current conditions, much more reliable than salt or liquor, and can significantly reduce wound infection and surgical risks.

"Quickly!" he said urgently to the two soldiers who followed him in, "Carefully move all these boxes out. Be careful! The bottles are fragile, handle them gently, and don't break them."

Seeing his seriousness, the soldiers immediately and carefully moved several wooden crates out of the warehouse.

Zhou Zhen then pried open the box labeled "Gas Mask".

Inside were more than thirty brand-new Japanese military-issue gas masks, complete with rubber masks, filter canisters, and carrying bags.

"Gas mask... how did it end up here?" Zhou Zhen frowned.

It's a bit strange that the puppet army cavalry battalion was issued this.

Just then, a puppet army officer was being escorted past. Zhou Zhen stopped him and asked, "Are these gas masks standard issue for your battalion?"

The puppet army officer looked up at the box and shook his head.

"No...no. It was just transported from Qingchi City last week. They said...they said it's temporarily stored here, and it will be transferred to the front line in a while."

"Aoike Castle?"

Zhou Zhen's heart sank.

That was an important Japanese stronghold in the area, where gas masks were stored, which meant that the Japanese might have plans to use chemical weapons.

This is extremely important intelligence.