Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

"Absolutely impossible!"

Inside the tunnel command post, Major Aota watched as one sturdy bunker after another was blown up, and he roared in complete disarray.

He never dreamed that the Chinese would have such a powerful tool that could tear apart reinforced concrete fortifications.

"It's not an anti-tank gun... Anti-tank guns don't have that much power; even the Empire's Type 92 infantry guns can't do that!"

"What kind of weapons do the Chinese use?!"

The destruction of bunkers meant that his underground command post was no longer safe, and the artillery positions were completely exposed to enemy fire. Those heavy artillery pieces that he was so proud of were instantly turned into piles of scrap metal.

"Qingtian-kun, we still have tanks! Fortresses are dead, tanks are alive!"

Lieutenant Colonel Noguchi shouted urgently:

"The plaza is spacious and deep; with tank support, no matter how many Chinese soldiers there are, they won't be able to get close to the main fortress!"

These words rekindled Qingtian's hope, and he rallied his spirits:

"That's right! The training ground is unobstructed, with a wide field of fire. As long as the main fortress is still standing, we should be able to hold out until dawn!"

Neither of them dared to mention calling for naval gun support again.

The two sides are already locked in a fierce battle. Given the poor accuracy of the naval guns, if they were to hit the main bunker, the shockwave alone would kill everyone in the command post.

Instead of rushing to storm the square, the security force first cleared out the remaining enemy and eliminated potential threats. The sporadic fighting continued for a full hour.

The Japanese troops on the periphery will either be annihilated or forced to retreat to the central square, and a decisive battle is imminent.

The security regiment mounted mortars on the high ground on both flanks to provide fire support from above.

The artillery battalion's six Schneider mountain guns fired in succession, unleashing a barrage of two hundred shells onto the square, turning the Japanese positions upside down.

This round of bombardment was highly effective: three Japanese tanks were destroyed, the outer barbed wire was shattered, most of the firing points around the perimeter were eliminated, and even a 150mm heavy howitzer was blown into the air by the exploding ammunition.

It was already four in the morning. Summer days are long, and the sky was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

A resounding bugle call suddenly pierced the night sky, and hundreds of security regiment officers and soldiers formed a three-man combat formation, rushing towards the main fortress of the square like a tidal wave, with overwhelming momentum.

"Thrust, thud—!"

Major Aota, his voice hoarse, ordered a counterattack. The remaining Japanese troops unleashed their full firepower, bullets raining down like a storm. Men in the charging ranks fell one after another, their blood staining the entire square.

Zhao Yunwen's facial muscles twitched violently as he watched his brothers fall one after another.

These were all elite soldiers he had personally trained; any one of them could have been a squad leader or platoon leader, but now they were sacrificing themselves in droves on the front lines.

The security team was fighting tooth and nail, but he had no way out.

As soon as it gets light, Japanese planes will swarm in. If the core fortress cannot be captured before dawn, all efforts will be in vain.

Even if it costs lives, we must break through this last layer of the tortoise shell.

Even with the attack formation spread out extremely wide, the soldiers still suffered heavy casualties before finally getting the bazooka rocket launcher teams within 60 meters of their effective range. At this distance, their armor-piercing power would be greatly enhanced.

The commando team paid for the attack opportunity with their blood. Rows of rockets roared out and accurately hit the firing ports of the Japanese main bunker, destroying machine gun positions one after another.

The Japanese firepower density dropped sharply, greatly reducing their suppressive power. In addition, the darkness of night made it impossible for them to block all the attack routes.

The assault team seized the opportunity to rush into the center of the square, and the demolition team carried explosives straight to the bunker. Explosions continued one after another, and the hard outer shell of the main bunker gradually cracked under the continuous explosions.

Even the most sturdy fortress could not withstand the continuous explosions and eventually collapsed. All the Japanese soldiers hiding inside were killed by the explosions and shockwaves in the ruins.

"Boom boom boom—!"

Just when victory seemed within reach, a barrage of naval cannonballs suddenly roared into the park.

At the last moment, Major Qingtian gritted his teeth and called for artillery fire, preferring to perish together rather than leave the heavy artillery to the Chinese army.

Most of the heavy howitzers, mortars, and mountain guns deployed by the Japanese army in the park were destroyed, and many gun barrels were directly blown to scrap metal.

"Those sons of bitches, those Japanese devils are truly depraved!"

Zhao Yunwen felt a pang of heartache. He had originally planned to capture these heavy artillery pieces and use them to bombard the Japanese headquarters, but now his dream had been completely shattered.

Before his death, Qingtian sent the coordinates of the artillery positions and the main fortress to the Third Fleet, which made the artillery fire so accurate and caused the Security Regiment to pay a heavy price in bloodshed.

But the Japanese army's madness ultimately could not change the outcome of their defeat.

One corner of the Japanese headquarters building was forcibly broken off by the security regiment, which immediately relieved much of the pressure on the 88th Division in the direction of Chishi University.

As the sun rose over the river, the gunfire in Hongkou Park finally subsided.

Covered in gunpowder smoke, Qin Hongtao raised his MP38 high with one hand and roared to the sky:

"Brothers—we have won!"

His other arm had been blown off in the fierce battle, but he stubbornly held on until the end.

The officers and soldiers cheered and raised their arms, some even firing their guns into the air, expressing their ecstatic joy after the bloody battle.

"You spendthrift, do you think bullets are free?"

Zhao Yunwen muttered a curse under his breath, but there was no reproach on his face, only undisguised satisfaction.

Second Battalion Commander Wang Guohua strode over, his face beaming with excitement, and reported:

"Commander! The brothers did not let you down. We finished the battle before dawn!"

A count revealed 631 Japanese corpses, and the following were seized: one intact heavy howitzer, two mountain guns, two mortars, over 400 rifles and pistols, and artillery shells and military supplies filling the underground warehouse!

Zhao Yunwen nodded slightly, then asked in a deep voice:

"How are the casualties among our brothers?"

Wang Guohua's smile vanished instantly, his tone turning serious:

"It was a huge loss. Two hundred and eighteen people were killed and three hundred and fifty-five were wounded."

Zhao Yunwen felt as if he had been struck hard in the chest with a heavy hammer, and he felt a wave of suffocation.

With over 500 casualties in a single battle, the security regiment simply couldn't afford such a grueling offensive.

He experienced firsthand the brutality of the Shanghai-Nanjing battlefield. The 88th Division suffered over a thousand casualties in a single day during its attack on Chizhi University, including Major General Huang Meixin, who heroically sacrificed his life.

And this is just the beginning.

The battles to come will only become more bloody; it wouldn't be unusual for an entire division to be wiped out in a single day. His three thousand-plus men are simply not enough to fill the gaps.

But this battle must be fought.

If we don't fight, our country will perish and our race will be wiped out.

Zhao Yunwen's gaze was sharp, and he spoke each word clearly and deliberately:

"Better to be a shattered jade than a whole tile!"

Wang Guohua was taken aback at first, then raised his arms and shouted:

"Better to be a shattered jade than a whole tile!"

The surrounding officers and soldiers responded in unison, their shouts rising in waves:

"Better to be a shattered jade than a whole tile!"

"We swear we will never be slaves of a conquered nation!"

"Fight those damned Japanese devils to the bitter end!"

"Twenty years from now, I'll still be a hero!"

The slogans resounded through the sky, reigniting the soldiers' fighting spirit.

Inside the Japanese Navy Headquarters building.

"Baka yarou! What are the Chinese shouting?"

Major General Ōkawa roared in fury. He had just received Major Aota's farewell telegram and was trembling with rage.

In just one night, the seemingly impregnable stronghold of Hongkou Park fell.

Da Chuan was deeply shocked by the formidable fighting power of the Chinese people, and for the first time, a heavy shadow fell over his heart.

Before this, he was full of confidence in defending the headquarters building, but now he began to waver.

Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Asada lowered his head deeply, not daring to translate many of the slogans, for fear of further damaging morale.

Major General Okawa's eyes were sinister as he slowly spoke:

"Asada-kun, it's our turn next."

The headquarters building is incomparable to Hongkou Park.

Let the Chinese pay with their lives!