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

In the middle, the Japanese troops retreated like a tide, and Zhao Mancang nimbly shrank into the foxhole, quietly waiting for the Japanese shells to fall.

The Japanese attack tactics have been figured out: the infantry will charge, the artillery will bombard, and the artillery barrage will definitely follow; it's just a matter of time.

This time the interval was rather long, and it didn't arrive until 3:30 pm, but it was very intense.

Dozens of artillery pieces of various sizes from the 16th Artillery Regiment of the 16th Division bombarded the main position relentlessly, as if trying to flatten all the trenches.

The guerrilla detachment's artillery battalion then launched a counterattack, especially the five Schneider mountain guns, which repeatedly succeeded with their extremely long range, destroying six Japanese artillery pieces in succession, which finally made them behave themselves.

Zhao Mancang's mouth was slightly open, his hands loosely covering his ears, letting the arrogance continue. He didn't know how much time had passed when the artillery fire began to spread, and thousands of Japanese soldiers surged forward, stepping on the artillery positions.

The defenders had just crawled out of the loose soil when the Japanese infantry rushed to the front of the position, and close combat and melee ensued.

The submachine guns equipped by the Second Battalion were incredibly effective; a combat team consisting of two rifles could take on seven or eight Japanese soldiers one-on-one without being at a disadvantage.

The MP38's terrifying rate of fire gave it a huge advantage in the melee, with the two riflemen only responsible for protecting the submachine gunner.

Zhao Mancang couldn't get involved in such a chaotic battle. The "Combat Manual" allowed them to decide their own targets. Zhao Mancang only had one target: the "colleague" who had almost killed him.

Hideo Nakamura was also lying in wait. He didn't have a specific target, but his first choice was Chinese snipers, since fellow snipers are enemies.

He even suspected that one of his old classmates was on the other side, otherwise how could a backward China have a sniper?

Captain Cheng Xiao shot and killed a company commander. The sound of his gunshot excited Nakamura Hideo; it was all too familiar!

"Cheng Jun, is that you? Still so impatient."

Nakamura Hideo's eyes gleamed with a sharp light. He had lost to Cheng Xiao in the graduation assessment, but this was a battlefield, and he was confident he could reclaim his glory.

Cheng Xiao had no idea that he had been targeted by a venomous snake. After returning to China, he took a position in the Training Corps. The Military Commission transferred two battalions from the Training Corps to supplement the guerrilla detachment, and he was one of them.

The Nationalist army did not value sniper training, so Cheng Xiao was never given important positions after returning to China and lived as a nobody.

As a professional sniper, he, like Zhao Mancang, hid in the third line of defense, where he could freely shoot the Japanese soldiers.

In just a day and a half, he had already shot and killed 22 Japanese soldiers, all of whom were important targets.

After moving to a new sniping position, he targeted a skilled assassin and easily sent the Japanese soldier back to his hometown, completely exposing his own position to Hideo Nakamura.

23!

Just as he extended his gun to shoot his 24th target, he felt a sudden jolt of fear and instinctively tilted his head, the bullet grazing his neck.

Cheng Xiao nimbly shrank into the trench. He also smelled the familiar scent and almost got ambushed.

Hideo Nakamura shook his head with great regret. He had missed a golden opportunity, but he was not discouraged. The competition with his old classmate had only just begun.

Zhao Mancang had finally gotten his "enemy" to make a move. There was no mistake; he was extremely sensitive to gunshots and could remember them perfectly.

He had already located Nakamura Hideo's hiding place, but had no chance to fire his gun; the Japanese soldiers were very well hidden.

The main battle was still in chaos, but the Second Battalion was already at a disadvantage. Regiment Commander Wang Guohua decisively sent the First Battalion to reinforce them, which stabilized the situation and gave them a slight advantage.

Colonel Ohno also exerted all his strength, with two severely depleted battalions launching a frontal assault, while another battalion feigned an attack on the isolated battalion's position on the right flank.

The two sides fought fiercely around the first line of defense. The Japanese were determined to win. The Second Battalion and the First Battalion refused to give up an inch of ground. The ground was littered with corpses, some of them Japanese soldiers and others of the guerrilla detachment. Many of them fought to the death.

Inside the guerrilla detachment headquarters, Zhao Yunwen's expression was unreadable. He vaguely remembered that the first key point on the outer perimeter to be attacked was Jurong. Two regiments of the 66th Army fought to the death for three days and four nights, and their defenses were breached after they were almost wiped out.

Now that the guerrilla detachment had captured the Jurong defense line, Zhao Yunwen would not allow his position to be breached first, thus hindering the 74th Army and other units in the central route.

Xie Polu walked in and reported:

"The regiment has returned to its position, and we have enough reserves. The results have also been tallied: we killed more than 1200 enemy soldiers and captured 2 infantry guns, 3 rapid-fire guns, and more than 900 rifles and pistols."

Zhao Yunwen nodded and killed more than 1200 Japanese soldiers. He wanted the 16th Division to shed its last drop of blood before entering Nanjing.

"Telegram to Zhang Yi: tell them to stay put. The main force of the 16th Division hasn't moved yet; the fiercest battle is yet to come."

In the central battleground, Cheng Xiao and Nakamura Hideo's battle of wits and courage has reached a fever pitch. They have exchanged blows for three rounds without either managing to hit the other.

The two knew each other inside and out, and had an extraordinary sense of battlefield awareness, always managing to avoid deadly moves at crucial moments.

Zhao Mancang never got a chance to make a move, but he had figured out Nakamura Hideo's movement patterns. He was just a little bit unlucky; the Japanese were too cunning.

Cheng Xiao knew about Zhao Mancang and the others. He was determined to kill Nakamura Hideo, and was even willing to risk his own life as bait.

Cheng Xiao took a deep breath and struck again with lightning speed. His gunshots rang out almost simultaneously with those of Nakamura Hideo.

"Damn it!"

Cheng Xiao's body fell heavily into the trench. He Xiwang rushed over and took out a first-aid kit and antiseptic to treat his wounds, fighting against death to save him.

Hideo Nakamura wore a victorious smile; he too had been shot, in the left shoulder, but it wasn't a fatal wound.

His smile didn't last long; Zhao Mancang's gun went off—a familiar sound.

Hideo Nakamura instinctively tried to avoid vital areas, but the wound on his shoulder hindered his movement. In a flash, a bullet entered his eye socket at a 45-degree angle.

The 7.92mm bullet's astonishing lethality nearly blew Nakamura Hideo's head apart. He defeated his old classmate, but lost his life in the process.

After shooting Nakamura Hideo, Zhao Mancang also rushed towards Cheng Xiao, who opened her eyes with difficulty and looked at Zhao Mancang.

Zhao Mancang simply nodded emphatically, and Cheng Xiao smiled before closing her eyes.

"Don't look so sad, you're not going to die!"

He Xiwang's cold words delighted Zhao Mancang; Cheng Xiao was risking her life to give him a chance.

Zhao Mancang had missed three opportunities before this. If Cheng Xiao were to sacrifice herself because of this, he would not forgive himself, and his Dao heart would also be damaged.

The fighting on the main battlefield continues, and Hideo Nakamura is just an insignificant figure. People are falling every minute and every second.

As time went on, the Japanese army's disadvantages gradually increased, eventually leading to a rout.

Taking advantage of the situation, the soldiers of the Second Regiment launched a surprise attack, chasing the enemy for hundreds of meters, leaving behind many short-legged Japanese soldiers.

Colonel Ohno ordered indiscriminate shelling, and shells rained down, forcing the soldiers of the 2nd Regiment to halt their pursuit and retreat to their positions for cover.

The Japanese attack ended in failure once again. Brigade Commander Kusaba Tatsumi gave Colonel Ohno a thorough dressing-down, and this time he lost all face in front of Nakajima Kesago.

Lieutenant Colonel Shoji Imai, the brigade's chief of staff, quickly stepped in to smooth things over:

"General, the Sulu Guerrilla Detachment is quite strong. One regiment is not enough. Why not send two regiments together and attack from three sides? We will surely break through the Jurong defense line."

The 9th Infantry Regiment had just suffered a heavy loss on the northern front, losing a battalion. Regimental Commander Katagiri Goro volunteered for the next battle:

"General, please allow me to lead my troops to avenge our warriors!"

The guerrilla detachment was a nemesis of the Ninth Regiment. It was decimated in Jiangyin City, and after finally replenishing its ranks, it lost another battalion. If it didn't fight a decisive battle to turn the tide, Colonel Katagiri's future in the army would be over.

Major General Caochang agreed to their request for battle and said in a deep voice:

"The 9th Infantry Regiment is responsible for attacking the flanks, the 20th Regiment continues to attack the center, and the artillery regiment provides full support."

"Gentlemen, Jinling is right before us. The empire's thousand-year-old dream is about to be realized. Success or failure hinges on this moment. I implore you!"

After Kusaba Tatsumi finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the others, which was a signal to fight to the death in the Japanese army.

"Heh, I will certainly not disappoint Your Excellency the General!"

After the two regimental commanders returned the salute, they left with murderous intent. The Japanese soldiers began to go berserk, and an even bigger bloody battle awaited the guerrilla detachment. Watch how Zhao Yunwen slaughters his way through the enemy lines. Click on your bookshelf to lock in the latest plot. Daily updates without delay!