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

The Japanese troops of the 19th Regiment were charging under heavy fire on the guerrilla detachment's defensive line, suffering heavy casualties and showing signs of exhaustion.

A barrage of shells rained down from the sky, striking the enemy ranks like raindrops. The explosions instantly engulfed dozens of Japanese soldiers, causing the commander to scream in terror:

"Enemy attack—take cover!"

Before the Japanese soldiers could lie down, a second volley of shells came crashing down, killing and wounding a large number of them.

Bullets rained down, causing widespread chaos among the Japanese soldiers. Fear spread like wildfire; some ducked for cover, while others turned tail and fled for their lives.

The guerrilla detachment's counterattack was extremely fierce. Type 41 mountain guns, Type 92 infantry guns, and Type 20 mortars were all used in concentrated bursts, one after another, demonstrating the terrifying power of artillery.

The Japanese infantry were all exposed in the open, with no cover or protection. A single bomb could wipe out large numbers of them, which had a huge impact on morale.

After more than a dozen rounds of artillery fire, the Japanese suffered a large-scale rout. At this critical moment, the terrifying bugle call sounded.

The guerrilla detachment launched a full-scale counter-offensive. Soldiers from all over the mountains and fields rushed out of the trenches, their gleaming bayonets sending chills down people's spines, and their battle cries shook the heavens.

The last shred of hope of the Japanese soldiers vanished, their morale collapsed instantly, and they all fled for their lives, with no one willing to stay and resist.

The soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment, which was closest to them, quickly caught up and pounced into the enemy ranks like tigers, their assault rifles spitting out long tongues of fire, sweeping away large areas.

Grenades rained down, guns were used for those at a distance, and bayonets for those up close, resulting in a fierce and exhilarating battle.

The Japanese soldiers were already terrified. The shouts of battle and the sounds of gunfire accelerated their rout, which quickly spiraled out of control. Some officers tried to stop them, but were killed by the fleeing soldiers after firing only two shots. The army was collapsing like a house of cards; anyone who tried to stop them was killed.

"You bastards! You cowards! You've completely disgraced the Imperial Army!"

"Open fire! Kill them all!"

"Don't run away!"

When Ren Jianxiu completely broke down, his worst fears came true: the guerrilla detachment was indeed plotting something, and Zhao Yunwen was still a good person.

At this time, the regimental headquarters only had two understrength infantry companies and one machine gun company. The artillery company was just for show, and it would be difficult to hold back the fleeing soldiers with such a small force.

Just as Hitoshi Hidezo was hesitating, artillery shells from the guerrilla detachment rained down. After defeating the infantry group, the shelling turned its target to the regimental headquarters.

After just two rounds of artillery fire, the regimental headquarters was thrown into chaos. Hitoshi Hidezoh brandished his sword to quell the unrest, slashing several men in the process.

The senior staff officer's eyes were filled with fear as he hurriedly said:

"Commander, the Chinese are attacking! We must protect the regimental flag at all costs!"

The senior staff officer's words jolted Hitoshi Hidezo awake. The defeat was already inevitable, beyond saving. The most urgent task was to preserve the regimental headquarters and the regimental flag!

Having figured this out, he stopped pretending and let out a cold shout:

"Quickly turn around and move towards the division headquarters!"

With the defeat of the 19th Regiment headquarters, the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt. Zhao Yunwen and the others smiled with relief. The trap he had dug beforehand had worked wonders, and the biggest hidden danger had been eliminated.

The guerrillas pursued the Japanese cavalry for several kilometers before stopping and retreating while taking turns providing cover.

Because many defeated soldiers were blocking the way, the cavalry did not dare to pursue rashly, but instead helped the remaining soldiers retreat to the division headquarters.

Fearing for the safety of his troops, Zhao Yunwen ordered a retreat. The pursuing soldiers picked up the equipment abandoned by the Japanese along the way and slowly retreated back to the Japanese regimental headquarters, where they immediately began to defend.

A portion of the Japanese troops were on guard while the main force quickly cleaned up the battlefield. The Japanese retreated hastily, leaving behind a large amount of supplies and several artillery pieces that they couldn't take with them, all of which benefited the guerrilla detachment.

At the First Peak, the Japanese offensive abruptly ceased, ending hastily. Just as Gui Yongqing was filled with confusion, Qiu the Madman excitedly rushed over to report:

"Commander-in-Chief, good news! Senior Zhao has sent a report of victory. They first feigned weakness to lure the main force of the Japanese troops who were left behind up the mountain. When the Japanese were fighting with all their might, the guerrilla detachment launched a full-scale counterattack and severely damaged the 19th Infantry Regiment."

They annihilated over a thousand enemy soldiers, recaptured positions such as the Second Peak and Tiger Cave, and regained the initiative on the battlefield.

Gui Yongqing was overjoyed after hearing this and excitedly said:

"Brother Yunwen is truly a great general of the country. We were worried that Xiaomaofeng would be lost and our eastern front would be exposed to the Japanese army."

"Now that's good, the crisis on the eastern front has been resolved. With the guerrilla detachment in place, we only need to focus on dealing with the enemy on the northern front."

Qiu the Madman continued:

"We've found the reason why the Japanese suddenly withdrew. The routed soldiers of the 19th Infantry Regiment frightened them. They wouldn't dare to resume their offensive until they figured out the reason, which gave us some breathing room."

"That's not all. With the guerrilla detachment in place, the main force of the 9th Division doesn't dare to attack freely. They have to leave at least a portion on guard, and their supply lines are also threatened!"

Gui Yongqing's battlefield intuition was also top-notch; he quickly made a decision and continued:

"Chief of Staff Qiu, immediately send a telegram back to Commander Zhao, telling him to make his own decision, whether it's harassing the Japanese supply lines or flanking the main force of the 9th Division."

Furthermore, report the victory to the city defense command!

Gui Yongqing was in high spirits. As the commander-in-chief of the Zijin Mountain defense zone, he was also partly responsible for the guerrilla detachment's achievements, at least in terms of effective command.

Gui Yongqing was He Jingzhi's nephew and had connections in the government; otherwise, he wouldn't have become the head of the training brigade. In the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy, his promotion was no slower than anyone else's.

The guerrilla detachment achieved brilliant results in Zijin Mountain. The main credit went to Zhao Yunwen, but the secondary credit was enough for him to live a life of plenty.

At Xiaomaofeng, the guerrilla detachment headquarters, a great victory had just been won, and the atmosphere was very lively. Xie Polu excitedly said:

"The reconnaissance company of the 2nd Regiment reports that the 9th Division headquarters has urgently retreated ten miles, and a portion of its main force has also been diverted to the east for guard duty. They're trying to prevent us from flanking them!"

Lupin then chimed in:

"There are no large groups of Japanese troops in the east or northeast. Our guerrilla detachment has been selectively forgotten by the Japanese. We have achieved our previous objectives and have completely seized the initiative on the battlefield."

Zhao Yunwen also raised his voice and said:

"This is called 'getting off the hook with one punch to avoid getting hit a hundred times.' Nowadays, Tiger Cave and Little Mao Peak are shaped like chicken claws, with little meat on them. You need to have good teeth to avoid them. Everyone would find them repulsive."

The Japanese were focused on Nanjing, which was like a ripe chicken. The 88th Division and the Training Corps were the two legs of the chicken, while the Second Army Corps and the two Cantonese armies were the wings.

Yuhuatai, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, and the city gates are the Japanese's main targets; we simply cannot stop them. From now on, everyone will rest and recuperate, focusing on treating the wounded. Troops will take turns resting to ensure they are fully prepared for street fighting.

Lu Ping and Xie Polu gladly accepted the order and left. Zhao Yunwen had already made up his mind that the second peak could not be abandoned. He would leave a battalion to hold the line, which would not only take care of the wounded but also support the regiment.

The Japanese soldiers' minds are all on Nanjing. Who would be foolish enough to come to the mountains to gnaw on bones? It's safe for at least half a month.

Yuhuatai, the position of the 88th Division

Under the cover of aircraft, tanks, and artillery, thousands of Japanese soldiers launched a continuous and fierce attack. The entire division of 6,000 soldiers fought desperately to resist, suffering heavy casualties, and the position was gradually lost.

The western front and Zhonghua Gate were occupied by the 6th Division, while the front and eastern front were occupied by the 114th Division, with a total strength of over 20,000 men, while the remnants of the 88th Division numbered only 6,000.

The forward positions have been lost, and the main force has retreated to the core positions. The 88th Division headquarters is located at Zhonghua Gate, one kilometer away, and is headed by Sun Yuanlang.

After three days of fierce fighting, the main force of the 88th Division, the 262nd and 264th Brigades, had suffered heavy casualties, and the supplementary regiments on both flanks of Zhonghua Gate had also suffered heavy losses. They were now at a critical moment of life and death.

The commander of the Japanese 10th Army, Yanagawa Heisuke, had lost patience and issued a general attack order. Thousands of Japanese soldiers surged onto the Yuhuatai position like a tidal wave. Cai Rubai, commander of the 528th Regiment, and Han Xianyuan, commander of the 512th Regiment, were killed in action. Most of the battalion and company-level officers were also killed in action.

Major General Zhu Youqing, commander of the 262nd Brigade, saw the Japanese soldiers charging forward and raised his arm to shout:

"Brothers, let's fight the Japanese devils!"

General Zhu was the first to charge out of the position, bayoneted rifle in hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese soldiers; the two forces collided violently...