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

"Baka yarou, enemy attack!"

"A sharpshooter at two o'clock!"

Zhao Mancang's bullet accurately hit Major Aoki at a distance of 736 meters!

Captain Honda was furious. A Chinese sniper had shot and killed his battalion commander right under his nose, with dozens of guards surrounding him. To fire a shot in full view of everyone was utterly disrespectful.

The Japanese soldiers pounced on Zhao Mancang like madmen, but he quickly moved away after succeeding, leaving only a fleeting afterimage for the pursuers.

Gunshots rang out like popping beans, bullets whizzed around, not caring whether they could hit anything.

With the two sides more than 500 meters apart, firing a regular rifle would be a complete waste of bullets.

When the Japanese soldiers arrived at Zhao Mancang's hiding place, there was no one there; they only found a 7.92mm shell casing.

The squad leader ordered the search to continue, but they were met with machine gun fire and had to retreat in disarray, losing more than a dozen men.

Captain Honda was so frustrated that he yelled, but he didn't dare to continue the pursuit and could only call for reinforcements from the regimental headquarters.

At the headquarters of the 13th Infantry Regiment, Colonel Yasuyuki Okamoto's brows were furrowed in worry. He had thought it was just a routine task to wipe out the remaining enemy, but they had gotten stuck in a quagmire.

Almost all three infantry battalions were engaged in the battle, leaving only two infantry companies to guard the regimental headquarters. The communications staff officer rushed to report:

"Commander, the Second Battalion Commander has been killed on the banks of the Qinhuai River. Chinese sharpshooters are appearing everywhere. Captain Honda requests tactical guidance."

The bad news of Major Aoki's assassination completely enraged Colonel Okamoto, who roared:

"You idiots, a bunch of useless trash!"

"Without reinforcements, let them fend for themselves!"

Senior staff officer Major Takeda waved away the communications officer and said in a deep voice:

"Commander, based on the information we have so far, the Chinese are very skilled in urban warfare and are familiar with the terrain, putting the Imperial Army at a great disadvantage."

Colonel Okamoto said impatiently:

"Takeda-kun, stop beating around the bush and get to the point. How should we respond?"

Major Takeda dared not show off any longer and went straight to the point:

"We can only use overwhelming firepower to clear the way. Wherever there are Chinese people, we call the artillery regiment to bomb them flat, and then the infantry group goes up to clear out the remaining troops in different areas."

Colonel Okamoto stroked his beard and said:

"Yosh, this is a brilliant plan. Call in artillery support immediately and bomb the banks of the Qinhuai River flat."

Major Takeda snorted and left. Not long after, dozens of howitzers from the 6th Field Artillery Regiment bombarded both banks of the Qinhuai River, razing countless houses to the ground and destroying a thousand years of wealth in the flames of war.

Looking at the once bustling city now reduced to ruins, Colonel Okamoto wore a cruel smile. This was the rage of the Kumamoto Regiment.

"Takeda-kun, now the warriors can go up and collect the bodies of the Chinese. Remember, the Kumamoto Regiment doesn't need prisoners."

In the northern part of the city, at the guerrilla headquarters, Zhao Yunwen witnessed the Japanese soldiers' madness, yet his face remained calm.

He didn't want to see the ancient city destroyed by war, but there was nothing he could do. The bandits had invaded his homeland, and he would rather die than live in dishonor.

Moreover, he knew better than anyone that even if the city wasn't destroyed, it would still fall to the Japanese in the coming weeks of burning, killing, and looting.

If we fight, we can at least make the Japanese pay a heavy price. The 6th, 9th, 13th, 16th, and 114th Divisions—every single one of them is a beast.

He was determined to kill these beasts, even if it meant sacrificing the entire city!

In the east of the city, the Japanese troops of the 16th and 9th Divisions attacked key points such as the First Peak, Fugui Mountain, and Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum day and night, leaving piles of corpses.

In the south and north of the city, the Sixth Division, the 114th Division, and the guerrilla column soldiers fought street by street, alley by alley, and house by house. Countless corpses lay in the ruins.

On the western front, the 13th Division sent a unit into the city, but they quickly became bogged down in a quagmire. Fighting was taking place everywhere except in the safe zone, and blood stained the entire city.

The Westerners stranded in the city had never seen such a bloody scene before. They recorded everything they saw, heard, and felt, turning it into a series of articles calling for peace.

Consuls from Western powers visited Japanese consuls one after another, hoping that they would abide by international law, refrain from wantonly massacring civilians, and restrain their troops. Prince Asaka Kyuhiko was under tremendous pressure.

On the one hand, he hypocritically assured the world that he would not target civilians, while on the other hand, he issued the strictest military order to the Japanese soldiers in the city, demanding that all the defeated soldiers and resisters be eliminated within three days, regardless of the cost or the means.

Prince Asaka represented the Imperial Family, and his strict orders drove the Japanese soldiers to even greater frenzy, almost to the point of exhaustion.

Zhao Yunwen also gave a death order, and the two sides fought to the death amidst the rubble and ruins. No one knows how many people died.

The Japanese underestimated the power of street fighting; it could infinitely level the playing field between individual soldiers. As long as they were determined to die, even new recruits could kill seasoned veterans.

Once the two sides are locked in a fierce battle, it is difficult to determine a winner in a short period of time. They can only wear each other down with lives until one side's fighting spirit collapses.

Zhu Dacai couldn't remember how many days the fighting had lasted, nor how many Japanese soldiers he had killed. Only two people remained in the entire class, the other being a seriously wounded soldier, barely clinging to life.

"Class monitor... I'm cold... so cold!"

Zhu Dacai wrapped the overcoat he had taken from the Japanese soldier around Niu Sanyong's body. This was the second one he had taken from Niu Sanyong, who was still shivering.

"Squad leader, I don't want to die... Is there any chance I can get home alive?"

"Yes, definitely! I'll carry you back!"

Zhu Dacai lies without batting an eye. Not to mention Niu Sanyong, who is barely clinging to life, even he himself doesn't know if he'll live to see the dawn.

"Mommy...I want my mommy...Class monitor, take me to see my mommy!"

Niu Sanyong was a new recruit added to the 87th Division in Jiangxi Province. He was only seventeen years old and had never even killed a chicken before.

"Fireworks...how beautiful the fireworks are!"

"Look, there are fireworks in the sky!"

Zhu Dacai thought Niu Sanyong was hallucinating, but subconsciously looked up at the sky to cooperate with him—there really were fireworks!

There was more than one flower; they were incredibly beautiful and could be seen throughout the city.

"So beautiful...Mom..."

Niu Sanyong leaned his head against Zhu Dacai's chest, the latter completely unaware of anything amiss, his mind filled with joy.

These are fireworks!

The commander had already instructed us to break out to the east as soon as we saw fireworks.

Zhu Dacai shouted excitedly:

"That son of a bitch Zhao Yunwen finally remembered to set off fireworks! We can break out now. Come on, Sanyong, I'll take you home!"

"Three Courageous Ones!"

"Wake up, kid! There are fireworks, don't scare me!"

Zhu Dacai shook him for a while before realizing that Sanyong had already died in his arms.

"Three Courageous Ones!"

Zhu Dacai cried out in a mournful voice; this was the only name of his companion that he had remembered over the years.

In the depths of the night, gunfire suddenly erupted, crackling like firecrackers—the guerrilla column had broken through the encirclement!

Without bugle calls or battle cries, the soldiers, survivors of countless battles, broke through towards the direction of the dazzling fireworks, where there was hope for survival.

Zhu Dacai gently laid down Niu Sanyong's body, wiped away the tears that had fallen from the corners of his eyes, and rushed out of the ruins with the captured rifle in hand.

His submachine gun was long out of bullets; carrying it on his back was no different from carrying a fire poker.

At the column headquarters, after setting off fireworks, Zhao Yunwen raised his submachine gun high and asked loudly:

"Is everything ready?"

Xie Polu led the shouts:

"Ready!"

"Brothers, stay close! I'll lead you through this!"

The soldiers of the special operations battalion shouted in unison:

"Kill! Kill! Kill!!!"