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

The Japanese artillery positions were shrouded in smoke, and busy figures could be seen everywhere. They worked in perfect coordination and with skillful movements, clearly elite artillerymen who had undergone professional training.

Commanders issued commands like robots; to them, life was just a series of cold numbers, and soldiers only needed to carry out orders.

This artillery position has a total of four 75mm howitzers. They are firing at the core position of Hutou Mountain. The ground is piled with empty shell casings, and boxes of shells are placed all around, seemingly oblivious to the presence of others.

The commander had just given the order when he subconsciously looked up at the sky, as if he could hear the sound of artillery shells piercing the air.

His expression changed from stiff to contorted in an instant, his eyes filled with terror as he watched the barrage of shells rain down.

"Yamete!"

"Boom boom boom..."

The explosion swallowed his screams; the massive shockwave tore his body to pieces. Two of the four cannons were destroyed on the spot. The previously zombie-like artillerymen let out painful howls; they finally tasted the bitterness of being bombed.

This was just the beginning. The second round of shells followed immediately, instantly detonating the shells all over the ground and wiping out all life on the entire position, leaving several deep pits, saving the trouble of digging more pits to bury the Japanese soldiers.

After firing three rounds, the artillery company directly under the Fourth Regiment moved away. By the time the other two Japanese positions reacted, they had already run hundreds of meters away, and the Japanese retaliatory iron fists struck the air.

After being hit hard by the defending artillery, the Japanese soldiers became much more cautious and no longer dared to fire recklessly.

The artillery barrage was hastily ended, and the Japanese infantry, superstitious about the invincibility of Bushido, launched another attack, densely covering the hillside.

The soldiers of the Fourth Regiment unleashed their full firepower, firing mortars, light and heavy machine guns, rifles, and grenades at the Japanese. Snipers targeted officers and technical soldiers, and the M2 mortars were so accurate they seemed to have eyes. The Japanese machine guns were taken out after only a few bursts, rendering the heavy firepower ineffective.

Without the suppression of heavy firepower, the Japanese precision shooting was also ineffective, because the defending troops were using the same tactics as the Americans, suppressing them with a dense barrage of machine gun fire. Anyone who peeked out would be hit, making it impossible to defend against.

The soldiers of the Fourth Regiment had never fought such a rich battle before. Although they were previously the Training Corps, their logistical support system was far inferior to that of the guerrilla column.

Inside the Second Brigade Command Post, everyone was in good spirits. The Japanese offensive looked fierce, but it was no different from sending their own people to their deaths.

Qiu Fengzi said with a smile:

"Commander, we can hold out for a few more days without any problem, which will allow us to inflict more casualties on the Japanese."

Zhao Yunwen shook his head and said:

"It's no use. Once the Japanese fail to capture the city after a long siege, they will change their attack direction. They will simply take a detour for a few days, which will disrupt the headquarters' plans."

We should follow the orders from headquarters and hold out until nightfall before retreating and letting the Japanese in.

Commander Li has already prepared the banquet; we can't just turn our guests away!

After hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, making the atmosphere even more relaxed.

After spending some time with Zhao Yunwen, Xie Polu's thinking gradually caught up with his, and he interjected, saying:

"Commander Li is hosting the banquet, and we're responsible for serving the dishes outside—that's the proper way to treat guests!"

Xie Polu's analogy was very vivid, and everyone understood it perfectly. As long as there were guerrilla columns to hold the city back from the outside, the Japanese would not be able to attack the city freely. This was much more effective than simply defending.

The Japanese offensive continued, but it was clearly running out of steam. The 4th Regiment held them back, and casualties continued to rise.

Colonel Fu Rong's face was so gloomy it could drip water. He was clearly just one small hill away from being conquered, and he couldn't take it down. It was like a lump in his throat.

His three infantry battalions took turns attacking, and artillery shells rained down on the hilltop. The defenders seemed indestructible; after two and a half days of fighting, their strength and firepower appeared to have not diminished.

"Baka yarou! Does Zhao Yunwen have some kind of magic talent, conjuring soldiers from beans?!"

Colonel Furong's words were tinged with a deep sense of powerlessness, which reminded him of Black Wind Pass. The guerrilla column was indeed as troublesome as rumored.

Inside the trenches, Private Li Youde became more composed. In just two days, his demeanor underwent a qualitative change, and he became a true veteran.

The number of Japanese soldiers who fell to his gun had increased to six, a feat comparable to that of veteran Zhang Ke. Corporal Yang Shibiao of the trio had already sacrificed his life. That's how it is on the battlefield; it's either you die or I live.

Li Youde set his sights on another Japanese soldier, a sergeant who was cunning and shifty. He wanted to challenge himself.

The sergeant was urging the other Japanese soldiers to open fire while he hid behind to pick off stragglers. Li Youde hated such slippery guys the most, so he decisively pulled the trigger. The bullet missed, and the old Japanese soldier was so frightened that he shrank into the shell crater and never showed his face again.

Li Youde was not discouraged, but waited quietly; he had enough patience.

Sergeant Riverside always felt that a pair of malicious eyes were staring at him, making his scalp tingle, so he decided to stay obediently in the shell crater and just wait until the retreat.

Captain Yasuda, the company commander, was acting crazy again, insisting on continuing the assault up the mountain. This was suicidal. Sergeant Kawabe pretended not to hear and just stayed in the shell crater, taking a break.

The other Japanese soldiers were also dawdling, and Captain Kubota, having lost face, immediately fired two shots into the sky, cursing as he fired:

"Charge! Cowards don't deserve to live! Die, die!"

All the Japanese soldiers got up. Sergeant Hebian could no longer pretend to be dead, or he would be made an example of by the company commander.

The old Japanese soldier was cautious; he hid his body behind the big, clumsy guy in front of him, trying to expose himself as much as possible, prioritizing his survival.

The Japanese soldiers charged forward, firing as they went, oblivious to the falling of their comrades.

To cover the infantry charge, infantry guns, howitzers, and Type 92 heavy machine guns from the rear continuously rained bullets down on the defending positions.

The hot bullet whizzed past Li Youde's head, but he didn't even blink, his eyes fixed on the sergeant by the river.

The Fourth Regiment's dozens of light and heavy machine guns kept firing, and even though they knew they would be bombed, they did not change positions. They only thought about eliminating more Japanese soldiers, even if it meant sacrificing themselves.

The same was true of the Japanese heavy firepower. While destroying the defenders' firing points, they also exposed themselves, and what awaited them was a long-range attack from the Fourth Regiment.

Both sides were fighting for their lives. The big, clumsy guy who was blocking the way for the sergeant on the riverbank was shot down by machine gun fire. Just as he was about to hide behind another Japanese soldier, Li Youde fired his gun.

The bullet struck the sergeant in the lower abdomen. He fell to the ground, curled up and rolled around, begging the other Japanese soldiers to save him, blood gushing out like a fountain.

Li Youde originally intended to finish him off, but then decided against it, letting the Japanese soldier die a painful death, which was the greatest favor he could do for him.

More and more Japanese soldiers were being shot down, many of them seriously wounded. There was no such thing as a minor injury when hit by a 7.92mm full-charge bullet.

The Fourth Regiment also suffered heavy casualties, but the Japanese 6.5mm Arisaka shells had limited lethality. As long as they were not hit in vital areas, most of them could be saved, and some were even able to continue fighting.

The Fourth Regiment held control of the battlefield and had trenches for protection. As soon as a soldier was shot, someone would immediately drag him into the trench for first aid. There were special first aid kits and anti-inflammatory drugs, and most of the wounded could be saved.

Zhao Yunwen has always attached great importance to field medical care, and has equipped the hospital with a large number of emergency medicines. At critical moments, he has pulled many seriously wounded people back from the brink of death, and the casualty ratio has been maintained at more than 6 to 1.

In contrast, the Japanese casualties were exposed in the open, in dusty conditions, making them highly susceptible to infection, and almost no one provided them with medical treatment.

Sergeant Kawabe initially struggled, but gradually his strength gave out. As his blood congealed, his life force was exhausted, and he died on a hillside in a foreign land, his facial muscles contorted in a horrifying way, having suffered greatly before his death.

The Japanese troops finally couldn't withstand the huge casualties and retreated like a tide. Without any cover, they fled in disarray, utterly disgracing the Raigani Brigade.

Major General Lai Gu was so angry that he cursed loudly:

"Useless, a bunch of useless trash!"

"A disgrace to the Imperial Army!"

The Japanese soldiers seemed to have lost their fighting spirit, and after their rout, they did not launch a new attack for the entire afternoon.

As the sun set, Zhao Yunwen, seeing that it was almost time, waved his hand and said:

"Leave one battalion to provide cover, the rest of you retreat!"

The Japanese soldiers were licking their wounds in the night. Zhao Yunwen was no longer going to play along with them. He was going to teach them a lesson about the "sticky" tactics.