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

Major Yasui couldn't think of a feasible solution either. Lanfeng City was a dead end. Unless they retreated at all costs, they could only hold on.

"Commander, the Imperial Army is in trouble, and the 107th Division of China is in trouble as well. Now it's just a matter of who can't hold on first."

The Imperial Army's greatest advantage is that reinforcements are on their way. The 16th Division has split into two groups and is heading towards Lanfeng. The 107th Division's doom is nigh!

Colonel Yokoyama was greatly encouraged after hearing this, as it was all out in the open. The 16th Division had already captured Qixian and defeated three divisions of the Yudong Corps; the scales of victory had tipped, and all that was needed was to wait patiently.

With this in mind, Colonel Yokoyama said confidently:

"Yoshi, Yasui-kun is absolutely right. The day the reinforcements arrive will be the day the 107th Division is annihilated!"

"Immediately send a telegram to the warriors inside the city, instructing them to hold out until nightfall tomorrow, and during this time, avoid engaging the Chinese in a war of attrition; simply keep them occupied."

Major Yasui snorted and left, while Colonel Yokoyama also planned to take a nap; he had been working two nights in a row and was feeling the strain.

West of Liuji, at the Japanese outer perimeter guard post, a Type 11 light machine gun was mounted on the barricade, blocking the dirt road leading to Liuji.

In an inconspicuous pit, the sentry, Corporal Kawaguchi, was vigilantly watching his surroundings, his prominent ears standing tall, able to hear even the slightest rustling sound.

It must be said that these Japanese devils were very vigilant, but they were always one step ahead of the devil.

They encountered the reconnaissance company of the 323rd Brigade. These soldiers were selected from the entire brigade and trained by the backbone of the division's reconnaissance battalion; they were a low-spec version of special forces.

Despite Kawaguchi Jiro's excellent concealment, he still couldn't escape Sergeant Ding Rongfu's sharp eyes, as stealth was his specialty.

Squad Leader Ding's weapon configuration was exactly the same as that of the reconnaissance battalion. He had a tactical short knife with a reflective finish stuck in his leg and a triple-barreled crossbow in his hand, with the crossbow bolts coated with deadly poison.

The barricade sentries were in the open, but strictly speaking, they were cannon fodder. Kawaguchi hid a few dozen meters to the side and rear, where he could see the machine gunner perfectly.

If the attackers take out the machine gunner first, they will definitely be spotted by Captain Kawaguchi. Once they fire, everyone will be exposed.

As guards for regular troops, it's already quite remarkable that they could do this.

Ding Rongfu and two other team members formed an assault team, each equipped with a crossbow, with two team members responsible for protecting him.

Their movement was very strange; they moved silently in the dark, without even panting.

They quickly crept up behind Kawaguchi Jiro. To be absolutely certain, Ding Rongfu put away his crossbow, gently drew the short sword tucked into his leg, and silently pounced on Kawaguchi.

As he swung his knife, he pressed the Japanese soldier's head into the mud with his other hand. Kawaguchi struggled in pain, trying to make a sound, but his mouth was stuffed with mud, and he stopped moving after a few struggles.

Ding Rongfu did not immediately let go, but only moved away slowly after sensing with his palm that the Japanese soldier had no vital signs. The short knife remained horizontally across Kawaguchi's neck.

After eliminating the sentries, Ding Rongfu led two team members to continue their approach towards the Japanese machine gun team, this time deciding to take them out with a crossbow.

When they reached a position only 20 meters away from the Japanese machine gun team, Ding Rongfu made several hand gestures to his team members, clarifying the targets they needed to shoot.

There were a total of 6 Japanese soldiers, including a 4-man machine gun team and two guard riflemen. Ding Rongfu chose the machine gunner as his target, while the other two took care of the two riflemen first.

Because the other three members of the machine gun crew were ammunition handlers and assistant gunners, and were only equipped with a Nambu pistol, they posed the least threat.

Ding Rongfu decisively pulled the trigger, and the crossbow bolt accurately hit the target's left neck. The enormous kinetic energy pierced through the neck, killing him instantly.

He then quickly turned his crossbow and fired two bolts in quick succession, killing the assistant marksman and a mortar crewman.

At the same time, the two team members also took care of the remaining three Japanese soldiers, who only let out slight screams.

There were no other Japanese soldiers within dozens of meters, so this slight commotion had no impact whatsoever.

After eliminating all the Japanese soldiers, Ding Rongfu used a flashlight to signal the others, and soon the reconnaissance company soldiers ran past the checkpoint.

The reconnaissance company commander left a squad to support the main force, and then led his soldiers to continue the assault into the rear, clearing obstacles.

At 3 a.m., all the Japanese guard forces deployed on the perimeter were cleared out, and the 645th Regiment's assault battalion advanced to the Japanese circular fortifications and lay in ambush 200 meters away.

The 1st Mountain Artillery Battalion established an artillery position 600 meters away, with the dark muzzles of the cannons pointing towards the 2nd Regiment Headquarters.

The Japanese had built an arc-shaped field fortification around the town, consisting of several trenches, and the command post was located in the Chen family compound in the center of the town.

Liuji is a small town with a permanent population of only a few hundred people. It has only one street, which is a little over a hundred meters long. The main road runs through the middle of the town, with a row of houses and shops on both sides. It is a place for the surrounding villages to hold market days, with large markets on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month.

Before the Japanese arrived, most of the civilians had already fled, and the few dozen who remained, clinging to a sliver of hope, were all massacred.

In order to prevent the Japanese from escaping, after the assault battalion was in position, the cavalry regiment outflanked the town from the left and surrounded it from the rear.

The second and third battalions flanked the enemy from the left and right flanks, encircling them from all sides, waiting for the first mountain artillery battalion to open fire.

At four o'clock in the morning, Commander Li fired three red signal flares into the night sky, signaling the start of the general offensive.

Sixteen 75mm mountain guns opened fire on the Japanese positions. Using such intense firepower to attack a small town was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

The positions in the direction of the town were instantly covered by artillery fire. A large number of trenches were flattened by the shock wave. The Japanese suffered heavy casualties, and the rest were in chaos.

Shells rained down, setting the entire town ablaze and turning it into a sea of ​​fire. The flames soared into the sky, turning the dawn sky a fiery red.

Inside the Chen family compound command post, Colonel Yokoyama was startled awake from his sleep and scrambled out of the compound, bumping right into Major Yasui, the senior staff officer.

"Baka yarou, what's going on?"

Major Yasui, unaware of what had happened, stammered as he reported:

"It's the Chinese! The Chinese have reached the town gate!"

"Baka yarou, how did they find this place?!"

Major Yasui was also eager to know, and said dejectedly:

"They have at least a dozen cannons, and a lot of men. We can't hold them off. Let's break through!"

"You bastard, coward! You're not a true warrior! Hold the line!"

"Boom boom boom..."

Another volley of shells fell, only a few dozen meters from the Chen family compound. Colonel Yokoyama was also affected and his stubbornness vanished.

Colonel Yokoyama was a veteran of the military. Just by listening to the commotion, he knew that Major Yasui was not exaggerating. The Chinese attacking force was at least a regiment.

The regimental headquarters was only properly guarded by one infantry company; the rest were a burden. The mountain artillery company and the rapid-fire artillery company had been sent to the front lines, leaving only a heavy machine gun company and a supply company that could still manage. These men were simply no match for a regiment's strong attack.

Just as Colonel Yokoyama was hesitating about whether to break out, gunfire and shouts of battle erupted from the east, south, and west.

Major Yasui shouted in horror:

"The Chinese have launched a guerrilla attack! So many people, so many guns!"

Colonel Yokoyama slapped him several times, which made Major Yasui regain his composure.

"There's no movement from the north. Encircle them on three sides, leaving one open – this is a common Chinese tactic. Break out to the north!"

Colonel Yokoyama finally made the decision: they must break out while the chaos was still ongoing and before dawn. Major Yasui reminded him, trembling with fear:

"Commander, I'm afraid there might be an ambush in the north. The Chinese have plenty of troops, so there's no reason for them to leave such a big loophole in the north."

"That's too risky. Should we destroy the general's flag first?"

"Baka yarou, do you know what destroying the military flag means? Everyone must apologize to His Majesty! The main force of the 2nd Regiment is still intact; honor cannot be ruined in our hands."

Colonel Yokoyama could not afford the consequences of the flag being captured, so he allowed Major Yasui to take control of the flag himself.

"You must protect the military flag. Obey my orders. If there are ambushes to the north, destroy the flag and perish together with the Chinese!"

After Colonel Yokoyama finished speaking, he loudly gave the order:

"Quickly, take the important documents and radio, and break out northwards under the cover of the supply company!"