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

The night was as dark as ink, and the Eight-Character Bridge was firmly in my grasp.

The reconnaissance company led the way to eliminate the roving sentries, ensuring that they did not alert the enemy. The 1st Infantry Battalion followed closely behind, quickly crossed the bridge, and surrounded the remaining two platoons and the company headquarters of the Japanese 12th Company.

Zhao Yunwen did not rush to swallow this enemy whole, but instead surrounded them without annihilating them.

Taking advantage of the situation, the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Battalions and the Artillery Battalion advanced deep into the concession area, leaving only one company to guard the Bazhiqiao Bridge to support the 262nd Brigade that was about to arrive. The regimental headquarters followed the 3rd Battalion and moved forward steadily.

The Second Security Regiment of Jiangsu Province thus became the first Chinese army to break into the Japanese concession, quietly firing the first shot of the Battle of Shanghai at a time when no one expected it.

Meanwhile, the headquarters of the 88th Division remained brightly lit.

Sun Yuanlang leaned back in his chair, his face full of impatience, clearly waiting to see Zhao Yunwen make a fool of himself. In his mind, it was a pipe dream for a lousy security regiment to take down a tough nut like Bazhiqiao.

"Brother Shengfa, it's almost three in the morning and there's still no movement. What are you waiting for?"

He yawned, his tone dripping with sarcasm:

"In my opinion, that good-for-nothing Zhao Yunwen is probably curled up somewhere sleeping right now."

Feng Shengfa also shook his head and gave a wry smile:

"It seems I overestimated him. I thought that with the country in crisis, he would at least tone down his usual dejected attitude, but I didn't expect him to still be so unreliable."

"He's hopeless; even the principal is disappointed in him."

"This time, we must teach him a lesson he won't forget."

"Brother Yuanlang, Zhao Yunwen is a fairly tactful person. He doesn't have many enemies in the army and is well-liked. A slight punishment is enough. Going too far will only give others something to criticize and damage your reputation."

Sun Yuanlang's face instantly turned cold.

He was by nature vengeful, and Zhao Yunwen had embarrassed him at the meeting before, and now he had run into him again, so how could he let it go easily?

Just as the atmosphere became tense, Chief of Staff Zhang Boting rushed in, his face beaming with joy:

"Commander, great news! Incredibly great news!"

Sun Yuanlang didn't even lift his eyelids, his tone sarcastic:

"What good news could there be? It can't be that Zhao Yunwen actually took over Bazhiqiao, can it?"

Zhang Boting didn't catch the sarcasm in his words, taking it as his superior's foresight, and quickly echoed:

"The commander was truly prescient! Amazing!"

"We just received a report from the security regiment that they have successfully captured Bazhiqiao and annihilated a Japanese squad stationed there!"

Sun Yuanlang first casually said "I understand," then suddenly sat up straight, his voice rising abruptly:

"What did you say? The security forces have taken over Bazhiqiao?"

"You actually believe that nonsense that you didn't even hear a few gunshots?"

Zhang Boting said solemnly:

"Commander, this is a matter of great military importance. I would never dare to report anything false without verification."

Feng Shengfa was also so surprised that he stood up:

"How did they do that?"

"Commander Zhao dispatched elite troops to swim across the river under cover of night, sneak into the Japanese positions, and wipe them out while the enemy was asleep."

Feng Shengfa immediately punched his palm excitedly, while Sun Yuanlang's face turned ashen, and he managed to utter:

"What incredible luck!"

Feng Shengfa had no time to dwell on his tone; his mind was already filled with thoughts of immense merit, and he was immediately eager to try.

"Brother Yuanlang, this is a golden opportunity! This is the time for our 88th Division to make a name for ourselves!"

With the Eight-Character Bridge in our hands and the enemy completely unprepared, we will immediately send our main force across the river overnight and launch a general attack on the outer strongholds before dawn. This will surely catch them off guard.

"If we can successfully annihilate this Japanese force and then charge straight for the headquarters building in one fell swoop, this tremendous achievement will belong to our 88th Division!"

Sun Yuanlang was mediocre at fighting, but he was a master at stealing credit, and his eyes lit up instantly:

"What are you waiting for! Immediately order the 262nd Brigade to cross the river and launch the attack according to the original plan!"

"In addition, send someone to inform Zhao Yunwen that his security regiment is only allowed to surround the remaining enemy forces in the Bazhiqiao camp, and is not allowed to attack without my order."

Even though Zhao Yunwen had given him a hard slap in the face, Sun Yuanlang didn't care about arguing at the moment.

The remaining Japanese soldiers at Bazhiqiao were only about half a company in number. They were handed over to the security regiment to be dealt with, and the rest of the greater credit should all go to Sun Yuanlang.

Feng Shengfa and Zhang Boting naturally had no objections. The three of them were in the same boat, and if they fought this battle well, each of them would be promoted.

Upon receiving the order, Zhu Youqing, the brigade commander of the 262nd Brigade, immediately led his troops across the river, splitting into multiple routes to storm into the Japanese concession in Hongkou, and rushing towards the Japanese strongholds one by one.

At 4:30 a.m., a burst of intense gunfire suddenly tore through the night sky, waking the entire sleeping city of Shanghai.

Inside the headquarters building of the Japanese Navy Special Landing Force, Commander Ōkawa Naruhito was violently awakened from his sleep. His eyes were bloodshot, and he slammed his fist on the table, roaring:

"Baka yarou! Where did that gunshot come from? What's going on?!"

Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Asada rushed in, his voice trembling:

"Commander, it's the Chinese! The Chinese army has invaded and is fiercely attacking various strongholds in Hongkou!"

"Baka! How could they have sneaked in so quietly? Where are the guards at the Eight-Character Bridge?!"

Before Ōkawa Denchichi's roar had even subsided, the phone on the table rang shrilly.

Asada quickly grabbed the receiver:

"Yao Xi Yaoxi, Asada."

"Commander, the Third Battalion has called! They are under attack by several thousand Chinese troops and request reinforcements!"

Da Chuan snatched the phone and roared before the other person could speak:

"Baka! No reinforcements! Hold the line!"

What exactly is going on at the Eight-Character Bridge?!

Third Battalion Commander Sasaki was also completely bewildered, his tone flustered:

"Commander, the 12th Infantry Company is under heavy attack; the enemy's firepower is extremely strong... We've lost contact with them at Bazhiqiao!"

The answer was irrelevant, yet it explained everything.

Knowing that further cursing was useless, Daikawa Naiden Seven gritted his teeth and gave a death order:

"Sasaki, hold the base at all costs! I'm contacting the fleet immediately and requesting naval gun support!"

After hanging up the phone, he turned to Asada and said sternly:

"Immediately send a telegram to Lord Hasegawa requesting tactical support from the fleet!"

Meanwhile, at the 12th Company's garrison, the security regiment's artillery fire was already raining down.

The barracks collapsed and crumbled amidst the explosions, with bricks and stones flying everywhere. The Japanese soldiers suffered heavy casualties, but the remaining soldiers continued to put up a stubborn resistance in their fortifications.

Company Commander Captain Fujita's face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

Watanabe's squad had disappeared without a trace; it was obvious they had been wiped out. The ferocity and firepower of the Chinese army's offensive had completely exceeded his expectations.

Deeply brainwashed by militarism, he was not afraid of death, only filled with resentment and rage. He drew his sword and roared at the remaining soldiers:

"Warriors of the Empire! The time has come to serve the Emperor!"

The Chinese will charge soon, so aim carefully before you fire! Make them pay in blood!

Temporary command post of the Second Security Regiment.

Zhao Yunwen held up the binoculars, his expression calm and composed.

In his mind, a three-dimensional mini-map clearly showed the Japanese positions, firing points, and escape routes. His current composure was merely a facade for others to see.

Faced with the stubborn resistance of the Japanese army, he was in no hurry to order the infantry to launch a full-scale attack, but simply gave instructions to his staff officer:

"Order the battalion to remain calm."

The Japanese fortifications are strong; let the artillery battalion break their shells first, and end the battle before 5:30.

The staff officer loudly accepted the order and quickly left.

On the position, shells continued to rain down.

Company Commander Luo Wen was anxious and rushed to Battalion Commander Zhang Yi, eagerly volunteering for the mission.

"Battalion Commander! If the artillery battalion keeps bombarding us like this, we'll only be able to collect the Japanese corpses when we get up there!"

Battalion Commander Zhang Yi once studied at West Point Military Academy. After the outbreak of the January 28 Incident, he resolutely dropped out of school and returned to China to fight. However, he was frustrated that he had no way to serve his country. Later, Zhao Yunwen invited him to join the Security Regiment with a large sum of money and promoted him from company commander to battalion commander.

He's seen big things in the US and has always believed in overwhelming opponents with firepower.

He simply smiled calmly at Rowan's impatience.

There's nothing shameful about collecting corpses.

Ideally, we should blow up the Japanese soldiers so badly that not even a complete corpse would remain.

Be patient and wait; your time to shine will come.

As night fell, a faint light began to appear on the horizon.

A battle of encirclement and annihilation is about to come to an end.

Meanwhile, Sun Yuanlang, far away at the division headquarters, was still dreaming of taking all the credit and becoming famous overnight.