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

Under the expectant gazes of Lu Ping and Yao Zhiqing, Zhao Yunwen gave the answer:

"It's simple, that would expose our reserves too early. We're facing an entire infantry regiment, plus naval and air forces that we can call upon at any time, and division-level artillery—their strength is no less than that of a brigade."

The Lu family compound only had simple field fortifications. The security regiment bore the defensive pressure of an entire army and had to keep enough reserves, which was their trump card for survival.

A few hundred Japanese soldiers can be handled by the Third Battalion.

We had laid a large number of mines on the flanks beforehand, so the Third Battalion held them off easily.

"We shouldn't take this chance! We can't let a single Japanese flank lead us by the nose and disrupt our rhythm."

Lupin was the first to turn the corner, and suddenly realized:

"I understand. The Japanese want to break through with a flanking maneuver. We will use the Third Battalion and the minefield to break the deadlock, continue to hide our reserves, and force the Japanese to fight a head-on battle."

Yao Zhiqing also chimed in, saying:

"This is what the regimental commander meant by tactics needing to align with strategic requirements."

Zhao Yunwen raised his voice and said:

"The mission of the security regiment is to guard the flank of Luodian and prevent the Japanese from affecting the decisive battle on the main battlefield. All tactics must serve this strategy."

"Now that the enemy is strong and we are weak, and we don't know how many days we will have to hold out, we naturally cannot easily reveal our strength and must hold back our trump cards."

"There are no fixed formations in warfare, just as water has no fixed shape. There is no single tactic that can solve everything. As the needs of the battlefield change, tactics must also be adjusted accordingly."

Lu Ping and Yao Zhiqing understood completely. This was the flexibility of tactics. The security regiment was too weak. Under the premise of completing the mission, they should play it safe.

This is the Zhao family philosophy, just as expected of the sixth son.

The three exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

After reaching a consensus, Zhao Yunwen gave the following order:

"Telegram to the Third Battalion, instructing them to conduct layered attacks and set up defenses in stages, so as to deplete and block the Japanese with minimal losses."

"I have no reinforcements for them; we must hold the Japanese at the last line of defense."

Lu Ping gladly accepted the order and left, while Zhao Yunwen and Yao Zhiqing continued to keep an eye on the Japanese troops in front of them. The 600-man detachment was no longer their focus.

The right flank of Lujiazhai, the three-battalion defense line

The Japanese infiltration encountered a major problem; it wasn't very damaging, but it was infuriating.

Major Miura had no choice but to order a defensive posture and hand over the mine-clearing task to the engineers.

The Miura Battalion was trapped in a small minefield. The vanguard company at the front countered the situation by sending out several engineer teams to clear the mines, while an infantry squad provided protection.

Sniper Luo Guangfu activated his hunting mode. His target was setting off a mine and was proceeding with extreme caution.

The mine-clearing team is carrying a large iron ring to search for mines. If they find anything unusual, they will stick a small red flag on it, and the rest will be handed over to the mine-clearing soldiers.

Each engineering team consists of 4 people, and several teams advance side by side, clearing a safe passage up to 20 meters wide.

Luo Guangfu had originally planned to shoot the lead mine-clearing officer, but he changed his mind at the last minute and wanted to see the effect of clearing landmines.

After a series of professional operations, the mine-clearing soldiers finally removed the mine. Just as they were about to cut the fuse, Luo Guangfu pulled the trigger.

The bullet flew over 300 meters, accurately hitting the target and detonating the landmine.

Hundreds of fragments shot out in all directions. The mine-clearing soldier was hit by more than ten pieces of shrapnel and died on the spot. The Japanese soldiers within a ten-meter radius also suffered a great loss.

They were either dead or injured, but few died; most were injured, and most were lying on the ground struggling in pain, creating a visually stunning scene.

At the same time, several other snipers also opened fire, and the Japanese soldiers fell one after another after being hit by bullets. The Japanese soldiers guarding the area were so frightened that they fired wildly, creating complete chaos.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Luo Guangfu fired two more shots, killing two Japanese soldiers, one of whom was a sergeant.

Each squad of the security regiment had two snipers with a certain shooting talent. They had received two to three years of training before the war and consumed more than 100 rounds of ammunition on average.

This was almost unimaginable for the Nationalist army, even for the German-equipped divisions; only Zhao Yunwen could afford to expend such resources.

All the sacrifices were worthwhile. A platoon could field six snipers, who, with the aid of landmines, suppressed dozens of Japanese soldiers.

In a short period of time, more than 20 engineers and guards were killed or wounded, and Luo Guangfu alone had the merit of half a squad.

Squad leader Akiyama Sutaro roared in anger. He had never fought such a frustrating battle. He hadn't even seen a shadow of the enemy before his warriors lay dead on the ground.

"Baka yarou, kill the chicken!"

Lieutenant Akiyama ordered the machine guns around him to fire wildly, spraying bullets at anything that looked like someone was there, venting his anger and fear.

The Japanese opened fire, but instead of scaring away the three platoons of snipers, they exposed themselves.

Luo Guangfu had just changed firing positions and was now aiming his gun at the machine gunner; Lieutenant Akiyama was not his first choice.

Gunfire erupted, the main gunner's head was blown off, and the machine gun that had been firing so loudly just moments before fell silent.

The secondary marksman stepped in, but was killed after firing just two shots.

Lieutenant Akiyama felt a chill run down his spine. The marksmanship was too accurate. The Chinese soldiers' sniping and artillery left him helpless, and he was constantly on the defensive.

Due to the presence of landmines, the Akiyama squad's numerical advantage was completely negated.

"Baka yarou, turn around!"

Lieutenant Akiyama gave the order to retreat. The Japanese soldiers, as usual, tried to take the wounded with them, but they fell into the trap set by the third platoon of snipers.

Those wounded soldiers were deliberately left behind, both to lure and kill other Japanese soldiers and to increase the burden on the Japanese in their flanking maneuvers.

A seriously wounded soldier would drag down at least four Japanese soldiers, greatly reducing the number of combatants.

Luo Guangfu only shot one of them, then allowed the Japanese to take the seriously wounded soldier away.

The Akiyama squad fled in disarray, leaving behind more than twenty corpses, some of which were still struggling in pain. The Japanese soldiers could no longer care about them.

The third platoon leader was very happy. He only sent out six snipers, but he repelled the Japanese attack. The result was remarkable, and no one on his side was injured or killed.

This defensive battle was one that the Third Battalion was willing to fight, which suited Zhao Yunwen's wishes perfectly. The lower the intensity of the battle on the flanks, the better, as time was on the side of the security regiment.

The Third Battalion had plenty of time to wear down the Japanese. Company Commander Ishikawa was furious. Lieutenant Akiyama suggested:

"Company Commander, what put the Imperial Army on the defensive was the minefield. The Chinese were planning to shoot and kill the engineers."

It's better to drive mules and horses to clear the minefield; their hides are tough and their flesh is thick, which is far better than using human lives to fill the gaps.

Captain Ishikawa's eyes lit up after hearing this; it was indeed a good idea, and the effect of mine clearance was far better than manual labor.

Although mules and horses are also rationed in the army, they are still better than dead people.

Captain Ishikawa then ordered the mules and horses to charge into battle, and Lieutenant Akiyama, who was knowledgeable about Chinese history, also ordered his men to tie a lot of flammable materials to the mules and horses' tails.

Once lit, the mules and horses, in pain, charged wildly, detonating many landmines, but it was too exhausting for the animals.

Ishikawa Takeshi praised:

"Yosh, this is similar to the fire ox formation of China. Akiyama-kun did a great job."

The Third Battalion did not forcefully resist, allowing them to rage on.

There were several more such minefields, and Zhou Tiancheng was eager to see how many mules and horses the Japanese had left to use.

After forcibly creating a safe passage, the Japanese launched a mass infantry charge, instantly detonating the position.

The 1st Company of the 3rd Battalion unleashed its full firepower, firing thousands of bullets at the Japanese soldiers, causing havoc in the Ishikawa Company.

Just as the Japanese set up their infantry guns and heavy machine guns in preparation for a counterattack, the Third Battalion decisively withdrew from its position, leaving the Japanese punching cotton.

After a long and arduous struggle, the Ishikawa Company had used up a lot of ammunition, suffered more than 40 casualties, and only managed to gain an empty position.

Captain Ishikawa was completely broken down. He couldn't escape his fate, so he roared at the top of his lungs:

"Warriors, charge!"

The Japanese soldiers charged forward with shouts, completely unleashed, as if they were in an empty field.

"Boom boom boom!"

Another explosion, one that sent chills down the spines of the Japanese soldiers, echoed from ahead...