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

After several hours of fierce fighting, the battle finally came to an end. The battlefield was littered with corpses, all of them soldiers from both sides. Many of them were still wrestling and entangled in their death throes, their fingers intertwined and unable to separate.

Division Commander Huo Kuizhang, his face covered in blood, staggered and sat heavily on the ground. His hands trembled as he pulled out half a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, only to find that the cigarettes were already soaked in blood.

He carefully picked out a relatively intact one, pinched off the blood-soaked half, and held it between his lips.

He then searched his pockets but found no matches, so he picked up a twig with embers and lit the cigarette.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and exhaled wisps of smoke. When he looked up again, his gaze fell on the corpses scattered on the ground—among them were his comrades from the 14th Division.

They will never see the rising sun again.

Commander Huo took a deep, greedy drag, then handed the half-smoked cigarette to the brother lying quietly beside him, whispering in a hoarse voice:

"How can we say we have no clothes? We share the same robes! Brother, this is the half we have."

The deputy division commander walked over slowly, bent down, and offered Huo Kuizhang a whole cigarette. Huo Kuizhang shook his head.

"I'm not smoking anymore, I'll give it all to the brothers."

Upon hearing this, the deputy division commander threw his cigarette at a wounded veteran standing nearby, and it was instantly snatched up by the crowd.

"Even if all the brothers were put together, they wouldn't be able to form a complete regiment," the deputy division commander said in a deep voice.

"Oh... I understand."

Huo Kuizhang's face was covered with an overwhelming sorrow, but his tone was frighteningly calm, a numbness and composure born from surviving countless battles.

The deputy division commander changed the subject and got down to business:

"Commander Huang has brought his men to take over the position..."

"What's the rush!"

Huo Kuizhang suddenly shouted coldly:

"What's the rush, you bookworm? Are you trying to kill me? Let me spend a little more time with the brothers!"

Before he finished speaking, Huang Weiwo led the soldiers of the 67th Division in, his glasses covered with a thick layer of gunpowder smoke.

He surveyed the devastated battlefield, his brow furrowed, and solemnly raised his hand to give Huo Kuizhang a standard military salute:

"Brother Kuizhang, you've worked hard."

"Stop with all this nonsense."

Huo Kuizhang snorted coldly, each word ringing with conviction:

"Take good care of my brothers; they all fell facing the Japanese devils!"

After saying this, he turned and left with the remnants of the 14th Division and the wounded soldiers, his back view desolate, each step heavy.

Huang Weiwo, gazing in the direction the 14th Division had gone, suddenly raised his arms and roared:

"salute!"

The soldiers of the 67th Division raised their hands in unison, offering a solemn military salute.

A thousand words are contained in this military salute, needing no further explanation.

Next, it will be their turn.

The soldiers of the 67th Division had just hastily buried their fallen comrades and had not yet repaired their positions when the roar of warplanes came from the horizon.

The next second, Japanese artillery shells rained down on the position like a dense storm, flames soared into the sky, instantly engulfing the scorched earth of Luodian and blasting the corpses on the position to smithereens.

Would the soldiers of the 67th Division offer any solace to the Japanese invaders? Their deaths and the loss of their remains would be the best possible end for these aggressors.

Although Huang Weiwo was known as a "bookworm," he was no slouch when it came to fighting, nimbly dashing into the trenches.

The soldiers of the 67th Division were also well-trained. They scrambled into their trenches, gripped their rifles tightly, and stared intently into the distance, quietly awaiting the Japanese charge.

The atmosphere inside the operations room of the 18th Army headquarters was so oppressive it was suffocating.

The chief of staff clutched the battle report, his voice hoarse and almost incoherent:

"Commander, the 14th Division fought a bloody battle in the middle of the night and desperately recaptured the position from the Japanese 43rd Regiment. The unit suffered heavy casualties and can no longer muster a whole regiment."

Huang Weiwo led the 67th Division to take over, but the Japanese immediately launched a counterattack, bombarding the area with planes and artillery in turn, causing heavy casualties among our men.

Since taking over the Luodian defense line, Luo Youqing has become numb to the casualty figures.

First, the 11th and 67th Divisions suffered more than half their casualties, the 93rd Division suffered heavy losses, and now even the last reserve, the 14th Division, has been reduced to a remnant regiment.

How long has it been?

In less than half a night, an elite division was wiped out!

Luo Youqing slammed his fists heavily on the battle table, his face ashen.

The meat grinder of Luodian eventually wore down the sharp blade of the 18th Army.

Every inch of our land was bought with blood!

Just then, the communications director stumbled in, holding up the telegram, his voice trembling with barely concealed excitement:

"Commander! Great news! Victory at the Lu family residence!"

"Zhao Yunwen's 2nd Security Regiment of Jiangsu Province decisively defeated the Japanese 22nd Infantry Regiment, annihilating over 2,000 enemy soldiers and capturing countless weapons and supplies!"

The room fell silent, as if a pause button had been pressed. The impact of this victory news was comparable to a heavy artillery bombardment of a city.

It's not that I didn't hear it, it's that I can't believe it.

Peng Shan, commander of the 11th Division, broke the silence first, his tone full of doubt:

"Director Wang, are you sure you're not mistaken? That's an entire Japanese regiment!"

"These are not small, insignificant enemies. No matter how skilled Zhao Yunwen is, there is absolutely no way he could cripple the 22nd Infantry Regiment with just one regiment!"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"Zhao Yunwen must have lied about his military achievements!"

The deputy commander of the 11th Division spoke with absolute certainty. The Lu family residence was indefensible; even their elite 11th Division could only manage a draw at best.

Why is Zhao Yunwen so amazing?

Where do you think the brothers will put their faces?!

Luo Youqing was the first to come to his senses and acknowledge the victory.

This matter is of great importance, and Zhao Yunwen does not have the courage to lie about military intelligence. At most, he might exaggerate the results slightly—this is common practice in the Nationalist army and is not a big deal.

"Gentlemen, Zhao Yunwen is truly a valiant general!"

Luo Youqing said in a deep voice:

"No wonder Commander Chen was so eager to include him in our Civil Engineering department—the retired official truly has an eye for talent!"

As expected of the top general of the Civil Engineering Department, he attributed most of the credit to Chen Cixiu with just a few words.

Even the most valiant horse needs the appreciation of a discerning eye; such intelligence and emotional intelligence are exemplary.

Peng Shan was also a perceptive person, and immediately followed up on the conversation:

"That's right! As you all know, Zhao Yunwen was a notorious good-for-nothing in the first term. It was only after Commander Chen took him under his wing that he underwent a complete transformation. This shows that talented people are common, but discerning mentors are rare!"

Everyone echoed this sentiment, praising Zhao Yunwen while simultaneously flattering Chen Cixiu and Luo Youqing, their flattery perfectly timed.

Luo Youqing was delighted to hear this; the pent-up frustration of the past few days vanished, and he raised his voice to give the order:

"The Second Security Regiment has now been incorporated into the combat order of our 18th Army. This is a victory for the entire 18th Army!"

Chief of Staff, report the victory immediately—report to Commissioner Chen and the Military Commission! I want to recommend Zhao Yunwen and the Second Security Regiment for commendation!

Everyone offered their congratulations again, and then began to flatter Luo Youqing.

The chief of staff understood perfectly. It was inevitable that Zhao Yunwen and the Second Security Regiment would be commended. Moreover, with Commander Luo's skillful command and the strong cooperation of all units, this credit was indispensable. In the end, everyone deserved a share.

The somber atmosphere in the command post completely dissipated. With the great victory that severely damaged the 22nd Regiment as a foundation, coupled with the desperate recapture of the Luodian position, the 18th Army was able to hold its head high in front of the Commander-in-Chief.

With Luo Youqing's decisive statement, the victory at Lujiazhai was fully confirmed. When the 18th Army's counterattack at Luodian, the defeat of the 43rd Regiment, and the heavy damage to the 22nd Regiment were combined and reported, the results became even more impressive.

Finally, the fact that the 14th Division suffered heavy casualties is added, which makes it all reasonable—in war, how can people not die?

This shows that "reporting victory" is also a complex subject, and Commander Luo is undoubtedly a mentor-level figure.

Under Chen Cixiu's special care, the news of victory spread throughout the country overnight. Zhao Yunwen once again became the most dazzling star on the Shanghai battlefield, and his reputation as a famous anti-Japanese general was about to emerge. He was in the limelight for a time, and even international giants across the ocean turned their attention to this Chinese soldier.

The principal was overjoyed and repeatedly praised, "Yunwen is truly my good student! A commendation—a nationwide telegram commending Zhao Yunwen and the Second Security Regiment of Jiangsu Province!"