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

As reinforcements continued to pour into the main position, the battle situation completely turned in favor of the 109th Regiment. The Second and Third Battalions were all pushed forward, leaving Qin Qingwu with only the First Battalion, which had suffered more than half its casualties, plus the Special Service Company and the Regiment Headquarters, totaling less than 400 men—this was the 109th Regiment's last reserve force, and they dared not move it lightly.

The battlefield was already in complete chaos, with shouts of battle deafening and the outcome uncertain. Qin Qingwu was helpless and could only clench his fists and stare blankly.

Isa Kazuo, in a desperate attempt to reinforce the 3rd Battalion, dispatched two companies, but they were thrown in and barely made a splash. The Japanese platoon and company-level command was completely paralyzed; battalion and regimental commanders could not contact the front lines, and soldiers fought independently, making it impossible to withdraw troops. The Takemiya Battalion's surprise attack suffered a disastrous defeat, losing over a hundred men and retreating in disgrace, having failed miserably in their attempt to gain an advantage.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" Isa Kazuo slapped Takemiya twice hard, the force so great that his own palms went numb. He turned to Major Nakajima, "Nakajima-kun, do you have a good plan?"

He pinned his hopes on this member of the Saber Group, one of the top six in the Army University, but the surprise attack had failed, and the frontal battle was deadlocked. Nakajima was also at a loss: "Regimental Commander, the front line has not retreated, which means that we have not been at a disadvantage. We should remain unchanged and wait until dawn or when the outcome is clear before making any further plans."

Wu Gong eagerly volunteered, saying, "I am willing to lead the Wu Gong Battalion as reinforcements and we will surely crush the Chinese!"

"No!" Nakajima immediately stopped them. "With both sides locked in a fierce battle, adding two or three hundred more men won't help; it will only make things more difficult! Let the soldiers rest; they might be very useful at dawn!"

Isaichi nodded in agreement, and Takemiya was happy to let it go—it was just a matter of expressing an opinion, and it was best to be a spectator.

On the other side, Zhao Yunwen was also an "observer." After repelling Wu Gong's battalion, he ordered the 1st Battalion to retreat to their positions to protect the flank of the 109th Regiment, waiting for an opportunity. At dawn, the communications staff officer rushed in to report: "Chief of Staff Lu is calling!"

Zhang Yi took the telegram and handed it over. After Zhao Yunwen finished reading it, a playful smile appeared on his lips—Zhang Yi felt a sense of relief, knowing that the Japanese were about to suffer.

"Lupin and his team have already made their detour and formed a tactical encirclement."

Zhao Yunwen raised his eyes and gave the order:

"You take two companies to flank the main Japanese force. Remember, only harass them; never let them get caught!"

The objective was clear: to hold back the Japanese troops, exert pressure and restrain them, and prevent them from reinforcing the main battlefield. After fighting all night, both sides should rest. Next, the security regiment would take its place.

At the headquarters of the Japanese 7th Regiment, Kazuo Isa hadn't slept all night; his eyes were bloodshot, and everyone else looked haggard. The gunfire on the main battlefield was gradually subsiding. Both sides, having fought for most of the night, were exhausted, yet the battle remained deadlocked, neither able to defeat the other.

"Regimental Commander, sound the retreat!" Nakajima said in a deep voice. "Fighting any further will only increase casualties and is pointless!"

Isaichi was filled with resentment, but he had no choice but to compromise. He gritted his teeth and declared, "Let the Chinese live for another half a day! Order the troops to withdraw, rest, and replenish their strength. Next time, it will be a final, all-out attack!"

"Hey! The regimental commander is brilliant!"

Before the words were even finished, boom boom boom—the sound of cannons suddenly rang out!

Kazuo Isa screamed in alarm, "Baka! Where's that cannon fire coming from?!"

It wasn't that he was cowardly; it was that Zhao Yunwen's artillery fire had already left him with psychological trauma—after every cannon blast, the Japanese soldiers would be left dead everywhere!

Immediately afterwards, rat-a-tat-tat... a dense burst of machine gun fire erupted, and shouts of battle could be faintly heard: "Charge!"

The Japanese soldiers' faces changed drastically, and they swarmed out of the command post. They saw that although the attacking force was small in number, its firepower was outrageously fierce! Major Nakajima recognized the equipment, his pupils contracted sharply, and he cried out in alarm:

"M1919 machine guns! M2-60mm mortars! German submachine guns! What kind of configuration is this?! Baka! This is what you call a local force?!"

Isaichi was furious, his eyes bloodshot, and he felt like killing someone—plus the Min 20 mortars and Schneider mountain guns, their firepower was even more intense than that of the German-equipped divisions! The intelligence department's misjudgment had forced the Kanazawa Regiment to pay the price, and now their losses had exceeded a thousand! The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he became, and his eyes reddened:

"You idiot! I'm going to complain to Commander Matsui!"

Above and to the flank of the Japanese lines, two companies of the security regiment fought with unhurried ease. Six M2-60 mortars concentrated their fire, volleys of shells raining down, sparks shooting into the sky; several Browning heavy machine guns unleashed a hail of bullets, whizzing past the regimental command post, pinning the Japanese down; infantry, in groups of three to five, launched alternating cover attacks, their posture suggesting an intention to capture Isao Kazuo alive!

The Japanese soldiers fought back with all their might, their heavy machine gun barrels glowing red-hot, unleashing a barrage of light and heavy fire, barely managing to hold off the offensive. The 7th Regiment's weakness of insufficient manpower was fully exposed, and Major Nakajima dared not hesitate, personally sounding the retreat and urgently ordering the Japanese troops at the main position to return to their camp.

Exhausted, the Japanese troops, as if granted a pardon, retreated like a tide back to their starting camp, leaving behind only corpses strewn across the ground. The soldiers of the 109th Regiment watched the Japanese retreat, collapsing to the ground one by one, some even lying down and falling asleep, too exhausted to even pursue them.

Only the soldiers of the security regiment remained in high spirits. The artillery group had already raised its guns, and all the ammunition boxes were pried open, ready to fire at any moment—the 82mm mortars and Schneider mountain guns were highly mobile and small targets; the Japanese wouldn't stand a chance! Seeing the main Japanese force returning to reinforce, the deputy battalion commander immediately ordered a retreat, withdrawing several hundred meters to completely disengage. The Japanese had no intention of pursuing, and the battle temporarily came to an end.

In the direction of Wusongkou, the main force of the Japanese 9th Division had completed its assembly and unloaded all its combat supplies; the main force of the 6th Infantry Brigade, carrying a large amount of supplies, headed straight for Dachang, and at its marching speed, it would arrive before dark.

When Kazuo Isao received the telegram from the brigade commander, his gloom instantly vanished, and he was in high spirits—the Ninth Division had dispatched its strongest force to attack Oba, which was considered a great show of respect to the defending troops.

Nakajima was also beaming with excitement:

"Commander, intelligence indicates that Chinese reinforcements have come from South China and will not arrive for at least two more days! The Imperial Army has ample time to capture Oba!"

"Yoshi!"

Kazuo Isa waved his hand:

"Warriors, you've fought hard all night! Leave enough troops for the guard duty, the rest of you rest for half a day, and each of you will receive an extra can of beef!"

Their plans were entirely under Zhao Yunwen's control—the troop movements within a hundred-kilometer radius were meticulously planned. What Zhao Yunwen needed was this time difference; he wanted to take the head of a general amidst a million-strong army!

An hour later, Zhang Yi rushed in, beaming. Before he even arrived, his voice preceded his words: "Regimental Commander! Chief of Staff Lu is calling!"

Zhao Yunwen glanced at his watch and ordered in a deep voice, "Return the telegram to Lu Ping: the general offensive is scheduled for noon. The artillery battalion will initiate the bombardment first! Immediately notify Regiment Commander Qin..."