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

At 3 a.m., Lijialou Village was under heavy security.

After Zhao Yunwen decided to raid Mengjiazhai, the reconnaissance company was sent out first to find out all the enemy situations along the way. Lijialou was a key point that could not be bypassed on this trip. It was where the outer guard force of the Ninth Division Headquarters was stationed—a cavalry squad belonging to the renowned Ninth Cavalry Regiment.

This unit was one of the few aristocratic units in the Japanese army; every officer carried a noble title, and the ordinary soldiers were all incredibly arrogant, patrolling on tall horses during the day, looking very imposing. However, while cavalry posed a significant threat during the day, their mobility was limited after setting up camp at night, making them less agile than infantry. Before even reaching Lijialou, the reconnaissance company had already silently eliminated several outposts on the perimeter. At this moment, only a cavalry squad remained on duty at the village entrance, while the rest of the Japanese soldiers were sound asleep inside the village.

Xiao Jianyun immediately dispatched a reconnaissance squad to scout ahead. The soldiers, in groups of three, crept towards the village entrance in a fan shape. Cavalry had a wider range of movement than infantry, and the Japanese soldiers on guard were wide-eyed and alert, constantly watching for any movement around them. Getting too close was by no means easy.

After careful consideration, squad leader Wang Dongsheng decided to use crossbows to finish the battle. To ensure that the warhorse would be taken down with a single arrow, he specially ordered the soldiers to apply three times the amount of poison to the arrowheads. This was a secret African tribal medicine produced by the system, which was fatal upon contact with blood. It would kill even an elephant on the spot, let alone a warhorse.

The Japanese were cunning. They patrolled on horseback because they knew horses were intelligent and would neigh and warn their owners if they were attacked. The reconnaissance company had taken this risk into account and devised a tactic of one person shooting the man and two people shooting the horse. They had used this tactic to kill out the outposts in the past and had never failed.

There were two riders on duty at the village entrance, and their range of movement did not exceed fifty meters. Not far away, there was a wooden guard tower with a Japanese sentry sitting inside. Next to the guard tower, there was a Type 11 light machine gun and four machine gunners on high alert.

The two cavalrymen were about 30 meters apart from the watchtower, and the machine gunner could clearly see their movements. The moment Wang Dongsheng chose to strike was the instant the Japanese soldiers moved to the ends of the flanks—at this moment, the cavalrymen and the machine gun position formed a 30-degree angle, which was exactly the blind spot of the watchtower.

Wang Dongsheng's team was tasked with dealing with the Japanese soldiers on the left flank. They had laid an ambush beforehand, and when the Japanese soldiers rode to the end of the corner, the distance between them was only 15 meters. As soon as the opportunity arose, Wang Dongsheng decisively pulled the trigger, and the crossbow bolt struck the Japanese soldier's chest with lightning speed. At the same time, the crossbow bolts of his two team members also shot at the warhorse, and the huge horse fell to the ground.

The thud of the horse falling to the ground startled the machine gunner in the watchtower. He had just raised his head to investigate when a dozen crossbow bolts whistled through the air, killing him instantly. The attack on the watchtower came from two reconnaissance teams on the front. Taking advantage of the gap as the horses moved to the flanks, they stealthily approached. Hearing the horse fall, they swiftly advanced to within thirty meters, and a single volley of fire killed all four Japanese soldiers beside the watchtower.

The reconnaissance company wasn't worried about making too much noise and was already prepared for a strong attack. Moreover, although Lijialou was less than a kilometer from the Japanese division headquarters, even if the division headquarters was alerted, the reconnaissance company's combat strength was sufficient to deal with the arriving Japanese cavalry. Fortunately, the Japanese didn't even have a chance to fire a warning shot. The Japanese soldiers inside the village were fast asleep and didn't hear the muffled sounds at the village entrance at all.

After clearing the village entrance sentry post, the assault team was the first to rush into the village, followed closely by the main force of the first platoon. The second and third platoons guarded the outer perimeter of the village to prevent any Japanese soldiers from escaping. The village was pitch black, and the soldiers of the reconnaissance company did not know exactly where the Japanese soldiers lived, so they had to spread out and search one by one. Fortunately, the village was not large, with only twenty or thirty households.

The village was now lifeless; the villagers who could have fled had all gone far away, and the elderly who hadn't managed to escape had all been brutally slaughtered by the Japanese. A faint smell of blood still lingered in the air, making the soldiers' eyes bloodshot with rage. Wang Dongsheng suppressed his anger and, relying on his experience, charged towards the best courtyard in the village—it was clearly the home of a wealthy family. The Japanese, always greedy for luxury, must have been living there, and indeed, he was right.

The assault team immediately went into kill mode, their crossbows completely silent, clearing out each room one by one, reaping all the sleeping Japanese soldiers and sending them back to Japan. Before long, the entire cavalry squad stationed at Lijialou was wiped out, and the soldiers immediately sent messengers to report the victory to Company Commander Xiao Jianyun.

At 4:30 a.m., the main force of the Security Regiment quietly entered Lijialou. The Japanese sentries within a 300-meter radius had already been cleared by the reconnaissance company; not a single shot was fired throughout the entire operation. Lu Ping, who arrived first, quickly found Zhao Yunwen and bowed to report:

"Commander, the reconnaissance company wiped out a cavalry squad at Lijialou and captured 42 warhorses! They also located the Japanese artillery position, just behind Mengjiazai, guarded by at least an infantry company and several cavalrymen. The defenses are very tight. Company Commander Xiao Jianyun requests permission to launch an immediate attack on the enemy artillery position."

Zhao Yunwen lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then raised his eyes and said in a deep voice, "No rush. The most urgent task is to first defeat the main force of the Japanese infantry. The artillery battalion should seize the time to set up artillery positions and erect the cannons. We will launch a general offensive at five o'clock, concentrating our firepower to bombard Mengjiazhai first!"

"The First and Second Battalions shall immediately move secretly to the flanks of Mengjiazhai and await orders. Be careful not to get too close, lest the Japanese cavalry detect you. The Third Battalion, with the support of the reconnaissance company, shall launch a main attack on the artillery positions to the left rear of Mengjiazhai. The action must be swift; we absolutely cannot allow the Japanese to become desperate and blow up the artillery!"

"Furthermore, send an urgent telegram to Commander Liao, stating that all my troops are in position and will launch the attack precisely at 5:00 AM; the 21st Army's counterattack is scheduled for 5:15 AM, with a 7:00 AM withdrawal. There's no need for lingering fighting; kill as many Japanese as you can!"

As Zhao Yunwen issued his orders, a massive net was quietly being cast over the Japanese 9th Division. Meanwhile, the 9th Division Commander, Yoshika Ryosuke, was fast asleep on Meng Baiwan's large rosewood bed. Five in the morning—the time when most people sleep best—he had no idea that the shadow of death was creeping closer.

In the direction of Dachang, the 21st Group Army command post was brightly lit, and everyone was in high spirits. Commander Liao was standing in front of the map making final arrangements:

"Gentlemen, this attack must be resolute. Mortars, anti-tank guns, and infantry guns must closely follow the infantry advance. Once you spot any Japanese strongpoints, take them out immediately! Those that can be taken down should be eliminated on the spot; those that cannot be taken immediately, leave troops to surround them while the rest go around and continue the attack. Don't let them be delayed. This time, we not only want to defeat the 35th Regiment on the front, but also send a portion of our forces to flank the 19th Regiment. Let's see if Li Jue's Hunan Army dares to go all out!"

To ensure the secrecy of the counterattack, the 21st Army Group did not inform the Hunan Army of the plan. Most importantly, Liao Lei did not want to share this readily available credit with others. He committed most of his resources to the counterattack, mobilizing the 176th, 173rd, and 171st Divisions, totaling over 15,000 troops and dozens of artillery pieces, making formidable firepower. Only the 174th Division was left to defend the south bank of the Yunzaobang River to ensure the safety of the rear.

After receiving their orders, the division commanders quickly left. Liao Lei took out his pocket watch and looked at it; the hands pointed exactly to five o'clock! He slowly turned his gaze toward the direction of the Meng family residence, his ears involuntarily perking up. The command post instantly fell silent, everyone waiting for the signal.

Wang Zanbing, with his sharpest ears, was the first to hear the distant rumble of artillery fire. He immediately shouted excitedly, "Commander! The general offensive has begun!"

Inside the 9th Division headquarters at Mengjiazhai, Yoshika Ryosuke was jolted awake from his sleep. The ground was shaking violently, and the sound of artillery fire was deafening—this was no dream. He sat bolt upright, shouting angrily, "Baka yarou! Is this an earthquake?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the chief of staff rushed in, his eyes filled with fear, shouting with a mournful face, "Division Commander, it's terrible! The Chinese are attacking! There are so many artillery pieces outside, the shelling is deafening!"

Yoshika Ryosuke's expression changed drastically, and he demanded sharply, "You idiot! Where did these Chinese come from? How do they have such powerful artillery?!"