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

At Mengjiazhai, shells rained down like raindrops, including Schneider mountain guns, Type 20 mortars, and Type 92 infantry guns, two or three of them, falling on the Japanese soldiers as if they had eyes.

The Ninth Division headquarters was the first to be hit, followed by the positions of the 7th Infantry Regiment. The hastily constructed field fortifications were destroyed in large numbers, and many Japanese soldiers were torn to pieces or buried in the trenches, as if the end of the world had come.

The field infantry were somewhat better off, but when had the supply troops, engineers, and non-combat personnel of the division headquarters ever seen such a scene?

Screaming and screaming under the threat of death, instinctively fleeing and running around in all directions, accelerated the spread of fear.

The shelling lasted for more than ten minutes, and the 7th Regiment's position was almost completely razed. A large number of firing points were destroyed, and morale plummeted.

Yoshika Ryosuke, barely maintaining his dignity and attempting to control the situation, successively beheaded several staff officers who were disrupting morale.

Li Jialou, Zhao Yunwen, seeing that the time was right, coldly shouted:

"Blow the bugle! We are invincible—kill the Japanese devils!"

The loud bugle call sounded, and the soldiers of the First and Second Battalions, who had been waiting impatiently, charged towards the Japanese like an tidal wave. The Third Battalion went to raid the artillery positions, leaving only the Fourth Battalion to protect the command post and the artillery battalion.

Zhao Yunwen loved to raid other people's homes, but he guarded his own home very strictly. He didn't charge into battle himself, but watched the Japanese soldiers being slaughtered from afar, which was the most exciting scene for him.

Although the 7th Infantry Regiment had more than 2,000 men, it had already suffered heavy casualties and its morale was wavering due to the relentless bombardment by the artillery battalion.

The 7th Regiment is no longer what it used to be. Its military spirit was long ago broken by the former 2nd Security Regiment, and its combat effectiveness has declined sharply. It can no longer even be considered a second-rate unit.

When the soldiers of the Security Corps charged in with murderous intent, many Japanese soldiers' first reaction was to flee for their lives, with only a small amount of machine gun fire futilely trying to stop them.

The battalion artillery didn't let them be arrogant for long. Before they had even finished firing a 30-round ammunition pack, mortar shells came crashing down, blowing the heavy machine gun to pieces, and killing or wounding the machine gunners.

The infantry continued their advance, spearheaded by assault guns, supported by 60mm mortars, and escorted by 82mm mortars in the distance, advancing with unstoppable momentum.

The First and Second Battalions launched a flanking attack, like two sharp ox-horn knives, stabbing fiercely into the Japanese positions, causing the Japanese to retreat in defeat. It was only a matter of time before they were breached.

Yoshika Ryosuke's hoarse roar:

"Where's the artillery regiment? Quickly notify the artillery positions and blow them up!"

Yoshika Ryosuke pinned his hopes for a comeback on the artillery, little did he know that they were also in dire need of their own survival.

Led by the reconnaissance company, the 1st Battalion had already infiltrated into position and was launching a fierce attack on the artillery positions. The battalion's artillery was ravaging the escort company, while the infantry continued to attack from both flanks. The Japanese were already in complete chaos.

The artillery regimental commander scrambled out of bed in a panic, his eyes filled with fear.

Don't be fooled by his usual ruthless attitude towards others when he's blowing up other people's lives; when it's his turn, his legs tremble and his mind goes completely blank.

"Baka yarou, hold on, you must hold on!"

The others were no better off than him; once the artillerymen let the infantry get close, they were like lambs to the slaughter.

They were all technical troops, and their fighting spirit was vastly different from that of the infantry. Their vow to be loyal to the Emperor to the death was nonexistent; escaping was their top priority.

The Third Battalion's assault was extremely swift. They quickly broke through the guard company's resistance and stormed into the artillery position, killing any Japanese soldiers they encountered.

The three infantry companies of the Third Battalion launched an attack from the left, center, and right, leaving one side open while encircling the enemy, thus giving the Japanese a way out.

This is the wisdom of war passed down from our ancestors: as long as there is a way to survive, the defenders will not fight to the death; there will always be some "clever" ones who will escape on their own.

The rout is contagious; it spreads from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, until everyone is fleeing for their lives, sacrificing their own for the sake of others.

Humanity cannot withstand the test of death.

The artillerymen ran faster than rabbits, scattering the infantry company. Coupled with the disparity in troop strength between the two sides, the escorting company was quickly broken up as well, and the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt.

The three infantry companies of the Third Battalion charged fiercely, leaving a portion to surround any that resisted, while the others went around to continue the pursuit of the artillerymen. These were all highly skilled technical soldiers, and very valuable.

At 5:15, on the main position in Dachang, the dark muzzles of cannons pointed straight at the sky. Tens of thousands of Guangxi soldiers held steel guns, their hateful eyes fixed on the Japanese positions, waiting for the order.

At this moment, the 35th Infantry Regiment was already in a state of panic. The faint sounds of gunfire coming from the direction of the division headquarters made Colonel Fujii feel like an ant on a hot pan.

They had just received a telegram from the division headquarters requesting reinforcements. The message was very simple: the division headquarters had been attacked, and they needed to return immediately to provide support.

The troops were hastily assembling, and Fujii's biggest worry was the Chinese on the front lines; would they take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack?

This is a major taboo in military strategy; if not handled properly, it can easily lead to a complete rout.

Fujii feared this was a Chinese conspiracy, a diversionary tactic to relieve the siege of Wei. As he hesitated about whether to return to the division headquarters, the ground began to tremble.

Fujii's expression changed drastically; his worst fears had come true!

The first round of dozens of shells pounded into the 35th Regiment's ranks, killing and wounding a large number of Japanese soldiers, further destabilizing the morale of the troops.

"Baka yarou, enemy attack—fight back!"

Fujii screamed in terror, but his voice was drowned out by the second explosion and almost no one could hear him.

Then came the third, the fourth... and the Nth round. Shells rained down in rows, and the Japanese soldiers were in considerable disarray, which was only managed by the officers who were trying their best to quell the unrest.

The bugle call that struck fear into the hearts of the Japanese soldiers sounded, and earth-shattering battle cries erupted from both flanks. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers charged in – the 176th Division's counterattack had begun.

The two brigades were positioned to attack from the left and right. As the general reserve of the 21st Group Army, they had been conserving their strength. The division commander, Qu Shounian, had participated in the Hongdu Uprising in his early years and was also the commander of a main force battalion.

He later participated in the "January 28th Incident" with the 19th Route Army, leading the 78th Division of the 19th Army in a bloody battle against the Japanese for 33 days. He was a famous anti-Japanese general in China and was awarded the Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun after the war.

But that fight was very frustrating. This time, he could finally unleash his full power and settle scores with the Japanese. His opponent was none other than the Ninth Division, his mortal enemy from back then.

There was no need for mobilization to fight the Ninth Division. The district division commander was so eager to rush up and personally kill a few of them to vent his anger.

Before the battle, he gave his entire division a death sentence: "With me, there is no enemy!"

The two brigades of the 176th Division launched a relentless offensive, disregarding their own lives, and forced the Japanese to retreat in defeat.

The numerical disadvantage of the Fujii Regiment gradually became apparent. Faced with the pincer attack of two brigades, the Japanese were stretched thin and in a very sorry state.

Even more critically, the 71st Division on the front also launched a counterattack. They belonged to the 7th Army, the original force of the Guangxi clique, and their only mountain artillery battalion was in the 7th Army, which shows how important they were.

The 171st Division was equally well-equipped, with fewer than a thousand casualties previously, so their counterattack was equally sharp, becoming the final straw that broke the back of the 35th Infantry Regiment.

Although the Fujii Regiment was a formidable fighting force, after several days of attrition, even with three replenishments, it was left with only a little over two thousand men, and the soldiers were generally exhausted.

The 171st and 176th Divisions, totaling 14,000 men and aided by dozens of artillery pieces, fought with overwhelming momentum and quickly broke through the Japanese defenses and entered the enemy ranks.

The 35th Regiment only lasted half an hour before collapsing completely. The Guangxi Army pursued them relentlessly, leaving the Japanese soldiers dead in droves.

Seeing that the overall situation on the main battlefield was settled, Liao Lei immediately ordered the 173rd Division to flank the 19th Regiment on the right flank and expand the gains.

With breakthroughs achieved on all major battlefields, Zhao Yunwen breathed a sigh of relief. He had won this gamble!

Next comes reaping the rewards of victory, followed by a triumphant roar:

"Yao Zhiqing, come with me to check out the Japanese artillery positions!"