Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

Ma Yong lay prone on the middle section of the slope on the left.

The MP40 submachine gun in his hand had already emptied three magazines.

He quickly switched to a new one and continued firing towards the bottom of the ditch.

Most of those puppet troops lost their will to resist.

Some people simply threw their guns on the ground, squatted by the roadside with their hands covering their heads, but their pleas for mercy were completely drowned out by the roar of submachine guns.

The battle has been going on since the first shot was fired.

About ten minutes have passed.

The bottom of the ditch was already filled with corpses.

The corpses of Japanese soldiers and puppet troops were mixed together.

Some survivors tried to climb towards the mouth of the gully, but each time they were shot dead by bullets from the hillside after only a few steps.

The entrance on the west side of Bald Ridge had already been sealed off by several soldiers who had gone around ahead of time.

The exit on the east side was also blocked by people on the other side.

Another few minutes passed.

The gunfire stopped completely.

Zhou Tianyang put down his sniper rifle and looked up.

The bottom of the ditch fell silent.

Ma Yong stood up from the hillside and quickly swept the bottom of the ditch with his submachine gun.

"Commander, it's all taken care of!"

"The Japanese soldiers and their collaborators, a total of 113 men, were all killed!"

"We suffered zero casualties!"

Zhou Tianyang nodded and walked quickly down the hillside.

When he reached the bottom of the ditch, Zhao Zhuzi emerged from the woods on the west side.

His steps were even more hurried than after the morning's trip, and he was panting heavily when he reached Zhou Tianyang.

"Commander Zhou, I... I've truly been amazed today..."

Zhao Zhuzi's voice carried a barely suppressed yet overflowing excitement.

"Over a hundred people, all wiped out in such a short time?"

"You guys have way too much firepower!"

Zhou Tianyang didn't reply. He turned to Ma Yong and said:

"Ma Yong, arrange for someone to clean up the battlefield."

"Gather everything that is usable."

"yes!"

Ma Yong turned around and told the soldiers to get to work.

The amount of stuff seized this time was more than the previous two batches combined.

The team of over a hundred people captured nearly ninety Type 38 rifles, along with several Type 99 light machine guns and a batch of ammunition.

Zhou Tianyang stood next to the pile of supplies for a while, then said something to Ma Yong.

"This time, all the weapons and ammunition will be given to the guerrillas."

Ma Yong paused for a moment, but quickly nodded without asking any further questions.

Zhao Zhuzi stood to the side, opened his mouth, closed it again, opened it again, and finally managed to utter a sentence.

"Commander Zhou, are you really going to give all of these to us?"

"It's all yours."

Zhou Tianyang's tone remained calm.

"You need these for your guerrilla warfare in this area."

"We're in a hurry to get back to Shanxi, so we can't take this much with us. We'd better leave it here for you to use."

Zhao Zhuzi did not refuse again.

He simply nodded vigorously, then turned around and shouted to the dozen or so guerrillas behind him.

"Brothers, pack everything up!"

The guerrillas surrounded them, each with an irrepressible excitement and agitation on their face.

It took nearly an hour to clean up the battlefield.

After the last body was dragged into the ditch by the roadside and buried with soil, the group walked back along the path at the foot of the mountain.

Zhao Zhuzi led the way, his pace much faster than when he came out, and his back straighter.

It was already four o'clock in the afternoon when we got back to our camp in the mountain valley.

Zhao Zhuzi ushered Zhou Tianyang and Ma Yong into his slightly larger mud-brick house.

Inside the room was a wooden table with a crooked leg and several benches.

Zhao Zhuzi had a guerrilla fighter bring over a plate of peanuts and a dish of pickled vegetables from the kitchen.

Then, out of nowhere, they pulled out a rough porcelain bottle, its mouth plugged with a cloth.

He uncorked the cloth, and the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes filled the room.

Zhao Zhuzi poured half a bowl of wine into each of the three rough porcelain bowls.

Then he picked up his own bowl and looked at Zhou Tianyang's face.

"Commander Zhou, I, Zhao Zhuzi, will never forget this day for the rest of my life."

His voice was a little hoarse, but he spoke each word with great effort.

"You were just passing through, it had nothing to do with us."

"But you not only saved more than a dozen of our lives, you also helped us take down two Japanese strongholds, and left us so many guns and ammunition..."

"This kindness is too great."

He picked up the bowl and raised it towards Zhou Tianyang.

I respect you.

Zhou Tianyang also picked up his bowl, clinked it against his, and then tilted his head back to take a sip.

The liquor is very strong, with a spicy kick when it goes down your throat.

Ma Yong also picked up his bowl and silently took a sip.

Then I picked up a peanut and put it in my mouth, chewing it slowly.

Zhao Zhuzi put down his bowl and let out a long breath.

"Commander Zhou, our guerrillas used to live a very frugal life in this area. We couldn't even gather enough guns for dozens of men. Every bullet we fired was one less we had to use. We had to be very careful with our ammunition every time we went out."

"With so many guns and bullets you've given us today, we're sure to be able to develop even faster in the future."

"I plan to recruit another group of people from the surrounding villages and expand the team to about a hundred people."

"Captain Zhao, developing the team is a good thing, but we must be careful to proceed cautiously."

Zhou Tianyang put down his bowl, his tone becoming more serious.

"With guns and more men, the Japanese will also pay attention."

"You can't act recklessly when you're fighting guerrilla warfare in this area; you have to choose the right moment to strike."

"Fight if you can win, run if you can't. Preserving your strength is more important than anything else."

Zhao Zhuzi listened attentively, nodding repeatedly.

"Commander Zhou, you're right, I'll remember that."

Zhou Tianyang picked up another peanut, put it in his mouth, chewed it for a while, and then swallowed it.

"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, or if the situation becomes too tense and you can't stay any longer, you can come to Shanxi to find us."

"As long as you find any unit of the Eighth Route Army, you can find the New Second Regiment."

Zhao Zhuzi's gaze lingered on Zhou Tianyang's face for a moment, then he nodded heavily.

"Okay! I've got it."

"If that day ever comes, I will lead my team to Shanxi to find you."

The three of them drank a few more sips of wine, and the peanuts on the table were gradually emptied, while the bottle of sweet potato liquor was reduced to just the bottom of a bowl.

In the distance came the low voices and laughter of the guerrillas.

That was the excitement they couldn't help but feel as they inventoried their newly acquired guns and ammunition.

Zhou Tianyang stood up, walked to the door, and looked into the distance.

He'll have to continue his journey with his guard platoon early tomorrow morning.

There is still a long way to go, but after these two battles today, the tension that had been constantly taut in his heart finally eased a bit.

The Japanese strongholds in this area were decimated.

With sufficient equipment, the guerrillas were able to live in peace for a few days.

Zhao Zhuzi walked over and stood beside him, also looking in the same direction. He remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Commander Zhou, you're leaving tomorrow?"

"First thing tomorrow morning."

Zhao Zhuzi didn't try to stop him, he just nodded.

"Then get some rest tonight, and the brothers will see you off tomorrow."