Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

The shells came just as dawn was breaking.

A muffled whistling sound came from afar, like countless blunt knives slicing through the air. The sound grew sharper and more urgent as it approached. On the position, the experienced veteran's face changed drastically, and he roared hoarsely, "Artillery fire! Get into the bunker! Quickly!"

He Yuzhu was dozing in the newly dug cat-ear hole of the reconnaissance platoon when he heard the sound and was jolted awake. He instinctively grabbed his gun and rushed out, shouting to the few dazed recruits, "Get in the hole! Don't come out!" He himself lay on the edge of the trench, squinting at the source of the sound.

The first wave of shells landed.

Not just one or two shells, but hundreds, raining down like deadly hail. Shells landed on the front lines, the main trenches, and the rear hillsides, exploding with a deafening roar! Orange-red fireballs billowed into the sky, billowing black smoke, followed by a deafening chorus of explosions that shook the earth violently. Frozen soil, rocks, shattered equipment, and even severed limbs were hurled into the air and scattered in all directions. The thick, pungent smell of gunpowder instantly engulfed the position.

The shelling lasted a full twenty minutes. Every second felt like an eternity. He Yuzhu lay prone in the trench, his head and body covered in mud from the impact, his ears ringing. The reconnaissance map was blurred by the intense energy surge and the large areas of life-giving light dimming around him, so he had to turn it off to conserve his energy.

The gunfire finally ceased, or perhaps it extended to the rear. The brief silence on the position was broken by groans, coughs, and shouts.

"Help! Help!"

"The area around Class 3 has collapsed!"

"The machine gun has been buried!"

He Yuzhu shook the dirt off his head and leaned out. The sight before him made his stomach clench. The position was unrecognizable; many trenches had collapsed, and some of the artillery shelters had disappeared, leaving only smoking craters. Shell craters, broken weapons, and limbs were scattered across the scorched earth. The second platoon had been hit hardest, suffering heavy casualties, and the survivors were frantically digging through the rubble to rescue their buried comrades.

He didn't have time to look any further. Behind the smoke and dust trailing from the artillery fire, the deep roar of engines rolled in like muffled thunder. Several tan-colored, angular steel figures rolled across the plowed earth and came into view. Tanks, at least three, followed by shadowy figures of infantrymen, bent over with rifles at their sides, rising like a tide.

The main US offensive has begun.

"Move into position! Prepare for battle!" Company Commander Zhao's voice was hoarse from shouting, like sandpaper rubbing together.

The surviving soldiers crawled out of the rubble and mud, shook off the dust, grabbed any usable weapons, and rushed to the edge of the trenches. Bullets sparsely struck the approaching tanks and infantry, clanging and sparking as they hit the armor, but they could not stop the advance. The tank machine guns began to return fire, a dense hail of bullets raining down on the position, making it impossible for anyone to lift their head.

He Yuzhu lay prone in the trench, watching the steel monster draw ever closer, his palms sweating. He knew rifles and grenades wouldn't be enough to deal with this thing. His mind raced through the system shop list, and an icon popped up—[M9A1 "Bazooka" 60mm rocket launcher and ammunition x3], requiring 15000 battlefield points to redeem.

He glanced at his points: 13650 battlefield points, not enough. He had 10523 available points, enough to make up the difference, but the system warned of a 30% loss when exchanging available points for high-level battlefield supplies. He couldn't worry about that now!

"Exchange! Use available points to make up the difference!" he roared inwardly.

【兑换M9A1火箭筒及弹药×3。需战场积分15000点，不足部分（1350点）由可用积分按1.3倍比例（1755点）补足。是否确认？】

"confirm!"

[Exchange successful. 13650 Battlefield Points consumed, 1755 Available Points consumed. Item has been delivered to system space (can be retrieved).]

His points plummeted, but He Yuzhu's hand suddenly felt heavy as a cold rocket launcher and a canvas bag containing three rockets appeared out of thin air. Amidst the surrounding chaos, no one noticed this bizarre scene.

"Dazhuang! Come help me!" He Yuzhu shouted. Wang Dazhuang, who was shooting, scrambled over.

"What...what is this?" Wang Dazhuang stared blankly at the unfamiliar iron pipe.

"This thing is designed to shoot down metal turtles!" He Yuzhu quickly inserted a rocket, recalling the usage instructions implanted in the system. "Load the ammunition! Aim at where I'm going to fire!"

He shouldered the heavy rocket launcher, set it up at the edge of the trench, and aimed at the side of the M4 Sherman tank that was charging at the forefront, less than 150 meters away. The tank rumbled in, its body swaying with the terrain.

His heart pounded, his breathing slowed. The spatial awareness and distance sense gained from his basic shooting expertise and sniping skills came into play at this moment. He estimated the lead, the tank's speed, the rocket's initial velocity... and the crosshair steadily locked onto the front of the tank, to the driver's side.

Pull the trigger!

"Swoosh—Boom!"

A fiery plume of flame and white smoke erupted from the rear of the rocket as it hurtled towards its target! Upon impact, a fireball exploded on the side of the Sherman tank, its armor torn open, and black smoke billowed from the breach and hatch gaps. The tank lurched violently like a crippled behemoth, coming to a stop at an abrupt halt. The hatch opened, and several American soldiers, their bodies ablaze, screamed and tumbled out.

Destroy one enemy M4 Sherman tank and earn 10000 battlefield points.

"Hit!" A cheer, tinged with tears, rang out from the position.

He Yuzhu had no time to celebrate; his shoulder ached from the recoil. "Quick! Load!" he yelled at the dumbfounded Wang Dazhuang.

The second tank seemed startled, turning slightly and unleashing an even more frenzied machine gun barrage. He Yuzhu retreated back into the trench, waiting for Wang Dazhuang to frantically insert the second rocket before leaning out again. The target was now on guard, its movement becoming erratic.

He held his breath, aimed, and fired during a lull in the machine gun fire!

The rocket roared out, but exploded on the ground a few meters in front of the tank, kicking up only a cloud of dirt. It missed!

The tank seemed to be enraged; its turret slowly rotated, and its short, thick cannon was pointed at him!

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back. "Third shot! Quick!"

The third round was loaded. He Yuzhu knew he couldn't afford to miss again. He forced himself to stay calm, even activating a reconnaissance map for a momentary scan, trying to detect the tank's minute movements. In the instant the muzzle flashed, he yanked the trigger, then rolled to the side, clutching the rocket launcher!

"Boom!" The tank shell blasted a deep crater in his original spot, and the shockwave threw him into the trench, his ears ringing.

But the rocket he fired also hit the junction between the tank turret and the hull almost simultaneously!

An even more violent explosion occurred! The tank turret was blown up slightly, tilted completely to one side, and burst into flames.

Destroy one enemy M4 Sherman tank and earn 10000 battlefield points.

With two tanks destroyed in quick succession, the American offensive momentum clearly stalled. The infantry lost their armored shield and were exposed to the enemy's firepower.

"Fire at the infantry! Aim at the officers! Fire at the machine gunners!" He Yuzhu threw aside the heavy, empty rocket launcher, grabbed his Garand rifle, and roared. As the acting squad leader of the reconnaissance platoon, his voice carried command in the local battle lines.

He took up his gun, aimed, and fired. His sniping skills made him almost unerring within 200 meters. A U.S. lieutenant, waving a pistol and shouting, had just emerged from behind a shell crater when a bullet blew his skull off. A machine gunner carrying a Browning Automatic Rifle attempted to establish a firing position, but a bullet precisely pierced his chest. His shooting was fast and accurate, like death calling out names, specifically targeting the most threatening points or those attempting to launch an attack within the enemy ranks.

Encouraged by the surrounding soldiers, they took aim and fired. The remaining firepower on the position was reorganized, suppressing the American infantry, who had lost tank cover, to an open area seventy or eighty meters away, where men continued to fall.

But the American troops were numerous, well-equipped, and their numbers were endless. Driven by officers and sergeants, they began to crawl forward again, using shell craters and corpses to get closer. Grenades began to fly out of the enemy lines and explode near the trenches.

"Grenade! Pick it up and throw it back!" He Yuzhu shouted as he fired.

The battle entered its most brutal stalemate phase. The two sides, separated by dozens of meters, exchanged grenades and fired rifles, submachine guns, and machine guns. Every second, someone fell. He Yuzhu felt the gun barrel burning hot, his arm aching and numb from continuous firing, his face blackened by gunpowder smoke, and his lips cracked and bleeding. His comrades around him dwindled; Li Dashuan was hit in the shoulder by a stray bullet and fell with a scream. Wang Cheng… he didn't know where Wang Cheng was.

Finally, under the cover of even more intense fire, a group of about twenty American soldiers roared and launched their final charge, leaping over the bodies of their comrades and rushing to within thirty meters of the trench! Their ferocious faces and the flames spitting from their guns were clearly visible!

"Grenades! Everyone! Throw them!" He Yuzhu roared with all his might, and was the first to throw the last two grenades with all his might!

The remaining soldiers on the position, as long as they could still move, pulled out all the grenades around them and threw them with all their might!

A black dot flashed across the brief space, landing among and in front of the charging American troops.

"Boom! Boom! Rumble—!"

The explosions were almost continuous, shrapnel flew everywhere, and the charging American soldiers were immediately thrown into disarray, screams filled the air, and the offensive was brought to a halt.

It's now!

He Yuzhu's eyes were bloodshot. He abruptly stood up, snapping the bayonet onto his Garand rifle. The gleaming triangular bayonet flashed coldly in the smoke. Without even glancing at how many men could follow, he let out a beast-like roar, drawing all the air from his lungs.

"Second platoon! Reconnaissance squad! Follow me! Kill—!"

He was the first to leap out of the trench, bayonet in hand, charging toward the remaining American troops who were stunned by the grenade explosions! His tattered cotton coat fluttered in the wind as he charged, his face a mixture of blood, gunpowder smoke, and near-mad determination.

Behind him, a dozen or so soldiers, also covered in blood and bloodshot-eyed, including the lame Wang Dazhuang, roared as they leaped out of the trench, bayonets at the ready, and followed their fearless acting squad leader in a desperate counter-charge!

That momentum, that ruthless determination to die together, instantly overwhelmed the previously dominant American troops. Seeing these Chinese soldiers, seemingly risen from hell, their bodies tattered yet their eyes gleaming with ferocity, seeing their gleaming bayonets, the remaining American soldiers' psychological defenses crumbled instantly. They screamed in terror, abandoned the bodies of their wounded, and scrambled backward in disarray.

He Yuzhu led his men in a chase of over twenty meters until the enemy retreated to a more distant cover, at which point machine gun fire rained down on them again, and they quickly withdrew back to the trenches.

He slid down against the cold trench wall, his chest heaving violently, his throat filled with the taste of blood. Blood was slowly dripping from the bayonet of his Garand rifle, running down its groove.

The position has been held for the time being.

In my mind, the system notifications, carrying the weariness of a battle, rang out one after another:

[Battle statistics in progress...]

[A total of 100 enemy soldiers (including privates and corporals) have been confirmed killed, earning 10000 battlefield points.]

[Successfully commanded and led the remaining troops to repel an enemy company-sized attack, achieving significant results. Awarded 20000 battlefield points.]

Battlefield performance evaluation: Excellent. Promotion: Corporal.

[Battlefield points total updated... Calculating...]

He Yuzhu closed his eyes, letting exhaustion and pain wash over him.

He knew this was only the first time. Countless similar high grounds and countless similar bloody battles lay ahead.