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墨書 Inktalez
"Going back? For what?" Wang Dacheng was a bit surprised, but looking at Li Lin's eager eyes, he quickly composed himself. "Report, Commander, as long as I can get some supplies and a brief rest, I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
"Good. From now on, you are my Squad Leader in the Special Operations Unit! I will give you one hour to rest and replenish your personnel. You will leave the city immediately after, retracing your steps to scout the Japanese Army's movements. I will equip you with a radio from the regiment for constant updates!"
What? Wang Dacheng was taken aback. What kind of reconnaissance operation required a radio? Li Lin turned and called over a staff officer, whispering instructions. After the officer left, Wang Dacheng hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to ask quietly, "Commander, are we going to take the initiative?"
Li Lin looked up at Wang Dacheng in surprise and after a while replied, "Interesting. That's not your concern. You should go rest now."
Receiving this non-answer only fueled Wang Dacheng's excitement. For days, the National Army had been on the defensive, retreating in every battle; it had been tough. It was rare to have an opportunity to take the initiative—no wonder they needed to prepare for reconnaissance.
Wang Dacheng walked into the courtyard where the remaining brothers had already eaten and were sprawled out against the walls, some even snoring. Zhang Gosheng was particularly excited upon seeing Wang Dacheng. "Brother Dacheng, did you see that? Isn't that a submachine gun!?" Wang Dacheng glanced at the weapon in the guard's hands and replied calmly, "That's a P18, a German submachine gun."
"Brother Dacheng, how do you know everything?" Zhang Gosheng asked in admiration.
Wang Dacheng smiled without responding; it was better to let everyone rest for a while. He picked up a water bottle and took a big gulp before grabbing a steamed bun to munch on. Zhang Gosheng watched curiously as he eyed the guard's equipment with longing.
Before long, seven or eight people entered from outside, all clad in German-style gear and carrying a large amount of equipment. One of them even had a radio on his back. The leader, a Second Lieutenant, appeared quite refined; however, in his well-fitted uniform, he looked very imposing. He entered the courtyard, glanced around, and upon spotting Wang Dacheng and his group hesitated for a moment before approaching.
"Who is Wang Squad Leader?"
No one responded.
He raised his voice and asked again, "Who is Wang Dacheng, Squad Leader?!"
"Oh, that's me! That's me!" Wang Dacheng finally realized he was now the Squad Leader and quickly stood up.
“Wang Squad Leader, my name is Wu Yong, and I am the Squad Leader of the Special Operations Unit Communication Unit. This time, Commander has assigned me to work with you, and our main responsibility is to ensure the safety of the radio station.”
Wang Dacheng quickly saluted, “Please give your instructions, Squad Leader Wu!”
Wang Dacheng’s attitude surprised Wu Yong. He paused for a moment and noticed that Wang Dacheng held the rank of Sergeant. He quickly replied, “We are all here to complete the mission; there’s no need for such formalities, Wang Squad Leader.”
In addition to their uniforms, Wu Yong had brought along a full set of P18 submachine guns for Wang Dacheng and his team, along with a standard amount of ammunition and four hand grenades each. Wu Yong also carried a pair of binoculars, which made Wang Dacheng feel excited. Back when they were trained by the Germans, such equipment was not available to ordinary soldiers. (This will be featured in my upcoming work, “The Iron-Blooded Gendarmerie’s Fight Against Japanese Aggression.”)
Seeing that it was almost time, Wang Dacheng quickly called everyone up. Looking at their sleepy faces, he felt a pang of sympathy. However, there was no choice; nearly a hundred brothers lay on Huangye Ridge, and this vengeance must be avenged!
He briefly explained the situation to everyone and glanced at Wu Yong. “I know these past few days have been tough for everyone. If anyone doesn’t want to go, you can withdraw now! We don’t want anyone being ridiculed later!”
No one spoke up.
“Very well!” Wang Dacheng smiled with satisfaction. “Let’s change our gear!”
Indeed, clothes make the man. After changing into their uniforms, despite the fatigue still evident on their faces, everyone appeared sharp and ready. The uniform made them feel like an elite unit.
Once they had organized their gear again, Wang Dacheng waved his hand and said, “Let’s move out!”
By now it was dark. The group quietly circled around the west side of the town and slowly made their way toward Huangye Ridge.
To avoid detection by the Japanese Army scouts, Wang Dacheng chose to navigate through the forest along the hillside beside the main road. Drawing on his marching experience from previous deployments, he led his men carefully over the rugged terrain toward Huangye Ridge.
The formation gradually stretched out as Wang Dacheng led his brothers at the front while Wu Yong, either intentionally or unintentionally, kept his team trailing behind. A glance from Wang Dacheng confirmed his suspicions; it seemed that Wu Yong had some supervisory duties as well and was likely concerned about him leading his men astray.
"Damn it, look at us!" Wang Dacheng cursed silently in his heart as he slung the backpack onto his back and quietly moved to the front, straining to clear a path for the team.
The darkness had completely enveloped the area, making progress even more difficult. Fortunately, everyone in the team had experience in field operations and silently navigated through the mountains. Wu Yong followed the path opened by Wang Dacheng and managed to keep up with the group.
After advancing for a while, Wu Yong noticed that the group had suddenly stopped. "What's going on?" he whispered.
There was no response; the brothers ahead seemed to blend into the night, as if they had disappeared. Wu Yong quickly halted the team and took a few steps forward.
Not far ahead, Wu Yong spotted a glimmer of light. Upon closer inspection, he saw that Wang Dacheng and the others were all lying on the ground, with Wang Dacheng using binoculars to observe something.
Wu Yong hurriedly dropped down beside Wang Dacheng. "What's going on?"
Wang Dacheng did not turn his head but replied, "We've spotted the Japanese Army. Judging by their size and encampment, it looks like a regimental command post."
"Regimental Command Post?!" Wu Yong exclaimed in surprise. As far as he knew, there was only the 109th Regiment of the Japanese Army stationed across from Zou City. If they had set up their command post here, did that mean they were planning a night attack?
Wang Dacheng remained silent, continuing to observe through his binoculars. Indeed, it was a command post located just over a kilometer ahead by the roadside. There were several military tents surrounded by numerous sentries patrolling back and forth. A little further out, bonfires blazed brightly, illuminating a large group of Japanese soldiers sitting nearby, apparently having their meal.
"The Japanese devils are planning a night attack!" Wang Dacheng suddenly said. He turned to Wu Yong and instructed, "Quickly report the location of the Japanese devils to headquarters using the radio. See if we can get artillery or air support to bombard this area."
Wu Yong nodded and called out to those behind him before taking the binoculars to calculate their position. "I studied under an Artillery Major before; Old Wang, you're about to make a significant contribution this time," Wu Yong said excitedly.
Wang Dacheng said nothing. Based on his experience with Japanese Army tactics, after finishing their meal, they would soon advance at full speed to attack Zou City. He judged that it would be impressive if the defenders could hold out until dawn. Once Zou City fell, all of Changde would be exposed to multiple routes of Japanese artillery fire.
It was a race against time! Wang Dacheng thought silently. At that moment, Wu Yong quickly completed his calculations and reported the results to the telegrapher behind them. The telegrapher swiftly began connecting lines for transmission while Wu Yong continued scanning the surroundings with his binoculars.
Suddenly, Wang Dacheng felt Wu Yong's breathing become rapid, even hearing the sound of air rushing through his nostrils. "Damn it!" Wu Yong cursed fiercely, and Wang Dacheng looked at him in surprise.
At that moment, Wu Yong, with a grim face, shoved the binoculars toward him. "Look down the slope to the right!"
Confused, Wang Dacheng aimed the binoculars in that direction, and what he saw made his blood rush to his head.
He saw more than a dozen brothers from the Allies, their hands bound behind their backs, kneeling under the watch of the Japanese Army. A few officers among the Japanese Invaders were holding War Blades and laughing in front of the captured Allies. On the ground nearby lay several corpses of their comrades.
Wang Dacheng was taken aback and quickly adjusted the binoculars for a clearer view. As he zoomed in, he saw a Colonel approaching one of the kneeling prisoners, holding a Japanese Sword in both hands. He stood before the prisoner, saying something unknown. Suddenly, the Japanese Soldiers released their grip on the prisoner, who sprang to his feet and charged at the Colonel!
In that instant, the Japanese Colonel swung his sword upward with both hands while sidestepping. A head flew into the air as the brother fell forward, blood gushing from his mouth as his body convulsed on the ground.
"Damn it!" Wang Dacheng gritted his teeth and instinctively reached for his gun. When he finally grasped it with his right hand, he realized with a start that he only had an 18-caliber weapon, which could never reach that distance.
"What about artillery? Where's the artillery support?!" Wang Dacheng turned and grabbed the Telegrapher by the collar, demanding answers.
(To be continued...)
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