lovenovelstory Chapter 63 A Sky-High Explosion
Chapter 63 A Sky-High Explosion
Early morning of the 22nd, Heishiling.
Mao Dashuan, leading his reconnaissance squad, approached the railway like ghosts. Two soldiers took out pliers and precisely cut the telephone line.
Immediately, Mao Dashuan waved his hand, and six dark figures silently dispersed, quietly approaching the three Japanese soldiers patrolling the railway line, two against one.
In the darkness, a dagger flashed coldly. From behind, it covered the mouth and nose, precisely stabbing into vital organs. The three Japanese soldiers collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound. Their bodies were quickly dragged into the bushes.
Mao Dashuan made a hand gesture, and Lin Xiaoye immediately led his team straight to the mountainside outpost. Several sentries were dozing against the wall when they were swiftly slit in the throat from the side.
The group gently pushed open the wooden door and slipped inside.
On the shared bunk, seven Japanese soldiers were snoring loudly.
Lin Xiaoye nodded to the soldiers, and then a dark shadow loomed over him as the sharp blade of his dagger precisely severed the Japanese soldier's throat.
Moments later, only the stench of blood remained inside the sentry post.
From cutting the wires to clearing the sentry posts, it took only fifteen minutes, and not a single sound was heard throughout the entire process.
Mao Dashuan walked in, looked at the Japanese soldiers lying on the ground, and nodded with satisfaction to the soldiers around him.
These people are really skilled; I don't know why they were defeated soldiers before. It's strange.
However, he didn't delve into it further. That was a matter for the company commander or even higher-ups to consider. He just needed to lead his men to carry out the company commander's orders.
Shortly afterward, Yang Zheng led the main force to arrive.
Mao Dashuan approached and reported, "Company commander, it's cleared."
Yang Zheng glanced around and nodded: "Well done. Wang Bing, it's up to you guys now."
"Yes, sir!"
Wang Bing immediately led his engineering team forward, carrying modified landmines and explosives wrapped in tarpaulin, and quickly calculated the burial points based on the terrain.
Under the rails, beside the sleepers, and on the sides of the roadbed, deadly traps were meticulously laid out, and detonation lines were carefully concealed to ensure absolute safety.
Yang Zheng only glanced at the troops a few times before returning to continue arranging them.
Professional matters should be left to professionals; these are not his areas of expertise.
At the same time, three infantry platoons, under the command of their respective platoon leaders, quietly moved into ambush positions under the road cut. The soldiers checked their weapons and placed grenades within easy reach.
Luo Dashan, along with his fire support platoon, carrying heavy Type 92 rifles and grenade launchers, climbed to the high points on both sides of Black Stone Ridge, silently pointing their guns at the bend in the road.
In less than an hour, everything was set up.
Chen Xiaoquan walked to Yang Zheng's side and whispered, "Company Commander, everything is arranged. Now we just wait for the Japanese train to arrive. According to previous intelligence, it should be in a little over an hour!"
Yang Zheng nodded and said, "Order everyone to prepare."
"yes!"
Yang Zheng didn't want to say anything more. The necessary preparations had been completed, and now it was up to the Japanese.
Blackstone Ridge fell silent once more.
The cold wind howled, sweeping over the rocks and withered grass. The soldiers at the ambush point held their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests.
Time passed second by second.
In the distance, a very faint, rhythmic vibration could be heard coming from the railway tracks.
The tremor was extremely slight, like a pulse coming from deep underground, yet it instantly made every soldier pressed against the ground tense up.
The sound came from afar, gradually becoming clearer and heavier from a muffled "clang".
The Japanese train is coming...
Yang Zheng lay prone behind the rocks, his eyes fixed on the front of the car that was gradually heading towards the pre-set explosion point.
He slowly raised his right hand and made a fist.
The command was picked up by the communicator behind him through pre-arranged gestures and then quickly passed on to the back and sides in very low voices and gestures.
At the foot of the road and on the hillside, every platoon leader and squad leader received the preparation signal, gently pulled the bolt of their rifles, and gripped their grenades tightly.
From the high vantage point, Luo Dashan pressed his cheek against the butt of a heavy machine gun.
Wang Bing's palms were sweaty as he gripped the detonator tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. His eyes were fixed on the slowly moving wheels and the location of the landmines buried under the rails.
It's now!
The front of the car had completely entered the death zone.
Yang Zheng suddenly swung his right hand downwards, and the long-accumulated sound exploded in the silent valley:
"burst!"
Boom! ...
A deafening roar suddenly ripped through the night sky! The explosives planted under the front of the train and in front of the first set of bogies were detonated almost simultaneously!
An orange-red fireball, accompanied by black smoke, gravel, and twisted steel fragments, shot into the sky!
The heavy steam locomotive seemed to have been slammed and overturned by an invisible giant fist!
It let out a tooth-grinding metallic groan, its massive body tilting sharply to the left, its wheels scattering blinding sparks from the intense friction.
It then completely veered off the track, like a dying steel behemoth, and crashed to the side, pulling down the water truck behind it as well!
Large amounts of coal and steam erupted violently, emitting a terrifying hiss!
Almost at the same time, the explosives that had been planted in advance under several carriages in the middle and rear of the train, which were also on the curve, were also detonated!
The violent explosion severed the rails and threw the sleepers into the air. Two boxcars fully loaded with grain jumped up and twisted violently in the explosion before crashing heavily onto the roadbed. A heart-stopping cracking sound came from the joint between the cars!
Damn it, no wonder he used up all the explosives from the Eighth Company, and no wonder he's a professional talent summoned by the system; the power is indeed formidable.
"beat!!"
Yang Zheng's感慨 (feeling of emotion) lasted only a moment before he realized what was happening, his veins bulging, and he roared in anger!
"Boom boom boom boom—!!!"
On the high points on both sides of Black Stone Ridge, the Type 92 heavy machine gun, personally operated by Luo Dashan, was the first to spew out scorching flames!
The long fire whip lashed fiercely at the Japanese and puppet troops who had just recovered from the violent jolts and explosions and were crawling out of the overturned carriages and engine in terror!
Immediately following, another Type 92 anti-tank gun and eight grenade launchers opened fire simultaneously! A dense hail of bullets and grenades rained down on the middle section of the train!
"Boom boom boom!"
The grenades fired from the grenade launcher exploded near the carriages and in the panicked crowd, throwing limbs and screams into the air!
"Comrades! Charge!!" Chen Xiaoquan leaped up from the embankment and roared hoarsely!
"Kill them all!!!"
Three infantry platoons, nearly two hundred soldiers, poured out of the low-lying area like a flood bursting its banks!
They charged and fired in squads and platoons! Dense rifle bullets and short bursts from the Type 96 light machine guns intertwined to form a deadly net, enveloping those enemies who were lucky enough to escape the explosions and the first wave of fire!
"Grenade!!"
The charging soldiers rushed to within about 30 meters of the train wreckage and threw the grenades they had prepared!
Dozens of black dots traced arcs in the air, raining down on the area around the carriage and near the overturned front of the train!
Boom! Boom boom boom—!!!
The continuous explosions once again turned that area into a hell of fire and smoke! Caught off guard, the Japanese and puppet troops were thrown into chaos, suffering heavy casualties.
However, the Japanese soldiers were ultimately well-trained elite troops.
After the initial chaos and heavy losses, some surviving veterans and junior officers began to organize sporadic but tenacious counterattacks, relying on overturned carriages, damaged water trucks, and ditches along the roadbed!
"Machine gun! Machine gun cover!"
"Grenade launcher! Aim at the firing positions on the hill!"
"Hold on! Counterattack! Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Our armored vehicles are right behind us. Hold on, support is on its way!!"
The "clack-clack" of the Type 96 machine gun rang out from the windows of a few relatively lightly damaged carriages, bullets whizzing past the charging soldiers in front of and beside them, kicking up clouds of dust.
Several grenades from the grenade launcher were also quickly fired at the Eighth Company's assault team. Although their aim was poor due to the haste, they still posed a threat.
However, the armored vehicles they had placed so much hope in were unreliable.