lovenovelstory Chapter 50 The Direction of Hell
Chapter 50 The Direction of Hell
The Japanese had a very good plan, and Zhao Dahu realized this as well, which made him scratch his head.
Let's fight. The Japanese are also lying in ambush in the darkness. We don't even know which direction they're going to attack.
If he doesn't fight, the Japanese and their puppet troops will be able to rest easy, which doesn't meet his expectations.
Just then, Yang Zheng came to his side.
"Company Commander..."
"I've seen everything you've done; you've done a great job!"
Yang Zheng patted him on the shoulder, then looked at the Japanese soldiers and ordered, "Now, your mission is complete. Retreat!"
"Retreat??" Zhao Dahu was clearly reluctant. "Company commander, no matter what, a quick sweep with light machine guns won't scare the Japanese, but the traitors will definitely be afraid."
Yang Zheng glanced at him and explained with unusual patience, "We made you retreat to lull them into a false sense of security and make them think that this is all the Eighth Route Army can do."
Tomorrow, when the Japanese continue their operations, the First Platoon will continue to create this illusion for them, giving them the courage to continue marching towards Changning Village.
If the Japanese soldiers felt that the Eighth Route Army was too strong and chose to retreat at this time, they really wouldn't be able to hold them back.
Therefore, giving up appropriately is also a sign of weakness.
Zhao Dahu scratched his head, agreed, and then quickly gathered his troops and headed towards the position of the fire support platoon.
They will rest there, while also awaiting the final annihilation.
Yang Zheng then turned and rode his horse toward the Datian stronghold.
Without the harassment from the second platoon, apart from an infantry squad that had launched an attack and some puppet troops, the rest of the enemy were sleeping quite well.
The infantry company commander looked at the rising sun, a disdainful smile playing on his lips: "You Eighth Route Army guerrillas will always be nothing more than rats in the gutter. But this time, we've found your rat's nest."
"Set off!!"
The nearly 400-strong force resumed its march and headed towards the Daejeon stronghold, but the discipline of the puppet troops was significantly worse than it had been the day before.
Most importantly, for the safety of his soldiers, the Japanese company commander still drove the puppet troops to the front and ordered them to send out reconnaissance units.
Clearly, the intention was to use the puppet troops as cannon fodder.
The puppet troops dared not speak out in anger, and under the threat of the Japanese guns, they had no choice but to comply.
.........
Meanwhile, Liu Tiegang's rail team passed through the Datian outpost almost openly, with villagers carrying rails and sleepers, their faces beaming with the joy of a harvest.
The Japanese troops at the Datian stronghold didn't dare to move at all.
They numbered only 20 men. Although there were dozens of puppet soldiers, there were at least 50 or 60 Eighth Route Army soldiers with guns watching him intently, and there were probably more lurking in the shadows.
"Baka! Report to Major Tian An immediately! The Eighth Route Army has destroyed the railway, and their main force is near the old stronghold site, ready to attack at any moment. We will rely on the ruins of the stronghold and resolutely defend it!"
Seeing that the Japanese soldiers dared not move, Zeng Dahui went directly to meet up with Liu Tiegang.
"The Japanese haven't made a move, have they?"
Upon seeing him approach, Liu Tiegang immediately asked.
Zeng Dahui said dismissively, "They wouldn't dare! If it weren't for the fact that our troops needed rest after so many battles, we would have wiped them out long ago! Now that our men have shown their faces, they don't dare to move a muscle!"
"Haha, you're right! If the company commander hadn't already planned it out, we could have taken them down together if we had worked together!" Liu Tiegang said with a laugh.
Being calm simply means he'll consider things more carefully, but it doesn't mean he won't take the initiative.
Zeng Dahui's gaze swept over the railway tracks, and he stepped forward, patted them, and said with a smile, "Good stuff, perfect for Master Li and the others to melt down. We can already produce our own bullets, I wonder when we'll be able to produce guns."
"It will happen!" Liu Tiegang had just finished speaking when his ears twitched, and he vaguely heard gunshots in the distance.
"Platoon Leader Chen and his men have made their move!"
"Yes, we need to keep an even closer eye on these Japanese soldiers now, and make sure they don't make any rash moves!"
"Alright, Platoon Leader Zeng, let's take these rails back first!"
"Fellow villagers, let's quicken our pace and get away from here first," Liu Tiegang shouted to 100 fellow villagers.
Zhou Shunzi stepped forward at the opportune moment, saying, "Don't be afraid, the Eighth Route Army will protect us. Now, quicken your pace, don't panic, don't make a fuss, and don't cause them any trouble!"
"Haha, I'm totally relieved!!"
"Then let's hurry up!"
.........
On the other side, not long after the Japanese and puppet troops had begun their march, Chen Xiaoquan led his soldiers in a sniper attack, targeting the puppet troops' officers as well.
When the Japanese troops surrounded them, they quickly withdrew without lingering in battle.
Every time, it was the same: a sniper shot would suddenly ring out, a puppet army officer or scout would fall to the ground, the Japanese would react quickly and try to encircle them, and the Eighth Route Army would disappear like ghosts into the complex terrain.
Each attack may cause few direct casualties, but the cumulative effect is extremely significant.
The morale of the puppet troops collapsed at a visible speed.
They were timid and hesitant during marches, collapsing at the slightest disturbance. When carrying out search orders, they were perfunctory and wished they could stay as far away from the mountains and forests on both sides of the road as possible.
They were not soldiers who would fight to the death, and were repeatedly used as "human shields" and sacrifices to draw enemy fire. Their resentment and fear had long surpassed their fear of the Japanese.
Only the machine guns and bayonets of the Japanese supervisory team were barely enough to maintain a semblance of order.
The Japanese company was also exhausted.
They had been on edge for hours, expending a lot of energy, yet they still couldn't catch up with the enemy's main force. They had firepower but nowhere to vent it, and their morale was also dampened.
This situation only improved when they arrived at the old site of the Daejeon outpost.
But then, the person in charge of rebuilding the outpost reported the situation that had occurred that morning to the squad leader, which made him completely furious.
"Baka! Eighth Route Army! How dare they... how dare they so openly sabotage the Empire's railways? They have no respect for the great Imperial soldiers! Baka! Attack!!" the Japanese company commander shouted.
At the same time, he already had a hunch that the Eighth Route Army's every move was clearly aimed at both demoralizing and enraging them, drawing them away.
But the soldiers of the empire were undaunted by the challenge.
Ultimately, overwhelming power will crush all conspiracies and schemes.
The Japanese company commander glanced at the soldiers' faces, which were tired but still full of fighting spirit, and revealed a confident smile.
As for the puppet troops who were on the verge of collapse, he didn't take them seriously at all.
In his mind, the greatest contribution was for these people to obediently serve as cannon fodder.
But little did he know that when these people completely collapsed and frantically fled backwards, they would completely disrupt their formation.
Victory is often the result of accumulating small advantages.
The Japanese soldiers couldn't wait to set off again, heading towards Changning Village, which was also a journey towards hell.