Chapter 57 Retreat

  "Yes! Sir! I guarantee that I will take good care of those two Japanese girls and won't let them run away!" Ma Ligong stood at attention and said.

  "Go!" Zhang Mingyu waved his hand. Ma Liqun walked out, but Zhang Haisheng stayed behind and said: "Master, can I stay behind and kill a few more little devils? Let Ma Liqun take the wounded and retreat first?"

  "No way, the sniper is my family's treasure, it's precious! You little brat can't get into trouble either. In the future, you'll have to cultivate talent for me. Withdraw immediately, this matter isn't up for discussion. From now on, the devils will be killed by you!" Zhang Mingyu immediately refused.

  Zhang Haisheng wanted to say something, but Zhang Mingyu said directly: "Haisheng, I understand your thoughts, execute my orders immediately!"

  "Yes!" Zhang Haisheng stood at attention and saluted.

  After Zhang Haisheng left, Zhang Mingyu said to Zhang Biao Lai San and others: "Tonight, we must let our brothers have a good rest. Tomorrow there will be another fierce battle. Also, arrange more sentries and scouts to prevent the little devils from launching a surprise attack."

  "Yes!" The two of them stood up and said.

  The next morning.

  The Japanese army did not immediately attack, but instead unloaded boxes of explosives from the cars, which were all marked with skull and crossbones. The Japanese artillery quickly set up 81mm mortars, taking shells out of the boxes. With a wave of a flag by one of the devils, more than ten 81mm mortars fired simultaneously, sending shells flying into the city. However, there was no sound of explosions from the shells. The devilish artillery fired three rounds of those non-explosive shells in a row.

  These shells fell into the city without exploding, but instead emitted a foul-smelling white smoke. Soon, soldiers were overcome by this noxious gas, foaming at the mouth and never getting up again. It turned out that Okinaga had been unable to capture Fuji County for some time, so he had prepared to use poison gas shells in violation of the Geneva Convention.

  A soldier rushed to Zhang Mingyu's command post and reported: "Commander, the devils just fired a kind of shell that doesn't explode. The shell emits smoke, and all the brothers who smelled it were knocked down!"

  "Non-explosive shells? Still smoking. Damn it! It's over, the little devils have dropped toxic gas bombs! Fuck their mothers! Quickly notify the brothers to find a cloth and wet it with water to cover their mouths! If there's no water, pee on it! Go quickly!" Zhang Mingyu suddenly remembered, shouting loudly at that soldier.

  "Yes!" The soldier immediately ran out.

  Zhang Mingyu took down the water bottle hanging on the wall, poured water onto a towel, covered his mouth, and had all the soldiers in the guard squad do the same. Zhang Mingyu said this was the enemy's poisonous gas bomb, inhaling it would be fatal, everyone cover their mouths.

  The poisonous gas bomb of the little devil has a strong toxicity, but this stuff will be decomposed as soon as it meets water. Zhang Mingyu suddenly remembered that the 122nd Division might not know that this was a poisonous gas bomb dropped by the little devils, and he hurriedly shouted: "Guard platoon follow me!" After finishing, he led the way to run towards the western city district.

  Iron Bull Li Gang followed closely behind, and along the way, the streets were filled with Sichuan soldiers lying on the ground wailing in pain. They had all inhaled large amounts of poison gas from the Japanese. At first, they spat out white foam, and their skin began to fester. Zhang Mingyu ran quickly to the 122nd Division headquarters, and from a distance, he saw several sentries at the division headquarters lying on the ground, still spitting out white foam. Zhang Mingyu rushed into the headquarters, where several staff officers and Wang Mingzhang were all lying on the ground. Zhang Mingyu hurried over to help Wang Mingzhang up, shouting loudly: "Big Brother Wang, Big Brother Wang, wake up!" Wang Mingzhang slowly opened his eyes, saw Zhang Mingyu, smiled slightly, and said: "Brother, I'm afraid this time it's not going well for me. I regret that I won't be able to kill a few more little Japanese devils. You hurry and lead the brothers to retreat! Fujian is no longer tenable. Commander-in-Chief Chiang values you highly, and your future will certainly be boundless. Hurry and retreat!" After finishing speaking, white foam gushed out of his mouth, and his breathing gradually stopped.

  Zhang Mingyu shouted: "Tie Niu, bring General Wang's body, and pass on my order to the whole army to alternate covering fire and retreat quickly!"

  "Yes. Li Gang stood up straight. Just as he was about to run out, Zhang Mingyu said again: "Gangzi, send a few brothers to see if there are any survivors in the 122nd Division? Gather them all together."

  "Yes!" Li Gang led a few guardsmen to run out. More than 2,000 people from the 122nd Division, except for a small number who approached the independent division and got the method of using a wet towel to avoid poisoning, were lucky enough to escape, but most soldiers died in the devil's poisonous gas bomb, including Liu Zhihui.

  Li Gang gathered all the survivors of the 122nd Division, about five hundred people. At this time, Tie Niu and Zhang Mingyu also arrived with Wang Mingzhang on their backs. Liu Tianjie saw Wang Mingzhang on Tie Niu's back and shouted loudly: "Shī zuò!" Several Sichuan army officers all ran over, seeing their big brother and superior officer dead, they all wailed in grief.

  Zhang Mingyu was also deeply moved, and he gently patted Liu Tianjie's shoulder, saying: "Brothers, let's mourn later. The devils are just outside the city, and they may attack at any time. Everyone, quickly follow my troops to retreat, my men will cover your withdrawal."

  Liu Tianjie wiped away a tear and said, "Brothers, we appreciate Commander Zhang's kind intentions. Defending Tong County is the responsibility of the 122nd. Without the commander's orders, no one can retreat. You go first, we'll cover for you."

  "Commander Liu, Commander Wang ordered you all to retreat before he died. You can retreat now!" Zhang Mingyu advised.

  "Zhang Shilang's kindness, brothers have taken it to heart, we will not retreat, we must avenge our master!" Liu Tianjie said with sorrow and indignation.

  "Yes, I will avenge our commander and our fallen brothers!" shouted a group of Sichuan soldiers.

  The last five hundred or more Sichuan soldiers shouted in unison: "Avenge our hatred! Fight to the death and never retreat!"

  "Go!" Liu Tianjie waved his hand. More than 500 Sichuan soldiers followed Liu Tianjie towards the city. Zhang Mingyu bowed deeply to these Sichuan soldiers from behind. Tie Niu, Li Gang and the guards also bowed to the departing Sichuan soldiers, at this moment they had great respect for these poorly equipped, straw-shoe-wearing Sichuan men. When they first arrived in Tengxian County, they more or less looked down on these Sichuan soldiers, thinking their equipment was poor and their military discipline wasn't good either. They had a bit of the central army's disdain for local troops mentality.

  At this time, these brave Sichuan soldiers, generously sacrificing themselves, were willing to die in battle and did not want to retreat, their heroic spirit deeply moved them.

  Zhang Mingyu said to Tie Niu, "Gangzi, you go tell Zhang Biao, let them leave more hand grenades and machine guns for the Sichuan army brothers, so they can kill some little devils."

  Thanks to Zhang Mingyu's timely notification to the various regiments under his command, the casualties of the Independent Division were not too heavy, with more than 100 people poisoned. At this time, all 1,300 or so men of the Independent Division began their withdrawal.

  Zhang Mingyu ordered Sun Dali to load the two war-defense cannons onto war horses, and he himself led the guard platoon to cover the rear, retreating towards Taierzhuang. Just as the Independent Division had retreated less than five miles away, intense gunfire broke out in Tong County behind them.

  "Baruka! Why haven't those Chinese died out yet?" Soon, a Japanese squad wearing gas masks retreated. A squad leader reported to Higuchi Kori: "Commander, the Chinese inside the city are putting up fierce resistance, my squad has suffered heavy casualties!"

  "Does China have gas masks?" asked Higuchi Kei. "Actually, Commander, you don't need a gas mask, just use a wet towel to prevent poisoning." I think the Chinese must have used this method," said one of the staff officers.

  "Commander Zhang Mingyu doesn't seem simple. Order the artillery to bombard Teng County, and call in an air strike!" Lieutenant General Higuchi gave the order.

  Everyone, please vote after reading! In the next stage, Zhu Jiao will start developing his own power!