Chapter 28 "A mob of united fools! A plate of scattered sand!"

  The sky gradually brightened, and Liu Xiaoxi led the reconnaissance team's warriors down the rugged mountain road.

  Distant gunfire and mortar explosions could be heard.

  Qin Zhiyong said worriedly: "I don't know how Captain Guo and the others are doing?"

  "Don't worry, we're too familiar with these mountains, the devils can't catch them."

  Lao Cao: "Do you often fight with devils?"

  "Of course."

  Lao Cao: "Aren't you afraid of the devils?"

  Zhou Guangren hastily replied: "My sister's marksmanship is great, one shot and she killed a devil, I saw it with my own eyes."

  Lao Cao and Lao Yang listened, looked at each other in surprise.

  Liu Xiaoxi turned around and smiled at Zhou Guangren: "What's that supposed to be?"

  Old Yang: "I'm telling you, sister, whatever you do, don't get caught by those devils. Those little devils are beasts."

  Liu Xiaoxi nodded in understanding: "I know."

  The distant gunfire suddenly subsided, and everyone stopped in their tracks, anxiously looking up towards the high ground.

  On the high ground, the bodies of reconnaissance platoon warriors wearing green uniforms and guerrilla fighters wearing multicolored clothes were scattered all over the battlefield, their blood flowing together.

  Lao Lin also sacrificed beside the machine gun.

  Iwai and Kuroda led their troops in a weary charge up the heights.

  Iwai shouted in a fluster: "We must catch them!"

  At this time, Captain Guo led the guerrilla fighters to support the wounded and retreat into the dense forest in the mountains.

  Xiao Wang turned around and gazed at the distant high ground that had already been occupied by the Japanese army, tears streaming down his face.

  The other team members also stopped in their tracks, turned around and silently gazed at the distant high ground, some team members sobbed silently.

  "Captain Guo said in a low voice: "We, the living, must continue to fight until we drive out the invaders from China. What's the use of crying? Tears can't drown our enemies! Let's move forward!"

  Captain Guo finished speaking and strode forward, the other team members also wiped away their tears, supported the wounded, and followed Captain Guo into the dense forest...

  Liu Xiaoxi: "Qin Pai Zhang, I'll send you off here. You follow this road all the way down and you'll reach the foot of the mountain, where there's a highway leading to Changsha."

  Qin Zhiyong: "Alright, thank you! What's your name?"

  "Call Liu Xiaoxi!"

  Qin Zhiyong glared at Zhou Guangren.

  Liu Xiaoxi smiled: "Qin Pai Zhang, goodbye!"

  Qin Zhiyong also smiled: "Goodbye!"

  Liu Xiaoxi: "Zhou Dage, does your wound still hurt?"

  Zhou Guangren shook his head: "It doesn't hurt anymore. Little sister, can we meet again?"

  Liu Xiaoxi's face turned red and she nodded shyly.

  Lao Yang and Lao Cao exchanged glances with each other, their faces twisted into wicked grins as they stared at the two of them.

  Liu Xiaoxi saw that Old Yang, Old Cao and the soldiers were all looking at him, and he awkwardly waved his hand to everyone, turned around and left. Zhou Guangren looked at Liu Xiaoxi's receding back in a daze, gradually disappearing into the dense forest between the mountains.

  Old Cao: "Don't look anymore, Second Ghost, he's gone far away."

  Old Yang: "Let him take a look, probably won't be able to see each other again in the future."

  Old Cao suddenly found that Qin Zhiyong was staring at Zhou Guangren, and he quickly poked Old Yang secretly. Old Yang saw Qin Zhiyong's expression and also felt a bit nervous, so he coughed twice towards Zhou Guangren.

  Zhou Guangren still gazed in the direction Liu Xiaoxi had gone, muttering to himself: "We'll meet again, we must meet again."

  Old Yang whispered: "Don't look anymore, it's a Japanese devil."

  Zhou Guangren turned around and suddenly saw Qin Zhiyong's icy gaze, and couldn't help but shiver.

  Zhou Guangren nervously said: "Line up——"

  Qin Zhiyong shouted loudly: "Come on! Tie up the two devils!"

  Two warriors rushed up and bound Zhou Guangren.

  Qin Zhiyong pulled out his pistol, and Zhou Guangren pleaded tearfully: "Squad leader, spare me this once, I'll never dare again."

  Qin Zhiyong: "You fled before the battle, disrupting our plan and causing the current casualties. You should be shot," he said, handing the gun to Old Yang, "Old Yang, execute discipline!"

  Lao Yang didn't dare take the gun handed over by Qin Zhiyong, and leaned his head to Qin Zhiyong's ear, saying in a low voice: "Squad leader, are you serious? He won't come back, will he? He's already injured, isn't scaring him enough?"

  Qin Zhiyong: "No way! If everyone is like him, what's the point of me being a squad leader in the future? Enforce discipline!"

  Qin Zhiyong handed the gun to Old Yang again.

  Everyone panicked when they saw Qin Zhiyong really getting angry.

  Zhou Guangren suddenly calmed down at this time, and said calmly: "Squad leader, today's Zhou Guangren is not yesterday's Zhou Guangren. Even a girl like Liu Xiaoxi can shoot devils, I'm also a man, spare my life, I want to fight the devils to the end!"

  Qin Zhiyong's eyes stared straight at Zhou Guangren, and Zhou Guangren met Qin Zhiyong's gaze with his own.

  Qin Zhiyong slowly put away his gun and turned around to walk forward, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

  Old Yang shouted at Qin Zhiyong's back: "Everyone listen, from now on, whoever dares to be a deserter again, my gun won't recognize anyone!"

  Qin Zhiyong, who was walking in front, couldn't help but smile.

  Old Cao came over and untied Zhou Guangren's ropes: "Second Ghost, you're lucky to have escaped with your life today—"

  Zhou Guangren said coldly: "From now on, no one is allowed to call me Er Guizi again!"

  Lao Cao looked at Zhou Guangren's back in surprise and said to Old Yang who was also surprised: "This kid has really changed?"

  Old Yang: "What was his name again? Zhou something?"

  Old Cao shook his head: "Didn't hear clearly."

  Lao Cao quickened his pace and caught up with Zhou Guangren, intentionally teasing him: "What was your name again?"

  "Zhou Guangren! Did you hear me clearly?"

  Old Cao nodded: "I heard clearly, Zhou - Guang - Ren, there is no 'second ghost' who calls it smoothly. I said two - that Zhou Guangren, how are you always sticking to Liu Xiaohui? Others have gone far away, and you are reluctant to part with him, what do you mean?"

  Lao Yang: "Do you like others?"

  "What's it to you?"

  Zhou Guangren no longer paid attention to Old Yang and walked forward on his own.

  Old Yang: "Hey, you're still arrogant, I should have taken the long gun from you earlier and blown your brains out."

  The warriors all burst out laughing, when suddenly a loud cannon sound came from afar, everyone got excited and started discussing:

  "Listen! That's our cannon!"

  "How did you know it was our artillery?"

  "It's from Yuelu Mountain, of course it's our artillery!"

  "It seems Changsha is still in our hands!"

  Qin Zhiyong was also excited: "Down the mountain! We must not let Changsha fall into the hands of the devils!"

  Qin Zhiyong led the warriors down the mountain at a quick pace...

  Changsha South Gate Foreign Military Campsite.

  Japanese soldiers charged forward with bayonets, shouting loudly towards the position.

  Liu Zongcai ordered the soldiers to fire at the enemy who were rushing up...

  The machine gunner mounted on a tripod Czech light machine gun swept towards the enemy...

  The wounded soldier with only one leg and other seriously injured soldiers sat in the trenches, unscrewing hand grenade caps for other soldiers, loading bullets onto machine gun magazines...

  Japanese soldiers with bayonets charged closer and closer.

  At this time, the National Army's heavy artillery fired in unison, and the charging Japanese soldiers were blown up, turning over their horses.

  Japanese soldiers disregarded the artillery interception and charged forward wave after wave. Liu's adjutant picked up a rifle with a fixed bayonet and shouted: "Fix bayonets!"

  The grenadier picked up his rifle and fixed bayonets with the soldiers on the position.

  At this time, the battlefield flank came to the charge of the horn, reinforcements from the battlefield flank killed the enemy, breaking through the Japanese defense line, and the Japanese finally began to retreat.

  "On the battlefield, the warriors cheered in unison: 'The reinforcements have arrived! The devils are retreating!'"

  Comrade Dong, carrying a Thompson submachine gun, arrived with several deputy officers and guards from the rear of the position.

  "Comrade Liu, the enemy's two divisions have withdrawn from the battlefield and are now retreating on all fronts. Let's pursue them immediately! Brothers, charge!" - Commander Dong

  Comrade Dong and Comrade Liu led the soldiers in a charge against the enemy...

  Grenade also holding machine guns, jumped out of the trenches...

  The seriously wounded men stood in the trenches and shouted in unison: "Brothers! Charge! Kill more devils for us!"

  The warriors charged towards the fleeing enemy like a landslide...

  Makino stood on the mountaintop, holding up a telescope and looking through it, with Japanese soldiers dressed as National Army troops standing behind him.

  Through binoculars, Makino saw that Japanese troops were fleeing north along the highway and Chinese troops were pursuing them.

  Makino put down his binoculars and sighed: "This time it's all in vain again!"

  Having said that, he led his soldiers on their way again.

  On the highway, Japanese soldiers were hastily retreating, some wounded soldiers were being carried on stretchers, and those carrying the stretchers included both Japanese soldiers and captured Chinese civilians. Some dead bodies of Japanese soldiers were also loaded on horseback.

  Changshan and Seventh Uncle held a small sun flag, standing nervously by the side of the road.

  Two Japanese stretcher bearers put down the stretcher with the wounded soldier on it, panting and wiping the sweat from their faces with their military caps. One of the stretcher bearers saw Zhangshan and Qi Shu, and beckoned to them, shouting in Chinese: "You, you, come here!"

  Changshan and Qi Shu had no choice but to go over, bowing to the soldiers carrying the stretcher. Changshan: "Your Excellency, do you have any orders?"

  The stretcher bearer pointed at the stretcher and said to Zhang Shan and Qi Shu: "You guys are in charge of carrying it, got it?"

  Changshan and Qi Shu exchanged a glance with each other, nodded helplessly at the stretcher bearers: "Understood, understood."

  Stretcher bearer: "Faster."

  Changshan and Qi Shu had no choice but to lift up the stretcher and follow the troops in retreat.

  The sun sets in the west.

  Qin Zhiyong stood on the middle of the mountain, holding a telescope and excitedly shouting: "The highway is full of our troops! It seems that the devils have retreated completely!"

  On the mountain road, the National Army troops were advancing at full speed.

  The warriors couldn't help but cheer up, Qin Zhiyong put down his binoculars: "Let's go!"

  Qin Zhiyong walked quickly in front, with the soldiers following behind him, along the small road down the mountain.

  Old Yang: "Look at how fierce others are fighting! But our battle today is really embarrassing, I wanted to ambush the devils, but they ended up ambushing us instead."

  Old Cao nodded: "The little devil is too cunning!"

  Huang Xintian: "It's not that the little devils are cunning, it's just that you two are too loud and exposed your target."

  Lao Cao: "It's them who don't talk reason!"

  Old Yang also complained: "Old Cao, it's not me saying you, last night in the warehouse, with that situation, you still dared to speak loudly."

  Lao Cao: "That can't be helped, I've been loud-mouthed since I was a kid."

  Old Yang: "Your loud voice is not suitable for reconnaissance, you'll expose the target as soon as you speak. Next time when executing a mission, I'll gag your mouth first."

  Old Cao: "Get out of here! You're going to suffocate me!"

  The two of them burst out laughing loudly.

  Huang Xintian looked at them with great dissatisfaction: "Can't you keep your voices down? Do you want to attract the devils?"

  Old Yang: "What's wrong? Are you afraid of the devils?"

  Huang Xintian: "If it weren't for you two shouting and quarreling with the guerrilla fighters today, would we have been discovered by the devils? So many brothers died, and we suffered such a great loss! Moreover, we are all Chinese people, and for a small matter, we resort to knives and guns. What kind of heroes are we?"

  Lao Yang was said to be furious: "Old Huang, you're questioning me now? I haven't even questioned you yet!"

  Huang Xintian was puzzled: "What are you asking me?"

  Old Yang: "Do you know that Cao and I were almost killed by your men last night? How did you command them?! I had warned them a thousand times, yet the bullets still nearly hit Cao and me. Don't believe me? Ask Cao!"

  Old Cao also chimed in: "Yes, Old Huang, the bullets whizzed past my ears. If I were killed by our own people, how unjust would that be!"

  Huang Xintian said slowly and calmly, "Bullets don't have eyes, if you two really get hit, it can only be considered bad luck for both of you. On the battlefield, aren't accidental injuries a common occurrence?"

  Lao Yang sneered and said in a neutral tone, "Ever since that Second Sister died, you, Huang Xintian, have been acting like you've lost your soul." He patted Huang Xintian's gun and added, "Make sure the safety is on, don't accidentally hurt one of our own people."

  Huang Xintian's face changed, and he pushed away Old Yang's hand: "What are you talking about!"

  Old Cao secretly pulled Old Yang's collar and gave him a signal with his eyes.

  Old Yang still wouldn't let up: "Hey, Old Huang, you're not harboring resentment towards me and taking a shot at me for the sake of a Japanese girl, are you?"

  Huang Xintian was furious and pulled out his hunting knife: "Dare you say that again!"

  Old Cao hurriedly hugged Huang Xintian and persuaded Old Yang: "Old Yang, you've gone too far!"

  Old Yang stretched his neck and shouted: "Come on, chop over here! For a Japanese girl, you're fighting with your own people, what kind of hero are you? You also talk about the spirits of all things, how nice it sounds! Bullshit!"

  Zhou Guangren saw that things were not going well and hastily ran towards the front of the troops.

  Huang Xintian: "You old Yang are so mighty! Rushing into the hospital to kill heavily injured, defenseless captives, how mighty you are!"

  Old Yang was enraged again: "I'll kill you! I'll kill you, what can you do? Hmph!"

  Huang Xintian: "If the devils really come, you'll run faster than anyone else! How did Little White Nurse die? Don't think we don't know. When you see the devils coming, you ran first, what kind of hero are you?"

  Lao Cao also became anxious and signaled to Huang Xintian with his eyes: "Old Huang, you've gone too far! You've gone too far!"

  Lao Yang was furious: "Huang Xintian! You damn well say that again!"

  Huang Xintian didn't back down: "Coward!"

  Old Yang: "I'll smash your gourd head!"

  Old Yang said, raising the butt of his "crooked handle" machine gun to hit Huang Xintian. Old Cao quickly let go of Huang Xintian and hugged Old Yang instead, shouting at Huang Xintian: "Why are you all so unreasonable!"

  Qin Zhiyong ran over from the front, followed by Zhou Guangren.

  Qin Zhiyong pointed at Old Yang and Huang Xintian, scolding: "Haven't you had enough of quarreling? Haven't you suffered enough losses? Look at the state you're in! A bunch of scattered soldiers and brave warriors! A mob! A plate of loose sand!"

  Lao Yang and Huang Xintian both put down their weapons with a sullen expression.

  Qin Zhiyong: "If you fight again, get out of here!"

  Qin Zhiyong finished speaking and turned around to leave.

  Old Yang looked at the back of Huang Xintian and scolded: "Follow me with a knife, if it wasn't for my old Yang's shot, he would have died under that Japanese girl's gun."

  Lao Cao: "Forget it, forget it, don't say anything more."

  Old Yang took out a bottle of clear wine from his pocket and unscrewed it to take a sip.

  Lao Cao: "Ah, there's still wine? Give me a mouthful."

  Old Yang: "Didn't I give you one bottle already?"

  Old Cao: "Drank it all up early."

  Old Yang raised the wine bottle and drank the rest of the wine in one gulp, then threw the bottle down the mountain slope: "Mine's all gone too."

  Old Yang finished speaking and walked forward with a humph.

  Old Cao looked at Old Yang's back and said: "This old thing, what's he coming with me for!"

  An empty wine bottle rolled down the hillside into a thicket of trees.

  The reconnaissance team continued down the mountain trail.

  In the thicket, Mu Ye looked at the empty wine bottle that had rolled to his feet, then looked at the distant silhouette of the scouting team and sneered.

  A squad leader whispered to Makino: "Captain, why don't we annihilate them?"

  Makino sneered: "A bunch of rabble, it's not worth exposing ourselves for them, we have more important goals."

  Makino waved his hand and led the team away.

  Outside the headquarters of the National Army, a jeep and an army truck loaded with soldiers were parked, with machine guns mounted on top. The captain of the guard stood in front of the jeep.

  Comrade Dong walked out of the headquarters building, with Comrade Liu following behind him, a bandage wrapped around his head.

  Comrade Dong walked up to the jeep and said to Liu: "I'll leave things here in your hands."

  "Liu Canmou felt a bit uneasy: 'Captain, let me go with you instead.'"

  Comrade Dong: "No need, your injury hasn't healed yet. This time we won a great victory, and we must report the results of the battle, congratulate and reward the troops, and receive foreign journalists for observation - there's plenty to keep you busy."

  Xu Pai let Dong Tuanzhang open the car door, and Dong Tuanzhang got into the jeep with a smile.

  Liu Canmou said to Xu Paichang: "Xu Paichang, you must ensure the safety of the regiment commander."

  Xu Pai Chang stood at attention and saluted Liu Can Moug: "Yes!"

  Xu Pai sat in the passenger seat, and Dong Tuanzhang waved at Liu Canmou through the car window. Liu Canmou saluted Dong Tuanzhang inside the car.

  A jeep drove onto the highway, followed closely by a military truck loaded with soldiers.

  In the fields, on the highway, everywhere were the bodies of Japanese soldiers. Some villagers nearby were secretly stripping clothes and boots from the corpses. Two villagers even fought over a pair of Japanese military boots, but suddenly two gunshots rang out, and the two villagers fell to the ground after being hit. The other villagers dropped their loot and scattered in all directions. A group of retreating Japanese soldiers approached, firing at the fleeing villagers, and several more villagers fell to the ground after being hit.

  Changshan and Qiushu carried a stretcher following the team, walking past the villagers' corpses.

  "It's really money over life!"

  Changshan: "Is it worth dying for wealth?"

  Japanese soldiers lifted up the corpse of a Japanese soldier from the ground and placed it on the back of a horse.

  The Japanese troops continued to retreat backwards.

  Makino stood at the side of the road with his troops, raised his binoculars and looked towards the end of the highway, seeing a military jeep and a military truck loaded with soldiers coming this way.

  Makino lowered his binoculars and gave a low command to the squad leader standing beside him: "Set up roadblocks."

  The squad leader said in a low voice: Yes.

  The squad leader waved his hand at the soldiers, and several soldiers set up a roadblock on the highway.

  Makino gazed at the approaching jeep, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips...