Chapter Forty-two: Return Journey in Wind and Snow

  The Storm Troop thrust northeast into the enemy-occupied area, wiping out three enemy artillery strongholds along the way and annihilating 37 enemies. Our side suffered only two deaths and one injury.

  Those two martyred warriors were attacking the second artillery tower when they were blown up by the Japanese devils who were struggling to survive, and their bodies were scattered in a huge blast wave, not even finding a complete corpse. Having suffered such stimulation, the fierce winds were more determined to kill the Japanese devils, using whatever method was convenient and quick. The third stronghold of the Japanese devils had as many as 21 live targets, but they took it down with record speed. Then the soldiers carried a captured small steel cannon and shells to report to Wang Lie: "Mission accomplished. No casualties on our side."

  Looking at the iron-like expressions of the warriors, listening to the thunder-like report voice, under such an atmosphere, those four former police officers who had just joined the 259th Brigade were also boiling with enthusiasm. They repeatedly asked to participate in the battle, but were opposed by Wang Lie and You Fei together. They tried their best to be tactful towards these new recruits, but the words that came out still didn't quite taste right. That was because they were too familiar with Liefeng, so the language unconsciously carried a hint of arrogance: "That's not your job. This is the Liefeng Special Forces, doing technical work. It's not something you can do just by being brave." "You go back to the garrison and practice some more, if you pass the assessment, there's still a chance to join the Liefeng or Qingyun Special Forces. But it's not possible now, going up is almost like sending yourself to death."

  The four new recruits were dissatisfied and said they had also held guns before. You Fei sternly shouted: "Obey orders! Just watch!"

  You Fei understood that the combat effectiveness of old and new soldiers was not as simple as one to two or one to three. Not to mention those who crawled out of piles of dead men in the Gale Force, they couldn't be compared at all. As for the fighting requirements of the old police officers, he simply refused, occasionally saying a few words that would also strike their confidence, which was normal.

  After taking down three artillery strongholds, the troops lightly jumped out of the enemy-occupied area. They quickly transferred along the no man's land between the devils and the National Army defense zones. Heading southwest, they re-entered the enemy-occupied zone at dusk from the same direction as last time. This time, it was silent. The northeast direction that made a big noise in the morning and noon now faintly transmitted gunfire and flames occasionally flashing in one corner of the sky. It seems that the fierce winds have broken the fragile balance between the National Army and the devils who were temporarily in a standoff.

  "Let them fight! There is no National Army coming to support our 259th Brigade. They opened fire and can reduce some of the pressure on us." Wang Lie said to You Fei.

  "It's his grandfather's. There has never been any Guanyin Bodhisattva appearing, I think everything can only rely on ourselves." You Fei said. "Big brother, you're going to go to the Japanese devils' place," He Tianhao said to You Fei.

  You Fei nodded and said, "I need to make it clear to Er Guizi Jin Cheng that I want him to help us get some firearms. Tian Hao, although Er Guizi verbally agreed to help us, he's still an outsider and can't be trusted. I want you to stay by his side and notify me immediately if anything goes wrong. If we let our guard down and he bites back, it'll be a big trouble!"

  "Relax, big brother! That second-rate guy thinks he can play tricks on me? I've been too busy for a long time, and now that I'm in the county town, it's just right to find some fun. This is a great opportunity, and I should thank you instead, haha!" He Tianhao replied.

  "Haha......" You Fei burst out laughing loudly.

  The sky had already darkened, but the soldiers, who seemed to be marching casually on the small road, still maintained their high speed from daytime. The newly joined old policemen were a bit overwhelmed, but they tried their best to catch up with the team. As they walked with varying heights, the breathing of the four became particularly heavy. One of them panted and said, "It seems that being in a special squad is really different! We need to practice more." "Yeah! If only we could kill devils as easily!"

  "What are you two whispering about!" The leader of the vanguard team roared, and they hastily closed their mouths. Although they had rested several times along the way, the horses pulling the carriage still showed signs of fatigue. Lin Yurui also got down to walk on foot, to lighten the load for the horses. After eating some dry rations and drinking water that day, Lin Yurui's spirits improved significantly. At this time, she also considered herself a warrior, and in the darkness, her eyes even radiated a fervent glow. To give the two people some private space, the other warriors kept a distance from them.

  You Fei saw that Lin Yu Rui had changed a lot after going through the pain of losing her loved one, becoming more resolute and strong-willed. However, You Fei wondered if her heart was as tough as her exterior. He no longer tried to persuade her to slow down and rest for a while, but instead wanted to hurry up and arrive at Er Gui Zi's place, let He Tian Hao handle things, and then everyone could take a break before continuing their journey.

  Another day passed, and the daytime was spent hiding more often. The devils had been mobilized and it would not be good to be discovered in their territory now. Had to be careful. At night, continued on the same speed as yesterday, rushing through the night road, and after a long time in the dark, everyone was exhausted when they finally arrived at the gate of the county town where Jin Chengxing was located. The big gate of the small city building had already been closed tightly. You Fei said to He Tianhao: "Tianhao, you be careful later, sneak into the city and find Jin Chengxing, tell him I want him to arrange for guns, and how to do it is his business."

  "Alright, big brother, I'll go then." He Tianhao said as he quickly ran towards the city wall.

  "Wait a minute!" Wang Lie shouted at He Tianhao, "You don't know those two devils, it's better if I go with you."

  You Fei nodded: "Wang Lie, go and come back quickly. Everyone hide in place."

  He stood there until he saw He Tianhao and Wang Lie flip over the city wall, and since nothing happened, he temporarily put his mind at ease. After waiting for about a stick of incense time, Wang Lie quietly ran back from behind. For absolute safety, when Wang Lie flipped over the city wall, he chose a different location. Standing beside You Fei, Wang Lie smiled and said: "General, rest assured, He Tianhao is a ghost, these things are too trivial for him."

  You Fei nodded and led the crowd to continue on their way. At night, they dared to take a shortcut, so they had to hurry more at night. If they continued to make turns like during the day, it was unknown when they would be able to return to Suzhou's four counties.

  They trudged on for many days, with You Fei anxiously hurrying along the road. But unexpectedly, the weather was not cooperating - it was already cold enough, and then snow started falling one after another. The toes inside their straw sandals were frozen to the point of numbness, and as they marched on the muddy road, the soldiers couldn't help but think about how good it would be if they could just lie down on the ground and sleep.

  The wind was cutting through his bones, and You Fei's lips were pursed in distaste. The hot weather hadn't been a problem, but this cold and gloomy weather was really unbearable. He saw Lin Yu Rui walking beside him, wearing not a luxurious sable coat, but just several layers of cotton clothing with a small leather jacket on top. Although the multiple layers made Lin Yu Rui look puffy and didn't accentuate her slender waist, the cold wind had blown her cheeks into a lovely pink color, causing You Fei's heart to flutter.

  Lin Yuru smiled shyly at You Fei, who saw that Lin Yuru didn't seem to feel the cold, while he himself was secretly shivering despite wearing a thick coat. You Fei felt stifled in his heart, thinking that he wasn't even as good as a woman. He coughed heavily twice, and Lin Yuru asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Did you catch a cold?"

  "I'm fine!" You Fei coughed even harder.

  Lin Yuru rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that this guy was unreasonable. She had been genuinely concerned about him, but he had scolded her for no reason. Lin Yuru pouted and turned her head away, creating some distance between them, and sulkily looked away.

  At this time, You Fei had no mind to care about Lin Yu Rui's thoughts. He was really worried about the situation of the Travel Department. There were still half a day's journey away from Su Fourth County. You Fei and his group had already bypassed the outer cordon of the devils' blockade line. Although they relied on their familiarity with the terrain to pass under the devils' noses without incident, You Fei couldn't feel happy at all. Because from what he saw of the devils' equipment and numbers, this time the devils should have a battalion-level force, which was not an exaggeration.

  At this time, You Fei only felt that the world was even more vast and wide, his heart was oppressed by the pressure of the unknown, making him pant for breath. The fearless You Fei had never had such a feeling before, he shook his head vigorously, hoping to shake off the unease in his heart...