The fourth section of blocking the enemy's outside

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  "The general manager has investigated, all thirteen households have been wiped out, but the three members of the Zhao family were not found." Luo Xiliang walked up to Liu Mingjiu, finished his report, took off his hat and grasped it in his hand, staring at Liu Mingjiu.

  Liu Mingjiu still had that cold and composed expression, lightly saying: "Leave the eighteen people from the police's criminal investigation team behind, let them hide well, this is a secret passage. Since they've dug a hole, we can only wait for them to come out of it themselves, otherwise even if we dig three feet underground, we may not necessarily catch them."

  "Yes." Luo Xiangliang responded, just about to turn around and leave, but was stopped by Liu Mingjiu, who continued to say: "Leave the 5th Infantry Battalion of the Teaching Guidance Brigade to sweep the battlefield, order other troops to assemble quickly and rush to Goumen Songgou, Wang Xiaojiao should also be approaching our territory now."

  Luohao listened and put on his hat, then asked: "Shen Huzi doesn't know if he has passed the message to the captain or not. If not, let's follow Xiao Siqian's bandits and fight, it's really precarious."

  "Hmph, what's the big deal? Those broken things of theirs can't withstand our heavy artillery and machine guns. Hurry up and gather all of them at Mengsong Gou by 6 pm tonight." Liu Mingjiu still had a cold face, but in reality, he was just a small squad leader in his past life. It was unimaginable that he could command nearly a hundred cannons and seven or eight hundred men to win such a beautiful victory after crossing over into this era. What's coming next wouldn't be the guards from the Zhao family courtyard. Instead, it would likely be a group of battle-hardened, bloodthirsty fugitives, led by one of the four warlords of the Northeast who had received formal military training in Japan. Liu Mingjiu's calm expression was actually hiding his own fear and weakness.

  The troops quickly regrouped and headed northeast. "Qian Long Yi Hao" had already led more than 30 cannon operators who had been won over by him to hide in a cellar before the battle began. When the troops launched their charge, they had changed into pre-prepared security team uniforms and became the vanguard of the reception force. After the troops departed, "Qian Long Yi Hao" secretly removed his security team uniform, smeared some blood on his face, and exchanged a knowing glance with Liu Mingjiu before lying down among the dead bodies. There was no need to say anything because Liu Mingjiu had already handed over the next task to him as soon as he entered. In any era, there is always a group of people who are loyal to their country or organization. They can forget who they are, leave their families behind, and endure the pain of separation that ordinary people cannot bear. They risk being killed by their own people to complete one difficult task after another. Many of their achievements will not be known until they die. Occasionally, a few will appear in some learning materials marked "internal documents" after death. Other people's merits and rewards are publicly recognized, but even if they receive awards, only they and their direct superiors know about it. Honor and status do not belong to them until the end. Even if someone among them no longer has to do such things one day, they must change their name, leave their familiar environment, and start a new life. The vast majority of people live in darkness for their entire lives, using their lives, blood, and emotions to exchange for victory time and time again, defending the person or country they are loyal to time and time again.

  At the same time that Liu Mingjiu's troops were leveling the Zhao family compound and killing everything in sight, the troops from the other five towns also launched an attack on the private residences and businesses of the nineteen wealthy and powerful families of the Zhao clan after hearing the sound of cannons firing at the Linglong Tower. What Liu Mingjiu had not anticipated was that the retired soldiers who had been dispersed to various towns by him would take up their cold weapons, such as big knives and long spears, and join in the siege.

  The thirteen most powerful ones have been caught, and those left in the towns are mostly small roles with only a dozen or so guns. When the troops, police, military reclamation reserve teams, and self-organized retired soldiers rushed towards them, many of them chose to put down their weapons obediently. Of course, there were also some who resisted to the death, but their fate was to follow Zhao's father and son to report to the King of Hell. The families of those who were annihilated and had their homes confiscated instantly disappeared from this land, as if they had never existed at all.

  Liu Mingjiu was not born cruel, but after coming to this era, he gradually became cold-blooded from many things. In this era, how many times have the big and small warlords been defeated or even killed in their struggles? However, after a few years, when their descendants grew up, they became the pallbearers of those victors of that year. Cutting grass without removing its roots will inevitably lead to trouble. Throughout history, how many truly successful people were not using hands stained with blood to raise the cup of celebration? Although Liu Mingjiu from later generations knew that doing so was extremely inhumane, in an era where morality had declined and human life was worthless, if he were to talk about humanity, he didn't know which day those who had abandoned humanity would turn around and bite him to death. Everything is fake; in such a chaotic world, only being able to stay alive is true.

  Liu Mingjiu led over 1,600 people northward, with other troops from various towns joining them along the way. When they arrived at Lijiaduan, just a few dozen miles away from Mengsonggou, Liu Mingjiu ordered the troops to regroup and reorganize. After counting their numbers, he continued on with over 2,800 military police and more than 600 military farming reserve troops. The self-organized retired soldiers were ordered by Liu Mingjiu to return to their respective villages and assist the remaining security personnel in maintaining local law and order. When Liu Mingjiu saw those retired soldiers carrying big knives and long spears, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy inside. They were old, smoked opium, but after all, they had followed the Yi army for many years, eating their rations and receiving their pay. They still had deep feelings for this army and the land that had nurtured them for many years. Would it be right or wrong to disperse them all?

  "Report to the General, all departments have entered their designated locations, completed earthwork construction, and are ready to accept combat missions at any time." Luo Xiangliang ran over, stood at attention, saluted, and reported to Liu Mingjiu.

  Liu Mingjiu looked at the distant road outside the mountain, without any sign of the enemy, and turned to ask Qi Quan, the current deputy commander of the 8th Company: "Has the scout returned with news? Where are the enemy now?"

  "Report to the superior officer, the enemy is now at our northern four miles away, and it is estimated that in twenty minutes to half an hour they will appear in front of us." Qi Quan finished speaking, saluted and stood aside.

  "Alright, pass on my orders. The artillery will retreat to the mountain slopes on both sides. Seventeen heavy machine guns and light machine guns from various units will gather in the first trench, forming the first line of fire. The cavalry, led by Has, and two battalions will immediately go around to the enemy's rear three miles away, but do not alarm the enemy. The infantry is the second echelon, the police and military reserve are the general reserve. The 8th company, led by Qi, has eight light machine guns. Go around the mountain ridge in front, build a sniper fire network on the top of the mountain. If the enemy retreats and escapes, the 8th company and cavalry must hold them back, waiting for me to lead the troops to surround and annihilate them together. When the enemy enters our attack range, each unit will take the charge as the standard, and is not allowed to fire without permission." After Liu Mingjiu finished giving a series of orders, the officers immediately turned around and left his presence, running towards their respective units to organize. The 8th company and the cavalry of the teaching battalion also showed off their usual training and discipline, quickly disappearing into the distance in front of everyone.

  It wasn't until about half an hour later that three to five dozen bandits, dressed in a motley array, appeared at the mountain pass 500 meters in front of the army's position. However, these bandits' vanguard didn't realize that there were government troops just 500 meters away on the opposite side, and they continued to laugh and joke around, with some even singing lewd songs from "Er Ren Zhuan". Soon they walked past the sniper position of the Eighth Company, and the large group of bandits following behind them began to appear in front of Liu Mingjiu. The distance was getting closer and closer: 300 meters, 200 meters, 150 meters, 100 meters... Liu Mingjiu's heart, like those of the new recruits who had been in the army for less than a year, was stuck in his throat.

  "Order the front-line machine gun to open fire." After Liu Mingjiu suddenly let out a heart-piercing shout, the machine gunners in the first trench moved their triggers, and instantly bullets flew densely towards the enemy army that was only about 50 meters away. The bandits walking at the very front had not yet reacted to what was happening when they were mowed down like scallions.

  Liu Mingjiu's shout startled Wang Xiaobian, who was walking in the middle of the army, and his war horse also raised its front hooves in fright, whinnying loudly before putting them back down. At the same time, gunfire erupted. Wang Xiaobian immediately came to his senses, rolled off his horse, and shouted repeatedly: "Front row retreat, reorganize formation, don't enter their machine gun range!"

  Unfortunately, his bandit soldiers, seeing the rows of people falling down in front, could no longer hold back their feet. The neighing of war horses and the shouting of people instantly drowned out his voice. In fact, Liu Mingjiu's loud shout that shocked the three armies was not a manifestation of any divine power he was born with, but a manifestation of his own cowardice. Faced with such an uncertain lineup, he could only use this shout to boost his own morale first.

  Wang Xiaobian saw that the vanguard was in a state of utter chaos, and hastily lowered his body, pulling his war horse to run to the front of the Guandong Army Lieutenant who came with him: "Lieutenant Kōden, now we can only rely on our Imperial Army troops to reorganize the troops, please."

  That Lieutenant Colonel looked at the special agent of the Army General Staff in front of him, who was two ranks higher than him, and a look of disdain flashed across his face. He didn't say anything, but instead spoke to one of his subordinates beside him. The subordinate then shouted loudly in Chinese: "Third squad assemble immediately, advance while crawling on the ground. All brothers ahead, retreat immediately and reorganize for another attack."

  His words had just finished, and he was pierced by a bullet through his head. The soldiers on both sides of the mountain top had already received the signal, and the famous sharpshooter, Corporal Quziqi, had already taken aim at him when he stood up. As soon as he finished shouting, he was shot dead by Quziqi. The sound of Quziqi's gun was just a signal, and the Japanese soldier who shouted fell to the ground. Ninety large cannons in Liu Mingjiu's unit also spoke out. Shells continued to fall beside the dead Japanese soldier, countless arms and legs flew up from his body and fell far away. Many people who were originally standing beside him didn't even have a chance to shout before they followed him back home.