Chapter 40: Retreat as Advance

  Hearing Nishiyama Fukujiro's words, Aso Akitaro thought for a moment and said: "The two division commanders, then let my 80th Independent Mixed Brigade take the lead in launching an attack on the Chinese army!"

  Nishiyama Fukutarō and Mōri Senjirō looked at each other after hearing ōsumi Akitarō's words, then Nishiyama Fukutarō said seriously: "Then I'll have to ask you first! I hope you can maintain our military prestige! Let's take down Qiqihar, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang Province in one go!"

  "Hey!" Masao Akutaro bowed deeply and turned to leave. Looking at the back of Masao Akutaro, Mori Chishiro laughed and said: "Mr. Nishiyama, I really didn't expect that Masao Akutaro would become a lieutenant general in the Imperial Army! He still has the same temper as when he was in military school!"

  When Mōri Senjirō spoke, Nishiyama Fukutarō thought for a moment and said: "Mōri! I think we should prepare ourselves this time. The Chinese army is now on guard. We can no longer take it as easily as Jilin!"

  Just as Nishiyama Futarō and Mōri Senjirō were speaking, ōsumi Akitarō led the 80th Mixed Brigade in an attack on the Nenjiang Bridge.

  Under the artillery suppression of the Japanese army, the troops guarding the Nenjiang Bridge showed signs of collapse. Ma Zhanshan, who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, saw the soldiers retreating and gritted his teeth, saying: "Execution squad, up!"

  After receiving the order, the law enforcement team behind Ma Zhan Shan immediately took effect, and in the blink of an eye, Ma Zhan Shan stabilized the defense line. Not far away, Hua Lieyang, who had been watching the changes on the battlefield, smiled and said to Yang Chun Chao: "Uncle Super, go and let Double Uncle prepare! We'll give the devils a surprise attack from behind! This can also relieve some of Ma Zhan Shan's pressure!"

  Hearing Hua Lieyang's words, Yang Chun super thought for a moment and said: "Ji Ting! You clearly know that Ma Zhanshan will lose to the Japanese! Why do you still want to support him?!

  Hua Lieyang heard Yang Chun's words and smiled, saying: "Uncle Super! I think what's lacking is just time! If I send people to support Ma Zhanshan, it's equivalent to helping myself!"

  About ten minutes later, Yang Chunshu led three regiments to attack the Japanese army from behind. When they arrived at the back of the Japanese army, looking at the Japanese barracks one by one, Yang Chunshu thought for a moment and said to the soldiers beside him: "You go tell General Shao that we have reached the designated position! Plan to launch an attack on the Japanese army tonight!"

  "Yes!" The soldier turned and left. After receiving Yang Chunshuang's report, Hua Lieyang thought for a moment and said to Yang Chunchao: "Uncle Super! You send someone to tell Ma Zhanshan one sentence! When the land is preserved, people are preserved, and when people are lost, the land is also lost; when people are preserved but the land is not preserved, both people and land can be preserved! Let him take care of himself!"

  After hearing Hua Lieyang's words, Yang Chuncao seriously savored them for a moment before turning and leaving. Watching Yang Chuncao's departing back, Hua Lieyang let out a deep sigh and muttered to himself: "Now I really don't know how Fu Bo and the others are doing!"

  The story splits into two threads! Just as Hua Lieyang was commanding his troops to rush to Heilongjiang, Yang Yuting's steward, Fu Bo, arrived in Chongqing with the money. After arriving in Chongqing, Fu Bo bought a house near Guiyang according to Hua Lieyang's request and made some minor repairs before sending a telegram to Hua Lieyang.

  After receiving the telegram from Fu Bo, Hua Lieyang suddenly felt relieved. After reading Fu Bo's telegram, Hua Lieyang immediately sent a telegram to Yang Chun'geng. Yang Chun'geng received the telegram and immediately reported on the recent situation, introducing in detail the relationships between various warlord factions within the pass.

  Before long, night fell. Yang Chunshuang, who was ambushing behind the enemy's back, immediately commanded his troops to start moving. Just as Yang Chunshuang led his troops into action, Ma Zhanshan received a message from Hua Lieyang.

  As soon as Ma Zhan Shan heard Hua Lie Yang's words, he was stunned and lost his mind for a moment! After a while, Ma Zhan Shan, who had come back to his senses, said to the guard beside him: "You go and call all the officers! I have something to discuss with them!" About ten minutes later, the officers from various departments arrived at the meeting place one after another. Seeing that almost everyone was there, Ma Zhan Shan straightforwardly told all the officers Hua Lie Yang's original words in detail.

  Upon hearing Ma Zhan Shan's words, the officers started discussing among themselves. After a while, all the officers looked at Ma Zhan Shan in unison, their eyes uniformly expressing nothing but obedience.

  Ma Zhan Shan understood something from the eyes of these officers. After a slight pause, Ma Zhan Shan spoke out: "I have decided to blow up the Nenjiang Bridge to slow down the Japanese army's attack!" As soon as Ma Zhan Shan's words came out, they immediately stirred up a thousand waves! However, in the end, all the officers agreed with Ma Zhan Shan's decision.

  As soon as all the officers agreed, Ma Zhan Shan immediately dispatched engineers to start blasting the big bridge on Nenjiang River! The explosion of the bridge instantly disrupted all the combat plans of the Japanese army! Yang Chun Shuang, who was ambushing behind the Japanese army, found that the Japanese army was in chaos and decisively led his troops to launch a surprise attack!

  Yang Chunshuang inherited the combat style of Hu Lieyang, who would eat anything but not suffer losses. In the narrow strip, he played hide-and-seek with the little devils, striking east and west! Instantly, two divisions of Japanese troops were beaten dizzy!

  Mōri Senbei, who was being driven to distraction by the troops led by Yáng Chūnshuāng, said to Nishiyama Fukutarō with a sigh: "Nishiyama-san, I'll leave things here in your hands for now! I'm going to go eliminate that annoying mosquito that's been tormenting us! I'll be back!"

  When Nishiyama Fukutarō heard what Mōri Senjirō had to say, he thought for a moment before saying: "Mōri! I think it would be better if we joined forces! Let's take down Qiqihar in one go and then deal with the Chinese army that's playing hide-and-seek with us! If not, it will be easy for us to get caught between the Chinese army's pincer movement!" As he spoke, Nishiyama Fukutarō looked at Mōri Senjirō's reaction before continuing: "The message just received from the front is that the Chinese army is bombing the Songhua River Bridge! If the bridge really gets blown up, we'll truly be put on the defensive!"

  "What?! Mouri Senjirou heard Nishiyama Fukutaro's words and suddenly felt a chill, staring foolishly at Nishiyama Fukutaro he said: "Nishiyama! I still insist on my opinion!" Saying that Mouri Senjirou respectfully said again: "I'm counting on you here, Nishiyama!" After finishing speaking, Mouri Senjirou turned around and left with his troops.

  Looking at the back of Mauri Senjirō leaving, Nishiyama Fukutarō said with a toothache: "Since you are stubborn! Let's wait until I take down Qiqihar and then we'll settle the account!" After that, Nishiyama Fukutarō ordered his chief of staff: "Immediately order the troops to assist the 80th Division in attacking the Chinese army's position!"

  Upon receiving the order from Nishizumi Futarō, the 23rd Infantry Regiment rushed to the Nonjiang Railway Bridge. On the other side of the bridge, Ma Zhanshan thought for a moment as he watched the Japanese army pouring in from all directions and said: "Blow up bridges No. 2 and No. 5 as well!"

  As soon as the engineer heard Ma Zhan Shan's words, he immediately became busy. At this moment, the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 23rd Division arrived! Looking at the devils rushing over under the cover of artillery fire. Ma Zhan Shan immediately said to the guard battalion commander beside him: "You take two companies and go to reinforce Bridge No. 5 for me! Even if all your men are exhausted, you must blow up Bridge No. 5 for me!"

  "Yes! You just watch, Deputy Commander!" The regimental commander of the guard regiment turned and left. Looking at the back of the regimental commander of the guard regiment leaving, Ma Zhan Shan took a deep breath and said: "I won't be so unlucky, will I? Can we just give up Qiqihar like this?" Thinking of this, Ma Zhan Shan seemed to have made up his mind and ordered: "The whole army retreats back to the second line of defense! We'll fight a decisive battle with the little devils there!"

  Upon hearing Ma Zhan Shan's words, the originally somewhat scattered military morale once again converged together, and they alternated in an orderly manner to withdraw from the front line.

  Upon arriving at the second line of defense, Ma Zanshan said with great passion: "Brothers! Behind us is Qiqihar! Our families and relatives are all behind us! We must defeat the Japanese devils! Only then will we have room to live!"

  Hua Lieyang, who had been observing the changing battlefield from a distance, saw Ma Zhan Shan constantly shrinking his troops at this time. Seeing this scene, Hua Lieyang said to Yang Chun Chao: "Super Uncle! Now we can only hope that Double Uncle can get rid of the little devils' pursuit according to our predetermined plan!" When he heard Hua Lieyang's words, Yang Chun Chao seriously asked: "Ji Ting, are you really going to send troops to reinforce Ma Zhan Shan?!"

  Hua Lieyang nodded and replied, "Super Uncle, I need time now! Besides, Ma Zhan Mountain's reputation in Heilongjiang is not bad!" Before Hua Lieyang could finish speaking, Yang Chunxiao hastily rushed to his side and said, "Jiting! Your Second Uncle just sent a telegram! According to the telegram, it's estimated that the devils have a division of troops surrounding them!" As she spoke, Yang Chunxiao handed the telegram to Hua Lieyang and continued, "Jiting, you'd better take a look yourself!"

  Upon hearing Yang Chunxiao's words, Hua Lieyang took over the telegram and said after reading it: "Respond! Let Yang Chunduan be careful himself!" As soon as Hua Lieyang finished speaking, a shocking explosion sounded. Looking at the flames, Hua Lieyang said in a daze: "It seems that this time I won't be able to help Ma Zhanshan either!"

  Hearing Hua Lieyang's words, Yang Chunxiao asked in confusion: "Why did you say that even if Ji Ting helps them blow up the bridge, they still can't be saved?"

  "If the bridge were still there, the Japanese army would have to disperse their forces and advance simultaneously, which would give us opportunities to defeat them one by one! Now that they've blown up the bridge, it means the Japanese can concentrate their troops and launch a fierce attack on one point! Do you think Ma Zanshan's current troop strength can hold out against such a large number of enemy soldiers?!"

  Hearing Hua Lieyang's words, Yang Chunxiao furrowed her brow and thought for a moment before saying: "Ji Ting, what should we do next?"

  "What else can we do? Of course, it's a cold salad!" After thinking for a moment, Hua Lieyang said to Yang Chunshu: "Uncle Chao, tell Diandian to inform Double Uncle! If he really can't shake off the devils' pursuit troops, let him think of a way to bring the reorganized troops to Hailun on the 18th and hand them over to Ma Zhanshan. Then, take his own men and return immediately!"

  "Yes!" Yang Chun Chao turned around and left. About half an hour later, Yang Chun Shuang received a telegram from Hua Lieyang. Looking at the content of the telegram, Yang Chun Shuang was stunned! After a while, he came back to his senses and immediately said to Yang Chun Shan: "Order the troops to speed up their march! Half an hour later we will cross the Nenjiang River and head towards Hailun!"

  After receiving the order, Yang Chunsong led his troops to quickly cross the Nen River! Before the Japanese pursuit troops arrived, they disappeared in front of the Japanese.

  The wheels of history have not changed after all, and after several days of stubborn resistance! Ma Zhanshan led three divisions, five regiments with a total of 16,000 people, due to the superior strength of the Japanese army and advanced weapons, reluctantly abandoned Qiqihar, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang, and retreated with his troops to Keshan and Hailun.