Chapter 20: Arrows Exhausted, Provisions Depleted

  After a several-hour forced march, the 217th Regiment finally arrived at the Mengzi Ridge Great Wall heights from its command post located in Sanhe Kou.

  After crossing the last hill, Wang Changhai saw the current situation of Mengzi Ridge.

  A fine warhorse was scattered at random on the edge of the forest, and the horse seemed to have been accustomed to the sound of guns and cannons, leisurely eating the green grass on the ground at the edge of the forest, occasionally some warhorses that were tired of eating the green grass would lift their heads and gnaw the bark of some low trees clean.

  The Japanese soldiers who got off their horses gathered densely at the foot of Mengzi Ridge, blocking the only mountain road that led up the mountain. Endless Japanese soldiers with bloodshot eyes yelled and charged up the mountain road, but few were seen coming back down. Looking up the mountain road, the Japanese soldiers climbing up looked like a string of ants on a line, slowly moving upwards, and the end of the line was the mouth of Mengzi Ridge.

  The sparse gunfire on the mountain, but every shot, a Japanese soldier fell, as if the Twenty-Ninth Army defending also knew that ammunition was insufficient, striving to use each bullet effectively.

  Wang Changhai picked up the binoculars and looked towards the mountain, almost all of the military uniforms in the binoculars were earthy yellow, among which there were some gray military uniforms scattered about, occasionally flashing with a bit of black, that should be Qin Yang's special forces.

  "Squad leader, what should we do?" asked the second squad leader standing on one side.

  Wang Changhai didn't say anything, he was thinking tensely.

  The Japanese army seems to have suffered heavy casualties, with only about 1,000 people left. After all, the mountain road is steep, and their heavy weapons were all knocked out by the special forces under Qin Yang's command, without heavy firepower support, so the casualties are far greater than those of the 29th Army defending Mengzi Ridge.

  "Order the 4th company to circle around the left rear wing of the Japanese army, and the 5th company to circle around the right rear wing, and launch an attack at the same time. Don't seek to kill many enemy soldiers, mainly to attract the attention and main force of the Japanese army. The 6th company will be the reserve team, ready to support any team at any time." Wang Changhai calmly issued the order.

  Currently, if we directly charge forward, the Japanese army will definitely divert some of its forces to prevent the 217th Regiment and the Mengzi Ridge garrison from joining forces. Once they get bogged down in a fierce battle, it would be unfavorable for the 29th Army. Judging from the situation, Qin Yang and his men should not be able to hold on for much longer. If we delay any further, even if we manage to scatter the Japanese army and retake the mountain peak, our losses will still be too great.

  To know that on Mengzi Ridge, the besieged were Zhao Dengyu's most respected brothers; also brothers who fought their way out of Beiping City together, Deputy Commander of the 29th Army - He Jiguo.

  Can he just abandon his brother?

  Of course not.

  So Wang Changhai used this tactic of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west. As long as the Japanese army shifted its main forces in this direction, he would have time to send his reserve troops to break through the Japanese encirclement and reunite with Qin Yang and the others, thereby ensuring their safety.

  This is the "Deception of the East and Strike in the West" tactic from Chinese tactics.

  At his command, two companies of the 2nd Battalion of the 217th Regiment swiftly moved out, quietly rushing to left and right, disappearing into the dense forest.

  Wang Changhai stood calmly on the hillside, gazing at the distant battlefield situation and development, but no one knew what kind of tension was in his heart, because only he was most clear about the significance of this action. So he couldn't afford to fail.

  "Give me a squad of agile warriors and I'll show you what I can do!"

  Wang Changhai turned around, and Dai'er walked over in a special forces uniform, followed by the four female medical team members, all fully armed with submachine guns slung across their chests.

  Dai'er in military uniform lost some of her usual childishness, but gained a more spirited and heroic air.

  Wang Changhai hesitated at Dai'er's request, his team was already a bit stretched thin, if Dai'er took some more away, the upcoming battle would be even more difficult for him.

  Seeing Wang Changhai bowing his head in contemplation, Dai'er became somewhat anxious and urged: "Hurry up, time is pressing, quickly adjust the troops, or it will be too late!"

  "Tell me what you want to do and I'll give you a team!" Wang Changhai asked.

  "I'm useful in my own way, otherwise why would I be with you? Anyway, it's good for you, so don't ask so many questions!" Dai'er still didn't tell him what these were for.

  After some deliberation, Wang Changhai shook his head. Every soldier had a use, and if Dai'er couldn't tell him specifically what to do with him, he wouldn't agree to it.

  Seeing Wang Changhai's repeated requests were met with a firm headshake, Dai'er also got angry.

  "Let's go, we'll do it ourselves, no need for them!"

  Dai'er stamped her foot and led the way into the woods, with four female special warfare team members following closely behind in silence.

  Wang Changhai stretched out his hand in an attempt to stop Dai'er and the others, but Dai'er didn't even look at him, leading several people into the dense forest and disappearing from view.

  "Ah!"

  Looking at Dai'er disappearing into the dense forest, Wang Changhai helplessly smiled wryly. He really didn't want to see this result, but now he was also powerless. As the leader of a team, he had to consider the entire troop.

  Just as they were in conflict, Qin Yang and others on the mountain peak also ushered in their final test.

  Squatting in front of the mortar, holding the last shell in his hand, Qin Yang hesitated for a moment and finally put it back into the ammunition box. The two shells just now, Qin Yang had detonated them in the most densely populated area of the Japanese army. Now with only one shell left, Qin Yang was reserving it for the most critical moment.

  Qin Yang had a plan, a last-ditch almost crazy plan. Of course, he wouldn't have done it if it wasn't the last resort.

  The warrior still crouched behind the bunker, aiming the muzzle of his gun at the front, carefully calculating the distance to the target. With each shot, a Japanese soldier within fifty meters would fall to the ground.

  The bullets are almost gone, so now every bullet must be carefully calculated to try to kill one enemy with one bullet. But Qin Yang and He Jiwen know that no matter how they save, the bullets will not last for long.

  Machine guns snatched from the devils were discarded on the ground at will, without bullets, they were just a pile of scrap iron, not as useful as a rifle.

  "Tiāo!" Qin Yang saw Tiao's figure on the battlefield and shouted.

  Tie Tou was taken aback for a moment, and he, who had already entered a state of battle frenzy, didn't react to who was calling him at first. Then he quickly came to his senses, turned around, and walked towards Qin Yang.

  Looking at the iron head in front of him, whose whole body was stained with blood, Qin Yang took out a bullet from his pocket and put it into the iron head's hand.

  Iron Head lowered his head and looked at the bullets, about a dozen golden bullets lay quietly in the palm of his hand, which was covered with mud and black bloodstains.

  "Sir, this—"

  Qin Yang raised his hand and stopped Tie Tou's next words. He stretched out his hand to tuck the bandage that had come loose from under Tie Tou's hat back in, and shouted, "Return to formation!"

  Tie Tou glanced at Qin Yang, turned around and ran back to his own position. Back in his own position, he distributed the bullets given by Qin Yang to several soldiers beside him, one each, and carefully put the remaining three into his own pocket.

  More and more Japanese soldiers were found dead on the mountain pass, but the 29th Army's bullets were rapidly decreasing, now close enough to be hit even without aiming.

  Finally, after the last bullet in Tie Tou's pocket also pierced the enemy's head, the gunfire on the position stopped.

  The Japanese army saw that the gunfire had stopped and excitedly shouted towards the position.

  Qin Yang and He Jiwen almost stood up at the same time, Qin Yang took over a big knife thrown by He Jiwen and weighed it in his hand.

  The large knife gleamed with a cold light, seemingly forged from the fine iron of Shanxi's northwest, sharp yet not lacking in toughness. But perhaps it had beheaded too many Japanese soldiers today, for on its sharp blade edge were numerous small notches the size of millet grains, making it look more like a saw than a knife.

  "Qin brothers, if there's a next life, I hope we can still be brothers!"

  He Ji Tan smiled calmly, with a large knife in his right hand, slowly slanting to the side of his body, looking at the Japanese soldier who was about to rush forward.

  "Lao He, if there's a next life, we'll still be brothers!" Qin Yang shouted loudly, raising his big knife and charging towards the Japanese army almost simultaneously with He Jikui.

  The thirty or so surviving soldiers of the 29th Army and special troops also stood up from their shelters, charging at the Japanese with big knives and bayonets.

  ————————————————————————————————————————————

  The internet is so slow, it took half an hour to get online, but it's okay now, haha! Today is the third chapter, don't worry everyone, three chapters a day for a week, gotta keep my promise! Please click recommend and collect more, everyone!