Chapter 12

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The only one who remained calm was the fat man. This was the scenario he had anticipated. The entire minefield layout had changed, and for the Japanese to advance, they would have to let the engineers clear the mines. However, the hastily assembled Japanese company might not have brought any engineers at all.

Colonel Ma and Battalion Commander Zhang quickly raised their binoculars to look. After a moment, Colonel Ma said something that reassured the fat man: "Hey, the Japanese don't dare to advance anymore."

"What are you looking at? Do you still want to get out? If you want to get out, start laying mines for me right now!" The fat man said unhappily, his hands and feet busy with defusing the mines. The area 500 meters ahead of the minefield was all rigged with his own booby traps. Even if the Japanese engineers came, he wasn't worried. Moreover, since the Japanese didn't dare to continue the pursuit, it meant they hadn't brought engineers, so he was even less worried about them catching up.

"Everyone, keep going, keep going." Battalion Commander Zhang was convinced. This fat man was not only devious but also ruthless. The Japanese had met their match with him.

"Hehe, brother, once we get out of the minefield and back to the base, I'll write a report to make you a battalion commander, and I'll be the political commissar. With us as a team, the Japanese will cry and wail..." Seeing the crisis turn into an opportunity, Colonel Ma's thoughts of incorporating the fat man into his command became active again. Since the independent regiment had just been formed and the political commissar hadn't been appointed yet, and he had always been favored by the division commander, this report would likely be approved by the division commander and the political department.

"No way!" The fat man still shook his head like a rattle, causing the fat on his face to wobble, and Colonel Ma swallowed his words back.

"Don't be ungrateful!" Guard Xiao Li said indignantly. When had Colonel Ma ever begged someone like this? This fat man was really being ungrateful!

"Get lost, how far can you go, go that far!" Colonel Ma raised his hand and tapped Xiao Li's head, shouting.

"Commander..." Xiao Li felt wronged, holding his head and looking at Colonel Ma with tears in his eyes. He couldn't understand why the usually protective Colonel Ma was now turning against him, which made him feel very aggrieved.

"Go, go, go!" Colonel Ma impatiently shouted at Guard Xiao Li.

Xiao Li rolled his eyes, full of resentment, and quickly kept his distance from Colonel Ma to avoid further injury.

"Brother, come on, our team has Wang Yi..." Colonel Ma lowered his voice and whispered in the fat man's ear, glancing nervously at Wang Yi in the team, afraid that she would realize he was "selling" her. To secure this all-powerful fat man, Colonel Ma was determined to break the rules and recruit this genius in close combat.

"Hehe, I'll think about it, fat grandpa..." The fat man used his hand to untie the trip wire of a mine, extracted the mine with a bayonet, and wiped the mud off his hands, laughing foolishly.

"What's there to think about? It's decided." Colonel Ma was afraid the fat man would change his mind. He had figured out that this devious and sleazy fat man couldn't be lured with high rank and wealth, only with beauty. Once the fat man joined the Eighth Route Army, he would be in charge.

"Don't try to fool me, little boy. Fat grandpa doesn't act without seeing the rabbit!" The fat man glanced at Colonel Ma. He knew the Eighth Route Army's discipline very well, and Colonel Ma's promise was likely a trick to get him on board.

"Hehe..." Colonel Ma laughed helplessly. This fat man seemed to know the Eighth Route Army's discipline very well, making all his "schemes" ineffective.

The team was almost out of the minefield. The sun was setting, and no more explosions were heard from behind. The fat man had defused the last mine and told Colonel Ma to let the team rest on the spot. The Japanese minefield's booby traps were mostly defused, and the next step was to leave the minefield. The fat man was afraid that the诱导的追兵 (induced pursuers) would give up the chase.

Just then, another "boom" explosion came from behind. The fat man raised his binoculars and saw that Japanese engineers had arrived and were defusing the mines. However, the mines he had set up were double-triggered, so defusing one would trigger another. Only he could defuse them.

"Damn it, this time it's serious. The Japanese have added two more companies!" Colonel Ma observed through his binoculars, cursing.

"Engineers, Type 92 infantry guns, Type 97 mortars, Type 92 heavy machine guns... a full battalion. This time the Japanese are really determined. We need to defuse the mines quickly!" Battalion Commander Zhang said anxiously. They were almost free, and he didn't want anything to go wrong at the last moment.

"It's too late. I'll lead you through directly. Follow my footprints." The fat man put away his binoculars and said urgently. The Japanese had brought infantry guns and mortars, which had a long range. Once the Japanese started shelling, no one would survive.

"Follow him." Colonel Ma understood the severity of the situation and quickly led the team to follow the fat man.

"Boom" explosions continued behind them. The Japanese engineers had advanced several dozen meters but triggered the pre-set double-triggered mines, almost wiping out the engineers. The Japanese battalion commander was furious, and through the binoculars, they saw the medical team almost out of the minefield. Finally, the Japanese infantry guns and mortars started shelling.

"Damn Japanese, with 70mm and 90mm shells, can fat grandpa still kill the Japanese happily?" The fat man exaggeratedly screamed and hid. Fortunately, the ground was uneven with many natural ditches, allowing the team to avoid the deadly shelling. Only one soldier twisted his ankle while running.

"Boom, boom..."

The whistling shells and continuous explosions also triggered nearby mines. The explosions made everyone's ears ring, and the soil was thrown up, covering the fat man in dirt, making him miserable. His curses were drowned out by the explosions.

The Japanese shells landed in different spots each time. The fat man, annoyed by the shelling, became reckless. He moved like a cat, crawling into the trenches and then sprinting to the shell craters. Once a shell exploded, he would crouch and run to the next crater, re-entering the minefield.

"What is this kid doing?" Colonel Ma, hiding in the trench, was shocked. Was the fat man trying to get himself killed?

"He's completing his plan!" Battalion Commander Zhang gritted his teeth and replied.

The Japanese shelling pinned the entire team in the trenches, making it impossible to move. The team was the target of the Japanese artillery. As long as the shelling continued, no one dared to move, especially the four doctors who had no military training. Escaping the Japanese shelling was nearly impossible.

The Japanese knew this, and Colonel Ma and Battalion Commander Zhang knew this too. The fat man was also clear about it.

Suddenly, Colonel Ma and Battalion Commander Zhang realized what was happening. This unscrupulous and devious fat man was using them as bait for the Japanese!