Chapter 26 of 100
Chapter 26
13 min read3,210 words
Hu Hao watched as the tank turned back, but unfortunately, one of the tanks still hit a mine and stopped working. The remaining three tanks refused to move forward and returned along the original route. The Japanese infantry was now in a dilemma, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
Hu Hao wouldn't waste this opportunity. He grabbed his gun and ran to a nearby cover. The cover he was in was a bit far from the Japanese, and now that their tanks had retreated, he wasn't too worried about their counterattack. At worst, the Japanese would use mortars, but it would be difficult for them to aim at the small opening of his cover.
Once Hu Hao was in the cover, he started aiming and shooting at the Japanese infantry.
"Bang!" A Japanese second lieutenant fell. Now, the Japanese had become more cautious; they no longer ran around but crouched or lay on the ground, shooting in Hu Hao's direction.
"Damn, so many bullets!" Seeing so many Japanese shooting in his direction, Hu Hao quickly ducked into the cover. Although the Japanese were a bit far, their numbers were overwhelming, and getting hit by a stray bullet would be too costly.
Hu Hao waited until the Japanese shooting subsided, then poked his head out, aimed at a Japanese soldier, fired a shot, and immediately hid again. After a few rounds of this, the Japanese became smarter.
Every time Hu Hao fired a shot, the Japanese would immediately fire back, but only one shot each time. This scared Hu Hao into hiding immediately after each shot, sometimes for longer, sometimes for shorter periods. Both sides were now engaged in a psychological battle. Sometimes, the Japanese would suddenly fire when Hu Hao wasn't out, trying to catch him off guard.
Hu Hao was now in a dilemma. "Why are the Japanese getting smarter? They're even playing psychological games now. I need to think of a way," Hu Hao thought. He looked at the few rifles next to him, quickly loaded them, and crawled to a different spot in the cover. He secured the rifles with ropes and pulled the ropes back to his position.
Hu Hao fired a shot with his sniper rifle, and the Japanese immediately fired back, then stopped.
Seeing the Japanese stop, Hu Hao pulled the rope, and another shot was fired from that direction. The Japanese fired back again, and then Hu Hao fired another shot. This time, the Japanese couldn't sit still; they thought there were more people. They started pouring bullets in Hu Hao's direction.
"Hey, Sergeant, what's Hu Hao doing with the Japanese? They were just taking turns firing, but now it's getting intense," a soldier asked Li Sergeant from a cover about 500 to 600 meters away.
"How should I know what Hu Hao is up to? I heard our main force has surrounded the Japanese and is now mopping them up," Li Sergeant replied.
"Sergeant, do you think we can hold off the Japanese attack this time?" the soldier asked.
"Of course we can. If we can't, the civilians behind us will suffer, and our main force won't be able to eliminate the surrounded Japanese," Li Sergeant said.
"Oh, Sergeant, should we go to Er Lengzi to bring him some food?" the soldier asked.
"Wait, can't you see they're still fighting? We'll just get in the way if we go," Li Sergeant said.
Hu Hao didn't have the time to think about what was happening behind him. He was focused on playing with the Japanese, not to kill many of them, but to delay them as much as possible. He was enjoying himself.
"Damn, I order you to move forward immediately as the vanguard," General Sakai Ryu said to the tank soldiers in front of him.
"General, we are tank soldiers, not mine-clearing engineers. Ordering us to drive the tanks over mines is no different from sending us to our deaths. We only have three tanks left, and five have already been destroyed. I'm sorry, General, but we disagree and will not carry out that order," a Japanese tank second lieutenant said, likely a platoon leader.
"Damn, I order you to move forward," General Sakai Ryu shouted.
"Then, General, you send your own soldiers. We won't go, even if you send us to a military tribunal. This is an incorrect order, and we refuse to execute it," the second lieutenant said.
General Sakai Ryu was at a loss, pacing back and forth. His troops were stuck, unsure whether to advance or retreat, and he didn't know what to do.
Moreover, it was almost lunchtime, and this delay would push the time to the afternoon. They were still over 30 miles from the Eighth Route Army's base, but they had just received intelligence that the Eighth Route Army had set up a defensive line 10 miles away. They just needed to break through that line.
General Sakai Ryu didn't think much more and went to find Lieutenant General Tsuchihashi Kenji. When he arrived at the lieutenant general's tent, he saw that the lieutenant general was still on the phone, likely being reprimanded by his superiors.
After Lieutenant General Tsuchihashi Kenji hung up, General Sakai Ryu approached him and said, "Report, General, the tank soldiers refuse to move forward. My troops are all stuck on the road, currently engaged in a firefight with the Eighth Route Army's snipers. General, do you have any further instructions? If not, we won't reach the Eighth Route Army's defensive position today."
"Hmm, I see. I just requested tactical support. Four bombers will take off from the Beijing airport and use aerial bombs to clear the mines," Lieutenant General Tsuchihashi Kenji said.
"Hmm, General, that's a wise decision. With the aerial bombs leading the way, I think the Eighth Route Army won't have many mines left," General Sakai Ryu said.
"Hmm, arrange for the soldiers to have their meal. The bombers should arrive in about an hour," Lieutenant General Tsuchihashi Kenji said.
"Understood, General."
General Sakai Ryu left after passing on the order, finally relieved that he didn't have to send his soldiers to clear the mines.
Hu Hao was having fun shooting when the Japanese started to retreat.
"Hmm? Something's not right. What's the Japanese up to?" Hu Hao thought as he saw the Japanese retreating while shooting.
Hu Hao couldn't figure it out immediately, but he felt something was off. The Japanese wouldn't retreat so easily after getting this far. It would be a waste of effort.
While Hu Hao was pondering, he heard a noise from behind. He immediately grabbed his gun and aimed backward. Seeing it was Li Sergeant and his men, he put down his gun and asked, "Where were you this morning? Why didn't you bring me breakfast?"
"Er Lengzi, we forgot about you this morning. We only remembered you at noon," Li Sergeant said, a bit embarrassed.
Hu Hao took the food box and said, "You should go down early. I feel something is off, though I can't say exactly what. Tell my brother to prepare for defense. The Japanese might have found a way to break through the minefield."
"Ah, the Japanese have a plan?" Li Sergeant said, surprised.
"The Japanese are not fools. They must have a plan. Tell my brother to be prepared for defense. I'll keep an eye on things here," Hu Hao said, opening the food box and looking at Li Sergeant.
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