Chapter 14

When He Zhengdao led the soldiers of the Fourth Company along the alley that had been scouted early in the morning and ambushed across from the prison, he immediately ordered all the soldiers to hide and wait for orders. He called over Ma Xiaojun, the company commander of the Fourth Company, an old Red Army soldier who had served as a company commander in the Third Red Army Corps, and whispered to him for a while.

After listening to He Zhengdao, Ma Xiaojun looked somewhat worried and said, "Commander, this isn't good, right? It's too dangerous. What if they start shooting?"

He Zhengdao replied with a serious face, "As long as you cooperate well, nothing will happen to me. Besides, there are so many comrades in the prison. If we really push these damn beasts to the limit and they take our comrades as hostages, we'll be the ones in a passive position. So, it's worth taking the risk. It's settled. Just do as I say!"

Seeing that He Zhengdao had made up his mind, Ma Xiaojun didn't say anything more. Although he was older than He Zhengdao, he knew very well that this commander, whether in Gongcheng, Fuchuan, or now in Daoxian, used very unique and strange tactics, but the results often surprised them, the old Red Army officers.

This time, hearing that the young battalion commander was going to take a risky and unconventional approach, Ma Xiaojun naturally had no choice but to agree. However, after He Zhengdao called over the guard platoon soldiers still wearing the Hunan Army uniform and gave them detailed instructions, Ma Xiaojun also gathered the three platoon leaders under his command to discuss and arrange the upcoming operation.

Not long after they arrived near the street by the prison, the attack initiated by the Second Company officially began. Seeing the gunfire at the command post in the distance, He Zhengdao instructed the guard platoon soldiers who would go out with him to get ready, while the rest of the Second Company soldiers gripped their guns tightly, waiting for their company commander's orders.

In such a quiet night, the gunfire at the command post undoubtedly woke up the prison guards. Looking at the company commander who appeared at the prison gate, He Zhengdao knew that the success rate of his plan had increased significantly.

When the gunfire also erupted from the direction of the barracks, He Zhengdao continued to wait for another ten minutes, closely watching the prison guards who wanted to go out but didn't dare to. He was also concerned about the situation of the three companies.

Everything went as expected. When the gunfire also erupted from the ammunition depot, He Zhengdao immediately said, "Brothers, don't make a sound when you go out. Just follow my orders. Remember, when running, use the S-shaped running technique I taught you. But also be careful, make it look real, don't let them see through it, understood?"

"Understood!"

Hearing the firm response from his subordinates, He Zhengdao had Ma Xiaojun get ready. They would start chasing once they ran across the street, but they mustn't chase too closely, or it would be suspicious.

Seeing that Ma Xiaojun was ready, He Zhengdao took off his officer's cap, casually adjusted his clothes, and started running directly towards the prison's position, shouting, "It's terrible, something big has happened, the Red Bandits have entered the city. Brother Du, Commander Du, save us!"

The "Brother Du" he was shouting about was undoubtedly the company commander of the prison guards. When they appeared in front of the guards, the sound of He Zhengdao's words naturally reached the ears of the soldiers in front. Hearing this person in Hunan Army uniform shouting their company commander's name, the soldiers hesitated to pull the triggers.

As He Zhengdao and his group of soldiers, who looked utterly disheveled, ran towards the prison, a few hundred meters behind them, Red Army soldiers wearing red-star caps suddenly appeared. They ran quickly, shouting, "Comrades, charge! Catch those White Dogs, avenge our brothers!"

With a group of disheveled comrades running in front and a group of fierce Red Army soldiers chasing from behind, and He Zhengdao shouting his company commander's name while running, the guards, as He Zhengdao had anticipated, did not fire their machine guns when he ran past the most dangerous machine gun position.

As a few seemingly exhausted guard platoon soldiers fell to the ground beside the machine gun position, panting heavily, He Zhengdao shouted, "Fire! Can't you see the Red Bandits are almost here?"

With this order, no one doubted that they were Red Army soldiers. The machine gunners panicked and fired their machine guns. The Red Army soldiers, who were about to charge, immediately stopped outside their range and started firing back.

As for the guard platoon soldiers who had been resting, they shouted in terror, "Mom!" and hid in the machine gun position, crouching behind the sandbags, not daring to lift their heads, as if the Red Army's gunfire would hit them at any moment.

When the prison company commander saw He Zhengdao standing at the gate, shouting, "Fire! Kill them all!" Du Lianzhang walked over and said, "Brother Sun, why did you come here? Weren't you staying at the barracks? How's the situation there?"

Never having thought that this young brother, with whom he had chatted so pleasantly today, was actually a Red Army impostor, Du Lianzhang didn't realize that when he walked out, He Zhengdao's plan had already succeeded halfway. The next step was to see how he could complete the act.

Seeing Du Lianzhang appear, He Zhengdao looked very happy and said, "Ah! Brother Du, you're here. I was really scared just now. I was trying to support the command post with the main force. But halfway through, I saw our brothers being ambushed by the Red Bandits. The scene was so terrible, I'm still scared thinking about it!

Why did I stay in the city today? If I had known the Red Army would attack the city in such force tonight, I would have left in the afternoon! Now, I'm trapped in the city. What should I do?"

Looking at He Zhengdao, who seemed to be regretting his decision, Du Lianzhang couldn't help but interrupt, "Brother Sun, you said the attack was by a large Red Army force? Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

He Zhengdao, hearing this, swore, "If I saw wrong, may I die a terrible death. Didn't you hear? The Red Bandits even have artillery! This isn't something ordinary Red Army soldiers would do. I saw no way to escape, so I brought these dozen or so surviving brothers to Brother Du for temporary refuge.

But we're still trapped here. What should I do? I've killed several Red Bandits, and if they settle old scores, I'll lose my head. No, no, I have to find a way to save my life. I'll think of something."

Seeing this platoon leader, who seemed to have a good family background and some military connections, acting so cowardly, Du Lianzhang didn't say much. He just instructed his soldiers to prepare for defense and not let the Red Army charge through.

After He Zhengdao muttered a few words in the contemptuous eyes of the guards, he suddenly looked very excited and said, "I have it! I have a good idea. It will definitely save my life, Brother Du, you must help me. With this plan, not only will I be saved, but you won't have to worry about the Red Bandits settling old scores!"

No one would refuse a chance to live. As Du Lianzhang was still surprised, He Zhengdao put on a sinister face and whispered a seemingly reliable plan in his ear. As a military man, Du Lianzhang frowned and said, "Brother Sun, is this really a good idea?"

He Zhengdao replied with a righteous tone, "We have a deep-seated enmity with the Red Bandits. Imagine if we were captured by the Red Bandits and they found out we had killed Red Bandits. We would all be executed. The Red Bandits only kill the most heinous officers, not the small soldiers.

The plan I thought of doesn't necessarily involve killing them. We just need to use them as a shield to force the Red Bandits to let us out of the city. Once we're out, it's our world."

Not wanting to be captured or die, Du Lianzhang hesitated for a moment. Seeing the increasing number of Red Army soldiers, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, as the saying goes, a man who isn't ruthless isn't a true hero. If the Red Bandits don't let me out of the city, we'll all die together."

Hearing this, He Zhengdao had already sentenced the company commander to death in his heart. But at that moment, he looked very happy, praising Du Lianzhang for his heroic demeanor and understanding that this wasn't the time for mercy.

He led the company commander and a few other officers, along with a few guard platoon soldiers, into the heavily guarded prison.

When the last cell door was opened, and the Red Army prisoners looked at them in unison, Du Lianzhang was about to ask He Zhengdao how many prisoners they should take as a shield. However, they didn't know that when He Zhengdao led these officers in, one or two guard platoon soldiers deliberately stayed behind after each cell door was opened.

Before Du Lianzhang could speak, He Zhengdao looked very happy and said, "Thank you, Commander Du!"

Just as Du Lianzhang thought he was thanking him for agreeing to use the Red Army prisoners as a shield, he saw this smiling platoon leader pull out two pistols and quickly point them at his and a deputy company commander's heads.

This sudden turn of events not only stunned the Red Army prisoners inside the prison but also the Hunan Army officers who saw it. What was going on?

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