Chapter 9

Facing the Red Army soldiers whose eyes were filled with hopeful anticipation, He Zhengdao smiled slightly and said, "We are the Red Army! Please, brothers, wake up the other comrades quietly. We came in from the back without alarming the guards in front. So, please be as quiet as possible, or it will cause trouble if the guards are alerted."

"Good! Good! I understand!"

When they learned that He Zhengdao and his men had indeed come to rescue them, these Red Army soldiers, who had previously felt that escape was impossible, were overjoyed. They quietly woke up their sleeping comrades in the same cell, suppressing their excitement and saying, "Brothers, don't sleep anymore. Our comrades have come to save us!"

These words instantly dispelled the drowsiness of the Red Army soldiers who had just woken up. When all the cell doors in the prison were opened, nearly two hundred Red Army soldiers looked at He Zhengdao with hopeful eyes.

Understanding that every minute was crucial, He Zhengdao looked at the Red Army soldiers, whose spirits had been instantly revived, and said, "Comrades, time is short, so I'll be brief. Outside the cells, there is a regiment of Guangxi Army guards, while I have only ten soldiers with me. I urgently need to select some commanders from among you to take on combat tasks. Please, those who have served as officers, raise your hands and report your previous positions and unit numbers."

Having already learned that He Zhengdao was a company-level officer and a guard for a senior leader, a few older Red Army veterans soon stepped forward from the crowd, reporting their previous positions and unit numbers to He Zhengdao.

Upon learning that one of them, Wang Tianlin, had served as a battalion commander in the First Red Army Corps, and that there were a few others who had served as company or platoon commanders, He Zhengdao quickly organized them into two temporary companies based on their previous positions. He then divided the soldiers into two companies that somewhat resembled military units, based on their previous unit numbers.

He temporarily appointed Wang Tianlin and Jiang Shan, a former company commander from the Fifth Red Army Corps, as the commanders of these two temporary companies. He then instructed these two company commanders to quickly appoint platoon and squad leaders based on the ages and positions reported by the soldiers.

All of this was arranged in less than ten minutes. He Zhengdao then distributed ten rifles and ammunition seized from the cells to the officers of the two temporary companies. He instructed them to wait at the door while he quickly left the cells to reconnoiter the nearby defensive positions.

On this defensive line, there were two heavy machine guns on either side, and in the sandbagged machine gun positions, four Guangxi Army soldiers were huddled together, warming themselves and sleeping. There was no sound of movement from the barracks next to the prison.

The entire prison appeared quiet, with only the duty soldiers on watch. The other guards were all resting, completely unaware that the Red Army prisoners had been rescued.

Realizing that this opportunity was rare, He Zhengdao immediately gave the signal to the soldiers waiting for his command. The rescued Red Army soldiers, led by the ten soldiers who had come in, cautiously formed a single-file line and, following the wall, quickly climbed over the high wall they had entered through, forming a human ladder to escape the prison.

When the last rescued soldier successfully climbed out of the prison, He Zhengdao knew that his time was limited. He had to act quickly to capture the military arsenal in Gongcheng, which was also guarded by the Guangxi Army, to arm the Red Army soldiers who were currently severely lacking in weapons and equipment.

Seeing that everyone had been rescued, He Zhengdao was the last to climb out of the wall. He then led the two companies of Red Army soldiers and successfully met up with Zhao Erzai and others. To prevent the prison guards from discovering that the prison was empty, He Zhengdao arranged four marksmen at the prison's defensive positions.

Their task was to immediately open fire and block the guards if they discovered the prison was empty and tried to search or report. They were also to attract other Guangxi Army forces in the city to buy time for the capture of the Gongcheng military arsenal.

He Zhengdao then arranged for the injured Red Army soldiers who could not participate in the operation to be hidden in a secluded place in the city. He then led the two newly formed companies of Red Army soldiers to the military arsenal in Gongcheng, which was also heavily guarded.

Looking at the military arsenal, which was very different from the prison, the Guangxi Army guards were not resting. Instead, patrols frequently passed through the area. With the troops already in place, He Zhengdao had no time to hesitate. He instructed the two temporary company commanders to organize their troops and prepare to storm the arsenal and seize weapons to arm the troops.

After giving these instructions, He Zhengdao carefully observed the patrol times, numbers, and the number of Guangxi Army soldiers in the sandbagged defensive positions. He ultimately decided to first capture the patrol team that frequently passed by these defensive positions, then seize the arsenal.

He instructed the ten assault team members who had acted with him to spread out along the path the patrol team would take, closely watching the approaching patrol.

As He Zhengdao's two throwing knives flew out, accurately hitting the foreheads of the two leading Guangxi Army soldiers, the other ten assault team members, following the order, suddenly emerged from their hiding places and pounced on the startled patrol team. They quickly and efficiently eliminated the eight-man patrol team without a sound at a corner.

He Zhengdao signaled the following Red Army soldiers to handle the bodies and weapons of the eight Guangxi Army soldiers. He left three men to lead the patrol team, while he instructed the other seven Red Army soldiers to take over the machine gun positions when they passed by the arsenal. Each of the four men was responsible for one position, and they were to capture the machine gun positions without alarming the guards inside.

Holding torches and walking boldly toward the machine gun positions, Wang Tianlin and others, watching from the shadows, were on edge, fearing that the Guangxi Army soldiers in the machine gun positions would realize the patrol team had been replaced and open fire. In that case, no one would survive the machine gun fire.

As the eight-man patrol team smoothly entered the corridor between the two machine gun positions, a Guangxi Army soldier preparing to greet them suddenly realized that the patrol team under the torches was not the same as before. He was stunned!

At this critical moment, He Zhengdao, noticing the soldier's change in expression, threw the first throwing knife at him. At the same time, the seven assault team members, like ghosts in the night, quickly rushed into the machine gun positions and eliminated the stunned Guangxi Army soldiers.

Having successfully captured the first guard post, He Zhengdao, fearing a lack of time, quickly signaled Wang Tianlin and others to take over the machine gun positions. He then continued to lead the seven assault team members, who were still catching their breath from the intense close combat, toward the second guard post.

Just as they successfully captured the second guard post, a sharp gunshot broke the silence of Gongcheng, followed by intense gunfire. Realizing that the prison might have been exposed, He Zhengdao, looking at the third guard post, had a bold idea.

He instructed the soldiers behind him not to speak and to follow him directly into the area. As they approached the third guard post, He Zhengdao disguised his voice, as if startled, and said, "Shots fired! It's terrible! The Red Bandits have entered the city!"

Faced with He Zhengdao, who appeared startled and dressed as a Guangxi Army patrol team member, the guards at the last post did not open fire. As a Guangxi Army officer prepared to ask what had happened outside, He Zhengdao and his eight men approached. Just as the officer realized something was wrong, he heard He Zhengdao's cold voice, "Kill!"

The Guangxi Army officer, who was still thinking about what the patrol team had reported, fell to the ground with a throwing knife through his throat, dying with his eyes wide open.

The other Guangxi Army soldiers, who realized they were under attack, were eliminated by the assault team members, who had become excited from the night's fighting. They moved swiftly and fiercely, eliminating the guards at the post.

Slowly pushing open the door to the military arsenal, He Zhengdao immediately ordered, "First Company, Second Company, quickly come in and take the equipment. Choose what you are familiar with and can use. Once you have the weapons, follow me to attack the Guangxi Army command in Gongcheng. I want to make Gongcheng lively tonight!"

Receiving the order, Wang Tianlin, hearing the gunfire in the city intensify, knew that the battle had reached a critical point. He quickly organized his soldiers to rush into the arsenal, taking out the neatly stacked weapons and ammunition and equipping the Red Army soldiers, who were overjoyed to have these weapons.

Faced with the vast amount of weapons and ammunition, the Red Army soldiers, who rarely saw such good weapons, were somewhat overwhelmed. When He Zhengdao emphasized that they should take what they could use, several soldiers rushed to the light machine guns, each excitedly carrying one.

Seeing that the mortars were not being taken, He Zhengdao, knowing their effectiveness, immediately said, "A few of you, carry two mortars and a box of shells with me. First Company, leave three squads to guard the arsenal. If any Guangxi Army soldiers attack before we return, fight them fiercely. You have unlimited ammunition. If you can't hold them off, I authorize you to blow up the arsenal before retreating. Do you understand?"

After instructing the three squad leaders sent by Wang Tianlin, He Zhengdao quickly led the remaining troops toward the headquarters of the Gongcheng Security Regiment. Along the way, any Guangxi Army soldiers they encountered were driven back by the Red Army soldiers, who were firing their light machine guns.

When He Zhengdao and his troops arrived at the headquarters of the Security Regiment, they saw the Guangxi Army soldiers inside in a state of panic. For these Security Regiment soldiers, who took pleasure in killing Red Army soldiers, He Zhengdao would teach them a bloody lesson today, showing them the meaning of "those who kill will be killed."

The page turns, and the advertisement begins.

The page turns, and the advertisement ends.