Chapter 239: Killed Miserably Under The Heavy Cannon
“Baka, this damn windy and sandy weather, tui!”
The Commander of the Ninth Brigade of the Japanese Army looked up at the dim yellow sky, cursing fiercely.
Due to the increasingly severe windy and sandy weather, the army aviation’s airplanes couldn’t take off, and there was no way to help with reconnaissance from the sky.
If there were airplanes, this group of Eighth Route Army Troops would have been found long ago.
They had been searching all night yesterday and the entire day today, exhausted like dogs, without finding a single strand of Eighth Route Army hair.
“Another day has passed, and I don’t know how Yamamoto Sakura is now, or if she is still alive.” Muto Juichi, Commander of the Twenty-first Brigade, was also full of anger on his face.
They had searched for a day and a night but hadn’t discovered any trace of the Eighth Route Army.
This once again exposed a very serious problem.
That is, our so-called strategic rear had been infiltrated by the Eighth Route Army too severely.
Those civilians who helped conceal the traces of the Eighth Route Army Troops were the fundamental reason they hadn’t been found.
Once the matter is settled, there must be an urgent reckoning.
“You two, it’s getting dark, have something to eat.” Major General Kawashima, Commander of the Twenty-ninth Brigade, brought over three portions of dinner.
The dinner was very nutritious: steamed buns, millet porridge, and half a jin of meat for each person.
“Can’t eat, take it away, take it away!” The Commander of the Ninth Brigade waved his hand, having no appetite at all.
Muto Juichi took the dinner and said to the Commander of the Ninth Brigade while eating, “Gongjing Jun, if you don’t eat your fill, even if you find the Eighth Route Army, you won’t have the strength to command the battle, so don’t act on impulse.”
The Brigade Commander of the Ninth Brigade eventually took the dinner.
The three Japanese Brigade Commanders communicated while eating dinner.
They unanimously agreed that the troops were too tired, so they would rest for today and search again tomorrow.
Just like that, night fell, and most of the Japanese Troops from the three brigades chose to rest, while the rest were either on sentry duty or continuing the search.
……
Seeing that night had fallen, Li Yunlong gathered Ding Wei, Gao Liujin, Cheng Xiazi, and Gao Xigang.
Li Yunlong got straight to the point: “This Yamamoto Sakura we captured is a senior naval expert on the Japanese side, I’m sure you all know that. Now I plan to send her to our rear overnight. Do you have any objections?”
Gao Liujin spoke first: “No objections for sure, but I’m thinking, if our Factory Director Li could also build ships, wouldn’t what we’re doing be a bit redundant?”
“That’s probably impossible,” Ding Wei said. “Factory Director Li hasn’t even been in contact with ships, and even the warships on the direct lineage side are all imported. Where would Factory Director Li learn naval knowledge?”
For weapons like the Hell Cannon and rocket launcher, Factory Director Li could study them because he had access to artillery and gunpowder, giving him the soil to grow.
But for warships, we simply can’t build them; without a factory for warship manufacturing, there’s no soil for naval ship experts to grow.
Cheng Xiazi echoed Ding Wei’s words and continued, “Not to mention anything else, just the fact that the Japanese dispatched three brigades to rescue Yamamoto Sakura is enough to show that the naval knowledge in her head is invaluable, at least worth three Japanese brigades! Taking Yamamoto Sakura with us behind enemy lines is a risk we can’t take; if something goes wrong, it could affect our future warship manufacturing progress.”
Gao Xigang nodded too: “Factory Director Li can be said to be an army equipment expert, while we have a blank in navy ship experts. We will definitely build our own ships in the future. If anything happens to Yamamoto Sakura, even if we grab more behind enemy lines, it won’t be worth it.”
Gao Liujin finally laughed it off: “As I said, I have no objections, ah haha.”
Li Yunlong didn’t waste words with Gao Liujin and immediately began assigning tasks:
“According to intelligence from our eyes and ears, although these three Japanese brigades came aggressively, they didn’t bring much supplies and baggage, and now it’s all placed at Cui Family Town.”
“My plan is simple: Gao Xigang, Gao Liujin, your two regiments follow Ding Wei’s New First Regiment and charge straight to Cui Family Town, seize this batch of supplies, and lure away the three Japanese brigades.”
“After the Japanese brigades are lured away, my regiment and Cheng Xiazi’s two regiments will quickly take Yamamoto Sakura and go back. Although the Kumamoto Division has plenty of troops, they are dispersed on the encirclement. With our two regiments, breaking through a point on the encirclement will be a piece of cake.”
“After Gao Liujin, Gao Xigang, and Old Ding lure away the Japanese, shake them off, and before dawn, meet here at our current hiding spot.”
Gao Liujin, Ding Wei, and the others nodded: “Alright, no problem, we’ll do exactly as Old Li said.”
Ding Wei, Gao Liujin, and Gao Xigang quickly led their troops away, while Li Yunlong and Cheng Xiazi stayed in place, waiting for the Japanese brigades to be lured away.
……
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The Hell Cannon and infantry gun roared in the night, and Cui Family Town suffered a sudden attack from Ding Wei and the others.
Before the Japanese at Cui Family Town could react, Ding Wei and the others had already advanced into Cui Family Town with grenade launcher mortar cannonballs.
The Japanese supplies and baggage at Cui Family Town fell into Ding Wei and the others’ hands without any effort.
“Baka, these damn Eighth Route Army!” The Commander of the Ninth Brigade woke up from his sleep and immediately led his troops rushing straight toward Cui Family Town.
“These damn Eighth Route Army came out on their own, so don’t think about hiding again. Warriors, flank from the right!” Muto Juichi, Commander of the Twenty-first Brigade, led his troops to encircle from the right side of Cui Family Town.
“The Eighth Route Army has leopard’s gall to intercept our supplies and baggage; they’re tired of living.” Major General Kawashima, Commander of the Twenty-ninth Brigade, led his troops to encircle from the left.
Ding Wei and the others naturally wouldn’t stupidly stay at Cui Family Town waiting to be surrounded. They simply took some convenient food, burned the rest with a fire, and quickly withdrew in another direction.
“Baka, these damn Eighth Route Army destroyed all our rations and supplies!” The Japanese from the three brigades were fuming, and their troops surged like a tide in hot pursuit of Ding Wei and the others’ withdrawal direction.
……
“Regiment Commander, the scout reports that all three Japanese brigades have been completely lured away by Regimental Commander Ding and them.” Soon, someone reported the news to Li Yunlong.
“Cheng Xiazi, let’s go.” Li Yunlong didn’t hesitate and immediately said to Cheng Xiazi.
“Let’s go.” Cheng Xiazi led his troops and immediately set off with Li Yunlong’s Independent Regiment, taking the opportunity.
Halfway, Yamamoto Sakura refused to walk and demanded a bath.
Cheng Xiazi said to Li Yunlong, “Li Yunlong, what do we do?”
Now knowing Yamamoto Sakura’s true identity, especially since she might have important significance for our warship manufacturing, Cheng Xiazi didn’t dare touch a single hair on Yamamoto Sakura’s head.
But at this critical moment, she wanted to take a bath—how was that possible? The troops were on the march.
At this point, Cheng Xiazi increasingly believed that sending Yamamoto Sakura to the rear was the right decision.
This woman had so many issues; keeping her around was a huge burden.
“What do you mean what do we do!” Li Yunlong glared at Zhang Dabiao: “Dabiao, knock her out directly and carry her.”
Zhang Dabiao looked embarrassed: “Regiment Commander, why don’t you do it.”
Zhang Dabiao also knew Yamamoto Sakura’s value and worried that his punch might cause problems.
“Damn it, I’ll do it then!” Li Yunlong approached Yamamoto Sakura, raised his fist, but couldn’t bring it down no matter what.
Yamamoto Sakura looked so frail; if he landed this punch, she probably couldn’t withstand it.
In the end, Li Yunlong gritted his teeth and knocked her out.
“Damn it, when Old me punches Japanese, my hand never shakes. Today, punching a Japanese woman, why is it shaking so much!” Li Yunlong had Wei Dayong carry Yamamoto Sakura, but his right hand that threw the punch was shaking violently and wouldn’t stop.
The troops moved quickly and arrived at the Kumamoto Division’s encirclement by midnight.
As Li Yunlong expected, after the three Japanese brigades withdrew, the encirclement’s strength had dropped significantly.
Li Yunlong and Cheng Xiazi directly bombarded with artillery fire, and a point on the encirclement was immediately blasted open.
The commotion quickly alerted the Kumamoto Division Commander: “Is it that the Eighth Route Army is breaking out from inside?”
“No.” Soon a Japanese officer reported to the Kumamoto Division Commander, “The Eighth Route Army attacked from outside. It looks like they want to go back in.”
“Strange, where did these Eighth Route Army come from? Aren’t Gongjing Jun and the others already fighting the Eighth Route Army?” The Kumamoto Division Commander was puzzled.
He already knew the news that the Ninth Brigade, Twenty-first Brigade, and Twenty-ninth Brigade were pursuing the Eighth Route Army.
Now there were Eighth Route Army outside attacking the encirclement to get back in, which was baffling.
They had come out, and going back in would mean being surrounded again. Could it be…
The Kumamoto Division Commander quickly thought of a possibility and immediately shouted: “Have all troops that can move closer do so right away, and don’t let this group of Eighth Route Army get in.”
The Kumamoto Division Commander judged that the Eighth Route Army on the side of the Ninth Brigade, Twenty-first Brigade, and Twenty-ninth Brigade had deliberately shown themselves to attack, definitely covering for this current group of Eighth Route Army.
What were they covering for?
That was Yamamoto Sakura!
These Eighth Route Army wanted to take Yamamoto Sakura back.
Since Yamamoto Sakura had shown up right in front of him, for the Kumamoto Division Commander, this was a rare rescue opportunity.
“Yes, Division Commander.” The orderly quickly went to relay the order.
“Also, send a telegram to the Ninth Brigade, Twenty-first Brigade, and Twenty-ninth Brigade to abandon the pursuit of the Eighth Route Army there and come here quickly. Yamamoto Sakura is here,” the Kumamoto Division Commander added.
“Yes, Division Commander.”
But the Kumamoto Division Commander’s reaction was still a bit slow, or rather, Li Yunlong’s side didn’t give him any chance at all.
There weren’t many troops on the encirclement. After Li Yunlong and Cheng Xiazi quickly broke through, Li Yunlong said to Cheng Xiazi, “Cheng Xiazi, have your 772 Regiment take Yamamoto Sakura back for me.”
“Li Yunlong, couldn’t you just send a small unit to escort her back?” Cheng Xiazi said. “I still need to help you outside…”
Li Yunlong interrupted Cheng Xiazi: “Cut the crap. It’s a raid now, and there are definitely enemy patrols ahead. Yamamoto Sakura is important; if they run into enemies, a small unit won’t hold up. Have your entire 772 Regiment go back. Without one regiment outside, Old me can still get the job done.”
“Li Yunlong, be careful out there. I’m heading back,” Cheng Xiazi didn’t dawdle and led the 772 Regiment to escort Yamamoto Sakura back quickly.
Li Yunlong’s side didn’t tangle too much with the Kumamoto Division’s Japanese Troops either. Once Cheng Xiazi was far away, he withdrew directly.
Of course, after withdrawing, he left a very important gift for the Japanese.
“Baka, damn it!”
The Ninth Brigade, Twenty-first Brigade, and Twenty-ninth Brigade abandoned Ding Wei’s side and rushed back as reinforcements, only to be confronted with a female corpse blasted into a bloody mess by cannonballs.
If it were just an ordinary female corpse, it wouldn’t matter.
The key was that this female corpse was wearing the same clothes as Yamamoto Sakura.
The Kumamoto Division Commander stood by, stunned. He had thought he could rescue Yamamoto Sakura, but in the end… Yamamoto Sakura died miserably under his heavy cannon!
That’s right.
To block the Eighth Route Army, the Kumamoto Division had ordered heavy cannon fire.
But unexpectedly, the heavy cannon not only failed to block the Eighth Route Army but also accidentally bombed Yamamoto Sakura.
The air was frozen for a long time before Major General Kawashima spoke: “Kumamoto Division Commander, what do we do now?”
“What can we do!” The Kumamoto Division Commander roared, “Immediately move the corpse back and see if the gendarmerie can identify whether this is really Yamamoto Sakura.”
The Kumamoto Division Commander said this, clearly still harboring a fluke mentality, hoping it was the Eighth Route Army’s deception.
“What about the Eighth Route Army?” Major General Kawashima asked.
“What else can we do? Your three brigades must find and eliminate this group of Eighth Route Army outside,” the Kumamoto Division Commander roared. “Then we’ll combine forces for encirclement and suppression of the Eighth Route Army lair.”
“Hai!”
……
