Chapter 10: Can’t Get Out
Looking at the gradually approaching Japanese tanks and the bodies of his brothers just shot down on the street, Instructor Li painfully closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, waved his hand, and seven or eight soldiers walked to a water jar by the side of the street.
They put the backpacks from behind them into the water jar, soaked the blankets inside, then carried the backpacks on their chests. Everyone lined up in a straight line, and the soldier at the end had his whole body wrapped with grenades.
Yes, you guessed it right. These training team soldiers were preparing to use their own bodies as cover to protect the last soldier to approach the Japanese tank and then destroy it.
Lacking anti-armor weapons, the Chinese soldiers could only use this tragic method to perish together with the Japanese tanks.
Just as the soldiers were preparing to rush out from cover, another huge gunshot rang out.
The lead tank suddenly rushed toward the street diagonally opposite, then crashed into the wall. Accompanied by a rumbling sound, the collapsing ruins buried this tank that was only 1.62 meters tall under the rubble.
The tanks behind saw this and instantly panicked. The driver, in a panic, shifted into reverse to retreat, but he forgot that the area around the tank was full of their own infantry.
Accompanied by bursts of screams, the panicked tank crushed three of their own soldiers under its tracks.
“Baka yarou…”
The squad leader in charge was so angry that he cursed loudly, but the only remaining Type 94 tank ignored his curses. The tank crew, scared out of their wits, continued in reverse trying to retreat to the street corner.
But his wish was not fulfilled. Accompanied by a huge gunshot, a 14.5mm armor-piercing round pierced the front armor of this Type 94 tank and the driver’s head behind the armor. Then, the driver’s head exploded like a bomb, with blood and brains bursting out.
The tank without human control suddenly started spinning in circles, knocking down another seven or eight Japanese soldiers around it. Accompanied by bursts of wails, these Japanese soldiers were either dead or maimed, and the entire scene was a mess of blood and flesh.
Seeing the originally arrogant tanks being beaten into piles of scrap metal like a father beating his son, the training team soldiers had no time to be surprised. The experienced soldiers, under Instructor Li’s command, quickly launched a countercharge and repelled this team of Japanese soldiers.
After the Japanese retreated, Instructor Li brought Xu Dapeng and the remaining more than ten soldiers to the back of a house, where they saw the person who had saved them.
“You…”
Looking at the young man slowly standing up, with fair skin, wearing a gray tattered cotton jacket, cotton shoes on his feet, covered with weapons, especially the over two-meter-long PTRD-41 anti-tank rifle in his hands, a flash of surprise passed through Instructor Li’s eyes as he asked in a deep voice.
“I am Li Gaoyuan, major instructor of the First Regiment, First Brigade, Training Corps, National Revolutionary Army. Who are you?”
“Greetings, sir. I am Su Yaoyang, just a student who fled from Rehe to here.”
While answering, Su Yaoyang looked at Instructor Li’s face, which resembled that male star from his previous life, and couldn’t help but feel dazed. What kind of world was this?
Hearing Su Yaoyang’s words, Li Gaoyuan glanced at the huge weapon taller than a person behind him, the submachine gun in his arms, and the grenades all over his body, a meaningful expression flashing in his eyes.
“You’re a student?”
“Yes!” Su Yaoyang repeated: “I was originally a student at Chengde Normal School in Rehe. A couple of days ago, my family suffered a disaster, so I had no choice but to flee from my hometown. I originally planned to come to Nanjing to join relatives, but I didn’t find them, and now I’m trapped here.”
Regarding Su Yaoyang’s story, Li Gaoyuan just snorted lightly. He didn’t believe a single word of it.
Who flees with so many weapons? Moreover, he had never seen the tank-busting monster in his hands, even after so many years of war. Believing his words would be the real ghost story.
However, the situation was urgent now, not the time to investigate these things. Besides, this young man had just saved them, so he naturally wanted to help him out.
So he said: “We’re planning to leave the city. Do you want to come with us?”
Unexpectedly, Su Yaoyang shook his head: “Sir, to be frank, the city is full of Japanese now.
From here to Shangyuan Gate is still several li away. With just your dozen or so men, it’s impossible to break out of the encirclement. Moreover, this morning I met Ma Wenxuan, the director of the headquarters logistics department.
He told me that Commander Tang Shengzhi, to prevent rout, has ordered Commander Song Xilian to lead the 36th Division to seal off Xiaguan and Shangyuan Gate. Anyone daring to retreat will be shot without mercy.
If you go out like this, even if you luckily reach the riverbank, you’ll be treated as stragglers by the 36th Division and shot on the spot.”
“Is what you say true?” Li Gaoyuan was stunned for a moment.
He didn’t doubt Su Yaoyang’s words. The other party could name the director of the headquarters logistics department, Ma Wenxuan, which proved he wasn’t talking nonsense.
Moreover, sealing the Yangtze was exactly the kind of thing Tang Shengzhi would do.
Looking at the suspicious Li Gaoyuan, Su Yaoyang spread his hands: “Instructor Li, think about it—what benefit do I get from deceiving you?”
“Instructor Li, what do we do?” Xu Dapeng, holding the Bren light machine gun nearby, grew anxious.
Li Gaoyuan’s face darkened, and he said nothing.
Su Yaoyang thought for a moment: “Instructor Li, if you really have nowhere to go, I do have an idea.”
“Speak.” Li Gaoyuan looked at him in surprise but still patiently listened.
Su Yaoyang organized his words before saying: “Do you remember the group of female students you just saved? They are church students from the nearby St. Paul’s Church. That church is built extremely sturdy and occupies a commanding position that’s easy to defend and hard to attack.
Since we have nowhere to go, why not temporarily stay there first, then gather some scattered brothers from around, use it as a base, and break out of the city when the timing is right? What do you think?”
“The idea is good, but you forgot one thing.”
Before Li Gaoyuan could answer, Xu Dapeng said grumpily nearby: “We only have these dozen brothers left now, and we’re short on clothes and ammo. If the Japanese surround the church, they don’t even need to attack us—we’ll starve to death in less than two days. Your idea really isn’t great.”
Li Gaoyuan said nothing, just glanced at Su Yaoyang, his meaning clear.
Su Yaoyang steeled himself: “Instructor Li, to be honest, my family used to do some arms business with foreigners and happened to stockpile a batch of arms in Nanjing. If you trust me, brother, I’ll handle the arms and supplies.
Once we get to the church, I can’t promise anything else, but ammo resupply can definitely be guaranteed.”
“Oh?”
Upon hearing this, Li Gaoyuan’s gaze toward Su Yaoyang suddenly sharpened. He was about to speak, but then thought of something, and his stern expression deflated like a punctured ball. Things were already critical now—nitpicking these had no meaning.
He gave a wry smile: “Alright, as long as you can guarantee what you say is true, what’s the harm in me, Li, trusting you once!”
