Chapter 42: The Commander Has a Kind Heart and Cannot Bear to See Japanese Wounded Soldiers Suffer; Send Them to the Western Paradise!

The yellow bar represented the logistics supply status, including related weapons, equipment, and ammunition.

The green bar represented the organization and cohesion, directly linked to troop strength, casualty rates, and troop quality.

Inside Yuanping City, the military marker representing the Independent Mixed 15th Brigade showed that while a large majority of the yellow supply bar remained, the green organization bar had plummeted to just one half.

As the battle raged on, the organization and yellow supply bars of their own attacking forces were also steadily declining.

However, it was patently obvious that the little Japs were dropping at a much faster rate.

Chu Yunfei lowered the binoculars in his hand and gave the order: "The time is right. Launch the general assault!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Fugui strode out of the command headquarters. After walking a short distance away, he fired three red signal flares into the sky.

This was the signal for the general assault.

Platoon, company, and squad leaders barked out their orders.

The soldiers participating in the offensive charged forward with all their might.

The battle cries shook the heavens.

Bullets flew thickly through the air, yet they still could not halt the soldiers' resolute footsteps.

Morale was soaring, and their momentum was as majestic as a rainbow!

"Boom!"

The soldiers engaged the little Japs in brutal house-to-house and street-to-street close combat.

Squad leaders and deputy squad leaders equipped with Shanxi-made Thompsons took the lead, acting as the vanguard, covering and commanding the soldiers to push ever forward.

"You two, take the high ground of the building on the left. Climb up there, and if any little Japs dare to run past from the opposite side, blow them straight to hell!"

A veteran squad leader swept his gaze across the street before immediately issuing his deployment orders.

"Everyone else, keep watch on the flanks and follow me."

"Watch out for the Japs hiding in the ruins; don't get ambushed by a sneak shot. If you aren't sure of the situation, toss a grenade in before you go inside!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers divided their tasks, each possessing their own hard-earned expertise in urban combat.

Six or seven soldiers aimed at their respective sectors, continuously pushing forward.

Unable to hold back any longer, a group of little Japs suddenly rushed out, thrusting their bayonets forward as they charged.

"Tat-tat, tat-tat!"

The veteran squad leader fired two crisp, controlled bursts, sending those two little Japs straight to the netherworld.

"Keep your eyes open! The little Japs might make a desperate, cornered-beast move. You must listen carefully to the combat passwords!"

"Yes!"

The battle continued relentlessly. After receiving reinforcements from the 11th Company, the soldiers of the 10th Company quickly broke through the defenses of the West City Gate and launched a renewed attack deeper into the city.

By this point, the 358th Regiment had spent less than three hours in the assault before shattering the defense line of the Independent Mixed 15th Brigade.

They hadn't even managed to send out a single distress telegram

before losing all contact with the 5th Division and their vanguard elements.

Inside the city,

the mopping-up operations against the remaining enemy stragglers were still ongoing, but they no longer posed any real threat.

The Japanese invaders' organization had hit rock bottom.

Operating in twos and threes under the command of Japanese squad leaders, sergeants, and platoon leaders, they fought isolated, desperate battles.

As time wore on, the intensity of their resistance steadily dwindled.

The soldiers discovered quite a few wounded enemy troops who had been hidden away.

Just as these little Japs raised their heads to look at the approaching soldiers,

Xue Jie, commander of the 7th Company, waved his hand: "Our regimental commander is kind-hearted and cannot bear to look at such sights."

"If he saw these wounded little Japs suffering so much, he would surely order us to put them out of their misery!"

The soldiers burst into laughter: "Then Company Commander, let's go ahead and help them out?"

Xue Jie put on a theatrical display and closed his eyes: "Send them off to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss!"

"Yes!"

Gunshots rang out in succession.

The soldiers quickly stepped forward to secure the battlefield, skillfully unearthing numerous grenades hidden beneath the bodies of the wounded little Japs.

"Company Commander, these goddamn little Japs really were harboring evil intentions!"

"Our regimental commander said it before: these little Japs have been brainwashed by so-called Bushido. They feel no pain, they don't fear death, and they never surrender. So when we encounter little Japs like this, what must we do?"

"Kill them all!"

Xue Jie closed his eyes, raised a hand, and softly chanted a Buddhist phrase: "Amitabha!"

"7th Company Commander, take your 7th Company back to chant your Buddhist prayers and stop putting on a show here!"

Xue Jie was never one to back down in a war of words; he stepped forward and retorted: "What, does the 8th Company have no battle merits to claim, so you have to scavenge elsewhere? We cleared this entire area ourselves!"

Liu Wang, commander of the 8th Company, sneered: "8th Company, follow me!"

"Yes!"

.........

The 5th Division Headquarters.

Nishimura Toshio wore a gloomy expression.

Standing before the cipher clerk, he asked once more, "Have you still not established contact?"

"No, we have currently lost contact with the headquarters of the Independent Mixed 15th Brigade... The vanguard forces are turning back at full speed under the command of Colonel Goto..."

"Have any traces of the 14th Group Army been scouted?"

"No reply has been received yet..."

Nishimura Toshio nodded and hurried to the side of Itagaki Seishiro to report the situation.

Itagaki did not hesitate and immediately issued an order: "Request air support from the aviation forces to scout the enemy's movements, especially around Yuanping Town and the Xinkou frontline..."

"Hai!"

By one o'clock in the afternoon,

Qian Bojun returned from the battlefield inside the city.

Standing before Chu Yunfei, he reported: "Reporting to the Commander, the battle has concluded, and we are currently securing the battlefield. Initial estimates indicate we have killed over eight hundred Japanese invaders. Additionally, we found this at the scene..."

Chu Yunfei took the sabre handed over by Qian Bojun; the name Shinohara Seiichiro was engraved upon it.

"Swoosh!"

Chu Yunfei slid the blade back into its scabbard and said softly: "This is the command sabre of Shinohara Seiichiro, commander of the Independent Mixed 15th Brigade. This little Jap was no ordinary man—he was a major general!"

"Your 1st Battalion has rendered a great service this time. Who actually killed him?"

Qian Bojun came to attention: "Reporting to the Commander, the artillery battalion destroyed the enemy command post, and our men discovered it while clearing the battlefield!"

"Oh?"

Chu Yunfei was slightly surprised, then patted him on the shoulder: "Even though it was the artillery battalion's achievement, your 1st Battalion also contributed immensely. We will report it accordingly."

Qian Bojun was overjoyed and grinned broadly: "Thank you, Commander!"

"Construct defensive fortifications and prepare for battle..."

Qian Bojun wore a helpless expression and explained: "Commander... the cement and steel bars we previously requisitioned in Taiyuan City have already been used up..."

Chu Yunfei was greatly astonished: "What is the meaning of this?"

"Our regiment only received half of the allocated amount. I heard that some units only received one-tenth of what was ordered; those supplies were embezzled by those damned bureaucrats..."

Chu Yunfei was deeply displeased: "Why wasn't I informed of this immediately?"

Qian Bojun remained silent, but Li Fugui gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and explained: "Commander, this has nothing to do with our battalion commander. It was the Chief of Staff's doing... Initially, we were only given one-third. After the Chief of Staff went to confront them, he managed to secure a bit more, but he was worried this matter would affect the defense deployment at Ruyue Pass... so he forbade us from telling you!"