Chapter 1 The Japanese Troops of Fukuju Taro's Squad

For the Japanese devils of Fukuju Taro's squad, the battle erupted suddenly, without any prior warning.

Captain Fukuju Taro's orders were now the starting point for all their actions.

Miki Daisuke was one such soldier, only here to make money. He originally ran a small general store in Shanghai, catering to the needs of the Japanese expatriate community there.

He had heard that the Japanese were planning to develop vast mineral resources in the newly occupied territories, and that there would be great opportunities for Japanese citizens to get rich.

So he packed up his Shanghai store, sold it to his neighbor, and brought his money to Tianjia'an, the latest area to be occupied.

The opportunities here were indeed plentiful. He quickly bought two small coal mines and began his mining venture.

When the Mining-Loving Squad was formed, he immediately joined. Such an organization was very friendly to his mines.

Before today, his mine had already experienced a miner riot: one miner had his left foot crushed underground, and Miki Daisuke paid a large sum of money—seven days' wages for the miner.

Only three days later, the miners carried the injured man to his office, demanding a loan for medical expenses from the mine.

What a joke! Lending that kind of money would be like throwing it away! Miki Daisuke firmly refused.

When the workers rioted, Miki Daisuke made a phone call, and the Mining-Loving Squad immediately organized a team of over a thousand Japanese soldiers and entered his mine.

They quickly suppressed the miners, giving Miki Daisuke and the other Japanese a mysterious reverence for the Mining-Loving Squad.

This kind of extremely beneficial event made the Japanese in the Mining-Loving Squad even more supportive of it.

Such incidents happened frequently afterward, and Miki Daisuke personally participated in the battles. Each time, they achieved a perfect victory.

This made every Japanese soldier in the Mining-Loving Squad arrogant and conceited, believing they could be invincible.

Today, without any close-quarters combat, the Mining-Loving Squad's cars and broadcast vehicles were blown up.

This was a new problem that the Mining-Loving Squad had never encountered since its formation. The Japanese soldiers in the Mining-Loving Squad were apprehensive and had already considered retreating.

However, Captain Fukuju Taro was constantly issuing orders, causing these indecisive Japanese soldiers to grasp at straws, unconsciously obeying the captain's commands.

Miki Daisuke was the same. He got out of the car, following the captain's orders, and squatted in the drainage ditch.

At this moment, Captain Fukuju Taro's new order came: "Shoot! Shoot at the enemy!"

This was an easy task. In the past, when they dealt with miners, as soon as they fired a shot, the miners would immediately cooperate by falling to the ground.

They would quickly scatter and flee. The miners were also mine assets, and under normal circumstances, these bosses were unwilling to waste them.

They would first fire into the crowd, killing and wounding a few, and when they saw them start to panic, flee, and scatter, they would immediately fire shots into the air. This could achieve their goals while minimizing damage to their property.

Miki Daisuke believed that today would be the same situation. He confidently fired at the Third Company, which was still charging in the distance.

No one fell! What was going on?

Miki Daisuke didn't understand. During miner strikes, when the crowds were dense, these Japanese soldiers could easily hit someone with a random shot.

Now it was different. They were on the battlefield. Although the Third Company, which was charging, had a large number of soldiers, it was much more sparse compared to the crowded miners.

Captain Fukuju Taro was aware of this. He watched the soldiers charging up, the front row using wheelbarrows as shields.

Behind them followed a group of ferocious elites. This was a force that their semi-militarized organization simply couldn't resist.

When he received the reconnaissance mission from Commander Shihotang Atsushi, he originally thought it was just a reconnaissance mission.

His squad was only supposed to go ahead and assess the situation, and he never expected that the battle would break out before they even reached the first line of defense.

These Japanese soldiers, completely unprepared for battle, were inevitably somewhat flustered.

Captain Fukuju Taro instantly recognized the situation. He directed the two machine gunners in his squad to fire at the charging Third Company, and ordered the remaining Japanese soldiers to retreat and fire intermittently.

Each group of Japanese soldiers ran along the drainage ditch, crouching low, and ran back a dozen meters before lying prone in the ditch, firing at the pursuing Third Company.

Covering the other group of Japanese soldiers as they retreated from the front, Captain Fukuju Taro's method did indeed minimize casualties in his squad.

Their casualties were minimal, and they were able to escape, which greatly dissatisfied Third Company Commander Zheng Yiwen. Were these Japanese soldiers like rats?

So timid, they started to retreat as soon as the battle began, and they were very slippery.

The Japanese soldiers gradually resisted and gradually retreated.

To eliminate them, they had to use faster speed and stronger firepower.

Company Commander Zheng ordered two infantry guns, one on each side of the road, to fire at the fleeing Japanese soldiers.

The five mortars did the same, constantly bombing the Japanese soldiers in the distance.

The six "earth tanks" needed to advance even faster, temporarily ceasing fire suppression against the Japanese soldiers to gain speed.

Captain Fukuju Taro watched as the opposing forces charged up without firing. They simply pushed their carts, single-mindedly chasing after his Japanese soldiers.

This rendered his arranged defensive fire ineffective. Even the machine gun bullets sweeping across the wheelbarrows only produced a few sparks; they couldn't break or penetrate them.

Only at this point did the Japanese soldiers of the Fukuju squad understand that the wheelbarrows pushed in front were not only heavy machine gun platforms, but also shields.

They truly despaired at this point. These Japanese soldiers realized that their resistance was completely meaningless.

The bullets they fired, after much effort, hit their targets, but achieved nothing. This was a completely different result from opening fire to quell strikes.

Today's gunfire also drew blood, but the targets had changed. It was their blood being spilled.

Miki Daisuke lay prone on the ground, firing at those who were chasing him. His second bullet accurately hit a wheelbarrow, splashing out a burst of sparks. This was the extent of his achievement.

The rain of bullets from the opposite side landed all around him, with bullets "whooshing" past his ears.

Miki Daisuke was so frightened that he dared not fire again. As he holstered his gun and prepared to retreat, a bullet suddenly struck him in the head.

His body jerked violently, like a machine that had been switched off. He paused in place for a moment, then fell backward, crashing heavily into the ditch.

Throughout the Fukuju Taro squad, he was not the only Japanese soldier to die like this. Most of the Japanese soldiers died in the same way.

Of course, some Japanese soldiers were killed or blown up by shells falling from the sky.

In any case, the Japanese soldiers at the center of the explosion could only see pieces of flesh everywhere, unable to find complete bodies. Whether they died first and were then dismembered, or died while being dismembered, no Japanese soldier cared.

The living Japanese soldiers were now concerned with how to escape. They secretly resolved in their hearts that once they escaped, they would immediately leave the Mining-Loving Squad, and would rather die than participate in it again.

Company Commander Zheng Yiwen never intended to let them escape. Such a small squad of just over fifty Japanese soldiers—if he let even one escape, Company Commander Zheng would consider it his dereliction of duty.

These Japanese soldiers of the Mining-Loving Squad were only of average physical fitness, and they had not undergone long-term training. After running only three hundred meters, some of the Japanese soldiers were already unable to run.

Captain Fukuju Taro did not abandon them. He ordered the Japanese soldiers who could not run: "You will snipe the pursuing enemy from here. We will return and immediately call for reinforcements to rescue you."

This reason was very compelling, and Shochiku Jiro couldn't help but believe Captain Fukuju Taro.

He had no choice but to believe it, because long-term comfort had made Shochiku Jiro unable to run any further.

Now, as long as he didn't have to keep running, he would do anything. Although he was out of breath, he still prostrated himself on the edge of the ditch to reassure Captain Fukuju Taro and fired a shot at the pursuing Third Company to show that he was still useful and could hold out for a while.

There were three other Japanese soldiers around him in a similar situation, unable to run and left behind to cover the retreat.

After Captain Fukuju Taro led the other Japanese soldiers about ten meters away, these Japanese soldiers immediately put down their guns, lay in the drainage ditch, and gasped for air.

Now they didn't have to keep fighting. They just wanted to breathe, to breathe freely.

As for shooting and sniping at the pursuers, they disdained to do such meaningless things.

These Japanese soldiers who were left behind were all businessmen. They clearly knew that their few broken guns could not stop the large number of pursuers behind them.

It would be better to surrender honestly and then pay to redeem themselves.

The idea was beautiful, but the reality was different. The soldiers of the Third Company, who caught up, saw the living Japanese soldiers in the ditch.

Without saying a word, they treated them no differently from corpses, merely adding a stab with their bayonets.

In the end, none of the Japanese soldiers of the Fukuju Taro squad were able to escape. Even Captain Fukuju Taro was knocked down by a shell and died unwillingly.

Commander Shihotang Atsushi received a report from Sanbiri Rinaoya in his headquarters: "We encountered a detachment of Nationalist soldiers two kilometers away from the first line of defense. Captain Chidai Yuta is leading his team in resolute resistance and ordered me to return to report the situation."

This was not good news, and Commander Shihotang Atsushi had not fully grasped the meaning of the words.

In his headquarters, the sound of intense gunfire and artillery fire could already be heard.

The first line of defense was finished! Completely finished!

Now he understood that since the enemy had already reached his doorstep, the first line of defense must have fallen.

Without hesitation, Commander Shihotang Atsushi called Commander Kaminoe Yosuke, the garrison commander of Tianjia'an, to report that the first line of defense had been lost and the Nationalist soldiers had reached the second line of defense.

Although he did not explicitly ask for reinforcements in his report, the implication was clear.

Garrison Commander Kaminoe Yosuke was no less surprised than Commander Shihotang Atsushi to hear that the first line of defense had been lost.

The first line of defense had been built under his personal care and guidance. Although the Japanese soldiers and puppet troops stationed in the bunkers were not as good as the infantry battalion under his direct command, they were still formidable with the protection of the bunkers.

Most importantly, regardless of their combat strength, why had not a single Japanese soldier in any of those bunkers reported to the rear for reinforcements?

They only reported the loss of the first line of defense after the enemy had already reached the second line of defense.

Regardless of the situation at the front, Commander Kaminoe Yosuke decided to wait and see.

Shihotang Atsushi's Mining-Loving Squad had two infantry battalions, plus two infantry regiments of puppet troops stationed on the second line of defense, which was a considerable force.

These Japanese soldiers and puppet troops combined totaled nearly five thousand men, about the size of a Japanese regiment. They should be able to hold out for a while.

The puppet commander of the Tianjia'an Garrison was the last among these commanders to learn that the first line of defense had collapsed.

Commander Bian Biao almost fell to the ground when he heard the news.

His division had only four regiments in total, and two of them were on the first line of defense. Had those two regiments been wiped out without a sound?

He couldn't believe the news, but it was Commander Shihotang Atsushi himself who had told him over the phone, so he had to believe it.

Because there was also a large battalion of Mining-Loving Squad members under Shihotang Atsushi's command on the first line of defense.

Shihotang Atsushi's phone call was not just to inform him of the loss of the first line of defense, but also to order this puppet division commander to personally supervise the battle on the front line.

He believed that the rapid loss of the first line of defense was related to the lack of effective supervision on the front line.

Of course, the second line of defense needed a heavyweight figure to go there, and he thought Bian Biao was suitable.

He was high-ranking and had combat experience. Although the troops commanded by Bian Biao were puppet troops, he had once been a regimental commander in the Northeast Army.

After defecting to the Japanese, he had fought dozens of battles, large and small, against the Anti-Japanese Allied Army in the Northeast, winning more than he lost.

Even in the past few months, when he led his troops into the Central Plains, he had always been able to perfectly cooperate with the Japanese in their operations against the Nationalist forces.

Now, it was only because the Japanese were occupying more and more territory and needed more troops to defend the rear that his division was left to defend Tianjia'an.

Upon receiving the order, Bian Biao did not decline, repeatedly saying, "Hai! Hai!"

He accepted the task and immediately rushed to the front line of the second line of defense. His current division headquarters was in Tianjia'an Town, and it was seven kilometers to the front line.

However, he had a car, so he could move quickly, with a troop transport truck in front, his car in the middle, and another troop transport truck following behind.

In this way, Bian Biao was protected as he rushed to the front line of the second line of defense.

The First Regiment's attack on the Japanese first line of defense was well-prepared and thorough, so it was very fast. Aside from the artillery of the Eighth Regiment being used a few times, the infantry only had to clear the barbed wire to break through the first line of defense.

Now that they had reached the Japanese second line of defense, Company Commander Gui Wen of the First Company immediately felt the pressure.

The bunkers here were denser than on the first line of defense. The Japanese soldiers in the bunkers, more than ten meters high, were firing down on the First Company on the plain.

The "earth tanks" that the Special Brigade usually used to block bullets during attacks, with soldiers following behind to charge, were useless.

On the plain, with the Japanese soldiers firing from bunkers over ten meters high, the "earth tanks" could not block the bullets fired from above.

Company Commander Gui could only order his troops to try using infantry guns, mortars, and rocket launchers.

These weapons were useful against Japanese trenches and fortifications, but they were having difficulty with the Japanese bunkers.

The shells hitting the bunkers could only create small dents; they didn't have the earth-shattering effect of the 150mm howitzers when they fired.

Company Commander Gui immediately reported to Regimental Commander Chen Sichuan: "The Japanese bunkers are solid and cannot be destroyed with infantry guns and rockets. Request the dispatch of large-caliber howitzers."

The First Company was not the only one facing this problem; the other companies were also encountering similar difficulties.

Lin Fan was with Chen Sichuan and immediately ordered after hearing the requests from the front: "The forward troops will temporarily cease their attack, break contact with the Japanese, and defend in place.

We will wait for the artillery regiment to come and reinforce us."

Lin Fan never wanted his soldiers to risk their lives unnecessarily. Anyway, they had artillery, so they could simply extend the time it took to capture the area.

The troops of the Eighth Regiment Commander Feng Junya had already regrouped and were concentrating on pursuing forward.

Hearing that artillery was needed to destroy the bunkers, Feng Junya was immediately delighted. He liked this kind of fighting, direct-fire against the bunkers, where he could see the effects with his own eyes.

All the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Regiment liked this kind of fighting. Seeing the shells they fired destroy the Japanese solid bunkers, they couldn't be happier.

Earlier, when they passed the bunkers, they saw many Japanese corpses in the ruins, and it was unclear how many Japanese soldiers were buried there.

Lin Fan had already ordered Regimental Commander Tang Youwei to go to the surrounding area to organize a group of villagers to clean up all the bunkers that had been destroyed today.

Judging from the observations, there were nearly fifty Japanese soldiers and puppet troops in each bunker, which meant there were fifty guns and corresponding ammunition inside.

If all fifty or so bunkers were cleared out, there would be more than two thousand guns, enough to arm a reinforced regiment.

Even if the regular troops of the Special Brigade didn't use these weapons, they would be excellent for arming the militia.

Lin Fan wanted to develop a situation of universal resistance against the enemy in the enemy's rear, and the Special Brigade had been working hard to achieve this goal.

Therefore, as long as there were weapons on the battlefield, the Special Brigade would collect them and distribute them to the various guerrilla forces behind enemy lines when the time was right.

Cleaning up the battlefield was now entrusted to Regimental Commander Tang Youwei, who was following behind. The main assault would still be carried out by the First and Eighth Regiments.

Since the First Regiment's advance was hindered by the Japanese bunkers, it was time for the Eighth Regiment to perform.

After the First Company, Second Company, and Third Company of the First Regiment probed the Japanese bunkers on the second line of defense, they did not continue their attack.

They had received the order from Regimental Commander Chen Sichuan to suspend the attack!

This made Commander Shihotang Atsushi extremely happy. He immediately called Kaminoe Yosuke to report his success: "We have repelled the Nationalist soldiers who came to attack. They have all retreated under the powerful firepower of our army."

Commander Kaminoe Yosuke immediately ordered: "Send out a reconnaissance squad to see how far they have retreated."

When Puppet Commander Bian Biao arrived at the front line, the Special Brigade had already retreated.

He approached the bunker, looking at the pits and bumps blasted out by the artillery shells, and frowned.

In his opinion, this force had artillery and such powerful firepower, yet they only fired a few shots and left. This didn't make sense!

Bian Biao issued the same order: send out a reconnaissance squad to see whether the attacking force had retreated or was just taking a temporary rest.

The bunkers that had been attacked earlier all sent out reconnaissance teams, and these reconnaissance teams were all led by puppet troops.

Fan Jinglue was a platoon leader in the puppet army, and he had been quite frightened when the First Company attacked.

As a graduate of the Northeast Military Academy, he thought more than ordinary puppet troops.

There had been no news from the front line, and a large force of Nationalist soldiers had come here. The situation was bad!

Fortunately, the attacking Nationalist soldiers quickly retreated. Fan Jinglue had paid special attention to the fact that the retreating force had not left behind a single corpse or wounded soldier. Such a force was very terrifying.

He received the order to go out of the bunker to scout where the attacking force had retreated.

This was exactly what he wanted. He specially ran to the position where the Nationalist soldiers had just attacked to search carefully, but he could not find a single trace of blood on the ground.

This meant that the force had retreated without any casualties.

Thinking about the artillery shells and machine gun fire during their attack, such powerful firepower had stopped firing voluntarily without any casualties, there must be a reason.

Fan Jinglue speculated: Did reinforcements arrive on his side, or did they really feel that they could not capture it?

Not being able to find the reason troubled Fan Jinglue. He was just a small platoon leader and did not know many things.

Maybe Tianjia'an had received another force of reinforcements!

In any case, the reconnaissance had to continue. He led nine men and continued to move forward cautiously.

They did not advance far before they saw Nationalist soldiers setting up roadblocks in the middle of the road and digging trenches on both sides less than two kilometers ahead.

Were they preparing to fight here? Had strong reinforcements really arrived? Fan Jinglue watched the soldiers working enthusiastically, widening and deepening the fortifications.

He dared not take his men any further. The risk here was very high, making him and all the puppet troops in the reconnaissance team very uneasy.

"Retreat!" he whispered.

He moved the fastest, lowering his head and hunching his back as he retreated. His body was now covered by the rice ears in the rice paddies.

It was impossible to see him from a distance. Just as he retreated, "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Several shots rang out in quick succession.

Two puppet troops in Fan Jinglue's team fell. Fan Jinglue roared at the soldiers who were preparing to drag the two wounded men away: "Let them go! We're leaving!"

He led his seven men and fled in panic amidst the gunfire. He Yushu gasped and asked: "Platoon leader! Why didn't we take Third Brother and the others with us?"

Fan Jinglue asked angrily: "If we took them with us, would we still be able to escape?

Besides, the other side is the Nationalist army. We are all of the same origin and same race. If they become prisoners, they will just be serving as soldiers and eating, and they won't die.

Remember! As puppet troops, don't be afraid of being prisoners. If you become prisoners, surrender. Anyway, they won't kill us.

You have to be careful on their side. Don't let the Japanese catch you. In Nanjing, the Japanese killed hundreds of thousands of people."