Chapter 1 The Beginning

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Captain Taisei Zo of the Japanese Marine Corps tank squadron stationed in Shanghai led twelve tanks, rumbling down the streets of Shanghai.

Under the dim streetlights, a squadron of tanks swaggered down the road with an air of arrogance.

Sergeant Chomei Kame no Suke, at the front, was very excited, and the entire combat team in the tank was equally thrilled.

Commander Suzuki Yusuke leaned half his body out, watching the few pedestrians on the street scurrying into the shadows. The rickshaw pullers were not so quick to react.

They had nowhere to hide, so they parked their rickshaws tightly against the roadside, afraid to move a muscle.

Only after the tanks had passed, and all the troop carriers behind them had gone by, did they dare to flee in all directions, the feeling of being on the street, with gun barrels pointed at them, was too frightening.

Both Suzuki Yusuke and Sergeant Chomei Kame no Suke derived great satisfaction from this scene of complete control over the lives of others. At this moment, they believed that Shanghai was groveling under their gun barrels, and the whole world was groveling at their feet.

In reality, attacking Number 76 did not require heavy equipment like tanks at all.

It was Commander Numata Taichi of the Marine Corps stationed in Shanghai who issued the order for the tank squadron to deploy.

Originally, dealing with ordinary Jianghu heroes did not require heavy weapons like tanks.

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Commander Numata Taichi simply wanted to assert his presence. His troops had not seen action in a long time, and tonight's operation would serve as training.

The First Platoon Commander Zhen Jianshu, guarding the outside, was very excited to see the Japanese tanks arriving. He requested instructions from Lin Fan, "Brigade Commander! The Japanese have sent tanks. Can I seize them?"

Lin Fan ordered decisively, "Seize them. With tanks leading the way, it will be much easier for us to break out of Shanghai."

"Yes! I need two platoons for reinforcement!"

Platoon Commander Zhen dared to make such a request because he was confident: tanks advancing on the streets offered many hiding places on both sides.

As long as the vehicles following the tanks were stopped, one platoon could take care of the tanks at the front.

Only the Third Platoon was lying in ambush in this direction, which was clearly insufficient.

Hearing that the First Company needed support, Meng Qilue immediately sent the Fourth and Fifth Platoons out of Number 76, placing them temporarily under the command of First Company Commander Zhen Jianshu.

At this time, Platoon Commander Zhen also transferred a squad from each of the other platoons, ordering the gates of Number 76 to remain closed as usual.

The Japanese tank unit and the military police were coming from different directions. Sergeant Chomei Kame no Suke, driving the lead tank, noticed nothing unusual.

The streets near Number 76 were sparsely populated, and there were fewer rickshaws. Those pedestrians who saw tanks suddenly appearing on the streets at night all quickly hid.

After entering the street where Number 76 was located, very few pedestrians could be seen. Only a squadron of tanks rumbled down the empty street. Behind them was a line of troop carriers, with machine guns mounted on the cabs.

The Japanese soldiers in the vehicles were chatting and laughing, showing no sense of imminent battle.

In fact, Captain Kameta Kazuo of the First Battalion of the Marine Corps felt no tension at all: he had twelve tanks in front of him, and over a thousand Japanese soldiers under his command.

Such a powerful force was overkill for dealing with a group of anti-Japanese individuals attacking Number 76.

That was what the captain thought, and that was what all the Japanese soldiers in the battalion thought.

If they were in the suburbs or in the wilderness, they might be more cautious, but in a big city like Shanghai, the anti-Japanese elements would at most gather a dozen or twenty people, brandishing short guns, and launch an attack that was doomed to fail.

Once these people were exposed, there was no escape.

As Captain Kameta Kazuo was thinking this, Company Commander Zhen Jianshu was also watching the long convoy of Japanese vehicles coldly from above.

This time, the Japanese had come in greater numbers, especially the vehicles, but that was not important.

What was important was how he could kill all these Japanese soldiers.

The two platoons sent by the Second Company were all placed at the front to attack the Japanese troop carriers.

Third Platoon Leader Shi Youli and his entire platoon of fifty men were already lying in ambush on both sides of the street outside Number 76, their mission being to attack the tanks.

The four squads that the First Company Commander had transferred from the remaining four platoons were all placed at the rear to intercept the Japanese troop carriers. The streets on both sides were lined with houses, and all the soldiers were hidden in the shadows along the street.

They were just waiting for Company Commander Zhen's order to attack. Platoon Leaders Wang Quan and Yao Chong had both come from the Second Company to reinforce them.

When they learned that the Japanese had forty-three troop carriers, they immediately formulated a plan: the Fourth Platoon on the left, the Fifth Platoon on the right, with each platoon assigning one soldier to deal with each troop carrier.

After the four squads transferred from the First Company joined in, the plan remained unchanged: when the attack order was given, the soldiers would first throw grenades into the troop carriers, followed by gunfire.

Although there were many Japanese soldiers this time, the Japanese were in the open, while the First Company was in the shadows. More importantly, the Japanese had entered the ambush without any preparation.

Company Commander Zhen Jianshu, seeing all twelve Japanese tanks entering the Third Platoon's ambush, immediately ordered, "Attack!"

Third Platoon Leader Shi Youli, hearing the order, fired a burst from his submachine gun, and Suzuki Yusuke, who was observing the situation with half his body exposed, fell in response.

At the same time, all twelve Japanese soldiers on the twelve tanks, who had been showing off their strength with half their bodies exposed, fell.

Many people rushed out from both sides of the street, all charging towards the tanks.

Sergeant Chomei Kame no Suke did not even hear the gunfire. Before they could even react, a grenade was thrown in.

Zhen Jianshu desperately wanted these tanks, otherwise, he would not have deliberately set such a trap.

But he would not risk his soldiers too much to get these tanks intact. Open the tank hatch, throw a grenade inside, and then enter the tank to mop up the remaining enemies.

That was the best way!

While the Third Platoon was attacking the Japanese tank squadron, Platoon Leader Wang Quan of the Fourth Platoon and Platoon Leader Gu Zuo of the Fifth Platoon also launched their attacks simultaneously.

Sergeant Saionji Yu stood in the troop carrier, his eyes scanning the buildings on both sides of the street. He believed that someone must be peeking behind the doors and windows of these houses.

His gaze seemed to penetrate the windows and doors, trying to see the people behind them. Although he had not discovered anything, he continued to do so with enthusiasm.

Just as he was persisting, amidst the chaotic roar of engines, there was a faint sound of gunfire.

The sounds of the car and tank engines were too loud, making the gunfire unclear. Just as Sergeant Saionji Yu was about to listen more carefully, several dark shadows suddenly flew through the air, and then more dark shadows flew over.

Following the shadows with his eyes, staring at them until a flash of fire suddenly appeared before his eyes, Sergeant Saionji Yu finally realized: Grenades.

These dark shadows were all grenades!

At this point, realizing they were grenades did little good. After all, the exploding grenades left all the Japanese soldiers standing in the troop carrier with nowhere to escape.

Now was the time to test their luck. Even if a grenade exploded among the twenty or so Japanese soldiers in a vehicle, it would not kill them all.

Some lucky Japanese soldiers might escape unscathed. But with several grenades flying over at the same time, and a second batch of grenades flying over, it was unknown whether any Japanese soldiers would survive the explosions.

At a distance of a dozen meters, the well-prepared soldiers threw two rounds of grenades before opening fire.

Grenades were just for dealing with the Japanese soldiers in the troop carriers, but grenades were not the only weapons the soldiers threw. Two bombs were thrown into each troop carrier.

This was the specialty of the Special Operations Brigade. The explosives were wrapped with iron pellets on all sides, and the entire bomb had no flaws except for being too heavy.

But today was different. Standing in a high place, the soldiers only needed to throw them a distance of ten meters to reach the target location, which was quite easy.

So, after this round of bombardment, only those Japanese soldiers in the driver's seats of the forty-odd troop carriers were lucky enough to survive.

But these Japanese soldiers were not treated any better: the submachine gun fire was unbearable for them.

In less than a minute, the First Battalion was annihilated. Captain Kameta Kazuo was unlucky; although he was sitting in the driver's seat, he was killed by a bomb on top of the troop carrier.

In one minute, the First Battalion and the combat squadron were wiped out. There were few pedestrians on both sides of the street, but they were not absent.

These pedestrians had originally hidden in the shadows when they saw the Japanese convoy coming. When they hid, they realized that there were already people there.

When these pedestrians saw the soldiers who had arrived before them suddenly throwing grenades and opening fire with their submachine guns, most of them were so frightened that they could not stand and fell to the ground.

They only heard the sounds of "Boom! Boom!" "Da da da! Da da da!" suddenly erupt.

These sounds came suddenly and stopped suddenly, like lightning, ceasing abruptly.

Then, a command was heard on the street: "Clear the battlefield, organize the vehicles, see if there's anything usable!"

These passersby, who were already so weak that their limbs were numb, just sat on the ground, watching the people who had just been standing with them charge into the street like tigers emerging from the forest, the bright bayonets in their hands gleaming in the light.

One knife after another was stabbed into the bodies of the Japanese soldiers, and then one corpse after another was thrown from the troop carriers.

The vehicles that had just stopped now roared again one after another. Those vehicles that could not be started were pushed to the side of the road.

While the soldiers were busy removing the tires, the gates of Number 76 opened.

Lin Fan ordered, "Execute Plan Three! Retreat!"

Plan One was to retreat through the sewers, but now that they had seized seven tanks and thirty-three troop carriers, along with three motorcycles and four sedans, Lin Fan could of course break out of Shanghai directly.

The weapons carried by an entire battalion of Japanese soldiers had to be taken away, as well as the weapons of the Number 76 spies. Although the weapons in their armory were not numerous, they also had to be taken.

The roar of the tanks sounded again. They were driving back the way they came, followed by three motorcycles and sedans, and troop carriers.

It was almost two o'clock in the morning. Lin Fan and his men were heading for the Racecourse Airport.

Although Lin Jue was sitting in the sedan, they could still see the situation on the street. He saw the mountains of corpses piled up outside Number 76, the five tanks burning on the roadside, and the twenty-odd troop carriers, and asked in surprise, "Have the Nationalists attacked?"

The burning tanks and troop carriers illuminated this section of the street as brightly as day, and the corpses of the Japanese soldiers lying on the ground could be seen very clearly.

Especially those standing on the troop carriers, those who had been rescued from the dungeons, despite being covered in wounds, all had smiles on their faces at this time, and were very excited.

Especially Lin Shiyun, she was a journalist, and a journalist who had a very close relationship with the Japanese, having interviewed them in their camps many times. She knew the combat power of the Japanese.

Seeing this scene today, she was still shocked and asked, "Did you do all of this?"

Now was a lull in the battle, and it was time for conversation. Lin Fan said with a smile, "Yes! How did our soldiers perform tonight?"

"How many casualties did you suffer?" Lin Shiyun asked.

"Nine slightly wounded, three seriously wounded, none life-threatening!" Lin Fan said.

...Lin Shiyun did not know how to respond.

Lin Fan said with a smile, "Let me formally introduce myself! Lin Fan! Brigade Commander of the Special Operations Brigade, entrusted by Boss Dai to lead a team to rescue Miss Gui Shiyun.

The journey ahead may be somewhat tortuous, but there will be no danger."

Gui Shiyun looked at the man before her. Although his face was covered with gunpowder smoke, there were no wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, his eyes were bright, and his nose was straight. If the gunpowder smoke were washed away, he should be a handsome man.

She smiled and extended her hand, "Gui Shiyun, thank you very much for rescuing me."

After a pause, she continued, "I never thought I would get out."

Lin Fan asked with a smile, "Why would you think that?"

"The moment I entered the dungeon, I never thought about surviving," Gui Shiyun said in a low voice.

Lin Fan did not know what to say. He knew that not many people could persevere under interrogation, and it was even more difficult for women to persevere.

For women like Gui Shiyun, if they did not want to confess, death was better than life!

After a while, Lin Fan said, "Now you can live well, but we need your help. Boss Dai knows this as well."

"How can I help you?" Gui Shiyun asked strangely.

"The situation in Japan. I heard that you know a lot about it. We need to know the situation in Japan, the more detailed, the better."

Gui Shiyun smiled, and in the light, she smiled beautifully, "I'm very happy that I can still be of service. I thought I would never be able to repay you for saving my life."

Lin Fan nodded and said seriously, "The people of the whole country will thank you."

Gui Shiyun did not know what this meant. With the tanks leading the way, their journey was extremely smooth and unimpeded.

Originally, there were still three checkpoints on the street, but when those checkpoints saw the tanks rushing over at high speed, they proactively opened the barricades and let them pass.

The soldiers of the Special Operations Brigade did not let these Japanese soldiers go, however. A sweep of machine-gun fire brought the Japanese soldiers down.

The Special Operations Brigade had traveled the road to the airport before, although most of the soldiers here had not traveled this road.

But they had heard countless times how the Special Operations Company, the predecessor of the Special Operations Brigade, came out of the Sihang Warehouse, first attacked Hongqiao Airport, and then turned back to take down the Racecourse Airport, a legendary battle.

Today, they were going to retrace the path taken by their predecessors. Here, Lin Fan was executing Plan Three. Guangde Airport and Jurong Airport were already busy.

The reason was simple: Plan Three was for Lin Fan and his men to fly back, which required the Special Operations Brigade's aircraft to completely dominate the air.

This was not very difficult for the Special Operations Brigade now, because many of the Japanese aircraft in this airspace had been destroyed a few days ago.

It could be said that this was the weakest time for the Japanese air force. Lin Fan had originally planned to attack the Japanese airport in Shanghai, and this time he would attack the Japanese airport and the fleet stationed at Wusongkou together.

Then he would take the entire team home. But before that, Lin Fan had to take the team to take down the airport first.

It was still a bit early now, but it was already very good to have the seven seized tanks at the forefront.

The tanks were captured by the Third Platoon, so the operation was up to Shi Youli's platoon. Platoon Leader Shi led the team at the forefront. This location was not far from the airport.

Two companies and one platoon formed a combat unit. Lin Fan had already assigned the attack targets for each platoon. Now these teams had dispersed and charged toward the Japanese positions around the airport.

When Yan Junliu, commander of the Japanese China Expeditionary Army in Nanjing, heard that Number 76, the pseudo-government spy agency under his protection, had been attacked, he immediately ordered the Japanese troops stationed in Shanghai to provide assistance.

After Lin Fan and his men rushed out of Number 76, in Ito Hisaji's second report, he said that Number 76 had been captured, and all the prisoners held inside had been rescued.

His entire military police squadron was wiped out, and a tank squadron and a mechanized battalion of the Marine Corps were also wiped out.

This news was not only received by Yan Junliu.

Far away in Chongqing, Chiang Kai-shek was also awakened and urgently notified of the news.

Chiang Kai-shek asked with concern, "What about the two great traitors, Ding Mo Cun and Li Shi Qun?"

"They were lucky not to be in Number 76. They were in the Great World Entertainment City when Number 76 was attacked."

"Who did this?"

Dai Li paused, "The Special Operations Brigade. Lin Fan went there personally."

Chiang Kai-shek's eyes lit up, "Lin Fan went there personally?"

"Yes! Last time he wanted information about the Japanese banks in Nanjing and Suzhou, and we gave it to him. He said he owed us a favor, and this time he is repaying that favor," Dai Li said.

"No matter what, you must make him owe you another favor. How to use this favor must be approved by me," Chiang Kai-shek ordered.

He was very happy: he had finally found a weakness of Lin Fan's. He would make good use of this weakness.

Dai Li also did not expect that Lin Fan would personally go to Shanghai this time to rescue Gui Shiyun.