The struggles of the two Japanese infantry regiments in Luying Town didn't cause even a ripple, and had no impact on the overall battlefield.

However, Commander Zhang Zizhong still reported the movements of the Japanese troops to Lin Fan through the communications team sent by the Special Operations Brigade to his headquarters.

He also reported that the 59th Army had repelled the Japanese breakthrough attempt.

Lin Fan was finally relieved: This is how war is.

One effort, then weakening, and finally exhaustion!

The Japanese trapped in Luying Town were repulsed again and again in their attempts to break through.

Later, they would be even more hesitant when breaking through, and might even lack the courage to do so.

Lin Fan also reported the Special Operations Brigade's achievements in the past half hour.

Hearing that the Special Operations Brigade had bombed the Japanese cavalry brigade's camp to smithereens, and that the Japanese cavalry brigade had now become an infantry battalion.

And that they had completely lost their combat effectiveness, Zhang Zizhong laughed heartily.

After hanging up the phone, his staff officer asked, "Sir! Why did Brigade Commander Lin say that the Japanese cavalry brigade has become an infantry battalion?"

Zhang Zizhong still had a smile on his face: "Brigade Commander Lin is saying that he has bombed all the Japanese warhorses to death.

The Japanese 4th Cavalry Brigade only has over 1,500 cavalrymen in total. Cavalrymen without warhorses are just infantry, aren't they?

Over 1,500 infantrymen are only the size of an infantry battalion, and they don't even have the combat power of an infantry battalion.

The Japanese 4th Cavalry Brigade is finished this time!"

"Sir! Why is it so easy for the Special Operations Brigade to fight the Japanese cavalry?"

This is a question!

A Japanese cavalry brigade is a force that can really defeat a National Revolutionary Army reorganized division to the point of having no fight left in them.

Zhang Zizhong thought for a long time before walking to the map and saying, "In the afternoon, Brigade Commander Lin said that he would fight the Japanese cavalry in Pingluo Village at night.

He was afraid that the sudden sound of artillery explosions from the east at night would scare my troops away.

That's why he told me in advance, and specially told me not to tell anyone before his battle started.

Therefore, I can only let the regiments pay attention to the Japanese breakthrough tonight.

I'm telling you this just to let you know: the Special Operations Brigade's operations are definitely not reckless or brute force.

In fact, they had already made thorough plans and scouted the terrain in advance.

The soldiers of the communications team they sent over said: In just three days here, the Special Operations Brigade's troops had scouted all the terrain within ten kilometers of Luying Town.

Each company has a complete understanding of all the main roads, small roads, rivers, and mountains within ten kilometers.

Do you know the purpose of them doing this?"

"To fight the Japanese!"

"It's funny! They actually did it so that they would know the way and be able to run faster when they escaped.

Unexpected, right?" Zhang Zizhong said with a smile.

"The battle hasn't even started yet, and they're already thinking about escaping? Why is such a team so good at fighting?"

"Being familiar with the terrain can certainly be said to be for the purpose of escaping. But it can also be for the purpose of attacking!

They are familiar with the surrounding roads, and as long as they send out a few reconnaissance soldiers in each direction.

They can immediately send troops to ambush and block the Japanese army when they discover them.

A regiment can ambush the Japanese army here in the morning, and then go to another place to ambush the Japanese army again in the afternoon.

With such a time difference, one regiment in Lin Fan's hands is completely being used as two or three regiments."

"But! Soldiers aren't made of iron either, they will also get tired!"

"What does the Special Operations Brigade value most? They advocate eating more, running more, and training more.

When it comes to eating, they say that eating ability is combat power.

People who can't eat mean that their combat power is not good."

The staff officer laughed: "Is the Special Operations Brigade training soldiers or raising rice buckets!"

Zhang Zizhong didn't laugh this time: "Have you noticed the soldiers of the Special Operations Brigade? Each one of them is burly and sturdy, and their arms are thicker than our soldiers' thighs.

Can such soldiers be rice buckets?"

The staff officer chuckled and said nothing more.

"The soldiers of the Special Operations Brigade also often train in long-distance running. The slogan they came up with is: When chasing, don't let the Japanese escape, and when escaping, don't let the Japanese catch up."

As the outer Japanese forces were annihilated, the Special Operations Brigade's three regiments tightened their net!

It was becoming increasingly easy for Hayato Shirota's group of forty or so Japanese soldiers to be exposed.

What to do?

Colonel Kenjiro Takenouchi was very anxious. It was really too difficult to survive.

Brigade Commander Hayato Shirota also knew that the final moment had arrived, and he was unwilling to run anymore.

He finally regained his senses, broke free from the two Japanese soldiers who were supporting him, and said to Colonel Takenouchi, "Takenouchi-kun! My time is here."

After speaking, he sat cross-legged on the ground, took out his wakizashi (a small knife), loosened his military uniform, and exposed his belly.

With trembling hands, he held the wakizashi and first made a deep horizontal cut on his belly.

A bloody smell, mixed with the stench of digestive matter from his stomach, immediately spread out.

Enduring the intense pain, Brigade Commander Hayato Shirota then made a vertical cut, and then stabbed the knife deep into his abdomen.

He wasn't dead yet, and continued to say to Colonel Takenouchi, "Takenouchi-kun! You must survive.

Spread the story of the brave and unyielding warriors of the 4th Cavalry Brigade."

The reason why he insisted that Takenouchi survive was to have him spread the image of himself committing seppuku (ritual suicide).

Otherwise, such a painful way to die would be too much of a loss for him!

"Hai!"

Colonel Takenouchi and dozens of others beside him all knelt on the ground, their foreheads touching the ground, paying their respects to the seated Hayato Shirota.

What does it mean to survive no matter what?

Translated, it means: surrender!

In this situation, there is no other way to survive except to surrender.

However, Colonel Takenouchi now had no psychological burden to surrender: he was now surrendering under orders.

And he was still a mid- to high-ranking officer at the regimental level. According to the Geneva Conventions on prisoners of war, he was entitled to officer treatment.