The War of Resistance: From Overseas Chinese Mechanics to King of Nanyang

On the earthen slope, Meng Fan stared at the scene before him, completely stunned. His mouth was agape, wide enough to fit a fist, and the doubt in his eyes was instantly replaced by shock.

The scene before him, however, was a slap in the face—those two arrogant Type 95 light tanks had been blown to smithereens by an inconspicuous pressure cooker mine, leaving not a single intact part.

"Really...it can really destroy a tank? This...this pressure cooker mine can actually destroy a tank?"

He felt his worldview was about to be shattered; this was simply outrageous and unbelievable.

Not to mention Meng Fan, even Long Wenzhang, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded. The smugness on his face was instantly replaced by shock, the smile on his lips froze on his face, and his eyes were full of astonishment.

Although the soldiers who laid the mines assured them that these things were extremely powerful and could blow through tanks, seeing is believing. The impact of actually witnessing this shocking scene was far stronger than what they had heard.

He instinctively gripped the rifle in his hand, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him—shock, relief, and a touch of indescribable bitterness.

The Japanese tanks, which were originally indestructible in their eyes and had cost countless brothers their lives, were easily destroyed by such a crude homemade weapon.

"Sir, how's the power? Are you satisfied?" At this moment, the sapper squad leader in charge of laying the mines came up to Long Wenzhang with a smug smile on his face and a relaxed tone.

He patted his chest and said again, "Now you believe me? I told you, this thing is incredibly powerful, I wasn't lying, was I? The regimental commander specifically instructed that this pressure cooker mine is filled with high explosives, specially designed to deal with Japanese tanks and armored vehicles. Even a heavy tank can be blasted with a huge hole!"

"Yes, yes, you're not lying to me, you really aren't lying to me." Long Wenzhang came to his senses, waved his hand somewhat speechlessly, and said with a hint of self-deprecation, "I really didn't expect this thing to be so powerful. I misjudged it."

The tanks that they thought were indestructible were destroyed?

What about those people who sacrificed themselves before them?

Fortunately, Long Wenzhang knew this wasn't the time for sentimentality or idle thoughts. He immediately composed himself and sternly ordered, "Everyone, give it your all!"

"yes!"

As soon as the order was given, the cannon fodder, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately pulled the trigger. The sounds of light and heavy machine guns and rifles rang out instantly, and dense bullets poured out like a rainstorm, shooting fiercely towards the chaotic Japanese ranks, breaking the silence of the battlefield.

A fierce ambush officially began amidst the explosions.

Da da da da!

Da da da da!

Bullets rained down like a storm, flying densely into the chaotic Japanese ranks, leaving no gaps.

Many Japanese soldiers were still reeling from the shock of their tanks being blown up when they were hit by oncoming bullets. They screamed and fell into pools of blood, never to rise again.

The ground was soon covered with the corpses of Japanese soldiers, their blood staining the soil and emitting a pungent, bloody smell.

Those Japanese soldiers who managed to dodge the bullets were terrified and scattered in all directions. Their once orderly marching formation instantly became chaotic, like stray dogs.

"Baka! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" Some of the quicker-reacting Japanese officers finally snapped out of the chaos, drawing their swords and shouting as they tried to direct their soldiers to organize a counterattack. "Quick! Find cover! Organize a counterattack! Don't panic!"

On the other side, Colonel Fujimura Masuzō, commander of the 56th Regiment of the Japanese Army, was sitting in the command vehicle at the rear. When he heard the explosions and dense gunfire coming from the front, his face changed instantly. When he learned that two Type 95 light tanks had been destroyed by anti-tank mines and that his troops had been ambushed and were in chaos, his face was full of doubt and astonishment.

"Baka! Why is there an ambush here?"

No one answered him.

However, what puzzled him was what kind of anti-tank mine could have such great power.

It can actually blow two tanks to scrap metal?

This explosive is incredibly powerful!

"Could it have been given to us by the British?" Fujimura Masuzō muttered to himself.

But then he thought again and shook his head. Even if it were a British anti-tank mine, it couldn't possibly be that powerful.

"Organize a counterattack immediately! Mobilize artillery to suppress enemy firepower and eliminate these ambushing expeditionary forces. Clear the road to Lashio as soon as possible!" Colonel Fujimura Masuzō immediately ordered.

In his view, it was just a small ambush, and even if the enemy had powerful anti-tank mines, they couldn't possibly stop a regiment's attack.

But soon he realized that he was wrong, and very wrong.

Under the command of their officers, the Japanese soldiers at the front lines launched five counterattacks in an attempt to break through the ambush and continue their advance toward Lashio.

Every counterattack was met with fierce fire from the cannon fodder hidden in bunkers and woods, resulting in the deaths of many Japanese soldiers. After two hours of fighting, they made no progress at all.

After listening to the operations staff's report, Fujimura Masuzō's face darkened, his eyes filled with disbelief and anger.

"How is that possible? It's just a small ambush force, how could they have such strong combat power?"

"Your Excellency," the operations staff officer hurriedly said, "according to reports from the frontline soldiers, the enemy is using exclusively British-made weapons with formidable firepower. Moreover, their fighting spirit is extremely strong. Relying on the terrain advantage, they have firmly blocked our advance route. We simply cannot take their positions in the short term."

"Where are our grenade launchers and artillery?"

"Due to the terrain, the effect was not significant, and the enemy also had artillery, so we couldn't gain much advantage."

"Should we split our forces, take a detour, avoid the ambush, and continue to reinforce Lashio?"

"Divide the troops?" Fujimura Masuzō murmured, repeating the two words over and over, his brows furrowing and his face growing increasingly grim.

Just as he was hesitating, the operations staff hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"Colonel, the 56th Division has sent an urgent telegram urging us to speed up. Their defenses are on the verge of collapse, and Lashio could be breached by the Expeditionary Force at any moment. The telegram says that if we cannot get there quickly and lose Lashio, all the responsibility will probably fall on our 56th Regiment."

"Baka!" Fujimura Masuzō slammed his fist on the door of the command vehicle and roared, his face ashen.

"Is the 56th Division useless? They couldn't even stop a bunch of routed soldiers?"

It's no wonder he was so angry; he just felt disgusted that he had to take the blame.