On the eve of the fall of Liaodong, he led his troops in a remonstrance against the young marshal.

The moment the torrent of steel surged into the city, the entire city of Lushun trembled.

The tracks of the T-34 tank rolled over the gravel at the gap, and the steel spikes bit into the rubble, making a harsh metallic scraping sound.

The wedge-shaped assault formation is spearheaded by three tanks, whose turrets are constantly rotating.

The 76mm main guns, like single eyes searching for prey, coldly swept across every street, every building, and every moving shadow.

The Japanese troops inside the city were thrown into complete chaos.

The surviving soldiers on the city wall crawled out of the ruins, covered in blood, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.

Some people were shouting, some were crying, and some were holding rifles but didn't know where to fire.

Where did the shells come from? How did the city wall collapse? How did those tanks manage to get in?

The only response they received was the muzzle of the steel torrent.

"boom!"

A high-explosive shell hit a bunker, and several Japanese soldiers hiding inside were thrown out by the blast wave, their limbs and torsos scattered all over the ground.

The coaxial machine gun was being fed by a belt of ammunition, and bullets swept across the city like water. Before the remaining soldiers on the city wall could even raise their guns, they were all swept down by the hail of bullets.

The tanks did not stop.

The wedge formation swept across the open space inside the city wall and plunged directly into North Gate Street.

The tank's tracks ran over a corpse, the vehicle lurched slightly, and continued forward.

The turret turned to the right, its muzzle aimed at a three-story brick building. A figure flashed through a window upstairs, followed by a Type 96 machine gun sticking out of the window.

The tank gunner did not give him a chance to fire.

"boom!"

The shells entered through the windows and exploded inside the building.

The entire building seemed to be split open from the inside by an invisible hand, with the walls cracking in all directions and the roof collapsing, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

The machine gun and its operator were buried in the rubble.

The infantry followed closely behind the tanks as they charged in.

The Northeast Army infantry, in squads, spread out on both sides of the tanks, bayonets already fixed, rifle butts against their shoulders, their eyes fixed on every door and window on both sides of the street.

A squad of infantrymen rushed to a civilian house. The squad leader kicked open the door, and two soldiers behind him threw two grenades inside at the same time.

"Boom!"

The flash of the explosion illuminated the dimly lit room, and shards of glass and sawdust sprayed out of the windows.

Before the smoke cleared, three soldiers charged in with bayonets at the ready.

Two short screams came from inside, then silence fell.

Textbook-style infantry-tank coordination.

Tanks were responsible for clearing enemy firing positions and fortified positions, while infantry were responsible for mopping up the remaining enemy forces and protecting the tank flanks.

When you encounter a house, throw a grenade first; when you encounter a second floor, sweep a burst of bullets; when you pass an alleyway, check first for anti-tank mines.

These were all assassins summoned by Zhang Xueming. They were fearless of death, highly skilled, and ruthless killers. They were the elite of the elite.

The tank's diesel engine roared behind them, and the infantrymen's leather boots crunched on the broken glass and rubble.

The entire North Gate Street became a death corridor, where any Japanese soldier who dared to resist would be torn to shreds by tank cannons and machine guns.

Kojiro crawled through the ruins.

Blood was still flowing from his left eye socket, and the blood was flowing into his mouth. The salty, fishy taste made him feel nauseous and want to vomit.

With his only remaining right eye, he watched the steel torrent surge in through the breach, watched the gray-green tanks roll over his lines, over his soldiers, over the city he had defended for seven years.

"Occupying residential houses!"

He shouted hoarsely to the remaining soldiers beside him, "Occupy the civilian houses! Attack the tanks from the flank!"

A dozen or so surviving Japanese soldiers stumbled into the houses on both sides of the street, smashed open the windows, and set up their rifles and light machine guns.

A sergeant carried a grenade launcher up to the second floor, leaned half his body out of the window, and aimed at the lead tank.

Kojiro's eye twitched.

He knew the grenade launcher couldn't penetrate the T-34's frontal armor, but if it hit the tracks, it could at least stop the tank.

Stopping gives you a chance, even if it's just a sliver of a chance...

"boom!"

The tank cannon fired first.

The high-explosive shell hit the second floor of the house directly, blowing the entire wall off and sending bricks and wood fragments raining down from the sky.

The sergeant carrying the grenade launcher was blown to pieces along with his grenade launcher. The second-floor floor collapsed, burying the machine gunner on the first floor as well.

Immediately afterwards, the tank's coaxial machine gun began firing.

The bullet pierced through the thin brick wall of the house, creating a cloud of blood inside.

The dozen or so Japanese soldiers hiding in the civilian houses didn't even have time to let out a few screams before most of them were swept down by a hail of bullets.

The remaining men ran out the back door and ran right into the Northeast Army's infantry.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

The sound of a bayonet piercing flesh was dull and short.

Kojiro lay on the ground, his lips trembling violently.

These Northeast Army soldiers were so brutal and cruel that even he felt fear towards them.

The tanks gave no chance to fire from the civilian houses; if any house dared to fire, it would be met with a direct hit.

The Northeast Army did not engage in house-to-house fighting, street battles, or sacrifice their lives for every single house.

They use force to oppress people, crushing all resistance with the weight of steel.

He has no way to deal with this style of play.

The defenders of the Lushun North Gate defense line were once impregnable thanks to Kojiro's meticulous defenses.

But those anti-tank ditches, barbed wire, and machine gun bunkers couldn't even last three minutes against the 600mm cannon.

Now that the tanks have entered the city, he can only watch helplessly as his men and civilians are brutally slaughtered by the Northeast Army.

.........

Outside the city, Wang Yizhe lay on the observation post of the command post, his eyes wide open.

His binoculars followed the steel torrent from beginning to end without ever looking away for a second.

He saw the huge shells smash through the Japanese defenses, saw the first tank roll over the breach, and saw infantry pour into the city. He saw the gray-green T-34s cutting through the Japanese defenses like they were cutting tofu.

He was so excited that he was trembling all over.

"They're in! They're in!"

Wang Yizhe yanked down the binoculars, turned to Zhang Xueming, and shouted, "Commander-in-Chief, we've broken through! All the tanks are inside!"

Liu Duoquan stood next to him, also looking excited.

He and Wang Yizhe were both veterans of the Northeast Army. They had followed the Zhang family in fighting for the country during the Fengtian Army era and had fought in hundreds of battles, large and small.

But they had never seen this kind of fighting style before.

A 600mm cannon smashed through the city wall, four hundred tanks rushed in, and infantry followed to clear out the siege.

This is pure annihilation, a complete crushing defeat without any regard for tactics or techniques.

"Commander-in-Chief!"

Wang Yizhe rushed to Zhang Xueming, his face flushed red, and shouted, "Let my 7th Brigade go!"

"The Japanese are in disarray. Take advantage of this moment to charge in and capture Lushun completely!"

Liu Duoquan followed:

"Commander-in-Chief, my garrison regiment can also go; I'll lead the team myself!"

Zhang Xueming stood in front of the command table, his hands resting on the edge of the table, looking at the huge map of Lushun city on the wall.

He had taken off his military cap, and the sweat on his forehead glistened in the lamplight.

After the north gate defense line was breached, everyone in the command post was in an uproar, but he remained calm.

He straightened up and glanced at Wang Yizhe and Liu Duoquan.

The two generals immediately stood at attention, their backs ramrod straight, when he looked at them.

"I command!"

Zhang Xueming's voice was firm and resolute: "Wang Yizhe, send your entire 7th Brigade in."

"Liu Duoquan, you come along too."

He paused for a moment, then his eyes suddenly sharpened.

"However, there is one bottom line that must never be crossed."

Wang Yizhe and Liu Duoquan said at the same time:

"Please give your instructions, Commander-in-Chief!"

Zhang Xueming's gaze slowly swept across their faces, and he said, word by word:

"After entering the city, neither government officials nor soldiers are allowed to bully the Chinese people."

"This is our own land in Northeast China, and those people are our own people."

"The Northeast Army is not allowed to do anything that bullies our own people."

"Anyone who dares to lay a finger on the common people, whether they are soldiers or generals, I will personally kill them."

There was a moment of silence in the command post.

Wang Yizhe and Liu Duoquan exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

It's not unusual for military discipline to be enforced when entering a city during a battle, but the fact that Zhang Xueming brought it up specifically at this critical juncture, and with such a strong tone, clearly indicates that he wasn't just going through the motions.

Liu Duoquan hesitated for a moment before asking:

"Commander-in-Chief, what about... the Japanese soldiers?"

Zhang Xueming looked at him, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile.

"casual."

The two words were spoken softly, but the temperature in the command post seemed to drop several degrees out of nowhere.

Wang Yizhe and Liu Duoquan paused for a second, then both of them broke into smiles at the same time.

That was the laugh of a wolf that had smelled blood; it was a fierce and exhilarating laugh that came from the very core of its being.

casual.

The Commander-in-Chief said, whatever.

What did the word "whatever" mean in the Northeast Army?

It means being free from any constraints, accepting no surrenders, and disregarding any consequences.

This means that none of the Japanese soldiers or civilians living in Lushun will have a peaceful end.

"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief!" the two shouted in unison, then turned and rushed out of the command post.

"7 teams, assemble!"

"Governor-General, follow me!"

Ten thousand Northeast Army soldiers, who had been waiting for a long time, stood up from their assembly point, with their rifles on their shoulders and bayonets already fixed.

Their eyes were shining with the excitement of finally being able to unleash their fury after waiting for so long.

The Japanese occupied Northeast China for more than 20 years, and from the Russo-Japanese War onwards, they rode on the backs of the people of Northeast China and acted arrogantly.

Today it's finally their turn to taste the bitterness of being tortured and killed.

"Brothers!"

Wang Yizhe stood at the front of the group, his voice so loud it could be heard throughout the entire area without a megaphone, "The Commander-in-Chief has given the order: after entering the city, no one is allowed to bully us Chinese! Do you understand?"

"Listen carefully!"

"But the Japanese devils..."

Wang Yizhe paused for a moment, then a sinister smile appeared on his lips. "The Commander-in-Chief said, whatever."

"Long live the Commander-in-Chief!! Long live the Commander-in-Chief!"

An excited roar erupted from the team.

"Set off!"

The 10,000-strong army surged into Lushun City like a torrent through the breach.

The sounds of footsteps, clashing guns, and the crunching of military boots on gravel blended into a deep, rumbling noise, as if the entire city trembled at the arrival of this vengeful army.