Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

The Japanese troops were driven out of their positions again, routed, and performed even worse than before.

The rout began from the front and then spread to both flanks. The 648th Regiment fought with increasing ferocity, leaving the Japanese soldiers with countless corpses. In the end, they managed to hold off the enemy with indiscriminate artillery fire and save their last bit of dignity.

"You bastard! A disgrace to the Empire! I have failed His Majesty the Emperor's trust!"

Fujie Huipu, unusually, began to look for problems within himself. The battle had reached this point, and it was no longer a disgrace for a particular regiment, but rather a responsibility for him as the division commander.

Nakazawa Saburo glanced at the sky, then leaned closer and said:

"Commander, it's getting dark, and the battle is lost. Perhaps we should let our warriors rest for the night and recharge for the next day's fight!"

Fujie Hepburn was unwilling, but he had no choice but to adopt the advice. Morale was low, and a forced attack would only increase casualties.

At the 648th Regiment headquarters, as the Japanese were driven back, Chief of Staff Guo Zhenxing finally breathed a sigh of relief and excitedly said:

"These Japanese devils are too weak. They are not in the same league as the old Japanese devils in Shanghai and Nanjing. They are no different from tofu dregs."

Yao Zhiqing had long since discovered that he had fought a bloody battle with the newly landed Japanese soldiers in Baoshan and was a completely different person, for various reasons.

"Our old adversary, the 16th Division, is now just an empty shell. The troops have been replaced more than twice, and the newly added reserves are not capable of fighting tough battles. It is normal for its combat effectiveness to decline significantly."

"The regimental commander sees things clearly. The military commander is right. Once we've exhausted hundreds of thousands of old Japanese soldiers, their combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced."

Guo Zhenxing was also a veteran of the security regiment. If it weren't for Yao Zhiqing's fame, he would have been the one to succeed him as regimental commander.

Yao Zhiqing nodded and said:

"It's getting dark soon, tell the brothers to get ready. If the Japanese don't launch a new attack, abandon the position after midnight and retreat across the Zhugan River overnight."

The reconnaissance company cut off the bridge's path and then demolished it!

Abandoning the outer positions and retreating west of the Zhugan River was a plan that the division headquarters had decided on long ago, and they had already held out for one more day.

Upon receiving the order, Guo Zhenxing immediately made arrangements, clarifying who would retreat first, who would cover the rear, the marching order, and the route.

The 648th Regiment had a withdrawal plan, and Guo Zhenxing only needed to ensure its implementation and convey the withdrawal plan to each battalion.

Perhaps because they had been hurt badly, the Japanese retreated and gathered their scattered troops, tallied their losses, treated the wounded, summarized their experiences, and reflected on their mistakes from top to bottom. They had no intention of continuing the fight.

At midnight, under a bright moon in the sky, all was quiet. Teams of figures emerged from the trenches of the position, carrying the wounded and the bodies of their comrades. They withdrew from the battle along the western ridge, leaving the dilapidated position to the Japanese.

Because it was night and they were far apart, the Japanese soldiers did not notice anything unusual until the reconnaissance company covering the rear withdrew from the mountaintop.

The Yangang position returned to tranquility. In order to deceive the Japanese, the brothers of the reconnaissance company disguised the position and used the corpses left behind by the Japanese to create an empty city ruse for the 16th Division.

The reconnaissance company also buried more than two hundred landmines on the position. These were part of the 648th Regiment's inventory, which would give the Japanese a big surprise and delay their actions.

After everything was arranged, the reconnaissance company commander led his men to retreat to the Zhuganhe Bridge.

By the time they arrived, the main force of the 648th Regiment had already crossed the river and taken control of the town of Zhuganpu through reconnaissance. It was already 5 a.m.

Reconnaissance Company Commander Tang Xiaowei summoned several platoon leaders to assign tasks:

"Brothers, those beasts in the 16th Division have suffered a loss on the battlefield. The regimental commander is worried that they will retaliate against the people in the town. We must evacuate them as soon as possible. It would be best if we could persuade them to cross the river. Those who do not want to leave their homeland should go into the mountains and forests to avoid trouble for a while."

"Be quick and try to avoid making too much noise so that the Japanese will notice."

No sooner had Tang Xiaowei finished speaking than the second platoon leader interjected:

"What should we do if some people are unwilling to leave and are hoping to get away with it?"

Tang Xiaowei said with a sullen face:

"You can't reason with those damned Japanese devils. As for those stubborn elements, just fulfill your duty to remind them; don't use force!"

The group accepted the order and left, with at most half a day remaining.

As soon as Zhuganpu Town was awakened, the brothers of the reconnaissance company split into several groups to evacuate the people.

They recounted the atrocities committed by the 16th Division, and the effect was surprisingly good; most people chose to stay away.

Only those wealthy families with large estates, unwilling to abandon their businesses, still harbored illusions about the Japanese invaders, believing that the soldiers were exaggerating their dangers.

Luo Xiuying, the second daughter of the Luo family, was quite knowledgeable and advised the head of the family, Luo Bingde, as follows:

"Father, it's better to believe it's true than not. The Japanese have committed countless atrocities, burning, killing, and looting. We cannot entrust the fate of our family to a group of executioners!"

Luo Bingde was somewhat shaken. The Luo family was one of the most prominent families in the surrounding area, owning thousands of acres of fertile land and 40% of the shops in the market. A change in one would have far-reaching consequences.

Before Luo Bingde could make a decision, his eldest son, Luo Zhengyang, jumped out to object:

"Second sister, you make it sound so easy for you. How can the Luo family compare to those peasants? All their belongings are just a bundle, which they can carry into the mountains."

"Now that the Luo family is gone, what will happen to these shops and houses?"

Luo Zhengyang is the eldest son, and most of this family business will be his in the future. If it is seized or burned by the Japanese, he will regret it.

Luo Xiuying said anxiously:

"You can earn back your family business if you lose it, but if people are harmed by the Japanese devils, they can't grow back like crops."

Father, please reconsider!

Luo Zhengyang also insisted on his own opinion and wanted to say more, but Luo Bingde stopped him and comforted him by saying:

"Xiuying, your brother is right. Without the family business, the Luo family is no different from being dead!"

Japan is an isolated island with a small population. To secure its rule, it needs the help of locals, and my Luo family can certainly try to gain that support.

Seeing that she couldn't persuade the head of the household to relocate the entire family, Luo Xiuying settled for second best, saying:

"Father, the Japanese devils like to harm women. Fifth and Sixth Sisters are still children; we can't afford to gamble with them."

"How about I take them and go with the Nationalist army to hide on the other side of the river?"

This time, Luo Zhengyang did not object. Although he had his own plans, he could not bear to see his younger sisters take risks. Luo Bingde also agreed to Luo Xiuying's request and gave her more than a dozen small yellow croakers, and arranged for several trustworthy servants to guard her.

When the reconnaissance company escorted the people out of the town, Luo Xiuying and her sister disguised themselves as men and crossed the river with the crowd.

The reconnaissance company did not rush to blow up the bridge, but waited quietly for any movement from the direction of Yangang.

At Yangang, the booming sound of artillery arrived as expected, with a barrage of shells clearing the way and pounding the ground with all their might—a style completely unlike that of the Japanese.

Fujie Hepburn needed to vent his anger, so the usually stingy Oni (demon) became unusually generous, and the division's artillery bombarded the area for a full half hour.

After the artillery finished bombarding, the infantry charged, and thousands of Japanese soldiers, shouting slogans, surged toward the main position at Yangang.

When they reached the top of the hill, they found it deserted. They were stunned for a moment, then cheered in unison.

"Itaiya!"

"His Majesty the Emperor Itaya!"

Joy turned to sorrow when the revelers detonated landmines, killing and wounding many. The Second Regiment had to send engineers to clear the mines, temporarily blocking the road from the mountain ridge to the bridge.

Despite the setbacks, the Japanese were still overjoyed, and this joy quickly reached the division headquarters, leaving Fujie Eipu with mixed feelings.

Fujie Eipu even felt insulted and couldn't be happy. Nakazawa Saburo comforted him, saying:

"Commander, the Chinese were unable to withstand the powerful offensive of the Imperial Army, which is why they fled in disarray."

It must be said that the 324th Division fought very tenaciously, but it had reached a critical point and could not hold on any longer.

Regardless of whether the Chinese voluntarily abandoned their positions, the Imperial Army was able to advance all the way to Zhuganpu, which was a great victory!

The Zhugan River stretches for more than ten kilometers upstream and downstream. It is currently the dry season, and there are many suitable crossings, making it difficult for the Tiger Army to defend against them.

The immediate priority is to dispatch a strong force to advance rapidly along the highway, seize the Zhuganpu Bridge, and once the battle line is widened, the 13th Division can also join the fray!

Following Chief of Staff Saburo Nakazawa's analysis, Fujie Eipu's expression improved considerably, and she confidently stated:

"That's right, capturing Yangang is of great significance. Telegraph the 133rd Infantry Regiment to advance rapidly along the Shangxin Highway, first occupy Zhuganpu, and be sure to control the bridge."

The main force followed suit, spending the night in Zhuganpu!

On the Shangxin Highway, the 133rd Regiment advanced rapidly like a galloping wild horse. After the highway was opened, the marching speed increased significantly.

By 3:45 PM, the vanguard battalion of the 133rd Regiment had arrived in the town. They could hear the enormous explosion from afar. The battalion commander's face changed drastically, and he roared:

"Baka yarou, the Chinese are blowing up the bridge... Hurry!"