Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

Beside the tanker truck's massive tires, the smell of diesel fuel and rust lingered in the air. He Yuzhu leaned against the cold tank wall, feeling the liquid inside sloshing about with the force of the ground. He held his breath; ten meters away, he could clearly hear the voices of two sentries, huddled in a sheltered spot, smoking and chatting.

He had to cross the open space ahead to reach the small tin shack with its lights on.

He glanced down at his watch—the captured American field watch glowed with a ghostly green light. Six and a half minutes remained until the pre-set explosion.

We can't wait any longer.

He drew a dagger from his back waist and gripped it in a reverse grip. On the reconnaissance map, the two dots were almost still. He gestured to Shuanzi and Lao Geng, who were hiding in the shadows of the oil drums.

He took a deep breath, the power from the intermediate enhancement filling his limbs. Instead of taking a detour, he chose the most direct and dangerous method—a leap with his foot, his figure flashing past the front of the car like a black panther!

In the instant the wind rustled through their clothes, a sentry seemed to sense something and turned his head slightly.

He Yuzhu's speed was beyond human reaction time. His left hand, like an iron clamp, locked the opponent's mouth and nose from behind and forcefully pulled back, while his right hand stabbed diagonally upwards from the side of the neck, the blade precisely piercing into the space between the cervical vertebrae!

Warm blood splattered. The sentry twitched only once before collapsing.

The other man turned completely around, staring in astonishment at his collapsed companion and the ghostly black shadow that had appeared. He gaped in horror, frantically grabbing at the carbine at his chest.

He Yuzhu gave him no chance. Releasing the corpse, he shifted his stance and crashed into the other's arms! With a short, sharp strike from the heel of his left hand, he slammed it hard into the protruding Adam's apple!

With a soft "click," the sentry's eyes bulged, and he clutched at his throat, gasping for air as he staggered backward. He Yuzhu followed, plunging the dagger into his ribcage and twisting it.

The entire process took no more than three seconds. Silent, yet deadly.

Shuanzi and Lao Geng quickly moved out and dragged the body under the car to hide it. He Yuzhu wiped the blood off the dagger and glanced at his watch: five minutes and forty seconds.

He pointed to the tin shack: "Shuttle-up, keep watch outside, warn us if there's any movement." Then he said to Old Geng: "Come with me."

The two crept to the door. The door was ajar, and kerosene lamplight seeped out, mixed with intermittent English and static—the people inside were talking on the radio.

He Yuzhu listened intently, focusing the reconnaissance map on the interior of the room. The dark dot of light sat behind the table. He gestured for Old Geng to guard the door, then pushed it open a crack.

The room was cramped, containing only a folding table, a lamp, and a crackling radio. A U.S. lieutenant in service uniform stood with his back to the door, wearing headphones and speaking rapidly into the microphone, seemingly urging for supplies or inquiring about the effectiveness of the artillery fire. A map lay open on the corner of the table, and an M1911 pistol sat beside it.

He Yuzhu's eyes narrowed—a lieutenant, a higher rank than expected. He checked his watch again: five minutes and twenty seconds.

done.

He shoved the door open and rushed in! The lieutenant turned around at the sound and instinctively reached for his pistol.

But He Yuzhu was faster. The moment the other man's fingertips touched the gun handle, he had already pressed down on his wrist, and the dagger plunged viciously into his temple from the side!

The knife tip pierced the skull with a dull thud. The lieutenant's body stiffened, his eyes glazed over, and he slumped into his chair.

He Yuzhu pulled out his dagger, wiped it clean, and quickly scanned the table. The map had red and blue arrows and coordinates. He grabbed a handful of things and stuffed them haphazardly into his pocket, then picked up his pistol and two magazines. Old Geng was nervously watching the doorway.

"withdraw!"

The three men stealthily made their way towards the small hill to the east, as planned. They had barely moved fifty meters from the fuel depot when the first explosion rang out in the distance behind them!

"boom!"

A muffled thud shook the ground—the artillery position had detonated! This was followed by a series of explosions, and flames rose into the valley below.

The camp erupted into chaos! Alarms blared, shouts, curses, and running filled the air. Searchlights shone wildly indiscriminately.

He Yuzhu and his two companions crouched low, using the tents and the chaotic figures as cover as they made their way forward. The guards at the fuel depot had also noticed something amiss and were shouting in panic.

Just as they were about to reach the foot of the mountain, the explosives in the oil pile reached their time limit.

A moment of deathly silence.

immediately--

"Boom—!!!"

A terrifying roar erupted from the center of the camp! A destructive rumble, a mixture of exploding fuel, tearing metal, and boiling liquid! A massive fireball expanded from the fuel depot, engulfing two tanker trucks and dozens of oil drums! A tsunami-like wave of scorching heat swept through, pulverizing nearby tents into dust and flames!

A pillar of fire illuminated half the night sky, thick smoke billowing. Explosion debris and burning fuel rained down, igniting more tents, ammunition boxes, and a jeep!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!!" A chain of explosions followed one after another. The entire forward camp was engulfed in flames! The heat wave scorched faces, and even a hundred meters away, one could feel the scorching wind blowing against their skin.

The US military was utterly devastated. Cries, screams, and panic filled the air; many were engulfed in flames, writhing in agony. Officers' shouts were drowned out by the explosions. Firefighters were blown away by further blasts. Trampling and chaos reigned.

He Yuzhu and his two companions lay prone on the reverse slope of the small hill, gazing back at the blood-soaked, fire-filled landscape that illuminated the night sky. The ground continued to tremble, and the air was scorching hot. Flames danced on their faces, and even He Yuzhu was stunned by the hellish scene he had created with his own hands—for a moment, he recalled Lu Xun's burning of the enemy camps for seven hundred miles in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. History was echoing in such a bloody way on a foreign battlefield.

"Go!" he whispered, suppressing the chill in his heart.

Just as he was about to turn around, Lao Geng suddenly grabbed his arm and pointed to the edge of the camp—a patrol of about five or six people was not attracted by the explosion, but instead came to search in their direction!

"Take the shortcut, go through the drainage ditch on the east side!" He Yuzhu made a quick decision.

The three men tumbled down the hillside and slid into a semi-dry ditch. The sound of American boots and shouts came from above. They held their breath and clung to the wall, He Yuzhu gripping his newly captured M1911 tightly. Fortunately, the enemy's attention was quickly drawn to the carnage at the main camp, and they hastily turned back.

They seized the opportunity to leap out of the ditch and rushed towards the rendezvous point.

When they met up with Platoon Leader Chen and Xiao Shandong, all five of them were disheveled but unharmed. Not daring to linger, they hastily retreated under the cover of the receding night and the mountains.

As we crossed the last mountain ridge and the outline of our own position came into view, the eastern sky was already turning a pale white.

On the position, Company Commander Zhao, Black-faced Li, and the others had been eagerly waiting. Seeing the five men return unharmed, the group first breathed a sigh of relief, then their faces lit up with elation.

"The cannon exploded?" Company Commander Zhao asked urgently.

"Open all four doors!" Platoon Leader Chen panted heavily, still shaken but excited.

"Not only that," He Yuzhu said in a hoarse voice, "we ordered their oil."

As if to confirm this, the firelight in the distant mountain valley still illuminated the sky, thick smoke billowed, and sporadic explosions could be faintly heard.

Company Commander Zhao and the dark-faced Li stared at each other, both filled with shock.

During the day, the battle results were reported: four 105mm howitzers were destroyed; approximately twenty tons of fuel, along with two tanker trucks and related supplies, were completely burned; the camp was essentially paralyzed; preliminary estimates indicated that over 150 enemy soldiers were killed or wounded, including one lieutenant. The five men who carried out the mission suffered no casualties.

The news spread, causing shockwaves throughout the company and even the battalion headquarters.

He Yuzhu leaned against his foxhole, munching on a still-warm grain biscuit that had just been delivered by logistics. The system notifications in his mind were methodical:

[Night Raid Operation Completion Assessment...]

[Confirmed destruction of key enemy equipment (4 x 105mm howitzers), score +20000.]

[Confirmed destruction of key enemy logistical supplies (fuel reserves), causing large-scale damage and casualties. Score +30000.]

[Enemy officer (Lieutenant x1) confirmed dead, points +300.]

[Led and successfully executed a high-difficulty behind-enemy-lines raid mission with significant results; additional reward points: +10000.]

[Promotion: Sergeant.]

[Skill Unlocked: Demolition Specialization (Beginner) - Based on tonight's practical experience, you have gained a deeper understanding of explosive ratios, timing settings, and detonation point selection.]

[Score Settlement: Battlefield Points +60300.]

Current points: 46398 + 60300 = 106698.

Main quest progress: 106698/100,000,000 = 0.1067%

He Yuzhu swallowed the dry, hard biscuit crumbs, feeling the subtle flow of knowledge brought about by his promotion and new skills—the details of setting up the explosives played back clearly in his mind, as if he had personally operated them countless times.

He pulled out the slightly bloodstained map from his pocket and unfolded it in the morning light. Red and blue arrows outlined the enemy's possible advance routes and the coordinates of their firing positions. He then weighed the M1911 in his hand; it was heavy, and the safety clicked crisply. This was all intelligence, the bargaining chip for the next battle.

He raised his head and looked towards the northern land still shrouded in war and smoke.

He's a sergeant now.

The camps were set ablaze.

The road ahead is still long, but this first fire is burning brightly.