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

The wildfire was still burning, black smoke swirling into the leaden-gray clouds, turning the entire valley into a giant furnace. The tank engine noise didn't stop; instead, it became even more chaotic—huffing and puffing, like a wounded beast struggling in the mud.

He Yuzhu lay prone at the cold observation post, his night vision goggles revealing a ghastly green hue.

The steel behemoths were reversing, turning, and haphazardly signaling to each other with their lights. Some tanks dragged their smoking counterparts behind them, their tracks grinding through the scorched earth as they clumsily crawled toward the open area to the south.

"Trying to run away?" Old Geng leaned closer, his voice low and menacing. "You hit one of our men, and you're just going to walk away?"

He Yuzhu didn't say anything.

He stared down the hill: the infantry behind the tanks were sparser, many supporting each other, their morale clearly broken. Command seemed to be in disarray, the tanks acting independently, their retreat haphazard. The Pershing with its turret askew, and another Sherman with its tracks dangling, were being slowly dragged along by steel cables.

Opportunities lie ahead.

It was a perilous situation—even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, let alone dozens of wounded iron camels. But if they were let go, once they had recovered, they would be met with a torrent that could crush a person.

His mind raced.

The explosives were almost used up, and the Molotov cocktails were nearly gone. Chasing after the tanks with rifles and grenades would be suicidal. But on the system interface, those 500,000+ points hung heavily, as if urging him to do something.

His fingers moved rapidly through the air, his mind focusing on the dazzling yet expensive category of "heavy weapons." He glanced over artillery and missiles that he didn't need for the time being, finally settling on a seemingly simple icon that made his heart race.

[Iron Fist-100 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher (Includes Training and Basic Ammunition x5)]: Single-use, lightweight, with armor penetration significantly exceeding that of mainstream models of the same period. Explanation: Prototype/experiment obtained through highly classified channels. Exchange Price: 6000 points/unit (includes 5 rounds).

Five bodies, 30,000 points.

It's almost a fraction of the existing points, yet it's undoubtedly a huge sum. But looking at the steel silhouettes crawling down the mountain, and thinking of the fallen comrades and our own people who might run into this iron torrent in the future—these points have to be spent.

"Change." He gritted his teeth and silently repeated to himself.

[Redeem successful: 5 Iron Fist-100 anti-tank rocket launchers, accompanying tutorial video and 25 basic armor-piercing rounds. Points consumed: 30000.]

Current battlefield score: 499398 points.

Five dark green long-barreled weapons and several boxes of heavy ammunition appeared in the system space. He Yuzhu quickly instilled the structure, aiming, and firing techniques—especially the dangerous exhaust zone—into the core personnel: Lao Geng, Zhang Dashan, and two other bold and meticulous veterans.

"This thing is called 'Iron Fist,' and it's designed to take down tanks." He gestured to the shape of the actual weapon from a sheltered spot. "It's easy to use, but remember: when it spews fire from the back, don't stand there; make sure your shoulders are firmly planted. Attack from the side and rear, the engine, and the tracks; don't be stupid and charge straight at it."

Old Geng's eyes widened: "Company Commander, where did this thing come from? It looks even better than imported goods—"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask," He Yuzhu interrupted. "Just think of it as... picking up test subjects from Yangluo. There are five in total, one for each person, with four helpers carrying ammunition. The rest of you will provide cover and fight the infantry. Objective: catch up and bleed them dry, with a focus on the command vehicle and those two crippled ones."

The pursuit began after nightfall.

He Yuzhu personally led one team, while Lao Geng and Zhang Dashan each led another. Like three poisoned daggers, they silently slipped behind the retreating tank formation, taking advantage of the terrain and the darkness. The roar of the tanks and their lights became their best guides, also concealing their movements.

As the distance closed: 500 meters, 300 meters, 200 meters... the scorching exhaust fumes from the tank's rear could be clearly seen, and faint shouts could be heard from inside the tank. The enemy infantry sentries had become lax, probably thinking they were safe once they escaped the ambush.

He Yuzhu spotted a Sherman tank lagging behind, with its antennas clustered together and an extra storage compartment—it was likely the battalion command vehicle. It was struggling to tow another damaged tank and was the slowest.

"That's it." He gestured to Chen Shitou, the veteran carrying an iron fist, standing beside him.

Chen Shitou licked his lips and nodded. The two of them used a dry ditch to feel their way for another hundred meters. They were close enough to smell the strong odor of diesel fuel and the burning heat of metal.

The tank's massive body moved slowly fifty meters away, its side armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight. He Yuzhu patted Chen Shitou on the shoulder and pointed to the engine compartment at the rear of the tank. Chen Shitou took a deep breath, knelt down, and hoisted the heavy iron pipe onto his shoulder, squinting as he aimed at the makeshift sight.

He Yuzhu and the others held their breath, pointing their guns at the infantry that might appear.

Chen Shitou pulled the trigger.

"Whoosh—Boom!!"

A dazzling flame erupted from the tail of the rocket launcher, and a wave of scorching air swept backward; almost simultaneously, the warhead struck the side and rear of the tank at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye!

The explosion was sharper and more concentrated than the explosive charge! The Sherman shuddered violently, its side and rear armor torn open with jagged rips, and flames and thick smoke poured out instantly. A secondary explosion immediately occurred inside, bringing the entire vehicle to a screeching halt. The hatch was flung open, and even more intense flames and black smoke billowed up, accompanied by piercing screams.

"Hit!" Chen Shitou roared, throwing down the empty launcher and quickly rolling backward.

Almost simultaneously, similar shrieks and explosions came from two other directions—Old Geng and Zhang Dashan had also succeeded! A tank attempting to turn and retaliate was hit on the side of its turret, causing its gun barrel to tilt; another tank had its tracks blown off, rendering it completely disabled.

The already chaotic tank formation completely erupted into chaos. Survivors, no longer caring about dragging their comrades, frantically sped away. The infantry, terrified, abandoned their wounded and fled with the tanks, or scattered wildly into the darkness on either side.

He Yuzhu didn't stop. "Go! Focus on that command vehicle! Clear out the surrounding infantry!"

He was the first to leap out of the ditch, charging towards the burning command vehicle. Several American soldiers emerged from behind their tanks to intercept him, but he and Lao Geng fired precise shots down them. Zhang Dashan led his men to flank and mop up the enemy.

Approaching the burning command vehicle, a wave of heat hit him. He Yuzhu saw a figure struggling to climb out of the hatch, engulfed in flames—their uniform appeared different from that of ordinary soldiers. He raised his gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

The figure fell back into the cabin.

He braved the scorching heat to approach, smashing open the half-open hatch on the other side with his rifle butt, and shining his flashlight inside. The cabin was a mess; equipment crackled and popped from burning. A major's body, dressed in a field officer's uniform with epaulets, lay slumped on the command seat, his chest charred and half his head missing. Scattered nearby were half-burnt documents and maps, and a metal briefcase.

"Documents! Maps! Boxes—take everything you can! Quickly!" he shouted to the soldiers following him, glancing around warily. Sporadic gunfire continued; the battle was not yet completely over.

The soldiers endured the stench and intense heat, quickly sifting through the partially burned paper, a roll of combat map, and the scorching hot metal box. He Yuzhu glanced at the map—it was marked with many symbols of unknown friendly forces and defensive lines—and his heart trembled.

"Get out of here! Grab your things, follow Route 3, quick!"

The team, carrying their spoils, quickly left the steel graveyard and disappeared into the vast night. Behind them lay the utterly collapsed enemy tank battalion, each fleeing for their lives, and the wreckage of several burning tanks that served as perfect roadblocks.

Once back in the safe mountainous area, He Yuzhu dared to relax his tense nerves slightly. A headcount revealed three more lightly wounded, with no serious injuries or deaths. The results, however, were astonishing: at least four tanks were confirmed destroyed (including a command vehicle), several were damaged or disabled, and countless enemy soldiers were killed or wounded; a box of important documents, a combat map, and scattered items collected from other abandoned tank wrecks were seized, including the major's nameplate and battalion-level insignia.

He sat down against the stone, exhaustion washing over him, yet his spirits were unusually high. A surge of systemic alerts flooded his mind:

[Successfully pursued and severely damaged the retreating enemy tank battalion, destroying its command system.]

[Four enemy medium tanks destroyed, numerous enemy infantry and officers killed or wounded, and one enemy battalion commander, a major, confirmed dead.]

[Important enemy operational documents, maps, and battalion-level insignia were seized.]

[Based on battlefield contribution assessment, you will receive +150000 battlefield points.]

Current battlefield score: 649398 points.

Main quest progress: 0.649%

[Successfully contacted, destroyed, and partially captured enemy armored vehicles, fulfilling the unlock condition.]

The skill "Basic Vehicle Driving and Related Maintenance" has been unlocked! Basic knowledge is being introduced...

150,000 points! Nearly 650,000 points in total! More importantly, the long-awaited vehicle driving skill has finally been unlocked—knowledge of the basic structure, operation, common fault identification, and emergency repair of tanks, trucks, and jeeps is slowly and solidly being integrated into my memory. Although only at the beginner level, in this era where loot is plentiful but no one knows how to drive, it is undoubtedly a strategic-level capability!

He looked at the seized metal document box and the blood-stained map, then at the flickering firelight in the darkness in the distance.

The tank can now operate, and the documents have been obtained.

The road ahead is long. But he took this first step firmly.