The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Upon hearing this news, Li Shan and the others were immediately excited. The political commissar said hurriedly: "Haha, are these Japanese stupid? Why are they only sending us meat?"

The Chief of Staff said immediately: "The Japanese don't know that we have defeated their cavalry, and they don't know how many troops we have. They don't know that we are adopting a strategy of surrounding and attacking the reinforcements. Moreover, the importance of Shenyang is obvious to everyone. The Japanese certainly don't want us to occupy Shenyang, so they are rushing to send troops here. It seems that we have made attacking Shenyang our first military action target this time and mobilized all the surrounding Japanese troops. I feel that the area around Shenyang will soon become a mess!"

Li Shan didn't seem worried at all. Instead, he nodded and said, "That's right, this is the effect we want! The more we can mobilize the enemy, the more important this place is."

"After dealing with the Japanese cavalry, our plan was to go to Liaoyang.

Move in the same direction. Then ambush the Japanese reinforcements. The next ones to come are all infantry, which is enough time for us to arrange our positions.

"If we're going to ambush the infantry, I think grenades might be more effective." "Indeed, they'll be better. Then bring more grenades and fight this battle thoroughly."

Li Shan and his men did not delay any longer. They left a battalion to continue cleaning up the battlefield and immediately moved forward with the remaining troops. After arriving at the next ambush site and setting up an ambush, they immediately ordered their men to start eating field rations to replenish their energy and restore their strength.

The scouts who went forward reported that they had discovered the Japanese army. Although the Japanese army was marching at a rapid pace, a rapid march could not last long. Moreover, infantry was infantry, and two legs could definitely not outrun four legs. At this time, they had returned to their normal marching speed.

Waiting is the most torturous thing, especially for these soldiers who were already screaming with excitement after their recent victory. They were all looking forward to the Japanese army delivering meat as soon as possible so that they could repeat their previous victory. So after eating, everyone was refreshed and energetic, waiting for the arrival of the Japanese army...

Chapter 486:

At this time, the lightly armed Japanese infantry regiment had slowly appeared in Li Shan's field of vision. Perhaps because there were two cavalry regiments leading the way, this infantry regiment did not even send out an outpost, and the main force marched directly on the main road.

After a little thought, Li Shan understood: With a regiment of soldiers in the "rear" of the Japanese army, who would dare to touch their tiger's whiskers? Are they looking for death? These Japanese soldiers were so confident that they were naturally courageous and strode towards Shenyang with their heads held high.

Li Shan saw this situation and immediately made a clear judgment. The news of the annihilation of the Japanese cavalry was still a secret and no one knew about it yet. But think about it, who would have thought that in such a short time, more than 900 Japanese troops were wiped out and not a single Japanese cavalryman was able to escape? If they knew this news so quickly, it must be really strange.

At this time, the Japanese soldiers, arranged in four columns, marched along the official road, as if carrying out a simple armed parade, and headed towards Shenyang. The Japanese army was on the march, with a large number of troops, and the few heavy machine guns they had were scattered among the various battalions and not concentrated together.

At this time, the field army had already dispersed heavy machine gun fire throughout the position. As for the ambush position in front of them, in order to completely absorb all the Japanese troops, it stretched for two kilometers, and heavy troops were deployed at both ends, intending to cut off the head and tail after the battle started, leaving this Japanese force completely behind.

At this time, many new recruits still felt incredible! It turned out that fighting was so simple. Now they were eager to wait for the enemy to come and die, so that they could test their own skills after death.

The sun was still shining brightly, and everyone felt a warm sensation all over their bodies. As the Japanese army approached the encirclement, the sound of swallowing saliva was heard, and many soldiers kept stroking the butts of their rifles, as if they were their own lovers.

Li Shan was of course fully aware of the soldiers' emotions, especially those in the Northeast, who not only had deep hatred for both the Japanese and Russian armies, but also deep fear of them.

In fact, Li Shan was quite nervous at this time. After all, it was the first time for him to independently command a battle to encircle and annihilate so many enemies. He knew that most of the Japanese troops at this time were "peasant soldiers" whose fighting will and tenacity were stronger than those of the Russian army. If the Japanese army was prepared and attacked each other, he was not sure of annihilating these thousands of people.

Moreover, although these Japanese troops were lightly armed, they were well-equipped and well-trained. In terms of firepower like heavy machine guns, the Japanese had concentrated their heavy firepower on the front lines where Japan and Russia were facing each other, so the two sides were evenly matched. However, Li Shan had the advantage of ambushes and numbers, so he wasn't too worried. Of course, even if he was worried, he couldn't show it, otherwise it would affect the morale of the troops.

Li Shan now understood that his advantage lay in his element of surprise. If he couldn't inflict heavy casualties on the Japanese within a short period of time after the battle began, then if he delayed too long and allowed the Japanese to recover, given their fighting power and tenacity, they would surely launch a sharp counterattack, catching him off guard. Even if he had more men, the resulting casualties were more than he could afford. Of course, with over 4,000 casualties, the Japanese army couldn't afford it.

Therefore, if the ambush reached a stalemate, then even if he won in the end, he would still be the loser. However, Li Shan did not lack a trump card, that is, grenades. If thousands of grenades were thrown, a lot of Japanese soldiers would surely fall.

Looking at the approaching Japanese troops, Li Shan immediately ordered: "Notify everyone and prepare for battle immediately. No shots may be fired without orders. There is no need to conserve bullets and shells in this battle. Fight the Japanese with all your might. When charging, throw all your grenades. Light and heavy machine gunners should fire at the Japanese. Sharpshooters should focus on shooting and eliminating valuable targets. The focus is on the Japanese heavy machine gunners, commander. It is best to prevent the Japanese heavy machine gunners from having a chance to fire."

"Yes, make sure the order reaches every soldier."

"With so many grenades against the Japanese army, and light and heavy machine guns firing together, even a piece of steel would be penetrated. If we still can't inflict serious damage on the Japanese, then God is blind."

Twenty minutes passed, but for the soldiers, it felt like seconds were ticking by. However, their patience finally paid off. The Japanese troops, whose formation stretched for a kilometer, finally entered the ambush circle. Everyone's heart was in their throat, and they waited anxiously for the signal to open fire.

At this moment, an accident happened. Perhaps the soldiers were too nervous, or perhaps there was indeed a problem with the bullet. Just when Li Shan was about to fire a signal flare, there was a sudden "bang" of a gunshot.

The Japanese and field army comrades were momentarily stunned. The Japanese were indeed well-trained. Upon hearing the gunshot, many soldiers immediately lay down on the ground while searching for the source of the gunfire. Li Shan could no longer care about anything else. He dared not wait or delay any longer and immediately raised his gun to fire a signal flare. However, it was this very gunshot that missed the best opportunity to shoot.

Seeing the signal flare, many newly enlisted Japanese soldiers raised their heads and looked towards the sky, wondering what was going on and why someone was setting off fireworks at this time. However, some Japanese officers and soldiers were more understanding and immediately shouted, "Baga, there's an ambush! Get down!"

Regardless of the reaction of the more understanding Japanese troops, the comrades of the field army didn't care. In fact, upon hearing the gunshots, many soldiers were already preparing to fire. Seeing the signal flare, the soldiers naturally didn't wait any longer, aiming at the Japanese and pulling the trigger. The bullet instantly shot out of the barrel and flew towards the target. The shell also flew out of the barrel and flew to the predetermined position.

The commander and other officers in the team focused their attention on the target. In the first two rounds of attack, many officers fell to the ground without a sound, their lives unknown. The heavy machine gunners, under the intensive care of the sharpshooters, were almost completely wiped out.

One of the deputy commanders had already dropped to the ground when the gunfire rang out. Luckily, he'd landed in a blind spot, but the soldiers guarding him had already gone to see Amaterasu. By then, he'd regained consciousness and understood his situation. He quietly raised his head to survey the battlefield. The sight was terrifying; it nearly gave him a heart attack.

At this moment, he looked over and saw the bodies of Japanese soldiers scattered throughout the dust and smoke. Why was he so sure they were bodies? Because he saw pools of blood around the soldiers lying on the ground. And many of those who could still shoot were already wounded and unable to fight again.

He immediately glanced secretly in the direction of the enemy. Unbeknownst to him, a long line of gun barrels appeared from the woods on both sides, along with a number of heavy machine guns, their muzzles spitting flames at his own troops. He could hear the sounds of gunfire and the Madsen light machine guns.

The Japanese army had not been equipped with light machine guns before. He only knew about this gun from the weapons he had captured from the Japanese. At this moment, a big question mark appeared in his mind: what kind of army is this? Why is the firepower so strong?

It was over. The deputy commander knew he was finished, the cavalry ahead of him were probably finished too, and even Fengtian was definitely finished. At this time, the smoke was thick, and he had no idea how many of his soldiers had survived. He knew he had to escape and tell the commander-in-chief about the situation so that he could prepare for it.

At this moment, the deputy commander raised his "Meiji 26" pistol and was about to shoot the enemy, but a piece of shrapnel flew and hit his wrist, and the pistol fell to the ground. The deputy commander was also very resolute. He immediately drew his command knife, gathered the few remaining soldiers around him, pointed the knife at the enemy, and shouted "Kill!"

The deputy commander gave the order, urging his men to break out immediately. Unfortunately, the order left the commander's mouth, and nothing happened. He heard the sound of "puff, puff, puff" echoing around him, and he knew it was the sound of bullets entering human bodies. He looked around, seeing no one standing nearby. With a strange cry, he sprinted towards the flat ground at the side of the road. Suddenly, he stumbled, then turned and fell facedown to the ground. His head tilted, and through the thick smoke and dust, his hollow, lifeless eyes stared intently at the Japanese troops in utter chaos. Bullets were hurled at him from all directions, and his side was unable to mount an effective counterattack.

Of course, some low-ranking officers also planned to launch a counterattack centered on heavy machine guns, but the Japanese soldiers often had their heads blown off as soon as they approached the heavy machine guns.

The Japanese army's incompetent performance on the battlefield was completely unexpected by Li Shan and his men. They had all witnessed the Russo-Japanese War firsthand, and the casualties on both sides were similar. Because the Japanese were the attackers and the Russians were the defenders, they could accept that the Japanese suffered more casualties. However, this was completely different from what they were seeing. Furthermore, they hadn't imagined that after losing their commander, the Japanese army would become like a headless fly, becoming so unbearable.

However, what they didn't know was that it wasn't that the Japanese army was weak, but that any army would react similarly to this kind of ambush, or even collapse directly if faced with this kind of situation where each army was fighting on its own. Li Shan knew that the Qing army would definitely collapse directly in this situation, but the small number of Japanese troops at this time was not enough to save the situation.

If the Japanese army could organize a breakout force now, then other soldiers would see it and move closer to this force, and there might still be a chance. However, now on this long road, the Japanese army can no longer organize people to make an effective breakout.

Chapter 487:

At this time, the Japanese army had not yet thought about surrendering. Just kidding, during the Russo-Japanese War, surrendering to Tsarist Russia and capturing prisoners from each other might be acceptable to the Japanese army. After all, in this era dominated by white people, Tsarist Russia was a Western white country and one of the great powers. However, if they surrendered to the Qing army, it would be unthinkable. If they surrendered, even if they were lucky enough to return home in the future, they would always live in the contempt of the people. It would be a permanent shame and they would never be able to raise their heads.

Therefore, the remaining Japanese troops also showed their last bravery, holding their rifles and rushing towards the soldiers' positions, trying to open a way out. At this time, they had a completely fearless expression. People who didn't know them would really be moved by their spirit of facing death with indifference!

The comrades of the field army naturally hoped that these little Japanese devils would rush out and die. These Yamato warriors who had completely exposed their targets were shot one after another and finally died on the way to charge. In the end, China's land was enriched. It can be said that they got what they asked for and died for a good cause.

Li Shan knew that relying solely on gunfire was not enough to completely annihilate the enemy, even if the firepower was double or triple. So, seeing the battle was almost over, he immediately ordered, "Bugler, blow the charge! Send these little devils to Japan to meet their Amaterasu!"

The bugler had been waiting for this order for a long time. He immediately replied "Yes" and blew the charge horn into the bugle.

Now, it's time to draw blood on the bayonets and show the real skills under the hands. Army, only the offensive can achieve final victory.

The captains and instructors of each squad immediately shouted: "Comrades, put on your bayonets, prepare your grenades, kill the devils, and follow me. Ah!"

The commander immediately rushed out of his hiding place, ran a few steps, and threw the grenade in his hand. However, some soldiers, perhaps nervous or excited, forgot to pull the string before throwing the grenade, and just threw it out directly, so that the grenade had no effect as much as a brick.

In the final stage, the People's Liberation Army on both sides fought against each other, and almost all the Japanese on the official road were killed.

Seeing the enemy rushing up, these Japanese soldiers were quite courageous and immediately stood up from their hiding places, ready to fight with bayonets. It was just like Li Yunlong in "Bright Sword", and he wanted to play the Bushido of single combat. The soldiers had suffered a lot from these Japanese soldiers who were unwilling to surrender and were resisting stubbornly. Naturally, they were not polite at this time and shot them one by one, giving them a peanut. Since they didn't surrender, they could just die. Li Shan had no interest in single combat. This was not only because Chairman Zhang Yinghao had repeatedly warned that villains would die because of talking too much, but also because this was a battlefield, where life was measured in seconds. Killing the enemy a second earlier might actually save a soldier. Moreover, this was not a performance stage or a martial arts conference, so why would they engage in martial arts competitions?

Li Shan knew that after dealing with the enemy in front of him, Liaoyang would become a ripe fruit, just waiting for the PLA soldiers to pick it.

"What a pity..."

Li Shan shook his head, thinking of the contents of the battle plan and the next orders assigned to him. He stopped thinking about other things and concentrated on commanding the encirclement and suppression battle, and then began to carry out the next plan.

Li Shan thought of the ancient city of Liaoyang, which held a crucial military and strategic position. It was one of the decisive battlegrounds of the Russo-Japanese War's land campaign, and a city the People's Liberation Army had to liberate. Why? Liaoyang is surrounded by mountains to the southeast and the Taizi River to the north, providing a natural barrier. The Russian-built branch line of the Middle East Railway runs through the city, providing excellent transportation links. As the southern gateway to Shenyang, Liaoyang, known as "Iron Liaoyang," has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times.

Moreover, after the Russian army occupied Liaoyang on September 28, 1900, it considered it a strategically important location and began constructing a robust defense system and military facilities. Tsarist Russia constructed three lines of defense around Liaoyang, from farthest to closest: the first line, or the forward line, was approximately 30 kilometers south and east of Liaoyang City, extending eastward from Anshan, connecting Gaofengsi, Dadianzi, Gongchangling, Bapanling, and Hanpoling, for a total length of 75 kilometers. The second line of defense was approximately 15 kilometers from Liaoyang City, starting from Shahe Town in the south and linking Sifangtai, Tangheyan, Sunjiazhai, and Shizuizi Mountain in the east, for a total length of 22 kilometers. The third line of defense, approximately 8 kilometers from Liaoyang City, extended eastward from Shoushanbao, passing through Fangjiatun, Mengjiafang, and Hutouya, and northward across the Taizi River to Shiguantun, Heiyingtai, and Yanzhou City, for a total length of 45 kilometers.

The Tsarist Russia also meticulously constructed fortifications around the city walls. One or two kilometers from the city, a roughly elliptical position was constructed, stretching from northwest to south and then east, connecting to the Taizi River at both ends. Stretching for over 15 kilometers, a large number of blockhouses were built along the route, including eye forts, curved emplacements, and four- and five-cornered bastions. Each fort was five to six feet thick, sometimes reaching 15 or 16 feet. The forts were intricately interconnected, housing several artillery pieces and surrounding trenches. The trenches were 18 feet wide and 12 to 13 feet deep. They were filled with stakes, barbed wire, wolf traps, and mines. Large iron nets and countless traps were also set outside the trenches. Behind the positions, tunnels were built to accommodate artillery vehicles. These tunnels were concave, wide, and zigzagging to protect against artillery fire.

The Russian army also built a fort on the mountain south of the city, east of the right bank of the Taizi River, installed heavy artillery, dug trenches, and dug four wells in the surrounding area to guard the fortresses in the city.

Faced with such a comprehensive defense system, the Russians, using Liaoyang as their base, were determined to hold it to the bitter end. However, even with this comprehensive defense system, after the Battle of Liaoyang, in the early morning of September 4, 1904, Russian officers unexpectedly abandoned Liaoyang, crossed the Taizi River, and retreated towards Fengtian. Japanese troops, led by Fukushima, a staff officer of the Japanese Manchurian Army General Headquarters, captured Liaoyang. In other words, Liaoyang, with its comprehensive defense system, was in great danger. If they didn't seize the perfect opportunity to liberate Liaoyang now, while the Japanese army was complacent and their forces were depleted on the front lines against the Russians, then when would they be able to do so? If this defense system were exploited by the incoming Japanese reinforcements, like a nail in the coffin, then, with the Japanese army's tenacity, retaking Liaoyang would be infinitely more difficult and would inevitably require enormous sacrifices.

Although Li Shan had a follow-up action plan, he was unaware that the Fifth Field Army's direct division had already received the news after the Japanese infantry and cavalry regiments stationed in Liaoyang had left the city. The Japanese, possessing a city defense system but lacking any effective defenses, exploited the Japanese's lack of manpower and complacency, and led by local comrades, the direct division's comrades easily reached the city gates.

The commander of the direct division, Wang Lin, was worried that something might happen if he was late, so after arriving outside Liaoyang City, he immediately ordered the soldiers to prepare for the siege without any delay.

Wang Lin, the commander of the direct division, was born into a poor farming family in Shandong Province. He later journeyed to Northeast China and became a laborer. In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China, and Tsarist Russia seized the opportunity to invade Northeast China. Eager to join the Loyal Army, fighting to "defend against the Russian invaders" and recover the country's territory, he organized his fellow workers to ambush Russian troops in the Taimagou area, firing the first shot in his fight against Tsarist Russia. To protect his troops and better combat the Russians, Wang Lin moved his troops deep into the dense forests along the Sino-Russian border, operating along the Chinese Eastern Railway and the Ussuri River basin. He specialized in intercepting Russian trains and fleets, kidnapping wealthy Russian businessmen and their families, and, when possible, attacking Tsarist railway guards and outposts. To win the support of the people, Wang Lin established three rules for his troops: First, Chinese must not harass or harm other Chinese; second, no enemy must be killed as long as they are convinced; and third, the poor and helpless must be protected and assisted. In April 1903, facing the invasion of imperialism and the corruption of the Qing court, Wang Lin raised the banner of "resisting the Russians and saving the nation, forced into banditry," and took to the mountains as a bandit. His fame was so great that Liu Wenxiu and his companions, upon arriving in the three northeastern provinces, naturally contacted this heroic figure. After just over a year of study, training, and practical experience, and with his exceptional talent and hardworking spirit, he successfully ascended to the position of commander of a division directly under the field army—a position of power and influence. In an era of sweeping away the old and bringing forth the new, this was a truly remarkable opportunity.

Chapter 488:

"The beginning of a war is the decisive battle, and the outcome will be decided in one battle! Take the enemy by surprise, attack them where they are unprepared! Use the right tactics to unite, and the unexpected to win..."

Wang Lin silently chewed on a few military terms he had learned in the training class while carefully studying the map. Feeling that the time was almost up, he looked at 007's staff.

The staff officer knew what Wang Lin meant by looking at him, and nodded immediately. After seeing the staff officer nod, he looked at the other comrades. After hearing the report that the comrades were ready, he looked up at the city wall again and immediately gave the order to attack.

Wang Lin knew that the Japanese troops in Liaoyang City must be very vigilant at this time, but Wang Lin also knew that there were not many Japanese troops left in the city. Even if the remaining Japanese troops wanted to defend the city to the death, their manpower was already stretched to the limit and seriously insufficient.

In fact, according to common sense, it should be to slowly test the waters, attack each other for a period of time, draw the enemy in, and understand the enemy's actual situation before launching a general attack. However, time waits for no one. If the enemy comes to support Liaoyang, if the battle is delayed too long, either the enemy will be attacked from both sides, or the enemy may enter the city and rely on the defense system to hold on, which will cause huge trouble for the enemy.

As Wang Lin and his men attacked, the sound of gunfire echoed. The Japanese soldiers inside the city, no matter how deaf or blind, knew they were under attack. Major Hino Tsuyoshi, stationed in Liaoyang, paled immediately. It wasn't that Hino Tsuyoshi was afraid; after all, he had personally participated in the Russo-Japanese War, serving in Kuroki Tamemoto's 1st Army headquarters. In October, he was appointed battalion commander of the 30th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Division. His regiment participated in the two major battles of Liaoyang and Shahe. He himself was commended for his military exploits, and in December 1904, he was promoted to Major and awarded the Fourth Class Gold Medal. As he was stationed in Liaoyang, he naturally knew the current situation there. The consequences of losing Liaoyang immediately occurred to him, and his face turned pale.

He knew the dire situation in Liaoyang at the moment. When he heard the gunfire, he knew the situation had reached its final moment. He made a split-second decision: to live and die with Liaoyang. Hearing the distant gunfire, Captain Hino Qiang had no choice but to send out his last remaining soldiers. However, less than twenty minutes after the order was issued, a lieutenant, his face covered in gunpowder and blood, rushed to Hino Qiang and reported in panic, "Captain, the west gate has been lost. Requesting support."

Hino Qiang sighed. Where could he get any support now? He immediately asked, "Who is attacking us?"

The lieutenant took a breath and continued, "It's the Qing army, uh... it's the Qing people. Moreover, this group of Qing people suddenly launched an attack during the artillery bombardment, firing artillery during the attack. Our infantry squadron defending the city wall suffered heavy losses on the spot, and almost all of the heavy machine guns were lost. Our squadron leader asked me to come and report that we need at least one heavy machine gun squadron to recapture the city wall and continue to hold it, otherwise we will not be able to stop the Qing army..."

"Bagayalu, are you sure these are Qing troops? Firing artillery during the attack? Aren't they afraid of bombing their own people? Impossible, absolutely impossible to be the Qing army..."

Hino Tsuyoshi was very good at grasping the crux of the matter, not even mentioning the reinforcements. He felt like he was going crazy and started to denounce loudly. If this army was as the lieutenant said, then was it still an army composed of Qing people? The Imperial Japanese Army was no more than this.

"Captain, these aren't Russian troops. The enemy's infantry arrived just as the artillery shells were fired. We had no way to defend ourselves, and we suffered heavy losses."

The lieutenant was also anxious and immediately asked, "Captain, the front line is in crisis. How many troops can we mobilize? To reinforce the west gate?"

"Except for the guard soldiers of our command center, there are no other soldiers that can be mobilized." Hino Qiang could only reply helplessly.

The lieutenant suddenly realized at this moment that, yes, not long ago, the infantry and cavalry guarding Liaoyang had left one after another, and the last infantry company of the command center had also been sent to the front line.

"What should we do? Should we chase them immediately? If we don't have reinforcements, we won't be able to hold on."

Suddenly, the lieutenant had an idea and said, "Captain, there is another unit, that is our squadron guarding the warehouse. Just leave a small team behind. If Liaoyang falls, order them to blow up the supplies stored in Liaoyang..."

Before the lieutenant could finish his words, Hino Qiang spoke up.

"Yoshi, let's do this! Go and convey the order immediately. Have them defend the city. Also, tell the squadron leaders that as long as they hold on a little longer, our reinforcements will arrive soon. Once they arrive, it's time to strike back. Also, tell them that as long as the city is safe, long live the Empire of Japan!"

Hearing this, the lieutenant suddenly had an idea and immediately stood at attention, bowed and said, "Hi, long live the Empire of Japan."

Hino Tsuyoshi still looked down on the Qing army. After all, he had participated in the Sino-Japanese War as an infantry lieutenant and knew what the Qing army was like. A small imperial team dared to chase the large Qing army, so how could they dare to take the initiative to attack the army of the Empire of Japan? Moreover, in this Russo-Japanese War, the Qing chose to remain neutral and it was impossible for it to send troops to attack him.

After all, Hino Tsuyoshi had been assigned to the General Staff in 1902, gathering intelligence on the borders of Northeast China and Korea. He suddenly remembered some previously overlooked information: in addition to the Japanese and Russian factions, Northeast China did indeed have a fourth, and even a fifth, armed force: the bandits, bandits, and militias of the Northeast.

Suddenly, he remembered someone had mentioned to him that someone was gathering bandits to form their own faction. He had initially thought it was a joke. Suddenly, he thought of those Japanese intelligence officers who had disappeared without a trace. Could it be that...

The figures of a group of people appeared in his mind. He really remembered those militias that had once made the Lu Kingdom lose face, abandon their weapons and armor, and suffer heavy losses. If it was this group of people...

As an intelligence officer, he felt himself trapped in a vast darkness, a vast conspiracy looming over him. An ominous premonition rose within him, causing his hair to stand on end, goosebumps to appear all over his body, and a shudder of cold. Hino Qiang dared not delay any further and immediately headed for the battlefield, determined to understand the huge mystery within him.

Because Liaoyang has a railway passing through it and has complete defensive fortifications, and the Russian army withdrew from Liaoyang on its own initiative, the buildings in Liaoyang are relatively well preserved except for some that were destroyed by artillery shells.

During the Russo-Japanese Battle of Mukden, Liaoyang was an important logistics material storage base and material transfer station, so the Japanese army also stored a large amount of supplies in Liaoyang. This is also one of the reasons why Wang Lin wanted to capture Liaoyang as soon as possible but still fought outside the city to eliminate the enemy's manpower instead of immediately attacking the city.

It was easy to break into the city, but he couldn't alert the enemy. He feared the enemy would indiscriminately blow up and burn the stored supplies. Although he had prepared a backup plan, the biggest worry was the possibility of the supplies being blown up, especially the arsenal, which would greatly reduce the spoils. He couldn't afford such a loss. Moreover, the detonation of bullets and shells would be enough to devastate the attacking troops.

There were mountains of supplies in the warehouses of Liaoyang and in some of the occupied houses. A single squadron couldn't possibly handle all the supplies, but they couldn't afford to do so now. Besides, the supplies were relatively safe inside the city. If Liaoyang fell, even with so few people, they wouldn't be able to stop the enemy's attack and would inevitably be sacrificed. So what was the point of guarding these supplies now?

The front line was still fighting a desperate battle, and the Japanese troops on the front line were still waiting for reinforcements, so the Japanese lieutenant came to the warehouse garrison and ordered the remaining Japanese team to blow up the ammunition and supplies when necessary, set fire to the city, and then hurriedly took the other Japanese troops to support the front line.

However, the lieutenant and Hino Tsuyoshi had good intentions, but they did not know that the reinforcements they sent were just meat delivered to the door.

However, after the Japanese lieutenant took away some Japanese soldiers, the 007 special forces team that Wang Lin had originally arranged to infiltrate Liaoyang in advance finally knew that their best chance had come.

Chapter 489:

Wang Lin fully understood that war was a test of physical strength and wisdom, and that it emphasized the importance of using the right tactics to achieve victory and the unexpected to win. Therefore, Wang Lin had already arranged for 007 to enter the city as a surprise force to capture Liaoyang.

It has been quite some time since the Russo-Japanese Battle of Liaoyang, and many of the residents who had fled have now returned to the city, which has greatly facilitated the special forces' operations into the city.

In such a huge city like Liaoyang, although the Japanese army had sentries on the main roads, the comrades of the Special Operations Team had all undergone rigorous training and were all martial arts masters who were good at disguise. The Japanese army had no concept of special warfare at that time and was lax in its defenses, so it was naturally easy for them to sneak into a city with weak defenses.

The soldiers had three tasks when entering the city. The first was to take the initiative to attack if the main force was blocked outside the city and could not enter. They would then attack from both sides to support the main force.

However, no one expected that the Japanese army was arrogant and thought that Liaoyang was the rear area and there was no enemy threatening them, so they did not deploy any defenses outside the city. Therefore, this mission was almost useless because there was no need for internal and external support, and the main force was able to attack the city.

The second and most important task was to seize the material warehouses in the city and seize all the supplies stored by the Japanese army in Liaoyang, most importantly, weapons and ammunition. They also had to prevent the Japanese from making desperate moves and blowing up the supplies and ammunition.

The third task is naturally to capture the Japanese command center. With orders from the command center, all Japanese troops and Japanese who come to China will fight to the death. However, once there are no orders and commands from above, even if the remaining Japanese troops want to resist, they will only fight on their own and become a loose sand, which can greatly accelerate the defeat of the Japanese army.

Liu Wenxiu and his men had spent two years in the Northeast, and maps of cities like Liaoyang had already been completed. Therefore, the Japanese military's storage warehouses never truly left the Northeastern comrades' field of vision. Upon arriving in the Northeast, they had all listened to Zhang Yinghao's lecture, knowing that if they had no guns or artillery, the enemy would make them for them; if they had no food or clothing, the enemy would deliver them to them. Naturally, these supplies had long been coveted by the comrades. As the saying goes, one can be a thief for a thousand days, but never be on guard against thieves for a thousand days. If the Japanese knew their supplies were constantly being coveted, they would probably be unable to sleep.

The special forces were monitoring the Japanese forces' every move in the city. The Japanese headquarters and warehouses were empty, so they couldn't escape their watchful eyes. They were also looking for an opportunity to capture the warehouses without being destroyed by the Japanese. Now, with only one squad left guarding the warehouses, the watchers knew their chance had finally arrived.

Less than five minutes after the Japanese lieutenant and his troops left the warehouse, the special forces captain Qin Niugu received the news in a large courtyard about one kilometer away from the warehouse.

When you hear this name, you will know that Qin Niu Gu was born in a genuine farming family. Qin is his surname. As for why he was named Niu Gu, it is naturally these two simple reasons, that's all.

Qin Niu Gu's eyes lit up immediately after receiving the report, and he said with a fiery look on his face: "Tell me again about the current deployment of the Japanese troops in the supply warehouse. The more detailed the better..."

"Yes, Captain..." the squad leader who came to report quickly replied. "There are only Japanese troops around this supply storage point."

After that, he pointed to the floor plan of the warehouse and said, "There are only three people guarding the gate, equipped with a heavy machine gun. There are two people behind to defend the other passage of the warehouse. The other Japanese soldiers are patrolling in groups of two, inside and outside the warehouse. After each patrol, they will rest at the gate and be replaced by another person..."

As soon as the team leader finished speaking, a squadron leader immediately said excitedly: "Opportunity, Captain, our chance has come."

At this moment, several commanders above the level of squadron leader focused their attention on Qin Niu Gu at the same time. Qin Niu Gu would certainly not let go of such a good opportunity. Without thinking, he ordered several squadron leaders: "The current situation is more urgent than ours.

It was much better than expected. The main force defending the city was all transferred to the factory. Fifth Squadron, you put on Japanese uniforms, take over the Japanese supply warehouse and guard it.

Hold it. Try not to use your gun if you can. After taking the warehouse, immediately fire a flare into the air. Remember, after taking the warehouse, remember to tie a white towel around your arm...