Hu Hao ordered the troops to continue the attack. They bombarded every area the infantry guns could reach. Meanwhile, on the opposite bank, corpses littered the ground.
Hu Hao’s assault inflicted heavy casualties on the Allied forces. No one expected his troops to use incendiary bombs.
Normally, incendiary bombs were only used in urban warfare or trench warfare against permanent enemy fortifications, aiming to flush the enemy out into the open.
But they never imagined that the Eastern Spirit forces would drop incendiary bombs on flat ground just to raise the temperature. It made the already sweltering Allied soldiers even more miserable, forcing them to abandon their trenches and retreat to the rear.
Furthermore, during the retreat, they couldn’t organize a counterattack to cover their withdrawal. They could only turn their backs to Hu Hao’s troops, providing them with a perfect shooting gallery. The heavy machine guns swept across the field, dealing massive casualties to the Allied forces!
“Damn it!” Abusai stood there, staring at his positions where struck-down soldiers lay everywhere. The crucial part was that the Eastern Spirit artillery was still extending its range. They clearly wanted his troops to retreat as far back as possible. That way, when he launched his attack tomorrow, his forces would have to cover a long distance, giving the Eastern Spirit side ample time to prepare!
“Corps Commander, our troops are still retreating, but our casualties are severe. Many soldiers just suffered heatstroke and collapsed on the frontline positions. If we leave them out there to roast, I’m afraid they will die!” the Chief of Staff said, looking at Abusai with concern.
“Can we contact the other side? We need to treat our wounded. We’ll go over with a white flag later so we can bring back the soldiers who fainted from heatstroke!” Abusai asked his Chief of Staff.
“We don’t know yet. We’ll have to send someone to ask after the shelling stops!” The Chief of Staff thought for a moment before replying.
“Mm, go ask!” Abusai nodded, unsure if the Eastern Spirit forces would agree.
“However, Corps Commander, you should prepare yourself. The Eastern Spirit forces harbor a deep hatred for us because we execute prisoners. So, I doubt there’s much hope!” the Chief of Staff hesitated before warning Abusai.
“I know, just try. By the way, have the troops from the Limaguo 7th Corps arrived? Is their artillery here yet?” Abusai asked, suddenly remembering.
“Their artillery units have arrived. We didn’t request their infantry, so they haven’t come!” the Chief of Staff replied.
“From what I can see, there’s definitely more than one division on the opposite bank; it’s clearly several divisions. Our casualties just now must be severe. Let’s do this: have their infantry come over as well. Leave the logistics units in Daman City, but all combat troops must come here!” Abusai decided after some thought.
“Yes, sir. I’ll contact them immediately. However, should we have them come over now, or wait until dusk?” the Chief of Staff asked.
“Have them come at dusk. Coming now is useless; we can’t organize an attack anyway. Today, our other units also began probing attacks, but the results were poor. The Eastern Spirit forces are defending well. It seems they’ve learned how to fight!” Abusai said with a hint of worry as he gazed into the distance.
“It’s not that they’ve learned how to fight; they’ve simply stabilized. Our troops were completely wiped out by them earlier, which gave them time to breathe. I believe that once our forces crush their current defenders, their rear units will still be just as incompetent.
“Those Eastern Spirit generals are all useless. They’ve been given excellent weapons and equipment, and they have plenty of arsenals, but they just don’t know how to wage war. It’s a pity. This land shouldn’t belong to the Eastern Spirit Empire; it should be occupied by the people of our Southern Region and Eastern Region. Giving it to them is a waste!” the Chief of Staff chimed in from the side.
“Let’s leave that aside for now. Go make contact! Damn it, the troops on the opposite bank are still bombing us!” Abusai shouted angrily as he watched the situation across the river.
Meanwhile, over on Hu Hao’s side, Wang Yao and his group had already been reassigned to the subordinate units. Upon arriving at his assigned company, Wang Yao took on the role of Deputy Company Commander. As soon as he got there, he saw that the soldiers were all incredibly excited as they watched the situation on the opposite bank.
Some were even spitting in that direction, looking like they were finally getting their revenge. The soldiers were all smiling. This thoroughly baffled Wang Yao and his friends. Why were they acting like this? The Eastern Spirit Empire had a very high level of cultural education, and their etiquette and civility were excellent.
Why did these people turn into this the moment they stepped onto the battlefield? Wang Yao and his group couldn’t comprehend it at all.
However, they were smart enough now to keep their dissenting opinions to themselves. They were afraid that if they spoke up, they wouldn’t even be able to stay in the company.
“Hey, Deputy Company Commander Wang, come over here! You guys just graduated from the military academy, you’re top students! Come take a look. Motherfucker, this is so satisfying!” Wang Yao’s Company Commander called out to him with a smile, wanting him to come outside.
“Yeah, it is satisfying. But it’s too hot, so I won’t come out. The sun is making me dizzy!” Wang Yao didn’t want to go out and look, so he used that excuse to decline.
“Mm, that’s true. I’ll come inside too. Hao-ge really is amazing. Fighting alongside him is just great. Without breaking a sweat, he wiped out so many of their troops. He beat them so badly they couldn’t even get angry; they didn’t even have a chance to fight back!” The Company Commander walked inside with a smile and sat down in the air-raid shelter.
“By the way, is our Division Commander really that good at fighting? Why do you all trust him so much?” Wang Yao immediately asked upon hearing this.
They had heard the soldiers praise Hu Hao’s combat skills before, but they hadn’t believed it. They had only been separated for a month; how good could Hu Hao have possibly gotten?
“Of course he is. If it weren’t for Hao-ge, all of us brothers would have died long ago. Also, you know the Allied forces across the river are the Mara Empire’s 11th Corps, right? Previously, it was the Limaguo 7th Corps that was coming to attack us. But before their three divisions even reached us, Hao-ge wiped them out using just one battalion and one regiment. Tell me, is that impressive or what?” the Company Commander said to Wang Yao with a smile.
“Mm, that is quite impressive. But how do you know? Did the Division Commander tell you?” Wang Yao asked, still skeptical.
“Why would the Division Commander tell us about that? The brothers from the 1st Regiment and the armored units told us. They were personally involved! They even brought back a massive amount of weapons and ammo, a lot of it belonging to the Allied forces!” the Company Commander quickly replied.
“Oh, so you guys really trust our Division Commander?” Wang Yao pressed.
“Definitely. Hao-ge can keep us alive. Put aside whether we win or lose battles; Hao-ge stands with us brothers. He never abandons anyone, and he always charges at the very front.
“He led the brothers all the way from the coast of Tianyu Province, fighting our way here. We suffered massive losses along the way. If it weren’t for Hao-ge, especially in this weather, I reckon all of us would be nothing but dry bones by now.
“You haven’t seen Hao-ge fight. With just a rifle and a bag of grenades, he charges at the very front. Wherever the Allied forces are, Hao-ge is there. Which of the brothers wouldn’t respect that? Plus, he knows how to command. By the way, Hao-ge also just graduated from the military academy, right? Just like you?” the Company Commander said, looking at Wang Yao.
“Yes, just graduated!” Wang Yao nodded.
“That’s good, then. Use your brain well and wipe out the Allied forces. You don’t understand—the Allied forces are animals. They kill everyone! If they kill us soldiers, we have nothing to complain about;
“After all, we’re the ones fighting with guns. But they kill the civilians too! They don’t even spare the children! Do you understand? They aren’t human; they’re beasts. We have to kill every last one of them!
“Thinking about it makes my chest feel tight. The brothers who witnessed those scenes back in Nanlin City… when they think of those images at night, they can’t sleep at all. It’s agonizing!” the Company Commander continued.
“Mm, yes, they are animals!” Wang Yao nodded in agreement. Now he didn’t know how to follow up on the conversation.
“You just got here, you must be terrified, right? It’s fine, let me tell you, this is what war is like. Hiding anywhere doesn’t guarantee your safety. Only by not fearing death and daring to clash head-on with the Allied forces do you have a chance to survive.
“If you are afraid of dying, you’ll die even faster. The Allied forces don’t care whether you’re afraid or not. If you don’t dare to shoot, they’ll shoot and kill you. Remember, never be afraid. The gun in your hands and the soldiers beside you are our confidence.
“With Hao-ge here, with our brothers here, what is there to fear? If we don’t kill them, they’ll just keep daring to attack our defensive lines!” the Company Commander instructed Wang Yao. Hearing this, Wang Yao nodded to show he understood.
Soon, it was past 1 PM. The infantry guns on their side had stopped firing, and the heavy machine guns fell silent. The Allied forces who could run had already run away. However, there were still soldiers struggling on the Allied positions. Seeing this, the soldiers on this side immediately aimed their rifles to finish them off.
Wang Yao and his group couldn’t bear to watch. They didn’t understand why these soldiers were so bloodthirsty! What they didn’t know was…
…many of the soldiers here were refugees before they joined the 87th Division. They had witnessed their families being murdered by the Allied forces, so they joined Hu Hao’s ranks purely for revenge. Now that they saw Allied soldiers still alive, how could they possibly pass up the chance to shoot?
As long as they could kill just one, they would feel a bit better. At the very least, they were avenging their families and friends.
By noon, the temperature grew even hotter. The retreating Allied troops could now only hide in distant villages. They didn’t even dare to enter the woods, as they were currently engulfed in flames caused by the incendiary bombs.
Thus, they were forced to stay inside dilapidated houses, bare-chested, fanning themselves with their hats, hoping for some relief.
Meanwhile, Hu Hao and his men were enjoying the cool breeze in their air-conditioned rooms.
(End of Chapter)