After Hu Hao finished his instructions and shouted the order to prepare, the soldiers became a blur of activity. Some scrambled to shoulder heavy crates of ammunition, others rushed to fill water containers, while another group hauled over the massive bags of steamed buns.
“Why aren’t we using the armored vehicles? They have mounted heavy machine guns and provide protection,” Li Tianyuan asked, standing beside Hu Hao.
“Armored vehicles? We only have wheeled armor. I’d bet the road ahead is completely leveled by now. How are we supposed to drive through that?” Hu Hao replied without looking up, his hands moving with mechanical precision as he loaded his magazines.
“Mmh. You’re right. A lot of high-rises in that sector were blown apart; the debris is everywhere. Only tracked vehicles or tanks could manage that terrain,” Li Tianyuan admitted after a moment’s thought.
“Hu Hao, I’m going too!” Li Jingsong interjected, standing firm beside him.
“I’m not the Army Commander. Why are you telling me?” Hu Hao glanced at him with a brief smirk before returning to his task.
A soldier hauled over a large drum of water. Hu Hao and his men began topping off their canteens. It was mid-summer in a tropical region, and the heat was stifling. In the middle of a firefight, they would need every drop of water to stay functional.
“Hao-ge, the food is here!” a soldier called out, carrying a bucket of buns.
“Good. Give me a few!” Hu Hao stuffed several buns into his pack, already gnawing on one held between his teeth.
Standing nearby, Li Tianyuan watched his son, his heart heavy with worry. He wanted to forbid him from going, but he knew that doing so here, in front of the troops, would strip Li Jingsong of any remaining scrap of authority. He glared at Jingsong and jerked his head toward the exit, signaling him to follow. Li Jingsong quickly trailed after him.
Hu Hao watched the scene and shook his head with a chuckle. He continued prepping his gear until the rest of the men were ready, standing in silence as they waited for him.
“Brothers, you all set? We move in three minutes. Remember what I told you: spread out. Keep your distance. They have tanks—if they lob a shell into a tight group, we’re finished!” Hu Hao shouted.
“Understood!” the soldiers roared back. Hu Hao checked his watch and waited for the seconds to tick down.
Outside, Li Tianyuan lowered his voice, his tone sharp with frustration. “What are you doing? You have five Regimental Commanders going in—why does a Division Commander need to be there? We barely have any troops left; who knows how many are coming back? Are you trying to kill me with worry?”
Li Jingsong, a man nearly forty years old, stood before his father like a child being scolded, his head bowed.
“I know you want their forgiveness,” Li Tianyuan continued urgently. “But I know better than you—most of the men going up there today won’t return. You understand? Why do you care so much what they think of you? You’re a Major General, a Division Commander. When these men are gone, the High Command will just give us fresh replacements once we pull back.”
“Father, I am a soldier, and I am their commander,” Li Jingsong said softly, still unable to meet his father’s gaze. “I’ve already abandoned them once. If I don’t go this time, no one will ever believe in me again. Hu Hao said it: if a man is wounded, you save him, because next time it might be you. I want them to follow me into the next battle, too. Father… if I don’t come back, I’m counting on you to look after Zun-er.”
“You… why won’t you listen?” Li Tianyuan hissed. “Why do you care about their opinion? Even if Hu Hao has their respect, he’s just a Captain. We are the ones who decide who gets promoted. These soldiers are just commoners, but we are the elite. There’s no need to care this much!”
“I know. But I’m still going. Father, I’m sorry. Take care. Uncle, please look after my father!” Li Jingsong turned to Li Daowen.
“Jingsong, your father is right. You don’t have to do this,” Li Daowen urged.
“No. You don’t understand. Because you haven’t seen life and death on the line… you really don’t understand,” Li Jingsong said. He stood straight and saluted his father and Li Daowen. Just then, Hu Hao and the men emerged from the bunker.
“Everyone on the trucks! Head for the southeast! Move!” Hu Hao roared. Li Jingsong and his guards sprinted toward the vehicles.
“Hu Hao! I’m riding with you!” Li Jingsong shouted.
“My squad is full. Don’t you have your own command vehicle? Take your own car and follow us!” Hu Hao yelled back, looking at him with surprise.
“Fine! My car will trail yours! Move out! Get the car ready!” Li Jingsong barked at his guards.
Hu Hao watched Li Jingsong’s retreating back and let out a small smile.
“Hu Hao!” Li Tianyuan shouted as the engines began to roar. “Please… take care of Jingsong. If he makes it back alive, I’ll personally see you decorated!”
“I’ll look after him! But I can’t promise anything! You know as well as I do that whether we live or die out there is anyone’s guess!” Hu Hao waved a hand dismissively and led Huan Xingtao and the others toward their vehicle.
The convoy surged forward, racing toward the southwest. As they advanced, the thunder of artillery and the rattle of gunfire became deafening. The road was cluttered—trucks filled with wounded sped toward the hospitals, while others carried the bodies of the fallen.
The convoy had been moving for less than ten minutes when explosions erupted directly ahead—the unmistakable sound of rocket fire.
“Dismount! Everyone out!” Hu Hao grabbed the radio and shouted.
The vehicles screeched to a halt. Hu Hao and his men dived for the cover of nearby buildings. The drivers peeled away, hiding the armored vehicles under the canopy of trees or deep inside the skeletons of bombed-out shops.
“What do we do now?” Li Jingsong asked, clutching his rifle as he caught up to Hu Hao.
“Brothers, move toward the gunfire! Spread out! Don’t bunch up!” Hu Hao roared. Li Jingsong and his guards stuck close to his side.
“Stay within the buildings! Keep your eyes front! Do not rush blindly!” Hu Hao led the way, slipping through a shattered apartment complex. The walls were riddled with holes, creating a jagged labyrinth.
Pop-pop-pop! Rat-tat-tat!
“They’re just ahead! Stay sharp!” Hu Hao urged, moving with veteran speed.
“Save me… help me…”
Hu Hao and his squad reached a concrete pillar and spotted a soldier lying in the ruins just ahead.
“Cover me!” Without hesitation, Hu Hao sprinted toward him.
As he closed the distance, he felt the prickle of a sniper’s aim. He performed a hard tactical roll, sliding into the dirt beside the wounded man. A line of bullets kicked up dust exactly where he had been standing a second before.
“Hao-ge! They’re in the high-rise! Third floor, center window!” a soldier yelled.
“Rocket team, load HE! On my mark, take them out!” Hu Hao peeked out to confirm. He saw the muzzle flash of a heavy machine gun and a full Allied squad.
“Ready!” Sima Xuankong shouted.
“Now!” Hu Hao popped up, firing a few rounds to draw their attention.
“Fire!”
Whoosh—BOOM!
The third-floor window vanished in a plume of fire and debris.
“Move! Go!” Hu Hao grabbed the wounded man by his webbing and hauled him back behind the concrete pillar while the rest of the men pushed forward.
“Medic! Medic, over here! A brother from the 28th Army is hit! Get him patched up!” Hu Hao shouted, preparing to move again.
“Brother… brother, wait!” The wounded soldier reached out and snagged Hu Hao’s trouser leg.
“Easy, kid. You’re fine. Someone’s coming for you,” Hu Hao knelt down to reassure him.
“No… listen,” the soldier wheezed. “Up ahead… there’s an Allied infantry brigade and a tank regiment. There are two more brigades nearby and a massive force of armor. Don’t push too far. So many of our boys… they went too deep. They aren’t coming back!”
“Understood. Thanks for the heads-up,” Hu Hao said, nodding gravely.
“Hao-ge, he’s from the 28th?” a medic asked as he arrived with his kit.
“Doesn’t matter the unit. If he’s a brother, you save him! Remember that! Kid, I’ve gotta go,” Hu Hao said.
“Understood, Hao-ge. I’ve got him.”
Hu Hao sprinted away, catching up to his squad. They were pinned down by a machine gun nest at the next intersection. The road was a graveyard; the bodies of the 28th Army lay scattered everywhere.
“Hu Hao, what’s the move?” Li Jingsong panted, sliding into the dirt beside him. “The enemy has a machine gun nest and mortars zeroed in right there!”