“Who do you think you are? Giving us orders? You’re just a Private—who gave you the nerve?” a Corporal snapped, pointing a finger at Hu Hao.
“Sorry, sorry! He’s just a bit high-strung, first-day jitters!” Huan Xingtao quickly intervened, pulling Hu Hao back into their bunker while he continued loading magazines.
“Is it really happening?” Sima Xuankong asked, his voice trembling.
“Go look for yourself. Count the ships. Before breakfast, there were only two. Go see how many there are now,” Hu Hao replied.
Sima Xuankong scrambled out, peered over the embankment, and immediately scrambled back down, face white as a sheet.
“My god… there are dozens of them. The Allied Fleet. I saw flags from all over.”
“When the shelling starts, crouch against these walls. Bring your knees to your chest, tuck your head, and hold on tight. Got it?” Hu Hao sat in a corner, demonstrating the brace position.
“Got it.” The soldiers who had finished loading their gear sat down beside him, mimicking his posture.
A few minutes later, a soldier from a neighboring squad poked his head in. Seeing them sitting in silence, he burst out laughing. “What’s wrong with you guys? Just sitting there like statues?”
“What do you want?” Huan Xingtao asked.
“Nothing, just checking in!”
“Then get back to your hole. It’s about to start,” Hu Hao warned.
“Let it start. Who cares?” the soldier shrugged. He hadn’t yet realized the sheer brutality of what was coming. Hu Hao felt a pang of pity for the man’s ignorance.
“Just go back,” Huan Xingtao said, eyeing Hu Hao.
“Fine, suit yourselves. This whole squad is mental,” the soldier muttered, walking away.
The others looked at Hu Hao, some doubting why they were hiding in a corner when the sun was still shining.
“Don’t just stare. If you’re bored, write a letter to someone you love. Once the lead starts flying, the phone lines will be the first thing to go. You should know that much,” Hu Hao said, opening his book again.
“What’s there to write? I already called home,” Sima Xuankong muttered.
“Do what you want.” Hu Hao didn’t feel like arguing.
Ten minutes later, a massive BOOM shook the earth. Huan Xingtao and the others dove for the floor.
“Don’t just dive! Get into the position! Now!” Hu Hao roared. “That was just a ranging shot from a naval gun!”
“God… they’re actually firing,” He Jizhong whimpered, tears welling in his eyes.
Outside, the air was filled with the sounds of confusion and shouting. The ranging shot hadn’t hit the trenches, but it had shattered the soldiers’ denial. The war was no longer “coming.” It was here.
Less than two minutes later, the world ended.
CRASH-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The explosions were relentless. This wasn’t field artillery; these were large-caliber naval guns. The sheer concussive force was enough to kill a man without a single piece of shrapnel touching him. Huan Xingtao and the others clutched their heads, paralyzed. Some were openly sobbing.
The bombardment showed no signs of stopping. Without a periscope, Hu Hao was blind to the outside world, so he sat and waited. Above the thunder of the sea-based guns, he heard the scream of jet engines—fighters and bombers. The Imperial Air Force had likely been pushed back, leaving the skies to the Allies.
Bombs began to walk along the trench lines, designed to cave in the defenses. Their bunker held, but only because no direct hit landed on the narrow entrance.
After ten minutes of hell, the naval guns finally fell silent. Almost immediately, a runner from company headquarters came sprinting through the smoke.
“OUT! GET OUT! THEY’RE LANDING! MOVE IT!”
“Up! Everyone out!” Hu Hao grabbed his rifle and bolted. The others were still dazed. “What are you waiting for? They’re on the beach! MOVE!”
“S-Squad Leader… my legs won’t move!” one soldier cried.
“Mine neither!”
“Crawl if you have to! GET OUT THERE!” Huan Xingtao screamed, shoving the terrified men toward the exit.
When Hu Hao reached the parapet, his breath hitched. The scale was staggering. At least a full Allied division—ten thousand men—was surging toward their sector, supported by hundreds of tanks.
Against that much steel, air support, and naval fire, a single regiment wouldn’t last the day. Hu Hao shouldered his rifle and took aim at the lead wave.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He was the first man on the line to fire. He burned through a magazine, dropping several targets as he gauged the rifle’s kick and accuracy.
Rat-tat-tat! Crack-crack-crack!
As he ducked to reload, a hail of return fire chewed up the dirt where his head had been seconds before.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you shooting?” Hu Hao shouted at the soldiers huddled in the trench. They were too terrified to peek over the edge.
“Fire! Now! They’re almost on us! Where is everyone?” The Company Commander appeared, frantic. The enemy was already within 400 meters. If they didn’t establish a base of fire now, the line would be overrun.
“People are dead! They’re dead in the bunkers!” a soldier wailed.
“GET ON THE WALL! FIRE!” the CO roared.
Hu Hao slammed in a fresh magazine, shifted positions, and leaned into the dirt. He fired in disciplined three-round bursts. At this range, two out of three shots found a mark.
Seeing a Private holding the line, the other soldiers finally began to peek over and pull their triggers.
“God, there’s so many of them!”
The trench line finally came alive with return fire, but the Allies were already returning the favor with interest.
“Argh!” A soldier nearby took a hit and collapsed, screaming. Then another.
“Get down!” Hu Hao barked after emptying his magazine. His squad ducked. “Stop sticking your heads up like targets! Keep your profile low! Machine gunner, listen for my mark! When I say suppress, you spray! When I say stop, you stop! Loader, keep him focused!”
“Got it!” they yelled back, their voices cracking.
“Up!” Hu Hao popped up again, prioritizing the enemy’s heavy weapons teams.
“HELP! MEDIC!” The trench was becoming a chorus of screams. Some were lucky enough to die instantly; others weren’t.
“Rocket team! Take out that lead tank! I just dropped their gunner, move!” Hu Hao shouted.
“Huh?” Sima Xuankong stared at him, dazed.
“TAKE THE SHOT! NOW!”
Sima shouldered the launcher, his loader slapped a round in, and he squeezed the trigger. Whoosh—BOOM!
“You idiot! Use the armor-piercing rounds, not the high-explosives!” Hu Hao cursed as the HE round splashed harmlessly against the tank’s front plate.
“What?” Sima Xuankong looked back, completely overwhelmed by the chaos.