137: Engagement Special Forces

"Alert~~ Alert~~

High-speed moving heat sources detected on the flank!

Number: One hundred eighty!

Distance: 900 meters!

Advancing in tactical formation to encircle, target: our flank.

Enemy Mortar trajectories detected, target: our previous Mortar firing position, impact expected in ten seconds."

"Enemy attack! Take cover!" Zhang Tingshu and Li Zhenshan roared simultaneously.

Before the words had even faded!

"Whoosh~~~~"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Dozens of Mortar shells accurately struck around the Security Team's previous Mortar positions.

Fortunately, the Mortar crew had already relocated as planned after firing, with no casualties.

"Mortar crew! Counterattack! Take out the Japs' artillery positions!"

Zhang Tingshu reacted swiftly, roaring into the communicator while pointing in the direction the shells had come from, combining it with Ah Fu's information.

"Machine gun crew! Shift fire! Fan-shaped area directly ahead! Lay down suppressing fire! Keep the approaching Japs pinned down!"

Li Zhenshan roared almost simultaneously, grabbing a machine gun and rushing toward the pre-set flank defense point.

The well-trained Security Team Members instantly switched from battlefield cleanup mode to combat stance.

The recently silenced Mortars roared back to life.

Shells whistled with vengeance as they slammed into the Japs' now-exposed Mortar positions.

The general-purpose machine gun spewed long tongues of flame.

A dense rain of bullets poured like a storm toward the enemies rapidly closing in from the flanking woods and ditches.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat~~~"

"Bang-bang-bang~~~"

Almost simultaneously with the Security Team's opening fire, the enemy unleashed a fierce counterattack.

The gunfire was no longer the crisp crack of type 38 rifles, but the rapid, continuous bursts of automatic weapons.

Bullets whizzed past, thudding into earthen slopes and tree trunks with dull thumps, indicating their firepower was no slouch either.

"Type 100 Submachine Guns, and the 'Crooked Handle' machine guns." Li Zhenshan identified the opponents based on the gunfire while firing: "Damn it, it's the Japs' Special Operations Team!"

Both sides engaged in fierce close-quarters firefights.

The Security Team relied on the QJY-201's ferocious sustained firepower and superior range.

Along with precise Mortar suppression, they firmly controlled the battlefield tempo.

Keeping the attempting-to-advance Jap Special Operations Team firmly pinned in place.

But the so-called Special Operations Team' individual skills and teamwork were indeed top-notch, with extremely proficient tactical movements.

Using terrain cover to advance alternately and deliver precise aimed shots.

They put considerable pressure on the Security Team; if not for the full set of bulletproof vests, there would have been several casualties by now.

The firefight lasted about ten minutes.

Seeing the surprise attack fail and unable to break through the enemy's fierce fire net with a strong assault,

The Jap Special Operations Team instead suffered continuous casualties under the combined onslaught of Mortars and machine guns.

Their Commander was extremely decisive; after a sharp whistle,

The Jap Special Operations Team members used smoke grenades for cover and retreated swiftly like a receding tide.

Soon, this group of Japs disappeared into the dark woods, their movements clean and efficient, without any hesitation.

"The enemy has retreated~~~" Ah Fu's relieved voice sounded in the earpiece.

"Cease fire! Stay alert!" Zhang Tingshu ordered in a low voice: "Tally the casualties!"

The battlefield instantly fell silent, with only the smell of gunpowder and blood lingering.

Soon, the results were reported: no fatalities, but 11 team members were injured.

Among them, 7 were hit in the arms by Type 100 Submachine Gun bullets;

5 were grazed on limbs by stray bullets or shrapnel;

1 was temporarily deafened by explosions.

"We shouldn't stay here; the Japs suffered a heavy blow and won't let it go."

Lu Fan made a decisive call, "Take the wounded and withdraw to Qingxu Temple! Immediately!"

The team quickly organized, supporting the wounded, and swiftly vanished into the night, retreating toward Qingxu Temple.

On the march, Li Zhenshan pried a deformed Type 100 Submachine Gun bullet from the chest plate of his bulletproof vest.

He murmured with lingering fear: "The bulletproof vest... saved my life..."

His whisper resonated with other Security Team Members, sparking quiet exchanges.

"Captain, the boss's gear is amazing! I took three shots to the chest, and I'm fine!"

"Without this gear, I wouldn't just have an arm injury; I'd be dead for sure!"

"Absolutely, this helmet is even better; submachine gun bullets can't penetrate it at all!"

"No kidding, without this helmet, I'd be drinking Meng Po's Soup by now!"

"This is awesome; with this gear, charging into battle is like child's play!"

"Exactly! Today, the Japs ran fast; otherwise, I'd have sent them to meet their damn Emperor in no time!"

"You brats, you should be grateful! Following the boss is a blessing you've earned over lifetimes."

Compared to the relatively relaxed atmosphere of the Security Team, at the same time, the atmosphere at Luofa Train Station was extremely tense.

"Crash~~~"

An exquisite white porcelain teacup was smashed violently on the ground, shards flying everywhere.

"Baka Yarou!!!"

Takeshita Kinsaburo, Captain of the Kwantung Army Special Dispatch Team's Kamikaze Squad.

At this moment, he was like a frenzied beast, eyes bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead.

Standing before him were his trusted team members, wounded and looking disheveled.

"Twenty-three killed in action, fourteen severely wounded and incapacitated, sixty-one lightly wounded.

This is the heaviest loss our Kamikaze Squad has suffered since its formation.

Disgrace~~~ An utter disgrace~~~"

Takeshita Kinsaburo's voice was distorted by extreme anger and shame.

He suddenly turned, pointing toward Beijing, spitting as he roared: "Die~~ Mutaguchi Ren~~ Die

This is the supposed fifty or so civilian resistance force?"

He howled, kicking over a nearby ammunition crate: "Can fifty people be equipped with over ten heavy Mortars?

Can fifty people instantly organize such fierce, precise counterattacks after ambushing our Empire's elite infantry regiment?

Can fifty people launch suppressive fire coverage against our most elite Special Operations Team in the dark?

Does Mutaguchi have eyes on his ass?"

Takeshita's trusted aides chimed in appropriately:

"Captain, this can't possibly be China's civilian resistance organization; their sustained firepower far exceeds our Type 100 Submachine Guns."

"Captain, that counterattack that could precisely lock onto our positions in the dark—this is definitely China's most elite secret unit!"

"Captain, I even suspect this is a Soviet-supported ace unit; Mutaguchi's intelligence is wildly off."

"Mutaguchi Ren! This fool! Useless! What kind of garbage intelligence did he provide?"

"Captain, this situation should be reported up the chain; send this fool to Face Military Justice!"

Takeshita Kinsaburo listened to his aides' back-and-forth, pacing back and forth in the room like a trapped animal.

After a long while, he finally stopped and ordered: "Send a message to the second and third squads; have them drop their current tasks and head south immediately to rendezvous with me!"

"Hai~~ Wakatta"

Several aides stood at attention, accepting the order.

Takeshita Kinsaburo gazed into the dark night sky, his eyes filled with lingering fear and deep apprehension.

Such a unit is definitely a special operations force on par with us, or even... more professional than us.

Such an unstable factor must be eliminated at all costs, immediately."