148: Beiping fell, leaving me with no choice but to return home.

Bombs exploded violently around the tank.

Although the type 97 tank withstood several aerial bombs thanks to its thick armor.

The massive shockwaves still shook Lu Fan and the others inside the vehicle, causing their blood to churn and their eardrums to sting.

The troop carrier had to cease fire, accelerate to full speed, and temporarily evade the onslaught by relying on its high mobility.

"Damn it! Japanese Planes!" Li Zhenshan cursed from inside the vehicle.

Lu Fan decisively ordered: "The troop carrier must retreat south immediately. Don't worry about us, hurry!"

"Captain! What about you?" Zhang Tingshu urgently asked.

"I'll drive the tank to lure the planes away. Old Li, Ah Fu, let's go~~" Lu Fan's tone brooked no argument. "Execute the order, speed~~"

Zhang Tingshu knew this was the only choice and reluctantly ordered: "Retreat! Retreat south, meet at the usual spot."

The troop carrier immediately turned around and sped south, quickly leaving the battlefield.

Lu Fan, however, drove the type 97 tank, not avoiding the enemy but instead accelerating at full throttle straight toward the Japanese.

The tank maneuvered in serpentine patterns across the open ground, fiercely attacking the Japanese ground forces.

The goal was clear: to attract the attention of the Japanese Bombers and buy time for Zhang Tingshu.

"Destroy that monster tank!"

The Japanese flight leader was indeed provoked, and they turned their planes around, chasing the tank with bombs and strafing fire.

Bombs continued to explode around the tank, filling the air with smoke and dust.

The type 97 tank relied on its high-speed mobility to evade the planes' deadly direct hits while crushing everything in its path.

But the violent shockwaves struck the vehicle like heavy hammers, again and again.

Inside the tank, the men were shaken dizzy, especially Ah Fu, whose mouth was bleeding from the corners, his internal organs displaced by the impacts.

"Hold on! Ah Fu, report the planes' positions!" Lu Fan gritted his teeth, sweat beads the size of beans dripping onto the control stick.

This heart-pounding chase lasted over ten minutes.

The type 97 tank, like an indestructible steel beast, stubbornly navigated through craters and smoke.

Finally, the planes ran out of ammunition and, unwillingly circling a few times, reluctantly turned back to return to base.

Watching the planes fade into the distance, Lu Fan finally let out a long, blood-tinged sigh of relief and stopped the tank.

He wiped the blood from his nose and exchanged glances with the others.

The tank crew members were all pale-faced, clearly suffering from significant internal injuries.

Lu Fan then took out a set of Recovery Potions, exactly one bottle for each of the six men.

"Drink!" he said, tilting his head back and downing the bright green potion in one gulp.

In the blink of an eye, the potion took effect: the pain vanished, fatigue dissipated, and spirits lifted.

"Captain, the Japanese Infantry are closing in fast!" Ah Fu reported the situation from behind immediately.

Lu Fan glanced south toward the direction Zhang Tingshu and the others had retreated.

Then he looked at the distant Japanese Infantry, who were reorganizing and stirring restlessly.

He stealthily tossed an Energy Gem into the fuel tank, then looked at the group, their fighting spirit high.

For a moment, an aura of invincibility radiated from him: "Let's go! We'll hit them with a surprise counterattack, then retreat south to catch up with the main force."

He drove the battered but still powerfully driven type 97 tank toward the assembling Japanese forces.

A quarter of an hour later, the tank crushed through the dusty, scorched earth of the county town, speeding southward.

Behind them lay the burning wreckage of Japanese Vehicles and a battlefield in shambles.

Right under the nose of the 16th Division led by Tani Hisao, they had torn open a bloody gap and left with style.

The Qingxu Temple appeared exceptionally quiet in the night.

Lu Fan's Security Team, dragging their exhausted bodies, finally returned to this temporary refuge.

The skirmish with the pursuing forces of Tani Hisao's 16th Division.

Although they managed to escape thanks to the type 97 tank's toughness and their decisive retreat, the cost was heavy.

Almost every team member was injured, with minor scrapes and bruises for some, and severe internal injuries from explosion shockwaves for others.

The team members supported each other as they entered the temple.

Muffled groans and the smell of disinfectant filled the air.

The team was full of wounded, their combat effectiveness reduced to less than ten percent. Lu Fan looked at the scene before him, his brow furrowed.

Go to Beijing to support Zhang Zhongguo?

This thought seemed feeble in the face of harsh reality.

In this state, going to Beijing wouldn't just fail to provide support—it would only become a burden for General Zhang.

"Rest here, treat your wounds, recover your strength. Beijing... we won't go for now."

Lu Fan's voice carried exhaustion but was unusually firm.

The team members silently carried out the order, though they harbored resentment in their hearts, no one voiced any objection.

Three days passed slowly amidst pain and anxiety.

The wounded recovered well under modern medical treatment, but they were still far from regaining their combat effectiveness.

The tense atmosphere didn't ease with the rest; worries about the Beiping-Tianjin area war situation weighed on everyone like a heavy stone.

On the evening of the third day, Zhang Tingshu, who was responsible for gathering information outside, hurried back.

His face was ashen, and he tightly clutched a few crumpled newspapers.

"Boss... the Beiping-Tianjin area... has fallen!"

Zhang Tingshu's voice was hoarse and dry, filled with incredulous grief and anger.

"What?!" Li Zhenshan stood up abruptly, his face full of disbelief.

Zhang Tingshu spread out the newspapers. The eye-catching black headlines pierced everyone's eyes like poisonous thorns:

"Zhang Zhongguo Opens the City Gates to the Enemy! Beiping-Tianjin area Surrendered to the Japanese Invaders!"

"National Traitor! Zhang Zhongguo Lets the Wolf into the House, North China's Gateway Wide Open!"

"The Inside Story of Deputy Army Commander Zhang Zhongguo's Betrayal and Surrender to the Enemy!"

The newspapers were filled with abuse and accusations against Zhang Zhongguo.

They claimed that at the critical moment, he ordered the city gates opened, allowing the Japanese Army to enter, leading to the rapid fall of Beijing and Tianjin.

The reports were written with such conviction, as if eyewitness accounts, filled with venomous words like 'Traitor' and 'national betrayer' between the lines.

The Security Team's emotions were instantly ignited by these reports:

"Damn it, this Zhang Zhongguo is even worse than Old Song, a Traitor~~"

"Coward, knowing they're all the same, what the hell are we fighting for!"

"Spineless~~ useless spineless, dog Traitor~~"

"Exactly, if we knew they had no guts, why the hell did we struggle so hard!"

"He's a man too, why couldn't he fight the Japanese to the end?"

"Right, we fought like this and never thought of quitting! They had cities and troops, why surrender for nothing!"

"Is this even human? Disgusting, pure and simple!"

Lu Fan silently looked at those newspapers.

He didn't know the specific reasons, but Zhang Zhongguo's sincere patriotism was undeniable.

"Quiet~~~" Lu Fan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that suppressed everyone's anger.

He looked at the angry and bewildered faces and had already made a decision in his heart.

"With the fall of the Beiping-Tianjin area, staying here is meaningless and will only increase casualties. Pack your equipment and prepare to withdraw. Home~~"

After the order was given, the temple fell into another kind of heavy silence.

Anger was replaced by immense disappointment and confusion.

The team members silently got up and began packing their bags, checking their weapons, the atmosphere so oppressive it was suffocating.