164: Rapid Rescue

The smoke of gunpowder had not yet dissipated over Yangpu District.

The Security Team, having just experienced a crushing victory with their tanks, hadn't even had time to catch their breath.

The system's prompt sounded in Lu Fan's mind:

[Emergency Mission Issued: Within one hour, rescue Major General Huang Meixin, Brigade Commander of the 264th Brigade, 88th Division of the National Revolutionary Army.]

Having spent five days in deep learning, he knew immediately that this was a race against time.

He immediately gathered core members like Li Zhenshan, Bai Jinbiao, and A'fu, getting straight to the point: "I just received word."

“Brigade Commander Huang Meixin of the 88th Division's 264th Brigade.”

“He's been surrounded on the way to attack the Japanese Naval Headquarters. The situation is critical; we must go rescue him!”

“If we're going to rescue him, then let's do it! It's not like we don't have the strength!”

Li Zhenshan had a look of indifference; with tanks in hand, even if the King of Heaven himself showed up, Old Li would still be the boss.

Bai Jinbiao was more composed as he scanned the surroundings: "Boss, the brothers just finished a hard battle. Casualties are high; we urgently need rest and medical treatment."

Lu Fan's gaze swept across the battlefield. It was true; although the Security Team was armed to the teeth,

Continuous high-intensity combat had left many in the Security Team wounded, with a rough estimate of over three hundred men injured.

Though the bulletproof vests had saved their lives, many of the wounded needed immediate attention.

“The wounded must be evacuated first,” Lu Fan decided decisively. “We can't drag the wounded into a charge.”

Li Zhenshan lit a cigarette and said casually, “Just tell us what to do, Boss. We'll listen to you!”

Lu Fan spread out a map, took a look, and issued his orders: “Assemble all tanks and vehicles.”

“First, we will use our strongest posture and maximum speed to escort the wounded and break out to the west.”

“Then, the tank squad will move light and fast to rescue Brigade Commander Huang!”

The orders were quickly disseminated.

A high-mobility force was soon formed, consisting of twenty type 80 main battle tanks, one captured truck, and 460 off-road motorcycles.

This mixed steel column, with tanks as the vanguard, began to force its way from east to west through the enemy-occupied area.

Small units of the Japanese Army and checkpoints encountered along the way

Were completely vulnerable before this murderous torrent of steel that had just been baptized in blood and fire.

The 105mm main guns of the type 80 tanks didn't even need to fire;

Relying solely on machine-gun fire and their invincible, crushing momentum, they easily tore through all sporadic resistance.

With an almost arrogant posture, the column swept away everything in its path, forcefully carving a bloody path through the enemy-occupied zone.

As they approached the Zhabei firing line, a Japanese company stationed there tried to use fortifications to block them.

But under the precise targeting of the tank guns and the violent sweep of the machine guns, the position quickly collapsed.

After reaching a relatively safe area, Lu Fan immediately ordered:

“Bai Jinbiao! Take all the wounded and most of the brothers and move to the rear immediately. Prioritize medical treatment for the injured!”

“Old Li—Tank squad, toward the Naval Headquarters, full speed ahead!”

“Yes!” the two responded in unison.

Soon, the pure armored assault squad detached from the main group, engines roaring as they sped toward the direction of the heaviest gunfire.

[Rescue Countdown: 23 minutes 15 seconds... 14... 13...]

Lu Fan kept checking the time; the rescue countdown was ticking away second by second.

The tanks raced through the ruined streets, slaying anyone and anything in their way—

Fifteen minutes later, the Japanese Naval Headquarters appeared in the distance.

At the same time, A'fu's urgent voice sounded in the headset: “Found them. One kilometer ahead to the left, circular fortifications.”

“They are surrounded by at least one battalion of Japanese troops and are under heavy assault!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Fan floored the accelerator, and the tank surged forward amidst billowing smoke.

At this moment, the Bazi Bridge position where Brigade Commander Huang Meixin was located had become scorched earth, with bodies piled like mountains.

In the afternoon, Huang Meixin had personally led a charge, successfully breaking through the Japanese blockade regardless of casualties.

After entering the enemy-occupied area, he had been at the very front, leading his troops in a raid on the Japanese Naval Headquarters.

But success came from solitary courage, and failure came from it as well.

Unfortunately, the soldiers of the Guard Battalion he led were surrounded by superior Japanese forces.

Even in such a situation, they resolutely chose to give it their all and fight to the end—

Relying only on the Zhongzheng Rifles in their hands, limited light machine guns, and their own flesh and blood,

They used the ruined walls to engage in a life-and-death struggle with the Japanese.

“Brigade Commander! The Japanese are coming again!”

“Fire! Hit them hard! Die before retreating!”

General Huang Meixin’s face was covered in soot, his voice hoarse but exceptionally firm as he fired his Mauser C96 continuously.

The soldiers disregarded their own lives, repelling one Japanese charge after another.

The position was strewn with corpses, and blood stained the soil red.

When bullets ran out, they used bayonets, entrenching shovels, and even bricks to fight hand-to-hand with the charging Japanese.

Men fell constantly from gunfire, but those who lived did not shrink back.

They truly yielded not an inch of ground, defending the position and their Brigade Commander with their lives.

The Guard Battalion was nearly wiped out.

Just as the circular fortifications were about to be breached and Huang Meixin was preparing for a final stand,

“Rumble~~~”

A low, extremely oppressive engine roar, unlike any artillery on the battlefield, approached from the distance.

Then, at the rear flank of the encirclement, a scene appeared that made the Japanese soldiers' hearts turn cold with fear.

Over a dozen steel behemoths, ignoring the flying stray bullets, charged at full speed with unstoppable momentum.

“What is that?”

“Tanks... Chinese tanks?”

Before the panicked cries of the Japanese could fade, a flash of fire erupted from the muzzle of the lead tank.

Boom~~~

A high-explosive shell landed precisely where the Japanese offensive formation was densest, instantly blowing away a large group.

“Fire! Open fire with everything! Full speed charge! Crush them!” Lu Fan roared his orders.

The twenty type 80 tanks' main guns roared and their machine guns swept wildly.

Like twenty tigers released from their cages, they crashed into the Japanese defensive line with thunderous force.

Faced with the Japanese light weapons fire, the armor of the type 80 tanks only clinked and clanged, to no effect.

The tanks did not slow down, crushing directly over the Japanese temporary cover and skirmish lines, leaving a mess of blood and flesh beneath their tracks.

In the blink of an eye, the tank cluster used this incredibly arrogant posture to forcefully shatter the encirclement.

Huang Meixin stared blankly at the sudden appearance of this steel torrent.

Those never-before-seen steel beasts moved as if through uninhabited land, easily tearing apart the Japanese lines.

Machine-gun fire poured down like rain, mowing down the fierce enemies in swathes.

The long gun barrels were like the brushes of the King of Hell; wherever the fire pointed, judgment was passed on a whole group, leaving none alive.

The pistol he held tightly lowered slightly, and his soot-covered face was written with unbelievable shock.

He murmured, “This... where did these heavenly soldiers and divine generals come from?”

Lu Fan immediately drove his tank to the ruined position of Huang Meixin's brigade headquarters, building a defensive line.

“Tanks 3, 7, 11, 15 and I will form a defensive line to rescue our allies. All other vehicles, give your all to rout the enemy!”