177: broken

Hongkou District, the Japan Naval Headquarters.

After a period of fierce clearing by the Security Team led by Lu Fan,

they had completely occupied this landmark building that symbolized the heart of the enemy's aggression.

The inside of the building was a mess, filled with gunpowder smoke, and the team members quickly took control of all key positions.

They began to methodically inventory the spoils of war and gather documents.

Inside the headquarters' confidential archives room,

they discovered a large number of classified documents, combat maps, and correspondence that the enemy hadn't had time to destroy.

Among them were clear records of the enemy's invasion plans, troop deployments, and even some unspeakable secret agreements.

These were ironclad evidence of the invasion of China, and they held extraordinary significance for Lu Fan.

“Boss, we found a basement, and there's a lot of good stuff inside!” Li Zhenshan reported excitedly.

Lu Fan pushed up the multifunctional glasses on the bridge of his nose and followed Old Li down to the basement.

The basement wasn't large, but it was rich in Japan characteristics.

One look was enough to tell it was the exclusive safe room of the Naval Commander.

Lu Fan looked around; just as Li Zhenshan had said, there really was a lot of good stuff in here.

An extremely well-preserved Tang Dao, its blade shimmering with a ghostly cold light and its hilt inlaid with exquisite gems;

Several Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain jars and plum vases with rich glaze, intense cobalt coloring, and exquisite craftsmanship;

They weren't many, but every piece displayed in the Commander's office could be called a national treasure-level rarity.

How could he let such good things go?

Into my storage space they all go.

He scoured the place and directly emptied the basement.

After returning to the modern era, he would have Xia Yunting restore them 1:1 for display.

Just as he was thinking this, an unusually dense and violent roar of artillery fire suddenly erupted, its momentum far exceeding any previous engagement.

Lu Fan's expression changed abruptly, and he thought to himself, “Damn it! Commander Zhang has deployed the heavy artillery groups!”

Such a large-scale, high-intensity bombardment would inevitably expose the positions of the artillery batteries.

It would certainly draw indiscriminate bombing from the enemy's air forces.

One must know that these secretly deployed artillery batteries were what he had prepared for the annihilation battle tonight.

Once the artillery fired, it meant the annihilation battle had started early; launching a general offensive in broad daylight was truly not a wise move.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before...

From the horizon came the heart-pounding roar of enemy bomber engines.

Their objective was clear: they were heading straight for those artillery positions.

“Assemble! Assemble immediately!” Lu Fan roared as he rushed out of the secret room. “Everyone, emergency assembly, prepare to set out!”

Though the team members didn't know why, they obeyed orders instantly and assembled quickly.

The team rushed out of the headquarters' perimeter and arrived at the designated supply point to replenish their fuel.

Before they could finish resupplying, another sound of sparse but continuous mortar fire came from the direction of the riverbank.

“The mortars are engaged too?” Lu Fan's heart sank completely. “They're going to burn through everything they have. What is Zhang Zhizhong doing?”

He urged the convoy to speed up resupply while finding the tallest building to observe the battle by the river through binoculars.

He saw a suicide squad heroically charging the enemy.

He also saw them successfully break into the enemy lines, mingling with the enemy and fighting face-to-face.

But immediately following that, enemy armored vehicles appeared in the binoculars' field of vision.

They rushed out from hidden spots like mobile bunkers, coordinating with the remaining enemy infantry.

In an instant, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

Then, the enemy's naval gunfire, both covering and precise, showed its power.

Under the roar of the cannons, Lu Fan saw the temporary mortar positions swallowed by a sea of naval fire.

Finally, the scene that pained him most unfolded: those suicide squad members who had broken into the enemy lines knew the battle was lost.

Yet they still did not retreat, engaging in a desperate life-and-death struggle against the steel monsters and absolute firepower.

When their bullets ran out, they used grenades, bayonets, and entrenching shovels.

They even used their teeth, using every possible way to take the enemy down with them!

They fought until the last moment, shedding their last drop of blood.

In the end, they all fell on that beachhead just one step away from victory, with not a single survivor.

Their sacrifice was extremely tragic; although they failed to achieve the tactical objective,

they used their lives to demonstrate the unyielding spirit and patriotism of the Chinese soldier.

“Bastards!” Lu Fan slammed his binoculars down and punched the wall, his face filled with rage and sorrow.

He had given Zhang Zhizhong such a detailed plan.

He had emphasized that the final annihilation battle had to wait until after nightfall to begin.

Only after nightfall could they maximize their advantages and minimize casualties.

He had explained it so clearly; why were they still so impatient, using such a horrific method to fill the gap?

These reckless sacrifices were completely avoidable.

“Damn it! How are these Commanders leading!” Li Zhenshan was hopping mad with anger.

Bai Jinbiao closed his eyes and sighed coldly. “So many brothers... just gone?”

After calming down slightly, Lu Fan and the others continued on their path to provide support.

However, they soon had to stop.

Because enemy planes were circling the sky more frequently, conducting low-altitude reconnaissance.

They were clearly expanding their gains and searching for new targets.

“Order all units! Disperse and take cover immediately! No one is to expose their position without my command!”

Lu Fan suppressed his fury and gave the most rational order.

His team must not repeat the mistake of the artillery.

After arranging the troops, Lu Fan personally drove an off-road motorcycle and rushed to Zhang Zhizhong's frontline headquarters at top speed.

The atmosphere inside the headquarters was so heavy it was almost palpable; the officers' faces were pale, and no one dared to speak loudly.

Zhang Zhizhong stood alone before the map, his back looking exceptionally heavy and tired.

Upon hearing of Lu Fan's arrival, he dismissed his subordinates and invited him in.

When the two faced each other, Lu Fan suppressed his anger and questioned, “Commander Zhang.

Why didn't you follow the established plan and wait for nightfall to begin the annihilation?

Why were you so impatient, making the soldiers pay such a senseless and heavy price?!”

Zhang Zhizhong's body trembled slightly, his face written with pain, helplessness, and a hint of unspeakable resentment.

He didn't answer directly, but with a trembling hand, he picked up three telegrams from the table and handed them to Lu Fan.

Lu Fan took the telegrams and scanned them.

The first one: Delighted to hear of our army's surging offensive and brilliant achievements! Hope you will redouble your efforts and expand the results at all costs, striving for the total annihilation of the enemy in Shanghai!

The second one: Opportunities in war are fleeting! Why is progress so slow? You should immediately commit all reserves, including heavy artillery units, and launch an all-out assault! Do not give the enemy a chance to breathe!

The third one: You are ordered to completely clear the enemy along the Huangpu River by 5:00 PM today! Otherwise, you will be dealt with by military law!

They were all signed by the Supreme Military Commission in Jinling.

Looking at these three telegrams, each more severe, urgent, and one might even say muddled than the last, Lu Fan understood instantly.

It wasn't that Zhang Zhizhong didn't want to wait, nor that he didn't know following the plan was the safest course.

It was the immense pressure from the rear, those death orders of “at all costs,” “time-limited conquest,” and “military law.”

These telegrams forced him to push all his chips onto the table early.

Ultimately leading to this tragedy.

Holding the telegrams, Lu Fan fell silent.