206: Kamikaze Special Forces Reappear

The smoke of battle at the Chuansha Estuary had not yet fully dissipated.

The officers and soldiers of the 122nd Division efficiently finished clearing the battlefield and withdrew from the beachhead positions in an orderly manner.

Less than ten minutes after retreating to a safe zone, a shrill whistling sound once again pierced the sky.

The retaliatory artillery fire from the japanese fleet poured down like a torrential rain.

Turning the beachhead and front-line positions where they had just fought into a sea of fire once more.

It was a case of "fierce as a tiger, but a score of zero-five"—purely bombing the void.

The preliminary casualty report soon reached headquarters: 17 killed in action, 112 seriously wounded.

At this cost, they had completely wiped out a reinforced battalion-sized japanese landing force, creating a battlefield miracle.

A sense of suppressed excitement and pride permeated the headquarters.

However, before everyone could catch their breath, a seriously wounded signalman was helped inside by a guard.

The guard forced himself to speak, "Division Commander Feng, quick... please save our Division Commander. We are from the 107th Division of the 67th Army.

The Bailong Port we were defending... also faced a landing by the main japanese force this morning.

Planes bombed us, naval guns shelled us; the brothers suffered heavy casualties. The Division Commander led us in a desperate resistance.

Now we are surrounded in the town and can hardly hold out any longer!

Please, give your brothers a hand."

Hearing that they were soldiers from the 67th Army under the command of Wu Keren, a famous general of the War of Resistance and a veteran of the Northeast Army.

Feng Tiankui stood up abruptly, his expression grave. "Bailong Port is lost too? Does Army Commander Wu know?"

"We can't contact Army HQ; the telephone lines are all blown."

The signalman said with a sob, "None of the brothers sent out for help have returned. I only managed to break out by risking my life."

"The little Japs are attacking multiple points at once." Feng Tiankui slammed his fist on the table and ordered without hesitation, "Luo Jialie!"

"Present!"

"Immediately assemble the 126th Brigade and follow me to Bailong Port to save them!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Wait!" Lu Fan spoke up to stop him. "Division Commander Feng, the situation at Bailong Port is unclear. You can't rush in blindly; the risk is too great.

How about this: let my Security Team go with Chief of Staff Luo!

The off-road motorcycles are fast and can reach the battlefield immediately to provide support.

At least they can stabilize the situation and buy time for the main force!"

"Alright! We'll do as Brother Lu says!" Feng Tiankui agreed immediately. "Luo Jialie, follow the orders of Brother Lu's men for all actions!"

"Understood!"

As soon as the order was given, the troops moved quickly.

The elite of the Security Team led by Li Zhenshan and a portion of the 126th Brigade formed a rapid rescue force.

The soldiers quickly mounted their military off-road motorcycles and sped along the coastal highway toward Bailong Port.

However, they were still a step too late.

When they reached the outskirts of Bailong Port, the sight before them was suffocating.

The small town had become a ruin, and the air was thick with the heavy smell of blood and burning.

Among the charred ruins and broken walls, the bodies of Friendly Forces were scattered everywhere; the battle was clearly over.

"Spread out and search! See if there are any survivors!" Luo Jialie ordered with bloodshot eyes.

Soon, beneath the ruins of the regiment headquarters which had been almost leveled...

...the soldiers found the dying Commander of the 1st Battalion of the 619th Regiment.

In his final moments, he told Luo Jialie intermittently: the unit fought to the last man, and the Division Commander had most likely died for the country.

The main japanese force, about one infantry battalion strong, had already advanced toward the Linjia Village and Tangqiao Village areas to the northwest.

"Pursue them!" Li Zhenshan roared. The convoy started up again, chasing fiercely along the tracks left by the Japanese Army.

The high mobility of the off-road motorcycles was demonstrated to the fullest at this moment, as they quickly caught up with the rear of the japanese battalion.

However, the scene before them caused the blood of all the Chinese soldiers to boil instantly, their eyes nearly splitting with rage!

They saw the japanese plundering the village along the way—Tangqiao Village!

They weren't conducting a military advance at all; they were carrying out inhuman massacres and looting.

Unarmed villagers were driven onto the threshing floor by the japanese with bayonets; the cries of the elderly, women, and children shook the heavens.

Some japanese soldiers were frantically looting poultry and livestock.

Others had set fire to the houses, making the entire village look like a living hell.

"Those damn little Japs! Fuck your ancestors!" Li Zhenshan's eyes were red as he grabbed a machine gun.

"Brothers! Fire! Kill these beasts! Leave none alive!"

"Kill!" Every officer and soldier who saw this scene was utterly enraged!

The battle erupted instantly!

The Security Team's motorized company was like a tiger descending the mountain, charging directly into the village from the flank.

type 85 submachine guns and vehicle-mounted machine guns spat out flames of vengeance, mowing down the marauding little Japs in swathes.

General-purpose machine guns quickly seized the high ground, using powerful fire to suppress and cut through the japanese ranks.

The japanese were stunned by this sudden strike.

They hadn't expected to encounter such a ferocious Chinese force here.

They tried to organize a resistance in haste, but the angry soldiers' offensive was like a rising tide.

The mobility of the motorcycles allowed them to quickly weave through, splitting and surrounding the japanese in various corners of the village.

The fighting was intense, but the outcome was never in doubt.

Facing the 122nd Division, which held an absolute advantage in equipment, morale, and especially moral justice...

...this japanese infantry battalion that had committed heinous crimes was completely annihilated in the slaughterhouse they had created over an hour later.

While clearing the battlefield, Lu Fan's brow furrowed tightly.

The advance speed of these japanese seemed a bit too fast, and their combat style was also slightly different.

Lu Fan instructed, "Old Li, catch a few survivors and interrogate them separately. Ask them how they managed to fight their way here so quickly."

Soon, through separate interrogations and necessary measures, with a bit of added pressure...

...Li Zhenshan pried information from the mouths of a few japanese prisoners.

The reason they were able to break through the Friendly Forces' lines so quickly and penetrate deep into the interior...

...was largely due to the help of the Kamikaze Special Agents.

This special squad had cleared out many key firing positions and command nodes in advance.

"Kamikaze Special Agents?" Hearing this name, Lu Fan's heart sank.

The Kamikaze Special Agents he had wiped out at the Tianjin airfield had actually been rebuilt and had appeared in Shanghai.

A strong sense of unease instantly seized Lu Fan.

Driven by instinct, he immediately asked about the whereabouts of this Kamikaze squad.

The prisoner's answer made him even more uneasy: "After completing their guidance and obstacle-clearing missions, they detached from the battalion to act freely... Their destination is unknown... I only heard the captain say they were going to... 'execute a more important mission'..."

A more important mission?

In Shanghai, what mission could be more important than supporting the frontal landing operations?

The more Lu Fan thought about it, the more his heart pounded with fear.

He had witnessed the prowess of the Kamikaze; they acted secretly and used ruthless methods.

Now that they were acting independently of the main force, their target was definitely no small matter.

"Chief of Staff Luo, Li Zhenshan, I'll leave the cleanup here to you! Be sure to comfort the surviving villagers!" Lu Fan immediately ordered.

Then, after a moment's thought, he said, "Once you're done, withdraw to the base. I have urgent business and must return to the city immediately."