213: rescue

At seven in the morning, the sky was already bright.

But thick smoke and morning mist still hung low over the Baoshan area.

All combat units of the 122nd Division quickly broke contact like a receding tide and quietly withdrew to the designated area for rest and reorganization.

Meanwhile, under the cover of a reed marsh by the Yangtze River.

Lu Fan, Ah Fu, Bai Jinbiao, as well as Second Pillar, Third Kid, and Big Glasses from the Security Team, who were skilled at tinkering with explosives.

A total of six people were busily working in silence.

Lu Fan took out a folding Quadrotor Drone. "This is called a drone; it can fly with a controller."

Lu Fan explained simply, demonstrating basic takeoff, flight, and hovering.

Second Pillar, Third Kid, and Big Glasses' eyes widened instantly as they gathered around the drone, clicking their tongues in wonder.

They were naturally clever and skillful; with just a little guidance, they understood the operational principles and even immediately began to apply the logic to other things.

"Officer Lu, this thing... if we tie a hand grenade underneath and fly it over to the Japs' ships..."

Big Glasses pushed up his spectacles, his eyes shining.

"Exactly! That's exactly what I was thinking. Let's give them a 'Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers'!"

Lu Fan gave Big Eyes a thumbs-up; he was already anticipating the answers, definitely deserved praise.

The group immediately got to work, using simple tools to cleverly secure a string of hand grenades beneath the drones.

Crude yet lethal Suicide Drones were thus cobbled together by Big Eyes and the others.

With everything ready, the first wave of six drones quietly took to the air.

In the blink of an eye, the Suicide Drone squad pounced toward those swaggering japanese vessels on the river.

These drones were small targets with flexible flight paths, making them extremely difficult to detect under the cover of the morning mist.

Even if noticed by the Jap sentries, they had no idea what these buzzing little things were.

Soon, the first wave of the attack descended.

The drones moved as if through uninhabited territory, diving toward the decks, gun positions, and even the command towers of the Jap vessels.

Then...

Boom!

The hand grenades exploded with a roar!

Although the power of a hand grenade wasn't enough to severely damage a steel hull.

Its shrapnel and shockwaves were lethal to the Jap sailors on deck and the exposed facilities.

"baka! What is that!"

"Take cover! Quickly, take cover!"

"Where is it? Where is the enemy?"

As another wave of explosions rang out.

The Jap fleet on the river instantly fell into chaos.

The sailors were left reeling by these attacks from above, where the opponent was nowhere to be seen.

Drones carrying hand grenades continuously crashed into anti-aircraft gun positions and machine gun nests, blowing the Japs operating the artillery off their feet.

For over an hour, these elusive harassment attacks continued unabated.

The Jap captains were fuming with rage but could do nothing.

No matter how powerful the naval guns were, they couldn't hit these nimble little flying insects.

Having lost a large number of operating sailors, the fire density and accuracy of many naval guns were greatly diminished.

Their ability to provide fire support to the shore plummeted.

On shore, the Huaxia army, which had long suffered from the naval guns, immediately felt the pressure ease.

Seizing the precious opportunity of the japanese naval fire interruption and chaos.

The various Friendly Forces, including the Central Army's 87th and 88th Divisions, decisively launched a counterattack.

For a time, the sounds of gunfire and artillery roared again in the Baoshan area.

This time, having lost their absolute artillery advantage, the japanese were caught somewhat off guard, with emergencies reported at multiple points along the front line.

For the first time, the casualty ratio was barely pulled back to nearly one-to-one.

On the other side, the woodland where the 122nd Division was resting presented a different scene.

After more than an hour of rest.

The officers and soldiers, having recovered their strength, were still immersed in the excitement of the high-speed assault battle from earlier that morning.

They gathered in groups of twos and threes, checking vehicles and replenishing ammunition, their faces glowing with an unprecedented radiance.

"Hey, did you see that! Damn it, with one burst, I sent that Jap's Nambu Light Machine Gun flying into the sky!"

"So satisfying! It was so damn satisfying! Chasing down Japs on a motorcycle—first time in my life!"

"Boss Lu is still the most impressive... plenty of bullets, more than enough grenades. This battle was truly comfortable!"

"Exactly, not a single brother lost after a whole battle. Rise up!"

They exchanged stories excitedly, savoring the brand-new experience brought by high-mobility, high-firepower combat.

Machine guns and submachine guns cleared the way, grenades saturated the ground, and Rocket Launchers picked off targets.

This wealthy and efficient way of fighting boosted their confidence immensely.

While they were chatting enthusiastically, the sound of extremely dense gunfire and earth-shaking battle cries came from afar.

The scout sent out ran back panting to report, "Division Commander! Officers!

It's the brothers from the 87th and 88th Divisions attacking! They're locked in a struggle with the Japs! The fighting... the fighting is incredibly tragic!"

The news was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up waves among the resting troops.

The officers and soldiers, who had been excited just moments ago, gradually fell silent, listening intently to the sounds of slaughter from the distance.

The excitement on their faces was gradually replaced by anxiety and worry.

"Damn it, listening to that noise, our brothers are fighting for their lives!"

"We're resting here while our brothers in the Friendly Forces are bleeding?"

"Yeah, Division Commander! Our vehicles are fast and our guns are good. If we go and give them a charge, we'll definitely be able to help!"

"Right! Let's go fight! Division Commander!"

Voices requesting to join the battle began to rise, quickly converging into a powerful outcry.

They were all soldiers; hearing their compatriots fighting a bloody battle nearby while they remained idle was an agonizing experience that made them restless.

Feng Tiankui's expression became extremely solemn.

He clenched his fists tightly, a conflict raging within him.

On one side was Lu Fan's repeatedly emphasized clear order: 'Must withdraw and rest at 7 o'clock to avoid the enemy's sharp edge.'

On the other side was his subordinates' high-spirited desire to fight and the critical situation of their brothers in the Friendly Forces in the distance.

The scout ran over again, bringing even worse news:

"Report! The 87th Division's attack has been thwarted. The Japs' counterattack is fierce, and they're being pinned down! Casualties are heavy!"

This sentence became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

"Damn it!" Feng Tiankui stomped his foot hard, his eyes bloodshot, and roared through gritted teeth, "We can't just watch our brothers go to their deaths!

Anyone who can still move! Anyone not wounded! Follow me! Support the Friendly Forces!"

"Division Commander Feng, please reconsider!" Feng Hanqing hastily stepped forward to dissuade him. "Officer Lu repeatedly urged us to rest according to the plan.

Besides, our army's strength lies in mobile surprise attacks; it's not suitable for us to get bogged down in a frontal slaughter.

Attacking now not only violates the plan but also carries immense risk!"

As he spoke, he looked toward Li Zhenshan, hoping this staunch supporter of Lu Fan would help speak up.

But Li Zhenshan looked at the impassioned brothers and the anxious battle situation in his mind.

His lips moved, but the words of persuasion never came out; instead, he subconsciously gripped the submachine gun in his hands.

Seeing this, Feng Hanqing could only argue his case himself: "Division Commander! You mustn't be impulsive!"

However, his voice was drowned out by the even more passionate cries of the officers and soldiers requesting to fight.

"Let's fight! Division Commander!"

"Save the Friendly Forces! Kill the Japs!"

"We're not afraid to die!"

"If we see them in danger and don't help, our backbones will be cursed, Division Commander..."

Feng Tiankui looked at the faces distorted by the will to fight, then thought of Lu Fan's repeated warnings.

He took a deep breath and made a compromise: "Pass down my order: every regiment and battalion, conduct a count immediately.

All uninjured officers and soldiers—and I mean not a single scratch—form a strike force and follow me to support the Friendly Forces.

Remember, it's a support mission; once we rescue them, we withdraw! Absolutely no fighting to the death!"