9: Chapter 9: Smash Through the Japanese Headquarters!

Looking at the defensive line standing in battle array ahead, Shen Wang smiled.

Is there any obstacle that a single 93mm high-explosive rocket round can't solve?

If there is, then just fire another one!

He shouldered the rocket launcher again.

"Whoosh—!"

"Boom!!!"

The first rocket round struck the pile of obstacles in front of the city gate tunnel with precision!

The violent explosion sent the sandbags, anti-cavalry obstacles, and the Japanese soldiers behind them flying into the sky!

Without the slightest hesitation, Shen Wang reloaded!

"Whoosh—!"

"Boom!!!"

The second rocket round slammed directly into the iron-clad wooden city gate!

The gate was blown to pieces.

Along with the surrounding Japanese soldiers, who were blasted off their feet.

Two rocket rounds were enough to clear all obstacles in front of the gate.

"Hold on tight!"

Shen Wang put down the launcher, returned to the driver's seat, and floored the accelerator!

You just need to step on the gas, and leave the rest to the big V8 engine.

The Mengshi assault vehicle charged directly through all obstacles, crushed over the corpses of the Japanese soldiers, and sped away!

Inside the vehicle, Ding Zhijian, Meng Guanglin, and Sha Zhenjiang looked back at the increasingly distant city walls of Beijing, their faces filled with an incredulous daze.

They had actually... actually succeeded in breaking out???

To be honest, from the moment they were captured, they never thought they would leave that devil's den alive.

The three of them had already prepared themselves: killing one was breaking even, and killing two was a profit; they were ready to burn out at any moment.

But who could have imagined that just as they were preparing for their final moments, a miracle would happen!

And in a way they couldn't have dreamed of!

In fact, Shen Wang himself hadn't expected it to go so smoothly, mainly because he had acted far too quickly!

From the start of the operation to the assault on the city gate, it had been no more than ten minutes.

Before the Japanese could form a large-scale encirclement, he was already about to escape.

This not only caught the Japanese off guard, but it was also a classic case of "hiding in plain sight."

The Japanese in Beijing never dreamed that an enemy combat vehicle would appear inside the city.

There were several lines of defense outside the city; how could such a big hunk of iron suddenly break in?

The Japanese soldiers on routine patrol and guard duty inside the city weren't carrying any heavy weapons at all.

Who could have predicted this!

If the Japanese intercepting them had even a single anti-tank gun, they probably wouldn't have let Shen Wang break out so easily.

"Old Ding, did we... did we really escape?" Meng Guanglin's voice was a bit hoarse.

"Little Sha, pinch me, see if I'm already..." He turned to Sha Zhenjiang.

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhenjiang very earnestly reached out and slapped his arm.

"Ouch..."

Meng Guanglin winced in pain.

"You brat, I told you to pinch me, not to hit my wounds!"

Sha Zhenjiang chuckled: "Brother Guanglin, look at yourself, is there even a single patch of good skin left on your body?"

Meng Guanglin looked down and realized it was true; there really wasn't a single patch of good skin left on his body.

"Alright, stop messing around!"

Ding Zhijian, who was slightly older and more composed, spoke up to stop their horseplay.

Then, he looked solemnly at Shen Wang, who was driving in front.

"This comrade, thank you... thank you!"

"If it weren't for you, we would probably already be..."

He didn't finish the sentence; that would have been death by slow slicing!

Since ancient times, how many people have had to endure that kind of treatment?

Meng Guanglin and Sha Zhenjiang also looked at Shen Wang with gratitude; they were not afraid of death, but that didn't mean they wanted to die.

Shen Wang glanced at them through the rearview mirror and waved his hand indifferently: "What's there to thank? If we're talking about thanks, it's not certain who should be thanking whom."

Ding Zhijian was stunned for a moment, not fully understanding Shen Wang's words.

"This comrade, may I ask your name?"

"Hmm... My name is Shen... Shen Mingyuan." Shen Wang thought for a moment and gave his Great-Grandfather's name.

"comrade Shen Mingyuan, may I ask... did the organization send you to save us? Which unit are you from? Why have we never heard of..."

While steering the vehicle speeding along the dirt road, Shen Wang shook his head decisively: "Oh, I am not a member of your organization."

At least not yet, Shen Wang added silently in his heart.

"What?" The three were stunned.

The other party wasn't sent by the organization?

This was already the umpteenth time the three of them had been dumbfounded today.

"Then... then why did you save us?" Ding Zhijian asked next.

Since it wasn't the organization, why would the other party risk certain death to come and rescue them?

"I saved you because I admire that you are real men, heroes who genuinely fight the Japanese." Shen Wang said in a calm tone.

"..."

The inside of the vehicle instantly fell into an eerie silence.

Ding Zhijian, Meng Guanglin, and Sha Zhenjiang were completely petrified, staring dumbfounded at Shen Wang's back.

They had imagined countless possibilities, but they never expected this answer from Shen Wang.

He had actually come to the rescue on his own initiative!

What kind of astonishing courage did this require? What kind of fervent patriotism?

In Beijing, where the Japanese had amassed heavy troops, carrying out such a dangerous rescue alone, just because of "admiration"?

In an instant, an unprecedented warmth and respect welled up in the hearts of the three!

Meng Guanglin and Sha Zhenjiang also quickly put away their playful expressions.

If he were one of their own, that gratitude would have been accompanied by the camaraderie between comrades.

But since the other party was a "stranger" they had never met before, this life-risking kindness appeared even more pure and profound!

Ding Zhijian took another deep breath, and together with Meng Guanglin and Sha Zhenjiang, the three ignored the pain in their bodies and bowed deeply toward Shen Wang's back inside the cramped vehicle!

"Mr. Shen!!" Ding Zhijian's voice was extremely solemn, "Regardless of whether you belong to the organization, you are the greatest benefactor of us three in this life! This kindness, we will never forget!"

"Right! Benefactor! From now on, my life, Meng Guanglin, is yours!" Meng Guanglin patted his chest and said excitedly.

Sha Zhenjiang also stared intently at Shen Wang, his young face full of sincerity: "Shen... Brother Shen, I, Sha Zhenjiang, don't know how to say fancy words, but your kindness, I've recorded it here!"

He thumped his chest hard: "In the future, if you have any orders, I will go through fire and water, and will not refuse even if it means death!"

Shen Wang saw Sha Zhenjiang's slightly immature face in the rearview mirror and couldn't help but chuckle in his heart.

Good heavens, the future uncle of the Handong Province Provincial Party Secretary was calling him "Brother Shen" one moment after another, and even wanted to go through fire and water for him?

This feeling... really was quite strange.

And just at this moment, the system prompt finally sounded in his mind—

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the mission!]

[Mission reward issued: Silver-tier ten-consecutive draw (guaranteed SSR)]

The corners of Shen Wang's mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

Silver ten-consecutive draw, obtained!

This adventure was worth it!

Immediately after, the system prompt sounded again—

[Ding! Advanced mission triggered: Escort Ding Zhijian and the others back to the Shanxi Province base]

[Mission reward: Gold-tier ten-consecutive draw (guaranteed SSR)]

[Do you accept?]

Gold-tier... SSR?

Shen Wang's breath hitched!

Then he hurriedly chose to accept the mission; what was there to hesitate about!

He turned to look at the few people in the back of the car, just like looking at a few experience babies.

"Alright, alright, don't be so restrained; it's fate that we met."

"Although we have escaped Beijing, that doesn't mean we are completely safe!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Ding Zhijian and the others tightened again.

That's right!

Leaving Beijing didn't mean they were safe.

Hundreds of miles around Beijing were all Japanese-occupied territory.

No matter how fast the combat vehicle was, could it be faster than radio waves?

One could imagine that there would surely be countless checkpoints waiting for them ahead.

And this time, the Japanese would surely carry a large amount of heavy firepower!

Perhaps even anti-tank guns!

Would they... still be able to escape successfully?