48: Retreat order

The gaming pod cover closed.

Darkness. Then white light. A login interface popped up on his retina: [Reconnecting...]

The progress bar began to move.

10%... 30%... 50%... Chen Xi lay in the pod, his hand clenched. His palm was empty; there was no button. The button remained at the command center, sealed in an evidence bag, taken for analysis.

Director Long's words still echoed in his ears.

"You must go back." Director Long stood before the console, a high-definition image of that button on the screen. "We need to confirm whether that is truly a one-way passage."

"And if it isn't?" Chen Xi asked.

"Then it means..." Director Long paused. "There's a crack between the two worlds. If matter can come here, perhaps it can go there as well."

Chen Xi didn't speak.

"Continue your livestream," Director Long said. "We will monitor all data. If there is another abnormal transmission, notify us immediately."

"How do I notify you?"

"Your system has a backdoor. We will send encrypted messages that will display directly on your interface."

"What about the audience?"

"Broadcast as usual. Act as if nothing happened."

The progress bar reached 100%.

White light exploded.

Chen Xi closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he saw the warehouse ceiling. Wooden beams, charred black, with cracks. There was a smell of blood in the air, a burnt smell, and an indescribable stench, like something rotting.

He was lying down, with sacks beneath him.

Cereal husks poked at his back.

He sat up.

The storage room. The cracks on the wall were still there, as were the spiderwebs. There were sounds outside—footsteps, whispers, and the moans of the wounded.

He stood up.

His legs felt a bit weak. He leaned against the wall for support; it was cold, and the brick joints were rough.

He pushed open the door and walked out.

In the corridor, several Soldiers were carrying corpses. They used stretchers, two men to a lift, moving very slowly. The bodies were covered with cloth, their outlines stark and rigid beneath.

Chen Xi stepped aside to clear the way.

The stretchers passed by.

He walked along the corridor and went downstairs.

On the second floor, there were even more wounded. They sat in a row against the wall; some were sleeping, while others stared with hollow eyes. The Military Doctor was changing dressings; they had run out of bandages and were using torn clothes instead.

He continued down.

The first floor.

By the breach, Shangguan Zhibiao was smoking. It was still tobacco rolled in newspaper, burning quickly, with ash falling onto his lapel.

Seeing Chen Xi, Shangguan Zhibiao handed the cigarette over.

"Just woke up?" he asked.

Chen Xi nodded, took the cigarette, and took a puff. It was harsh and stung his throat, making him cough twice.

"Take it slow," Shangguan Zhibiao said. "This stuff has quite a kick."

Chen Xi took another puff and handed it back.

"What about the Japs?" he asked.

"They haven't moved," Shangguan Zhibiao said. "They're waiting. Waiting for reinforcements, or waiting for us to starve to death."

Chen Xi looked out through the breach.

The Japanese Soldiers were fifty meters away, crouching with their rifles ready. They hadn't advanced, but they hadn't retreated either. In the pit in the middle, dark and murky, someone was already filling it with soil. They dug with bayonets and scooped with their hands; as soil was piled on, the pit grew shallower.

"Little Chen..." Shangguan Zhibiao began.

"I know," Chen Xi interrupted him.

Shangguan Zhibiao said no more.

The two stood there, looking outside.

After a while, footsteps came from behind.

Xie Jinyuan arrived.

He had an injury on his face, with a piece of gauze taped to his temple, seeping blood. His uniform was relatively tidy, but the sleeves were torn, revealing abrasions on his arms.

"Mr. Chen." He nodded.

Chen Xi nodded in response.

Xie Jinyuan walked to the breach and looked out. He looked for a long time.

Then he turned to face the Soldiers who could still stand.

"Everyone, assemble."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear.

The Soldiers put down their tasks and walked over. Those who could walk did so on their own; those who couldn't were supported. Over twenty men stood in three rows. They were all dirty and exhausted, but their backs were straight.

Xie Jinyuan scanned them.

"I have just received orders," he said. "The Supreme Command requires our unit to evacuate the Sihang Warehouse."

No one spoke.

The air seemed to freeze.

"Our mission is complete," Xie Jinyuan continued. "We held out for four days, pinned down Japanese Army forces, and demonstrated the determination of the Chinese Soldier to the international community. Now, we are ordered to retreat."

Still, no one spoke.

Some Soldiers' lips were trembling, but they made no sound.

"The retreat route," Xie Jinyuan said, "will start from the west side of the warehouse, cross the Suzhou Creek, and enter the International Settlement. There will be people to receive us there."

He paused.

"However."

That 'however' carried a lot of weight.

"The Japanese Army has blockaded all bridges. Especially the nearest New Lacha Bridge, which is covered by interlocking fields of fire. If we go across, we'll be sitting ducks."

The Soldiers' expressions changed.

Shangguan Zhibiao took a step forward. "Regimental Commander, then how do we retreat?"

"A forceful breakthrough," Xie Jinyuan said. "We'll divide into three groups. One group will launch a feint to draw fire, while the other two groups cross the bridge quickly. We'll get as many across as we can."

"And the casualties?" Shangguan Zhibiao asked.

Xie Jinyuan was silent for two seconds.

"Seventy percent," he said. "At least."

The sound of sharp intakes of breath filled the room.

A young Soldier's legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed. Someone nearby caught him.

Xie Jinyuan looked at them.

"I know this is hard," he said. "After holding out for four days and losing so many brothers, to have to retreat like this in the end. But an order is an order."

He paused.

"Furthermore, we have indeed completed our mission. Staying any longer has no meaning. It would only cause more deaths."

Having finished, he looked at the Soldiers.

The Soldiers looked back at him.

After a moment, Shangguan Zhibiao spoke up: "Regimental Commander, I'll lead the feint group."

"No," Xie Jinyuan said. "You're injured; you can't move fast enough."

"Then who? Among these brothers, who isn't covered in wounds?"

"I will go," Xie Jinyuan said.

"Regimental Commander!"

"This is an order." Xie Jinyuan's voice was firm. "I will lead the feint. Shangguan, you take one group, and Mr. Chen will take the other. Cross the bridge quickly."

"Mr. Chen can't do it," Shangguan Zhibiao said. "He doesn't know how to fight."

"He does." Xie Jinyuan looked at Chen Xi. "Mr. Chen, what do you say?"

Chen Xi didn't answer immediately.

He looked at Xie Jinyuan.

He looked at the Soldiers.

He looked out through the breach.

Then he said, "If we cross the bridge, how many will die?"

"Seventy to eighty percent."

"And if we don't cross?"

"If we stay, we die too. No food, no ammo, and more and more wounded. We can hold out for two more days at most."

Chen Xi nodded.

He walked to the breach and looked out.

In the distance was the Suzhou Creek. The river wasn't wide; he could see the houses on the opposite bank. There were indeed figures on the bridge—Japanese Soldiers, manning machine guns.

He watched for a while.

Then he turned around.

"Regimental Commander," he said, "give me the binoculars."

Xie Jinyuan unclipped the binoculars from his waist and handed them over.

Chen Xi took them and raised them to his eyes.

He adjusted the focus.

The bridge became clear.

The New Lacha Bridge was a steel-frame structure. Sandbags were piled at the bridgehead, behind which was a machine gun nest. Two guns, maybe three. There were also fortifications in the middle of the bridge, with Japanese Soldiers moving about.

He shifted the binoculars downward.

The river surface.

The current wasn't swift, but it was very murky. There were a few small boats, overturned, floating near the bank.

He looked further into the distance.

On the Settlement side, there were houses and streets. He could see figures, but they were very blurry.

He lowered the binoculars.

"Regimental Commander," he said, "if we don't cross the bridge, is there any other way?"

"No," Xie Jinyuan said. "Surrounded on three sides, and the river on the fourth. Unless we can fly across."

Chen Xi didn't speak.

He handed the binoculars back to Xie Jinyuan.

He put his hand in his pocket.

It was empty.

No button.

But he remembered what that button looked like. Copper, the military emblem, blood.

He looked up at Xie Jinyuan.

"When do we retreat?" he asked.

"At nightfall," Xie Jinyuan said. "Eight o'clock tonight. As soon as it's dark, we move."

"What time is it now?"

"Three in the afternoon."

Five hours left.

Chen Xi nodded.

"I'll go prepare," he said.

Then he turned and left the breach.

He walked up the stairs.

Back to the third floor.

To that storage room.

He closed the door, leaned his back against it, and slid down to sit on the floor.

His hands were shaking.

He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

It hurt.

But it wasn't enough.

He loosened them, then clenched them again.

After several times, his palms were bleeding and sticky.

He stopped.

He took a breath.

Then he opened the system interface.

His Emotion Points were still rising. The numbers were jumping rapidly.

He flipped to the mall.

[Engineering Module], grayed out, locked.

There was a long string of zeros after the price.

He stared at that icon.

He looked for a long time.

Then he closed the interface.

He stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window was the Suzhou Creek. The bridge. The Japanese Army's fortifications.

He watched.

He watched for a long time.

Then he turned and left the room.

He went downstairs.

Back to the first floor.

The Soldiers had already begun to prepare. Checking weapons, organizing gear, and dividing the last bit of dry rations. No one spoke, but they moved quickly.

Chen Xi walked up to Xie Jinyuan.

"Regimental Commander," he said.

"Yes?"

"I want to go up and take another look."

"At what?"

"The terrain."

Xie Jinyuan looked at him for two seconds and then nodded.

"Be careful."

Chen Xi turned and went upstairs.

He walked onto the rooftop terrace.

The wind was strong, making his clothes flap loudly. He walked to the edge of the platform and looked down.

The entire battlefield was below him.

The warehouse. The ruins. The river. The bridge.

The Settlement on the opposite bank.

He looked at the bridge.

He looked at the river.

He looked at the sky.

The clouds were thick, grayish-white, and hung very low.

It was going to rain.

He stood there for a long time.

Then he turned and went downstairs.

By the time he returned to the first floor, it was starting to get dark.

Dark clouds rolled in, and the light grew dim. A few oil lamps were lit in the warehouse; the light was faint, casting long shadows.

The Soldiers were ready.

They stood on either side of the breach, waiting.

Xie Jinyuan was doing a final check of the equipment.

Seeing Chen Xi, he walked over.

"Mr. Chen," he said, "you follow Shangguan's group. He knows the way."

Chen Xi nodded.

"Regimental Commander," he said, "if... if we can't make it across?"

Xie Jinyuan was silent for a moment.

"Then we die there," he said. "It's better than waiting to die here."

Chen Xi didn't speak.

Xie Jinyuan patted him on the shoulder.

"Take care."

Then he turned and walked toward his own group.

Chen Xi watched his back.

Then he walked over to Shangguan Zhibiao's side.

Shangguan Zhibiao was checking his rifle. He chambered a round, then ejected it and counted. Five rounds.

"That's all?" Chen Xi asked.

"Yeah," Shangguan Zhibiao said. "Gotta make 'em count."

He pressed the bullets back into the magazine and worked the bolt.

"Mr. Chen," he said, "stay close to me later. Don't fall behind."

"Okay."

It was completely dark now.

The rain began to fall.

It was light, a drizzle, but very dense. It felt cool against his face.

Xie Jinyuan raised his hand.

The Soldiers fell silent.

"Move out," he said.

His voice was very soft, but it was clear amidst the sound of the rain.