95: Chapter 95 This retreat is not out of fear of war
Takamori Sho's expression darkened upon hearing the report from his subordinates.
Looking at the few who had managed to escape back, he had nowhere to vent the fury in his heart.
He even wanted to send a large army to launch a direct assault.
However, his reason stopped him from acting on such an impulsive thought.
The Sihang Warehouse was easy to defend and difficult to attack; if he were to force an assault, it would inevitably result in even greater casualties without necessarily yielding good results.
Takamori Sho waved his hand, signaling the soldier to leave.
Since arriving in China, Takamori Sho had never fought such a difficult battle.
He was stuck in a stalemate.
At this moment, on the roof of The Warehouse, they watched the raging fire burning below.
The explosion of the oil tanker ended quickly, but the subsequent flames did not stop so soon.
After staying vigilant all night, the Japanese did not launch a sneak attack during the night.
In the morning, a phone call came through for Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin.
Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin answered the phone.
Wang Ye was right beside him.
He heard the voice coming from the other end of the line.
"Lieutenant Colonel Xie, your mission is nearing completion. Your heroic resistance over these past few days has successfully drawn international attention. The Generalissimo has already said that if you hold on a little longer, China will not forget your contributions."
"Yes, I guarantee the mission will be completed." Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin did not say anything else.
Since the higher-ups had given the order, he could only comply.
Even if he had many complaints or much dissatisfaction in his heart, he still had to obey orders.
One could occasionally express dissatisfaction, but it shouldn't be a constant topic of conversation.
Because that was useless unless one took the initiative to resolve it.
Otherwise, one simply had to endure it.
After hanging up the phone, Wang Ye looked at Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin.
"Lieutenant Colonel, does the higher-up's meaning suggest that it's about to end?" the nearby switchboard operator suddenly asked.
"Hmm, I suppose so." Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin did not show any signs of happiness.
In reality, he did not feel very happy either.
He felt that this battle was far from over; the Japanese had been locked in a bitter struggle with them for days, and their casualties were several times higher than theirs.
If they continued to hold out, Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin believed they could tie down a significant amount of the Japanese forces.
This was the last piece of territory in Shanghai that would be occupied by the Japanese.
Throughout the entire battle, they had been defeated again and again, retreating time and time again.
Countless soldiers had sacrificed their lives, yet they could not hold onto the nation's territory.
They had watched with their own eyes as this most prosperous city in China was destroyed by the flames of war, with the common people fleeing everywhere.
During the day, the Japanese launched another fierce offensive.
They were determined to capture The Warehouse.
At night, Wang Ye leaned against the wall, feeling somewhat exhausted.
Suddenly, a Chinese Soldier ran to his side.
"Company Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Xie is looking for you."
Upon hearing this, Wang Ye immediately stood up and followed him downstairs.
When Wang Ye saw Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin, there were three other company commanders beside him.
They had also just arrived, and their eyes were filled with confusion.
"Lieutenant Colonel Xie, do you have a plan for us?" Wang Ye asked confusedly.
Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin looked at the group, sighed helplessly, and said, "The higher-ups have ordered us to retreat; our mission is complete."
After Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin finished speaking, Wang Ye and the other company commanders looked at each other in stunned silence.
They found it hard to believe what Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin had said.
Time returned to over ten minutes ago, when a phone call had come through.
It was a call from the higher-ups in the Third War Zone.
The content of the call was to order Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin to lead his troops in a retreat.
He wanted to ask for the reason, but the person conveying the order did not know.
Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin had no choice but to call his superior, Gu Tong.
"We can still continue to fight; why must we retreat now?"
"The Sihang Warehouse is the last position in Shanghai. If the Sihang Warehouse is lost as well, how will the people of Shanghai view us? Once the Sihang Warehouse is lost, the hearts of the people will be lost entirely."
Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin's voice was loud, so much so that even the switchboard operator nearby listened in fear.
Gu Tong, on the other end, understood Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin's words.
But he could only explain:
"This is the order from the Generalissimo. Now that the goal of gaining international attention has been achieved, the Generalissimo's intention is for you to evacuate as soon as possible to preserve the effective strength of the troops and avoid pointless sacrifices."
"The outcome of the Battle of Shanghai is already irreversible; continuing to hold this position will not change the situation. The 88th Division has suffered heavy losses in this battle, and the Generalissimo does not want you to continue making pointless sacrifices. The War of Resistance has not yet ended, and you will still be needed to serve the country later."
Upon hearing the words of his superior, Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin's eyes turned red, and he fought back tears as he accepted the order.
"Lieutenant Colonel Xie, is this true?" the machine gun company commander asked, finding it hard to believe.
"This is the order from the Generalissimo. Obedience to orders is the sacred duty of a soldier."
"It's just that this retreat today will surely be discussed by future generations."
Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin's expression was filled with sorrow.
In his heart, he did not want to retreat.
However, he could not disobey orders at will.
Even if he had the heart to continue the resistance, he needed to consider the feelings of his brothers under his command.
If he delayed the overall situation, that was also something he could not bear.
Upon hearing Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin's words, Wang Ye could not believe that the battle had ended just like that.
It had ended too suddenly.
"Each of you, assemble your Chinese Soldiers; prepare to evacuate tonight," Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin ordered.
Wang Ye nodded, then went to notify the Chinese Soldiers under his command.
Soon, all the Chinese Soldiers were assembled on the second floor.
Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin looked at the Chinese Soldiers below and spoke slowly: "Brothers, the higher-ups have ordered that tonight we must all evacuate the Sihang Warehouse and retreat into the International Settlement."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Chinese Soldiers below immediately began to murmur in discussion.
They could not believe that after fighting for only a few days, the higher-ups were ordering them to retreat.
For a moment, they found it somewhat difficult to accept.
However, even if they found it difficult to accept in their hearts, they did not show it, and instead looked at Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin once more.
Sensing the gaze of the Chinese Soldiers, Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin took a deep breath and then spoke slowly: "Brothers, this retreat is not out of fear, but an ordered transfer. If there is another chance in the future, I will surely return to the battlefield with all of you."
After speaking, he organized the Chinese Soldiers to clear out The Warehouse.
They moved the sandbags on the first floor and took away the items inside The Warehouse.
At this moment, Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin was in a room where his belongings were laid out.
He opened his diary.
And wrote down this sentence on it.
"Four hundred brothers guarded this land with flesh and blood for seven days; now we abandon it and leave, though we live, it is shameful."
In the early morning, everything had been cleared.
Regimental Adjutant Xie Jin arranged for the wounded to evacuate first, followed by the main force.
Finally, there were the twenty men left behind to cover the retreat.
They fired toward the direction of the Japanese from the rooftop.
Wang Ye took one look at the national flag and then had a soldier take it down.
He handed it to the machine gun company commander to take away.
Seeing that the main force was about to retreat into the International Settlement, the Chinese Soldiers covering the rear began to retreat as well.
At this moment, on the other side.
After the Japanese heard the gunfire cease, and with no new gunfire for a long time, they became suspicious.
They turned on the searchlights and shone them toward The Warehouse.
As a result, they discovered figures moving in the distance.
It seemed they were running toward the International Settlement.
Seeing this situation, the Japanese immediately dispatched soldiers to pursue them.
Wang Ye saw that the Japanese had discovered them, but he was not in a hurry.
He held a push-rod switch in his hand, and seeing the Japanese chasing after them, he grinned.
"Hehe, here's a big one for you."