Chapter 5, The Longest Night (Part 2)

He Sui shouted at the top of his lungs: "We only oppose the Manchus; we are all sons of the Han family. Why suffer for the sake of the tiger!"

A commotion arose behind them, and Chen Heshan, along with a dozen brothers, crawled over to Yuchen, each carrying two barrels of kerosene. His officer's cap had a bullet hole in it, yet he smiled at Yuchen without a care: "Indeed, there is a foreign oil shop here. We smashed open the storefront, and not only did the owner not get angry, but he also generously gave us these twenty or so barrels of oil. What a profit we made."

Yuchen climbed to the front and ordered the soldiers to cease fire. He shouted, "Wait for my command, and then everyone fire together! It must be coordinated, aiming at the enemy's gun muzzles. Seal them off!" He grabbed the rifle of a fallen soldier, pulled back the bolt to check, and found three bullets remaining. With a snap, he closed the bolt again. Behind him, He Sui and Zhang Xiongfu had already selected the death squad members and moved to the flanks.

He Sui disagrees with everyone: "One is the highest official, and the other is a direct descendant for three generations; neither will do. That kid Zhang Xiong is around; he has always been reckless, and I will go up with him."

Yuchen tilted his head to aim and shouted loudly, "Fire!" The flames from the gun's muzzle flickered, momentarily blinding him. The butt of the gun struck heavily against his shoulder, causing a sharp pain. He could no longer care about much; he simply repeated the command to fire, continuing until his bullets were exhausted.

Yuchen closed his eyes in pain; this was the first time he had witnessed bloodshed and death in this era. He was not afraid, but was thinking of that squad leader. He was brought by Wu Cai, had gentle eyes and a shy smile, and did not speak much. Yet today, he resolutely took the lead and sacrificed himself here

When we broke through the passage, another wall stood before us, and an iron door was already locked. Several soldiers poked their rifles through the door but did not fire. The soldiers beside Yu Chen immediately assumed a ready position. He Sui shouted loudly, "Are you still serving the Manchus? Hurry up and open the door, or the bullets won't have eyes!"

The enemy finally saw them, and a hail of bullets came slanting in, causing Chen Shanhe to fall to the ground. Yu Chen was there, pounding the ground and shouting: "No illness!"

Although Chen Shanhe only heard intermittent gunfire, his eyes widened immediately, and his delicate, handsome face contorted with anger: "Why should I be the one to organize the fire from the back? You are the highest-ranking officer; you stay back while Zhuangran and I go forward."

He Sui tore open the collar beside Yu Chen, propping himself up and wanting to rush forward. Yu Chen hurriedly pressed him down: "Wait for Wu Bing to come up! Don't rush in recklessly! With such intense firepower, it's impossible to charge up!"

More than one hundred soldiers from the Shanghai garrison, dressed in uniforms and undergarments, ran out empty-handed from the main gate, kneeling on the bare ground in front of the building, their faces blackened with soot. They looked fearfully at the cheering soldiers.

Only then did he have the time to glance at the lively Chen Shanhe beside him, who was doing nothing. This kid was squatting there, picking up bullets with his hat askew. Yu Chen opened his pocket watch to check the time; the assault on the manufacturing bureau had been ongoing from 11 PM until now, 1 AM. It was now October 28, 1911.

As soon as the enemy's firepower shifted, I saw Chen Shanhe leap up and, in a few large strides, crouch down beside us. I hadn't even had the chance to see if he was injured. Over there, the kerosene barrel had already been ignited by the soldiers' rifles. With two loud explosions, the fire suddenly blazed up in a wide area. Inside the concrete building, there was a flurry of gasps and shouts, and the firepower immediately weakened.

The sound of the machine gun was still a series of increasingly intense bursts

In the haze, he saw shadows of two figures moving upward, and he was so tense that he was drenched in sweat, repeatedly shouting "let go, let go, let go." The sound of rifles on his side had already turned into chaos. Perhaps it was nighttime, and this concrete building was not a military stronghold; visibility was limited. The soldiers moving up on both sides piled the kerosene at the bottom of the building and then turned back to run. At this moment, his vision also recovered, and he suddenly discovered that Chen Shanhe was running at the back!

Several soldiers dropped their guns and rushed inside. The soldiers surged forward and quickly smashed open the iron gate. They then charged in. Upon entering, they saw a vast open factory area, with a three-story concrete building towering above. Several windows flashed with fire, and the sound of gunfire erupted, with the firepower of machine guns pouring in. The soldiers at the front were immediately struck down.

Yuchen smiled and said: "Thank you, you can stay outside honestly; it won't endanger your lives." Several guards were taken down, and the talkative one was still mumbling: "This Great Qing should have perished in the year of Gengzi!"

Gaochang Temple Manufacturing Bureau

Yuchen nodded and waved for the soldiers to follow. The guard then said, "You all arrived just in time; there is no one on duty at the four corner towers today. Our Chief Zhang has gone out to pay visits, and only Captain Wang is still staying in the concrete building"

With a command, over 200 soldiers dispersed. Yu Chen and He Sui led a group of soldiers forward. A few guards at the entrance were still chatting and yawning when they were subdued one by one. He Sui whispered, "Do not make a sound, or we will kill you!"

He glared at him fiercely, then turned his red and swollen eyes to look across. Yuchen pulled him, and the three of them huddled together: "We only have rifles, and we definitely can't break into this concrete building. If we set it on fire, they'll be scared. Wubing, you organize our rifle fire to suppress the enemy's fire here, while Zhuangran and I take ten men each to flank from both sides and set the place ablaze!"

There is nothing more that can be done on this side of the team. Just now, there was a fierce barrage, and almost all the rifle ammunition has been expended. We can only stare in disbelief. Before long, a white flag emerged from the smoke-filled concrete building, accompanied by a voice with a Hunan accent: "Do not shoot or set fire! Captain Wang has already escaped through the back door! We surrender!"

All the rifles fired, sending numerous sparks flying from the concrete building across the way. However, the machine gun fire from the opposite side continued unabated, as if it were endless. The distinctive metallic sound of the Maxim machine gun echoed in everyone's hearts.

A guard was stationed at the entrance. The soldiers hurried forward along the long corridor, following the officer. Along the way, most of the guards surrendered, with only a few realizing what was happening, who then cocked their rifles, and the gunfire shattered the quiet night sky. This instantly awakened the entire manufacturing facility.

Yuchen thought for a moment and nodded, saying: "It's settled then; we don't have time for further discussion. Wubing, this is an order!"

Several guards' guns and books were taken down, and one of them, speaking with a Hunan accent, asked us: "Are you from the militia?"

This place is not like the South City, rather desolate. On a long street, there is not a single shadow of a person. Rain Chen, leading a team of over 200 people, quietly approached the manufacturing bureau. He issued a low command: "Zhuo Ran, send a few people to disarm the guards at the entrance. Wu Bing, break open all the shops along the street, and if there is any foreign oil, bring it to us."

The officers and soldiers surged forward, extinguishing the fire while rushing into the building, with guns, bullets, and documents scattered everywhere. Rain Chen repeatedly ordered, "Each unit, take control of the entire manufacturing bureau. Everyone, load the bullets. Bring the machine guns up to the four corner towers. No one is allowed to enter without my command!"

Yuchen and the soldiers all lay down, each finding cover among the terrain. They could hear bullets whizzing past overhead. Yuchen shouted from the ground: "We are the militia just like those in the Wuchang Uprising! Brothers, do not serve the Manchus any longer; lay down your guns and your safety will be guaranteed!"

A squad leader stood up, cursed, and charged forward with a dozen or so comrades. However, after only a few steps, he was the first to be knocked down, his body propelled high into the air before crashing to the ground. Other soldiers also suffered casualties

This night has not yet passed