Chapter 1, Engineer Corps

Although Zhang Chi was reluctant to believe, he had no choice but to accept... He returned to the era of the War of Resistance and became a member of the Expeditionary Force, establishing himself on the battlefield in Myanmar

However, as he continued working, Zhang Chi felt a wave of emptiness in his heart.

Stop advancing

The soldiers leaned their rifles against the roadside, took out tools such as engineer shovels and pickaxes, and began to work energetically.

But... why have I heard that the British are almost unable to hold on?" A slender middle-aged man with bright, piercing eyes joined the discussion

The warriors were discussing animatedly, and it was only then that Zhang Chi gradually understood that there existed an atmosphere among the expeditionary forces of believing in the British army, relying on the British army, and even placing greater hopes on the British army.

As expected, Xiao Zhejiang wore a look of astonishment; he was puzzled that Zhang Chi did not even know the name of his own regiment commander

Although there are dangers, one should not directly face the Japanese guns and artillery, as well as aerial bombardment, like infantry on the front lines. For instance, this time, they were dispatched to sabotage the railway near Hill 5.

Zhang Chi could not help but silently lament: If this is truly the case, it means that the Japanese army will soon appear before us, making it unsafe even for a sapper.

"Fellow townsman!" replied the young man from Zhejiang nonchalantly, "That's just because the British haven't come to their senses yet. Have you heard how many tanks the British have? A whole armored brigade, and they are all... well, they are certainly much more advanced than the tanks of the little Japanese! And there are planes too!"

A slender middle-aged man surnamed Wang, from Ningbo, Zhejiang, is the vice monitor of Class 7. He frequently mentions that Chairman Jiang is his fellow townsman (Chiang Kai-shek is from Ningbo, Zhejiang), which has earned him the nickname "Fellow Townsman".

The only good news is that ... Zhang Chi is a skilled engineer.

He is called "Little Zhejiang" not because he is from Zhejiang, but because his name, when read backwards, is "Little Zhejiang"

Ha, that must be someone who escaped from Yangon

As I was lost in thought, commands came down one after another from the front:

Little Zhejiang! Zhang Chi called out to the side

The fellow townsman tightened the rifle on his shoulder as he walked and said somewhat defiantly, "But I heard that there are already deserters over there among the British..."

It is precisely for this reason that the expeditionary forces repeatedly formulated operational plans in conjunction with the British Army for mutual defense. However, the army of the "British Empire," which they had always held in high regard, proved to be utterly incapable in the face of the Japanese forces, even abandoning their gentlemanly demeanor by launching a large-scale retreat without notifying their allies, thereby exposing the flank of the expeditionary forces to the Japanese.

The burly man named Sun Yonghao is a machine gunner, nicknamed Lao Ha, because he often precedes his speech with a "ha" sound.

Same ancient, engineering corps, destroying the railway ... ! ... It can't be here, right !

... ...

Isn't it? The sound of gunfire in the distance is quite lively; it is said that the Japanese invaders have once again launched an attack on the defenses of the Expeditionary Force at Tonggu.

"Ha, Xiao Zhejiang is right!" a burly man, towering half a head taller than Xiao Zhejiang and carrying a machine gun, interjected, "It is said that the British have also engaged in combat with the Japanese devils. Our weaponry is not as advanced as that of the Japanese, and we have always suffered losses. This time, it is time for the Japanese devils to experience some hardship!"

Seeing the demeanor of the young soldier from Zhejiang, Zhang Chi was momentarily taken aback. Although he did not fully understand the meaning behind the young soldier's words, he was struck by the confidence that this young boy displayed in the face of war. In contrast, he, being the older "squad leader," found himself utterly flustered and at a loss, which caused his face to flush slightly.

Xiao Zhejiang's answer left Zhang Chi with his mouth agape for a long time, unable to close it.

Class monitor

Upon thinking of this, Zhang Chi could not help but let out a bitter laugh. Coming from the modern era, he was well aware that although the British forces had equipment that was superior to that of the Japanese army, they collapsed at the front in Burma when faced with the Japanese. They not only failed to become effective assistants to the Chinese Expeditionary Force, but instead caused chaos for the Expeditionary Force and even delivered weapons and equipment to the enemy. The reason for this assertion is that the British forces abandoned a large amount of weaponry and equipment during their retreat, while a purely infantry Japanese army, in pursuit, transformed into a motorized and even armored force.

... ...

The young warrior is named Jiang Zhe Xiao, and his comrades all call him Little Zhejiang

Upon thinking of this, Zhang Chi could not help but sigh: "Under the fallen nest, how can there be intact eggs?" In such circumstances, one’s fate is likely to be more ominous than fortunate.

This led to repeated defeats for the expeditionary forces, and in the end, only 40,000 out of 100,000 were able to survive

Damn it! Thinking of this, Zhang Chi couldn't help but curse under his breath. He had already died once in the modern world, and now he unexpectedly had to return here to die once more

Once the British establish their footing, things will be different

Stop advancing

This is still acceptable, Zhang Chi comforted himself while swinging the pickaxe: for now, it is merely physical labor, without having to go to the battlefield to kill or be killed... Just thinking about the scenes of gunfire and bloodshed depicted in television and movies made Zhang Chi shiver involuntarily

Seeing Zhang Chi's grim expression, the young soldier who had previously reminded him came up to offer comfort: "Don't worry, this time we are fighting the Japanese together with the British!"

"In order to prevent the enemy from utilizing it, be sure to completely destroy the railway from Hill 5 to Hill 8 before nightfall!"

But after a moment of surprise, Xiao Zhejiang stood up and replied: "Report to the squad leader, the regiment commander is Li Shuzheng!"

Zhang Chi had spent some time in Myanmar during modern times. On one hand, he can be considered somewhat of a military enthusiast; on the other hand, the campaign fought by the Expeditionary Force in Myanmar is also related to China. Therefore, while doing business in Myanmar, Zhang Chi paid attention, both consciously and unconsciously, to the operational history of the Expeditionary Force. Occasionally, if it was on the way, he would also seek out the places where the Expeditionary Force had once fought. This has given Zhang Chi some understanding of this historical period. Thus, while doing business in Myanmar, Zhang Chi paid attention, both consciously and unconsciously, to the operational history of the Expeditionary Force. Occasionally, if it was on the way, he would also seek out the places where the Expeditionary Force had once fought. This has given Zhang Chi some understanding of this historical period

However, it is reasonable for the expeditionary forces to have such a nearly blind trust in the British army. As the saying goes, a person's reputation is like a tree's shadow. At this time, Britain was indeed the foremost industrial power, military power, and colonial power... In short, it had significant international influence. Furthermore, with the assistance of another great power, the United States, many people, including the expeditionary forces, believed that this overseas operation would "certainly lead to victory"

Little Zhejiang responded and immediately ran in front of Zhang Chi

The primary tasks of engineers include road construction, bridge building, and laying and clearing mines

He vaguely remembers that during the Battle of Tonggu, there was a sapper regiment responsible for defending the rear airport. They had never anticipated that the Japanese army would bypass the Expeditionary Force's defenses via a small road and launch a surprise attack on the rear. As a result, the sapper regiment was confidently engaged in railway destruction, which led to their being overwhelmed by a single charge from the Japanese army without any preparedness. The regiment commander, Li Shuzheng, was executed on the spot because of this incident

"What is the name of our leader?" Zhang Chi looked around, took a step closer to Xiao Zhejiang, and asked in a lowered voice.