Chapter 8: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell

Tachibana Koji absolutely did not want to leave a powerless impression on Prince Fushimi.

"Brother Xu, how are you?" Lin Feng asked eagerly, as the prospect of breaking through seemed within reach, Lin Feng also became somewhat unsettled

"There are enemy troops stationed at the intersection ahead, and behind the intersection is a bridge. If we choose to detour, there are too many uncertainties, and time does not permit it, so we can only launch a direct assault." Xu Rui adjusted the Japanese steel helmet on his head and continued, "However, you can rest assured, it is just a small squad of enemy troops, a piece of cake."

However, once the ambush battle commenced, the situation changed immediately

In a narrow path, the brave shall prevail, at this moment, charge forward! Kill!

In such times, the more one hesitates, the more dangerous it becomes

Xu Rui swiftly drew his gun and aimed through the billowing smoke. The enemy machine gunner noticed that Xu Rui was still moving and hurriedly turned his gun to prepare for fire suppression, but it was already too late. Xu Rui's gun muzzle suddenly flashed, and a modified 6.5mm dum-dum bullet had already spiraled at high speed, piercing like lightning into the enemy machine gunner's forehead

As a commander in the realm of military spirit, the more hesitant you appear, the more your soldiers will feel lost; conversely, the more decisive you are, the more resolute your soldiers will become

Yang Dashu pondered and said: "Essentially, a small squad of the enemy can match our battalion, a company can withstand our regiment, and an infantry brigade can engage our division on equal terms. This is under the premise that our temporarily organized 79th Division is fully staffed; otherwise, the gap would be even larger"

Upon seeing Xu Rui and about twenty remaining soldiers appear, one of the enemy's machine guns immediately turned its muzzle and opened fire fiercely at Xu Rui and his group. Xu Rui quickly lunged forward and fell to the ground, as the scorching bullets nearly grazed his steel helmet, instantly knocking down the two remaining soldiers who were following Xu Rui.

This is meant to highlight the encirclement of the enemy? It feels like a dream.

This thought process, this meticulousness, is simply flawless!

The enemy has two machine guns, one on the left and one on the right, resembling two guardian deities, firmly locking down the stone arch bridge leading out of the city. A dozen or so remnants of the National Army are hiding in the ruins on the right side of the street, engaging in a firefight with the enemy. However, these few remnants are clearly at a disadvantage in terms of firepower, being suppressed by the enemy's machine guns to the point where they cannot even lift their heads.

After the command system of the temporarily organized 79th Division was destroyed, the various direct subordinate units and main regiments of the division were surrounded and cut off by the enemy in different urban areas. Under such circumstances, it was absolutely impossible to lead the troops out of the city, even for a small unit of around 20 people, as there were enemy patrols everywhere within the city.

The remaining soldiers who followed quickly scattered, each seeking cover

Then, the sounds of the crooked guns, the Type 38 rifles, and the formal gunfire echoed all at once

Otherwise, after rescuing them from the hands of the enemy, why did Xu Rui not directly lead them to break through to the outside, but instead chose to go in the opposite direction, taking them towards the city center? This is clearly intended to draw the enemy's forces, leading their main strength to the city center, thereby creating a void in the periphery, and then taking advantage of this gap to break through.

Yang Dashu was momentarily taken aback and said, "The commander of the little devils is very likely to conclude that our temporarily organized 79th Division still has intact units, and that our troop strength will not be less than a battalion! Only in this way can we possibly eliminate one of their squads in such a short time!"

For this reason, it is also acceptable to release a portion of the remnants of the Nationalist Army

"Very strong!" Yang Dashu said in a low voice, "Whether it is equipment, training, or the physical condition of the soldiers, we are comprehensively at a disadvantage. Although I am very reluctant to admit it, I must say that the combat capability of our temporarily organized 79th Division is not on the same level as the 17 permanent divisions of the enemy. This is an undeniable fact!"

Lin Feng cast a glance at Yang Dashu and said, "You find it quite puzzling, don't you?"

Half an hour later, a group of remnants safely advanced to the outskirts of the city.

A large cloud of blood mist suddenly erupted from the back of the enemy machine gunner's head, and he immediately toppled to one side

No, it is not that the enemy is foolish. " Lin Feng shook his head and continued, "It is that Xu Rui's scheme is too brilliant; the enemy cannot help but fall for it.

Upon exiting the small courtyard, there is a narrow alley. Emerging from the alley, one immediately finds oneself on a main street, where, standing on the street, one can see the barricade at the intersection ahead.

At that moment, Tachibana Koji said to Kobayashi Jiro: "Kobayashi-san, immediately draw one infantry battalion each from Matsui's and Watanabe's units to reinforce the Akita unit." Raising his wrist to check the time, Tachibana Koji continued, "Also inform Akita-san that this cunning remnant of the National Army must be rooted out before 2 PM, and they must be dealt with before nightfall"

A group of enemy soldiers is defending the street barricade

Indeed," Yang Dashu nodded and said, "With just over twenty ragged soldiers, they actually managed to take down an entire squad of enemy infantry. Who would believe such a thing if it were told? If I had not witnessed it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it either

At this moment, Xu Rui took the veterans ahead to scout the path again

Upon this thought, Lin Feng could not help but feel a sense of unease. This Xu Rui, who had appeared out of nowhere, not only possessed terrifying individual combat capabilities, but even the arrogant and invincible enemy soldiers seemed like mere chicks in his hands. His command skills could also be described as monstrous. Fortunately, he is a compatriot; if he were an enemy soldier, the Chinese would surely face great misfortune.

As for the enemy soldiers guarding the bridge, no one cared at all

Lin Feng continued to ask, "To what extent is the gap in strength?"

Yang Dashu bent over and walked up to Lin Feng, saying: "Master Can, I am truly puzzled. Where have all the Japanese soldiers in the city gone? I haven't encountered a single one along this entire route"

Certainly, Xu Rui's actions also carry a greater ambition, which is to create an opportunity for the remnants of the temporarily organized 79th Division, surrounded and divided by the enemy in various neighborhoods, to break through.

To ensure safety, Xu Rui personally led the veteran team as the vanguard, paving the way for the battalion.

The enemy's machine guns continued to unleash a fierce barrage of fire, causing dust and debris to scatter across the bluestone pavement in the street

Lin Feng and the more than twenty remaining soldiers all turned their gazes towards the outside, wondering what was happening

Lin Feng and the twenty or so remaining soldiers were immediately invigorated upon hearing this

"The remaining troops above the scale of the camp?" Yang Dashu couldn't help but reach out to touch Lin Feng's forehead, saying with concern, "Deputy Commander, are you out of your mind?"

"Get off me." Lin Feng swatted away Yang Dashu's furry paw and continued, "Dashu, let me ask you, we have temporarily formed the 79th Division, and we have been old rivals with the Japanese. Tell me the truth, how is the combat capability of the Japanese?"

In a sudden turn of events, Xu Rui was unaware of what exactly had transpired ahead, yet without a moment's hesitation, he immediately issued the combat order: "Brothers, charge with me!"

Yang Dashu said without hesitation: "Concentrate our forces, strengthen the sweep operations in the city center, hss..."

While the two were conversing, Xu Rui climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard, and Lin Feng along with more than twenty remaining soldiers immediately surrounded him

As the troops were about to break through the encirclement, Lin Feng finally understood why Xu Rui insisted on launching the ambush beforehand

"City center?" Yang Dashu scratched his head and said in confusion, "What are the little devils doing in the city center?"

Tachibana Koji raised his right hand to stop Kobayashi Jiro from speaking further, and said, "The remnants of the Nationalist Army in the western and southern districts are nothing but a pack of stray dogs. Let them be; our primary enemy now is the Chinese army in the city center"

Xu Rui raised the Type 38 rifle in his hand, and his cold gaze swept over the faces of more than twenty remnants. He said in a deep voice: "All personnel, check your weapons and ammunition, prepare for battle..."

Understood! Yang Dashu said excitedly, "The enemy is really foolish, they actually mistakenly believe that we have a battalion of troops."

Lin Feng nodded and said, "The Japanese must have a similar intuitive understanding of the disparity in strength between the Chinese and Japanese armies. After the previous ambush, what kind of judgment do you think the Japanese commander would arrive at?"

Lin Feng's lips curled up in a smile once again as he said, "Big Tree, now you understand why the enemy went to the city center, right?"

In the center of Wuxi City, Xu Rui and others have already been relocated

Lin Fengdao: "Of course, we are going to encircle the remnants of our temporarily organized 79th Division, specifically those remnants at the battalion level and above"

... ...

Xu Rui is capable of leading around twenty remnants to eliminate an entire support squad, but what if he encounters a whole infantry battalion? Moreover, the Japanese have planes, tanks, and artillery. Although Xu Rui is formidable, he is ultimately still a flesh-and-blood being. When the Japanese shells fall, he too will be blown to smithereens.

What impressed Lin Feng even more was that Xu Rui seemed to have planned everything from the very beginning

However, before Xu Rui could finish speaking, a sudden honk sounded from ahead.

A fellow single-handedly eliminated an entire infantry squad of the enemy, making it difficult for the enemy's battlefield commander to avoid being taken advantage of. This is what is known as a clever escape, a brilliant strategy indeed!

"I am puzzled, particularly puzzled," Yang Dashu said. "Could it be that the little devils have withdrawn their troops?"

Tachibana Koji has no time to concern himself with the remnants of the National Army in the western and southern parts of the city. In fact, deep down, he even hopes that the remnants in these two areas can break through quickly. What he desires most at this moment is to end the battle before Prince Fushimi arrives in Wuxi, so as to leave a good impression in the eyes of the other party

Along the way, several groups of enemy raiders were encountered, but this time Xu Rui did not alert the adversaries. Instead, he employed his exceptional camouflage skills to deceive these enemy raiding parties.

Lin Feng and the more than twenty remaining soldiers had no time to think and followed Xu Rui out of the small courtyard

After experiencing the previous three battles, especially after witnessing Xu Rui's capabilities, the perspective of these twenty or so remaining soldiers has significantly elevated. A mere platoon of enemy soldiers is no longer a concern for them. Indeed, they have already eliminated an entire squad of enemy troops in just a few moments, so why would they be bothered by just a platoon?

Lin Feng and more than twenty remaining soldiers were hiding and waiting for orders in a small courtyard that had been largely destroyed by bombing

"Withdraw troops? How naive of you to think so," Lin Feng scoffed. "The enemy hasn't retreated; they have moved to the city center."

Only one block remains ahead; crossing this block will signify breaking through the encirclement

Jiro Kobayashi stated: "Commander of the Brigade, Matsui's and Watanabe's battalions have been responsible for the main offensive. After consecutive days of battle, their casualties have become quite severe. At this time, if we were to further draw troops from Matsui's and Watanabe's battalions, it would inevitably weaken the sweeping forces in the western and southern areas of the city. Consequently, the remnants of the Nationalist Army in these two regions may seize the opportunity to break through..."

Then... Lin Feng continued to ask, "What kind of reaction will the enemy commander have?"