Chapter 144: It is an Indomitable Will!

Commander, this is bad! The Japanese devils have blown a breach in the city wall three hundred meters east of the South Gate, and they have already broken through! cried an officer, running over in a desperate rush. He was covered in dirt, his military uniform was in tatters, and his face was blackened by the smoke and fire of battle.

A dark red stain soaked through the sleeve of his uniform—he had clearly been shot in the arm. Yet, in his frantic haste, he hadn't even taken the time to bandage the wound before rushing to deliver the report.

Because of excessive blood loss, his lips were deathly pale.

What! Just what on earth is the Second Regiment doing? Which unit was assigned to hold that sector?! How could they let the Japanese devils break right through?! Where is their commander?! Before Chen Qingzhi could speak, Fang Xiaodong slammed his hand down on the table and roared with a string of curses.

Everyone present knew just how vital the South Gate defensive position was.

Now, hearing that the city wall had fallen and that the Japanese devils had blasted a wide opening and poured through, how could this be tolerated?!

Yet, upon hearing this, the officer's expression darkened, and he said in a heavy, low voice, The sector was held by the Third Battalion of the Second Regiment. The battalion commander has already been killed in action, and out of the entire battalion, only a few dozen men remain. Under the leadership of a company commander, they are fighting a desperate, to-the-death battle against the Japanese devils!

This... Hearing this, Fang Xiaodong froze, the words he had intended to say instantly choked back in his throat.

With the battalion commander already dead and the entire battalion practically wiped out, what more was there to blame?

Unable to spare any more thought for the matter, Chen Qingzhi immediately issued his orders: Fang Xiaodong, take all the soldiers of your First Regiment right now and rush to the scene. You must plug the gap and under no circumstances allow the devils to push any further!

Among the four gates of Dingyuan, the Japanese devils must never be allowed to break through from our South Gate. Do you understand? Chen Qingzhi's expression was exceptionally stern as he looked intently at Fang Xiaodong.

Yes! Commander, please rest assured. I will lead the First Regiment over there right now. As long as there is still a single breath left in the First Regiment, those Japanese devils will never get past us! Hearing this, Fang Xiaodong replied without a moment's hesitation.

Although his First Regiment had suffered heavy casualties holding their positions earlier and now numbered fewer than a thousand men, Fang Xiaodong accepted the command decisively and without a flicker of doubt.

Don't waste any time. Go! Chen Qingzhi patted the other man's shoulder and said in a deep voice. Pausing for a moment, he added softly, Come back alive.

Fang Xiaodong paused for a fraction of a second, then responded in a loud, firm voice: Yes!

With that, he turned and sprinted outside. Not long after, a resounding shout echoed from without: First Regiment, move out with me!

...

The fierce battle at the city gate continued.

The Japanese devils' grenade launchers fired repeatedly, hurling rounds toward the soldiers holding the street.

Dozens of soldiers were guarding this avenue, putting up a desperate resistance against the Japanese devils. Because the street was rather narrow, these few dozen soldiers had actually managed to hold off the assault of more than a full Japanese company for the time being.

A Japanese battalion commander realized something was wrong; their attacks had failed to make headway, and the enemy possessed a light machine gun that inflicted heavy casualties on his forces. Stung by anger and embarrassment, he roared at the top of his lungs: Baka! Grenade launchers, keep firing! Blast them all to pieces! Leave no one alive!

Thump, thump, thump...

Several shells landed immediately, and upon detonation, they completely engulfed the defenders. The machine gunner was torn into a pile of mangled flesh, and the weapon that had been wreaking havoc was instantly silenced.

Several nearby soldiers were caught in the blast radius, countless flying metal fragments tearing into their bodies and leaving them covered in wounds. Though they were not yet dead, they were left utterly incapable of continuing the fight.

Yoshikuni! Attack!

Seeing this, the Japanese battalion commander's face broke into a triumphant grin as he shouted the command at the top of his lungs.

The Japanese soldiers scrambled forward, charging toward the front.

The wounded soldiers who had been caught in the explosion tried desperately to struggle to their feet and resume the fight, but the trauma to their bodies made it agonizingly difficult to perform such intense movements.

Even pulling a trigger—an action that was ordinarily effortless—now felt like an insurmountable hurdle.

After struggling a few times, they had no choice but to collapse back onto the ground in frustration. As they watched the advancing figures of the Japanese soldiers, a look of unyielding resentment filled their eyes!

Detestable!

In the end, they had failed to hold this ground. They had no way of knowing whether the incoming Japanese devils would be beaten back by friendly forces, or whether Dingyuan could ultimately be held... As their consciousness began to fade, these final thoughts drifted through the minds of the wounded soldiers.

Listening to the rapid approach of numerous footsteps, the clacking sound of boots striking the ground—the unmistakable clatter of Japanese military footwear—one soldier, at the very edge of consciousness, felt his arm shift and suddenly noticed something pressing awkwardly against his waist. A realization dawned on him.

It was a hand grenade!

Feeling the familiar shape, the soldier's eyes lit up. Hearing the sound of the Japanese footsteps and perceiving through his fading senses that the enemy was drawing closer and closer, the soldier suddenly found a wellspring of unknown strength. As if experiencing a final burst of vitality before death, he used all his might to pull the pin of the hand grenade. The faint, hissing sound of the fuse was entirely drowned out by the chaotic footsteps and shouts of the Imperial Japanese soldiers.

The soldier lying on the ground suddenly cracked a wide smile, and a large mouthful of fresh blood gushed from his lips. Yet, he paid it no mind. Opening his mouth—stained with fragments of his own shattered internal organs—he gathered every last ounce of his remaining strength and roared with a fierce, chilling grin: Japanese devils, go down to hell together with your grandfather!

The moment the words left his mouth, a blinding flash of fire and light completely consumed the soldier and the seven or eight Japanese soldiers who had charged in the front.

Then, amidst the terrified gazes of the Japanese troops, a thunderous roar burst forth!

Boom!

In the earth-shattering explosion, the reckless laughter was abruptly cut short. The soldier was blown to smithereens by the grenade, and dying alongside him were seven or eight Japanese devils!

Seeing this, another soldier, whose injuries were less severe, gritted his teeth and pulled a hand grenade from his waist. With a sharp rasp, he yanked the pin, and the fuse began to hiss fiercely.

Raising the grenade high in his hand, this soldier mustered every remaining ounce of strength and hurled himself straight at the Japanese soldiers.

Boom!

As the flash and roar of the explosion echoed, four or five Japanese devils were caught in the blast radius and killed on the spot!

Witnessing the actions of these two severely wounded comrades, the remaining seven or eight soldiers who were hunkered behind cover and had yet to be caught in the blasts exchanged glances. In each other's eyes, they saw a shared, unshakable resolve.

I'll go first!

Without waiting for a reply, a soldier clutched two hand grenades to his chest, pulled the pins, vaulted over the sandbags, and flung himself directly at the Japanese forces.

Following the explosion, yet another soldier charged forward with a grenade in hand.

They moved like participants in a relay, rushing toward the Japanese devils one after another.

As explosion after explosion rang out and blinding balls of light surged upward, the Japanese devils who had broken through finally began to feel fear!

They couldn't help but fall back, terror stamped across their faces!

These Chinese are all madmen!

They're all completely out of their minds!

They're actually launching suicide charges!

They're actually using their own flesh and blood to block our advance! Why on earth are they doing this?!

The Japanese soldiers could not comprehend it!

Go to hell! Japanese devils, keep your grandfather company on the road to hell! The last surviving company commander of the Third Battalion made the final charge, hurling himself directly toward the enemy while clutching a crate stuffed entirely to the brim with hand grenades.

Boom!

Amidst an earth-shattering roar, a violent pillar of fire surged upward, blazing like a radiant beacon—a symbol of the indomitable, unyielding spirit of the sons of China!