Chapter Fifty-Nine: Annihilation!

After the initial chaotic gunfire, the new recruits gradually shed their fear. They had thought these ruthless bandits would be formidable, yet to their surprise, they had managed to wipe them out with such ease. All they had to do was follow the drill manual, aim at the enemy, pull the trigger, and the foe would fall! Killing the enemy turned out to be such a simple matter!

With this realization, all the recruits began to relax, and even the gunfire became more orderly.

But things were very different on Biao’s side. Dozens of machine guns and thousands of Mauser 98k rifles fired in unison, unleashing a terrifying barrage like a storm pouring down upon them. The charging bandits were mowed down in swathes, as if they were nothing but weeds under such firepower.

Piercing screams echoed incessantly amidst the ceaseless gunfire, like a macabre symphony. But to Biao, it was a death knell from hell itself.

He watched helplessly as his men were cut down in droves by the Independent Brigade’s shooting, his heart filled with bitter anguish. At last, he understood what it meant to be caught in a hail of bullets, what it truly meant to face a regular army.

Though Biao had always been wary of the Independent Brigade, deep down he had never truly respected their fighting strength. In his view, these regular troops were probably no better than the county security battalions; even if they were stronger, it would not be by much.

But now, faced with such overwhelming firepower, Biao finally understood why a regular army was called a regular army! The difference between this firepower and that of his bandits was like the sky and the earth.

At this moment, Biao felt a chill seep into his bones. Hearing the endless screams in his ears, he knew that half a lifetime’s toil and fortune had come to an end.

“Boss Biao, the brothers can’t hold on! We need to run!” Just as Biao was sinking into despair, Big Fool rolled over to his side, urging him anxiously.

Hearing this, Biao hesitated, casting another hateful glance toward the Independent Brigade’s camp, his eyes filled with vengeance. He seemed intent on fighting to the death, but seeing this, Big Fool quickly interjected, “Boss, the Independent Brigade is too strong—we can’t beat them. We should withdraw now. As long as we live, there’ll be chances for revenge!”

“Boss, let’s retreat!”

At these words, Biao’s face twisted with struggle. But seeing his brothers fall one after another under the Independent Brigade’s fire, he finally gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and roared hoarsely, “Independent Brigade, I swear I will never share the same sky with you!”

With that, he waved his hand in reluctant defeat, shouting, “Brothers, the wind’s tight, let’s get out of here!”

The bandits had already reached their limit. Fear had long taken root in their hearts, and at this command, they scrambled to retreat, desperate to escape this place as quickly as possible.

To them, this was nothing less than hell itself, and the men of the Independent Brigade were demons.

Such devastating firepower left the bandits stunned and senseless. Terror gripped their hearts, all will to fight extinguished. Whatever greed had brought them here had long since evaporated in the face of death.

Soon, these bandits left behind more than a hundred corpses, with fewer than two hundred escaping alive.

Huzi was still not satisfied; seeing the enemy fleeing, he wanted to lead his men in pursuit, but was stopped by Chen Qingzhi. “Huzi, let them go. Their escape route has already been cut off by Wang Yachuan’s Third Battalion. Not one of these bandits will get away!”

Though reluctant, Huzi dared not disobey Chen Qingzhi. He grumbled, “Cowards! They’re lucky to have run so fast and not fallen into my hands. Otherwise, I’d have mowed them all down with one burst from my machine gun!”

“Enough complaining! Go organize the men to clean up the battlefield. Clear away the corpses in front of the camp,” Chen Qingzhi ordered.

“Yes, sir!” Fang Xiaodong replied, then set about directing the men to tidy the battlefield.

At the site of the failed bandit assault, no one was left alive. The ground was littered with bodies, severed limbs scattered everywhere, blood pooling into small crimson puddles. The thick stench of blood was overwhelming.

As the new recruits moved to clean the battlefield, their faces turned ashen at the sight of the carnage, and all of them doubled over, retching violently.

During the fight, tension and adrenaline had kept them numb, but now, with the battle over and nerves relaxed, the horror crashed down on them. One by one, they vomited until only bile remained.

Chen Qingzhi was not surprised by this. The first time killing was always like this.

In fact, even he himself had retched uncontrollably after his own first kill. But now, he was numb to such things; corpses and broken limbs no longer fazed him. In past missions, he had staked out mass graves and morgues more than once just to stay hidden.

Chen Qingzhi did not mind, but seeing the recruits in this state, Huzi cursed loudly, “Useless cowards! Scared by a little blood? What’ll you do on a real battlefield—wet your pants? You’re all supposed to be men, not a bunch of women!”

Normally, the recruits would have secretly resented this scolding, but now, none had the strength to respond. Each was weak from vomiting, their faces bloodless and pale.

“Fang Xiaodong, do we have the casualty report?” Chen Qingzhi asked.

“It’s in, sir! The new recruits did great—none killed, only two wounded. One got grazed by a stray bullet, the other fell over from nerves and broke his knee!” Fang Xiaodong reported excitedly. “As for enemy casualties—nearly nine hundred! Sir, this is a complete victory!”

“This is nothing,” Chen Qingzhi replied calmly, unlike Fang Xiaodong’s excitement. “All we did was wipe out a band of bandits. If we could kill this many Japanese for so little loss, then that would be a real victory.”

To Chen Qingzhi, these bandits were nothing but a rabble—hardly worth mentioning. Their combat strength was negligible.

He wondered, “I wonder how Wang Yachuan is faring. Has he intercepted the remnants from Luo Qingzhai?”

...

Biao’s heart was filled with hatred. What was meant to be an easy ambush had turned into a disaster. Not only had he failed, but almost all his brothers from Luo Qingzhai had been lost. Seeing how few men remained, Biao’s heart bled.

This was the fortune he had built over half a lifetime—gone in an instant. Their guns and ammunition were abandoned in the retreat, the two cannons he’d hoped to use as trump cards were lost as well. Luo Qingzhai was crippled, on the verge of ruin.

“Independent Brigade, Chen Qingzhi… I will never forgive you!” Biao seethed with rage. “Just you wait—when I rise again, I’ll take your heads myself and avenge this humiliation!”

As he brooded, Biao suddenly crashed into someone ahead, making the man sway dizzily. Enraged, Biao shouted, “Idiot! Why did you stop running? Who told you to stand still?”

“Boss… we can’t get away!” Big Fool replied hopelessly, staring ahead.

Following Big Fool’s gaze, Biao’s heart plummeted.

Before them stood a dense line of soldiers, rifles trained upon them.

“It’s over! All over!” Biao muttered in despair at the sight.