Chapter Ninety: The Enemies Arrive!

Soon after Chen Qingzhi gave the order, Huzi’s two battalions had already assembled and, together with an artillery battalion, hurried toward the area around Twin Dragon Valley.

The Japanese were ninety li from Dingyuan, while Qinglong Town was only thirteen li from Twin Dragon Valley. Although the artillery unit would slow the march a little, the two battalions would certainly reach the valley before the Japanese did.

More than that...

Chen Qingzhi glanced at the sky. It was already noon.

If the little devils meant to launch a surprise attack on Dingyuan, they would never march the whole way at full speed. They would certainly stop in the middle to eat and recover their strength for the battle ahead.

So once the Japanese paused for a meal, they would inevitably lose time, which in turn gave the troops heading for Twin Dragon Valley even more ample time to prepare.

Sure enough, when the two infantry battalions sent out, along with an artillery battalion, had reached Twin Dragon Valley and even finished setting up defensive positions there, the Japanese still had not arrived.

The two battalions’ soldiers lay in ambush on both sides of the valley, while the artillery battalion established its gun position behind the breach on the left.

At this moment, the soldiers were patiently waiting for the little devils to appear.

On the right flank, all the men were pressed low in their hastily built positions, watching the distant road with care. Their faces all carried a trace of tension and unease.

It was the unease that comes before a great battle.

They were not afraid of the Japanese, but this time they had taken the initiative to attack, and only two battalions had been sent out to set the ambush. For soldiers who had not seen much fighting, this naturally made them somewhat nervous.

One by one, they kept lifting their heads to look toward the distance, checking whether the little devils had come yet.

They also knew there were sentries ahead, but seeing it with their own eyes was still more reassuring.

An old soldier glanced left and right, and seeing that the officer was not nearby, he secretly took a flattened cigarette case from his coat pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Just as he was about to light it, a soldier beside him noticed and immediately whispered, "Old Sun, what are you doing? Our battalion commander said no smoking. And you're still at it? Aren't you afraid of getting punished?"

"Heh heh... the battalion commander isn't here, is he? My craving's come on, so I'll just have one puff, one puff!" Old Sun chuckled, trying to get away with it.

But the soldier would not let him off. He snorted and said, "Not even one puff. If you smoke and the little devils spot it, and it delays the chance to strike, then what?"

"The little devils aren't even here yet!" Old Sun said, sounding dissatisfied. "I don't know what you're making such a fuss about. I've fought in so many battles; when was it ever not wind and rain, over hill and dale? What's wrong with smoking a cigarette? You little hothead want to boss me around?"

As he said that, he was about to light the cigarette in his hand. But at that very moment, a soldier suddenly came crouching back from the distance and whispered, "Battalion commander, battalion commander, the little devils are coming!"

"Prepare for battle!"

The battalion commander shouted at once.

At those words, Old Sun's face changed. He hurriedly put the cigarette back into the case, picked up his rifle, crouched behind the trench, and looked toward the road ahead.

A Japanese column was coming into view, with sidecar motorcycles opening the way in front, and the rest of the formation stretching out behind them like a long serpent.

Judging by the scale, there were at least the strength of a regiment!

"Damn it!" the veteran cursed under his breath, suddenly anxious.

The little devils were bringing a regiment, while the ambush here consisted of only two battalions, plus one artillery battalion. By his experience, there was no way they could stop the Japanese; they might even be counterattacked instead.

"I really don't know what the brass was thinking! To ambush a Japanese regiment with only two battalions—hell, even a brigade would have trouble taking them down!"

Though this veteran was from the Independent Brigade, he had only been a scattered soldier gathered along the way by Chen Qingzhi when he first came down from the Nanjing battlefield. At best he was just an old hand who knew the ropes, and he did not understand the fighting strength of the Independent Brigade.

In his eyes, based on his past experience, setting two battalions against a Japanese regiment was nothing short of walking straight to one’s death.

With misery in his heart, he could not help thinking: looks like I'm going to be buried here this time.

He furtively glanced to either side and saw that all the soldiers were staring fixedly at the Japanese. He wondered whether, when the time came, he might slip away in the chaos.

But just then, he heard their battalion commander say softly, "Everyone pay attention. Prepare to engage."

At the command, all the soldiers quietly worked their bolts and aimed their rifles at the Japanese.

By this time, more than half of the Japanese regiment had already entered the ambush zone.

Seeing this, the battalion commander immediately shouted, "Brothers, fire! Fire hard!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

...

Izak Kazuo sat in the sidecar with a look of smug satisfaction.

All the way here, they had encountered no enemy at all. The civilians they met along the road fled in panic at the sight of them. This filled Izak Kazuo with pride. Those lowly Chinese trembled beneath the might of the Great Empire of Japan, even hiding and scattering at the mere sight of them. How could that not give him a greater sense of accomplishment?

As he was thinking this, a voice suddenly rang out in his ear, interrupting his complacency. Izak Kazuo felt displeased and looked up. It was a company commander, who was saying, "Regimental Commander, we have already reached the Twin Dragon Valley area. We are now only a dozen li from Dingyuan! In less than an hour, we can arrive!"

"Good!" Izak Kazuo nodded in satisfaction and praised, "The soldiers of the Empire are all fine men! Order them to speed up. We must reach Dingyuan before the Chinese army notices us, and then immediately launch a surprise assault. We will seize Dingyuan in one stroke!"

"Yes, sir!"

The officer bowed and replied.

Izak Kazuo waved him away, then looked over the terrain of Twin Dragon Valley. Turning to the battalion commander seated behind him, he said, "This Twin Dragon Valley has such excellent terrain—it is simply the ideal place for an ambush! If we were stationed in Dingyuan, I would certainly lay an ambush force here!"

"It's just that these Chinese troops have no ambush at all. They really are a bunch of fools!"

"The regimental commander is naturally wise and valiant!" the battalion commander said hurriedly, flattering him. "How could the ignorant Chinese possibly think of this? Besides, if they really had thought of it, our regiment would have suffered heavy losses! Isn't that right, Regimental Commander?"

"Good! What you say is very true!" Izak Kazuo nodded and said, "Fortunately the Chinese are foolish, otherwise..."

Before he could finish, a sudden roar rang out, and then a burst of chaotic gunfire erupted within Twin Dragon Valley.