Chapter 51: The Feint Begins

Over at the Yongan Stronghold, night had already fallen. Liu Bo, having completed his reconnaissance, returned to the temporary encampment at Shanzi Village.

In a courtyard, leaders of the various local militia organizations that could be assembled had been waiting for a long time.

Liu Bo brushed the dust off his clothes, straightened his collar, stepped into the courtyard, and greeted everyone.

"Greetings, Captains! I am Liu Bo, commander of 1st Company, 7th Temporary Battalion, Independent 3rd Regiment of the Taiyue Military Sub-District!"

The captains introduced themselves in turn. Once that was finished, one of the captains stepped forward to ask a question.

"Old Liu here means no harm, but since you've gathered all of us together, does this mean our Eighth Route Army main force is planning a major operation?"

The other captains were filled with curiosity, as they had never been gathered in such a manner before.

Liu Bo gestured toward the house. "Let's all head inside and talk!"

Entering the room, the captains took their respective seats. Liu Bo stood before them and said, "Captains, my unit has come here and summoned you all upon the orders of our Battalion Commander, Li Yunlong!"

Hearing the renowned name of Li Yunlong, the captains were greatly astonished and could not help asking, "Is that Regiment Commander Li Yunlong who killed Sakata?!"

Liu Bo nodded affirmatively. "Indeed, our battalion commander is none other than Li Yunlong!"

Old Liu, who had asked the first question just moments ago, was now beaming with joy and eagerly pressed for the mission. "Whatever Regiment Commander Li's orders are, Old Liu will definitely carry them out! Company Commander Liu, just tell us what you need us to do!"

"Yes, indeed!"

"We guarantee we'll complete the mission!"

"It is our honor to help Regiment Commander Li fight the Japanese devils!"

The captains eagerly vied for their assignments.

Liu Bo had not expected his battalion commander's reputation to carry such weight, requiring no effort on his part to motivate everyone.

"Very well. This time, everyone's mission is the same, and it is not difficult."

"I need you captains to summon all your members, gather here tomorrow, and join forces with my unit."

"Our objective is to make a great show of force, putting on the appearance of the Eighth Route Army's main force, and launch a feigned attack on the Yongan Stronghold. The goal is to lure the main force of the Japanese devils out of Wuyin County to reinforce this position!"

"This will buy enough time for the battalion commander's operation over there!"

At this point, one of the captains raised a concern. "A feigned attack is simple enough, but our weapons are far too crude. Will we really be able to trick the Japanese devils?"

Liu Bo explained his arrangement. "Rest assured, everyone, I will distribute the light and heavy machine guns from our platoon among your units!"

"Furthermore, we have brought four mortars this time, along with a massive supply of ammunition. With firepower that spares no expense, those Japanese devils will definitely cry out for reinforcements!"

Hearing Liu Bo's arrangements and learning about the four mortars, the captains could not help casting looks of envy.

As expected of Regiment Commander Li's troops—a single platoon already possessed four mortars!

"Once assembly is completed tomorrow, my unit, along with Captain Liu's and Captain Guan's units, will launch a feigned attack on the front of the Yongan Stronghold!"

"Captain Wang, please lead the other militia squads to provide flank cover for the attack."

"Finally, Captain Zhang, lead your team to guard the vicinity of the Tongji Canal bridge, and blow it up after the main enemy reinforcements have crossed!"

"When the sound of the explosion rings out, that will be the signal to retreat. Everyone is to disperse and fall back; do not linger in the fight!"

The captains nodded one after another, indicating they understood their respective assignments.

Having received their missions, the captains exchanged farewells, hurried out of the courtyard, melted into the night, and rushed back to muster their men.

As dawn approached, amidst the crowing of roosters, the captains led their respective units through the damp, chilly mist, arriving at the small village one after another.

"Company Commander Liu, you take command! We will all follow your orders!"

Liu Bo looked at the assembled troops before him. There were at least three hundred men, and with his own platoon, the total surpassed four hundred.

However, many men were still carrying broadswords and long spears, which was clearly not enough to fool the enemy.

This was where the equipment and uniforms confiscated earlier would prove useful. Combined with the weapons previously captured from the puppet troops, they were just about able to fully arm everyone.

"Captains, let's not waste any time. We have some weapons here. Comrades without firearms, come forward and claim one. There are also some old military uniforms; pick one that fits and change into them!"

Who could have expected such a windfall?

Captain Guan took the initiative to guarantee, "Rest assured, Company Commander Liu! Once the operation is over, every single weapon will be returned in full!"

After all, this was merely a feigned attack, and none of the captains expected these weapons to be left in their possession. Therefore, when Liu Bo announced that the weapons would not need to be returned after the mission, their joy was beyond words.

"Hahaha, fighting the Japanese devils alongside Regiment Commander Li is simply the best!"

Once the order was passed down, the militia soldiers discarded their broadswords and long spears, joyfully receiving the aged firearms.

After changing into old military uniforms, viewed from a distance, they truly resembled a primary force of the Eighth Route Army.

With the transformation complete, under Liu Bo's command, the force of over four hundred men marched in echelons toward the Yongan Stronghold.

As noon approached, the troops arrived near the Yongan Stronghold. Making no attempt to conceal themselves, they immediately scattered and formed battle lines, projecting the posture of a fierce assault on the stronghold.

The Japanese garrison at Yongan was not slow to react. Seeing that it was an Eighth Route Army force, the Japanese commander was initially quite relaxed, calmly directing his soldiers to take up defensive positions.

"Yoshi, I never expected an opportunity to win military honors right here in the rear!"

"Haha, gentlemen, the chance to distinguish ourselves has arrived. After we repel the first wave of attacks, Ishida-kun, your squad will immediately charge and crush these rustic Eighth Route Army soldiers!"

Filled with confidence, the Japanese lieutenant wanted to counterattack and earn glory, harboring no thoughts of asking for reinforcements.

How happy he was at this moment was precisely how furious and panic-stricken he would soon become!

At the front of the Yongan Stronghold, Liu Bo glanced at his watch and then sent someone to notify the mortar platoon. "Go tell Platoon Leader Wang to launch the first round of shelling in ten minutes, and completely blanket the enemy's front-line positions!"

Upon receiving the order, Wang Chengzhu rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Splendid! This time I'll get to blast them to my heart's content!"

He turned and shouted, "All squads! Ten minutes from now, direction six o'clock, range eleven, six rapid-fire rounds, followed by extending artillery fire for independent targets!"

Ten minutes passed swiftly. Wang Chengzhu roared, "Fire!", and the mortar shells rapidly slid down into the barrels.

"Thump... thump... thump... thump..."

The four mortars fired in succession, and the shells whistled into the sky.

The next volley followed closely behind. "Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..."

The Japanese lieutenant, who had been relaxed just moments before, heard the approaching whistle of artillery shells in the air, and his face instantly flushed red. "Artillery bombardment! Hayaku, take cover!"

Before his frantic shouts could fade, the shells plummeted and detonated in a chorus of explosions. "Boom... boom... boom... boom...!"

In the span of just a few minutes, a full twenty-four 81mm high-explosive shells rained down upon the Japanese positions, engulfing the arrogant enemy in a chaotic flurry of fire and smoke.

Before the bombardment even ceased, the impact points slowly extended until the entire defensive line had been thoroughly saturated.

Watching the Japanese soldiers tossed about amidst the churning dust and debris, the militia members were immensely energized.

"Great shot! Blow those Japanese devils to hell!"

"Let these beasts taste what it's like to be on the receiving end of artillery!"