Chapter 42: Saturation Bombardment!

"Commander, Lin Jiesen and his group are also looking for a chance to escape. Should we bring them along?"

Lin Jiesen’s situation was much like Zhou Weiguo’s—he was another long-suffering victim of bad luck. After being knocked unconscious, he had woken up to find himself a prisoner of the Japanese devils. Just a few days ago, he and his comrades had been transported to this POW camp.

After a moment’s thought, Zhou Weiguo nodded. "I’ve observed carefully; the Japanese haven't planted any moles among us. One more person means one more share of strength. You go and contact the brothers who are willing to resist, and I’ll check on the movements of the guards inside the prison!"

Upon learning of their plan, Lin Jiesen readily agreed.

Yi Nan, standing nearby, looked puzzled. "Old Lin, why not wait a couple of days to build up more strength before making a run for it?"

Yu Xianyang patted him on the shoulder and sighed helplessly. "Ah Nan, the Japanese aren't kind enough to give us enough food."

Lin Jiesen nodded. "Exactly! If the Japanese needed us for bayonet practice, they wouldn't let us be well-fed. If we wait another two days, we might just be on our way to the execution grounds. We have to find a way out now!"

...

At this moment, the sun had already set. Night descended like a massive black curtain, shrouding the earth in darkness. Under the cover of this thick night, shadowy figures moved like ghosts, quietly advancing toward the POW camp ahead.

"Stop!" Zhang Dabiao, leading the group, suddenly raised his right hand, signaling them to halt. The soldiers of the New First Regiment behind him immediately dropped to the ground, concealing themselves.

Before long, a pale beam of light swept over from the high walls. The light moved back and forth outside the barbed wire fence a few times before shifting away. Once the light moved, Zhang Dabiao waved his hand. "Move!"

He crouched low and dashed forward quickly. The soldiers followed closely, weaving through the night. In about half a minute, they arrived at the wire fence. Three sturdy soldiers immediately used large wire cutters to snip a half-meter-high opening, holding the wire back as they worked. The other soldiers hurried through the gap into the compound. Once the last soldier was through, the three carefully pulled the wire back into place, restoring it as best they could to avoid detection.

The searchlight swung back over, but finding nothing amiss, it moved on.

Meanwhile, behind a mound far from the POW camp, Li Yunlong had just put down his radio handset. Hearing that the two hundred men responsible for blocking reinforcements from Pingyao County had arrived at their designated positions with their weapons and equipment, he felt a slight sense of relief, though he dared not lower his guard.

"Gensheng, have all the phone lines been cut?"

Wang Gensheng, carrying an RPG rocket launcher on his back, nodded firmly. "Commander, don't worry. Both the overhead and underground lines have been severed!"

"Good!" Li Yunlong looked toward the Japanese POW camp. "Once Dabiao and his men are in position, it’s up to you! Make sure you blow open those obstacles in front of the gate for me!"

Wang Gensheng grinned. "Don't worry, Commander! Twenty rockets are enough to give those devils a midnight snack!"

Soon, the signal to attack arrived from Zhang Dabiao’s side.

"Open fire!"

As Li Yunlong’s roar echoed, the entire battlefield erupted. The thirty M2 60mm mortars assigned to the frontal assault on the camp were like long-slumbering beasts, finally awakened and baring their ferocious fangs.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

With dull, heavy thuds, mortar shells shot out like arrows released from a bow. They carved graceful arcs through the air, carrying the scent of death as they dove straight toward the camp gate.

The Japanese guards on duty at the gate only just realized what was happening. They shouted in panic, scrambling toward the nearest bunkers. But it was too late. Within two seconds, thirty mortar shells hailed down upon the ground.

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

The earth trembled violently. Although 60mm mortar shells were less powerful than the 80mm heavyweights, Li Yunlong had provided plenty of them. Combined with their rapid rate of fire, over a hundred shells were poured into the small area of the camp gate in less than ten seconds.

In an instant, flames soared and smoke billowed. The sturdy, conventional defensive fortifications were blown to pieces, completely "reset to factory settings" by the brutal bombardment.

Hearing the deafening, continuous roar outside, the Japanese soldiers hiding in the watchtowers and bunkers trembled, yet couldn't help but feel a momentary sense of relief. *The enemy must have deployed an entire artillery battalion! But what good is firepower? How can they hit us with indirect fire? A bunch of idiots!*

Outside the windows, the thick smoke still lingered. Suddenly, some of the Japanese soldiers looked up and caught sight of dazzling flashes of light appearing not far away. These lights were closing in at an astonishing speed.

"Nani?" The Japanese sergeant guarding the watchtower widened his eyes, staring at the approaching lights. "What is that?"

Before he could figure it out, a massive explosion rocked the area. The bunkers on both sides of the watchtower were instantly pulverized, reduced to a chaotic pile of ruins. A chill surged up the sergeant’s spine, and cold sweat soaked his back in an instant. He turned and sprinted toward the door of the watchtower, but it was already too late.

A dozen rocket-propelled grenades, trailing long plumes of fire, whistled through the air like meteors. Another thunderous explosion followed, and the seemingly impregnable watchtower crumbled into a pile of rubble.

The Japanese on the courtyard walls still tried to put up a desperate fight, but Zhang Dabiao and his men, having cleared their path, were ready. With a wave of Zhang Dabiao's hand, everyone raised their MP40 submachine guns and unleashed a torrent of fire toward the high walls.