After drifting in and out of consciousness from sheer exhaustion, Leitao suddenly woke in the afternoon. His mind was still hazy, but when his gaze landed on his wristwatch, he was jolted alert. He realized the Japanese Army’s victory parade into Nanjing City was about to begin.
Leitao scanned his surroundings and saw the surviving soldiers hauling over twenty artillery shells toward the howitzers. His eyes sharpened instantly as a bold plan took shape. He stood up quickly and began searching among the men, soon finding a soldier with an artillery background.
Leitao approached him and said firmly, "Listen, I’m going to observe the parade and call out the coordinates for you. You just adjust the angle, and when I signal, you fire." The soldier looked at Leitao, a flicker of resolve crossing his eyes. He nodded heavily and replied, "Don’t worry. As long as you can provide accurate coordinates, I promise we’ll hit the target."
Chapter 21