The thunder of mortar shells shook the very earth, and the night sky was stained a deep, burning red. Crouched behind the mortar, Zhu Erba trembled uncontrollably, sweat the size of peas streaming down his forehead. Panic gnawed at him, yet he had to force his shaking hands to adjust the mortar’s angle, grinding his teeth in frustration at being at the mercy of the Japanese devils.
Behind a bunker in the camp, Leitao clutched his M1911 pistol, his gaze sweeping the surroundings like a hawk. He pressed close to Meng Xiaoyu and whispered urgently, "Follow my lead. We'll pull back when the timing is right." Meng Xiaoyu, crouching behind him with a submachine gun in her hands, replied, "Understood." Though she felt a flicker of fear, his presence nearby brought her a strange sense of calm.
Yi Guang hugged the broken wall, waiting for a lull in the shelling to pop his head out and locate the enemy mortars. He then doubled over and sprinted to Leitao’s side. "Captain Lei," he whispered, "the mortar position is on the left slope, about 2,000 meters away. There are Japanese agents lying in ambush in the grass nearby."
Chapter 337