Fang Tianyi, commander of the 1st Special Battalion of a Sichuan Army division currently defending the city of Teng County to the death, stood atop the city wall, his brow furrowed, eyes locked intently on the direction of the Japanese Army positions. The continuous, heavy shelling, which had long served as the inescapable sound of death over Teng County, had suddenly fallen silent. Fang was filled with suspicion; this sudden quiet was like the eerie stillness before a storm, giving him a premonition of disaster.
Fang turned and walked quickly down from the wall toward battalion headquarters. His chief of staff stood before a map, his brow knitted so tightly his expression seemed ready to drip with gravity. As Fang entered, he said in a loud voice, "Chief of Staff, have you noticed? The Japanese shelling has stopped. This is highly irregular." The chief of staff looked up, locked eyes with Fang, and nodded heavily. "Commander, I was just pondering the same thing. And listen—there are violent explosions and intense, continuous gunfire coming from deep behind the Japanese lines. It sounds as if someone has driven a dagger straight into their back."
Fang walked to the map, his hawk-like eyes scanning the area behind the Japanese positions. He unconsciously rubbed his chin, pondering, "Who could it be? Could it be our reinforcements arriving? But we haven't received any word." The chief of staff frowned and shook his head. "It doesn't look like reinforcements. The tactics don't…
Chapter 80