"Old Hu, remember this: from now on, any Japanese prisoners you take should be dealt with on the spot. Don't bother keeping them alive."
Lin Feng holstered his pistol, no longer sparing a glance at the corpse on the ground. These Japanese soldiers were truly ridiculous; even at the brink of death, they were still clinging to their bushido. What century was this? Who fought duels with swords anymore?
"Impressive, Battalion Commander!"
Hu Youming nodded with a smirk and kicked the Japanese soldier’s body aside.
"Let’s move. We’re going to take out that Japanese company commander!"
Lin Feng grabbed his Type 38 rifle again and headed off in the direction of the First Platoon. By now, the Japanese company commander shouldn't have many soldiers left by his side; the pincer movement from the Second and First Platoons should be enough to wipe them out.
"Yes, sir!"
Hu Youming didn't hesitate, following closely behind Lin Feng.
The gunfire behind Xiaowang Village was gradually thinning out; it looked like the battle was nearing its end. By the time Lin Feng arrived with his men, only a few corpses remained on the scene.
"Battalion Commander, we slaughtered a Japanese company commander! Haha, it feels good!"
Chen Qingquan, the commander of the Second Platoon, came over with a laugh, holding a Japanese officer’s sword in his hand.
"Not bad! Everyone, sweep the battlefield quickly and take inventory of our casualties!"
Everyone’s faces were full of joy. Such a total annihilation of a Japanese company was something they wouldn't have dared to dream of before. The newly joined soldiers finally truly accepted Lin Feng in this moment. They executed his orders immediately, sweeping through the entirety of Xiaowang Village.
About half an hour later, the whole of Xiaowang Village had been thoroughly searched.
"Report, Battalion Commander. We found a large number of civilian corpses in the village ancestral hall! The Japanese really did massacre the village!"
When the First Platoon leader ran back to report, his body trembled with indignation, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent. The moment his soldiers had pushed open the doors to the ancestral hall, the entire platoon had fallen silent.
"Damn it all! These Japanese devils, they really are absolute monsters!"
Hu Youming had suspected as much, but once the confirmation came, he cursed out loud.
Lin Feng clenched his fists, slamming them hard onto a wooden table in the room.
"Cheng Dongxing, order the First Platoon to bury those villagers properly, and set up a monument for them! We will avenge this blood debt!"
Upon hearing this, the First Platoon leader left immediately, without the slightest hesitation. The Second Platoon, upon learning the news, also set out to help.
There had been hundreds of people in Xiaowang Village, all of whom had died miserably under the Japanese guns. This bloody hatred filled the heart of every single soldier.
"Battalion Commander, we lost thirteen men in this assault mission. Seven are lightly wounded, and three are seriously injured. Doctor Pan is doing everything he can to save them!"
Hu Youming walked in from outside to report the casualties. These weren't just cold numbers; they were passionate, patriotic guardians who had sacrificed their lives for the beloved soil and families beneath their feet.
"Old Hu, make sure you record the names of every fallen soldier! We must never forget their sacrifice!"
Lin Feng felt he should be happy about these casualty figures. Facing a Japanese A-grade division, other units on the main front couldn't achieve such a decisive victory. Often, other units had to pay ten times the price just to finish off a single Japanese company. Yet, somehow, Lin Feng’s eyes welled up with tears, and he fought to keep them from falling. When the field hospital had opened its recruitment, almost every soldier who joined had been recruited by Lin Feng himself.
"Understood! Battalion Commander, we ran into a Japanese company here; should we send word to Commander Zhang?"
The field hospital was located on the side of Suzhou Creek, far behind the main Songhu Battlefield. If a Japanese company could infiltrate this far, there might be others in different directions. If the Japanese managed to wipe out the field hospital, the soldiers on the front lines would be in grave danger.
"Old Hu, send Li Baoguo’s reconnaissance squad to rush to the field hospital and explain the situation to Commander Zhang!"
From the very beginning, Lin Feng had specifically organized five sharp-witted young men into a scout squad.
"Yes, sir!"
Hu Youming nodded and headed out of the small hut.
The night grew deep, and the air turned cold as the cleanup of Xiaowang Village continued. Lin Feng couldn't sleep; his mind was consumed by the trajectory of the Songhu Battlefield. The battle at Xiaowang Village had allowed him to see, up close, what kind of unforgivable crimes the enemy was capable of.
Across the entire Songhu Battlefield, as the Shanghai Expeditionary Army pushed forward, the national forces had been fighting a bitter war. Lin Feng remembered that relatively solid fortifications had been built along the line from Shanghai to Nanking. Alas, with countless troops converging on Shanghai, the soldiers could only hide in temporary, mud-dug trenches. As a result, they were constantly bombarded by the enemy's Air Corps and naval artillery, eventually leading to a complete and unstoppable collapse.
"Report, Battalion Commander, look what I found? A Japanese radio transmitter!"
It was dawn, but the sun had yet to rise. Cheng Dongxing, the First Platoon leader, must have found this treasure while searching during the second half of the night. He looked at Lin Feng with a grin, bringing two men with him carrying the radio equipment.
"We got the radio, but did you manage to get the codebook?"
Lin Feng already knew from the Simulator that this unit was equipped with a radio, so he wasn't surprised. His calm tone, however, seemed to catch the platoon leader off guard. Capturing a Japanese radio was a major event; it was likely that since the start of the war, no radio had been captured intact.
"The Japanese are too clever. The moment we broke through, they burned the codebook. Damn it!"
With the codebook lost, Cheng Dongxing lost his enthusiasm.
"If they burned it, then so be it. Dongxing, tell Old Hu that the troops need to be assembled after sunrise. Count the spoils; a new battle will be coming soon!"
Lin Feng stroked his chin. If the Japanese were attacked like this, they would certainly notify their headquarters. If they stayed here past dawn, they would likely be targeted by the Japanese Air Corps. Having wiped out an entire company, he knew the Japanese would seek brutal revenge.
The situation on the Songhu Battlefield was clearly tense and unfavorable. Lin Feng intended to spread the news of this victory. The Japanese had claimed that a three-month invasion would be enough to destroy the entirety of Da Qian. Lin Feng wanted to declare to every soldier in Da Qian that these Japanese devils weren't invincible demons, but living, bleeding, mortal men. As long as they were human, they were made of flesh and blood, and they could be killed and destroyed!
Da Qian had suffered long under the Japanese, and the lack of good news was bad for the country and its people. Only by breaking through the fear and confusion in their hearts would they find the hope and courage to defeat the enemy!