The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 402: Multiple Raids: Prison Break and Mountain Blockade

Inside the prison, Lei Tao and Meng Xiaoyu, after obtaining the keys, quickly rushed to the cell block. Along the way, scattered Japanese military police attempted to stop them, but with their tacit coordination, they felled one after another. They opened cell after cell, revealing a mix of bandits, Central Army soldiers, New Fourth Army soldiers, and ordinary civilians. Their eyes were filled with the joy of regaining freedom and the complexities of surviving a catastrophe.

Lei Tao stood on a high place and shouted loudly: "Fellow villagers and brothers, the Japanese devils locked us up here to destroy our will to resist, but can we surrender? No! Now, those who want revenge and want to fight out, come with me, leave this prison, and teach the Japanese devils in the county a lesson!" The crowd responded with an angry roar, and the sound made the cell walls rustle.

Lei Tao's words ignited a fire within the crowd, and the prisoners responded one after another, their eyes gleaming with determination and anger. The bandits discarded their former cunning, the soldiers of the Central Army and the New Fourth Army straightened their spines, and the common people clenched their fists. At this moment, they had only one goal: to kill all the Japanese military police and prison guards in the prison.

The prisoners gathered weapons and ammunition from the Japanese corpses, expertly checking their guns and loading them. Lei Tao pulled a C4 bomb from his shoulder bag, tore off the packaging, and taped the explosive to a wall in the cell block. He set the detonation timer with a remote control and quickly led everyone to a safe location. Moments later, there was a resounding boom, and a large hole was blown through the wall, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.

Lei Tao turned to the crowd and said, "You are free now. If you want revenge, act now. In two hours, I will blow a hole in the city wall on the east side, and you can evacuate from there." Lei Tao's words heightened the crowd's spirits, and they nodded in agreement, agreeing to his instructions. Lei Tao continued, "A hole has been blown open in the prison area. Everyone is free to move around and teach the devils a lesson! Let's get started!" With that, Lei Tao was the first to emerge from the hole, followed closely by Meng Xiaoyu, who headed towards Scarface Li, who was engaged in street fighting with the Japanese in the city.

Meanwhile, in the mountainous area where Tang Zhangshan stood, fighting was also raging. Tang Zhangshan's mind raced, quickly assessing the battlefield situation. He spotted a bulge in the left mountain wall, with a large rock beneath it. It was perfectly positioned to hide a man and difficult for the enemy to detect. Tang Zhangshan immediately said to the guerrilla leader, "Take a few skilled marksmen with you. Sneak up behind the rock on the left mountain wall and wait for the cavalry to approach. Then, focus on the riders." The guerrilla leader nodded, selected a few guerrillas, and, taking cover from the trees, quickly infiltrated the left mountain wall.

Tang Zhangshan then looked to the right, where dense trees provided easy cover. He said to a clever bandit beside him, "Take a few men and go around from the right. Once our firepower has drawn the enemy, throw grenades to disrupt their position." The bandit obeyed and quietly led his men around from the right.

After making all the arrangements, Tang Zhangshan shouted, "Brothers, listen to my command, take turns to cover the fire, and don't let the enemy get close!" The guerrillas and bandits did as he was told. Some of them shot, while others took the opportunity to change ammunition or find a better shooting position, confronting the enemy in an orderly manner.

The Imperial Army cavalry, relying on their swift horses, split into small groups and charged up the mountain in a fan-shaped formation. Tang Zhangshan, seizing the perfect moment, shouted, "Fire!" Gunfire erupted from the mountainside, striking the leading cavalrymen and their horses, sending them crashing to the ground. The cavalrymen behind them hesitated. Just then, guerrillas, perched behind a boulder on the left side of the mountain, opened fire. Their marksmanship was precise, targeting the riders. One guerrilla, resting firmly behind the boulder, his eyes fixed on the crosshairs, was seen firing, and a cavalryman fell to the ground.

The sudden attack from the left disrupted the Imperial Army's cavalry, throwing them into disarray. Seeing this, Tang Zhangshan shouted, "Attack the right!" The bandits, who had circled to the right, threw grenades. With a few bangs, the grenades exploded among the cavalry, filling the air with smoke. Several more cavalrymen were injured, and their horses, startled, ran away.

Seeing the cavalry's setback, the Japanese infantry increased their suppressive fire on the mountain. Bullets pelted the rocks and trees where the guerrillas and bandits had taken refuge, sending debris flying everywhere. Tang Zhangshan shouted, "Everyone, take cover! Wait until they get closer before you attack!" Seeing the fierce firepower on the mountain, the Japanese commander ordered his infantry to advance slowly in a skirmish line. Crouching, they exploited the terrain and features, gradually advancing up the mountain.

Tang Zhangshan observed the Japanese army's movements. When the enemy approached a certain distance, he shouted, "Throw grenades!" The guerrillas and bandits threw grenades at the Japanese army. The explosions felled the Japanese army one after another. But the Japanese army did not retreat and continued to advance.

Just as the two sides were deadlocked, a bandit spotted a small group of Japanese troops trying to outflank them from the rear. He quickly reported to Tang Zhangshan, "Captain Tang, there are Japanese troops outflanking us from behind!" Tang Zhangshan frowned and quickly said, "Leave some of your men to deal with the enemy in front, and the rest of you, come with me to block the outflanking from behind!" With that, he quickly ran to the rear with a dozen or so men.

As Tang Zhangshan and his men reached the rear, they saw the Japanese troops cautiously approaching. Tang Zhangshan shouted, "Fire!" Everyone opened fire, and the Japanese, not expecting an ambush, were thrown into disarray. A guerrilla, taking advantage of the Japanese panic, charged forward with bayonet raised. With a feint, he tricked the Japanese into missing, then he kicked the soldier in the leg and plunged his bayonet into his chest.

After defeating the Japanese forces that had encircled them from the rear, Tang Zhangshan led his men back to the front lines. Meanwhile, the Imperial Army cavalry reorganized and launched another charge. Knowing he couldn't let the cavalry get any closer, Tang Zhangshan called out to his men, "Prepare the tripwires!" Several men quickly strung the pre-prepared tripwires along the mountain path. As the cavalry charged, their horses tripped, and their riders fell. The guerrillas and bandits seized the opportunity to open fire, inflicting heavy casualties on the cavalry.

However, the Japanese and Imperial Army were outnumbered, and they constantly adjusted their tactics and continued their offensive. Tang Zhangshan knew that this was not a solution and that he had to come up with a plan to defeat the enemy as soon as possible. Just then, the roar of a car could be heard in the distance...