The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 185: Jungle Ambush: Outsmarting Japanese Scouts

When Lei Tao and his companions took a break in the jungle, he said to Li Shuiniu and his companions, "This time we are out on a mission, and I will use actual combat to teach you what special operations are." He paused, and his eyes swept over everyone, his expression serious and determined. "This time we are facing the cunning and brutal Japanese army, and we cannot be careless in every step."

Li Shuiniu nodded heavily, his eyes showing seriousness and determination, "Brother Lei, we will listen to you. This time we must let the Japanese taste our strength!"

Lei Tao nodded slightly and continued, "We attacked the Japanese stronghold earlier, and although we temporarily gained the upper hand, they certainly won't give up. Next, we need to take advantage of the terrain of this jungle and set some traps and early warning devices." He pulled some simple ropes and spikes from his backpack and began to demonstrate how to make simple but effective traps. "Like this, tie the ropes between these hidden tree branches and set the trigger mechanism. If the Japanese pursue us, we can catch them off guard."

The others gathered around, carefully observing Lei Tao's movements and taking note. At this moment, Huang Hu, who was in charge of observing the surrounding situation, hurried back to report, "Brother Lei, a small group of Japanese troops, about a squad, have been spotted moving in the northeast direction. They look like scouts searching for us. They're in skirmish formation and moving very cautiously, checking their surroundings as they go. I'm guessing they're enraged by our previous attack on their stronghold and want to seek us out for revenge."

Upon hearing this, Lei Tao's eyes instantly sharpened like an eagle. He quickly crouched and ran to a slope with a better view, his movements swift and silent, fearing to alert the Japanese troops not far away. He parted the dense grass, poked half his head out, and observed for a moment in the direction Huang Hu mentioned.

In the pitch-black night, several dark figures armed with guns moved through the jungle, alternating between cover and shadow. Their figures, shrouded in the interplay of light and darkness, seemed particularly eerie. They occasionally paused, their bodies tense in a defensive stance, their heads darting around to observe their surroundings. Occasionally, they exchanged whispers, their voices faintly audible in the stillness of the jungle, evidently searching for any trace of their presence.

Lei Tao stared at the shadows and whispered to the Li brothers, "Leave these Japanese scouts to you to silently eliminate with your crossbows." He then said to the others, "Hu Hansi, follow me. The other brothers, be alert and pay attention to the surrounding movements. Don't miss any movement."

The Li brothers nodded slightly. They skillfully checked the crossbows in their hands to confirm that the arrows were loaded. Then they carefully separated and advanced in a roundabout way from both sides towards the direction of the Japanese scouts.

Lei Tao led the remaining team members to disperse, each finding a hidden position to maintain vigilance. Lying on the ground, they peered through the gaps in the grass, vigilantly observing their surroundings. Some gripped their rifles tightly, fingers on the triggers, ready to respond to any emergency; others pricked up their ears, listening to the surrounding sounds, not missing a single unusual sound.

A moment later, the Li brothers were in position. Finding the perfect angle in the darkness, they aimed their crossbows at the unsuspecting Japanese scouts. Lei Tao mimicked the cry of an owl as a signal, and the Li brothers simultaneously pulled the trigger. With two soft "whoosh, whoosh" sounds, two crossbow bolts zipped towards their targets. Before the two Japanese scouts could even utter a cry, they were pinpointed in the throat. Their bodies staggered before they fell silently to the ground.

However, an accident still happened. Before a Japanese scout fell, the gun in his hand accidentally hit the branch next to him, making a "clatter" sound. This slight sound was particularly harsh in the quiet jungle at night. The other Japanese scouts were instantly alert. They quickly squatted down and formed a circle, and found that two people were missing.

The remaining Japanese scouts were instantly alert. They quickly crouched down and formed a circle. Noticing two missing, they panicked and shouted their companions' names in Japanese, their voices filled with fear and alarm. Their eyes searched the darkness, their guns swiveling in unison, trying to identify the danger lurking in the shadows.

After a brief panic, the Japanese scouts began to move cautiously in the direction of the sound. Their steps were slow and heavy. They stopped every time to carefully observe the movements around them, holding their guns tightly in their hands, ready to shoot at any time.

Just as the Japanese scouts were about to approach the Li brothers' hiding place, Lei Tao suddenly made a bold decision. He picked up a stone and threw it hard, away from the team members. The sound of the stone hitting the ground caught the attention of the Japanese scouts. Mistakenly believing that the attackers were there, they immediately changed direction and chased in the direction of the stone.

Seizing this opportunity, Lei Tao and Hu Hansi quickly outflanked the enemy from the rear. Crouching, their steps quick and light, they darted through the dense jungle cover. When the Japanese scout realized they had fallen prey to a trap, a look of terror and despair crossed their faces. They tried to turn and resist, but they were already surrounded.

Lei Tao shouted, "Attack!" Without hesitation, the two men charged at the Japanese scouts, their weapons opening fire simultaneously. For a moment, the rattle of submachine guns mingled, shattering the silence of the jungle. The Japanese scouts, caught off guard by this sudden attack, were thrown into chaos. Their cries and screams were drowned out by the gunfire. With no time to mount an effective resistance, they could only flee blindly, with nowhere to go.

After a brief but intense exchange of fire, all the Japanese scouts were eliminated. Lei Tao, his eyes grim, shouted, "Brothers, finish off these dead Japanese soldiers. Don't let any go, just in case!" The team members immediately sprang into action, daggers in hand, examining the bodies one by one and stabbing them repeatedly. Then, Lei Tao commanded, "Come on, use their bodies to set booby traps. Give the pursuing Japanese a surprise." The team members expertly placed simple booby traps under and around the bodies, attached triggers, and camouflaged the scene to ensure no loopholes were left.

After completing all this, Lei Tao quickly scanned the surroundings to confirm that there were no traces left. Then, with a concealing gesture, he led his team to retreat quickly. Following their pre-planned battle plan, they quickly left the jungle and headed for a high mountain two kilometers away from the Japanese stronghold they had previously raided...