The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 377: Cleverly set up minefields, repel the Japanese pursuers, and break out of the encirclem

The group fled along a hidden path deep in the mountains, the dead branches and leaves crunching beneath their feet. Lei Tao glanced back warily as he ran, a vague sense of unease building within him. The path wound through dense forest, its branches intertwining and almost completely obscuring the sky, adding to the already tense atmosphere.

"Everyone, don't relax just yet. The Japanese won't give up. We need to find a safe place to stay as soon as possible," Lei Tao shouted breathlessly. Everyone nodded and quickened their pace. Sweat soaked their clothes and trickled down their cheeks.

Li Shuiniu didn't run far when he suddenly stopped, his face pale. "Brother Lei, it's bad! I think I left my backpack containing important information at the checkpoint! It contains the route map for our next move and a secret letter from my superiors."

Everyone was shocked when they heard this. Lei Tao's face instantly became extremely solemn. If this information fell into the hands of the Japanese, their subsequent plans would be completely exposed, and the consequences would be disastrous.

"I'll go get it!" Chen Feiyang was so anxious that he turned around and was about to run back. Lei Tao grabbed him and said, "No, it's too dangerous! The Japanese must have deployed a large number of troops near the checkpoint. You'll die if you go."

Just as everyone was getting extremely anxious, they heard the faint sounds of car engines and dog barking in the distance. Yi Guang's face changed: "Oh no! The Japanese are catching up!" Everyone immediately became alert and tightened their grip on their weapons.

Lei Tao acted decisively, pulling several M1911 silencers from his backpack (the Bagua Gyro space) and quickly distributing them to everyone. "Everyone, hurry up and install these! We need to quietly eliminate the Japanese vanguard soon to buy us some time!" He spoke as he expertly installed the silencers on his own pistols. The sound of metal clashing was particularly clear in the tense atmosphere.

Everyone frantically installed the silencer. Chen Feiyang's hands trembled slightly with anxiety, and he almost dropped it. He cursed softly, then quickly picked it up and continued installing it. Meng Xiaoyu took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Her fingers deftly completed the installation and loaded the bullet.

At this moment, Lei Tao pulled out a VSS silenced sniper rifle and several magazines from his backpack (inside the Bagua Gyro space). He handed the rifle and magazines to Meng Xiaoyu and whispered, "Xiaoyu, this gun has low recoil and high accuracy, perfect for you. Use it to eliminate key targets in the distance and create an opportunity for us to break through."

Meng Xiaoyu took the gun and magazine in both hands. As her fingers touched the cold gun, a sense of mission surged. She looked up at Lei Tao and nodded firmly, "Brother Lei, don't worry. I'll complete the mission." Then she quickly squatted down and neatly loaded the magazine in one smooth motion.

Lei Tao slung the Springfield sniper rifle Meng Xiaoyu had used across his back, patted the rifle, and whispered to everyone, "I can't sit idle either. I'll work with Xiaoyu to suppress the enemy from a distance." He glanced around and saw that everyone was ready, so he added, "The terrain in this forest is complex. We can't linger in the fight. We need to move to another location after a short fight to prevent the enemy from locking onto our position."

Chen Feiyang gripped the silenced M1911 rifle tightly, his palms sweating slightly. He was both nervous and excited. He lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Lei, where are the Japanese?" Lei Tao squinted his eyes, peering through the gaps in the leaves into the distance, and whispered, "Don't worry. Listen for the noise. They're almost here."

Liu Zishan leaned against a sturdy tree, staring at the front, and whispered a reminder: "Everyone keep calm and wait for Xiaoyu to make the first move." Yi Guang and the Li brothers also crouched down, hiding behind the cover, holding their weapons tightly, not daring to breathe.

At that moment, the Japanese soldiers' deliberately suppressed conversations could be heard ahead, and the sound of footsteps grew clearer. Meng Xiaoyu lay prone on the ground, resting her VSS silenced sniper rifle on a raised rock. Through the scope, she saw a tall, upright Japanese officer wearing a wide-brimmed hat. She took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and, adjusting her heartbeat, rested her finger lightly on the trigger.

Lei Tao also raised his Springfield sniper rifle, found a suitable shooting angle, and aimed at the machine gunner behind the officer. He whispered to Meng Xiaoyu through gestures that he would deal with the machine gunner after she shot down the officer.

Just as the Japanese vanguard was fully within range, Meng Xiaoyu decisively pulled the trigger. The bullet blasted out with a faint whistling sound, striking the Japanese officer precisely between the eyebrows. Almost simultaneously, Lei Tao also fired, sending the machine gunner falling to the ground with a clang. The Japanese troops instantly fell into disarray, searching for cover and firing blindly into the woods.

Leveraging the advantages of silenced pistols and VSS-silenced sniper rifles, the Japanese were caught off guard. Working in perfect harmony, Meng Xiaoyu and Lei Tao, using precise sniper strikes, quickly eliminated key Japanese targets, while others, using silenced pistols, silently dispatched approaching enemies. Amidst the chaos, the Japanese, disoriented and in a state of panic, attempted a counterattack, but the complex wooded terrain and concealed enemy firepower rendered them ineffective. Soon, the vanguard was utterly routed and forced to flee in disarray.

Lei Tao unloaded his backpack and pulled out several incendiary trip mines. He quickly directed the group, "Liu Zishan, Li Shuiniu, and Li Shuyang, stand guard. The rest of you set up minefields to give the Japanese some time to think." Everyone quickly sprang into action. Chen Feiyang and Yi Guang took the incendiary trip mines and crouched down, carefully laying them out on either side of the path. As Chen Feiyang laid the mines, he muttered, "Little Japanese, you'll be in for a rough time." Yi Guang, with a focused expression, adjusted the angle of the trip mine to ensure a sensitive trigger mechanism.

Meng Xiaoyu was also busy, using dead branches and fallen leaves as camouflage around the minefield, cleverly concealing the tripping mines. Without careful observation, they were completely invisible. Liu Zishan, Li Shuiniu, and Li Shuyang vigilantly observed their surroundings, weapons in hand, ready to respond to any emergency.

While assisting with the arrangements, Lei Tao kept an eye on the movements of the Japs. He lowered his voice to remind them, "Hurry up! The Japs may catch up with you at any time. Be careful to hide and don't expose your position."

After a while, the minefield was set up. Lei Tao looked at the camouflaged minefield in front of him, nodded with satisfaction, and then quickly evacuated with everyone, hiding in the denser woods.

As they hid, they heard the footsteps and clamor of Japanese pursuers. The Japanese soldier ahead carefully explored the path when suddenly, a crisp "click" was heard, and a tripping incendiary mine was triggered. Instantly, flames shot up into the sky, and screams rang out. The surrounding Japanese soldiers were frightened and panicked by the sudden explosion. Some turned and ran, accidentally triggering other tripping incendiary mines. For a moment, the minefield was filled with continuous explosions, and the Japanese pursuers were in chaos.

Amidst the chaos, a Japanese officer tried to maintain order, shouting orders, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of explosions and the screams of his soldiers. He tried to rush forward, but was knocked to the ground by another soldier, burned by the flames. Flames raged in the air, and thick smoke billowed, obscuring vision. Japanese soldiers rushed blindly through the minefield, bumping into each other. Many were burned by the flames, and some were even thrown to the ground by the shockwaves of the explosions.

The chain reaction of explosions continued, triggering more mines. Fire and smoke intertwined, creating a chaotic death zone. The Japanese pursuers' formation was completely disrupted, and they fell into extreme panic. Some soldiers tried to find a safe exit, but in their panic, they triggered more mines, causing explosions to echo throughout the minefield.

In the chaotic minefield, a Japanese soldier attempted to crawl toward a large tree, hoping to escape the flames and explosions. However, just as he was about to grab a branch, a mine exploded at his feet, throwing him into the air. His body arced through the air and fell heavily to the ground, staining the surrounding ground red with blood.

Another Japanese soldier, his legs burned by flames as he ran, rolled on the ground in agony, trying to put out the flames. His screams echoed through the minefield, but no one came to his aid. The soldiers around him struggled for their lives, each one on the brink of life and death.

The chaotic explosions continued for several minutes until the last blast finally died down. The flames within the minefield gradually died down, and the thick smoke began to dissipate. The Japanese pursuers' momentum was completely disrupted. Their once orderly formations were gone, replaced by a strewn field of wounded and dead. The surviving soldiers, still terrified, realized they had fallen into a trap meticulously laid by unknown armed forces, and their pursuit plan had completely failed.

Lei Tao and his comrades witnessed all this from their hiding place. Lei Tao said to everyone, "The show is over. Let's find an opportunity to give the Japanese another 'surprise'. We will advance one kilometer towards the town, then detour south and head towards the county seat."