The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 219: Fierce Street Fighting: Fearless Charge and Passionate Rescue

Hu Hansi nodded and said solemnly, "Brother Lei, don't worry, we will complete the task." Huang Hu patted his chest again and said loudly, "Brother Lei, just wait and see!"

Lei Tao looked at the remaining team members again, his eyes firm and full of trust as he said, "The rest of you and I will confront those two young men and the young women head-on, drawing the enemy's firepower to buy them time to evacuate. Everyone must cooperate closely and act accordingly. After completing the mission, we will meet at the bell tower. Is everything clear?"

"Understood!" The team members answered in unison, their voices deep and powerful, echoing in the private room for a long time.

Lei Tao took a deep breath and gave the order to set off: "Okay, let's go!"

Everyone stood up and carefully checked their equipment one last time. They tightened the straps of their bulletproof vests, ensuring every part was secure. They double-checked the safety and magazine of their pistols, and gently patted the pockets containing their grenades, feeling the heavy, secure feeling they brought. Then, as planned, they split into two teams and set off towards their respective targets.

Hu Hansi, Li Shuiniu, and Huang Hu cautiously slipped out the back door of the restaurant. Beyond the door lay a dim, narrow alleyway, thick with the smell of decay. Crouching, their steps light and effortless, they swiftly vanished into the darkness. Along the way, the three made almost no sound, only the gentle scraping of their soles against the ground. Using the piles of debris on the street as cover, they silently slid behind the Japanese troops.

After arriving at the designated location, they put on their masks first. Hu Hansi winked at Li Shuiniu and Huang Hu, and the three of them took out an M1 grenade respectively. Hu Hansi whispered, "Listen to my orders..." The breathing of the three became rapid and heavy, their hearts beating violently in their chests, but they all suppressed their tension and waited for the best time.

After a moment, Hu Hansi decisively ordered: "Pull the safety pin and delay for three seconds!" The three of them quickly pulled the safety pin.

Hu Hansi stared at the Japanese soldiers and counted: "One, two, three, throw!" Hu Hansi shouted, and the three men exerted force with their arms and threw the grenades towards the Japanese soldiers.

Three grenades flew toward the Japanese camp. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Three loud explosions shook the earth. The explosions sent blasts of air, sending smoke and dust billowing. Bricks, stones, and wood chips flew toward the Japanese soldiers.

The once arrogant Japanese army fell into chaos and screams. Some soldiers were knocked to the ground by the blast, while others were injured by shrapnel. The officer was utterly shattered by the explosion and collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with despair.

While the Japanese soldiers were stunned by the explosion, Hu Hansi yelled, "Shoot!" The three men quickly drew their Colt M1911 pistols and opened fire. Huang Hu fired first, hitting a Japanese soldier who had just risen. Li Shuiniu, moving and firing, took down two more enemies. Hu Hansi calmly aimed, and every shot hit its mark.

The Japanese army quickly organized a counterattack, with one team firing and the other team flanking from behind. Seeing this, Hu Hansi realized that the effect had been achieved and decisively ordered: "Retreat! Retreat to the back alley!" The three of them fought and retreated, with the Japanese army in hot pursuit.

The back alley was foul-smelling and cluttered with debris, but the three men nimbly navigated it. Reaching a fork in the road, Hu Hansi led the others down a narrow alley, feigning a flight. As the Japanese pursued them, Hu Hansi shouted, "Attack!" The three men quickly threw grenades. After several loud explosions, most of the Japanese were blown down.

Taking advantage of the remaining Japanese troops' panic, the three of them hid in a hidden path nearby and quietly moved forward in the dim light, heading for the scheduled assembly point, the bell tower...

At the same time, Lei Tao led the rest of the team out of the front door of the restaurant. As soon as they went out, a biting cold wind with the smell of gunpowder blew in their faces, and they ran into a group of Japanese soldiers armed with live ammunition.

The Japanese squad leader's eyes were like an eagle, instantly locking onto the guns in the hands of Lei Tao and others. First, his pupils suddenly shrank, and then a ferocious smile appeared on his face. He roared in stiff and murderous Chinese: "You, who are hiding guns, will die!" After that, he waved his arm, and the Japanese soldiers behind him raised their guns like a tide, with the black muzzles pointed at Lei Tao and his group.

Lei Tao's face was stern, and he met the Japanese squad leader's gaze fearlessly, his eyes gleaming with determination and fierceness. In this critical moment, he didn't hesitate. With lightning speed, he raised his hand and fired a shot. The bullet, shrouded in blazing fury and with a sharp whistling sound, accurately struck the throat of a soldier standing beside the Japanese squad leader. The soldier's eyes widened, and before he could even utter a scream, he fell backward like a kite with its string cut, sending up a cloud of dust.

Lei Tao snorted coldly, raised his hand and fired a shot, accurately hitting a soldier next to the Japanese squad leader. Seeing this, the team members raised their guns and fired. For a moment, the sound of gunfire rang out, and the streets were filled with smoke.

In the fierce exchange of fire, Lei Tao observed the situation around him while firing. He saw that the two Eighth Route Army soldiers were almost exhausted and their ammunition was running low. The young women, though temporarily safe under the soldiers' cover, had expressions of fear on their faces that grew more intense.

Lei Tao quickly pulled a smoke bomb spiked with spicy agent from his pocket and decisively pulled the safety pin. He half-crouched, exerted force with his arms, and hurled the smoke bomb close to the ground like a cannonball toward the area where the Japanese troops were present. Instantly, the moment the smoke bomb landed, a dazzling burst of sparks erupted with a "bang," followed by a thick, orange smoke with a strong spicy aroma that spread at an alarming rate.

The Japanese soldiers, sheltering in their bunkers, were suddenly enveloped by the sudden cloud of smoke. A pungent, spicy smell instantly penetrated their noses and mouths, piercing them like sharp steel needles. The soldiers were startled at first, then their eyes watered with tears from the spiciness, blinding them from sight. They covered their eyes in agony, their faces contorted, and they let out screams like slaughtered pigs. Their throats felt like they were being burned by fire, and they coughed relentlessly, unable to breathe, their bodies convulsing and shaking uncontrollably.

"Go over and cover them!" Lei Tao shouted, leading his team to rush towards the Eighth Route Army soldiers and young women. They used the houses and obstacles on the street as cover, continuously shooting at the Japanese army, and gradually approached the target.

At this moment, a Japanese soldier discovered Lei Tao's intention and raised his gun to shoot at a young woman. The young woman's eyes widened in horror, watching the black muzzle of the gun pointed at her, and she froze in fear. Lei Tao's eyes and hands were quick, his heart suddenly clenched, and he rushed forward without hesitation. His body was as fast as lightning, and at the critical moment, he tackled the young woman to the ground. The bullet flew past Lei Tao's arm with a sharp whistling sound, instantly tearing his clothes and leaving a hideous bloody mark on his skin. Blood quickly seeped out, staining his clothes red.

"Brother Lei!" Seeing this, the team members shouted, their voices full of anxiety and concern.

"Leave me alone, keep moving!" Lei Tao gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain in his shoulder. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He struggled to his feet, his eyes burning with rage, and without hesitation, he fired several shots at the Japanese soldier. The bullets, ripping his fury, whizzed towards the enemy, eventually riddling the soldier's chest with bullet holes. Like a puppet with its strings cut, he collapsed backward, hitting the ground in a cloud of dust, dead on the spot.

Under the desperate cover of the team members, they finally met up with the Eighth Route Army soldiers and young women. At this time, everyone was panting, ragged, and their faces were full of smoke and fatigue.

"Thank you very much!" an Eighth Route Army soldier said gratefully, his eyes full of sincerity and gratitude.