Chapter 59: The Cannon Was Saved

Chapter 59: The Cannon Is Saved

“Hmph, even if you peasants and the other shooters have some skill, can one rifle really hold back a dozen men?” Seeing the situation, Jiang Deshui was not worried.

Bang!

Wu Ze’s gun fired again.

This time, still no hit on the explosive pack, and none of the puppet soldiers were struck.

Jiang Deshui laughed even more. “This marksmanship is still no good; looks like I have nothing to worry about.”

After Wu Ze’s second shot missed, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie’s expressions immediately grew serious.

Those dozen or so enemy soldiers were close to the ammunition box. If the next bullet missed, then there would be no chance at all.

“Sun Desheng, your choice of shooter and their marksmanship is unreliable,” Zhang Dabiao cursed while lying on the ground.

“It’s over, it’s over! Wu Ze has only one bullet left; he can’t stop these puppet soldiers,” Sun Desheng said, unwilling to accept defeat.

Wu Ze rapidly worked the bolt again, ejecting the spent cartridge, loading a new bullet, raising the rifle and aiming.

He steadied his breathing and heartbeat, pressed the stock firmly against his shoulder, and slowly squeezed the trigger again.

Bang!

Boom!

First, the gunshot rang out, followed by the explosion of the explosive pack.

The dozen or so puppet soldiers were overwhelmed by the tremendous destructive power of the explosion.

Those closest died on the spot.

Those slightly farther away were knocked unconscious by the powerful shockwave.

“Hanyang-made — that’s a good rifle,” Wu Ze breathed a long sigh of relief.

Back at the military academy during target practice, his shooting results had never been outstanding.

But hitting a moving target three times proved the quality of this Hanyang rifle.

“This, this...” Jiang Deshui’s cold sneer stiffened instantly as he saw the explosive pack detonate and the dozen puppet soldiers fall.

Only now did he realize the peasants’ shooter was aiming at the explosives, not the men.

“Hahaha, well done!” Sun Desheng laughed wildly at the scene.

Already covered in blood, his laughter now made him look like a demon from hell.

He charged at the pursuing puppet soldiers like a wild beast. “You damn traitors, now Grandpa will have some fun with you!”

Seeing that destroying the cannon was hopeless, and Sun Desheng’s terrifying appearance, the puppet soldiers turned and fled.

Sun Desheng would not let them escape. Wielding his knife, he hacked and pursued fiercely, with no intention of taking prisoners.

“Hahaha, the cannon is saved! Charge with me, charge!” Zhang Dabiao got up from the ground, laughing maniacally as he led the troops rushing toward the cannon’s position.

“Hahaha, charge! The cannon is saved!”

“Hahaha, that’s six cannons, all ours from the New First Regiment!”

“Charge!”

…

Behind Zhang Dabiao, the soldiers of the New First Regiment ran as if injected with adrenaline, sprinting desperately toward the cannon’s position.

“Quick, quick, the Independent Regiment, catch up! Don’t let the New First Regiment get ahead!” Kong Jie shouted urgently in the crowd.

“Commander, you can’t even catch up yourself. You want us to catch up? Isn’t that impossible?” someone said to Kong Jie.

Couldn’t they see how fast the New First Regiment soldiers were running, surging ahead? Unless they sprouted wings, they’d never catch up.

“Chase, I said chase! If you don’t get the cannon, I’ll deal with you!” Kong Er Lengzi clutched his machine gun and fired shots into the sky.

The Independent Regiment soldiers were terrified and took off like nimble rabbits to catch up.

“Hey Kong Er Lengzi, you can’t lay claim to the cannon, but don’t waste bullets recklessly! Don’t you know bullets are precious?” Li Yunlong ran past Kong Jie laughing, tossing the remark his way.

The cannon was saved and the New First Regiment would seize it. Li Yunlong was in an excellent mood, even joking with Kong Jie.

“Hmph, Li Yunlong, I’ll definitely get the cannon,” Kong Jie snorted, slinging the machine gun onto his shoulder and breaking into a run, his feet seemingly spinning like fire wheels as he chased after Li Yunlong.

…

As the peasant troops swarmed toward the cannon’s position, Jiang Deshui was frantic to the point of losing control.

“Block them! Block them! Send more men to blow up the cannon!” Jiang Deshui roared, desperate to destroy it.

But it was too late. Zhang Dabiao and the others moved too quickly and would reach the cannon’s position before any other puppet soldiers.

“Commander, the cannon can’t be destroyed. Let’s withdraw, let’s withdraw,” the puppet regiment commander pulled Jiang Deshui back.

“If the cannon isn’t destroyed, General Hirata won’t forgive me,” Jiang Deshui shouted.

“Commander, we should retreat first. General Hirata will definitely send more troops soon to encircle us. Then we can recapture the cannon and redeem ourselves,” the puppet regiment commander insisted as he dragged Jiang Deshui away.

“Withdraw! Everyone withdraw! The cannon can’t be destroyed. While the peasants are focused on the cannon, we’ll use this time to retreat,” the puppet officers gave up approaching the cannon’s position and swiftly withdrew with the remaining puppet soldiers.

“Damn traitors, you’re fast, but next time don’t run into me!” Sun Desheng slaughtered a few puppet soldiers in pursuit.

Exhausted, he couldn’t catch the others and gave up the chase, quickly returning with one soldier toward the ammunition box.

Sun Desheng’s other men were all dead; only this one remained.

Seizing the cannon was important, but ammunition was even more crucial.

Sun Desheng already saw the Independent Regiment running like the wind, catching up to the New First Regiment.

Those two couldn’t hold all six cannons, so they would secure the ammunition instead.

Without ammo, the cannons were useless scrap.

While Sun Desheng and his companion guarded the ammunition box, Zhang Dabiao and his men also reached the cannon’s position.

“Hahaha, the cannon belongs to our New First Regiment now,” Zhang Dabiao laughed loudly, ordering his men to quickly secure it.

“This cannon is mine!” Shen Quan, the Independent Regiment’s Second Battalion Commander, mustered all his strength.

While the New First Regiment was occupying the cannons, he rushed ahead, reached one cannon first, climbed on it, and sat down to claim it.

But soon Shen Quan jumped up as if his backside were on fire.

Indeed, it was scorching. The cannon had just fired several rounds and was extremely hot.

His pants stuck to the cannon, and when he stood abruptly, they tore with a loud rip, revealing a patch of white skin.

So there stood Shen Quan, pants torn, bare behind exposed on the cannon, declaring ownership.

“This is the Independent Regiment’s cannon! Don’t be shameless, get off! This is ours, the New First Regiment’s cannon!” Zhang Dabiao shouted loudly.

Though he had secured five cannons, he saw the Independent Regiment’s Second Battalion Commander had grabbed one, and his voice rose in protest.

The commander had ordered Zhang Dabiao to capture all six cannons.

If only five were taken, the commander would certainly scold him upon return.

“This cannon is mine, taken by my own skill! It belongs to the Independent Regiment!” Shen Quan shouted from atop the cannon.

“Second Battalion, come over quickly! Don’t let the New First Regiment steal our cannon.”

(End of chapter)