Chapter 125 Changjin Lake

As for how the instructor of the Sixth Company and the platoon leader should report to their superiors and what reasons they should come up with after they returned, He Yuzhu didn't care at all.

He's currently preoccupied with his own problems; getting to the main battlefield alive is more important than anything else.

The north wind whipped up snowflakes, scraping against his face like knives. He Yuzhu wrapped his cotton coat tighter around himself and trudged over a snow-covered mountain.

All around was a vast expanse of white, with no trace of birds or beasts in sight. Only the crunching sound of the snow underfoot was particularly clear in the empty mountains and fields.

He groped his way along and finally found a cave half-hidden behind the rocks in a sheltered spot, and quickly crawled inside.

Outside the cave, the cold wind howled, but inside, at least some of the chill was blocked. He didn't dare to linger and quickly pulled out a pair of dry military leather boots and a pair of dry cotton trousers from his personal storage space.

They marched at breakneck speed, wading through snow and climbing mountains. Their cotton trousers were soaked through with snow water and frozen stiff, sticking to their legs, cold and heavy. Every step felt like dragging two pieces of iron.

The boots were filled with snow water, making a squelching sound when walking, and they were cold and slippery. If this continued, the enemy wouldn't even need to attack; the boots would freeze to the bone.

After changing into dry clothes, a warm feeling slowly returned to his limbs and bones. He let out a long sigh of relief, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

He Yuzhu took out compressed biscuits, canned beef, and a pot of warm sorghum liquor from his spatial storage, and ate and drank them in small sips to replenish his strength.

In the icy and snowy battlefields of Korea, a hot meal and a sip of strong liquor were the most real comforts.

After quickly eating something to fill his stomach, he leaned against the cold stone wall and closed his eyes for a short nap.

Not daring to sleep too soundly, I only dozed off for about half an hour before suddenly opening my eyes, rubbing my frozen cheeks, and continuing on my way.

Traveling through these towering mountains on foot, it would be virtually impossible to get back to the original company.

With frequent troop movements and extremely long battle lines, a lone soldier like him who had fallen behind would only waste time searching for his company and might even run into an enemy patrol.

After much deliberation, He Yuzhu made up his mind to head east, straight towards Changjin Lake.

He heard that the main force was about to launch a large-scale battle in the Changjin Lake area. Even if he missed the start of the general offensive, he wanted to catch up with this major battle and kill as many enemies as possible, so that his trip to Korea would not have been in vain.

But reality doesn't always go as planned.

He had wasted too much time staking out enemy positions and transferring supplies. By the time he finally set off for Changjin Lake, after only a day of forced march, the continuous rumble of artillery could be faintly heard from the eastern horizon.

The muffled explosion could be clearly heard across several mountain peaks, and the earth seemed to tremble slightly in response.

Looking up, enemy planes flew back and forth in the sky, their engines roaring incessantly, like a swarm of flies that wouldn't leave, buzzing and making one feel restless.

He Yuzhu stopped, looked up at the sky, and mentally calculated the date. His heart sank. It was November 27th.

The final offensive has begun.

Seeing that they could not catch up with the main force's assembly, forcibly heading to the main battlefield would likely lead them straight into the enemy's firepower, not only failing to help but also getting themselves killed.

He Yuzhu made a quick decision and changed his mind. Since he couldn't catch up with the main force, he would go it alone and focus on attacking the enemy's supply lines.

With just one gun and a few cannons, he certainly couldn't swallow up the endless stream of enemy reinforcements on the highway, nor could he break through the enemy's armored column.

But if it comes to causing trouble for the enemy, blocking roads, and making their lives miserable, he certainly has that skill.

Moreover, he was agile and elusive, making it incredibly difficult for the enemy to capture him.

From that day on, a series of strange events occurred along the enemy transport road that He Yuzhu was right next to, leaving the American troops baffled.

Sometimes, a truck driver in motion will suddenly tilt his head to the side and be sniped from a distance, causing the vehicle to lose control, veer off the road, and roll down a hillside.

Sometimes, tanks and armored vehicles on the move are inexplicably targeted by bazooka rocket launchers, and a single shot hits the tracks or engine, rendering them immobile on the spot.

Even more bizarrely, many convoys were suddenly bombarded by mortars, leaving people and horses in disarray, without even knowing where the shells came from.

The U.S. military did organize troops to search the mountains. Every time gunfire or artillery fire broke out, infantrymen were immediately dispatched to conduct a search along the general direction.

But no matter how much they searched, they couldn't catch a single person.

The shots that killed the driver were taken from a distance of more than 500 meters, and the accuracy was frightening.

Occasionally, attacks would come within 250 meters. When the American soldiers rushed over to find the attackers, they were met with heavy machine gun fire, and many fell down.

As for the artillery attacks, the launch sites were at least 800 meters away. By the time they climbed the hilltop, panting, the enemy had long since disappeared. Meanwhile, the convoy below had been bombed countless times.

For a time, this highway became a nightmare for the American troops. Everyone was on edge, and the convoys were terrified as they drove along, fearing that they would be the next unlucky ones to be killed.

As night fell, the temperature plummeted, and the wind and snow intensified.

The first to really suffer was a supply company and a guard infantry company under the U.S. 7th Infantry Division.

Previously, He Yuzhu had destroyed a South Korean military fuel supply point, but this did not attract enough attention from the US military leadership.

From the perspective of the US military, it was perfectly normal for South Korean soldiers with low combat effectiveness to lose some supplies or start a fire. They even took it for granted that it was just a matter of South Korean soldiers neglecting their duties and accidentally causing an oil leak, which eventually led to a fire and a series of explosions, and was purely accidental.

Only the South Korean soldiers themselves knew that it was not an accident at all, but a surprise attack, and that the weapons, ammunition, and fuel in the supply point had been completely looted, leaving nothing behind.

Unfortunately, a heavy snowfall overnight covered all traces. With no trace left in the snow, they couldn't even find out how many people the other side had or what weapons they used, and could only suffer in silence.

Late on November 27, this U.S. Army supply unit received orders to set up a temporary supply station on the side of the road to provide fuel, hot food, hot water and other supplies to troops reinforcing the Chosin Reservoir.

On a cold night, bonfires were lit in the campsite, their flames standing out against the white snow.

He Yuzhu was drawn over by this sudden burst of firelight.

Car lights are common on this highway, but large-scale bonfires are a rare sight.

The presence of firelight meant that the enemy had stopped and gathered here, making them easy prey.

He quietly made his way to a nearby high ground, set up his binoculars, and carefully observed the supply station below.

He originally planned to take out a mortar, fire a few rounds, and then ignite the enemy's own fuel to blow the entire supply depot to smithereens.

But when something appeared in the telescope lens, He Yuzhu immediately changed his mind and abandoned his plan to fire directly.

In the center of the camp, there were two military anti-aircraft vehicles. He didn't know their specific models, but he recognized the twin heavy machine guns mounted on their roofs at a glance—they were improved versions of the M2 heavy machine gun, with extremely fierce firepower.

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up when he saw this thing.

This is a treasure!

Enemy planes circled overhead all day, dropping bombs and firing machine guns, acting arrogantly and domineeringly. He had long wanted to teach these flying iron turtles a lesson.

Unfortunately, they never had a suitable anti-aircraft weapon.

The MG42 general-purpose machine gun has fierce firepower and an alarming rate of fire, but its 7.92mm bullets are only good for shooting at infantry, and are barely enough to shoot at aircraft. Its range and power are both insufficient.

The old-fashioned M1919 heavy machine gun was bulky and heavy. With its fixed position, it would become a sitting duck for enemy aircraft before it could even be aimed at them.

Where can you find a better vehicle-mounted twin heavy machine gun?

Enemy planes in that era did not fly very high or very fast, so heavy machine gun firepower was more than enough. As long as you seized the opportunity, shooting down a few planes was not a problem at all.

Thinking of this, He Yuzhu felt a surge of excitement and immediately made up his mind to get his hands on these two anti-aircraft vehicles.

Having made up his mind, He Yuzhu no longer hesitated and immediately found a hidden snow pit to lie in wait quietly for the right opportunity.

He stayed up until after midnight, when the convoys on the highway gradually thinned out, and most of the American troops at the supply depot relaxed their vigilance and began to take turns resting.

There were significantly more US sentries here than the South Korean soldiers we had encountered before. The sentry posts were scattered throughout the area, and there was also a small patrol team moving around, making the defense relatively tight.

In this situation, it is obviously unrealistic to try to silently eliminate everyone with a bayonet.

He Yuzhu was not in a hurry and patiently lay low.

In this freezing weather, where water freezes instantly and breath turns to frost, even the most dedicated patrolmen can't patrol without sleep or stopping for a moment; there will inevitably be times when they slack off. He has plenty of patience to wear down the enemy.

Time passed slowly, and it finally got to 3 a.m.

The patrol team completed the changing of the guard, but the American soldiers who had just taken over were clearly still sleepy, yawning and shivering from the cold.

These guys had no intention of continuing their patrol; instead, they found a sheltered spot, set up a small stove, and started brewing coffee.

The rich aroma of coffee wafted far away on the cold wind, and He Yuzhu, lying on the snow, immediately smelled it with his keen sense of smell.

The opportunity is coming!

He held his breath, lowered his body, and like a cheetah in the dark, silently crept up to the two anti-aircraft vehicles, taking advantage of the wind, snow and terrain for cover.

The American soldiers were all busy warming themselves up and making coffee, completely unaware that an uninvited guest had appeared beside them.

With a thought, He Yuzhu directly stored the two anti-aircraft vehicles into his personal space, his movements clean and efficient, without making a sound.

Having secured the most crucial equipment, he was still not satisfied. He then reached for the rows of military trucks parked nearby and carefully searched each of the truck beds.

Ammunition, canned goods, medicine, blankets, weapons...

He took all the useful supplies without hesitation.

This time, however, He Yuzhu did not go all out and deliberately left behind a whole truckload of gasoline drums.

He casually pried open the lids of several oil drums, laid them on their side, and golden gasoline flowed out from the truck bed, spreading across the snow and quickly forming a large flammable area.

The strong, pungent smell of gasoline quickly spread, attracting the attention of patrolling soldiers not far away.

Several American soldiers assumed it was just an accidental leak from a broken oil drum and casually sent two soldiers over to check the situation.

The two men walked behind the truck where the oil was dumped, cursing and swearing. When they saw the gasoline stains spreading on the ground, their expressions changed instantly. They realized that this was not an accidental leak, but something that had been done intentionally.

Just as one of them was about to shout the alarm, the other prepared to draw his gun in defense.

But it was all too late.

He Yuzhu emerged from the shadows like a ghost, his movements as swift as lightning.

With a flash of cold light, a military bayonet instantly slit open the throat of an American soldier. Blood gushed out, and the man collapsed limply into the snow before he could even utter a scream.

Another American soldier was shocked and was about to raise his gun when He Yuzhu delivered a vicious whip kick, striking the man hard on the neck.

The American soldier didn't even utter a sound; his eyes rolled back and he passed out.

The two loud thuds of heavy objects falling to the ground alerted the patrol team not far away.

The American soldiers exclaimed in surprise and charged toward them, guns raised.

He Yuzhu dared not linger in the fight. He took large strides and retreated rapidly, running more than twenty meters before suddenly performing a forward roll and hiding behind a thick pine tree to conceal himself.

The pursuing American soldiers were wary of the gasoline spilled on the ground, fearing that random shots might hit the oil drums and cause an explosion, so they hesitated to fire their guns.

But they didn't dare, while He Yuzhu did.

He grabbed a captured M1 carbine from behind him and, without hesitation, unleashed a barrage of fire at the truck loaded with gasoline and the American patrol at the front.

"Da da da—da da da—"

Gunfire was deafening and dense, bullets raining down like a storm. A large number of the patrolmen at the front were instantly shot down, screaming as they fell amidst the snow and gasoline.

The bullet struck the truck's fuel tank and drums, instantly sending sparks flying.

"boom!"

Flames suddenly shot up, the truck burst into flames, and the gasoline on the ground was also ignited, creating a sea of ​​fire.

Several American soldiers who stepped on gasoline were instantly engulfed in flames, their bodies ablaze, letting out heart-wrenching screams as they rolled frantically in the snow, but to no avail.

"GOD!"

"FUCK!"

"Fire! It's fire!"

The camp instantly descended into chaos, filled with terrified screams, desperate curses, and piercing screams, all mingling together in a deafening cacophony.

Immediately afterwards, a series of violent explosions rang out.

The fuel tank exploded, the ammunition exploded, and the supplies piled up nearby also exploded.

The shockwave swept in all directions, and American soldiers who were close to the truck and oil drums were blown away by the blast, along with the broken parts of the vehicles. Limbs and torsos were scattered all over the ground, and the scene was extremely horrific.

The moment the flames ignited, He Yuzhu had already put away his gun and fled quickly, heading straight for the mortar position he had chosen in advance.

He had already looted most of the useful supplies in the supply depot. This truckload of gasoline and the remaining American troops were his last "gift" to the enemy.

Upon reaching the designated position, He Yuzhu immediately saw that the American troops in the camp were in complete chaos, preparing to evacuate and flee in panic.

Without saying a word, he took out a 60mm mortar from his spatial storage, quickly set it up, adjusted the angle, and loaded the shells.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Shells roared out, landing precisely on the most densely packed enemy positions.

Explosions continued, snow, debris, and human remains flew everywhere, and the American troops suffered heavy casualties, crying out in despair.

He fired nearly ten shells in one go, inflicting a devastating blow on the American forces. He Yuzhu immediately stopped firing and withdrew again.

With such a commotion, it won't be long before enemy reinforcements arrive from the vicinity.

It's not worth it for him to fight to the death with the enemy's main force. Hitting and running away is the wisest choice for him.

He Yuzhu ran wildly, using the cover of night and the mountains to shake off any enemies who might be chasing him.

He ran until dawn before finding a secluded crevice in the rocks. After confirming it was safe, he took out a thick sleeping bag from his storage space, crawled inside, and fell asleep immediately.

For a full day and night, he ran back and forth along the highway, constantly harassing the enemy. He was under immense mental strain and his physical strength was greatly depleted, and he had long since reached his limit.

However, he didn't sleep soundly.

Overhead, the roar of enemy aircraft engines never ceased; in the distance, from the main battlefield, the sounds of artillery fire and explosions rose and fell incessantly.

Amidst the sounds of gunfire, he managed to sleep for a few hours and regain some strength.

When He Yuzhu groggily woke up, he took out his pocket watch and saw that it was already noon.

He took out dry food and hot water from his spatial storage, ate a simple lunch, took care of his personal needs, and after a short rest, he once again set off on his harassment mission with renewed vigor.

After his relentless attacks, the US and South Korean military convoys traveling on this highway had learned their lesson.

They all became as neurotic as the Japanese devils back then. Before even seeing a person, they would have the vehicle-mounted machine gun fire a burst of bullets randomly, calling it "machine gun scouting and reconnaissance." He Yuzhu, who had just arrived at the new position, was unaware of the enemy's new tactics and almost fell into their trap.

A burst of heavy machine gun bullets swept past him, splashing up clouds of snow as they hit the ground; the distance was terrifyingly close. He Yuzhu's heart tightened; he dared not be careless and decisively retreated, creating a safe distance.

Once they reached a safe area, He Yuzhu sneered and fired the mortar again.

He adjusted the firing parameters, aimed at the convoy on the highway, and fired several shots without hesitation.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The shells hit the convoy precisely, instantly destroying a military truck. The wheels were deformed, the truck caught fire, and the supplies inside were scattered all over the ground.

To He Yuzhu's surprise, after being shelled, the convoy did not stop to fight back or conduct search and rescue operations as usual. Instead, the American soldiers on the vehicles jumped off and continued running forward with the main force without looking back, completely ignoring the damaged vehicles and their wounded comrades.

He Yuzhu stroked his chin, pondering to himself with some confusion:

"Was this a direct order from above to reinforce regardless of harassment along the way? Or is the fighting on the main battlefield so fierce that the 1st Marine Division is on the verge of collapse and is desperately trying to escape?"

Whatever the reason, the pace of stirring things up can't be stopped.

He followed closely, constantly looking for an opportunity to strike, and the location he was making was getting closer and closer to the main battlefield where gunfire was raging.

Late at night on December 4th, several hilltops were suddenly filled with unusually intense gunfire and continuous explosions.

The explosions were so frequent they seemed to be continuous, and the flames lit up half the night sky, clearly indicating a fierce battle between large forces.

He Yuzhu's spirits lifted, and he immediately judged that there must be their main force fighting ahead.

Without further hesitation, he immediately determined the direction and marched overnight toward the direction from which the artillery fire was taking place, wanting to join the main force as soon as possible.

On the morning of December 5th, just as dawn was breaking, He Yuzhu walked to a sheltered mountain hollow, stopped, and prepared to eat something for breakfast.

Just as I took out my dry rations, a familiar buzzing sound came from the sky, growing louder and louder as it approached.

He Yuzhu's expression changed slightly. He immediately put down the food and raised his binoculars to look towards the source of the sound.

He saw a group of enemy planes flying in formation, and their flight direction was clearly towards the mountainous area where he was located.

He quickly turned the binoculars, scanning the surrounding mountains, and his gaze suddenly stopped on the top of a neighboring mountain.

On the mountaintop stood a figure with a long radio antenna standing tall behind him, making him particularly conspicuous in the open mountaintop.

The distance was too great for him to see the other person's face clearly, but the figure, the antenna, and the way they were desperately trying to attract enemy planes made He Yuzhu's heart skip a beat.

This scene...

Why does this look so familiar?

As the enemy planes in the sky began to descend and swoop down toward that figure, a scene from a movie flashed through He Yuzhu's mind, and he instantly realized what was happening.

Holy crap! Isn't this exactly the scene from the Water Gate Bridge?

Who else could that reckless fool on the mountaintop be but Yu Congrong?

The thought that Yu Congrong was going to use him as bait to draw enemy fire and cover the Seventh Company down the mountain made He Yuzhu restless.

That was an enemy formation; with just a broken submachine gun, you'd be better off than dead.

He dared not delay for a moment, and with a thought, he directly released the M16 anti-aircraft vehicle he had previously captured from his personal space.

The tank landed smoothly, and he leaped onto the gunner's position. Through the anti-aircraft machine gun's sights, he clearly saw Yu Congrong on the mountaintop standing tall, solemnly saluting in a certain direction, before resolutely raising his submachine gun. He was ready to sacrifice himself for righteousness!

He Yuzhu's heart tightened at the sight, and his hands moved without slowing down. He quickly connected the extended ammunition belt he had prepared in advance and aimed at the enemy planes diving in.

As the enemy planes flew overhead, the machine gun's elevation angle was just right to cover the area, and He Yuzhu pulled the trigger hard.

"Thump thump thump thump thump—!"

"Thump thump thump thump thump—!"

The twin quadruple M2 heavy machine gun roared with terror, its muzzle flash shooting skyward, and a dense hail of bullets swept across the enemy aircraft like a metal storm.

The enemy pilots never dreamed that anti-aircraft fire would suddenly appear in this desolate wilderness, and that it would be American-made anti-aircraft machine guns.

Caught off guard, the two enemy planes at the front of the formation were torn apart by a hail of bullets, billowing thick smoke as they crashed out of control into the mountains.

"Boom—! Boom—!"

The two planes crashed into the hillside one after the other, exploding into huge fireballs with flames shooting into the sky and debris flying everywhere.

Yu Congrong, who was on the mountaintop, had already prepared to sacrifice himself and was about to raise his gun and fire randomly to attract fire when he suddenly saw two enemy planes explode and crash not far from him, which startled him.

Completely bewildered, he had no idea what was happening. Instinctively, he slid down the hillside, tumbling and crawling away from the mountaintop.

He originally intended to sacrifice himself to draw enemy planes and create an opportunity for the Seventh Company to retreat, but with the broken submachine gun in his hand, it was useless except for tickling the enemy planes.

Who would have thought that such a ruthless person would suddenly appear out of nowhere and shoot down two planes?

Startled, the enemy planes hurriedly adjusted their course and turned around. However, during the turn, two more planes were hit by He Yuzhu's bullets and crashed down the mountain trailing thick smoke.

The plane crashed not far from the Seventh Company's concealed position.

The shockwave from the explosion, mixed with raging flames, swept towards the location where the Seventh Company was hiding. The fire was fierce and the temperature was extremely high.

Company Commander Wu Qianli's expression changed drastically, and he immediately roared, "Take cover! Fire! Take cover now!"

The soldiers reacted quickly, all falling to the ground in the thick snow.

The blast wave roared past, and flames and heat rushed towards us.

Once everything calmed down, the soldiers of the Seventh Company experienced both extremes of joy and sorrow.

The snow beneath him melted in the intense heat, his clothes were soaked through and chilled to the bone; the side of his back closest to the flames was charred, emitting a burnt smell, leaving him in a sorry state.

Wu Qianli, a seasoned warrior, knew at a glance that this was not a place to linger.

Enraged, the enemy planes will surely retaliate fiercely. If we stay here any longer, we will be blown to pieces by the enemy planes sooner or later.

"Retreat! Everyone retreat! Quickly!"

At Wu Qianli's command, the soldiers of the Seventh Company immediately stood up, formed a combat formation, and quickly moved towards a relatively safe mountain hollow in the distance, their movements swift and decisive.

Meanwhile, the remaining four enemy planes in the sky, enraged, roared their engines and swooped down towards the ravine where He Yuzhu was located, wanting to retaliate against this suddenly appearing anti-aircraft fire point.

Unfortunately, before they could reach their effective bombing range, two more enemy planes were blown up in mid-air by the oncoming barrage of bullets, turning into fireballs.

Only then did the remaining enemy pilots realize that what had attacked them was actually a US military M16 anti-aircraft vehicle.

What terrified them even more was that the machine gun bullets on the vehicle seemed endless, continuously spitting out flames, leaving no time to reload.

Little did they know that He Yuzhu had anticipated the inconvenience of operating the ammunition alone, and had specially connected the bullets to three times their original length to ensure continuous firing for a long time without the need for replacement.

The two enemy pilots, who were shot down on the spot, had only one absurd thought in their last moments before they died: "We're on the same side! How could we fight each other?!"

The last two enemy planes in the formation were terrified and hurriedly climbed to avoid the deadly barrage of bullets.

In a panic, the pilot hastily dropped the incendiary bombs he was carrying, not daring to linger in the fight, and pulled up again, turned around, and prepared to dive down and attack again.

The incendiary bomb was thrown with great accuracy, but unfortunately, it landed right at the only exit of the ravine where He Yuzhu was located.

The fire raged instantly, blocking all exits.

If He Yuzhu wanted to evacuate, he would have to abandon the vehicle and climb the mountain, but on the open hillside, he would be the perfect target for enemy aircraft.

Now there's no turning back; we can only confront it head-on and see who's tougher and bolder.

Enemy planes would dive and strafe, so the enemy had to descend to a certain altitude; otherwise, it would be impossible to aim and fire. If they dared to come down, he was willing to shoot them down.

The remaining two American pilots were clearly less courageous.

The series of losses they had just suffered had terrified them, and they dared not lower their altitude to attack at close range.

During a probing dive, one of the enemy planes was hit by He Yuzhu, its fuselage smoking and in imminent danger.

The two were terrified and dared not linger any longer. They quickly pulled up again and fled in panic.

The enemy planes' strafing bullets did not hit He Yuzhu, but the violent shock and stray bullets still shattered the windshield of the anti-aircraft vehicle. The flying shards of glass cut his face and hands, leaving him with a few small cuts.

This anti-aircraft vehicle was hit by several bullets from enemy aircraft's heavy machine guns. Its tires were blown out, its engine was punctured, and it was completely destroyed and could no longer be used.

Once He Yuzhu confirmed that the enemy planes had completely escaped and would not return anytime soon, he immediately jumped out of the car.

This vehicle was captured, and he never intended to keep it indefinitely. Anyway, there was another intact anti-aircraft vehicle parked in the space, so it wouldn't be a big loss if it broke.

As for the twin heavy machine gun on the vehicle, it is a fixed vehicle-mounted weapon. Even if it were forcibly removed, it would not be easy for a single soldier to carry and use it, so it was simply abandoned.

He dared not linger in this mountain valley.

With such a commotion just now, shooting down so many enemy planes, it won't be long before enemy ground forces and a new wave of air support arrive. At that time, this place will surely be turned into a sea of ​​fire by enemy aircraft.

He Yuzhu quickly climbed to the top of a nearby mountain. Looking down from there, he saw a small group of soldiers running rapidly toward the mountain where he was.

Judging from their clothing, they were dressed as volunteers! He felt relieved and quickly raised his binoculars to observe them carefully.

The officer leading the team had a familiar face and a resolute demeanor; he was clearly a seasoned veteran.

They're one of us!

At the same time, Wu Qianli also raised his binoculars and looked towards the mountaintop.

The person appearing in the shot is a young soldier also wearing a Chinese People's Volunteer Army uniform.

The enemy's uniform was much cleaner and tidier than theirs, who had been fighting for days. His face was unbelievably young, even younger than his younger brother, Wu Wanli.

Yet this seemingly ordinary young soldier had just single-handedly taken down an entire enemy squadron. Wu Qianli was utterly astonished: Who exactly was this person?

"Company commander, is he one of our own? Why is he alone? Was he the one who was masturbating earlier?"

Wu Wanli leaned closer and asked in a low voice, looking shocked.

He had seen it clearly from down the mountain; the fierce anti-aircraft firepower had utterly routed the enemy planes—it was simply miraculous.

"They're one of us," Wu Qianli replied in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief.

"Wait until he comes down, then ask him yourself."

To be honest, he was more curious than Wu Wanli, full of questions, and couldn't wait to rush up and ask him for clarification.

"May I use the binoculars?"

Instructor Mei Sheng spoke softly. His eyesight wasn't very good to begin with, and he wanted to see clearly what the person on the mountaintop looked like.

"Don't let your eyes get involved in this. Wait until someone comes down and see clearly in person."

Wu Qianli casually declined, while waving vigorously at He Yuzhu on the mountaintop, signaling him to come down.

At the same time, he turned to the soldiers beside him and instructed, "Strengthen vigilance and pay attention to the surroundings. Also, send someone to look for Yu Congrong and see if that kid has returned. He almost died on the mountaintop just now."

"Yes, sir!" the soldier replied.

He Yuzhu could see clearly from the mountaintop and knew that his own people were below. Without hesitation, he grabbed a bush on the hillside and slid down quickly.

The snow was slippery, but he nimbly slid down the mountain in a few strokes. Wu Qianli and several soldiers were already waiting at the foot of the mountain.

Upon meeting, Wu Qianli couldn't contain his shock and blurted out a series of questions:

"Young comrade, which unit are you from? Are you a professional air defense unit? Where are your other comrades? Did you shoot down all those planes by yourself?"

A barrage of questions came crashing down on He Yuzhu, leaving him momentarily speechless and unsure which to answer first.

"Look at you, how could you ask such a question?" Mei Sheng quickly stepped forward, smiling as he tried to smooth things over.

"Young comrade is stumped by your question and doesn't know which answer to give first."

He turned to He Yuzhu and introduced himself in a gentle tone: "Hello, young comrade. We are the 7th Infiltration Company of a certain regiment of a certain division of the 9th Army Corps. My name is Mei Sheng, and I am the company political instructor. This is our company commander, Wu Qianli."

He Yuzhu immediately stood at attention and gave a standard military salute:

"Hello, Company Commander Wu! Hello, Political Instructor Mei! My name is He Yuzhu, and I am the deputy squad leader of the first squad of the first platoon of the third battalion of the 141st Regiment of the 98th Division of the 6th Army."

"The 6th Army?" Mei Sheng was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised.

"Weren't your troops supposed to be fighting along the Chongchon River? How did you end up here at Chosin Reservoir? Where are the rest of you?"

He Yuzhu looked around, then looked up at the sky, and said in a serious voice, "I'm all alone. I got separated from the group and wandered all the way here. Comrade Instructor, it's not safe here. Enemy planes could return at any time. Shouldn't we find a safer place to talk?"

Mei Sheng slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing:

"Yes, yes, yes! It was my oversight. We need to move, move quickly!"

Wu Qianli frowned, still worried about his soldiers: "Hasn't Yu Congrong returned to the unit yet?"

"Don't worry, Company Commander, that kid's tough, he won't get lost," a soldier next to him replied.

"Attention everyone, evacuate!" Wu Qianli gave the order without hesitation. The team immediately regrouped and moved quickly towards the safer area deep in the mountains.

During the march, He Yuzhu recalled the figure on the mountaintop earlier and casually asked Mei Sheng, "Instructor, is the Yu Congrong you mentioned the comrade who was on the next mountaintop, brandishing a submachine gun and ready to fight the enemy planes to the death?"

Mei Sheng nodded, saying with a mixture of helplessness and admiration:

"That's right, it's him. He's the platoon leader of our Seventh Company's firepower platoon. He's always been brave in battle, but sometimes he's too reckless."

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu nodded slightly, a smile playing on his lips:

"Really? Then I'll have to get to know this hero properly later."

Most of the soldiers around him didn't understand the implied meaning, but Mei Sheng, with his keen sense of observation, immediately picked it up.

This wasn't an attempt to get to know him; it was clearly a mockery of Yu Congrong's reckless actions. But then again, this Comrade He Yuzhu was far more reckless than Yu Congrong.

Single-handedly, using some unknown means, he managed to shoot down seven enemy planes, and he himself only seemed to have a few minor scratches from broken glass. It was truly legendary.

Mei Sheng sighed softly, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"He had no choice. Our Seventh Company has fought all the way here, and we've suffered heavy losses of heavy weapons. We don't even have a decent anti-aircraft machine gun, let alone anti-aircraft guns. If we had enough anti-aircraft weapons, he wouldn't have had to use himself as bait and risk his life like that."

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu smiled faintly and waved his hand: "Instructor, don't overthink it. I didn't mean anything by it. Besides, my air defense equipment wasn't even issued; I just took it from the enemy."

"Snatched on the spur of the moment?" Wu Qianli, who was listening from the side, couldn't help but interrupt, his eyelids twitching.

"Young comrade, that's a bit unrealistic. How could you just snatch an anti-aircraft weapon of that caliber? By the way, what weapon did you use just now? Judging by the firepower, it was definitely not a single-barreled machine gun."

Wu Qianli was filled with curiosity.

They had captured artillery before, but they really didn't have any anti-aircraft weapons specifically designed to shoot down aircraft.

The terrifying barrage of firepower just now was clearly not something that could be achieved with ordinary weapons.

He simply couldn't understand how this excessively young deputy squad leader could acquire such formidable anti-aircraft equipment and operate it so skillfully all by himself.