Chapter 127 Water Gate Bridge - Night Battle

On the Korean battlefield in winter, the cold wind still cut like a knife, but the soldiers of the Seventh Company felt a rare warmth.

In the afternoon, Wu Qianli stood in the snowdrift where they had temporarily assembled, looking at his soldiers, each with a weary face and old wounds. His tense lips relaxed slightly, and he gave the order in a deep voice:

"The entire company will rest and recuperate on the spot. We'll have dinner early so everyone can be fully prepared for tonight's tough battle!"

The order was given, and a low commotion instantly arose throughout the Seventh Company, but there was no noise whatsoever.

Having experienced countless life-or-death battles, these soldiers have long since mastered the ability to obey orders without question, and they understand that the "tough battle" mentioned by their company commander means that they must risk their lives again.

What delighted them most was that everyone had put on brand-new cotton-padded clothes. The thick cotton wadding wrapped around their frozen bodies, insulating them from the biting cold of the snow and ice. This was the first time in a long time that they didn't have to shiver in the cold wind wrapped in thin, tattered, and hole-ridden old clothes.

Finding sheltered snow pits and collapsed slopes as temporary resting places, the soldiers wrapped themselves tightly in their new cotton-padded coats and soon fell into a deep sleep.

The continuous rush and fierce fighting had exhausted all their strength. In the past, when they slept, they were so cold that they could only curl up in a ball and would be woken up by the cold from time to time.

But that night, wrapped in warm new cotton clothes and with the hay and rags they had gathered under their bodies, they slept exceptionally well. They finally had a good night's sleep without being disturbed by the cold, and even their dreams were less chilly.

They didn't know how long they had slept, but the smoke from the mess hall slowly rose from their hiding place, and the aroma of hot food wafted over, waking the sleeping soldiers.

Everyone got up, brushed the snow off their bodies, rubbed their sleepy eyes, lined up in an orderly fashion to get their food, and ate heartily, filling their stomachs to the brim.

The hunger and fatigue of the past few days dissipated after this hearty meal, and everyone's faces regained their color, their eyes gradually becoming sharper.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Wu Qianli blew the whistle to signal assembly again. The short and powerful whistle broke the silence, and the soldiers immediately put down their bowls and chopsticks, quickly returned to their ranks, and began to carefully check their equipment.

Everyone carefully wiped their guns, checked whether the bolts were smooth, whether the bullets were loaded, and whether the magazines were intact. They carefully placed the grenades on their waists, checked the bayonets to make sure they were secure, and even tightened their leg wraps again.

Everyone remained silent, their movements practiced and efficient, their eyes showing no fear, only unwavering determination for the impending battle, quietly waiting for night to fall completely, waiting for the moment to launch the attack.

Night finally enveloped the entire battlefield. The pitch-black night sky was devoid of any starlight, and the cold wind howled, whipping up the snow on the ground and sending it flying everywhere.

As planned, the soldiers of the Seventh Company took advantage of the cover of night and silently infiltrated the designated combat location. Everyone kept their bodies low and used the snow, rocks and broken bunkers for cover, not daring to breathe.

He Yuzhu, along with Mei Sheng and Wu Wanli, quickly set up the two mortars they had brought behind a sloping hill about 500 meters away from the Shuimen Bridge.

Choosing a location, setting up the mortar, and securing the mount, the three worked in perfect harmony, moving slowly and quietly, and quickly got the mortar in place.

They too remained tightly concealed behind the earthen slope, their eyes fixed on the brightly lit Watergate Bridge in the distance, quietly awaiting the moment to attack.

The agreed-upon attack time was 9 PM sharp.

He Yuzhu never took out his watch. He trusted Mei Sheng. As the company's political instructor, Mei Sheng was meticulous, rigorous, and always kept perfect time. With him around, there was no need for him to do anything unnecessary.

In the original battle plan, Mei Sheng had intended to drive a car loaded with explosives to launch a suicidal attack and create a breakthrough for the troops.

This time, however, the battle plan was adjusted, and the extremely dangerous operation was canceled. The first round of fire suppression and strike missions were all handed over to this temporarily formed artillery squad and the two mortars in their hands.

He Yuzhu squatted beside the mortar, his eyes fixed on the Shuimen Bridge in the distance. He kept gesturing with his fingers, his mind racing as he calculated the firing angle, distance, and wind speed, repeatedly adjusting the direction of the muzzle and precisely calibrating the firing parameters.

Fortunately, a few dim lights on the bridge stood out against the darkness, serving as perfect reference points and making his calibration work much smoother.

The last time the Seventh Company launched a fierce attack on the Shuimen Bridge, the battle was extremely brutal and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.

However, the interval between the two battles was too short, and the enemy did not have time to build new defensive fortifications. They simply reinforced the already dilapidated fortifications hastily, and the bunkers and bunkers were built in a very rudimentary manner, greatly reducing their defensive capabilities.

In addition, the Seventh Company suffered heavy losses in the previous battle, almost being decimated, with all heavy firepower equipment lost, leaving only light weapons.

From the enemy's perspective, such a depleted company, lacking heavy firepower support, was simply incapable of launching another bridge-bombing attack.

Therefore, the enemy defending the water gate bridge relaxed their vigilance and became extremely lax in their guard. Their sentry patrols became perfunctory, and they completely disregarded the Seventh Company.

Time passed slowly, each minute and second feeling exceptionally long.

Wu Wanli squatted down beside He Yuzhu. Being young, this was his first time participating in such a meticulously planned night attack. He was both nervous and excited, and every now and then he would lower his voice and whisper to Mei Sheng, asking:

"Instructor, how much longer until then?"

At first, Mei Sheng patiently waved his hand to signal him to calm down, but Wu Wanli kept asking again and again. Seeing the boy's anxious eyes, Mei Sheng shook his head helplessly, his eyes still fixed on the watch on his wrist, the second hand turning round and round.

Finally, at 8:55 PM, Mei Sheng slowly turned his head to look at He Yuzhu, his voice low and powerful: "Zhu Zi, get ready!"

"receive!"

He Yuzhu's eyes sharpened, and his aura instantly became fierce.

He quickly straightened up, grabbed the binoculars beside him, and brought them close to his eyes, carefully scanning the defensive deployment, enemy sentry positions, and firing points on the water gate bridge once more. After confirming everything was in order, he abruptly put down the binoculars, lowered his voice but delivered a commanding shout: "All personnel, prepare! Load!"

"yes!"

Mei Sheng and Wu Wanli responded in unison, their voices crisp and clear.

On the battlefield at this moment, there was no distinction between instructors and new recruits who were grenade throwers. There were only two artillery munitionsmen who worked together seamlessly. The two quickly picked up the shells and carefully loaded them into the mortar chamber. Their movements were steady and without the slightest panic.

With everything prepared, He Yuzhu locked his gaze on the target, swung his right hand forward sharply, and gave the order in a stern voice:

"put!"

"Thump thump—!"

Two muffled cannon shots shattered the silence of the night, and two shells, with sharp whooshing sounds, flew rapidly toward the Watergate Bridge.

Immediately following were two loud explosions, and flames instantly erupted on the fortifications of the Water Gate Bridge. Debris and snow flew everywhere, and the shouts and panicked footsteps of the enemy rang out.

The first round of shelling hit the target precisely. He Yuzhu dared not pause for a moment. His hands moved swiftly to adjust the angle of the cannon, his eyes fixed on the next enemy firing point. Without hesitation, he once again gave a stern order:

"put!"

"Thump—whoosh—bang!"

Two more rounds of fierce artillery fire followed, with shells landing precisely near the enemy's bunkers and machine gun positions, leaving the enemy disoriented and causing most of their already rudimentary fortifications to collapse instantly.

The moment the third round of shelling landed, gunfire erupted under the Watergate Bridge. The first sound was the muffled yet powerful firing of an M1 heavy machine gun.

The muzzle flashes were particularly dazzling in the darkness, and the glowing bullets trailed long trajectories, cutting through the darkness and becoming the best directional guide for the Seventh Company's charging soldiers.

The soldiers of the Seventh Company, hidden in various locations, immediately followed the direction of the bullet flashes and charged towards the Water Gate Bridge like arrows released from a bow, their figures moving rapidly in the darkness.

He Yuzhu held up his binoculars and clearly saw the figures of the Seventh Company soldiers charging bravely in the darkness, saw the red-hot flames spitting from their guns, and saw bullets raining down on the enemy.

Just then, the enemy on the water gate bridge reacted, and several tracer rounds instantly rose into the air, the bright light shining directly on their artillery position. The enemy had already locked onto their location!

"Damn it, the enemy has spotted the artillery position!"

He Yuzhu's expression changed, and without the slightest hesitation, he immediately bent down, picked up the two mortars, and shouted at Mei Sheng and Wu Wanli:

"Quickly, move to the backup position immediately!"

Mei Sheng and Wu Wanli reacted quickly, immediately carrying the shell boxes next to them and following closely behind He Yuzhu, running swiftly towards the backup position.

He Yuzhu had already noticed that Mei Sheng's eyes had been injured in the previous battle. Although they were slightly better than before, his vision was still blurry and he had great difficulty seeing things.

So when they arrived at the initial artillery position, He Yuzhu specially found a sturdy rope, tied one end to his waist and the other end to Mei Sheng's waist, in order to prevent Mei Sheng from falling behind or getting lost during the transfer.

The two men, holding onto the rope in the middle, ran swiftly across the snow. Before they had gone thirty meters, two deafening explosions rang out behind them.

Upon closer listening, He Yuzhu realized that the explosion was not the sound of a mortar or howitzer. The sound was muffled and extremely powerful, clearly the sound of a smoothbore cannon. On this battlefield, only enemy tanks could fire smoothbore cannons!

The enemy tanks have arrived! The artillery fire just now was from the tanks bombarding their original artillery positions!

If we had been a step later, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Fortunately, the backup position was not far away, only about fifty meters away. The three of them ran all the way and arrived quickly.

As soon as he landed, He Yuzhu immediately put down the mortar, quickly remounted it, and precisely adjusted the muzzle angle to lock onto the enemy's firing point.

After doing all this, he turned to look at Mei Sheng and solemnly instructed him:

"Instructor, you stay here. When we retreat, once you see my signal, immediately open fire to cover our retreat. Do not make any rash moves!"

Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng immediately frowned and refused without hesitation:

"No, it's too dangerous. You can't go to the front lines. Wanli and I will go. You stay here and guard the artillery!"

Looking into Mei Sheng's blurry eyes, He Yuzhu spoke firmly, leaving no room for negotiation:

"Instructor, now is not the time to be reckless. Your eyesight isn't fully recovered; you can barely see where you're going. Going to the front lines won't be of any help; it will only put you in danger!"

Mei Sheng fell silent instantly, knowing in his heart that He Yuzhu was telling the truth.

During the transfer, if he hadn't been holding onto the rope, he wouldn't have been able to keep up with the two of them, and he wouldn't have been able to even tell which way was which in the snow.

But he gritted his teeth and said unwillingly, "Even if I stay here, my vision is blurry, and I can't see the target clearly. How can I provide cover fire?"

"You don't need to worry about any of that. I've already set up all the shelling positions. All you need to do is load the shells!"

He Yuzhu spoke calmly, reassuring her step by step.

"When I led the company commander and the others to retreat, I would use flashlights to signal. When you saw the flashlight beam, you could fire directly at the designated position."

Mei Sheng's brow remained furrowed as he pressed on with concern:

"What if it's too dark at night and I can't see the flashlight beam?"

Without the slightest hesitation, He Yuzhu snatched his binoculars and shoved them into Mei Sheng's hand, then asked, "Can the company commander's whistle carry this far?"

Mei Sheng took the binoculars, clenched his fist, and nodded heavily:

"It should work! The company commander's whistle is loud and clear; he's not far away, he'll definitely hear it!"

"That's good!" He Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Mei Sheng with a determined gaze.

"Then we'll take the whistle as the signal. Whether our entire company can retreat safely depends entirely on your artillery cover, political instructor!"

These words carried immense weight, leaving Mei Sheng with no choice but to accept them. Looking into He Yuzhu's resolute eyes, he knew that this was the best arrangement at the moment, and the one that would best guarantee the safety of the entire company.

Mei Sheng gritted his teeth, his eyes slightly reddening, and nodded heavily: "Okay! I promise you, you all must be careful and come back alive!"

"Don't worry, we'll definitely be back!"

He Yuzhu nodded emphatically, then turned to look at Wu Wanli beside him and waved his hand.

"Wanli, let's go!"

"Yes!" Wu Wanli responded loudly, his eyes filled with admiration and excitement.

He had just witnessed He Yuzhu operating the mortar, and every shell hit the target with precision. He was more accurate than any artilleryman he had ever seen; he never missed a shot.

He was already itching to follow He Yuzhu to the front lines and see if this deputy squad leader, who was younger than him, was really as good at artillery and as skilled as a marksman, or if he was just bragging.

After saying goodbye to Mei Sheng, the two immediately crouched down and, using the snow cover, rushed towards the Water Gate Bridge.

He hadn't run far when He Yuzhu suddenly saw two objects trailing long flames streak across the night sky in the direction of the Water Gate Bridge, striking a position on the bridge with tremendous force.

A violent explosion rang out, flames shot into the sky, illuminating half of the night sky, while in another place only a flash of fire appeared before quickly returning to darkness.

In the flash of light, He Yuzhu's eyes narrowed, and he could vaguely see that there was an enemy tank parked near the spot where he was hit!

Unexpectedly, enemy tanks had already reached the bridge, and the situation instantly became even more dire.

He Yuzhu dared not delay, and his speed suddenly increased, darting across the snow like a cheetah.

Wu Wanli followed behind him, and at first he could barely keep up, but after running for a short time, he gradually became exhausted, his breathing became rapid, and his pace slowed down, leaving him far behind.

He Yuzhu noticed the movement behind him and had to slow down slightly. After waiting for Wu Wanli to catch up, he lowered his voice and solemnly instructed him:

"Wanli, once we've charged up, don't fire indiscriminately without my orders! We'll use grenades to assault the position as much as possible. I'll guide you to the target as needed; just follow my instructions!"

Wu Wanli, panting heavily, looked at He Yuzhu in confusion: "Deputy squad leader, why can't we fire?"

He Yuzhu glanced at the carbine in his hand and explained helplessly, "This pistol you're holding has a small caliber, short range, and poor accuracy. It's only useful for suppressing the enemy at close range. It's impossible to kill the enemy accurately with it. If we miss, it will expose our position and even hurt our own people. It's not worth it."

Actually, he had wanted to upgrade the company's equipment for a long time; there were plenty of good guns available.

Some soldiers were used to their guns and couldn't bear to replace them even if they were old and worn out, so he could only go along with everyone else's wishes.

Wu Wanli nodded as if he understood, but he kept He Yuzhu's instructions firmly in mind.

The two continued rushing towards the bridge, when they were still two hundred meters away from the water gate bridge.

He Yuzhu suddenly stopped in his tracks, instantly crouching down, raising his rifle steadily, his eyes sharp as an eagle, locking onto the enemy in the distance.

Without the slightest hesitation.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three crisp gunshots rang out in succession, particularly loud in the quiet night.

He Yuzhu completed the shooting smoothly, put away his gun, stood up, and then accelerated again, rushing towards the bridge. The whole process took only a few seconds.

Wu Wanli followed behind him, completely bewildered, unable to see what he aimed at or where he fired.

At that moment, Wu Qianli and Yu Congrong, who were fiercely fighting the enemy on the bridge, suddenly froze for a moment.

The enemies who had been firing wildly at them were instantly shot in the head and fell straight down. Blood stained the bridge surface instantly. They didn't even see where the bullets came from!

"They're on our side!"

Yu Congrong called out in a low voice, and Wu Qianli's eyes flickered slightly, immediately guessing that He Yuzhu and Wu Wanli had arrived.

He Yuzhu led Wu Wanli forward another thirty meters, then suddenly stopped, raised his gun, and fired. His movements were swift and decisive, emptying all the bullets in the rifle's magazine in one go.

He quickly changed magazines, and without looking up, asked Wu Wanli beside him, "Can you keep up?"

"Yes! Vice squad leader, what exactly were you hitting just now?"

Wu Wanli finally couldn't hold back and asked again. He hadn't seen the enemy at all, yet the deputy squad leader had shot and killed them. His marksmanship was amazing.

"enemy."

He Yuzhu simply replied with two words, changed the magazine, and charged forward again without further explanation.

Wu Wanli gritted his teeth and quickened his pace to catch up, his admiration for He Yuzhu growing even stronger.

As they drew closer to the water gate bridge, within a hundred meters, He Yuzhu fully entered combat mode and activated free-firing mode.

He no longer deliberately stopped to aim, but instead raised his gun and fired while moving quickly. His footsteps never stopped and the gunshots never ceased, with each bullet flying precisely toward the enemy.

At the same time, he solemnly instructed Wu Wanli again: "Don't fire, just stay close to me!"

He didn't know how good Wu Wanli's marksmanship was. There was no room for carelessness on the battlefield, and he couldn't afford to cause unnecessary trouble by firing indiscriminately.

Wu Wanli followed closely behind He Yuzhu, not daring to disobey in the slightest, but staring intently at the direction He Yuzhu was firing.

He could vaguely see that with each gunshot, an enemy fell to the ground, and his mind was instantly filled with shock: How could they be so accurate? They could hit the target every time they were moving!

Meanwhile, Yu Congrong, who was busy installing explosives on the bridge, had no idea that he had just escaped with his life again.

Just now, a three-man enemy assault team quietly circled around behind him, preparing to launch a sneak attack, but was precisely sniped by He Yuzhu from a distance. All three fell to the ground without even a chance to make a sound.

They charged until they were only fifty meters from the bridge before He Yuzhu finally relented and whispered to Wu Wanli, "You can fire, but stay hidden!"

However, Wu Wanli did not fire rashly. Instead, he quickly slung his gun over his shoulder, raised his rifle with both hands, and vigilantly scanned his surroundings. Why did He Yuzhu guard the enemy situation around him and hand over all the opportunities for attack to the deputy squad leader next to him who had superb marksmanship?

Rushing forward, only thirty meters from the bridge, the figures fighting fiercely on the bridge could be clearly seen in the dim light of the bridge. The enemy and our side were entangled together, bayonets and rifle butts clashing, shouts of killing, gunshots and explosions intertwined, the scene was extremely tragic.

He Yuzhu's eyes quickly scanned the battlefield, accurately locking onto his target. He immediately lowered his voice and gave the order to Wu Wanli:

"3 o'clock position, 30 meters away, drop the bomb!"

Wu Wanli reacted extremely quickly, instantly unloading the gun from his back, reaching into his waistband to pull out a grenade, pulling the fuse, pausing briefly, and then throwing it with all his might in the direction He Yuzhu had indicated.

"DA—boom!"

The grenade landed precisely in the enemy ranks and exploded instantly, blasting several enemies away on the spot.

"11 o'clock position, 25 meters away, drop the bomb!"

He Yuzhu's voice rang out again, and at the same time, he took out two grenades, pulled the fuses, and threw them toward the enemy's firing positions at a greater distance.

"Bang bang!"

Two violent explosions rang out, completely suppressing the enemy's firepower.

While giving precise commands, He Yuzhu fired his gun, constantly taking down enemy lives, and at the same time, he was filled with admiration for the Seventh Company's fighting power.

The Seventh Company suffered heavy losses in the last battle, but even so, the soldiers' fighting spirit remained incredibly strong. Now, with ample guns and ammunition, the combat power of this platoon is comparable to that of an ordinary company. It truly lives up to its reputation as a formidable infiltration company, with combat power far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Company Commander Wu Qianli was exceptionally skilled, fighting valiantly and cutting through enemy ranks.

He Yuzhu clearly saw that in just a short while, Wu Qianli had personally killed no less than five enemies. He was agile and decisive, truly worthy of being the backbone of the Seventh Company.

Previously, when sniping the enemy from a distance, it was pitch black at night and difficult to distinguish friend from foe. So He Yuzhu specifically suggested before setting off that all the soldiers in the company cover their helmets with cloth to distinguish friend from foe.

Wu Qianli adopted the suggestion on the spot and immediately gave the order. Some soldiers even gave up wearing helmets to reduce their burden and devoted themselves to the battle.

The two charged forward, successfully reaching the bridge and joining the melee. He Yuzhu gripped an M1911 pistol tightly in one hand and a grenade in the other, unleashing his full firepower. Wu Wanli followed closely behind him, never firing a single shot.

It wasn't that he didn't want to fight, but that he simply didn't have the chance to fire. He Yuzhu's firepower completely covered the enemies all around him, and all he needed to do was throw grenades accurately in the direction He Yuzhu gave him.

At this moment, Wu Qianli was surrounded by several enemies. Both sides had run out of bullets and did not have time to change magazines, so they could only engage in close combat.

The enemy's offensive was fierce, and each one of them was fearless. Wu Qianli fought against many enemies, covered in blood, but he was still not at a disadvantage. He slammed the butt of his gun into the enemy, using all his strength in each strike.

Seeing He Yuzhu and Wu Wanli rushing forward, Wu Qianli, while desperately resisting the enemy's attack, shouted loudly, "Wanli, guard the surroundings!"

"receive!"

Wu Wanli immediately responded, quickly scanning both sides of the bridge to be on guard against enemy attacks.

Without the slightest hesitation, He Yuzhu instantly drew his bayonet and charged towards the enemy surrounding Wu Qianli, shouting to Wu Qianli as he charged, "Company Commander, I'm coming to help you!"

While engaging the enemy in fierce combat, Wu Qianli anxiously shouted, "How did you two get up here? Where's Meisheng? What about the artillery positions?"

"Slaughter these white pigs first, then we'll talk about the rest!"

He Yuzhu replied very quickly, his steps were swift, and in an instant he rushed in front of the enemy.

When an enemy saw He Yuzhu charging towards him with a bayonet, he immediately abandoned his attack on Wu Qianli, bent down to pick up a gun from the ground, and tried to fire.

Upon seeing this, Wu Qianli's expression changed, and he immediately tried to step forward to stop them, but he was tightly entangled by the enemies around him and could not break free at all.

But at that moment, He Yuzhu suddenly raised his pistol and, without even getting close to engage in bayonet fighting, pulled the trigger.

"Bang bang bang!"

Three gunshots rang out, and the enemy who tried to pick up the gun was shot and fell to the ground cleanly and swiftly.

This series of actions stunned Wu Qianli and Wu Wanli, who stared at He Yuzhu speechlessly.

Wu Qianli couldn't help but ask, "Weren't you going to fight with bayonets? Why did you just open fire?"

He Yuzhu holstered his pistol, picked up the enemy's rifle from the ground, quickly inspected it, and handed it to Wu Qianli, saying matter-of-factly, "If I don't charge at him with a bayonet, how can he lower his guard? This is called deceiving the enemy. Quick, grab the gun and change the magazine!"

Wu Qianli suddenly realized what was going on. Without saying anything more, he took the rifle, quickly changed the magazine, and at the same time picked up the bullet belt dropped by the enemy, tied it to himself, and replenished his ammunition.

Soon, the three formed a tight three-person combat team, back to back providing cover for each other, and began clearing out the enemies on the bridge.

He Yuzhu was responsible for long-range enemies, firing his gun with unerring accuracy; Wu Qianli was responsible for mid-range enemies, displaying precise marksmanship and launching fierce attacks.

Wu Wanli transformed into a full-time grenade thrower, constantly hurling grenades to clear out clumps of enemies.

He quickly ran out of grenades, then grabbed all the grenades from Wu Qianli's waist and continued to fire.

The three worked together seamlessly and swept through the enemy forces in the bridge's engine room in no time.

Just as they reached the main bridge deck, they saw Yu Congrong leading several soldiers, fiercely resisting the enemy while shouting as they charged towards them:

"Company Commander! All the explosives have been planted. Quickly, order a retreat! Any later and it will be too late!"

Wu Qianli's face darkened, and without the slightest hesitation, he immediately put his finger to his lips and blew the whistle forcefully.

"call out--!"

The crisp and loud whistle instantly pierced through the fierce battlefield and spread throughout the entire Water Gate Bridge.

Upon hearing the whistle, all the soldiers of the 7th Company who were fighting on the bridge immediately stopped their attack and moved quickly and orderly toward the direction from which the whistle sounded, preparing to retreat.

He Yuzhu picked up his rifle, staring intently at the pursuing enemy and those trying to rush forward to disarm the explosive charge. He fired continuously, each bullet hitting its target precisely, holding off the enemy and buying time for the soldiers to retreat.

Wu Qianli and Wu Wanli led the other soldiers to provide fire support from the rear and suppress the enemy's offensive.

The father and son watched He Yuzhu's fluid shooting movements with eyes full of shock.

He Yuzhu's shooting speed is extremely fast, so he doesn't need to aim for a long time.

With just a glance, he quickly judged the distance, then raised his gun and fired. His hit rate was almost 100%. Although he couldn't get a headshot with every shot, he could hit the enemy's vitals with every shot. He was several times better than Pinghe, the sharpshooter in the company!

Seeing that the retreating soldiers had almost regrouped, Wu Qianli immediately shouted the order:

"He Yuzhu, you lead the team to retreat. Yu Congrong and I will stay behind with the fire support platoon to provide cover!"

He Yuzhu disobeyed the order, instead pulling out a high-powered flashlight he had snatched from his pocket and throwing it to Wu Wanli beside him, shouting, "Wanli, immediately signal the instructor to retreat and have him open fire for cover!"

Wu Wanli caught the flashlight steadily and, without the slightest hesitation, immediately turned around and ran to a safe position. Following the pre-arranged signal, he quickly waved the flashlight to send instructions to Mei Sheng in the distance.

Just one minute later, two sharp sounds of shells piercing the air came from afar. It was Mei Sheng operating a mortar and firing at the pursuing enemy!

"Whoosh—!"

The shells hurtled towards them, and He Yuzhu immediately shouted to Wu Qianli:

"Company Commander, you lead the main force to retreat immediately. Yu Congrong and I will stay here to cover you!"

"Boom boom—!"

Two violent explosions rang out, and the enemy rushing towards the bridge was precisely hit by artillery fire, with a large number falling instantly. The remaining enemy was so frightened that they retreated and dared not pursue rashly.

Wu Qianli's face darkened, and he shouted sternly, "I am the company commander, I obey orders! You take your troops and leave first!"

"Precisely because you are the company commander, it is even more important for you to lead the main force to a safe evacuation. The entire company cannot do without you!"

He Yuzhu's tone was firm, showing no sign of backing down.

"Leave the covering to me. Don't worry, I'll make sure the firepower platoon gets back alive!"

"Company commander, there's no time! If we hesitate any longer, we won't be able to leave. You must lead the troops and retreat!"

Yu Congrong also loudly echoed him from the side, his eyes resolute.

After giving the signal, Wu Wanli quickly ran back to the team and shouted anxiously to Wu Qianli:

"Brother! Don't you know how capable Deputy Squad Leader He is? He can definitely protect everyone. You should lead everyone and get out of here first!"

At this moment, the sound of artillery fire, which was being provided by Mei Sheng, came from afar again. The shells landed precisely in the enemy's ranks, suppressing the enemy's offensive once more.

Looking at the situation before him, Wu Qianli knew that there was no time to argue any longer; every second wasted increased the danger.

He clenched his fists tightly and punched He Yuzhu and Yu Congrong on the shoulder once each, with great force, full of trust and entrustment.

"Retreat! Everyone, do not linger. I'll be waiting for you at the rendezvous point. You all must come back alive!"

After saying that, Wu Qianli waved his hand and led all the soldiers except the fire support platoon to quickly retreat towards the large water pipe that had been set up in advance by the bridge, thus quickly leaving the battlefield.

Seeing the main force retreat safely, Yu Congrong immediately looked at He Yuzhu and asked in a deep voice, "Zhuzi, what's our next move? How do we detonate the explosives?"

He Yuzhu quickly scanned the bridge surface and asked in a deep voice, "Where is the detonator for the explosive charge? Is the buried wire safe? What signal is used to trigger the detonation?"

"The detonator is placed next to the heavy machine gun emplacement under the bridge. The wiring is concealed, so it's absolutely safe. As soon as we see the signal flare go into the air, it will detonate immediately!"

Yu Congrong responded quickly.

He Yuzhu made a quick decision: "Okay, let's concentrate all the grenades and give the enemy a concentrated bombardment. Then we'll go around to the other side of the bridge to avoid the enemy's main force!"

At this point, the firepower platoon had less than ten soldiers left, all of them covered in wounds, but their eyes were firm, and not one of them retreated.

"No problem!" Yu Congrong acted decisively and never hesitated. He immediately waved to the soldiers beside him.

"Everyone, gather your grenades and prepare to throw!"

Soon, more than ten stick grenades and melon grenades were gathered together. The soldiers pulled the fuses and threw them with all their might at the pursuing enemy.

Taking advantage of the smoke and fire that obstructed the enemy's vision, He Yuzhu led the soldiers of the artillery platoon, fighting and retreating rapidly towards the point where the bridge pier met the mountain.

Upon reaching the designated position, He Yuzhu immediately stopped, raised his rifle, and loudly ordered the soldiers behind him:

"Fire the signal flare immediately! Everyone, retreat down the bridge piers! Quick! I'll cover you!"

"I'll cover you! You lead the others and go first!" Yu Congrong immediately stepped forward, wanting to take over the cover mission.

Without turning his head, He Yuzhu continued firing his rifle, taking down several enemies at the forefront. He said in a deep voice, "You're an assault soldier. In terms of marksmanship, you're not as accurate as me. Staying here will only delay the retreat. Quick, give the order!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several more crisp gunshots rang out, and several enemies fell to the ground, completely blocking the enemy's pursuit route.

Watching He Yuzhu's resolute retreating figure, Yu Congrong stopped arguing and immediately shouted to the soldiers beside him:

"Fire the signal flare! Everyone, evacuate down the bridge piers! Quickly!"

A soldier immediately pulled out a signal pistol, aimed it at the sky, and pulled the trigger.

"call out--!"

A red signal flare shot into the air instantly, leaving a blinding trail in the pitch-black night.

The moment the signal flare went off, He Yuzhu suddenly sensed danger, turned his head sharply, and saw enemy bullets raining down on them.

Without the slightest hesitation, he lunged forward and tackled Yu Congrong to the ground.

"Whoosh whoosh-!"

Countless bullets flew past the two men's heads, hitting the rocks beside them and sending debris flying, creating a perilous situation.

Just then, two deafening, earth-shattering explosions rang out!

"Boom—! Boom—!"

The violent explosion shook the entire ground violently.

He Yuzhu and Yu Congrong lay on the ground, dizzy and lightheaded from the shock, feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit. Their ears were ringing, and they could barely hear anything around them.

The pursuing enemies on and beside the bridge were shaken by the massive shockwave of the explosion, causing them to lose their footing and fall to the ground, resulting in heavy casualties.

As the thick smoke dissipated, everyone looked up and saw that the once sturdy Water Gate Bridge had completely collapsed, with the broken bridge structure falling into the abyss. Even the two piers under the bridge had been completely destroyed by explosives. This time, the explosion was even more thorough than the last one, making it virtually impossible for the enemy to repair it!

"Success! The bridge has collapsed! Evacuate!"

He Yuzhu grabbed Yu Congrong beside him, ran quickly to the bridge, put his arm around Yu's waist, and without hesitation lowered him down the bridge pier.

After safely escorting Yu Congrong down the bridge pier, He Yuzhu picked up his rifle again, emptied a magazine, and wiped out the last wave of enemies rushing up. Then, he flipped over, grabbed the rope on the bridge pier, and quickly slid down.

After sliding down about four meters, they reached the connecting mountainside. The soldiers quickly slid down the steep slope to get away from the battlefield as soon as possible.

After Yu Congrong safely slid down the slope, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he held his Sten submachine gun and cautiously aimed it at the bridge, continuing to cover everyone's retreat.

He Yuzhu slid over to him, saw that he was still holding out, and gently kicked him in the leg, laughing and shouting, "Stop holding out! The enemy won't dare to pursue us anymore, retreat quickly!"

"You're so mean, how dare you kick me!"

Yu Congrong was kicked and slid down, shouting as he did so, but his face showed a smile of relief.

He Yuzhu didn't say much. He gripped the mountainside with both hands and carefully slid down backwards. He preferred to keep his body close to the steep mountainside rather than expose his back and head to the enemy, so as not to give the enemy any opportunity to take advantage.

Just as He Yuzhu was about to reach the bottom of the slope, he suddenly felt a tight grip on his foot, as if someone had grabbed him firmly, and his sliding speed instantly increased. Then he heard Yu Congrong's voice:

"You dare kick me? See how I deal with you!"

He Yuzhu chuckled helplessly, but after landing steadily, he immediately composed himself and asked seriously, "Stop fooling around. Let's count the people. Is everyone here?"

Yu Congrong's smile vanished instantly. He quickly counted the soldiers around him, his expression darkening slightly. He lowered his voice and replied, "Two brothers are missing..."

He Yuzhu's eyes darkened, his heart filled with grief, but he knew this was not the time for sorrow. He immediately said, "There's no time to waste. Let's go quickly and meet up with the company commander right away. He'll be worried if we're any later!"

"Yes, gather together quickly, let's go!"

Yu Congrong suppressed his grief and immediately called on the remaining soldiers to organize their equipment and rush towards the designated rendezvous point.

Along the way, no one dared to stop. Braving the cold wind, they sped forward through the snow and finally met up with the main force led by Wu Qianli at around 3 a.m.

Because the troops had almost been bombed by enemy planes the day before, the rendezvous point was chosen in a secluded valley a full ten kilometers away from the Water Gate Bridge, which was safe enough.

The two teams successfully joined forces, and all the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. Wu Qianli immediately ordered a headcount of the entire company.

After a headcount, of the original forty soldiers who participated in the battle, only twenty-eight remained. In one great battle, twelve brothers were lost.

The atmosphere instantly became heavy. All the soldiers bowed their heads, their hearts filled with grief, but not a single one shed a tear. They had already experienced too much life and death separation on the battlefield, but they still found it hard to accept the pain of losing their comrades.

Looking at the exhausted soldiers, Yu Congrong gave a deep order for them to rest on the spot and recover their strength.

He Yuzhu had just stopped walking when Wu Qianli and Mei Sheng called him to a secluded spot deep in the valley.

Upon meeting, Mei Sheng, with a serious expression, looked at He Yuzhu and said with a hint of anger, "Comrade He Yuzhu, I have to give you a serious reprimand!"

He Yuzhu looked at Mei Sheng, who was filled with anger, with a puzzled expression, and asked, "Instructor, I don't understand, what mistake did I make?"

"You still dare to ask?" Mei Sheng frowned, his tone becoming increasingly stern.

"You abandoned your gun position without authorization and disobeyed orders. We were clearly told you to assist from the gun position and go to the front line to support your comrades, but at the very end, you stayed behind to provide cover. Do you know how dangerous that was?"

He Yuzhu paused for a moment, then looked calm and asked in return, "Instructor, what's the difference between rescuing comrades and covering the retreat of troops? The ultimate goal is the same: to ensure everyone's safe evacuation."

Mei Sheng was speechless for a moment, then turned to Wu Qianli beside him and said, "Company Commander, you tell me, this is a violation of discipline!"

Looking at the innocent-looking He Yuzhu, and recalling the situation on the battlefield just now, Wu Qianli couldn't help but cover for him. He scratched his head and said to Mei Sheng, "To be honest, I think... there's not much difference."

"Wu Qianli!" Mei Sheng raised his voice instantly, looking helpless.

"I'm talking to you about a very serious issue, Comrade He Yuzhu. He wasn't even a soldier in our Seventh Company; he shouldn't have taken on such a dangerous mission!"

Wu Qianli frowned and retorted:

"But on the battlefield now, there's no distinction between us. We still have comrades from the Ninth Company. We're all fighting to complete the mission; we're all comrades!"

"That's different!" Mei Sheng said urgently.

"How is it different?" Wu Qianli continued.

"The Ninth Company's mission is also to blow up the bridge, which is essentially the same as our mission. He Yuzhu was just temporarily lost and ended up in our Seventh Company. Now he's our comrade-in-arms, and we should fight side by side!"

Mei Sheng was speechless. After a moment of silence, he looked at the two people in front of him with firm attitudes.

Finally, he could only sigh helplessly, softening his tone as he said to He Yuzhu, "Alright, alright, the mission was successfully completed this time, so I won't pursue it further. But next time, you absolutely must not act so recklessly again. You must follow orders, understand?"

In fact, Mei Sheng knew better than anyone else that with great power comes great responsibility.

If He Yuzhu didn't have such superb marksmanship and steady combat ability, if he didn't have this sense of responsibility, Wu Qianli would never have trusted him to stay behind to cover the rear. Wasn't he also worried about He Yuzhu's safety?

Looking into Mei Sheng's worried eyes, He Yuzhu felt a warmth in his heart, straightened his posture, and nodded solemnly:

"Understood, instructor. I will definitely follow orders next time!"

Seeing the two reconcile, Wu Qianli finally showed a faint smile on his tense face. He patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Rest now. There are still tougher battles to fight."