You were tasked with guarding the Sihang Warehouse, and you ended up with a German-equipped division

Chapter 226 Qiu Fengzi's Madness, Hu Zongnan's Choice, The Counterattack Begins

He was a naturally impatient person, and was known in the army as "Crazy Qiu". Whenever the topic of fighting the Japanese came up, his blood would boil.

The Japanese are now on the other side of the Shi River; his tank convoy could easily cross it with a single press of the accelerator.

But his superiors ordered him to hold back and even prepare for a retreat, which he couldn't swallow.

Hu Zongnan sat at the table next to him, his fingers tapping the surface unconsciously, his brows furrowed.

The principal's telegram was placed on the corner of the table, clearly written in black and white, instructing the troops to act cautiously, not to launch a rash attack, and to retreat immediately if the situation became unfavorable.

But Hu Zongnan also wanted to fight the Japanese in a real battle.

Not to mention that this opportunity was once in a lifetime—the main force of the Japanese army had been drawn to Huainan by Li Jianghe's Third Column, and what he had to do was stab the Japanese in the back.

It's a real shame to give up such a great opportunity with minimal risk and high potential returns.

He was different from Qiu Qingquan. Qiu Qingquan was a pure warrior, only interested in fighting and wanting to fight the Japanese to the death.

But Hu Zongnan had too many things to consider: the principal's orders, the army's resources, and post-war accountability—none of which could be taken lightly.

"Commander, say something! Are we going to fight or not?"

Qiu Qingquan stopped and turned around abruptly, his voice so loud that it made the kerosene lamp shake.

"Why are you rushing me? I'm still considering it!"

Hu Zongnan glared at him and said coldly, his tone filled with barely suppressed irritation.

Just then, the guard outside suddenly pushed open the door, strode in, stood at attention, and reported to the leader:

"Reporting, Commander, Commander Li is here!"

"Commander Li?"

Hu Zongnan frowned instantly, his mind immediately clear, knowing exactly why the commander of the Fifth War Zone had come to visit so late at night.

His first thought was to have the guard say he wasn't there so he could get away with it.

Before he could even finish speaking, Commander Li's hearty laughter came from outside the door, and he strode in.

"Brother Shoushan, how have you been?"

Commander Li was dressed in a gray military uniform, his face looked sick, and he coughed lightly twice, but his eyes still held an undeniable sharpness.

Hu Zongnan's face instantly changed to a warm smile, and he quickly went to greet him:

"Sir! Why didn't you give me any advance notice? I could have prepared accordingly. I'm truly sorry for not welcoming you properly!"

Commander Li smiled and shook his hand, patting his arm:

"I just decided to stop by on my way. I hope I'm not bothering you?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Qiu Qingquan, who was sulking to the side, and he asked with a smile:

"Yu'an, what's wrong? You look so gloomy. Who upset you?"

Qiu Qingquan immediately stood at attention, gave a standard military salute, and replied in a deep, resonant voice:

"Reporting to the Commander, it's nothing, it's just..."

He was halfway through his sentence when he caught a glimpse of Hu Zongnan winking at him out of the corner of his eye, and he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"What is it? Please tell me."

Commander Li, however, had no intention of letting him off the hook. He took half a step forward and asked another question, his eyes filled with a knowing smile.

Qiu Qingquan opened his mouth, but ultimately lowered his head and said in a muffled voice:

"It's nothing, I've just not been feeling well lately, but it's nothing serious."

Commander Li didn't ask any more questions, and with a smile, he turned around and walked to the battle map on the wall.

On the map, the troop deployments on both sides of the Shi River were clearly marked, and the besieged Japanese 6th and 10th Divisions were circled in large red circles.

"The situation is urgent, and since neither of you wants to talk about it, I'll just be frank."

Commander Li's smile vanished, his tone turned serious, and he pointed emphatically to the locations of the two Japanese divisions on the map.

"Gentlemen, the battle is already at its climax, are you really willing to retreat like this and hand over the credit that's already within your grasp?"

He paused, turned to look at Hu Zongnan, and said, word by word:

"Yin Guo (Song Xilian's courtesy name) has already agreed to my request. Tonight, we will launch a full-scale counterattack and relentlessly pursue the Japanese 13th Division and the Imperial Guard Division."

"Shoushan, are you really willing to just watch these little devils slip away right under your nose?"

"When history books record this great victory, will you, Hu Shoushan, only be a spectator?"

Hu Zongnan's gaze suddenly became hesitant. He stared at the Japanese markings on the map, his fingers unconsciously tracing the holster at his waist.

The scales in my heart are swaying violently.

Qiu Qingquan, who had been holding back for a long time, suddenly stepped forward and said urgently to Hu Zongnan:

"Commander! This is a chance to go down in history! Are you really willing to give it up like this?!"

At this moment, Commander Li stepped forward, patted Hu Zongnan on the shoulder, and earnestly advised him:

"Shoushan, I understand your concerns and I know your difficulties."

"Don't worry, if the higher-ups hold me accountable, I will take full responsibility!"

Tell them your troops have made contact with the Japanese vanguard and are unable to disengage, forced to fight to the death. Even if the sky falls, I, Li, will hold it up for you!

"Yes, Commander! You must make a decision quickly! It will be too late if you wait any longer!"

Qiu Qingquan was so anxious he stamped his feet. "If we see Li Jianghe again, we won't even be able to hold our heads up!"

"They dared to lead an entire army deep into enemy territory and wipe out the Japanese stronghold, while we, with a large force, don't even dare to cross the river. How will we maintain our standing in the military in the future!"

Qiu Qingquan knew all too well that if they didn't attack now, after the battle was over, the local troops would secretly call them cowards.

He, Qiu Fengzi, couldn't swallow this insult!

The air inside seemed to freeze, with only the wind howling outside the window.

Hu Zongnan stared at the map, remaining silent for a full half minute, before finally slamming his hand on the table, causing the teacups on it to jump.

"Very well! Since the Commander-in-Chief has put it this way, I, Hu Shoushan, will risk my life to accompany him. Let's fight this battle!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and pointed to the map, issuing a series of military orders in a crisp and decisive manner without the slightest hesitation.

"Pass on my order! Artillery units shall begin shelling at 3:00 AM sharp, covering the Japanese forward positions on the opposite bank!"

"The troops crossing the river will immediately force their way across the Shi River and seize the beachhead after the artillery bombardment ends!"

"Qiu Qingquan! Your tank convoy, once the engineer battalion has erected the pontoon bridge, will immediately launch a full-scale attack!"

"We must outflank the Japanese forces from Linzhuang and Wangjiacun, cutting off their retreat completely!"

Military orders were issued rapidly, and staff officers rushed out to relay them, instantly mobilizing the entire command post.

Commander Hu finally made up his mind at this moment.

At three o'clock in the morning, deafening cannon fire suddenly rang out on the west bank of the Shi River.