Chapter 85: Evacuation

Inspired by the valor of that warrior, every defender of the 174th Division was deeply stirred; their anger and morale soared. In their reckless assault, they managed to destroy three of the enemy’s armored vehicles.

Afterward, as if possessed, they fought the enemy with a frenzied disregard for their own lives, terrifying the invaders. Leaving behind a field of corpses, the enemy retreated in panic.

With the enemy’s attack repelled, Wang Zanbin immediately led the soldiers of the 174th Division in a swift withdrawal. Night had already fallen, and the enemy could not discern the situation in the trenches. Taking advantage of the darkness, Wang Zanbin gathered the troops and led them out.

“Hurry, brothers! Before the enemy realizes what’s happening, evacuate as quickly as possible!” Wang Zanbin urged his men to assemble and leave the Chihe position without delay.

Though they were abandoning the Chihe line of their own accord, their mission was accomplished. For seven days and nights, they had blocked the advance of the enemy’s Fifth Brigade at Chihe, granting the rear forces precious time to react.

By now, the defenses at Linhuai Pass had been fully prepared, and even ambush troops were lying in wait near Mingguang, all to aid the 174th Division’s withdrawal and intercept any pursuing enemy.

Prompted by Wang Zanbin, the soldiers of the 174th Division quickly gathered their belongings and silently slipped away.

…

The enemy had no knowledge of the 174th Division’s movements and remained in the dark. Katayama Ichiro was still raging in his brigade command post.

The three armored vehicles he requested from divisional headquarters had been destroyed by the Chinese troops—such a loss was enormous! If they had captured the Chihe position or wiped out the defenders, losing three armored vehicles might have been acceptable. But now, not only had they failed to eliminate the enemy, they had not even taken the position—this loss was disastrous!

If the division commander held him accountable, how could Katayama Ichiro explain himself? Would the division commander lose faith in the Fifth Brigade on learning the truth?

“Idiots! A bunch of idiots! An imperial brigade unable to take a small position like Chihe—it’s simply disgraceful!” Katayama Ichiro slapped a regimental commander across the face, shouting angrily, “Fools! You’re unworthy of being imperial soldiers!”

“Yes, sir!”

The slap instantly left the regimental commander’s cheek swollen, with several distinct finger marks. Yet he dared not react, straightening up and bowing.

“Brigadier, please calm your anger,” the regimental commander said solemnly.

“Calm my anger? How am I supposed to calm down?” Katayama Ichiro roared. “Chihe has blocked us for seven days and nights. If we fail to take it, the Empire’s plans will be ruined. If we miss our opportunity and the division commander’s wrath descends, neither of us will escape blame!”

Katayama Ichiro was fuming with rage, glaring at the regimental commander, just about to slap him again, when suddenly an officer ran in, saluted, and reported in a grave tone, “Brigadier, there seems to be movement on the opposite position!”

“What?” Katayama Ichiro lowered his hand, frowning. “What has happened?”

The regimental commander, expecting another blow, was spared as the officer’s report interrupted Katayama Ichiro’s action. Gratefully, he cast the officer a look, though the latter paid him no mind and addressed Katayama Ichiro respectfully: “Our soldiers have observed vague figures across the trench, but there are no lights. We suspect the enemy may have escaped!”

“What? Escaped!” Katayama Ichiro’s eyes widened in disbelief. He ordered urgently, “Quick, fire flares—let’s see what the enemy is plotting!”

“Yes, sir!” The officer saluted.

Soon, several mortars were brought forward, and with muffled thuds, flares were launched into the night sky.

The flares burst, illuminating the entire position as if it were daylight.

Katayama Ichiro hastily raised his binoculars, but upon seeing the scene, his nose nearly twisted with rage.

The position was empty—not a single figure in sight.

“Fools! The Chinese troops have indeed fled! Despicable, cunning!” Katayama Ichiro cursed, drew his command blade, and split the table before him in two with a single stroke.

“Quick, assemble the troops and pursue immediately! We must catch up with the Chinese forces and annihilate them completely!” Katayama Ichiro shouted furiously.

“Yes, sir!”

…

Swiftly, the enemy gathered their forces. Katayama Ichiro left one battalion to guard the Chihe position and led the rest forward in pursuit.

Sitting in the sidecar of his motorcycle, Katayama Ichiro trembled with fury.

His brigade had spent seven days and nights attacking this position, losing two or three thousand men. Though they eventually took it, the enemy had slipped away!

If word reached the division commander, what would he think of Katayama Ichiro? Would the Fifth Brigade be branded incompetent in the division commander’s eyes?

The more Katayama Ichiro thought about it, the angrier he became, wishing he could catch up with the defenders immediately and wipe them out.

“Cunning Chinese! If we catch you, I’ll personally cut off your heads to vent my rage!” Katayama Ichiro vowed through clenched teeth.

By the time Katayama Ichiro’s forces discovered the 174th Division’s retreat, the division had already been gone for nearly half an hour. The enemy could not catch up quickly, and besides, ambushes lay in wait for them.

It was clear that the Fifth Brigade could not overtake Wang Zanbin’s troops.

Meanwhile, some twenty or thirty miles ahead, Wang Zanbin was leading his men rapidly toward the Linhuai Pass. They had just passed Sanheji and exchanged signals with friendly forces hidden there.

Knowing that ambushes had been set, Wang Zanbin relaxed somewhat.

Seeing his soldiers running desperately to withdraw, utterly exhausted, Wang Zanbin ordered a brief rest, ten minutes before resuming their march.

He called over Teng Chong to tally the casualties, only to learn that nearly five or six thousand men had been lost!

The enormity of that loss made Wang Zanbin’s heart bleed.

His 174th Division had just over eight thousand soldiers in total—yet more than five thousand were lost, a casualty rate exceeding two-thirds!

The price was staggering.

“Commander, though our losses are heavy, we killed over two thousand enemy troops—a significant victory,” Teng Chong hastened to comfort Wang Zanbin, seeing his mood so grim.