A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Song Hongfei, Zhang Yi, and Wang Zhi all possess excellent military skills and physical fitness, and are already quite well-known at West Point.

Song Hongfei, in particular, needs no introduction. Whether in his studies or training, his various miracles were already widely known and talked about at West Point. Through word of mouth and various embellishments, he was portrayed as a god, a genius, an all-rounder, and a comprehensive genius.

But no one expected him to be so powerful. Just now, he subdued heavyweight boxing champion Mayweather in one move. That move was extremely brilliant and completely shocked Musk and his group.

The West Point boxing team's top fighters were also trembling with fear. Floyd Mayweather, the heavyweight boxing champion who had been invincible throughout the federal colleges and universities across the United States, flew through the air and fell to the dusty ground, gasping for breath and looking like he was in pain and unable to catch his breath. The scene just now was truly terrifying.

Everyone was thinking to themselves: If that high kick had been aimed at them, they would have had no chance of blocking it!

If they knew that Song Hongfei had actually shown great mercy just now, they would be even more shocked.

"These three are really difficult to deal with..." Looking at Song Hongfei and his two companions, who had formed a triangular defensive formation and were ready to fight, Musk and his group were now feeling uncertain.

The two sides are locked in a tense standoff, eyeing each other warily.

Song Hongfei looked around and saw that the wooden gun and protective gear that Wang Zhi had used to instruct the new trainees in bayonet fighting were still there.

Song Hongfei looked directly at Musk and slowly said, "Musk, you and I have been fighting like street thugs for years, and you haven't gained any advantage. It's so boring, I'm fed up with it! The three of us are military students sent by the Chinese Nationalist government, and you are military academy students of the US military. Since we are all soldiers, let's settle this in a military way!"

After Song Hongfei finished speaking, he picked up a training wooden gun and threw it to Musk.

Musk and his team thought about it and realized that it was indeed a good idea. Such a duel with manly spirit and chivalry was exactly what they wanted.

Originally, they were just trying to find some fun in the high-pressure, strict, boring and tedious military academy life. They were simply looking for fun and venting their excess energy that had nowhere to go. There was no real hatred between them. After fighting for several years for no reason, they were both fed up with it.

The fierce and combative Zhang Yi immediately became excited and laughed loudly, "If you break a rib, no one should go to the school to complain. Just say you fell down!"

Wang Zhiye shouted, "Put on your protective gear, and give it to them!"

Wang Zhi was still relatively clear-headed. He knew that although the wooden spearhead was covered with thick sponge and rubber, it could still break ribs. If there was a bloody incident or injury, the school would definitely punish the person responsible.

Bayonet training is a mandatory course for every cadet at West Point. During bayonet drills, cadets wield M1903 Springfield rifles with bayonets fixed, and shout commands loudly with each thrust.

What is the spirit of the bayonet?

"Kill the enemy!"

What does grass rely on to grow?

"Blood!"

The slogans used in Chinese military bayonet training are much simpler and more straightforward:

"Thrust!—Thrust!"

"Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!"

While the bayonet fighting techniques of the Chinese and American armies differ somewhat, they are generally similar.

The U.S. military has historically favored firepower in combat and has not placed as much emphasis on bayonet training as it has in Asian countries like China and Japan. Although every cadet and recruit receives bayonet training, it is not a major part of their training. The wooden rifles and protective gear used for bayonet practice at West Point were even imported from China.

Song Hongfei and his two companions donned their protective suits and watched coldly as their opponents also donned theirs. Both sides gripped their training rifles, assuming assassination stances, ready for battle.

"Three defenses and one thrust! Kill!" Song Hongfei shouted sharply.

A chilling killing intent surged forth. His expression was cold and stern, his sharp gaze sweeping over the entire area, his eyes radiating a cold light that sent shivers down people's spines and made them dare not look him in the eye.

Wang Zhi and Zhang Yi simultaneously shouted, "Kill!" "Kill!"

Wang Zhi and Zhang Yi had received rigorous bayonet training at the Whampoa Military Academy, so their bayonet skills were naturally superior to those of the American students. At the academy, all three were top performers in bayonet training. Wang Zhi, in his senior year, even served as an assistant to the bayonet instructor, helping to train younger students.

The three men had long suffered various injustices, discrimination, bullying, ridicule, and insults at West Point. Old and new grudges surged up together, and they were filled with righteous indignation. Today, they decided to settle things with the others, fight it out, and see who was the real champion!

At this moment, Zhang Yi was even more enraged, his face contorted with rage, his eyes bloodshot, and deep, muffled roars like those of a wild beast erupting from his throat. Song Hongfei could clearly see the veins on the back of his neck swelling, as if they were about to burst. That bloodthirsty expression clearly told him that once he saw an opportunity, he would not hesitate to pounce and fight to the death, even at the cost of being stabbed himself, to plunge the bayonet into his heart!

The person directly in front of him was the first to be hit. The terrifying sound that burst from Zhang Yi's throat sounded to him like the roar of a wild beast fighting to the death, or like the cry of a devil in hell. He was already scared before the battle even started.

With a hoarse, piercing roar, Zhang Yi suddenly lunged forward with his left foot and thrust forward with all his might! The opponent was startled and hurriedly parried with his wooden spear, but due to fear and weakness, he could not block and was immediately stabbed to the ground!

Unlike Zhang Yi, who roared incessantly, Wang Zhi remained silent, his eyes fixed on his opponent, breathing heavily through his nostrils. Suddenly, he lunged forward, thrusting with all his might into his opponent's left chest. The opponent, struck, stumbled back into his own formation, crashing into his teammates before finally stopping his fall.

Both Wang Zhi and Zhang Yi possessed the characteristics of bayonet fighting typical of the Chinese army. They were ruthless and decisive, striking with deadly force and rarely resorting to probing or parrying to protect themselves. They displayed a fierce determination to fight to the death, with each move intended to take the other down with them.

Bayonet fighting is not merely a contest of physical strength and skill, but also a battle of courage and valor, a clash of spirit and will. The sight of bayonets clashing, blood splattering, and intestines spilling out—this is the most intense sensory and psychological stimulation for any soldier. Courage, valor, and a fearless spirit are often more crucial factors in victory than bayonet fighting technique itself.

Soldiers who dare to fight to the death possess the courage and fighting spirit to fight to the bitter end, willing to sacrifice themselves, like bloodthirsty beasts, bravely pouncing on the enemy and fighting to the death. Only an army that is not afraid to die can defeat its opponents in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

Later, a marshal who had fought countless battles summarized it with a famous saying: "A good army is one that dares to fight to the death with bayonets."