Siheyuan: Reborn Silly Pillar, Taking Control of the Entire Courtyard

Fresh blood flowed slowly along the IV tube, and He Yuzhu felt all his strength being drained away little by little.

My head felt heavy, as if it were filled with lead; my eyelids were so heavy I couldn't lift them; even my breathing was shallow and labored.

Just as his consciousness was fading and he was about to give up, Wu Qianli, who was lying on the makeshift stretcher, suddenly twitched his fingers slightly.

Then, his eyelids, which had been tightly closed for a long time, began to blink slowly, his eyelashes trembling slightly, revealing a hint of life about to awaken.

The people standing by, including Xiong Jie, widened their eyes instantly, their faces filled with ecstasy and eagerness. They hurriedly called out to He Yuzhu in a low voice.

"Quick, Sergeant He, pull out the IV! The company commander is waking up! Look at your face, it's frighteningly pale!"

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu mustered his last bit of strength and, with trembling hands, pulled out the needle from his arm, and tiny beads of blood instantly oozed from the puncture site.

His vision blurred, and he swayed, almost falling to the ground. It was only thanks to the soldier beside him that he regained his balance.

It should be noted that among all the soldiers who withdrew from the Korean Peninsula battlefield, He Yuzhu was always the one who looked the most energetic and healthiest.

His complexion remained rosy and radiant, and his eyes were bright, showing none of the fatigue and haggardness that other soldiers displayed due to long-term hunger and bloody battles.

But at this moment, his face was as white as paper, without a trace of blood, and his lips were a pale bluish-white, making him look extremely weak.

That look truly resembled that of a warrior who had fought with all his might and endured countless hardships on the icy battlefield of the peninsula.

"The company commander is awake! The company commander is awake!"

Yu Congrong, who was standing guard beside Wu Qianli, saw Wu Qianli open his eyes at a glance. He immediately lowered his voice but could not hide his excitement and shouted out.

Her voice was choked with sobs, filled with the relief of surviving a disaster, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Wu Qianli slowly opened his heavy eyelids, his gaze gradually focusing as he looked at Yu Congrong and his younger brother Wu Wanli, who were lying beside him with tears streaming down their faces.

His throat was dry and sore, and his voice was hoarse and weak, carrying the confusion and weakness of someone just awakened.

"I...I'm not dead yet? I had a very long dream, a dream full of gunfire on the battlefield and the figures of my brothers."

When Wu Wanli saw his brother finally wake up, he could no longer hold back his tears, which fell in large drops, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the cold ground.

He quickly reached out and hastily wiped away the tears on his face, nodded vigorously, and responded with a choked voice.

"You're not dead, brother! You're not dead! Sergeant He saved you. He not only performed surgery on you, but also gave you a lot of blood!"

Looking at his younger brother crying his eyes out, Wu Qianli managed a faint smile, his heart filled with warmth.

He wanted to raise his hand and gently touch his younger brother's cheek to soothe the agitated Wu Wanli.

He had no strength left in his body. He could only move his arm slightly before he could no longer lift it. Even the simple action of raising his hand had exhausted all his strength.

"Why are you crying? You're such a grown man, you don't even flinch when you're bleeding in battle, but now you're crying."

Wu Wanli sniffed, blinked hard to force back the tears in his eyes, and answered crisply.

"I'm so happy, brother, that you're awake is the most important thing!"

Wu Qianli took a light breath, and the situation on the battlefield instantly flashed through his mind. His expression became serious, and his tone became more urgent.

"Our position...is it still there? Has it been breached by the enemy?"

He couldn't rest easy about his brothers behind him, or about the defensive line he was holding so tightly. Even though he had just crawled back from the brink of death, his first thought was still about the situation on the battlefield.

"Here, brother, the position is still there! The brothers of the Third Company are holding it up there, stubbornly defending the position and not letting the enemy advance an inch!"

Wu Wanli quickly replied, afraid that if he spoke too slowly, his brother would worry even more.

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianli breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then remembered the figure who had helped him so much and quickly asked.

"Where is Zhu Zi? Where is Comrade He Yuzhu? He single-handedly destroyed the enemy's artillery position, helping us resolve the biggest crisis. He made a great contribution."

He knew in his heart that if He Yuzhu hadn't taken down the enemy's artillery positions, their unit would probably have been covered by artillery fire and wiped out long ago.

"Here I am, Company Commander Wu."

He Yuzhu leaned against the tree trunk beside him, barely managing to stand. His voice was very weak, and every word he spoke seemed to take a lot of effort.

He was weak all over and his head was still spinning. It was only by sheer willpower that he was able to speak and respond.

Wu Qianli turned to look at He Yuzhu, whose face was pale, his brows furrowing instantly, his eyes filled with worry and confusion.

"Zhu Zi, what happened to you? Where are you injured? How serious is it?"

In his memory, He Yuzhu was agile and powerful, always full of energy, and had never been so weak.

"It's nothing, Company Commander, I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine after a rest."

He Yuzhu forced a faint smile, not wanting Wu Qianli to worry, and deliberately downplayed the situation.

"What do you mean, 'tired'? Don't try to hide it from me!"

Xiong Jie's loud voice suddenly rang out, his tone carrying a hint of reproach, yet also full of heartache for He Yuzhu.

He strode over to Wu Qianli, pointed at He Yuzhu's pale face, and shouted at Wu Qianli.

"This kid first risked everything to perform surgery on you and save your life, then without hesitation, he donated most of his own blood to give you a transfusion, which is why you look like this!"

"If it weren't for him, you old codger Wu Qianli would have gloriously sacrificed yourself long ago and never returned to your motherland!"

Wu Qianli was stunned when he heard this. His eyes were filled with gratitude and emotion as he looked at He Yuzhu, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.

He never imagined that He Yuzhu would save his life in such a way.

"Zhu Zi, I can't thank you enough! I, Wu Qianli, will remember this life-saving grace for the rest of my life!"

Wu Qianli spoke solemnly, each word carrying a heavy weight of emotion. He then turned to look at Wu Wanli beside him, his voice serious.

"Wanli, you remember this: Squad Leader He is our family's savior, and we'll never forget him!"

"I'll remember that, brother! I'll remember Sergeant He's kindness for the rest of my life!"

Wu Wanli nodded vigorously, his little face full of seriousness, and his eyes were full of admiration and gratitude as he looked at He Yuzhu.

"Alright, you just escaped death, you're very weak, don't talk so much."

Seeing that Wu Qianli was still weak, Xiong Jie quickly tried to dissuade him, fearing that he would exhaust himself and fall into a coma again.

"I'm worried..."

Wu Qianli sighed softly, his eyes filled with worry for the battlefield and his brothers.

He had been barely keeping his mind at bay, but after saying these words, his eyelids started to droop again, and his consciousness began to blur once more.

"What good is worrying? You can't move an inch right now. Even if you wanted to go to the front lines, you couldn't take a single step!"

Xiong Jie patted Wu Qianli's arm, his tone firm and full of confidence.

"Although my leg was crippled by the explosion, I still have my hands and my mind is clear. With me guarding the position, nothing will happen!"

"Okay, I'm relieved to hear that..."

Wu Qianli was completely relieved. As soon as he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and fell asleep again, though his breathing was much more steady than before.

Seeing Wu Qianli sleeping peacefully, Xiong Jie quickly turned to look at He Yuzhu, his face full of heartache.

"Zhu Zi, stop standing there and eat something! Look at your face, it's so pale it's almost bloodless. If you don't eat something, you'll collapse!"

The soldiers around him quickly handed over canned food, compressed biscuits, and chocolate that they had prepared beforehand, stuffing them all into He Yuzhu's hands.

He Yuzhu didn't stand on ceremony anymore. His stomach was growling loudly, and he was enveloped in hunger. He wished he could fill his stomach immediately.

He tore open the can of food and ate the meat in big mouthfuls, then grabbed some compressed biscuits and shoved them into his mouth with the cold snow water.

He quickly chewed and swallowed the sweet chocolate, eating each bite with great eagerness.

This was perhaps the first time he had felt such intense hunger since arriving on this battlefield, as if his internal organs were being twisted together.

After wolfing down his food, a strong wave of drowsiness instantly swept over him, affecting all his senses.

He Yuzhu could no longer hold on. He found a sheltered corner, leaned against the cold stone wall, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

In his dazed state, he could feel a soldier gently approaching him, reaching out to check his breath and confirming that he was alright.

Then, a worn-out coat, still warm from his body, was gently draped over him to protect him from the biting cold wind.

The sounds of gunfire and shouts of battle seemed to fade into the distance, becoming a blurry background noise in his dreams.

He Yuzhu didn't know how long he had slept, but he felt someone gently shaking his shoulder. The force was very light, but it was urgent.

He heard the young soldier's low voice calling out again and again, waking him from his deep sleep.

"Squad Leader He, Squad Leader He, wake up!"

He Yuzhu struggled to open his heavy eyelids, his eyes still glazed over from just waking up. His gaze slowly focused, and he finally saw the person in front of him.

Before me stood a young-looking, dust-covered unfamiliar soldier, holding a flashlight, waking up the wounded soldiers one by one at the temporary rest point.

The beam of the flashlight flickered in the dim light, and the continuous sound of gunfire still echoed in my ears, making the ground tremble slightly.

He Yuzhu rubbed his throbbing temples and spoke in a hoarse voice, his tone carrying the bewilderment of someone who had just woken up.

"What time is it? Has something happened on the front lines? Why is there such a sudden burst of gunfire?"

"Squad Leader He, it's five o'clock now, almost dawn! Instructor Mei told me to wake all the wounded soldiers immediately and prepare for action at any time!"

The young soldier spoke urgently, his face full of solemnity, conveying the unique tension of the battlefield.

"Is it five o'clock?"

He Yuzhu quickly calculated in his mind that he had actually slept for more than three hours, which was a rare rest in this dangerous battlefield.

He looked around and found the temporary rest area empty. Xiong Jie, Yu Congrong, and the others who were originally guarding the area were nowhere to be seen.

Even Huang Liwen, who had been in charge of comforting the wounded, had disappeared. The rest area was now only occupied by some seriously injured people who had difficulty moving around.

He Yuzhu's heart tightened, and he quickly looked at the young soldier beside him, asking again with concern in his voice.

"Where are Company Commander Xiong and Yu Congrong? Why aren't they here?"

"Everyone to the front lines! The fighting is intense; all the brothers who can carry a gun, charge up and hold the line!"

The young soldier's voice was choked with emotion, revealing an undeniable heaviness.

"What about Company Commander Wu? His injuries are so severe, is anyone taking care of him?"

He Yuzhu quickly asked again, his mind preoccupied with Wu Qianli, who had just woken up.

"Company Commander Wu is over there, and the brothers are always looking after him, so don't worry."

The soldier reached out and pointed to He Yuzhu's right side, where Wu Qianli was still peacefully asleep on a stretcher not far away.

He Yuzhu felt a little relieved and struggled to stand up. He felt that he had regained a lot of strength and was no longer as weak and powerless as before.

He bent down, grabbed a handful of clean snow from the ground, and rubbed it vigorously on his face.

The icy snow instantly stung his skin, but it also jolted his muddled mind awake, sharpening his gaze once more.

"What's the situation on the front lines right now? Tell me the truth."

He Yuzhu looked at the young soldier, his tone serious and brooking no concealment.

The young soldier's eyes instantly reddened, his lips trembled uncontrollably, and his voice choked with sobs as he recounted the perilous situation at the front lines in detail.

"The defenses on the highway... are about to break down! We've used up all the rockets and artillery shells we brought, and we're out of supplies!"

"Many of the seriously wounded soldiers were unable to leave the position and did not want to be a burden to their brothers, so they strapped grenades to their bodies and, with the determination to die, jumped down to blow up the enemy's tanks..."

At this point, the young soldier could no longer continue; tears streamed down his dust-covered face as he sobbed uncontrollably.

The sacrifices on the battlefield are always the most tragic; those seriously wounded brothers used their lives to exemplify the steadfastness of soldiers.

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu's eyes instantly turned cold and sharp, and he exuded a strong killing intent. His fists clenched tightly, and his knuckles turned white.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately took a step and headed towards the front line.

"I'll go check it out up ahead!"

"No! Squad Leader He, you can't go!"

The young soldier quickly reached out to stop He Yuzhu, and conveyed Mei Sheng's order word by word with a firm tone.

"Instructor Mei specifically instructed that you stay in the rear with the wounded and are not allowed to go to the front lines!"

"I'm fine now, I've fully recovered, and I have no problem going to the front lines to fight the enemy!"

He Yuzhu stopped and looked at the young soldier, his tone firm and brooking no argument.

"You stay here and take good care of the seriously wounded. Leave the frontline matters to me!"

After saying that, He Yuzhu ignored the young soldier's obstruction and quickly scanned his surroundings, immediately spotting two rifles leaning against the wall.

That was his most reliable weapon, which he always carried with him and never let go of it.

He strode over, bent down, picked up the two guns, and quickly inspected the gun bodies, barrels, and triggers to confirm that the firearms were in perfect working order.

Looking down, he saw that the magazine in the gun was packed full, and the bullets were neatly arranged, obviously because his brothers had taken care of it for him beforehand.

He Yuzhu felt a warmth in his heart, then steadily slung the two guns behind his back and turned to run towards the front line.

His feet crunched on the thick snow, each step making a sharp sound. The cold wind stung his face like a knife, but he was oblivious to it.

As He Yuzhu passed the artillery position, he paused for a moment. Looking around, he saw that the entire artillery position was deserted.

Only a few cannons, their shells emptied, stood forlornly in the snow, their barrels cold and silent, devoid of their former roar.

Scattered shell casings lay around the cannon, conveying a desolate sense of emptiness and highlighting the cruelty of the battlefield.

He Yuzhu pursed his lips and continued running forward. He passed the place where the reserve team used to be stationed, but it was empty and there wasn't a single person in sight.

All the fighting forces rushed to the front lines; not a single person retreated, and not a single person was afraid.

Then, recalling the rear where all the lightly wounded were missing from the rest area, He Yuzhu instantly understood.

All the brothers who could move and hold a gun rushed to the front line and defended it to the death; not a single one was left behind.

It seems that during the three hours I slept, an extremely fierce battle broke out on the front lines, and the situation had become extremely critical.

Just as He Yuzhu was about to quicken his pace and head straight for the main position, a faint sound of stones colliding suddenly came from the pile of rocks on the side.

"Click."

The sound was very soft, almost negligible amidst the continuous gunfire, yet He Yuzhu caught it instantly.

Having spent years fighting on the battlefield, he had developed an incredibly keen hearing and a strong sense of danger, and immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Almost instinctively, He Yuzhu suddenly bent down and lay flat on the cold snow, instantly hiding behind the pile of rocks.

He held his breath, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, staring intently in the direction from which the sound came, his muscles tense, entering a battle state.

The next second, in the dim moonlight, he could vaguely see dozens of furtive figures, bending over and cautiously creeping towards the main position.

These people moved nimbly, deliberately keeping their bodies low and trying not to make any noise, clearly intending to launch a surprise attack and catch the Chinese People's Volunteer Army off guard.

"It's a white pig!"

He Yuzhu's eyes turned cold, and he cursed under his breath as he instantly recognized the other party's identity.

The moonlight was exceptionally dim at this time, with dark clouds obscuring most of it, severely limiting visibility and allowing only a vague outline of the other person to be seen.

Judging from their tall stature and striking facial features, He Yuzhu was absolutely certain that these people were the enemy's raiding squad.

Without the slightest hesitation, he gently took an M1 rifle from his back, placed it steadily on the rock in front of him, squinted his eyes, and looked at the enemy through the scope.

The vision in the scope was still blurry, but it was enough for him to lock onto his target and pinpoint the leader.

He Yuzhu took a deep breath, steadied his arm holding the gun, and gently pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

A crisp gunshot shattered the silence of the night, the bullet whistling through the air as it precisely struck the leader of the enemy raiding squad.

The moment the gun fired, the leading enemy soldier fell to the ground without uttering a sound, lifeless.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Panic-filled shouts in English suddenly erupted from the enemy's raiding party, shattering their plan to sneak in.

The previously silent enemy squad was instantly thrown into chaos, scattering in all directions and scrambling for cover.

They quickly raised their guns and aimed haphazardly in all directions, having no idea where the shooter was hiding.

He Yuzhu's eyes were cold and his expression was calm. Taking advantage of the enemy's panic and the fact that they hadn't yet discovered his hiding place, he quickly pulled the trigger.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The crisp sound of gunfire rang out one after another, each bullet deadly, and with each shot, an enemy soldier fell to the ground.

In just a short while, He Yuzhu emptied the magazine of his M1 rifle, and spent cartridge cases kept popping out of the chamber and falling onto the snow.

Without pausing for a moment, he immediately got up and quickly changed his hiding position the instant he finished firing.

Almost as soon as he left his spot, a hail of bullets swept in, hitting the rock where he had just taken cover.

Gravel, dirt, and snow were hurled everywhere, and dust filled the air. If he had left a second later, he would have been riddled with holes by now.

He Yuzhu ran quickly through the pile of rocks, his steps light and his figure agile. Using the rocks as cover, he quickly changed magazines.

He had repeated this action countless times on the battlefield, and even in the darkest night, he could complete it smoothly by feel alone, without needing to look.

He had long since mastered the M1 rifle, knowing every single part inside and out.

After reloading, He Yuzhu found a suitable sniping position again and continued his sniping operations.

His marksmanship was superb, and every bullet hit its target precisely, constantly reaping the lives of enemy soldiers.

Just as he was focused on sniping, he suddenly sensed a dangerous aura approaching and caught a glimpse of a rocket flying towards him out of the corner of his eye.

It's an enemy bazooka!

He Yuzhu's expression changed slightly, and almost instantly, he stood up again and quickly changed position.

The rocket grazed past him and slammed into the rocks behind him with a loud explosion, sending rocks flying everywhere.

If he had reacted any slower, he would have been blown to pieces by the rocket by now.

As soon as he steadied himself, He Yuzhu's eyes locked onto the enemy soldier holding a bazooka rocket launcher.

This person is a key enemy firepower point and must be eliminated immediately, otherwise he will pose a huge threat to the position.

Without hesitation, he raised his gun, aimed, and fired in one smooth motion.

"Bang!"

The bullet accurately struck the enemy rocket launcher soldier between the eyebrows, and the soldier fell to the ground on the spot. The bazooka rocket launcher also fell into the snow.

Having eliminated the biggest threat, He Yuzhu breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued to focus on dealing with the enemy forces launching a surprise attack.

At this moment, the soldiers on the main position heard the intense gunfire coming from this side and immediately realized that the enemy was launching a sneak attack.

However, the troops on the position were already insufficient, and there were not enough people to provide support. Even so, Mei Sheng immediately sent half a squad of soldiers to rush to the scene to provide support.

It's not that we don't want to send more people, it's just that there are too few brothers who can fight on the front lines. Everyone is holding their own position and can't spare any more time.

Half a squad of soldiers rushed to the scene and, seeing the enemy in disarray, immediately set up their weapons and opened fire without hesitation.

At this point, there was no need to distinguish between friend and foe. All the volunteer soldiers who could fight on the position were holding the line to the death. Any unfamiliar troops appearing here at this moment must be the enemy.

And in the entire rear, besides He Yuzhu, there was no one else who could maneuver among the enemy's ambush squad and keep killing the enemy.

The soldiers instantly understood, and their fighting spirit soared. They cooperated with He Yuzhu to launch a pincer attack on the enemy.

With the cover fire of these soldiers, He Yuzhu was much safer when moving to a new sniping position, no longer having to worry about being targeted by concentrated enemy fire.

Without heavy firepower, the enemy forces, thanks to He Yuzhu's accurate marksmanship and the coordinated efforts of his soldiers, were completely put on the defensive and became lambs to the slaughter.

He Yuzhu fought with increasing ferocity. Taking advantage of his familiarity with the terrain, he fired shots while silently circling around to the rear of the enemy's raiding squad.

He pulled out several grenades from his waist, quickly unscrewed the safety pins, and with a flick of his wrist, threw them violently into the enemy ranks.

With his incredible arm strength and the precise throwing skills he had honed on the battlefield, the grenade flew more than seventy meters away.

The night was pitch black, and the enemy had no idea that grenades were flying from behind them. They were still frantically dodging the frontal fire.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Several violent explosions rang out in succession, grenades exploded in the enemy ranks, flames shot into the sky, and shrapnel flew everywhere.

The enemy soldiers were bombed and cried out in agony, suffering heavy casualties. The already chaotic army was completely routed.

They never imagined that someone could throw a grenade more than 70 meters away; it was completely beyond their comprehension.

It wasn't until after the explosion, when He Yuzhu's gunfire rang out again, that they realized there were still Volunteer Army soldiers behind them, putting them in a desperate situation of being attacked from both sides.

This battle of surprise attack and counter-surprise attack, from the moment He Yuzhu fired the first shot to the complete annihilation of the enemy forces, took less than thirty minutes.

The enemy raiding squad of several dozen men was completely annihilated by He Yuzhu and the soldiers who came to their aid; not a single enemy survived.

After the battle ended, He Yuzhu immediately led his soldiers to clean up the battlefield and check the enemy's sneak attack route, which is how they discovered the secret of how they sneaked up.

These enemy soldiers actually risked falling off the cliff, climbing up little by little from the steep side of the precipice.

It's no wonder that this raiding squad only had a few dozen people. The cliffside terrain was too treacherous for large-scale marches, so they could only send out small groups to launch raids.

Standing on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the steep mountainside and listening to the distant rumble of cannons, He Yuzhu instantly understood the movements of another enemy force.

The enemy forces, which had originally attacked from another direction during the night, have not launched another attack yet, which is by no means a sign that they have given up.

They must have been pinned down by the main force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and engaged in fierce fighting, or perhaps other Volunteer Army units were stubbornly resisting them at the mountain pass.

Otherwise, given the enemy's greed and ferocity, they would never easily give up the opportunity to attack the position.

This raiding squad that climbed up the cliff was clearly a desperate measure devised by the enemy, who were trying to use a small force to launch a surprise attack and create a breach in the defenses.

During the battle, He Yuzhu realized that the combat power of this ambush squad was even stronger than that of the enemy forces they had encountered before, and could be considered the enemy's elite.

Presumably, the enemy had sent out their last elite troops for a desperate last stand, but unfortunately, they ran into He Yuzhu.

During the cleanup of the battlefield, He Yuzhu's sharp eyes quickly searched for valuable supplies.

He spotted the enemy's dropped bazookas at a glance and quickly bent down to collect them; these were the most scarce supplies on the front lines.

As for the enemy's mortars, he glanced at them and gave up. There were no shells on the position at the moment, so the mortars were useless and became a burden.

Then, he quietly took out two 10-kilogram backpacks of explosives from the system space. The heavy backpacks were filled with powerful TNT explosives.

He Yuzhu already had a plan in mind: when they were withdrawing from the position, he would definitely give the pursuing enemy a big gift and slow them down.

Of the five volunteer soldiers who came to provide support, two were killed in action, one was seriously wounded, and only two remained who were able to continue fighting.

Two surviving soldiers, cleaning up the battlefield, walked up to He Yuzhu, looked at him with eyes full of admiration and respect.

"It really is Sergeant He! You're amazing! We all thought you were resting in the rear, but you wiped out the enemy's raiding squad!"

"I just woke up and was worried about the position, so I came to check on it. I didn't expect to run into these white pigs who were trying to launch a sneak attack."

He Yuzhu smiled faintly, his tone calm, as if annihilating an enemy squad was just an ordinary thing.

"Squad Leader He, you woke up just in time! If these enemies had really gotten to our main position, our brothers would have been attacked from both sides, and the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

The soldier said with lingering fear, his face full of relief.

"Alright, enough talk. Let's hurry up and clean up the battlefield. Prioritize collecting scarce ammunition like grenades and rockets. Don't worry about the rest!"

He Yuzhu suppressed his smile and gave a serious order: "The battle is urgent right now, and every minute and every second is extremely precious."

"yes!"

The two soldiers responded in unison and immediately sped up their work, quickly cleaning up the battlefield.

Not long after, the two soldiers found two intact bazookas and three ammunition pouches filled with rockets, a total of eight rockets, in the enemy's supplies.

Upon seeing this, the two soldiers' eyes lit up instantly, and they couldn't help but cheer quietly, their faces full of excitement.

What our brothers on the front lines need most right now is this kind of heavy anti-armor firepower. With these, we will no longer have to rely on our own bodies to blow up enemy tanks.

The two men disregarded everything else, quickly shouldered their bazookas and ammunition pouches, and turned to run towards the main position, eager to deliver these scarce supplies to their brothers as soon as possible.

He Yuzhu meticulously cleaned up the battlefield, not letting go of any useful supplies, collecting guns, ammunition, grenades, and dry rations one by one.

Aside from the enemy corpses, he carefully collected all usable supplies from the battlefield and took them with him.

After finishing his preparations, He Yuzhu temporarily set aside the collected supplies, slung his two rifles over his shoulder, carried a backpack full of explosives in each hand, and hurried toward the main position.

He ran all the way and soon arrived at the main position, but when he saw the scene on the position, he was stunned and his heart was instantly enveloped by endless heaviness.

The entire position had been completely destroyed by enemy artillery fire. The original trenches and bunkers had all been leveled by the artillery fire, and the position had been blasted down to a lower level.

The boulders that could have been used as shelters and cover were all shattered by the artillery fire, turning into rubble scattered all over the ground.

The few remaining trees on the position were all blown up, their branches scattered all over the ground. Some of the broken wood still had sparks from the scorching artillery fire, flickering in the cold wind.

Looking around, the ground was littered with shell casings, pebbles, snow, and the brothers' tattered clothes stained with blood—a scene of utter chaos.

The surviving soldiers lay prone in the craters of all sizes, using the devastated terrain to keep firing at the enemy on the road.

Everyone's face and body were covered in dust and blood, their clothes were tattered, but their eyes remained firm as they stood guard in their positions, and not one of them backed down.

Using the muzzle flashes of enemy gunfire, He Yuzhu silently counted the number of people still fighting on the position. After finishing the count, his heart sank even further.

On the entire main battlefield, there were fewer than fifty brothers who could still pick up a gun and fight!

It should be noted that the original force stationed here consisted of four companies, but now only such a small number of people remain. The ferocity of the battlefield is unimaginable.

On the highway, enemy artillery fire continued unabated, with mortar shells and rockets landing on the positions from time to time, kicking up clouds of dust and snow.

He Yuzhu crouched low, moving quickly across the battlefield, trying to find Xiong Jie and learn about the latest battle situation.

He had only taken a few steps when a rough, large hand grabbed him and dragged him into a broken bomb crater.

"Zhu Zi, what are you doing up here? Who let you up here!"

A hoarse voice rang out, filled with urgency and reproach.

He Yuzhu turned his head and saw that the person who was pulling him was covered in dust and gunpowder marks, his clothes were tattered from being burned by artillery fire, and his face was blackened and covered with scars, making it impossible to see his original appearance.

For a moment, he didn't even recognize who the person in front of him was.

Seeing He Yuzhu's stunned expression, the man sighed softly and spoke again, his voice still hoarse.

"I am Meisheng, have you forgotten? How did you end up on the front lines? Didn't I send someone to tell you to stay behind and care for the wounded, awaiting orders to retreat?"

"Company Commander Wu and the others, is anyone looking after them? Who will take responsibility if something happens to you!"

He Yuzhu then realized that the person in front of him, covered in wounds and unrecognizable, was actually the refined and gentle instructor, Mei Sheng.

He felt a pang of sadness, his eyes instantly reddened, and then he spoke firmly in response.

"If I hadn't come up here, our entire position would have been attacked from behind! Just now, I wiped out a group of enemy troops who were climbing up the cliff to launch a sneak attack!"

Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng was stunned for a moment, then shook his head helplessly, looking at He Yuzhu with a hint of heartache in his voice.

"You always have a point, and you always manage to escape unscathed. By the way, how are you feeling? Have you regained any strength after the blood transfusion?"

"I've recovered a bit; dealing with the enemy and going into battle is no problem at all!"

He Yuzhu stood up straight, his eyes firm, without the slightest fear.

"Where are Company Commander Xiong and his men? Who is in command on the position right now?"

He Yuzhu didn't want to waste any more words and went straight to the point. Every minute and every second at this moment was about the life and death of the position and the brothers.

Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng's eyes dimmed instantly, his face was filled with grief, and his voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

"Company Commander Xiong Jie, along with the company commanders and political instructors of two other companies, all... all sacrificed their lives. Political Instructor Huang Liwen also died a heroic death."

"What? Instructor Huang has sacrificed his life?"

He Yuzhu was shocked, unable to believe his ears. Huang Liwen's gentle face flashed into his mind, and he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

"How...how did he sacrifice himself?"

"He lost another leg in the battle and was so badly wounded that he was unable to retreat. In the end, he strapped grenades to himself, charged at the enemy's tank, and died with the enemy."

Mei Sheng's voice was low, but every word struck He Yuzhu's heart heavily.

He Yuzhu clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, his heart filled with grief and indignation, yet powerless to do anything about it.

Sacrifices on the battlefield are always so sudden, so tragic and heroic.

"Where is Company Commander Xiong now? When are we supposed to retreat? If we hold out any longer, all our brothers will be wiped out!"

He Yuzhu suppressed the grief in his heart and asked in a dry voice, his eyes full of urgency.

"It's almost dawn. Company Commander Xiong is at the very front of the position, holding the first line of defense to the death."

Mei Sheng looked up at the east; the sky was already showing a hint of dawn, and daybreak was imminent.

"I'm going to find him!"

After He Yuzhu finished speaking, he didn't linger. He crouched down and quickly crossed the area covered by artillery fire, running towards the front of the position.

As he traveled along, looking at his tired but determined brothers around him, He Yuzhu felt increasingly heavy-hearted.

Finally reaching the front of the position, He Yuzhu lay prone in a shell crater, looked up at the road below, and instantly saw the situation on the road.

On the highway, there were only two enemy trucks, hit by artillery fire, stopped in the middle of the road, their bodies badly damaged. They had obviously been shot down by the soldiers on the front lines with their last remaining bazookas.

The enemy is using armored vehicles to push wrecked trucks to clear the road, and they haven't even deployed tanks yet, clearly intending to quickly break through the highway defenses.

The entire highway was filled with pits dug in advance by the volunteer soldiers. Most of them were flattened by artillery fire and then refilled by the enemy.

Several of the craters were exceptionally large and bottomless, clearly created by explosive charges; ordinary mortars simply couldn't produce such power.

Those are the marks left by our brothers who used their lives and explosives to stop the enemy.

The enemy's main force temporarily halted its advance, but He Yuzhu could clearly see that the long line of car headlights stretched endlessly ahead of the road.

This indicates that a large number of enemy troops have passed through here, especially in the direction of the Shuimen Bridge in the distance, where searchlights are shining brightly, making it as bright as day.

He Yuzhu didn't make a sound to disturb Xiong Jie, who was shooting beside him. He simply took the rifle off his back and placed it steadily on the edge of the shell crater.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's as he aimed at key targets on the road, such as enemy machine gunners, rocket launcher soldiers, and commanders, and decisively pulled the trigger.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The gunshots were crisp and the bullets were accurate. With each shot, an important enemy target was killed, instantly suppressing the enemy's firepower.

Xiong Jie was focused on directing the battle when he suddenly felt the rhythm of the firepower around him change. The accuracy of the marksmanship was far beyond that of ordinary people, and he instantly realized that someone had been replaced next to him.

He turned his head and, by the light of the gunfire, saw that the person next to him was He Yuzhu. His eyes widened instantly, his face filled with shock.

"Pillar, what are you doing up here? Who told you to come up here! It's too dangerous in here, get back to the back!"

Xiong Jie lowered his voice and said urgently, his heart filled with worry.

"If I don't come up here, are you planning to strap on grenades, jump down to blow up the enemy tank, and die with them?"

While firing accurately, He Yuzhu turned his head and looked at Xiong Jie's injured and limping leg, asking in an icy tone.

Upon hearing this, Xiong Jie fell silent instantly, a bitter look appearing on his face, clearly having been hit where it hurt by He Yuzhu's words.

Having fought to this point, with few brothers left on the position and ammunition exhausted, he was prepared to fight to the death with the position.

"The fighting has reached this point; it's time to retreat. Continuing to hold out will only result in pointless sacrifices and is utterly meaningless!"

He Yuzhu spoke firmly, emphasizing each word as he offered his advice.

"I'm not reconciled! So many brothers have stood guard all night, so many have sacrificed themselves, and we're just going to retreat like this? I'm not reconciled! Besides, without orders to retreat from above, I can't leave on my own!"

Xiong Jie clenched his fists, his voice filled with pain and struggle, his eyes red-rimmed.

"Not reconciled? Watching our brothers fight their way out, all sacrificing themselves here, are you really willing to accept that?"

He Yuzhu turned his head and stared intently at Xiong Jie, his voice suddenly rising, filled with endless grief and indignation.

"We've held off the enemy all night and successfully completed our mission! Are we really going to send the rest of our brothers to fight the enemy's tanks and armored vehicles with their fists and teeth?"

Xiong Jie was speechless after He Yuzhu's words, his lips trembling, but he didn't know how to refute them.

He knew in his heart that He Yuzhu was telling the truth, and continuing to hold out would only increase casualties.

"Zhu Zi, it's fine if you tell me this, but you absolutely mustn't tell anyone else. That's a violation of military discipline!"

After a long silence, Xiong Jie finally spoke with difficulty, his tone full of helplessness.

"Tell the brothers to retreat! Immediately! Right now! If we don't retreat now, by daybreak the enemy planes will arrive and drop incendiary bombs, and we won't be able to retreat even if we want to!"

He Yuzhu spoke urgently, giving Xiong Jie no chance to hesitate.

"I've prepared a big gift for the enemy, enough to hold them off for at least two hours, buying us enough time to retreat!"

"What big gift? What are you up to now, kid?"

Upon hearing this, Xiong Jie immediately perked up and looked at He Yuzhu with a puzzled expression.

"Twenty kilograms of high-purity TNT is enough to collapse this cliff in front of our position!"

He Yuzhu spoke calmly, yet with unwavering confidence and a determined look in his eyes.

"Where did the explosives come from? I clearly remember that all the explosives on our position were used up long ago, not a single one left!"

Xiong Jie looked shocked and asked in disbelief.

"Just snatched from the enemy during their surprise attack, it's spotless!"

He Yuzhu said irritably, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

Looking at He Yuzhu's determined eyes, and then at the few remaining, exhausted brothers on the battlefield, Xiong Jie gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.

"Alright! Retreat! I give the order to retreat immediately!"

He had already made up his mind that if the higher-ups investigated, he would take full responsibility for all the punishments and would never let the other brothers be implicated.

After all, of the four company commanders, only he remained on the front line. Wu Qianli was seriously injured and unconscious, and was completely unable to command.

"Immediately arrange for men to evacuate the seriously wounded first. Leave me a few brothers who are skilled in demolition and explosives; I'll lead them to cover the rear!"

He Yuzhu quickly gave instructions and made preparations to cover the rear.

"No! If anyone's going to stay, it'll be me covering the rear. You take the brothers and retreat first!"

Xiong Jie immediately retorted, grabbing He Yuzhu firmly in his hand.

"Don't be ridiculous! With your leg blown up like that, how can you run fast? How can you evacuate safely?"

Seeing Xiong Jie limping, He Yuzhu was furious and shouted at him sternly.

"Are you still thinking of sticking with the position to the death? Let me tell you, no way! The position still needs you as the company commander to hold it, and you need to lead the brothers to a safe evacuation!"

"I didn't! That's not what I meant!"

Xiong Jie panicked and hurriedly tried to explain, his face full of anxiety.

"Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Stop talking nonsense and do as I say! Only when you've safely withdrawn will the brothers on the front lines feel safe to retreat with you!"

He Yuzhu's tone was firm, leaving no room for Xiong Jie to refute him.

Looking at He Yuzhu's determined eyes and then at the brothers beside him, Xiong Jie finally nodded and stopped hesitating.

"Okay! I'll do as you say!"

"Immediately issue my order: leave behind two light machine guns and one bazooka, and select two brothers skilled in demolition. Everyone else, retreat in an orderly manner!"

Xiong Jie stood up, disregarding his own safety, and shouted in a low voice.

"I'm joining the army! I'm joining the army!"

"arrive!"

From a nearby shell crater came Yu Congrong's tired but determined voice. Then he crawled with difficulty to Xiong Jie and He Yuzhu's side.

"Immediately organize a team, take all the seriously wounded, and evacuate the position first! Quickly!"

Xiong Jie gave Yu Congrong orders in a serious tone.

"I'm not leaving! You can leave if you want. This is our Seventh Company's position, and I will live and die with it!"

Yu Congrong stood with his neck stiff, his face full of stubbornness, his eyes firm, showing no intention of retreating.

His brothers had all sacrificed themselves on this battlefield, and he didn't want to leave just like that; he wanted to continue to defend this place for his brothers.

"To live and die together? This battlefield isn't just home to your Seventh Company brothers, but also to the blood of my Sixth Company! Political Instructor Huang of the Sixth Company is still lying on the road, watching over this battlefield!"

Xiong Jie suddenly grabbed Yu Congrong by the collar, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse with endless grief.

"You keep saying this is the Seventh Company's position, but look back! Look at your brothers behind you! Look at the Seventh Company, how many men are left?"

Yu Congrong turned his head and looked blankly behind him. He was stunned when he saw the few exhausted brothers on the battlefield. His eyes turned red.

"Yu Congrong, carry out the order!"

Mei Sheng, without anyone noticing, also crawled to the side of the group. His voice was hoarse, but his tone was firm, carrying the authority of an instructor.

"Instructor..."

Yu Congrong looked at Mei Sheng, his face full of resentment, his lips trembling.

"You're not even obeying my orders anymore?"

Mei Sheng stared intently at Yu Congrong with a determined look in his eyes, asking the question word by word.

"But if we just leave like this, so many comrades will have sacrificed themselves overnight. Wouldn't all our efforts have been in vain?"

Yu Congrong's voice choked with emotion, his face full of resentment, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"A waste of time? Who said it was a waste of time!"

He Yuzhu instantly became furious. He put down his rifle, turned to stare at Yu Congrong, and spoke in a cold and firm tone.

"How many enemy troops did we eliminate that night? And how many more did the main force annihilate thanks to our resistance? Have you calculated that?"

"Even if we all perish, can we completely stop the enemy's main force? Our defense is to hold off the enemy, not to sacrifice ourselves in vain!"

"I killed over a hundred enemies that night, and my brothers on the front lines fought valiantly. We successfully completed our mission; how can this be considered a waste!"

He Yuzhu's words were like daggers, striking Yu Congrong's heart and leaving him speechless.

"You know how many men are left in the Seventh Company, have you counted them?"

He Yuzhu asked again in a stern voice.

Yu Congrong remained silent. He didn't count, nor did he dare to count, for he feared that he would completely collapse after counting.

Looking at the scene before him, Mei Sheng sighed softly, his voice low and somber.

"Including the seriously wounded, the remaining brothers of the Seventh Company are less than a squad."

One sentence made Yu Congrong tremble all over, and he could no longer utter a rebuttal. Tears instantly streamed down his face.

"Execute the command!"

Xiong Jie shouted again in a stern voice.

"yes!"

Yu Congrong wiped away his tears, straightened his body, solemnly saluted, and turned to organize the troops to evacuate.

"Pillar, I heard what you said to Old Bear. I'll stay and cover the rear with you!"

Mei Sheng looked at He Yuzhu, his tone firm, and volunteered.

"What are you doing staying? Are you going to detonate the explosives and perish along with this cliff?"

Looking at Mei Sheng's exhausted appearance, He Yuzhu said with a hint of helplessness, but his heart was filled with emotion.

These comrades-in-arms were all willing to sacrifice their lives for righteousness, and they were all incredibly stubborn and unyielding.

"Old Mei, listen to Zhu Zi. Retreat with the main force. We'll stay behind to cover the rear. We're not going to sacrifice ourselves, we're going to retreat safely. If you stay, you'll only be a burden."

Xiong Jie quickly tried to dissuade him, having now fully realized that retreating was not a sign of weakness, but rather a way to better preserve their strength.

"Everyone, leave! Just leave the people I need behind. Hurry up, it'll be completely light soon, and the enemy planes will be here soon!"

He Yuzhu urged the two to leave urgently.

"Alright! Zhu Zi, take care. Follow the main force and retreat. We'll be waiting for you up ahead, don't be late!"

Mei Sheng looked deeply at He Yuzhu, his tone solemn, his eyes filled with reluctance and worry.

"Don't worry, I will definitely lead the rearguard brothers and catch up with you safely!"

He Yuzhu nodded emphatically, his tone firm.

"Evacuate immediately! The seriously wounded are moving slowly, and we need to find cover. You know better than I do how dangerous enemy planes are!"

"Live! You must live!"

Xiong Jie looked at He Yuzhu, solemnly raised his right hand, and gave a standard military salute.

This was the umpteenth time he had saluted He Yuzhu, an ordinary squad leader, each time with utmost respect.

"We guarantee the mission will be completed successfully and we will return to the team safely!"

He Yuzhu straightened his back, solemnly returned the greeting, and spoke in a strong and clear voice.

Without saying anything more, Xiong Jie immediately arranged for the soldiers who stayed behind to cover the rear, and then, with the help of the soldiers, he limped away to the rear.

Mei Sheng followed behind the group, organizing the soldiers to retreat in an orderly manner and taking care of the wounded who had difficulty moving.

The team retreated to the rear where the wounded rested, and all the wounded, regardless of their severity, were transferred to snow sleds.

Yu Congrong, who had been fighting with his nerves on edge, relaxed instantly as soon as he left the battlefield. He could no longer hold on and fainted. The soldiers carried him onto a snow sled.

He Yuzhu stood at the edge of the position, watching the retreating troops gradually disappear into the distance. He turned to look at the rearguard soldiers left behind beside him and immediately spotted Wu Wanli in the crowd.

He couldn't help but think to himself: This kid is really tough. He's survived so many fierce battles and is still holding on.

Wu Wanli also saw He Yuzhu, nodded slightly to him, his eyes firm and without the slightest fear.

He Yuzhu nodded slightly in response, and without saying anything more, immediately began to arrange the demolition task.

"Our objective is to blast down this cliff face ahead, ideally triggering a landslide that would completely block the road, preventing the enemy from clearing it for a short period!"

He Yuzhu pointed to the steep cliff in front of him and spoke earnestly to the soldier beside him who was an expert in demolition.

The soldier in charge of the demolition carefully observed the terrain and structure of the cliff, estimated the power of the explosives, shook his head slightly, and looked troubled.

"Squad Leader He, the effect you're describing is difficult to achieve. We don't have nearly enough explosives."

"How much explosives would be needed to achieve this effect?"

He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow and quickly asked.

"At the very least, another 20 kilograms of explosives are needed, bringing the total to 40 kilograms, in order to barely trigger a landslide."

After careful calculation, the soldier gave an accurate answer.

"Okay, I understand. Lay the explosives as they are, and blast away as many boulders as possible to block the road!"

Although He Yuzhu said this, he had already made up his mind. He still had enough explosives in his system space.

"yes!"

The demolition expert responded immediately and, along with another soldier, began to quickly plant the explosives and secure the fuses, working diligently and methodically.

Unbeknownst to them, He Yuzhu would secretly follow them after each explosive charge was laid, under the pretext of inspection.

While the two weren't paying attention, he took out a box of explosives from his system space and secretly buried it in the same spot to increase its power.

The original plan was to plant 20 kilograms of explosives at four locations. However, with He Yuzhu's addition, a total of 60 kilograms of TNT was planted at the four locations.

This quantity far exceeds the 40 kilograms estimated by the demolition team, and its power is enough to double.

Soon, all the explosives were planted and the fuses were all properly arranged.

"You take your bazooka squad and destroy the two enemy tanks on the road to buy more time for the main force to retreat. Then immediately move to a safe area and wait!"

He Yuzhu decisively gave orders to the soldiers around him.

"yes!"

The soldiers responded in unison, and the bazooka team quickly took their positions, aimed at the enemy tanks on the road, and decisively launched rockets.

"Boom! Boom!"

Two violent explosions rang out, and the two enemy tanks were instantly hit by rockets, bursting into flames and becoming completely destroyed.

After eliminating the enemy tanks, the soldiers covering the rear immediately followed He Yuzhu's orders and quickly retreated to a safe area.

He Yuzhu pulled the detonator's fuse to the maximum safe distance. He didn't know the exact power of the 60 kilograms of explosives and had to be fully prepared.

"When it explodes, everyone keep your bodies low to the ground, don't lie down, and open your mouths wide to protect your eardrums!"

He Yuzhu shouted instructions to the last demolition soldier beside him.

The demolition expert was experienced and nodded upon hearing this, but inwardly he was somewhat skeptical.

In his view, even if 20 kilograms of explosives were extremely powerful, they wouldn't cause much of an impact at this distance.

But he still followed He Yuzhu's instructions and made the necessary protective preparations.

All the soldiers were ready, and everyone's eyes were focused on the detonator in He Yuzhu's hand.

He Yuzhu took a deep breath, his eyes resolute, and pressed down hard on the detonator with his fingers.

"BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!"

Four deafening explosions rang out in succession, the sound echoing through the heavens and earth, causing the entire mountain to tremble violently.

A massive shockwave swept out instantly. Even at a safe distance, the soldiers around were still shaken, their ears rang, and their heads spun. Some almost collapsed to the ground.

Everyone quickly steadied themselves and looked up towards the cliff. They were instantly speechless with shock at the scene before them.

A third of the entire cliff in front of the position was blasted away, and huge rocks, soil, and snow, mixed with billowing dust, poured wildly down onto the road below.

The soldier in charge of the demolition was completely stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Such power cannot be achieved by twenty kilograms of explosives, and even forty kilograms would be far from sufficient!

He couldn't understand why a mere twenty kilograms of explosives could have such astonishing power.

He Yuzhu didn't give the soldiers time to react or wonder. The moment he pressed the detonator, he immediately shouted.

"Retreat! Full speed ahead to catch up with the main force!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and ran wildly in the direction where Xiong Jie, Mei Sheng and the others had retreated.

The soldiers around him then realized what was happening and quickly followed He Yuzhu's footsteps, retreating rapidly.

During the run, some soldiers couldn't resist their curiosity and looked back at the cliff where the explosion had occurred, but the smoke and dust made it impossible to see the specific situation below.

He Yuzhu and the soldiers covering the rear all ran at full speed, focused on catching up with the main force, completely unaware that the explosion had caused a huge chain reaction.

The geological structure of this mountain was already connected, and the internal structure was completely destroyed by the enormous force of the 60 kilograms of TNT explosives.

In addition to the cliff where the explosives were planted, a large area of ​​the mountain above the right-angle bend of the adjacent highway also collapsed.

Countless boulders and soil poured down, especially a giant boulder more than ten feet wide, which, like a broken dragon stone, stood fiercely across the bend of the road, blocking the entire road.

The enemy troops who arrived later, seeing the road completely blocked, immediately organized their soldiers to clear it and try to dig it back up.

However, the giant boulder was firmly covered by a large amount of soil and rocks, buried deep in the pile of earth and rocks. It took the enemy a great deal of effort to push the boulder off the cliff.

Even so, the entire collapsed mountainside still blocked the road, forcing the enemy to deploy a large number of troops to excavate and clear it from both sides of the road simultaneously.

The road, which was originally planned to be cleared in just a few tens of minutes, was delayed for more than four hours before it was barely cleared and the troops could pass.

This delay of more than four hours directly led to the disastrous defeat of the enemy's 1st Army Division.

All of the enemy's 1st Marine Division's heavy firepower equipment was destroyed, captured, and completely abandoned by the main force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army that arrived later due to the delay.

The infantry regiment responsible for covering the rear of the 1st Division was completely surrounded by the main force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and annihilated on the battlefield, with not a single soldier escaping.