Chapter 44: A Record-Breaking Forced March! The Battle of Yang Village Erupts! A Step Too Late?

The next evening.

Li Yunlong was still leading the members of the New First Regiment's Snow Leopard Special Operations Team on a forced march.

Due to time constraints, every member was already extremely exhausted, but they persisted nonetheless.

......

Yang Village.

Yamamoto Ichimoku and his special operations team of Japanese devils had arrived near Yang Village.

Because the Independent Regiment had recently and abruptly changed its defensive positions, Yamamoto Ichimoku was unaware that there were Eighth Route Army troops stationed in Yang Village.

Inside a grove of trees.

Yamamoto Ichimoku looked at the map in his hand and said in a deep voice, "Once we pass Yang Village, we can head straight for Daxiawan and successfully launch a surprise attack on the Eighth Route Army's frontline headquarters."

"This operation must make the reputation of our special operations team known far and wide!"

"Yes!" The special operations soldiers present responded in unison.

Afterward, Yamamoto Ichimoku waved his hand and ordered, "The first platoon will act as the vanguard and advance first, bypassing Yang Village from the flank. Remember, we must not be discovered by the villagers here."

"Understood." The soldiers of the first team acknowledged the order.

Shortly after, a dozen fully armed special operations soldiers quickly approached Yang Village.

According to the intelligence gathered by the little Japanese, the villages on both flanks of Yang Village were garrisoned by Eighth Route Army troops, leaving Yang Village itself as a gap leading directly to Daxiawan.

Therefore, these little Japanese didn't take Yang Village seriously at all; their only plan was to skirt around its flank and rush straight to Daxiawan.

However, just as the first platoon of Yamamoto's special operations team approached Yang Village,

patrolling soldiers of the newly rotated Independent Regiment immediately detected the situation.

At the entrance of Yang Village, two soldiers spotted a dozen shadowy figures approaching under the faint moonlight.

Yet, due to the thick darkness, the two Independent Regiment soldiers could not clearly make out who the intruders were.

Both soldiers immediately raised their rifles.

One of the soldiers shouted, "Halt! Who goes there?"

The loud shout of the Independent Regiment soldier completely shattered the peace of the late night.

The Japanese soldiers of Yamamoto's first platoon were startled by the shout, looking up to see an Eighth Route Army soldier holding a rifle.

Without a moment of hesitation, the leading special operations soldier raised his submachine gun and opened fire directly.

Rat-tat-tat-tat......

The sound of the submachine gun rang out, muzzle flashes pierced the darkness, and a dense hail of bullets flew forward.

Puff, puff, puff, puff......

Rat-tat-tat......

Before the two Independent Regiment soldiers had time to react, they were struck by the heavy submachine gun fire and made the ultimate sacrifice on the spot.

Once the gunfire erupted, the Independent Regiment soldiers inside Yang Village were instantly alerted. They sprang into action, rushing straight toward the source of the gunfire.

Several nearby soldiers even vaulted over the compound walls, peering out at the special operations Japanese outside.

Knowing they had been exposed, the soldiers of Yamamoto's first platoon completely cast aside all concealment.

Facing the continuously emerging Independent Regiment soldiers, these special operations troops unleashed their full firepower.

Rat-tat-tat-tat......

The intense firepower formed an overwhelmingly suppressive force against the Independent Regiment soldiers.

In contrast, the weapons held by the Independent Regiment soldiers were mostly Hanyang-made rifles—low in accuracy, weak in power, and completely incomparable in firepower to submachine guns.

Moreover, it was pitch dark, rendering the Independent Regiment soldiers utterly unable to aim accurately.

The special operations Japanese, however, had no such concerns; knowing roughly where the enemy was located, they could simply sweep the area with submachine gun fire.

Thus, the counterattacks from the Independent Regiment meant virtually nothing to these special operations troops.

True, a few Independent Regiment soldiers managed to hit the Japanese commandos, but none of the hits struck vital organs.

In fact, one Independent Regiment soldier managed a direct hit to a Japanese commando's head.

However, the Hanyang rifle lacked sufficient stopping power, and these special operations soldiers were all wearing steel helmets that deflected the bullet.

The little Japanese whose head was struck merely shook it and continued fighting.

This battle was utterly unfair; the combat capabilities of the two sides were simply on entirely different levels.

The skirmish continued, with rushing Independent Regiment soldiers merely compounding their casualties as they arrived at the battlefield.

Looking at the special operations Japanese, remarkably only two had sustained minor injuries, with zero fatalities.

Independent Regiment Commander Kong Jie also rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

Hiding behind a cover, Kong Jie watched the brutal combat scene with profound shock: "Comrades, these little Japanese are not ordinary. Stop charging forward; use the cover to engage them!"

At the same time, Kong Jie wondered where these Japanese had suddenly popped up from, possessing such terrifying combat prowess.

Following Kong Jie's command, the Independent Regiment soldiers immediately tightened their formation and began utilizing cover to exchange fire with the Japanese.

Even so, these special operations soldiers were truly formidable, quickly pinpointing the positions of the Independent Regiment soldiers based on the muzzle flashes of their rifles and returning deadly, accurate fire.

The Independent Regiment soldiers remained pinned down tightly, causing Kong Jie immense heartache. He cursed angrily, "Damn it, whose grave did I dig to deserve this? The moment we finish changing positions, we run into an enemy of this magnitude!"

"Brothers, pull out your grenade launchers—throw them with everything you've got! Don't spare the ammunition!"

The Independent Regiment soldiers immediately sprang into action, hurling grenades one after another.

However, the reaction speed of these special operations Japanese was equally astonishing; seeing the Eighth Route Army begin tossing grenades, they swiftly fell back.

Boom, boom, boom......

Rumble......

The grenades detonated, unleashing violent shockwaves and flames.

Yet, all the special operations Japanese had already retreated outside the blast zone, rendering the grenades completely harmless to them.

Seeing this, Kong Jie could only stare helplessly.

......

On the other side.

The soldiers of the New First Regiment's Snow Leopard Special Operations Team had completed a grueling 40-hour forced march without resting for even a single second.

Even though every single member of the Snow Leopard Special Operations Team was exhausted to the point of physical collapse, they persevered entirely through sheer, indomitable willpower.

Even if the next second might see them drop dead on the road from exhaustion, every single soldier gritted their teeth and kept going.

Such was the tactical proficiency and execution capability of the Snow Leopard Special Operations Team.

Li Yunlong was immensely satisfied with this outcome.

Naturally, Li Yunlong had marched the entire distance alongside them. Fortunately, he possessed the physical enhancement serum rewarded by the system; otherwise, given his usual training intensity, he would never have lasted until now.

After all, as a regimental commander, Li Yunlong couldn't spend every day training relentlessly like the members of the Snow Leopard Special Operations Team.

At this moment, the New First Regiment's Snow Leopard Special Operations Team was only two kilometers away from Yang Village.

Rat-tat-tat......

Bang, bang, bang......

Boom, boom, boom......

Sounds of gunfire and explosions suddenly echoed from the direction of Yang Village, clearly heard by Li Yunlong and his men.

"Cease march!" Li Yunlong immediately ordered.

Hearing the sudden command, the soldiers of the Snow Leopard Special Operations Team instinctively came to a halt, their eyes still somewhat dazed.

Li Yunlong, however, paid them no mind, his brow furrowed as he gazed intently toward Yang Village.

Clearly, Yamamoto's special operations team had made their move and engaged the Independent Regiment in battle......