Chapter 176: Overwhelming Firepower

Facing the suddenly appearing Japanese Army, after a moment of thought, Jiang Anguo immediately responded.

"Maintain cover, Machine Gunner fire suppression, mortar fire for me, fire!" Jiang Anguo shouted.

The troops responded instantly.

The Machine Gunner's reaction was the swiftest; several MG42 General Machine Guns let out a roar that tore cloth, "dadada—" the scorching tongues of fire traced silver arcs in the downpour, like the Grim Reaper's whirring chainsaw, mercilessly harvesting the Japanese Army's lives.

At the same time, the mortar team was already in position. The observer had long rushed to the front of the unit, crawling forward while using a rangefinder to estimate the enemy distance, quickly calling out the data.

Because the mortar itself is heavy and has been carried on the backs of rear soldiers, at this moment it was swiftly lowered, set up, and loaded in one seamless motion.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Six 80mm mortar shells whistled upward, arcing through the rain and striking precisely into the Japanese Army's hollow hideout. The explosion raised mud waves, and shards of stone and severed limbs mixed with rainwater and sprayed outward.

Immediately after, the second and third rounds of fire followed, turning the entire area into scorched earth.

"Xiao Si, lower your head!" Jiang Anguo's peripheral vision caught the communications officer Xiao Si peeking, and he immediately shoved him to the ground. Almost simultaneously, several 6.5mm bullets "whoosh whoosh" swept over their heads, scattering splinters of wood from the trees behind.

The Little Devil's shooting skill truly cannot be underestimated; within a hundred meters, not a single shot missed.

One slip, and blood splatters on the spot.

But at this moment, the advantage was firmly in the Expeditionary Force's hands. Jiang Anguo's Guard Company was equipped with German-made k Rifle, MP40 Submachine Gun, and even the MG42 General Machine Gun, which the German army had not yet widely deployed.

Bullets poured out like a stream, caring not at all about consumption.

In this jungle softened by rainwater, firepower density became the sole standard determining life or death.

Jiang Anguo's mind raced: the Little Devil appeared at this position, and their forces were not weak, indicating they had bypassed Jiang Fei's blocking position.

That leaves only one possibility: Jiang Fei's Special Forces Unit faced grim odds.

Thinking this, his heart tightened, and an indescribable surge of grief and anger rose to his throat.

"Young Master, you say... is the Little Devil looking for that old Watanabe?" Xiao Si crouched beside him, lowering his voice. Having followed Jiang Anguo these days, he had already become familiar with the name "Watanabe Masao," and saying it sounded as natural as a personal enemy.

"Right!" Jiang Anguo snapped his head, a flash of brilliance exploding in his eyes, "Xiao Si, you're right! They're indeed pursuing Watanabe Masao!"

He no longer hesitated, bellowing, "Firepower full on! Crush them!"

Before his words finished, a familiar, rugged voice came from the flank: "Regiment Seat! Watch me!"

Jiang Anguo turned toward the voice, nearly startled into a jump—Mi Long?!

Mi Long was supposed to be with the Sixth Company, Changshan supporting the 200th Division, and after merging with Long Wen Zhang at Xibu, he should have remained in Lashu to recuperate.

He belonged to the rd Battalion, which was not included in this pursuit order. Yet this guy somehow slipped into the Guard Company, now shouldering two MG42s, a living mobile firepower bunker!

"Yes, Regiment Seat!" Mi Long grinned, his mud‑splattered face unable to hide his wild fervor.

He wasn't firing blindly; instead, he observed the battlefield astutely—wherever the Japanese Army's muzzle flash appeared, his Machine Gun instantly pivoted, delivering a precise string of long bursts that covered the area.

In just a few minutes, several Japanese fire points had been forcibly "named" and eliminated by him.

"Good! That's how I want you to fight!" Jiang Anguo rejoiced.

However, he still felt the firepower wasn't swift enough. So, directly within the WarSystem, he unhesitatingly exchanged for four Type‑94 75mm mountain guns.

These were originally standard equipment of the Japanese Army's 56th Division—compact and lightweight, disassemblable for transport by mule, horse, or even manpower, making them a marvel in the mountainous, forested, mud‑laden terrain of Northern Burma.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The four mountain guns fired in unison, shells whistling as they struck deep into the Japanese lines. Jin Gang Zong Si Lang was hiding in a rock crevice, commanding, and his face turned ashen the moment he heard the barrage.

"Nani?!" he shouted, "This is... a Type‑94 mountain gun?!"

He could not have misheard.

This is the Imperial Army's prized light mountain gun! Yet when the 56th Division moved north, due to treacherous roads, Watanabe Masao ordered all heavy artillery to stay at the rear base. How did these guns end up in the hands of China's Expeditionary Force?

Even worse, the enemy not only had artillery, but fired with precision and ferocity! After five rapid volleys, the Japanese positions were completely suppressed, the soldiers curled up in the mud pits, daring not even lift their heads.

Rainwater soaked them through, and they shivered all over.

They didn't know whether it was cold or fear!

"Kill the chicken, give give!" a Japanese sergeant roared, trying to organize a counter‑charge, but before his words finished, a mortar shell exploded at his feet, flesh and blood spraying everywhere.

Jin Gang Zong Si Lang felt bitter inside. Since the Imperial Japanese Army moved south, had they ever been crushed so by the Chinese forces? Yet now, the pursuit squad he led came with a death‑defying mindset.

Each soldier had a white cloth strip tied to his forehead, a makeshift "Samurai Soul" fashioned from underwear straps.

Opposite, Jiang Anguo stood beside a Type‑94 mountain gun, a cold smile curling his lips. Using the Little Devil's cannon to blast the Little Devil's heads—this feeling was truly exhilarating!

"Keep firing, damn it!" he shouted. His ears already rang with a buzzing, and on the battlefield one must shout, after all this wasn't a sneak attack but a straight‑on frontal assault, a contest of whose firepower was fiercer and will harder!

After the five‑round bombardment ended, he immediately ordered: "Guard Company, flank in two wings! Keep suppressing fire on the center route!"

The order was swiftly conveyed. The soldiers had been holding it in for too long, lying on the wet ground, leeches burrowing into their trousers, ants crawling over their arms; rather than endure this torment, they'd rather charge forward and kill with gusto!

The mortar instantly adjusted its angle, hammering the Japanese flanks to forge a path for the infantry charge. At this moment, Jiang Anguo again exchanged through the system for eight Type‑94 mountain guns!

A total of twelve mountain guns lined up in a row, plus the existing mortars and Machine Guns, delivering firepower comparable to a fully‑manned division on the home front, even surpassing the entire arsenal of some regional warlords!

Jiang Anguo's eyes were blood‑red, not only from days of marching fatigue but also from deep worry over Jiang Fei and his Special Forces Unit's fate.

"Charge horn! Blow!"

The bright bugle sounded in the rain, tearing the gloom. Guard Company soldiers on both sides surged forward like tigers released from a gate!

Mi Long charged at the front, his body laden with ammunition belts, one hand gripping an MG42 Machine Gun, two belts hanging, shouting while running: "Kill! Kill the Little Devil! Follow me!"

Jiang Anguo was about to rise and follow, but Xiao Si grabbed him hard: "Young Master! You stay behind and command!"

The words hit him like cold water poured on his head.

Jiang Anguo snapped to clarity; as Regiment Commander of the Independent Regiment, the lives of over ten thousand soldiers rested on him, and he was also the army's logistical linchpin.

If he fell, the entire unit would collapse instantly.

A commander's position should not be on the front line of the charge.

He inhaled deeply, crouched again, and raised his Mauser Sniper Rifle. In the distance, a Japanese sniper was quietly peeking his barrel.

Jiang Anguo held his breath, aimed, pulled the trigger, "Bang!"

The bullet pierced the rain curtain, striking the target's brow precisely. The Japanese soldier fell backward, silent thereafter.

"Got a hit!" Xiao Si raised the telescope to confirm, silently wrote in his little notebook: "the twenty-third."

He also lifted his submachine gun, and although the distance was a bit far, his gaze constantly scanned the surroundings warily; protecting the Young Master was his sole mission at this moment.

"Young Master, your shooting is truly accurate," Xiao Si praised sincerely.

"Mielong! Watch yourself, don't die!" Jiang Anguo shouted toward the Front. He saw Mielong already charging into the enemy lines, using a machine gun to sweep away a swath of Japanese Army; that frenzy was downright reckless.

Strangely, Mielong seemed to have truly heard him; instead of slowing down, he grew even more frenzied, his roar shaking the heavens.

What a madman.

The central artillery fire still hadn't ceased, while the firepower of the Japanese Army positions on both wings had clearly weakened.

Jiang Anguo judged accurately; this Japanese Army unit was not the main force, its numbers limited, and it was likely the pursuit detachment personally led by Jin Gang Zong Si Lang. For that reason, the optimal tactic was to first shred its two wings, then converge on the center, annihilating the enemy with minimal cost.

The battlefield's scales had been tipped toward Jiang Anguo from the very start.

On the Japanese Army's position, Jin Gang Zong Si Lang stared at the Expeditionary Force surging like a tide, hearing the dense gunfire he had never heard before, and only one thought remained in his mind:

This Expeditionary Force... where on earth does it come from?