Chapter 34: The New First Regiment’s First Battle! Block the Head, Cut Off the Tail, Strike at the Waist—the Battle Begins

"Come in," Li Yunlong said softly.

The three Xu sisters immediately pushed the door open and entered.

"Is there something you need?" Li Yunlong asked, raising an eyebrow.

The three sisters exchanged glances before Xu Yihang spoke first. "I know the New First Regiment plans to engage Takeki Junichi's troops, and we would like to join the fight."

"I can assure Commander Li that the three of us will strictly follow your orders. Whatever you say, we will do!"

Hearing this, Li Yunlong nodded slightly. "Fine, I agree."

"You three can follow the New First Regiment and act as opportunities arise. If there is a mission suitable for you, you can come to me to apply, or I will have someone notify you."

"After this battle, I will decide on your integration into the New First Regiment based on your performance."

"Yes!" The three of them responded in unison.

In truth, Li Yunlong already had a role in mind for the Xu sisters; they were well-suited for the Snow Leopard Special Operations Team. However, since their expertise lay entirely in archery, he wasn't yet sure how well they would coordinate with the team. This battle would serve as a perfect test of their true combat capabilities.

***

After the sisters left, Li Yunlong instructed Chen Qing, "Notify the battalion commanders of the New First Regiment and Zhou Weiguo to attend a meeting!"

"Yes!" Chen Qing complied immediately.

Chen Qing was, in fact, Shunliu's sister. Ever since Han Chunyun had taken over logistics, Chen Qing had become Li Yunlong’s secretary, responsible for communications and related tasks.

A few minutes later, the battalion commanders and Zhou Weiguo arrived.

Li Yunlong pointed directly to a spot on the map and got straight to the point. "For this battle against Takeki Junichi’s Japanese battalion, I have decided to set an ambush here at Huxia Gully."

"This is a narrow passage, yet it is the only route Takeki Junichi can take. We can take advantage of the high ground on both sides to strike the Japanese from above!"

"Takeki Junichi is currently unaware that we know of their movements or that we have already made preparations. With a bit of luck, we can catch them completely off guard!"

Hearing the plan, Zhou Weiguo frowned slightly. "Commander, this is indeed a good spot for an ambush. But precisely because of that, Takeki Junichi will likely be cautious, even if he doesn't know about our presence."

"Given the Japanese army's usual habits, they will likely send a vanguard to scout Huxia Gully to ensure it is safe before the main force moves in, followed by the command unit."

Li Yunlong smiled faintly. "I’ve already considered that."

"That is why the New First Regiment will use the terrain of Huxia Gully to execute a 'cut the head, sever the tail, and break the middle' strategy."

"We will let the vanguard pass, then Zhang Dabiao will lead the First Battalion to intercept them outside the gully. The Second and Third Battalions will lie in ambush within the gully to break the middle and strike the main force. The Snow Leopard team and the regiment’s direct units will circle behind to take out the command post at the rear—Takeki Junichi and his officers."

"Understood," the officers replied.

It is worth noting that the three Xu siblings were also in the room. Hearing the plan, Xu Yihang felt a surge of resolve and quickly added, "Commander, we three request to join the Snow Leopard team to help take out Takeki Junichi."

This was exactly what Li Yunlong had been waiting for.

"Approved!" Li Yunlong nodded immediately. "However, you must follow Zhou Weiguo's command during the operation. Report the specifics of your archery skills to him shortly; I trust he will assign tasks according to your strengths."

"Yes!" the three siblings replied in unison.

Once the deployment was finalized, the New First Regiment mobilized. Li Yunlong led the Second and Third Battalions to Huxia Gully to set the ambush. Zhang Dabiao led the First Battalion to a position several kilometers past the gully exit to intercept the vanguard. Zhou Weiguo took the special operations team and the direct units to hide several kilometers away from the entrance, waiting to initiate the decapitation strike.

At Huxia Gully, Li Yunlong waited with his troops for an entire day. Despite the wait, the soldiers remained patient, lying motionless on the high ground.

Finally, a Japanese unit appeared.

Li Yunlong observed them through his binoculars. "This is just a company—the Takeki battalion's vanguard. Let them pass. Tell everyone: no firing!"

"Yes!" Shen Quan and Wang Huaibao obeyed.

As expected, the Japanese company began firing at the high ground on both sides as they advanced.

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

Light machine guns sprayed fire in all directions. The Japanese were conducting a thorough reconnaissance. Bullets whistled over the heads of the New First Regiment soldiers, yet not a single man moved; they remained like statues.

Only after the scouts were satisfied that the area was clear did they move out of the gully. Shortly after the vanguard cleared the path, two companies of Japanese soldiers marched into the gully in a grand procession.

Li Yunlong’s eyes lit up; this was the main force. He raised his Karabiner 98k and aimed at the Japanese company commander. Once the main force was fully inside the kill zone, he pulled the trigger.

*Bang!*

With the crisp sound of the shot, the bullet flew true, shattering the company commander's skull.

That shot was the signal. The soldiers of the New First Regiment immediately sprang into action. Most did not fire their rifles, but instead began frantically lobbing grenades into the gully.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*

Grenades rained down like falling flowers. A moment later, the ground erupted.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The explosions were constant. The two companies were thrown into total disarray, with many soldiers killed or maimed instantly. Then, Li Yunlong, Shen Quan, Wang Huaibao, Wei Dayong, and the others led their men in a full-scale assault.