Chapter 211 - 1192: The Inviolable Backbone (Part 2)

Chapter 211: Chapter 1192: The Inviolable Backbone (Part 2)

"A grenade! It’s a booby trap!"

After saying this, Zhao Wendong immediately pulled Dahuang and the others back. ’Best to leave the professional work to the professionals.’ He’d been through too much to get this second chance at life; he wasn’t about to get involved in the thick of it. The instant Zhao Wendong spoke, the faces of Chen Baoguo and the leading officer drained of color. They both roared at everyone.

"Everyone, back off!"

Instead of retreating, the two men advanced, rushing forward to disarm the trap. Watching their cautious movements, Zhao Wendong couldn’t help but feel nervous for them. After Chen Baoguo and his companion pinpointed the grenade’s location, they found a few branches and opted to detonate it by force. From a distance, they threw the branches one by one, dropping to the ground after each toss. The third branch finally struck the thin tripwire.

BOOM—!

A massive explosion rang out, sending deep snow flying everywhere and blasting a crater over a meter wide in the ground. Zhao Wendong and his group scrambled up from the snow-covered ground some distance away, their eyes anxiously fixed on Chen Baoguo and the officer. When they saw that both men were unharmed, a cheer erupted from the crowd.

"Comrade Wendong, we’re thoroughly impressed!"

The leading officer walked over and seized Zhao Wendong’s hand. ’That was incredible. A booby trap that well-hidden is impossible to guard against, yet you spotted it ahead of time. It’s almost supernatural. Sure, it seemed like your dog found it, but being able to train a tracking eagle and a bomb-sniffing dog... that’s beyond what any normal person can do. He must be some kind of mystic, no doubt about it. If we weren’t in an age of fighting feudal superstitions, I’d ask to become his disciple and learn shamanism.’

"Haha, I’m just glad you’re all okay. Let’s go, keep up the pursuit!"

"Yes, sir!"

Everyone roared in unison, their morale soaring. Being able to neutralize even cunning traps like that... fighting alongside a man like this was invigorating. Gripping the Type 53 carbine his cousin had given him, Zhou Mancang suddenly felt like the luckiest man alive. ’To have a cousin this incredible... my ancestors must be smiling down on me.’

"Hahaha! Yoshi! Let’s see if they still dare to chase us now!"

Hearing the explosion, Takaichi and Robe exchanged a triumphant look and laughed out loud. But soon, they heard the sound of barking again, and faint figures became visible behind them.

"Baka! Does that Lord Dong have a death wish?"

"Why are they always able to pinpoint our location now?"

Just then, Xiaojin’s cry rang out from the sky. Takaichi Koinu jerked his head up, his eyes filled with shock as he stared at the small black dot circling overhead.

"Baka! Could it be that eagle overhead?"

"Really? Then there’s no way for us to escape if it’s watching us."

"Let’s go for broke! We’ll kill a few more of them and stall until nightfall. The eagle will be useless in the dark, and then we’ll be safe!"

"Yoshi! Let’s do it!"

The two men each found a favorable firing position, preparing to make a last stand. Seeing them stop, Xiaojin stopped circling and began to hover, its wings spread wide and motionless like a kite. On the ground, Zhao Wendong noticed Xiaojin’s change in behavior and immediately turned to Chen Baoguo and the others.

"The spies have stopped in the forest up ahead. What are they planning?"

Chen Baoguo and the officer exchanged a look and nodded in unison, offering what they thought was the most likely answer.

"They probably realize they can’t shake us and are planning an ambush."

"What’s the plan, then?"

"We’ll split up and surround them."

"Alright, let’s flank them!"

Soon, the most combat-ready PLA soldiers continued to advance straight ahead, while the public security police and the militiamen split off to the left and right to begin the flanking maneuver.

The northwestern wind howling through the forest grew fiercer. Zhao Wendong glanced at the darkening sky; it looked like it was about to snow again. White frost coated everyone’s eyebrows and eyelashes, but no one bothered to wipe it away. They all just gripped their weapons tighter, their gazes fixed intently on the woods before them.

BANG BANG—!

The two gunshots came from the spies in the woods, who had opened fire. Bullets sliced through the air, aimed at the lead soldiers. But the soldiers had been warned of the ambush, and they immediately took evasive action. The men at the front executed quick combat rolls as two bullets slammed into the trees beside them. The soldiers’ counterattack was immediate.

RAT-TAT-TAT—!

A hail of bullets from the Type 56 assault rifles rained down on the spies’ hiding spot, pinning the two men down completely.

"Charge!"

The lead officer let out a roar, and the soldiers around him surged forward, pressing the attack. At this point, there was little more Zhao Wendong could do. ’I can’t just charge in there and risk my life.’ First, he wasn’t a professional soldier; he didn’t have those skills. Second, he had no desire to. He had his parents, Little Tuanzi, his older brother and sister-in-law, Lin Zhiyin, and countless other relatives and friends all waiting for him to lead them to a better life. So, he simply raised his Type 56 carbine from the rear and fired controlled shots toward the spies’ position, providing suppressive fire.

The dense sound of gunfire echoed through the thick woods. Bullets peppered the snow around the spies, kicking up flurries of powder. Takaichi Koinu and Robe Sanae were stunned; they hadn’t imagined their ambush would be discovered so easily. Not only had they failed to hit a single PLA soldier, but their position had been exposed almost instantly. The two men exchanged a knowing glance, then used the trees for cover as they turned and fled deeper into the forest.

BANG! BANG! BANG!—

Suddenly, bullets started flying from their rear and both flanks simultaneously. Groups of figures began to emerge from the trees—the public security officers and militiamen from the flanking parties had arrived.

"Baka-yarō! Dammit, we’re surrounded."

"Charge west! That’s the militia’s position, their combat ability is the weakest!"

"Right!"

Worthy of their reputation as elite Japanese spies, the two made their decision in a split second, charging toward the direction of the militia’s flanking force.