Chapter 41: Heavy Machine Guns Versus Japanese Cavalry, The Great Xia Cavalry Battalion, Charge-Guerra de Resistência: Estrela de Huangpu, Subjugando Li Yunlong no Início(As coisas mudaram, e as pessoas também não são mais as mesmas.)

The appearance of the Hong Army cavalry battalions, flanking suddenly from both sides, gave the Japanese cavalry squadron a profound shock. For some time, this Japanese squadron had been moving back and forth across the border between Jin, Cha, and Ji in Daxia. They had moved as if through uninhabited territory; even when local warlord troops discovered their trail, they would retreat three leagues, feigning deafness and ignorance. This had made the Japanese cavalry squadron increasingly arrogant and unscrupulous.

But today! This was the first time they had encountered Daxia troops who dared to launch a frontal charge and execute a pincer maneuver against them.

"Baka yaro!" The Japanese squadron leader raised his Arisaka rifle and bellowed. As if infused with adrenaline, all the Japanese soldiers charged toward the two cavalry battalions of the Hong First Column.

"Damn them!"

"Commander, let me go and slaughter these devils!"

"Wipe out these bastards!"

Cavalry battalion commander Liu Yunbiao looked at Su Changqing and spoke. Su Changqing slapped Liu Yunbiao on the forehead. "The devils are stupid, and you are too?"

"Why charge head-on against these sons of bitches?"

"My cavalrymen, aren't their lives precious?"

"Don't you see? Opening fire was just to lure these little devils in."

"All is fair in war! Don't you understand that?"

"Otherwise, why would I have set up so many machine gun positions?"

As it turned out, before launching the attack on the Japanese cavalry, Su Changqing had long ago ambushed two machine gun teams not far from the Hong First Column's cavalry battalions. Once the Japanese cavalry squadron entered the kill zone, the machine gun teams would unleash a torrent of fire. They say the grassland tribes became skilled in song and dance precisely because of the arrival of the Maxim heavy machine gun. Now, it was time to let this Japanese cavalry squadron witness the terrifying power of the Maxim.

Facing the Daxia cavalry, who remained motionless despite the gunfire, the Japanese squadron became even more arrogant and reckless. They were all too familiar with such behavior from Daxia forces. Were they not always this cowardly and incompetent? These Daxia cavalrymen must have been scared senseless by them. Just moments ago, the squadron leader had been shocked and appalled by the sudden appearance of a larger enemy force, but now, that shock had been replaced by contempt and disdain. In the eyes of squadron leader Itō Nakamio, the warriors of the Great Japanese Empire only needed to charge forward to strike terror into these Daxia cavalrymen.

"Yoshi!"

"Warriors of the Great Japanese Empire, the time for glory has come!"

"Use the heads of these Daxia pigs to test whether the sabers of our Great Japanese Empire are sharp!"

"Hahaha..."

Amidst arrogant laughter, the Japanese soldiers charged toward the two Hong First Column cavalry battalions.

"Retreat!" Su Changqing shouted. To lure the Japanese into the kill zone, he had to entice them to keep pushing forward. Su Changqing employed this "lure the enemy deep" tactic, which seemed simple but was highly effective against the exceptionally arrogant Japanese soldiers of this era. The success rate was at least ninety percent.

Sure enough, the sight of the Hong First Column cavalry battalions fleeing in disarray further incited the Japanese squadron. Over six hundred Japanese soldiers charged forward like madmen. If they could slaughter all these Daxia cavalrymen, it would be a monumental achievement!

Soon, the two cavalry battalions retreated to the perimeter of the kill zone set up with heavy and light machine guns. The Japanese squadron plunged headlong into the trap Su Changqing had meticulously prepared. Seeing hundreds of Japanese soldiers charging blindly into the kill zone, the machine gun team leader's eyes turned red.

"Damn it!"

"These bastards have finally entered the kill zone."

"Brothers!"

"Open fire! Give them everything you've got!"

"Don't be stingy with the ammunition; empty every magazine for me!"

"Yes, sir!"

At the commander's order, a rainstorm of bullets, thick as hail, poured down upon the Japanese cavalry squadron. The Japanese had no defense, and the machine gunners' camouflage had been perfect, making the attack sudden and devastating. A dense, impenetrable web of fire descended upon the screaming Japanese cavalry.

"Da-da-da..."

Su Changqing had invested heavily to deal with these Japanese cavalrymen. In addition to the two cavalry battalions, he had brought a massive number of heavy and light machine guns. Now, the roaring guns sent countless bullets flying toward the caught-off-guard enemy. The bullets easily pierced the chests of the leading Japanese cavalry, tearing them apart one by one. Flesh and blood flew everywhere; men and horses alike were shredded to pieces.

Because the Japanese were charging too fast to stop, and the fire from the Hong First Column's machine guns was so intense, in just a few minutes, hundreds of Japanese soldiers were torn to shreds. The Japanese, who had just thought they were about to win a great victory, were stunned. The Daxia soldiers' retreat hadn't been out of fear—it was a lure!

Watching his men being shredded by the fierce fire, while mortar shells rained down into the ranks of his squadron, squadron leader Itō Nakamio was consumed by rage and terror.

"Retreat!"

"Damn these Daxia pigs! How could there be an ambush here? How?"

Having suffered a massive blow, the Japanese instinctively tried to pull back. It was then that Su Changqing looked at battalion commander Liu Yunbiao. "Liu Yunbiao!"

"It's time!"

"Don't hold back! Trample these bastards!"

"Chop them to pieces!"

Liu Yunbiao, who had been suppressing his desire for battle, felt his voice tremble with excitement. "Yes, Commander!"

"I guarantee I'll beat these bastards so hard their own mothers won't recognize them!"

"Tear these animals to pieces!"

Liu Yunbiao looked at his equally fired-up cavalrymen and shouted, "Comrades! Didn't you always clamor to fight the devils?"

"Now, the chance is here!"

"Tear them apart!"

"Cavalry battalions! Charge!"

Following the order, nearly a thousand Hong Army cavalrymen surged forward like a violent gale, sweeping toward the Japanese squadron.