20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 611 Assembly Number

The major general officer had always been on good terms with the Jiang family. Seeing Bei Feng about to get angry, he hurriedly pulled him aside and whispered, "Zhengbei, just go your way. Why do you care about what he does?"

"That guy is so mean. I've been annoyed with him for a long time." Zhao Zhengbei glanced at Staff Officer Li's back.

"Well, he is just like that! He was promoted by Guizi Guo, and is considered a member of the 'princeling gang'. He was specially transferred here to enforce military discipline. Didn't you see that we both gave him some leeway just now?" The major general said earnestly, "Zhengbei, listen to my advice, don't cause trouble, and save your family some trouble!"

Fortunately, Bei Feng was not a person who would lose his mind due to anger. When he heard that this move might bring trouble to the Jiang family, he suppressed his impulse and muttered to himself:
"I don't want my family to be looked down upon because of me."

"Look at what you said. He's just jealous. Even if you go over and beat him up, what will happen? Nothing will change!"

The major general pushed Bei Feng and said, "Come on, get in the car!"

However, Zhao Zhengbei suddenly struggled, turned around and said, "Sir, thank you for coming here, but... I want to stay."

As soon as he finished speaking, the lieutenant general sitting in the car frowned, squinted his eyes, snorted coldly, and there was some impatience between his brows.

"If he wants to stay, let him stay here! He is just wasting time!"

When a war is imminent, being transferred to the rear is an opportunity that many people would love to have.

The north wind refused.

The middleman is busy running around and helping to arrange everything, but when the time comes, the person involved suddenly changes his mind, and anyone would have some complaints.

The major general was also a little dissatisfied, but he was patient only because of their past friendship.

"Zhengbei, now is not the time to show off. Do you know how many connections your brother has used and how much money he has spent to bring you back?"

Bei Feng said nothing, but stole a glance at Fu Chengyu, trying to find some firm belief.

"Let me tell you, Zhengbei, your brother even asked Governor Wu for help to get you back. How great is that? Hurry and get in the car!"

"Sir, it's my duty..."

"What?" The major general didn't hear clearly.

Zhao Zhengbei was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood at attention and saluted, then shouted loudly:
"Reporting to the commander, Major Zhao Zhengbei of the Marine Battalion requests to stay at the front line to make up for the mistakes and cover the retreat of our main force!"

After he finished speaking, the soldiers who were originally walking away suddenly stopped, turned around and looked over, with slightly confused expressions.

Staff Officer Li's eyes were hidden under the brim of his hat, dark and unclear. His two hands, which were originally behind his back, inexplicably dropped down.

The major general stood there in a daze, his expression gradually becoming cold. He stared at Bei Feng silently without saying a word.

Soon, he passed by Bei Feng, got into the military vehicle, closed the door, and the car body shook violently, then he drove away in a cloud of dust.

Zhao Zhengbei stood at attention and saluted, watching the two generals walk away until the car body disappeared from the end of his sight, then he lowered his hands.

Now that the decision has been made, I no longer worry about it and I finally feel at ease.

Then he turned around, walked past Fu Chengyu, and went straight to Staff Officer Li.

"Sir, I knew you were not that kind of person."

Fu Chengyu followed behind Bei Feng, praising him repeatedly, and it was unclear whether it could be considered as flattery.

Zhao Zhengbei turned a deaf ear and did not respond. He walked straight up to Staff Officer Li, looked him up and down, and spoke in an icy tone.

"Captain Li, I am doing my job. If something goes wrong, you can hold me responsible. If I take a step back during the enemy attack, you can shoot me. I, Zhao Zhengbei, will accept the punishment without hesitation, but there is one thing -"

The soldiers looked at each other, anxiously awaiting what would happen next.

"If you dare to say anything bad about my family again, I promise to shoot you dead."

The north wind was raging, and for a moment the sand and dust were blinding.

The soldiers looked at each other, ready to intervene at any time.

However, Staff Officer Li did not respond. He just silently confronted Bei Feng for a moment, then turned and left.

"What are you looking at? Get back to work!" He said as he walked. "The Zhi army has rejected the armistice agreement. Don't be lazy. Get ready!"

At the same time, Zhao Zhengbei did not act aggressively. He turned around and jumped into the trench, raising his hand to greet his brothers.

"Don't just stand there and do nothing. Didn't you hear what Chief of Staff Li said? Hurry up and deploy the defense!"

The conflict seemed inexplicably resolved.

Although everyone was somewhat confused, they were relieved. Soon, they were busy setting up defenses.

A few more days passed like this.

Zhao Zhengbei and Staff Officer Li always lived in peace. Even if they had occasional disagreements, they were always handled impartially and they did not take advantage of the situation to cause trouble.

At the same time, Beifeng's troops gradually incorporated many remnants of the defeated army, and the main force of the Fengtian Army finally withdrew back to the outside of the Great Wall.

The retreat of the main force means that the pursuers are not far away.

…………

It was late at night and the fog was thick.

There was a rustling noise in the trench, making it difficult for people to sleep well.

Occasionally, a brother would get up at night and step on someone's foot while walking, which would lead to a burst of scolding.

Lin Zhidong approached stealthily and asked, "Zhengbei, are you asleep?"

"I just took a nap, what's wrong?" Zhao Zhengbei asked into the dark night.

"Nothing, I can't sleep."

"Still not tired enough."

"I'm tired. How can I not be tired? But I just can't sleep."

"How about I give you a cannon and see if it works?"

Zhao Zhengbei smiled casually, but in fact, Lin Zhidong's situation was not an isolated case. Insomnia was spreading rapidly throughout the regiment.

The latest news is that the Zhi army is about to attack.

If not today, then tomorrow; if not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow.

As the battle was about to begin, even the veterans began to grow restless.

It's human nature, nothing to blame.

Lin Zhidong sat down and said softly: "Zhengbei, to be honest, I think you should have left that day. Why didn't you leave?"

The two have known each other for many years, so they are naturally familiar with each other's family background.

Zhao Zhengbei yawned, shook his head and said, "This happened a few days ago. Why are you still asking?"

"Well, I was just thinking that it would be great if you could go. When you get back to Fengtian, you can help me bring a message home."

"If you have anything to say, tell your family in person when you get back."

"Good buddy, I'm borrowing your good words." Lin Zhidong stretched his neck to look at the front line, "But I still think that you should go back."

"Why do you say that?" Zhao Zhengbei asked.

"I know your brother is capable, but it's not easy to transfer people back from the front line at this critical moment. Everything has been arranged, and you suddenly change your mind. Isn't this making it difficult for your brother to live his life?"

"Do you even need to say this?"

"Then you still won't leave?"

Zhao Zhengbei pondered and said, "If I leave now, I will be criticized by others every day. How can I survive in the military camp in the future? My family didn't send me to the army to make a living. I don't need this."

"Oh, so they want you to climb up a level?" Lin Zhidong seemed to understand, but he was even more confused. "No, but if they want you to make military achievements, why do they want you to go back?"

"My brother is a man who values ​​his reputation... It was probably my sister-in-law's idea to transfer me back."

"Who asked you to join the army in the first place?"

"My sister-in-law."

Lin Zhidong leaned back and smacked his lips and said, "Interesting, really interesting, this is a human being!"

"Stop talking about my family!" Zhao Zhengbei said in a muffled voice, "Go to sleep and do what you want!"

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds suddenly came from outside the trench.

“Crackle…”

The soldiers were not sleeping soundly to begin with, and when they heard the sound of horse hooves, they were suddenly awakened, raised their rifles, and looked outside.

But under the fluffy moonlight, four or five scouts were galloping towards this side. "Hey, brother, what's going on ahead?" someone in the trench asked loudly.

The scouts kept on marching, quickly passing by the north side of the position, and before they left, they only left behind a cry:
"All troops on alert—all troops on alert!"

When I looked again, I saw that the scouts had already run towards the regiment headquarters tent.

The soldiers were stunned.

In an instant, the trench was filled with the sound of "clattering".

"The Zhi army is coming to attack us! The Zhi army is coming to attack us!"

"Ammunition boxes! Bring the ammunition boxes over here!"

"Fuck you, my shoes, who kicked them away?"

It was not that the Fengtian Army was not well prepared, but that they launched a surprise attack at night. The Zhili Army wanted to catch the enemy off guard, so it was inevitable that the defenders would be passive.

Fortunately, the original soldiers of the Third Brigade were well-trained, and the incorporated remnants had been supervised for several days and practiced blocking training day and night, so they had already anticipated it, so there was only a moment of confusion, and everyone was able to follow the steps and perform their duties.

Bei Feng and others were arranged on the flank of the trench. Soon, they pulled the bolts and stood by, staring at the vast night sky with extremely tense expressions.

"Zhengbei, I have to go find my company!" Lin Zhidong crouched down and shuttled through the trenches, "Zhengbei, hold on, hold on!"

"Mind your own business!"

Zhao Zhengbei widened his eyes, sometimes looking at the wasteland in front of him, sometimes looking at the grove on the side.

The defense line was very long, and we didn't know from which direction the enemy would attack.

After digging all these ditches, it’s finally time to get serious.

Just at this moment, a shrill and loud military bugle call pierced the night sky.

The Shimenzhai Command began to issue orders!
First came the service assembly call, which echoed throughout the valley, and the entire regiment was quickly mobilized.

Then came the contact number, and everyone could vaguely hear that the Second Regiment's position on the south side was also on alert and preparing for battle.

This time, the friendly forces did not sit idly by.

The entire army responded at Shimenzhai garrison.

Immediately afterwards, the tone of the bugle call changed, and it was the company's arms number. The machine gun company, Marine battalion, and artillery regiment were mobilized one after another.

Finally, there is the battle order - all troops must gather and hold their positions.

In the blink of an eye, there was a surge of footsteps from behind, and the foothills on the north side rustled. The field artillery regiment was ready.

Zhao Zhengbei's hair stood on end, he felt his blood boiling, and his whole body trembled.

It's not because of fear, but because the tense nerves need to be released urgently.

"Crunch, crunch -"

The machine gun company pushed the heavy machine guns and arrived at the front trenches in time. They were worthy of being the prince's personal soldiers. They were equipped with genuine imported Maxim heavy machine guns, two in one company!
Immediately, a strong smell of animal smell suddenly wafted over.

Turning his head, he saw that the cavalry company had drawn their swords and mounted their horses, already gathering on the flanks of the position in preparation for any emergency.

All these preparations for war were like a strong wind before a rainstorm; they only blew for a while and then suddenly stopped.

silence……

It was strangely quiet, as if everything was extinguished...

The soldiers were so terrified that even their breathing was deafening.

Zhao Zhengbei suddenly realized that even the sound of insects on the battlefield had disappeared.

When people start fighting, there are strange signs in the sky, and all living things seem to have a premonition.

After being silent for half a cigarette——

"boom!"

Someone in the trench lost control of his nerves and accidentally fired a shot into nothingness.

The sound of gunfire spread far away and did not stop for a long time.

"Who the hell fired the gun!" Staff Officer Li shouted from somewhere, "Follow the order!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the order for the artillery regiment to open fire was issued.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

At the northern foot of the forest, several strong lights suddenly flashed, like the spotlights of a camera.

After a while, a roar like muffled thunder exploded in the distance of the position.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

This time, the sound of shelling came from the opposite side.

"Lie down!"

The captains of the battalions and companies shouted, and Zhao Zhengbei also hurriedly shouted to the brothers around him: "Get down, get down quickly!"

Before he finished speaking, he felt a strong wind blowing towards him.

The Zhi army's artillery shells landed not far in front of the Feng army's position.

Flames suddenly rose, and a turbid wave mixed with black soil covered the sky and landed on everyone's shoulders and necks in an instant.

The entire position was shaken.

"Fuck them, brothers, grab your weapons and fight them!"

On one side of the trench, some temporarily incorporated remnant troops immediately opened fire, causing the other soldiers to look sideways.

Staff Officer Li and other regimental officers were also supervising the battle at the rear of the position. When they heard the gunshots, they hurriedly cursed loudly.

"Whoever fired the gun, stop shooting and save ammunition!"

"Stop shooting, save ammunition!"

He shouted six or seven times until an officer ran over, slapped the leader on the back of the head, and the shooting finally stopped.

"Where did this idiot come from? Get rid of him!" The person giving the order seemed to be the regiment commander, "Hey so-and-so, you go lead that company!"

The farce ended, but the gunfire did not stop.

Those who rush forward to charge into battle, fight with bayonets and engage in hand-to-hand combat are, after all, just the battlefields talked about by storytellers.

The reality is that unless it is absolutely necessary, neither side in the war will easily give up guns and artillery.

The so-called surprise attacks and melees are just a glimpse of the battlefield. Most of the situations in wars are dull and even a little boring.

The soldiers were on full alert, dodging artillery fire in the trenches and waiting quietly for one side's position to be defeated by artillery fire.

The artillery of the Zhi Army was originally inferior to that of the Feng Army, but they had just captured a batch of them from the Western Route Army, and they bought and sold them on the spot, and they were able to fight against the Feng Army on equal terms.

In an instant, everyone felt the earth shaking and saw layers of dust rushing towards them, as if they were going to bury people alive.

In the chaos, a shell landed in the front trench and exploded with a loud bang.

A broken arm flew across the night sky and landed somewhere unknown.

The soldiers were about to panic when they saw Staff Officer Li trotting over and shouting, "Engineer Company, repair the bunker!"

"Have!"

Lin Zhidong's voice was heard in the darkness.

Although Staff Officer Li had a foul face and bad mouth, the fortifications he supervised were really impeccable. After the bombardment, they were restored to their original state after a simple repair.

Bei Feng couldn't remember how long the artillery bombardment between the two sides lasted.

He only knew that the thick fog in front of the position had been blown away by the impact of artillery without his noticing.

The originally hazy wilderness gradually became clear.

There seemed to be ripples suddenly appearing on the distant horizon.

At this moment, the command center's military bugle sounded again -

"Attention all battalions and companies, open fire and hold your positions!"

(End of this chapter)