Chapter 207 Seeking Peace
They used to only be able to go out to sea in rafts, but now they finally have something that can ride the waves!
"We won! We won!" Cheers erupted across the entire island. Some threw their helmets into the air, others hugged their comrades and wept, and even the veterans in the wounded soldiers' camp who could get up stood up with crutches, holding up their broken guns and shouting, "We've avenged them! We've avenged our brothers!"
The sea breeze carries the smell of gunpowder, but there is no longer any trace of despair—only the sweetness of victory.
Peng Fei steered the enemy ship with one hand while waving the other hand vigorously toward the shore.
The ship cleaved through the waves, splashing white spray. The deck was still stained with the blood of the Japanese soldiers. The ship was intact, and even the gun emplacements were still gleaming and usable.
He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Commander Wang! What's the next step?"
Commander Wang stared at the ships, then glanced at the mountains of guns and ammunition piled on them. His eyes suddenly lit up like torches, and a bold idea popped into his head.
The damn Japanese stronghold was just ten miles away. Now that they've been decimated, it's the perfect opportunity to wipe out their lair!
He clenched his fist and roared at the sea: "Comrades! The Japanese devils have been defeated! Press the attack and wipe out their stronghold!"
"Charge! Kill those bastards!" The soldiers' shouts shook the sea. They carried their guns and rushed onto the ship, their eyes burning with vengeance.
Xia Qianqian had just placed the medical kit on the rocks when she saw everyone crowding onto the boat. She quickly ran towards Lu Zheng, shouting, "Lu Zheng! Wait for me! I want to go too!"
Xia Qianqian's contribution was remembered by all the soldiers on the island. If she hadn't raised her hand to take away the barrage of shells, the small island would have been blown to smithereens.
Someone holding up a blood-stained helmet shouted, "Comrade Xia is our lucky star!"
Commander Wang solemnly said, "Xia, get on the ship! Peng Fei, lead the elite team to guard your ship. If even a hair on your head is missing, I'll hold you responsible!"
Lu Zheng jumped directly onto the gunwale of her boat, his gun always pointed at the sea, his back straight like a fully drawn bow.
The fleet stealthily entered international waters and spotted the enemy's supply ships in the distance.
The chimney slowly puffed out black smoke. Some of the Japanese soldiers on the deck leaned against the railing smoking cheap cigarettes, while others squatted on the ground polishing their shoes. Even the sentries were dozing off with their necks tilted to the side.
The enemy commander was sitting in the command cabin, his face flushed as he sipped sake from a sake jug. A red banner reading "Victory Celebration Banquet" was spread on the table, and a communications soldier next to him was arranging sashimi on a plate.
The sentry on the watchtower suddenly straightened up, raised his binoculars, spotted the approaching fleet, grinned, and grabbed the red and white flag, waving it vigorously: "Friendly forces returning to port! Lower the gangway quickly!"
He didn't even glance at the bullet holes on the hull, nor did he notice that the people standing on the deck were Chinese soldiers in gray uniforms.
After all, who could have imagined that the main fleet that had just been dispatched would be riddled with holes and that the enemy would come knocking on their door?
The sentry held the flag rope and waited for three minutes, but the opposite ship did not respond at all.
He squinted and leaned closer to the binoculars, then suddenly jumped up with a yell, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets: those standing on the deck weren't their men at all! They were Chinese soldiers in gray uniforms, with bandaged arms, and eyes burning with the flames of revenge!
"Damn it! It's the enemy—!" The sentry's voice cracked, and he even dropped the flag in his hand onto the deck.
The enemies then realized what was happening and raised their guns to fire at the ship. Just as the bullets were fired, Xia Qianqian stood at the bow of the ship, a faint smile curving her lips, and gently lifted her fingertips.
The bullets that came whistling through the air were sucked into an invisible black hole, leaving not even a spark!
"Ghost! Ghost!" A Japanese soldier slammed his Type 38 rifle onto the deck with a bang, his whole body trembling like a leaf.
Lu Zheng's hand, gripping the gun, veins bulging, roared so loudly it shook the ship's deck: "Brothers! Charge—!"
The soldiers gripped their guns, the muzzles spitting fire wildly, bullets like lightning tearing through the night, sweeping densely towards the Japanese soldiers on the deck.
In an instant, swarms of Japanese soldiers fell like felled wheat, their bodies piled up along the ship's side, and blood flowed down the cracks in the wooden planks, turning the seawater a glaring red.
The remaining Japanese soldiers were utterly terrified. The commander yelled at the top of his lungs in the command center, "No retreat!" but no one listened to him.
Some covered their heads and crawled into the hold, ignoring the pain of their heads hitting the iron ladder; some pushed and shoved each other as they jumped into the sea, splashing water mixed with blood and foam; others knelt on the deck, shouting "Devil!" and "Spare me!" while throwing their guns at their feet.
The entire supply ship was in complete chaos, and even the sea breeze carried the cries of the Japanese soldiers.
The soldiers looked at the Japanese corpses lying haphazardly on the deck, and a surge of exhilarating pleasure welled up in their chests.
Thinking of those brothers who crawled and fired their guns even after their legs were blown off, and the wounded soldiers crying with their eyes covered in the tents that had been overturned by artillery shells, they wished they could grind those Japanese devils to dust.
The remaining Japanese soldiers were utterly terrified. The first one to throw his gun was a skinny, monkey-like soldier. His knee slammed onto the deck with a thud, soaking his trouser leg.
Immediately, a chain reaction spread like wildfire. A dozen or so Japanese soldiers knelt down, some trembling like leaves, others shouting in broken Chinese, "Don't kill... prisoners! You said that!"
The commander had even thrown away his sword; his white shirt was stained with blood, and his knees slammed against the wooden plank, causing him to wince in pain, but he dared not raise his head: "We surrender! We accept negotiations! Please...please don't kill us!"
The soldiers' fingers gripping their guns were still trembling, their eyes still burning with fire, and they all looked at Commander Wang.
Commander Wang was grinding his teeth to powder. He wanted to chop these bastards up more than anyone else, but the superiors' prisoner policy weighed on his mind like a stone.
He suddenly waved his hand, his roar shaking the deck: "Tie them all up! Anyone who dares to move, I'll blow them up!"
Someone dragged a thick hemp rope out of the cabin and strangled the Japanese soldiers, making them scream, but no one dared to resist.
News of the great victory on Koyama Island spread like wildfire, traveling along the coastline on radio waves to the mainland camp and then all the way to the negotiation venue in the capital.
Our representative, who had initially appeared somewhat passive at the negotiating table, suddenly slammed his fist on the table, his eyes gleaming like burning torches: "See that? This is our confidence!"
His previously tense back straightened instantly, and even his voice carried a deafening power, startling the opposing representative.
The opposing negotiator was deathly pale, his fingers trembling violently as he gripped the documents.
They held an emergency meeting overnight. The projector repeatedly showed blurry images of supply ships being captured and heavy artillery disappearing into thin air. Someone slammed their fist on the table and roared, "China must have hidden unconventional weapons! Otherwise, how could they have wiped out our entire fleet?"
Suspicion and fear gripped their hearts like vines, and their once arrogant demeanor instantly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.
Thus, our forces pressed forward relentlessly, and the enemy suffered repeated defeats. A victory on a small island acted like a sharp key, prying open the door to long-stalemate negotiations—the enemy finally relented and signed the ceasefire agreement.
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