Memory return
Volume 3, Chapter 4
The smoke from the battle on Eagle's Beak Rock had not yet dissipated, and the stench of blood mixed with the smell of scorched earth weighed heavily on everyone's chest. Geng Dashan's sacrifice was like a cold boulder, causing the survivors immense grief, but also igniting a more resolute will to fight to the death.
Xiao Chen and another soldier carefully carried Geng Dashan's body to the foot of the cliff and covered it with a captured Japanese overcoat. There was no time for mourning; the intervals between Japanese artillery shelling were getting shorter and shorter, and the next attack could come at any moment.
Gu Tieshan stood at the forefront of the position, his back silhouetted against the twilight like a cast iron statue. He was no longer the brave general who fought with instinct and fragmented memories. When the floodgates of memory were fully opened, the 29th Army's rigorous training, the hellish battlefield experience of Xifengkou, and the tactical skills of a mid-level commander, flowed like a surging river, merging with his life-and-death struggles in the mountains and forests of Northeast China over the past two months.
He calmly assessed the situation: ammunition reserves, the condition of the wounded, the terrain advantages and disadvantages, the enemy's possible tactics... His brain was working with unprecedented clarity and speed.
"Gather all the usable guns and give them to the best marksmen, then distribute the ammunition accordingly."
"Don't throw grenades randomly. Wait until the Japanese soldiers are crowded on the narrow path before you use them."
"Move all the wounded behind the crevice in the rocks. Those who can move can help tackle bullets and pass stones."
"Consider your energy; the Japanese are trying to wear us down."
His orders were issued one after another, precise and efficient. The soldiers carried them out instinctively. They could sense that Gu Tieshan seemed different. They couldn't quite put their finger on it, but the composure and all-knowing light in his eyes gave them a strange sense of security, as if his presence meant there was still a glimmer of hope in this desperate situation.
After bandaging the last lightly wounded soldier, Shen Lanjun walked to Gu Tieshan's side and silently handed him a water bottle. Looking at his sharply defined profile, and the complex emotions surging in his deep eyes—grief, anger, and a resolute determination like that of someone being reborn—she knew that the complete him had finally returned.
"You remember everything?" she asked softly, this time with complete certainty.
Gu Tieshan took the water bottle but didn't drink. His gaze remained fixed on the faintly moving figures of the Japanese soldiers below the mountain. He nodded slowly, his voice low and clear: "The 37th Division of the 29th Army, under General Zhao Dengyu, vanguard battalion, deputy battalion commander, Gu Tieshan." He paused and added, "At Xifengkou, we held out for seven days and seven nights. The corpses were piled higher than the trenches... Many brothers didn't make it back."
He spoke calmly, but Shen Lanjun could sense a heavy weight beneath that calm that threatened to overwhelm her. She reached out and gently grasped his clenched fist, feeling the hardness of his knuckles and their slight trembling.
“Now, you are here.” Her voice was not loud, but it carried a calming power. “Dashan, Xiaoshuan, and so many comrades who sacrificed their lives, what they protected, we need you to lead us to continue to protect.”
Gu Tieshan gripped her hand tightly in return, his grip strong, as if drawing strength from her to keep going. He turned to look at her, his eyes flashing with a cold yet resolute light: "I know. I will settle this blood debt with the Japanese devils, interest and all!"
Just then, the Japanese army sounded the attack horn again. This time, they had clearly lost patience, committed more troops, and even attempted to use explosives to blow up the treacherous sections of the mountain road.
The battle instantly intensified!
Gu Tieshan was like a completely different person. He no longer relied solely on personal bravery, but rather acted like a commander of a highly sophisticated war machine. He accurately predicted the main direction of the Japanese attack and their weak points, commanding his limited forces with the agility of an arm.
"Move the machine gun five meters to the left! Block that pile of rocks!"
"Group Two, prepare your grenades! On my command, three, two, one, throw!"
"The Japanese are sneaking up from the right. Xiao Chen, take two men and use grenades to suppress them!"
His commands were clear and decisive, always managing to defuse crises at crucial moments. Under his command, the soldiers displayed extraordinary fighting power, miraculously repelling yet another even fiercer Japanese attack.
As night fell, the Japanese army finally temporarily ceased its attack, but the encirclement remained impenetrable.
Taking advantage of this brief break, Gu Tieshan called Shen Lanjun, Xiao Chen, and the only remaining platoon leader in the team to his side.
“We can’t be trapped here.” Gu Tieshan’s voice was unusually clear in the darkness. “The Japanese suffered losses during the day, and they are likely to launch a surprise attack at night, or simply use artillery fire to flatten the hilltop.”
"Chief of Staff, tell us how to fight, and we'll fight exactly as you say!" The platoon leader panted heavily, his tone filled with complete trust in Gu Tieshan. Unbeknownst to them, the way they addressed each other had changed.
By the faint starlight, Gu Tieshan drew a simple diagram on the ground with a twig: "Holding out is a dead end. We must break through."
"Break through?" Xiao Chen was taken aback. "There are Japanese soldiers on all sides, how can we break through?"
“It is precisely because the Japanese are surrounded on all sides that they do not expect us to dare to break through.” Gu Tieshan’s eyes were sharp. “Look, the southeast direction has the steepest slope, the Japanese defenses are relatively weak, and there is a dry riverbed below, which makes it easy to hide.”
He detailed his plan: concentrate all remaining firepower and grenades to create the illusion of a forced breakout to the northwest, drawing away the main Japanese force. Meanwhile, the main force would quietly rappel down the steep southeast slope using ropes and rock crevices, entering the riverbed and converging on the direction where Political Commissar Yang's main force might be located.
“The radio is too heavy to take with us.” Gu Tieshan looked at the precious radio, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes, but then his resolve hardened. “Bury it on the spot and mark it. All the seriously wounded who can’t be taken with us…” He paused, his voice a little hoarse, “I’ll stay behind to cover the retreat.”
"No!" Shen Lanjun and Xiao Chen exclaimed almost simultaneously.
"You have to go!" Shen Lanjun grabbed his arm, her tone more intense than ever before. "The team needs you! Your experience and command are more important than any of ours! I'll cover the rear!"
"Sister Chen is right!" Little Chen said, her eyes red. "Brother Gu, you take everyone and go! I'll stay!"
Gu Tieshan looked at them, shook his head, and said in an unquestionable tone, "This is an order. I know the Japanese tactics best and know how to delay them as much as possible. Moreover," he looked at Shen Lanjun, his eyes deep, "you have to live and bring the situation here, and the news of my... Gu Tieshan's return to the team, to the organization."
He spoke the words "Gu Tieshan returns to the team" with exceptional solemnity.
Shen Lanjun was about to argue further, but Gu Tieshan raised his hand to stop her. He took out the dragon scale bracelet from his pocket and put it back into her hand: "Take it. If we can both get out of here alive, give it back to me. If... this is a token."
He knew that Shen Lanjun understood the meaning behind this.
Shen Lanjun gripped the cold bracelet tightly, her nails almost digging into her flesh. She knew that once Gu Tieshan made a decision, no one could change it. This wasn't about playing the hero, but rather based on the calmest judgment of the overall situation and the responsibility of a commander.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her surging emotions, and nodded emphatically: "Okay! We'll wait for you!"
The plan is set; execute it immediately.
The soldiers silently placed the seriously wounded, who were unable to move, deep in the relatively safe crevices of the rocks, leaving them as much water and a little dry rations as possible. No one spoke; a tragic yet resolute atmosphere permeated the air.
At midnight, the breakout operation began.
The soldiers in charge of the feint attack suddenly opened fire from the northwest, their battle cries deafening, and grenades exploding one after another, creating the illusion of a desperate last stand. Sure enough, the Japanese troops' attention was quickly drawn to it.
At the same time, Gu Tieshan, Shen Lanjun, Xiao Chen, and the remaining twenty-odd soldiers who were still able to move used ropes and rock crevices to silently slide down the steep southeast cliff like geckos, quickly disappearing into the dark, dry riverbed below.
Gu Tieshan was the last to slide down. He glanced back at Eagle Beak Rock, which stood silent like a giant beast in the night, where his brothers were buried and where his return had been witnessed.
He turned around, his gaze fixed firmly on the darkness ahead.
"Walk!"
The returning general, leading the remaining embers of his cause, embarked on a new journey toward the dawn that might break. He knew the road ahead was still fraught with thorns and bloodshed, but he was fearless. For he was Gu Tieshan, and his soul, fully awakened amidst the flames of war in the north, would lead even more people to continue the fight.
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