Suppressing Bandits in Qiandeng Town (Part 2)
However, the rain intensified, and the river swelled, rushing down from above and creating a misty spray. In the hazy scene, the wind swirled the rain, and the rain entangled the wind, like countless whips lashing the riverbanks, leaving the earth riddled with holes.
The paths in the fields were filled with muddy yellow water of varying depths. Wang Weitao led the right flank column slowly through the water. At this moment, the soldiers who had gone ahead to scout rode up to Wang Weitao and whispered that there was a small group of bandits ahead, only about ten people dragging three hostages.
Wang Weitao immediately became interested. Hehe, a field mouse delivered right to his door, might as well make a killing.
If he could rescue these three hostages, his elder brother would definitely praise him. Thinking of the praise he would receive from Gao Junxiao, Wang Weitao was immediately filled with enthusiasm. In order not to affect the progress of the encirclement, he asked the deputy captain to lead the main force to the encirclement first, while he led the small team around to the woods.
Through the gaps in the trees, he saw a group of people squatting under a simple thatched hut to shelter from the rain.
This thatched shed was originally used by farmers to watch over the fields at night. It was just a simple frame made of a few branches and a tattered mat. The cattail mat had been there for who knows how long. It leaked everywhere and would blow away in the wind. Two people had to hold it down on each side.
One of the young men, carrying a Mauser pistol, seemed to be their leader. He wore a short-sleeved blouse with a yellow belt around his waist, and his shoulder-length hair was dripping wet. Everyone called him Brother Cat. The three hostages had black cloths over their heads and their hands were bound with coarse hemp rope. They trembled and dared not make a sound.
"Tch, a few cowards dare to call themselves cats? Let me show you how powerful your Grandpa Tao is!" Wang Weitao made a flanking maneuver, directing his team to quietly approach them. The sound of rain effectively masked all other noises. Suddenly, a bandit crouching on the outskirts had his mouth covered, and before he could even scream, his neck was snapped.
One by one, the bandits' necks were snapped. The men in the front row were still staring at the rain, unaware of the dramatic changes happening behind them. Cat, looking at the torrential rain outside, spat into the yellow water in front of him, slapped his subordinate on the back of the head, and cursed, "You think you're so capable? Keep an eye on the hostage!"
Another gust of wind blew by, whipping up the tattered mat. Rain poured down on him. Just as the bandit Xiao Mao was about to curse, he turned around and a cold gun barrel was pressed against his head. All his men were killed and lay scattered on the ground. Surprised, he raised his hands in a daze, completely bewildered.
Wang Weitao stepped forward, snatched the cat's weapon, and examined it closely. The Mauser pistol was about 80% new. The bandits had a strict hierarchy, and a bandit who could get a new Mauser pistol was at least a minor leader. He didn't expect this field mouse to be so fat; it must know where the granary was.
"Find out where the other hostages are, and take them away." Wang Weitao put a black hood, the same kind as the hostage's, over the kitten's head and handed it to the soldiers to take away.
As night fell, the riverbanks were quiet, and a fine drizzle fell on every corner. In the distance, gunshots rang out from Baijia Village, and shouts of killing rose everywhere. Several bandits broke through the encirclement after a fierce battle. Perhaps seeing that Shangshu Bay was only five or six feet wide, just a step away, they rushed impatiently toward the riverbank.
A bandit on horseback laughed wildly and shouted to the bandits behind him, "Hahaha, brothers, once we cross the river, we'll be heroes again!"
Suddenly the horse went out of control, throwing the man hard onto the muddy ground. The bandits behind him thought it was because the horse's hooves were slipping due to the rain, so they rushed forward to try to help him up. However, they also tripped and fell flat on their faces after only a few steps. Suddenly someone shouted, "There's a tripping hazard on the ground!"
Before they could even get up, countless light sources suddenly lit up the hillside and woods, illuminating the entire riverbank. The blinding light made the bandits unable to open their eyes. What they couldn't see were the soldiers hiding behind the greenery on the opposite bank, each with a military flashlight, while Gao Junxiao, who was in command, was observing the battle situation on the other side with binoculars.
"Fire! Shoot them all to death!" Gao Junxiao gave the bandits no time to react and immediately issued the order to fire.
Before the bandits could even curse, machine guns from three sides opened fire simultaneously. Dense bullets, accompanied by blast waves, swept across the river, sending grass and mud flying. The deafening "rat-a-tat-tat" sound easily drowned out the bandits' screams, curses, and the sounds of flesh tearing apart.
The bandits in the rear finally realized they had been tricked. Caught off guard, they used the corpses of their predecessors as shields and raised their guns to fight against the government troops. Unfortunately, their Mauser pistols were no match for the regular army. Under the suppression of heavy weapons, the remaining dozens of bandits could only retreat, trying to climb up a sloping hill by using their hands and feet.
However, as soon as the bandits climbed the earthen slope, a group of soldiers armed with submachine guns surrounded them. Upon hearing "Surrender and you will not be killed," the bandits threw down their weapons, covered their heads with their hands, and squatted on the ground.
Gao Junxiao squinted as he observed the results of the battle. He had anticipated that the bandits would seize the high ground, and when he gave the order to fire, he simultaneously dispatched a small detachment to lie in wait to the east.
"Report: Bandits in the southwest have surrounded the left flank. Captain Xu requests reinforcements." The messenger relayed the latest news from Baijia Village.
"How many people are on the other side? What kind of equipment do they have?" Gao Junxiao's worst fears came true. He had brought few people to begin with, and they were split into three teams. Now they were surrounded and could only make their way back to defend.
"More than eighty men, armed only with Mauser pistols and rifles, but their marksmanship is extremely accurate, like seasoned bandits," the messenger reported truthfully.
Gao Junxiao immediately instructed the messenger to find Captain Wang of the right flank detachment and infiltrate among the bandits to help Captain Xu break through. He added, "Shout to them from behind: surrender your weapons and you will not be killed. Find an opportunity to evacuate the villagers and hold them off until the main force arrives."
The battle situation changed rapidly, and Gao Junxiao immediately adjusted his strategy, ordering the front line to be shortened and the troops to be concentrated towards Baijia Village. At the same time, he ordered the communications soldier to contact the camp to find Chen Yao for support.
The thunderstorm came and went quickly, and the rain gradually subsided. The cool evening breeze carried the scent of damp grass, instantly clearing everyone's minds. In the southwest of Baijia Village, the bandits had the left flank of the detachment completely surrounded.
Their marksmanship was superb, almost every shot was fatal. The officers and soldiers of the left flank seemed unwilling to engage them in a direct confrontation, instead taking cover behind their positions and firing at the charging bandits. When Wang Weitao led the right flank to infiltrate, he discovered that the encirclement to the northeast was the weakest point.
He quickly tightened the reins, turned his horse around, and charged into the northeast. He led the charge, firing shots as he shouted at the fleeing bandits, "Surrender and you will not be killed; those who resist will only face death."
The bandits in the northeast were clearly less motivated than the others. Seeing the situation was turning against them, they scattered like birds and beasts, and those who were left alone were all killed. As a result, a gap was immediately torn open in the northeast.
For a moment, the officers and soldiers of the left flank detachment focused all their firepower on the northeast side, turning the small opening into a large one. Captain Xu Dongsheng was the first to break through and slide to hide behind cover. When Wang Weitao arrived late, Xu Dongsheng couldn't help but complain: "You little idiot, did you poop in the field? Why are you so slow?"
"Screw you! I'm saving my shit for the bandits. If I don't flush, they won't even recognize their own mothers. You little punk, are you still swimming in a cesspool?" Wang Weitao grinned slyly from behind his cover, his face full of pride.
"Hehe, I'll give you a compliment. You were really fierce just now." Xu Dongsheng happily killed one of the bandits opposite him after hearing this, and said seriously, "See that guy in the suit? He's the one who used a few village women as bait and then directed the bandits to surround us. Killing him means blinding the bandits."
"Holy crap, even bandits are wearing suits now, they're pretty good at this." Wang Weitao glanced at the man quickly and then immediately pulled his head back. "Okay, I'll go around to the back and poke their asses, then we'll meet at that big haystack in the center of the village."
The two exchanged battle plans on the spot, deciding to attack them from both sides, and said in unison, "Let's take them down."
When Gao Junxiao led the central force to arrive, he saw from afar a scene that looked like a meat grinder about to tear people apart. To his surprise, the bandits did not charge blindly, but attacked in organized waves, and some of them were directing the battle.
At this moment, the military and bandits were already locked in a fierce battle. The bandits seemed to be enraged. When they ran out of bullets, they drew their daggers and engaged in hand-to-hand combat. All that could be heard were frantic roars and foul language. They were locked in a struggle, wanting only to strangle each other, to suffocate each other, to deform each other's faces under their fists, and to feel the warmth of the splattering blood.
Before Chen Yao arrived to provide support, a fierce battle was inevitable. Gao Junxiao immediately deployed several skilled marksmen to occupy the high ground outside the village, and those holding hostages were shot dead on sight. The bandits, relying on their superior numbers and shameless methods, had greatly increased their morale and were advancing triumphantly, showing signs of a counterattack.
Gao Junxiao frowned, feeling as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe. His soaked shirt clung to his body, cold and itchy, so he simply unbuttoned two buttons and led the charge, rifle in hand.
Bullets whistled and flew everywhere, bang bang—each explosion brought out a large number of mutilated corpses. Amidst the flying dirt, Gao Junxiao calmly led the central brigade to use heavy firepower to push the bandits back into the encirclement, and gradually tightened the encirclement from the outside.
He had already discerned that the bandit leader was a young man in a suit. To catch the thief, you must first catch the leader. Without thinking, Gao Junxiao pulled the trigger, but the other man seemed to have no bones, twisting his neck into an unbelievable angle and barely dodging the bullet.
"Damn, is this guy even human?!" The young man in the suit also spotted Gao Junxiao's location and provocatively made a throat-slitting gesture. Gunfire erupted, and Gao Junxiao, pinned down by the sparks, couldn't lift his head. He immediately crawled forward and changed positions.
But this rascal was a crack shot; the bullets seemed to have eyes and were aimed straight at Gao Junxiao's head. At this moment, the captains of the left and right teams came to provide fire support. Wang and Xu had been through a fierce battle around the village, and they were bound to have some scratches on their bodies and faces, but that couldn't hide their spirited and youthful demeanor.
"Supervisor Gao, that kid has some kind of sorcery!" Xu Dongsheng shouted. "He can teleport, and we can't aim at him no matter what we do."
“Brother, I’ve tried it too. He can even split into three targets at once. He’s definitely not human.” Wang Weitao scratched his head anxiously. “If it weren’t for his command, the bandits would have been wiped out long ago.”
Gao Junxiao was amused by their serious tone and said in an unquestionable manner, "Hehe, sorcery, are you really not afraid of bullets? How can he dodge? Give me two grenades, and you provide cover fire."
In a narrow encounter, the brave prevail. Gao Junxiao didn't care about any sorcery or magic. On the battlefield, only life and death, victory and defeat mattered. Under the cover of fire, he quietly climbed into a dead end. The young man in the suit was in the earthen house at the end of the alley.
The lookout seemed to sense something amiss and shouted, "Who's there? Who's there?"
Several other bandits also cautiously approached, guns at the ready. Gao Junxiao silently pulled out a grenade, rolled it to the feet of one of the patrolling bandits, and pressed himself against the earthen wall, silently counting down in his mind: 3, 2, 1.
A huge explosion, accompanied by a wave of heat, blasted the surrounding bandits into pieces. Gao Junxiao shook off the blows from the broken wood and rubble, and before the dust had settled, he charged into the alley. Before the people inside could react, he threw a grenade through the window.
Thick smoke, accompanied by a deafening roar, ripped the roof off the earthen house. Only the young man in the suit managed to escape by leaping out of the side window, but he was also badly injured by the aftershocks, bleeding from all seven orifices as he ran behind the earthen wall, seemingly replenishing his ammunition.
Because he was too close to the explosion, Gao Junxiao's ears were ringing. Even though he couldn't hear the sound of his hands reloading, he still completed the action in one go. Suddenly, a menacing killing intent descended, and in a flash, Gao Junxiao raised his gun and fired.
Thump! Thump! Gao Junxiao felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder, and his entire right arm instantly went numb. He quickly hid behind the earthen wall. Through the smoke, the little brat wasn't much better off, lying on the ground howling in pain, a bloody hole in his thigh gushing blood. It was estimated that the bone was broken in that spot.
"Hey, you little brat, you can't even stand up straight anymore. Why don't you just take your own life and I'll roll up a tattered mat for you and bury you in peace as soon as possible. You might even be able to compete with other families for offerings during Qingming Festival this year. It's all because your family's ancestral line has ended." Gao Junxiao mocked as he tightly wrapped a handkerchief around his injured shoulder.
"Shut up! You're the one who's cut off the family line!" The young man in the suit, his eyes bloodshot and his expression ferocious, fired off a barrage of spiel in Gao Junxiao's direction.
The mud wall was smashed, and dust flew everywhere. Gao Junxiao continued to provoke him: "Why don't you take a piss and look at your own pathetic self? What woman would like you if you were so timid and cowardly? Even if your head is chopped off and made into blood buns, no one would want it. The only good thing is that when you're chopped off, it'll make a loud noise and give everyone a laugh."
When it comes to disrupting people's minds, Gao Junxiao is second to none. Feeling the air currents of bullets flying overhead, Gao Junxiao's forehead was covered in cold sweat. Damn, this move was still a bit risky, after all, that little brat's marksmanship is pretty accurate.
"Shut the hell up! If I don't have any girls who like me, you old geezer will be even less desirable!" the young man in the suit yelled angrily.
"Hehe, I'm not afraid to tell you that my wife has fair skin and delicate bones, and is as beautiful as a peach blossom in spring. She can dance, write books, and speak foreign languages. Most importantly, she loves me to death." Gao Junxiao, while talking, quietly moved behind another earthen wall. He took out the pistol at his waist, weighing the shooting angle and several feasible plans in his mind.
"Bullshit, keep dreaming. You can have any kind of woman in your dreams." Suddenly, the young man in the suit stopped shooting, cursing.
"Great, he's out of bullets. Now's the time!" Gao Junxiao swung his arm and cocked the pistol with one hand, shooting it out of the kid's hand. The kid, unwilling to give up, lunged at the fallen pistol, only to be forced back to his original position by the bullet.
Gao Junxiao, panting, pointed his gun at the young man in the suit's forehead, kicked open the pistol, and sneered, "You little brat, still got cocky? Don't move, my policy is surrender and you won't be killed. What's your name?"
"I am Lei Shanhai, and I will never change my name or surname." Lei Shanhai stared at Gao Junxiao with bloodshot eyes, his face full of resentment.
Suddenly, the sounds of battle grew louder from afar, and the continuous, dense gunfire shook the heavens and the earth. Gao Junxiao was overjoyed; Chen Yao's reinforcements had finally arrived.
"Report! Commander Chen has brought two battalions of reinforcements and has surrounded the bandits in Baijia Village." As soon as the messenger finished speaking, Chen Yao ran over to meet him. Just now, Chen Yao had directed the reinforcements to block all the main roads and evacuate the villagers.
The remaining bandits, having lost their leader, were forced to retreat under the firepower. Some even grabbed villagers and held knives to hostages as they retreated back into the thatched huts. Gunfire between the officials and bandits gradually subsided. Since the other side still had hostages, to prevent the bandits from resorting to desperate measures and harming the hostages, Gao Junxiao ordered his men to continue shouting until the other side was willing to negotiate.
Chen Yao sent men to escort Lei Shanhai away, and grinned at Gao Junxiao, saying, "What did you go to the front line for? It's not your turn to be a vanguard. Commander, act like a commander. As commanders, we must completely trust our brothers. They also need experience."
Gao Junxiao simply smiled at Chen Yao's question without giving a direct answer. His adjutant, Lu Xian, nervously helped him remove the blood-soaked handkerchief and called for a medic to remove the bullet. Gao Junxiao, however, instructed the medic to administer less anesthesia, as he needed to remain clear-headed.
"Brother, I caught a small-time leader earlier. He just said that the hostages on the train are all hidden in the thatched hut in the southwest corner," Wang Weitao said anxiously as he ran.
"That's bad. The remaining bandits are all gathered over there now." Chen Yao's face was somewhat ashen. "How about I personally lead a team in and try to rescue the hostages?"
The anesthesia hadn't taken effect yet, and he was relying entirely on willpower to stay awake. Gao Junxiao removed the towel from his mouth and said weakly, "No, you're the commander, it's not your turn to be the vanguard. Those bandits are desperate criminals. Putting aside the hostages, don't you care about the lives of our brothers? Do those people deserve to trade their lives for our brothers' lives?"
Chen Yao remained silent for a moment, and Gao Junxiao knew that he had been persuaded. He continued, "I think they are almost out of energy and ammunition. Have someone go over there and shout to attract the bandits' attention. Shoot anyone who makes a move. Also, send another team to go around to the back of the house and launch a surprise attack to rescue the hostages."
"Alright, alright, I got it. Now give the orders to me, you can rest." Chen Yao said, putting the towel back into Gao Junxiao's mouth and wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Gao Junxiao wanted to speak, but a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. He groaned and his body trembled uncontrollably. His only remaining left hand gripped his knee tightly to resist the excruciating pain. The medic had already used tweezers to hold the bullet and pulled hard, removing a blood-stained bullet.
While bandaging, Gao Junxiao was almost too weak to even groan, but he still whispered in Lu Xian's ear to instruct him to go to the company and select some men to change into civilian clothes. Except for those who were shouting, he wanted to replace all the brothers at the door. In case Commander Chen was too impatient, he had to do his best to dissuade him and ensure the safety of the hostages.
After receiving Lu Xian's assurance, Gao Junxiao closed his eyes with peace of mind, rested for a while, and decided to take a look later.
The air after the rain was very fresh, and the occasional croaking of frogs could be heard in the secluded fields. Most people had already fallen asleep to the sound of the rain, but Baijia Village and Qiandeng Town were destined to have a sleepless night.
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