Chapter 102: Xia Hua's Man

  On the forced march back to the parking location, Zhao Yong asked:

  "Commander Lian, shouldn't we return to the military department now?"

  "No, we must withdraw in the direction of the border." Dong Li Mao had thought about it early on. If they didn't retreat back to their home country, they might not be able to return after a few days.

  "Are you saying we should go back to the country?" Zhao Yong furrowed his brow, saying with some concern: "If we leave the troops without permission, we'll be considered deserters. Shouldn't we ask the military department for instructions on our next move?"

  "It's not necessary, the military department is probably too busy to care about us now. The loss of Dongguan Airport and Pixiu River, the headquarters of the Fifth Army has already withdrawn from Dongguan City." After answering, several thunderclaps rumbled, followed by a few flashes of lightning, he looked up at the night sky that was about to dawn and said: "It's going to rain."

  No sooner had his words fallen than the sky seemed to be listening to Dong Li Mao and it started raining.

  "We should also contact the 66th Army through radio and inform them that General Qi was captured by the Japanese after being injured." Zhao Yong was a professional soldier, always accustomed to listening to his superiors' orders.

  Ke Dong Li Mao is not a professional soldier, he has been used to being free and easy-going, so he doesn't care about those rules in the army.

  "Hmm... it's time to contact the 66th Army." Dong Limao stopped in his tracks and told Hu San, "Sound the bugle, let the brothers rest for a while and take shelter from the rain in the woods."

  Continuous marching and fighting, no matter how brave the warriors were, they couldn't withstand this kind of torture. Although it was raining heavily, some soldiers leaned against the roots of trees and fell asleep immediately, closing their eyes. They were really too tired.

  "The brothers are all exhausted." Dong Li Mao looked at the weary soldiers and thought that if they encountered the devils again, their combat effectiveness would be a problem. Not to mention the depletion of ammunition, just the physical exhaustion alone could cost the lives of his comrades.

  "Yes, it's almost dawn, but the brothers haven't closed their eyes yet." Zhao Yong nodded and said: "Lian Zhang, it's not good to let the brothers sleep in the rain, they will get sick."

  "We need to find a place where everyone can get a good night's sleep, eat something hot and replenish our ammunition in time... and medicine..." Dong Limao saw that Dao Lanxiang was busy taking care of the wounded, but she didn't have any bandages or medicine, so she could only use strips of torn military uniforms as temporary bandages. Dong Limao shouted: "Little Hu Zi..."

  "Here!" Hu San immediately ran up front.

  "Go and get the quartermaster over here. Also, bring the radio that the 66th Army provided for us." Dong Limao instructed.

  "Yes!" Hu San turned around and went to find Pan Guangzu.

  The whole team, except for Pan Guangzu, no one knows how to use a wireless radio.

  Before long, Pan Guangzu put on his armor and carried a bundle wrapped in clothes in his arms, following Hu San to the side of Dong Li Mao and Zhao Yong.

  "Fatty, what treasure are you holding in your arms?" Dong Li Mao asked curiously.

  "Radio station!"

  "Alright, now send a telegram to the 66th Army and say that General Qi Xueqi was seriously injured and captured. The little devils have sent him to the field hospital of the Japanese 13th Division... With our special agent, over a hundred brothers, it's simply impossible to rescue him..."

  Pan Guangzu didn't wait for Dong Li Mao to finish speaking, and with a sorrowful face replied: "The radio station got wet from the rain. In this kind of weather, it's impossible to send out reports."

  Dong Li Mao looked at Zhao Yong and smiled, saying: "Now we are soldiers outside, the military order cannot be received. It's good that we won't be ordered around by our superiors again." After finishing speaking, he turned his face to Pan Guang Zu and said: "Currently, the company needs to replenish ammunition and medicine, find a place for the brothers to have a good rest. You are the quartermaster, do you have any solutions?"

  Pan Guangzu smiled wryly and replied, "As the saying goes, a clever woman can't cook without rice. In this desolate mountain wilderness, where do you expect me to find ammunition and medicine?"

  Dong Li Mao burst out laughing: "It's not like I want you to find it for me right away, what I'm saying is whether there's a relatively safe place with food and drink."

  Pan Guangzu thought for a moment before answering: "The closest one from here should be the Bao Shi Keng military supply station, but it would also take half a day's drive to get there."

  Dong Li Mao looked at Zhao Yong again, saw him nodding, and then said loudly: "Alright, let the brothers endure for a moment, set off immediately, target Baoshi Keng Military Supply Station!"

  When Hu San blew the military horn, Dong Li Mao said to Zhao Yong: "It seems that only by going to the military supply station can we send a telegram to the 66th Army."

  "Yes, it had to be like this, damn this weather!" Zhao Yong cursed the weather.

  The rain got heavier and heavier, the little devil's fresh blood on Dong Li Mao's body was washed away by this heavy rain, he said optimistically: "At least, we don't need to take a bath now."

  Before dawn, the special agent team arrived at the location where the car was parked, removed the camouflage, and took advantage of the rainy day when there would be no Japanese planes taking off, got in the car and headed towards the Baoshikeng military supply station on the highway.

  Along the way, they encountered many scattered expeditionary officers and soldiers, almost all of whom were heading in one direction. Most of them were wounded, so Dong Li Mao and his group took some of the seriously injured with them on their vehicles, which were almost completely filled up. Even the jeeps had seven or eight people in each one.

  Dong Li Mao learned from these wounded men that the Japanese army had recaptured Dongguacheng, and the headquarters of the Fifth Army had also retreated in the direction of the border.

  By noon, the rain weakened, and there were more and more vehicles on the road, which was crowded with people and cars coming and going.

  In one night, the expeditionary force was like a broken dam of floodwater, being fiercely counterattacked by the Japanese army and defeated all over the place. With the loss of the Donggu Frontline, the situation turned in favor of the Japanese army.

  Fortunately, due to weather conditions, the troops did not suffer from Japanese air raids along the way. Although they advanced slowly, the Special Duty Company arrived at the Baoshikeng Military Supply Depot before dark in the afternoon.

  The military supply station was overcrowded, and the Fifth Army, except for General Dai Anlan's 200th Division, which was still blocking the Japanese army in the Tonggu area, almost all the other divisions and the military department's civilian personnel rushed to this place.

  Dolan Xiang asked clearly that the Fifth Army Field Hospital had also withdrawn to the Bao Shi Keng Military Supply Station. With the help of Dong Li Mao and the brothers of the Special Operations Unit, when they were carrying the wounded into the cave of the field hospital, a military doctor grabbed Dolan Xiang and anxiously asked:

  "Where's Katniss? She was with you two, wasn't she? Why didn't she come back?"

  Dolan Xiang was at a loss for words, and introduced Dong Li Mao by saying: "Brother Dong, this is the surgeon of the Fifth Army Field Hospital, Xia Hua's husband, named Zeng Zifan. Brother Dong, you'd better talk to Surgeon Zeng yourself." After finishing speaking, Dolan Xiang hurriedly walked away to help take care of the wounded.

  Dong Li Mao stepped forward, grasping Zeng Zi Fan's hands with both of his own and said: "Hello, I'm Special Agent Dong Jia Cheng. That... your wife... she was killed by the Japanese devils. She wasn't the only one who met with disaster, there was also the child in her belly..."

  Zeng Zifan didn't wait for Dong Limao to finish speaking, and big tears rolled down his eyes, his hand trembling in Dong Limao's grasp.

  Dong Li Mao hugged him tightly and patted Zeng Zifan's back, saying: "Cry, it will feel better if you cry."

  Zengzi let out a loud wail and burst into tears, shouting "Xiaohua... I wasn't able to protect you and the child..."

  Dong Li Mao also silently shed tears, he was the one who witnessed that horrific scene with his own eyes and was also blaming himself for not being able to arrive in time to rescue those four brutally abused nurses. He felt guilty in front of this man, after experiencing this incident, Dong Li Mao deeply realized that as a man, the greatest pain in life is not being able to protect women and children well.

  "Director Lian..." Hu San rushed over at this time.

  Dong Li Mao let go of Zeng Zi Fan and said, "Mourn in moderation. This blood debt will be recorded on the Japanese devils' account!" Then he turned around and asked Hu San, "Speak up, what's going on?" He raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of his eyes.

  "Commander Kong wants you to go now." Hu San replied.

  "Which hole captain?" Dong Li Mao was puzzled for a moment about who Hu San was referring to.

  "He is the Captain Kong of the Guard Corps."

  "Oh, is he also at the military supply station?" Dong Li Mao only then remembered that his immediate superior was Kong Xueri.

  "The battalion commander knew that our special operations company had arrived at the logistics station and immediately sent his deputy to find us, telling Company Commander you must go see him right away," said Hu San.

  Dong Li Mao then walked to the front of Kao Lan Hsiang, who was busy running back and forth among the wounded, pulled her aside and said: "Lan Hsiang, you must go with me, you can't stay here."

  "But I..." Dao Lanxiang looked at the wounded soldiers lying all over the cave and wanted to say that she would stay here.

  Dong Li Mao interrupted her: "These people will be taken care of, now you must come with me." As he spoke, he pulled Knife Lan Xiang and was about to leave.

  "Dong Lianchang..." Zeng Zifan stepped forward, his eyes red and swollen from crying: "I want to fight the little devils with your special agent team! To avenge Xia Hua and my child!"

  Dong Li Mao thought that the special forces unit was indeed short of a military doctor, and with this surgeon following them, they could provide timely treatment to injured comrades in the future.

  "Alright, can you come with me now?" Dong Li Mao patted Zeng Fan's shoulder and asked.

  "No problem." Zeng Zifan replied: "However, I need to bring something with me. Can you wait for a few minutes?"