Chapter 22: Crushing the Ma Family Army's Suicide Squad—Recognition and Praise from Headquarters' Top Leadership
Base of operations, command headquarters.
“Commander!”
“Look!”
“Soo Changqing, that guy—he really pulled it off, he really did!”
“Hahaha!”
“This guy is a genius at creating miracles, an absolute prodigy.”
“A forced march of seventy-two kilometers in fourteen hours—an almost impossible mission—and yet this young man accomplished it.”
Facing his junior from the fourth class of the Huangpu Military Academy, the Chief of Staff never held back his praise.
He held Soo Changqing in the highest regard.
Ever since Soo Changqing returned to Great Xia from the Polar Bear Empire, the Chief of Staff had looked out for his junior with great care.
Otherwise, given Soo Changqing’s rebellious nature, he would have suffered greatly within the ranks.
Thus, the relationship between the Chief of Staff and Soo Changqing was exceptionally good.
“Excellent, excellent!”
“Well done. After this battle, I will recommend him for commendation from the Party.”
“Send a reply to Soo Changqing: I only need you to hold your position for two days and two nights. By then, the Western Route Army, led by his senior from the first class of Huangpu, will come to reinforce Baizhang Pass.”
“This operation in Gansu and Qinghai was a bit rushed by the Party and the organization. If it weren’t for Soo Changqing and the First Column’s presence, we might have faced total annihilation.”
The Commander gave full credit to Soo Changqing and the First Column.
“Commander!”
“Should we send a telegram to the Western Route Army headquarters, ordering them to mobilize immediately to reinforce Baizhang Pass?”
“Though we didn’t achieve our strategic objective in this battle,” he continued, “as long as reinforcements arrive at Baizhang Pass, the Ma family army won’t gain any advantage.”
“Now that the Japanese are pressing hard and the Northeast Army’s attitude has softened, perhaps in the near future, we can establish a second cooperation with the Qing Tian Party Army.”
“From the standpoint of consolidating our base, we have indeed made some progress.”
Hearing the Chief of Staff’s words, the Commander nodded in agreement. “Exactly!”
Just as the two senior leaders reached consensus, a telegram arrived at headquarters.
The Chief of Staff took the telegram; his expression darkened instantly.
“What is it?” the Commander asked, puzzled.
“Commander, you read it yourself,” the Chief of Staff said bitterly. “At this critical juncture—what does that man still want?”
“What does he want?”
“Does he think the Fourth Rainbow Army is his personal property? Does he have no sense of Party loyalty?”
“Has he completely forgotten what it means to be a Party member?”
Seeing the Chief of Staff’s rare rage, the Commander took the telegram.
In the next moment, the already hot-tempered Commander slammed his fist hard on the table.
“Bang!”
The loud noise startled everyone.
The magazine of his pistol popped out; the Commander checked the rounds.
“Let’s go!”
“We’re going to find him—go to the base directly.”
This time, the Chief of Staff did not object or try to dissuade him.
The telegram clearly stated:
“The swift action of the First Column is gratifying.
This is a perfect opportunity to change the course of the battle. Currently, the main forces of the Qing Tian Party Army and the Ma family army are converging on Baizhang Pass.
I have ordered the Western Route Army to shift focus to capturing key positions in Qinghai and Gansu.
This aims to fulfill the strategic objectives of the western expedition.
The First Column must hold Baizhang Pass for over a week to coordinate with the Western Route Army’s operations.
This mission is crucial for consolidating our base and expanding our influence.
Moreover, it is essential for opening a communication channel between the Rainbow Army and the Polar Bear Empire.
If necessary, the annihilation of the First Column is an acceptable sacrifice.
As the saying goes, compassion should not govern command, nor righteousness control finance.
Sacrificing the First Column to seize control of Qinghai and Gansu is a highly profitable transaction.
The First Column saved the Western Route Army and averted their total destruction.
Yet, that man with great influence over the Fourth Rainbow Army is willing to sacrifice the entire First Column for greater gain.”
“Transaction!”
Within the Rainbow Army, to abandon the unit that fought to carve out a path for comrades with the word “transaction” was unforgivable.
No wonder the Chief of Staff and the Commander were so furious.
Equally outraged were several top leaders within the base.
“He’s willing to betray the First Column just to control the Fourth Rainbow Army, to seize the Party, to grab power!”
“If that’s his intention, then I’ll give him this position—how about that?”
“Betraying comrades, betraying fellow soldiers, weighing everything in terms of profit—does he still have any Party spirit? Is he even a true Party member?”
“When has the Rainbow Army ever abandoned comrades who sacrificed for it?”
“Bang!”
A senior officer slammed the table and stood abruptly, hands on hips, willing to tear the mask off.
“Today, it’s either me or him. Notify headquarters. Notify the Western Route Army. Let them decide.”
“Let Soo Changqing’s senior decide whether to support the First Column.”
“Then so be it!”
“Yes, so be it!”
The senior officers reached a unified decision. This time, that man had clearly ruined himself.
...
Baizhang Pass.
The precarious position seemed on the verge of collapse.
Yet, whenever the Ma family army charged, they faced fierce counterattacks.
Even deploying their suicide squads was futile.
Those seemingly fierce Ma family suicide squads were utterly suppressed in morale by the Rainbow Army soldiers.
Through binoculars, the battlefield came into view.
The once arrogant Ma family army commander from the northwest trembled uncontrollably.
The brutal and bloody close-quarters combat, the indomitable will of the Rainbow Army soldiers fighting to the death, struck terror into the Ma family commander’s heart.
On that battlefield, one by one, Rainbow Army soldiers who had placed their lives on the line raised their shining bayonets.
They surged forward, wave after wave, charging the Ma family suicide squads.
Scarlet blood splattered the ground as the Rainbow Army soldiers expertly thrust their bayonets forward.
The sharp blades pierced the hearts of the terrified Ma family soldiers.
Blood sprayed relentlessly.
The veteran Rainbow Army squad leader was unmatched in courage and unstoppable.
The Ma family suicide squad members sensed this immediately.
Seven or eight of them charged forward with bayonets.
Seeing this, the other Rainbow Army soldiers rallied around their veteran squad leader.
Their sharp bayonets danced amid flesh and blood.
With seamless coordination, Rainbow Army soldiers felled one Ma family suicide squad member after another.
The position was stained crimson with hot blood.
Life and death hung by a thread.
Soldiers kept falling; others charged forward relentlessly.
“Damn it! Damn it!”
“Blow them up! Blow them all up!”
“These lunatics—they’re just crazy.”
“Fighting is just a way to make a living. Why risk everything like this?”
“Why like this?”
Unable to comprehend the Rainbow Army soldiers’ willingness to fight with their lives, a Ma family soldier bit open the wooden handle of a grenade and hurled it toward the battle line.
These brutal men had gone mad.
They no longer cared if they hit their own soldiers fighting alongside the Rainbow Army soldiers.
They sought to indiscriminately kill all combatants in the area with the explosion.
Even the Rainbow Army soldiers did not expect this.
The grenade made a tearing sound as the pin was pulled.
The veteran Rainbow Army squad leader reacted on instinct, pushing aside Mi Long.
He lunged toward the grenade.
“Get down! Get down!”
“Boom!”
The explosion tore a huge hole in the squad leader’s chest.
Blood gushed from his mouth.
“Squad leader! Squad leader!”
“Old squad leader!!”
Voices shouted hoarsely.
The squad leader’s lips parted slightly.
“Hold… hold…”
His gaze quickly dimmed.
After a march of twenty-five thousand li, he fell here.
“Ahhh!”
“You bastards! I’ll kill you all!”
“Kill them!”
“Avenging the squad leader, hold the position!”
“Avenging the squad leader, hold the position!”
With their squad leader fallen, the entire squad’s eyes turned bloodshot.
They transformed into beasts of vengeance, lunging at the Ma family suicide squads who were already stunned by the scene.
“Madmen!”
“Madmen, they’re a bunch of fearless lunatics.”
“Who else would shield a grenade with their body?”
Broken in spirit, the Ma family suicide squad soldiers fled.
Meanwhile, Mi Long and the others attacked frenziedly.
Elsewhere, Soo Changqing held binoculars, lips trembling, eyes glistening with tears.
“Send the logistics troops up with ammunition.”
“This battle isn’t over—it’s just beginning.”
“Column commander, the 18th Regiment?” the staff officer asked.
“Reserve!”
“Hold position!”
“Concentrate the column’s guard company. The night is deepening.”
“We’re about to give these bastards a surprise.”
Soo Changqing lifted his gaze toward the distance, all his emotions hidden beneath those inscrutable eyes.
...