Chapter Ninety-Eight: Advancing Forward

The brothers were already cleaning up the battlefield, the Russians gathered on one side, while Nirel and a few men were interrogating them about the recent encirclement operation. Yang Xiaolin had no intelligence system; his knowledge of the enemy came solely from these captives.

The company comrades were clearing away the bodies of the fallen Russian soldiers. Gu Tianming ordered that every pocket be thoroughly searched, hoping to find a bag or something like last time. But obviously, such bags weren’t always present. On these Russian soldiers, there was nothing but vodka bottles and a few photographs of women.

Yang Xiaolin now held a Mauser rifle, deftly pulling back the bolt before taking aim. “Good gun!” he remarked.

A Qing officer knelt before Yang Xiaolin, looking up. “Sir, this was brought over by foreigners just last month. I've heard it’s the latest German model. Along with a few machine guns, American-made, they shoot much faster than the Maxim you hold.”

Yang Xiaolin smiled. “You say you have a thousand men equipped with such fine weapons, so how come you’re so easily defeated?”

The officer quickly replied, “Sir, your wisdom and martial prowess are like a god descended to earth. We mere mortals are no match for you.”

Yang Xiaolin kicked him lightly. “Enough of this nonsense! Such good guns in your hands are simply wasted.”

The officer answered, “Yes, yes, sir, you don’t know. Though these guns are fine, coming all the way to our Qing Empire, they suffer from some kind of acclimatization problem. No matter how they fire, they just can’t shoot accurately.”

That excuse made Yang Xiaolin laugh heartily. “Alright, once it’s in my hands, it’ll get used to it! How many of you remain up ahead?”

The officer was eager to help. “Sir, you must not go further! Pardon my candor, but the road you’ve chosen is poor. Up ahead is the main force of this encirclement, personally led by General Zeng Qi of Shengjing and the Russian commander. There are over fifteen thousand troops in total!”

Yang Xiaolin frowned, realizing his luck had truly run out this time.

When setting out, he knew nothing of the surroundings. There were several routes to choose from, yet he had stubbornly charged into the toughest spot. At that moment, he briefly considered turning back, but something felt off. Retreating now didn’t seem safe either.

The officer continued earnestly, “What I say is true. Honestly, we brothers are just here to put on a show. We dare not show the slightest disrespect to you, sir! A few days ago, I even told my comrades that to be a man means to be like you and the others—truly a real man!”

Yang Xiaolin knew this man had neither reason nor courage to lie to him. He looked at him with interest. “What’s your name?”

“My surname is Liang, given name Changlin. I’m a company commander now, the same rank you once held. Heh. I’ve always looked up to you as my role model, hoping one day to achieve something earth-shattering like you!”

The Qing troops’ poor combat performance stemmed largely from this: their generals schemed to line their pockets, while the junior officers spent more effort flattering their superiors than training their men.

Yang Xiaolin glanced at the officer. “Hmm, very well. From now on, you work with me.”

Liang Changlin’s face turned pale in an instant, uncertain how to recover after so much flattery.

Seeing his hesitation, Yang Xiaolin stopped teasing him. “Just kidding! Someone like you, I couldn’t stand having around. Enough of that. I’ll go ask the hunters. If you haven’t done anything truly wicked, I’ll let you go. Whoever’s guilty, step forward now—maybe I’ll spare you.”

Liang Changlin was delighted, bowing repeatedly. “Thank you, sir, for your mercy! Rest assured, we were forced here by the Russians. These are our own people’s lands—we wouldn’t harm our own home if those devils hadn’t pointed guns at us.”

His words laid a trap: if any hunter identified them, they could still claim they were coerced by the Russians. Yang Xiaolin, who knew the Qing troops inside and out, wasn’t fooled.

Yang Xiaolin lifted Liang’s clothing. “Don’t try that with me. You know I was once a company commander. Put away your tricks. And don’t think I’m letting you go because I’m merciful. Do you know why?”

Liang looked confused and shook his head.

Yang Xiaolin gestured toward the mountain village. “Because you are Chinese. It’s that simple. Even if I see you now like a dog, you’re still Chinese. Here in western Liaoning, the Japanese kill us, the Russians kill us—I don’t want us killing each other, understand?”

He slapped Liang’s face a few times. For some reason, Liang’s heart suddenly trembled, as if those words had touched a hidden chord deep inside. After a long moment, he murmured, “I understand.”

Just then, Nirel came running up. “Yang, you’re in trouble. Up ahead is the Russian main force. They say there are over fifteen thousand troops, less than eight miles from your position.”

Yang Xiaolin waved a hand. “I know. Brother Jin, have all the company commanders come here for a meeting!”

The situation was grave. After hearing Yang Xiaolin’s intelligence from the Qing officer and Nirel’s questioning of the Russians, the initial joy of victory was replaced by solemnity. The comrades’ faces grew serious.

Fifteen thousand men! Among them, five thousand were Russian soldiers. How were they to fight such a battle?

Kong Luodi looked at Yang Xiaolin. “Commander, if it’s no good, should we turn back and take another route?”

Yang Xiaolin said nothing. He pulled out a cigarette, handed one to Nirel, then lit his own. “I’ve thought about it. But now that the first shot’s been fired, our position is exposed. The enemy will surround us from all sides. If we turn back now, there’ll be little room to maneuver.”

Brother Jin clenched his teeth. “If not, we fight to the death!”

Gu Tianming added, “How? They have over ten thousand men, including those Russians. Even if we all had two guns each, we still wouldn’t match their numbers!”

Brother Jin glared at Gu Tianming. “I know you’re cowardly. If you’re really scared, stay at the back. Don’t worry—I won’t mock you.”

Gu Tianming slammed the table and stood, about to argue when Yang Xiaolin’s fist struck the table. “Enough! This isn’t about whether we can win. If we run away now, they’ll chase us down. Tell the brothers to assemble immediately. Whether we can fight or not, we’ll see when we get there.”

Gu Tianming looked at Brother Jin, then sat back down. “Fine. We’ll follow the commander’s orders.”

Yang Xiaolin stood. “Nirel, what time is it?”

Nirel checked his watch. “Three forty-five.”

Yang Xiaolin nodded. “Still in time. Move out immediately!”