"Where is the artillery?! Bring up the guns and blast them!" Hu Xiuzhi, commander of the 5th Company, didn't even notice that his voice was already filled with despair. Even such a hysterical cry couldn't carry far; less than two hundred meters away, the roar of heavy machine guns from the German bunkers suppressed his voice with even greater decibels and volume.

Rocket artillery possessed sufficient power for mass-killing infantry in open areas. On July 10, just yesterday, the People’s Party had wiped out over six hundred enemies using only ten rockets. However, while the number of regular German troops in the Qingdao Fortress was roughly the same as yesterday, they demonstrated formidable combat effectiveness when defending the fortress against the assault of over ten thousand People’s Party troops.

The 5th Company, led by Hu Xiuzhi, was the second wave of troops attacking the northern section of the Qingdao Fortress. When they set out, the sky was pitch black; the People's Party had already cut the electrical wires for the streetlights in the Qingdao urban area. Now, the entire city was shrouded in total darkness. Aside from the flashes of exploding shells, German flares were fired into the sky one after another, emitting intense light.

Even for a force like the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, which placed extreme importance on training, they had never heard artillery booming at such a dense frequency. Every minute, the sound of shell explosions, whether near or far, rang out. The officers and soldiers simply had no time to think. Especially for the second echelon, everyone followed the pre-determined communication lines under the reflection of the artillery fire, gripping their rifles tightly and sprinting with their necessary gear.

Comrades in charge of directing the flow stood at both ends of every communication trench, either ordering units to pass quickly or commanding them to halt temporarily. Hu Xiuzhi was evaluated within the army as being "very patient and meticulous," but he found that every time they stopped for a brief rest after passing through a several-hundred-meter section of the communication line, one or two soldiers—or even an entire squad—would be missing when they counted heads. Yet, Hu Xiuzhi’s unit was by no means the only one running through these lines. Many units were like the 5th Company: tense-faced, panting, and fighting under the guidance of their commanders.

Of course, the 5th Company didn't just lose men; soldiers from other units who had been separated or had lost their way also "joined" their ranks. The comrades managing the communication points couldn't just let soldiers stay there aimlessly. After a brief pause, based on the number of missing men, the managing comrades would temporarily assign the soldiers collected at the checkpoint to the units passing through.

At least during this stage, Hu Xiuzhi's thinking remained clear. On one hand, he decided to intensify training for this type of forward movement; on the other, he had the order passed down in a low voice: "Comrades in the back, grab the straps on the backpack of the person in front of you."

There was a cloth strap sewn onto the bottom of the People's Party's backpacks. Hu Xiuzhi knew this was specifically designed for comrades in the rear to hold onto while marching. However, every time Hu Xiuzhi saw this handle, what came to mind was the "Eagle Catches the Chick" game often played in the army. A long line of people, each grabbing the clothes of the comrade in front, trying to avoid the person acting as the "eagle." To coordinate the rhythm of the entire group's run, many comrades often ran themselves out of breath during the game.

What originally looked like a children's game now seemed to have great significance for marching in the dead of night. Without effectively following the group's run, falling behind was impossible to avoid.

Sure enough, once everyone was clutching the handles on the backpacks of those in front, although their movement speed slowed slightly, the problem of falling behind was at least resolved. Before Hu Xiuzhi could even feel relieved, the unit reached the final jumping-off position. The Qingdao Fortress wasn't surrounded by a wall that towered into the clouds; it was a modern fortress built into the terrain, composed of many bunkers. The People's Party had extensive experience in besieging cities, especially against Chinese-style defense systems like walled villages or cities.

But as Hu Xiuzhi looked at the not-so-imposing Qingdao Fortress, he felt only a chill. In that layout, as long as sandbags were piled up, machine guns could be mounted for defense at any time. The vanguard had already captured the outer fortifications, and although the brutal combat they had endured was invisible in the darkness, Hu Xiuzhi could smell a pungent odor—a mixture of gunpowder smoke, blood, and flesh.

"Ugh!" Some comrades in the unit, stimulated by the smell, couldn't help but dry heave or simply vomit.

Hu Xiuzhi was attacking the Qingdao Mountain battery. This hill, named Mount Bismarck by the Germans, housed two of their fortress artillery batteries. The North Battery had two 21cm cannons, while the South Battery held four 28cm howitzers. The Qingdao sky was lit up almost the entire night by the flashes of these guns.

"Go back! Return to the jumping-off point from just now!" the scout shouted.

Although the order was surprising, Hu Xiuzhi didn't question it. He immediately urged the surprised comrades to head back to the assembly point they had just left. Before the unit had gone far, an earth-shattering explosion sounded from behind. Dust and sand kicked up by the shell pelted the soldiers like rain. Interspersed among the sounds were the cries of wounded comrades.

"Don't shout!" Hu Xiuzhi immediately yelled. If one cried out loudly after being wounded, it would only reveal the unit's position. This was a point emphasized many times. But emphasis was one thing; once actually wounded, everyone would find it hard not to cry out. "Medics, get them bandaged quickly. The unit continues forward!"

Hu Xiuzhi felt frustrated. Everyone had been running around all night like headless flies, already dizzy from the exertion. With wounded men, they couldn't just leave them there; they had to be checked and transported. This was truly worse than attacking a city wall. Although the enemy had the high ground there, they were out in the open; the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army could concentrate their fire or launch multi-pronged attacks. There were plenty of ways to deal with that.

But having reached the rank of company commander, Hu Xiuzhi at least possessed sufficient psychological endurance. He urged the unit forward while personally checking the wounded comrades. Fortunately, they were far enough from the explosion that the shrapnel hitting their backs hadn't caused fatal injuries. Hu Xiuzhi looked up at the previous location of the checkpoint; he didn't know how the German artillery had been so accurate, landing a shell right on target. If the scout hadn't hurried them and he hadn't urged the unit to move immediately, that one shell might have wiped out half the company. The scout was too close to the explosion and certainly hadn't survived. Hu Xiuzhi suppressed the urge to send someone back to check and ordered the medics to finish bandaging the wounded.

Just then, another massive explosion occurred. This time the sound was closer and louder, but it wasn't from behind—it was from the front of the unit. Hu Xiuzhi no longer felt any frustration; he immediately stood up and ran toward the direction of the explosion. Sure enough, this shelling had caused significant casualties to the leading elements of the unit. Had the unit not been in a column, with the bodies of the comrades in front absorbing much of the shock and shrapnel, the casualties would have been even worse.

This time, the explosion was less than a hundred meters away, directly resulting in two squads' worth of casualties. Those behind were also affected in various ways due to the shockwave. Hu Xiuzhi ordered the first platoon at the very front to stay behind and take care of the wounded, then shouted, "Second, third, and fourth platoons, follow me and continue the march in formation!"

The soldiers were somewhat panicked by the shelling, but at Hu Xiuzhi’s shout, they obeyed almost instinctively. Hu Xiuzhi personally took the lead. The unit crossed the shell-pocked scene strewn with corpses, made a small detour, and continued toward the previous assembly point.

Having endured the dangers of shelling and getting lost, and having suffered the losses of casualties and desertions, Hu Xiuzhi didn't know how far he had led the unit. The remaining three platoons finally entered the final assault position at dawn. The sky was misty. After enduring the night, the soldiers shoved a few mouthfuls of compressed biscuits into their mouths and drank some water while they waited. Hu Xiuzhi moved to a more forward position, and through the mist, he saw a density of corpses he had never witnessed in his life.

This was a fortress bunker that the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army had already captured. The bunker sat at the foot of the hill; looking up, one could see the enemy's artillery batteries. Aside from the craters left by shells, the corpses of the soldiers were piled up in several locations. The scorched-black bunker served as a grim testament. Hu Xiuzhi discovered that besides the visible bunker, the Germans had actually set up several hidden casemates in inconspicuous spots on the sides of the main bunker, creating interlocking fields of fire. Connecting the fire points of this bunker with the corpses of the revolutionary soldiers made everything chillingly clear.

The layout of such bunkers had been discussed in training, but only after seeing it with his own eyes did he realize how terrifying it truly was. Furthermore, the fortress guns on the enemy batteries could fire upon troops attacking the bunkers. Hu Xiuzhi simply couldn't imagine how the comrades had managed to capture this set of fortifications.

While he was shivering at the thought, someone ran over. It was Li Caishan, commander of the 4th Regiment. Li Caishan brought two guards, but no one else followed him. Upon seeing Hu Xiuzhi, Li Caishan immediately asked, "You're the commander of the 5th Company, 2nd Regiment, right?"

"Yes!" Hu Xiuzhi replied.

"How many troops do you have left?"

"Three platoons."

"Bring your unit and follow me immediately!" Li Caishan’s eyes looked as if they were about to spit fire.

"Reporting, Regiment Commander, we haven't received orders."

Li Caishan stepped forward and grabbed Hu Xiuzhi by the collar. "What orders are you waiting for? I am ordering you to attack with me right now!"

"But our Regiment Commander..."

"Do you know where your Regiment Commander is? I don't even know where my 4th Regiment's troops are! Are you going or not?!" A daunting light flashed in Li Caishan's eyes.

Although there was no logical reason, Hu Xiuzhi knew one thing for certain: if he refused, Li Caishan would immediately draw his gun and shoot him. After such a night, Hu Xiuzhi no longer had any concept of death. He had done nothing to weigh on his conscience, so he couldn't feel guilty. Thus, Hu Xiuzhi nodded. "I will organize the unit to attack immediately."

The unit was already at the foot of the hill. Everyone followed Li Caishan, crouching as they felt their way up the mountain along a German communication trench.

Li Caishan, the 4th Regiment Commander, remained relatively calm. As they walked, he said, "After we captured the bunkers, the Germans blocked the underground tunnels. Now there are still two bunkers on the way up. Two companies have already gone up and failed to take them."

"How should we fight then?" Hu Xiuzhi asked.

"You'll know once you get up there!" Li Caishan replied resentfully.

Just as Li Caishan said, he knew once he got up there.

The remaining strength of the two companies was less than two platoons. After converging, the unit immediately dispersed to relatively safe positions. Of the two company commanders, one was from the 4th Regiment and the other from the 1st Regiment. The 4th Regiment's company had been relatively concentrated at the start, and half the company had been killed or wounded by a German shell.

At the pre-battle meeting, the 4th Regiment company commander's eyes were red. He said only one sentence: "When we attack again, I’ll go first. Watch how I die, and then you'll know what to look out for."

Twenty minutes later, that company commander died on the path of the assault. This was a very standard interlocking fire bunker. Although the Germans lacked manpower, the bunker was built in a location that was very difficult to climb, making it impossible to flank. Furthermore, the Germans were afraid that firing their artillery would damage the bunker, so all artillery fire was directed at the sides of the bunker. The sky began to brighten, and the German artillery fire became more intense.

The unit deployed four light machine guns to cover the attack. The 4th Regiment’s company commander led a demolition team, rolling and crawling from one cover to the next during the brief moments when the enemy fire slackened. Along this path lay many corpses of fallen comrades; this was indeed an assault route paved with their lives.

The two bunkers each had three firing ports facing the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. The German army had already noticed the assault, and four heavy machine guns were madly spitting flames. The People’s Party’s light machine guns and rifles fired fiercely to cover the attack. The next demolition team carefully observed the route of the previous group. Hu Xiuzhi understood what the 4th Regiment commander meant by "watch how I die." Each demolition team traversed the small amount of maneuvering space their predecessors had bought with their lives, and then charged forward.

When crossing a ridge, a soldier whose shoulder was slightly too high had half his shoulder sheared off by a heavy machine gun bullet. Red muscle and white bone were instantly exposed to the air. In excruciating pain, the comrade let out a cry of agony and couldn't help but straighten his body, only to have half his head taken off by a bullet.

While rolling across another depression, the company commander made it through, but the two comrades behind him who tried to follow were hit and sacrificed instantly. The 4th Regiment commander had clearly learned enough, but even with those lessons, traversing this blood-soaked path required not just bravery, but luck.

The machine gunners responsible for cover also gave their all. Light machine guns were at a clear disadvantage when dueling heavy machine guns over a few hundred meters. Although they occasionally hit an enemy inside a firing port, the Germans apparently knew that if this final gate was breached, the battery would be completely exposed to the People’s Party’s attack. Therefore, the German fire didn't slacken for a second. Two machine guns chased the 4th Regiment commander, while the other two madly fired at the People's Party's fire positions.

The distance was already very close. Of the demolition team that had started with four people, the 4th Regiment commander was now alone. It was unclear whether the blood on his clothes was his own or from the comrades who had already fallen on the way. The enemy was clearly unfamiliar with the commander’s position—it was a machine gun blind spot. Hu Xiuzhi saw clearly from the rear that in the briefest moment after the enemy heavy machine gun stopped firing, the commander stood up holding a Bangalore torpedo and charged toward the bunker.

He can make it! Hu Xiuzhi almost shouted. But in that very instant, a hatch suddenly lifted on top of the German bunker. A German actually poked his head out, a pistol in his hand, and fired several shots at the 4th Regiment commander right in front of him. Caught off guard, the commander was hit several times and slumped softly to the ground.

The light machine gunners and riflemen would never miss this opportunity. Almost the same moment the commander fell, the German soldier was hit by at least a dozen bullets. Hu Xiuzhi even saw a dark hole appear in his temple. But it was meaningless; the German’s corpse was pulled back into the bunker, and the iron hatch was immediately closed.

"Where is the artillery?! Bring up the guns and blast them!" Hu Xiuzhi roared. Since there was a hatch on top of the bunker, that spot was definitely a weakness. If they bombarded it with mortars, they might be able to blow the "skull" of the bunker open.

"Where are there any shells left!..." Regiment Commander Li Caishan roared. The Germans seemed to echo those words, firing a few more shells at the position where the revolutionary army was attacking. The rumbling explosions and the roar of heavy machine guns completely drowned out Li Caishan’s voice.

From Li Caishan’s mouth movements, Hu Xiuzhi could tell the three words he didn't hear must have been "Keep going." Actually, he didn't need to hear them clearly; that was simply the situation.

"5th Company, take charge of the attack!" After the roar of the guns, Li Caishan’s voice could finally be heard clearly.

"I will lead the team!" Hu Xiuzhi shouted. The 5th Company's training was not sufficient to handle such a brutal battle, and Hu Xiuzhi knew it. Add to that the exhaustion from running around all night, and their physical strength was even more depleted. To launch an effective attack, they would have to rely on an extremely capable small detachment. If the 1st Platoon hadn't been hit by that shell, Hu Xiuzhi could have picked out over twenty men. But he had left the 1st Platoon behind, and most of the other three platoons were recruits; the number of veteran soldiers was quite limited, with at most ten who could effectively participate in the operation.

Li Caishan didn't care about Hu Xiuzhi's unit, and even if he did, it wouldn't have mattered. Since Hu Xiuzhi had decided to lead the attack personally, Li Caishan asked, "How long do you need to prepare?"

"Ten minutes," Hu Xiuzhi replied.

Ten minutes later, fifteen officers and veterans with more than a year and a half of service in the 5th Company had gathered around Hu Xiuzhi. The enemy's heavy machine guns had stopped their roar for the moment. Looking at the corpses along the way and hearing Hu Xiuzhi's explanation, the comrades’ expressions were quite grim.

"Capturing the Qingdao Fortress is Chairman Chen's order! Comrades, do you have the confidence to complete it?" Hu Xiuzhi asked loudly.

At the mention of Chairman Chen, the comrades' spirits lifted. "Yes!" they shouted together, looking at each other.

"I will lead the team personally! We'll divide into three groups. I’ll go first!" Hu Xiuzhi replied.

The first three-man team was quickly formed: Hu Xiuzhi, the 4th Platoon leader, and the deputy platoon leader. Before they set out, Li Caishan asked in surprise, "You're going up without a Bangalore torpedo?"

Hu Xiuzhi pointed toward the bunker. "I have hand grenades. As for a Bangalore torpedo, I can just use the one left there by that commander."