allendalepharm Chapter 102 I'll risk it all... If I don't drink myself to death, I'm a hero; if I do
Chapter 102 I'll risk it all... If I don't drink myself to death, I'm a hero; if I do
Chapter 101 I'll risk it all... If I don't drink myself to death, I'm a hero; if I do, I'll just be a martyr!
Gu Weijun, who had long studied the psychology and personality of the Russian officer, had accurately predicted that this sentence would come!
He was overjoyed inside, but his face wore a tragic air of "sacrificing his life to accompany a friend": "For..."
..nation.....
"...Drink...to...friendship!"
But deep down, he was on edge, thinking, "I'm fighting for my country."
How many times in life can you take a gamble? Give it your all...
As long as I don't die from drinking it on the spot, I'll drink it until I drop!
"If I don't drink myself to death, I'm a hero; if I do, I'll just be a martyr!"
One cup, two cups, three cups...
"Good! Three cups for 15 cars! Brother, you're generous and straightforward. As your older brother, I'll drink with you." Luganov was very impressed with Gu Weijun's drinking manners.
He originally thought that as long as Gu Weijun pretended to go to the bathroom to "vomit," then everything would be "invalid," and one's drinking behavior reveals one's character!
If you can't handle the risk, don't play!
Drink, vomit, drink again, are you trying to fool those foreign devils?
However, from the start of the drinking session until now, Gu Weijun, this slender, weak, bespectacled, and refined "literati," has never left the table once, clearly showing the same "genuine nature" as the East Slavs!
This guy's got skills!
Three more cups... "Awesome! 30 vehicles! Half an armored division!" Gu Weijun felt a burning sensation in his stomach and a dull ache in his liver area, but "I can't fall, I'm fighting for my life... I have 400 million Chinese people behind me..."
I'll drink myself to death, so millions of families can be happy. Let's do this...
..drink..
"His consciousness stubbornly held on, and he continued to raise his glass."
"Brother! You're a real man! 45 tanks! That's an entire division! No more drinking!"
'
No... General... Brother... We've met a kindred spirit over drinks...
...A thousand cups are not enough... I can still... for... more... friendship...
Even though Gu Weijun was supported by strong willpower and had not completely lost consciousness, his eyes had begun to glaze over, and his hands trembled as he reached for the wine bottle again.
Luganov and Tymoshtyuk were completely convinced. He grabbed Gu Weijun's hand and shouted with a mixture of admiration and worry, "Stop! My good brother! We East Slavs are true to our word! 60 tanks! One and a half armored divisions of T-34s!"
I, Luganov, have made the decision; it's yours!
Brother, you're a great drinker and a good person, but I can't drink anymore. Let's drink again next time!
Hearing Luganov's tone, Gu Weijun finally confirmed that "60 vehicles" was the limit of what Luganov could decide. He immediately tensed up, uttered a few more stammering words of "brotherly affection," and then politely greeted Luganov and Tymoshtyuk.
A hug to say goodbye!
Under the admiring gazes of the two men, Gu Weijun, after getting into the car and exchanging greetings, finally relaxed his tense nerves and will. The alcohol he had been holding back and the limits of his body exploded at the same time. He could no longer hold on, his vision went black, and he fell backward unconscious.
Han Zhenhua, of course, knew nothing about any of this. If he had, he would have been dumbfounded, thinking, "Isn't this exactly how, in my past life in the 1990s, when we were buying fighter jets from the Russians, they wanted to sell us the junk MiG-29, and we managed to get the most advanced MiG-27 from them by having then-Air Force Deputy Commander General Lin Hu drink cup after cup of it?"
The following day, at the mountain city, the Huangshan official residence, and the Yunxiu Tower.
Minister of Military Affairs He Yingqin and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Zhong jointly reported to the principal on the remarkable results of their negotiations with the Soviet Union.
"Chairman! Great news! General Luganov has officially replied, and the intelligence has been confirmed by the Soviet Union's intelligence department to be true and valid!"
In gratitude and based on the common need to combat Japanese fascism, the Soviet side agreed to provide us with the equipment of an entire and a half armored division in the next batch of military aid, including 60 of the latest T-34 tanks!
"And the corresponding ammunition, fuel, and basic maintenance equipment!" He Yingqin's voice trembled with excitement.
"60 T-34s?!" The principal jumped up from his seat, his face filled with unbelievable elation. "Good! Good!"
Good! God bless the Republic of China!
Shao Chuan's contribution is immense! Where is he? Why didn't he come along? For such a great achievement, I must personally award him the medal!
Foreign Minister Wang Zhonghui's face showed a heavy expression of sorrow and regret as he whispered, "Chairman... Shao Chuan, he..."
I can't come.
To secure those extra 30 tanks, last night at the dinner table, following General Luganov's joking remark that "one glass of wine equals five tanks," Shao Chuan downed nearly three jin (approximately 1.5 kg) of that specially mixed high-proof liquor...
"Now...now due to severe alcohol poisoning, with serious liver damage, his whole body is turning green, he is in the emergency room at the Central Hospital, still unconscious and not out of danger..." The office fell into a deathly silence.
The principal's joy froze, and he slowly sat back in his chair, remaining silent for a long time.
He imagined Gu Weijun, the usually gentle and refined man with gold-rimmed glasses, drinking one glass after another at the dinner table, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him, eventually turning into a long sigh: "Alas..."
Civil officials who spared no effort, and military generals who were unafraid of death—this was a great fortune for the nation and its people, but also a tragic one.
Relay my order: save Shaochuan at all costs!
If anything happens to him, I...
How can I find peace of mind...?
""
On the morning of July 29, 1938, on the border between China and Russia, in the Zhanggufeng area.
The sky was overcast, with leaden clouds hanging low, as if foreshadowing misfortune.
The Tumen River flows quietly, and the Zhanggu Peak and Shacao Peak on its banks, like silent giants, lie prostrate in the misty morning air.
Colonel Yukitoku Itō, commander of the 75th Regiment of the 38th Brigade of the Japanese Army, stood in the makeshift forward observation post, raised his binoculars, and his sharp eyes swept across the blurry outline of the Soviet army's position.
The watch hands pointed precisely to 9:18 AM (for good luck).
He took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of fish and water from the riverbank, and a savage smile, a mixture of fanaticism and determination, appeared on his face.
The moment has arrived! The time has come to replicate the glory of the 1998 Incident and the Russo-Japanese War!
"Attack begins!" Itō Yukitoku drew his command sword sharply, swung it forward with all his might, and roared hoarsely, "For His Majesty the Emperor, for the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, for the Kwantung Army, Banzai!"
"Banzai!" The long-suppressed roar suddenly erupted, like a wild beast being released from its cage!
The main force of the Japanese 75th Regiment, like a flood bursting its banks, launched a fierce attack on the main peak of Zhanggufeng under the personal supervision of Yukio Itō!
At the same time, the 1st Battalion of the 76th Regiment, under the command of Major Yoshida Jiro, also rushed towards Shacao Peak on the flank.
The artillery of the 25th Mountain Artillery Regiment roared, and shells whistled as they crashed into the front lines of the Soviet army, sending up bursts of fire and plumes of smoke.
The 150mm heavy howitzers of the 15th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment also joined the chorus, with deafening explosions that shook the earth.
However, to the surprise and even disappointment of Itō Yukitoku and all the charging Japanese troops, the resistance at the Su army's position was far weaker than he had expected!
The sporadic machine gun fire and the hurried retaliatory rifle fire were quickly suppressed and extinguished by the concentrated artillery fire and infantry assault of the Japanese army.
The figures of the Su army soldiers flashed across the battlefield and quickly disappeared into the smoke and fire, seemingly fighting and retreating at the same time.
"Utterly defeated! Just like the Russians during the Russo-Japanese War, they are indeed strong on the outside but weak on the inside!" Yukito Ito was overjoyed, and became even more convinced of the correctness of this "overthrowing the superior" adventure.
He seemed to already see the imperial flag of the Rising Sun planted on the main peak of Changgufeng, and himself, like his predecessors "Naimu Xidian and Jing Yibo Xizhi" during the Russo-Japanese War, enjoying a smooth official career and making a name for himself in history!
"Charge! Speed up the charge! If the Chinese can't handle it, neither can the Russians! Let them see the might of the Imperial warriors!" he roared into the phone.
The Japanese offensive became even more ferocious, with soldiers howling and brandishing their bayonets as they climbed up the hillside.
Soldiers of the 19th Engineer Regiment braved the "sparse" fire of the Soviet army to quickly build a pontoon bridge to ensure the crossing of subsequent troops and heavy weapons.
At 10:07 a.m., on the main peak of Zhanggufeng, the remaining resistance strongholds of the Su army were eliminated one by one.
A tattered Chinese herbal medicine flag was forcefully planted on the highest point by Japanese soldiers. Immediately afterwards, signals of occupation came from the direction of Shacaofeng.
"Onboard!"
""
After a brief silence, the Japanese troops who had occupied the position erupted in a deafening cheer.
The soldiers waved their rifles, embraced each other, their faces beaming with the ecstasy of victory and the arrogance of conquerors.
They seemed to have already seen control of the North Manchurian Railway within their grasp, with both the North and South Manchurian Railways in their hands, the Soviet Union's influence in the Far East wiped out, the commendation order from the Tokyo Headquarters, and their own place in the imperial annals like their predecessors!
Under guard, Yukito Ito set foot on the main peak of Zhanggufeng, which was still emitting blue smoke.
He looked down at the seemingly vast land beneath his feet, his heart filled with boundless pride.
What kind of elite Far East force is this? Nothing special! Under the sharp edge of Imperial Bushido, all enemies are paper tigers!
"Reporting to the regimental commander! Our troops have completely captured Zhanggufeng and Shacaofeng! The remnants of the Su army are retreating to the northwest! Should we pursue them?" A staff officer excitedly ran up to report.
Yoshiyuki Ito was smug and ready to order a pursuit to expand the victory and completely crush the morale of the Su army.
However, amidst this clamor of victory, a low, muffled, yet destructive rumble, like drumbeats from hell, rolled in from the northwest horizon, growing louder as it approached!
The sound was initially faint, like distant thunder, but quickly became clear and loud, eventually coalescing into a chilling chorus.
A steel symphony that seems to crush the earth!