Could these Fengtian troops possibly be immortals who cannot die?

Although both sides expended a vast amount of precious ammunition, the battle’s impact remained inconspicuous. For the fortress under Jiang Bai’s command, it would take the enemy’s main guns striking the exact same spot repeatedly with pinpoint accuracy to breach its formidable defenses.

The enemy, however, skillfully maneuvered to evade the fortress’s artillery fire, making it difficult for the fortress’s guns to land a decisive hit. As the struggle dragged on, both sides’ ammunition supplies were rapidly dwindling.

Vice Admiral Xiao Ying wore a grave expression, his brow furrowed deeply, his voice tinged with urgency and frustration: “We cannot continue to waste ammunition so recklessly!”

He commanded, “Our artillery crews must calculate their shots meticulously before firing. Every shell is invaluable, and each discharge represents a significant economic loss.”

He added, “If this continues, our navy may face a financial crisis.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Bai’s fortress artillery division remained comparatively composed. To prepare for this defense, Jiang Bai had not only relocated two ammunition production lines into the fortress but also had the armory factories in Chengyun Province working overtime for four consecutive months.

Moreover, when he purchased coastal defense guns from Rheinmetall, they had generously included a large stockpile of ammunition as a gift.

Thus, the fortress’s ammunition reserves were more than sufficient, able to sustain continuous combat for days on end without issue.

Jiang Bai lowered his binoculars in the command center, worry etched clearly on his face. He asked his deputy, Deng Fei, “How is the situation on the battlefield? Have our artillery units suffered any casualties?”

Though he had reinforced the fortifications, facing real combat still left him uneasy.

He sighed, “If the Blue Island Fortress is truly destroyed by the enemy’s heavy artillery, all our previous efforts and investments will have been in vain.”

His voice carried a note of helplessness. “Worse still, if our coastal defense guns and ammunition production lines fall into enemy hands, it would spell serious trouble.”

This would not only be a massive material loss but a strategic catastrophe.

Once the enemy breached the fortress, Chengyun’s defensive forces would face pressure from both sea and land.

At that point, the vengeful enemy would launch an all-out assault without reservation.

In such a scenario, Jiang Bai’s troops risked complete annihilation, and even the recently reclaimed Jingjin area could be lost again.

Faced with these prospects, Jiang Bai’s furrowed brow deepened, his anxiety palpable.

***

However, Deng Fei, commander of the fortress artillery division, quickly responded with resolute confidence. “Reporting to the corps commander, although the fighting is fierce and our gun emplacements have been targeted repeatedly by the enemy’s main guns, our fortifications remain solid. Their firepower has not fully penetrated our defenses.”

He smiled and continued, “More importantly, considering the enemy warships’ high-speed maneuvers, their chances of accurate strikes are limited, let alone completely breaching our main defenses.”

Hearing Deng Fei’s report, Jiang Bai’s expression relaxed slightly, the tension within him easing.

At that time, naval vessels worldwide had yet to widely adopt gunfire radar; naval warfare still relied heavily on the crews’ experience and intuition.

Even when ships were stationary, landing hits with naval artillery was challenging, let alone accurately firing at fast-moving targets.

Under such conditions, success often hinged on luck—a lucky shot might sink an enemy vessel, while hundreds of rounds might still miss.

This was true for the enemy’s large warships as well.

Jiang Bai remained confident that as long as the enemy’s main guns could not pierce their fortress batteries, they were effectively invincible.

As for luck, Jiang Bai felt fortunate.

After all, having endured such an incredible ordeal as time travel, he mused, what was truly impossible?

The thunderous booms of explosions continued, the battle intensifying.

The enemy fleet’s main guns and the fortress’s coastal defense artillery engaged in a fierce exchange of fire. Each explosion’s echo was accompanied by the howling roar of heavy artillery challenging the opponent.

The enemy fired relentlessly, aiming to annihilate the Blue Island Fortress’s coastal batteries, while the fortress infantry hoped to leverage these guns to sink the enemy’s Third Fleet in one decisive stroke, thereby earning great honor.

Suddenly, a 365-millimeter naval shell struck a crater already blasted into the ground, triggering a deep, resonant explosion. The powerful shockwave shattered the reinforced concrete, exposing the thick steel plates beneath. The impact was enough to incapacitate the artillery crew, forcing the battery to cease fire temporarily.

“Well done! The Kongō-class battleship truly is our trump card!” the enemy naval commander’s face lit with triumph upon observing the silence of Battery No. 2, his eyes glinting with battle excitement.

However, their jubilation was short-lived. Within a minute, the battery reignited its firepower.

As the unstable blaze flickered back to life, the enemy soldiers’ smiles froze; they witnessed firsthand their efforts unravel.

***

They gradually realized that although the attack had stunned the artillerymen, it had not inflicted structural damage on the battery. With reserve crews ready to take over, the heavy guns could be brought back into action.

Still, luck seemed to favor the enemy.

In the next volley, two consecutive shells landed precisely on the battery, unleashing a thunderous explosion.

This strike pierced right through the battery, killing the artillerymen in the ensuing ammunition blast.

As thick smoke billowed upward, the massive gun emplacement fell silent.

Witnessing this, the enemy’s spirits soared, and they erupted into loud cheers: “Long live the Heavenly Radiance! Long live the Imperial Navy!”

Victory radiated on every face as they high-fived one another, as if victory was already in their grasp.

Meanwhile, tension suddenly gripped the fortress artillery command center.

Deng Fei frowned, urgently asking, “I just heard a tremendous roar—did something happen to Battery No. 2?”

A battle staff officer looked pale and dejected. “Reporting, sir, the top armor of Battery No. 2 was blasted off in a large section. The shockwave was so severe that all the artillerymen were killed. However, the battery itself can still fire.”

A flash of determination and decisiveness crossed Deng Fei’s face. Clenching his fists, he declared, “Damn it! This is a critical moment; we cannot fear danger!”

His voice rang strong and resolute. “If anyone here is afraid to die, they don’t deserve to be soldiers of the Chengyun Army. Order the reserve artillery crews to form a suicide squad—attack! Anyone who survives will be personally promoted by me. If they manage to damage the enemy ships, I will promote them three ranks and report their valor directly to the corps commander!”

At these words, the artillerymen’s morale surged.

As the saying goes, “Great rewards breed great courage.” Fueled by this incentive, a group of artillerymen swiftly took position at the battery. Their eyes were steely, utterly undeterred by the prospect of death, and they opened fire on the enemy fleet.

They understood that any incoming enemy shell could annihilate them, but at this critical juncture, not a single artilleryman chose to retreat.

Moreover, their commander had promised that survival and exemplary performance in battle could elevate them from mere soldiers to commissioned officers.

For many artillerymen hailing from civilian backgrounds, this was not only a life-or-death test but also a rare opportunity for advancement.

When Battery No. 2 resumed firing, the enemy soldiers aboard the Kongō-class battleship were stunned.

One soldier’s eyes widened in disbelief, whispering in shock, “What? Are these guys immortal or what?”

His voice trembled with fear and incomprehension, unable to grasp this sudden counterattack.