Major Gu Huang, 50th Tank Battalion, 18th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade, 104th Special Army Group, People's Liberation Army Ground Force.

August 22nd, 2025. Shunan City, temporarily occupied by China, 0450 JST

"Bail out, comrades!" That's the order that I wish I will never issued, but this happened. The only different thing from my first loss was that the crew were still whole.

There's nothing we can do for the tank other than to scuttle it with thermite grenades.

"Farewell, buddy." I muttered as flames engulfed the once proud and mighty Norinco built fighting machine before I ordered the crew to find extra ammunition.

Easier said than done.

"Duck!"

We barely made it out when machine guns from their ever vigilant ground drones were raking our position.

"Still believing that the Japanese are no good, comrades?"

"No sir."

"Good..." I exhaled.

We head to an abandoned police box. I took my handheld radio in the meantime and after some crackle...

"Jiaolong 2, Jiaolong Leader here... be advised Jiaolong 3 is withdrawing on their left, some without their tanks... we got ships home reserved for you comrades... element of 16th and what was left of 9th Medium Brigade are trying to delay the Fascists further. Acknowledge"

Comrade Colonel was right, along with the said battalion group that managed to escape Yamaguchi before Taiwanese separatists' entry - the foreigners in our side were galvanized to fight to the last man, knowing that back at home, their own countrymen had turned their back on them.

"Understood, be advised, Jiaolong 2 and crew bailed out, tank scuttled, over..." I said.

Then I call the crew members of mine - as well as four more comrades that came from nowhere.

"What's your unit comrades?"

"We're 18th Brigade too... we're what was left of the 1st Company of the 1st Mechanized Battalion. We're looking for any officer and glad to find one." replied the seniormost soldier, Sergeant Liu Hua.

"Alright comrades, you'll with me now. Just in time as we're going to move" The four infantrymen nodded. "We managed to secure ships for our own use, comrades. However, our space comrades had detected Japanese and American maneuvers between the EZ (extraction zone) and our current position, so I need you all ready for a fight."

"Yes, comrade Major!"

While moving, Behind us, the Navy began firing their artillery along with the missiles. Soon the roar of a jet engine made them drop to their stomach. Looking up it was an American F-35 - their prized stealth fighter - fuselage smoking; it crashed near the steel plant we're heading for and a fireball rose from the point of impact.

As they approach an intersection a loud echoing shot rang out and a Chinese soldier nearby dropped to the ground; a bullet hole in his head.

"Sniper!"

"Cover!"

"Where is he?!"

Confused yells revolved around the street. My gunner-turned-rifleman Sergeant Zhangxi looked around and saw on the opposite left side of the intersection was a bank. On the roof was a man in the prone position. "The bank! He's on that bank roof!"

On the right side of the street, element of 9th Medium Brigade - now without their vehicles as well - started to shoot as a creak indicated the arrival of a tracked Japanese - or American - combat robot sent ahead to scout for our position.

Clever use of new tech. I muttered - just as the MG mounted on that said robot opened fire. Cars, mailboxes, newspaper dispensers, doorways, and even trashcans for cover, but there was no denying that we're badly exposed.

"Sir" my gunner pointed on a sledgehammer laying on a nearby abandoned cafe. Someone must trying to loot it when we arrive only to flee.

"Are you saying we're using it now, comrade sergeant?"

"I think it's the fastest way."

"Very well. Leave it to me."

In a fleeting opportunity I took that sledgehammer. As my life depends on it my adrenaline shot up. In three hits, the robot was no longer a threat. However...

"Get down!!"

The robot was immediately replaced by another one with tracks. Followed by two dog like units. Unarmed, but they could help transmit data to enemy firing assets; artillery, mortars, etc. Not good.

"Get a grenade!" I asked, while crawling back to my men's position.

"F*ck you, Anglo-Z*onists!" cursed one of my men as he managed to throw his standard issue Type 21 concussion (blast) grenade, reduced the volume of fire by the destruction of the tracked robot. Another grenade disabled one of the robot dog.

"You forget that it was those people helped us to be like this right now!" I snapped, while still firing as multiple groups of what must be Japanese partisans were popping up, with some regular army soldiers. "Although we kept our faces, comrades."

One Japanese soldier with an MG went down, but he was immediately replaced with an assistant gunner. "It's no good! They've got multiple gunners; get a rocket or grenade on that MG!"

Before anyone stood up, through, hum from the south indicated the arrival of what turned out to be drone swarms - those little things dropped their payloads, silencing enemy fire long enough to help us reach the westernmost dock area, back to the industrial area that we're holed in.

"About time, comrades! We are about to leave!"

It's good to know that Colonel Junhua as well as the political director Colonel Fung made it out.

"Comrade Colonel, any news on Comrade Captain Xiaojun?"

The colonel answered. "His company was still fighting around Shinnan-yo Railway Station. The enemy limited their artillery use, somehow, but the Americans made it up with drone swarms. There's nothing we can do except to get out from this place."

He's right, Landing crafts and helicopters were lifting what was left of our forces to waiting ships of various kinds - even civilian yachts - off shore. Vehicles that were still salvageable or not yet scuttled were being loaded into heavy Mi-26 helicopters and or hovercrafts.

Even with fighters and combat drones covering us, it was still a race against time.

I found myself with my crew, sitting slumped against a couple of shipping containers, only for a familiar face tried to greet me, secured in a stretcher.

"Comrade Sgt. Suifang? What happened to you?"

The most striking part was that some of his leg was blown off and clearly beyond saving.

"Later... comrade. At least we're leaving... this hellhole. We did well, is it? Comrade Captain Xiaojun... on it's way behind me. He's heavily wounded... " that's what he managed to say before being hauled away into a waiting yacht-turned-hospital ship - just as what was left of our anti-air batteries opened up again.

Then a sudden force-wide radio message.

"To all units... this is Tian Shan, repeat, this is Tian Shan." The codename referred to the highest command in Beijing.

"...We have successfully negotiated with the Coalition and the terms has been set..."

"Comrade Major, what does it means?" asked Sgt. Liu.

"Wait." The broadcast continued. "... We have given free passage, in return that we marched in front of them prior to being evacuated, and a guarantee that any existing evacuation of the wounded and dead won't be molested..."

Everybody slumped further upon listening to the broadcast. We know what it means.

"Chin up, comrades, at least they bothered to give us the honors of war."

..........................................................................................

After a march escorted by their troops, and with jeers from others, eerie silence - except roar of jet engines menacingly buzzing us - we're here, out on the back of landing crafts carrying us into awaiting bigger ships.

"I never thought they will honor their end of the bargain, comrade." said Lieutenant Zuolin; just another surviving officer that I managed to rendezvous with.

"Me too. There will be many questions to answer, I hope the Colonel could help us."

We watched as a big Japanese flag was raised atop the industrial area, enough for us to see from a distance away. The particular landing craft went on to a cargo ship modified into a helicopter carrier off shore, flanked by two of our destroyers.

The cargo ship lowered it's freeboard by taking extra water to allow the landing craft to drop ramp. It's captain and first mate approached us - civilian mariners in peacetime but right now, they were PLA Navy officers reactivated from the reserves.

"Welcome aboard Tian Hua." said the captain. "We have honor to bring you people home, to Shanghai."

"Thank you, Captain." said the most senior officer aboard the landing craft, which was me. Not just us - multiple similar craft were disembarking their passengers at the same time, many with wounded personnel.

We ushered to the mess hall of the ship for a desperately needed hot meal. The air hung heavy and low. There was no shaking the feeling that they had been defeated in a very real way, driven off Japan was nothing short of defeat, even with the increased knowledge that our leadership got a new, supposedly better, plan to end this war...

Comrades of the People's Liberation Army... on behalf of the Party and the People of China, we commended your brave and great sacrifices in Japan in this great struggle for ultimate victory against Fascism... Their losses were greater than ours, even if we must consolidate ourself back home, but remember this... We shall return!

Survivors of the 2nd Tank Company felt that that force-wide statement from the Northern Theater Command was the biggest pile of dragon dung we'd ever heard. Especially from the lower ranks, I could feel how some had their bravery reduced to ashes after the first few seconds of arriving. They knew that when they weren't scared they were either to numb or hyped up on adrenalin to be scared. As for great, the images of innocent people killed came to mind; both back home by American missile strikes or down there in Japan or Korea. Sacrifices... well everyone thought about mangled corpses that were once their friends and comrades. Still we had a job to do and a surge of savage pride on what we accomplished flow inside our very beings, despite the artillery barrages, air and missile strikes, cyberattacks and armored assaults. We'd survived it all, that had to count for something and it gave them a savage pride no one, but other veterans like ourselves would understand. The title 'veteran', was something few other Chinese had before the turn of the century.

I found myself with the Colonel.

"Comrade Major Huang, you're the senior most surviving officer now after me and Comrade Colonel Fung... We would like to inform you that we're being sent back home to get our replacements. The rest will be informed after we reached Shanghai."

"I suppose we already have trains arranged for us to Qiqihar, Comrade Colonel?"

"It's being arranged. And as our battalion's performance has been judged as satisfactory by the Commission, some crews from other units that deemed otherwise (and disbanded) will be reassigned to ours, and it's our duty to bring them out to speed for our next move."

"Good to know, Comrade Colonel, Thank you".

"You are dismissed, Comrade Major."

The rebuilding will be painful, but out of piety, my head and heart said in unison. China's place of the world is above all else! 

"Before that, Comrade Colonel, I seek permission to ask something."

"Go on"

I told him. "I request permission to visit Comrade Captain Xiaojun."

"Permission granted, you and others can visit him and many of our comrades upon we reach the safety of Shanghai. I have obtained information that he and some others are lucky to obtain a transfer by Kunlong MEDEVACs to military hospitals in Guangdong, Shanghai, and the surrounding areas."

AVIC AG-600 Kunlong (Kun Dragon) Amphibious Aircraft, the MEDEVAC variant I mentioned are fictional or not yet developed by the Chinese.

"Thank you, Comrade Colonel"

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