Early the next morning, Bagana led several hundred brothers to Red Hat's headquarters, carrying a few crates of bombs. When Pero saw him arrive, he grinned. "Brother, you finally made it! I've waited so long my hair's turned white. You brought all the bombs, right?"
Bagana patted the crates behind him and grinned. "Would I lie to you? Every last one of them is right here!"
Pero laughed loudly. "Hahaha! This time, the Dark Sea Throne will pay for its mistake! How can a mere hundred men stand against us?"
Bagana turned to his men. "Open the crates and let Brother Pero inspect the goods!"
The Iron Hook Gang members opened the crates. Inside lay rows of pitch-black bombs. Their glossy, dark shells made Pero marvel. "They're practically works of art!"
Bagana laughed. "Hahaha! Brother Pero, if the Dark Sea Throne's men get hit by all these crates, we'll blow them sky-high!"
Pero grinned viciously. "Hand these bombs out to everyone. Today, we avenge our humiliation!"
If Jiang Chuan had seen the bombs in Red Hat's hands, he would have laughed until his stomach hurt. To him, these bombs were no different from firecrackers with a bit more punch. They worked by exploding and shattering their casings, then using the blast's force to send the fragments flying. They were nowhere near as powerful as the First Army's grenades, which had Steel Balls packed inside. Though the grenades worked on the same principle as Red Hat's bombs, their lethality was on a whole different level. What's more, Red Hat's bombs had to be lit before they could be thrown. That was a major weakness: the instant you lit the fuse in battle, a sniper could blow your head off! And the First Army had no shortage of snipers. When their squads had first been organized, each one had been assigned a heavy machine gunner, a sniper, an observer, and two assault troops. The First Army wasn't afraid of a fight.
Pero slung an arm around Bagana's shoulders. "Let's eat breakfast first. I've already had someone prepare it. Afterward, we can take our time teaching the Dark Sea Throne a lesson."
Jiang Chuan's side had also distributed breakfast to every position, and the bunkers were ready. Everyone held their posts, waiting to give Red Hat a beating. The prospect of a thrilling fight had everyone's adrenaline pumping. Malzi leaned against the rooftop wall with a Machine Gun slung over his shoulder. "Why aren't those bastards here yet? Last time, the Iron Anchor Gang was dead before I'd even had my fill of shooting. I hope Red Hat doesn't disappoint us this time."
Bruno curled his lip. "Just make sure you don't get your head blown off first!"
Malzi roared with laughter. "Hahaha! Red Hat doesn't have anyone who can blow my head off. Apart from us, I don't know a single gang with snipers..."
Bruno wiped down his Mauser Gun. "Who knows? Doyle, do you see anyone coming?"
Doyle was the observer in Malzi's squad. He lowered the binoculars Jiang Chuan had issued him. "Not yet. The streets are deserted. All the poor folks have vanished."
The assault troop Eli chuckled. "Maybe those bastards got cold feet. Wasn't the lesson we gave them last time enough? And these grenades are great stuff—better than artillery."
The other assault troop, Moses, said, "Artillery isn't as useful as these things. The grenades the President came up with are downright people harvesters, and that's not even counting the fearsome machine guns."
Bruno took a bite of bread. "Red Hat really doesn't know what's good for them. The President gave them a chance, but they didn't appreciate it. The streets are full of traps now, and we've got enough ammunition to fight for days."
Moses chuckled. "That suits that bastard Malzi just fine. He'll get to shoot to his heart's content."
Malzi grinned. "This time, I'm going all out on them!"
Jiang Chuan stood in camp, checking the time on his pocket watch. "The people from Red Hat should be on their way by now."
"Tell everyone to prepare for battle!"
A child beside Jiang Chuan took out a whistle and blew three times. It was a prearranged signal, meaning the enemy was approaching and everyone should get ready to fight.
Hearing the whistle, Bruno swallowed the rest of his bread in one bite, washed it down with water, and said, "The President's sent the signal. Get ready to fight. Those Red Hat scum will be here soon."
Everyone at their posts focused on the streets in front of them. Half an hour later, every street entrance was crowded with people. They stood trembling at the end of the streets, as if an endless abyss lay ahead. They were cannon fodder Pero had dragged in from the surrounding area. The traps had cost him dearly last time, so this time he had made thorough preparations!
Pero watched the battlefield from the rear and laughed. "You're all dead this time! I, Pero, am not someone to trifle with!"
The cannon fodder crept forward, moving very slowly, afraid that one careless step would set off a bomb's fuse.
Jiang Chuan saw them too, but he didn't give the order to fire. They were only innocent people.
When Pero saw the cannon fodder make it through the street unharmed, he laughed. "Brothers! They're scared—so scared they can't even hold their guns steady! Charge! I'll give eight hundred Gold Coins to anyone who takes the head of a Dark Sea Throne member! Now throw the bombs onto the rooftops!"
The Red Hat and Iron Hook Gang members took out their bombs, lit the fuses, and threw them toward the rooftops. Seeing them use this kind of weapon, the First Army immediately ran off the rooftops and took cover inside the buildings. Since the First Army had figured out how to use grenades, they knew how to defend against them too. Even the First Army's grenades couldn't blow down a wall, let alone Red Hat's bombs. Black smoke from the explosions engulfed the rooftops, but no one in the First Army suffered a fatal injury.
After a while, the smoke cleared. Seeing no movement on the rooftops, Pero laughed. "Charge! I'll give a thousand Gold Coins to whoever kills the Dark Sea Throne's leader!"
No one could resist the lure of money. Even fear was swept away by the promise of riches. The four streets were suddenly packed, everyone charging forward. Jiang Chuan wasn't the least bit afraid as he watched them bear down on his men. Gradually, they ran into the bunkers' firing range. Jiang Chuan gave the order. "Fire!"
A sharp whistle pierced the air above the streets. The First Army returned to their positions and opened fire. Machine guns spat flames, while the men in the bunkers set off the traps. In an instant, the streets were filled with explosions and gunfire. The Red Hat and Iron Anchor Gang members raised their guns and fired back at once, but the First Army had the high ground on the rooftops, making it difficult to retaliate. Before they could even aim, snipers shot them dead.
Bagana watched, trembling with rage. He grabbed Pero by the collar and cursed, "You bastard! You brought my men here to die! This isn't a fight! This is a massacre!"
Pero broke free of Bagana's grip and gave the order. "Call them back! I'll give you an explanation, Bagana." The Red Hat and Iron Hook Gang members shoved and jostled as they fled the streets. A man who had narrowly escaped death stopped in front of Pero and said, "Boss, our bombs were useless. The Dark Sea Throne's men definitely didn't suffer any fatal injuries. Their firepower is overwhelming. There are three strange weapons on the rooftops, firing at us from different angles. Their bullets come too fast, and they throw those powerful bombs around as if they're free! We'd only sent in a few hundred men, and they'd already thrown more than ten bombs! The brothers couldn't get through!"
Bagana said coldly, "Pero, you owe me an explanation. I brought four hundred brothers this time!"
Pero's expression was grim too. He said coldly, "I made a mistake this time. I'll compensate you, but don't think I didn't see your men hanging back the whole time!"
Bagana replied icily, "We can't deal with the Dark Sea Throne in a day or two. We need to think this through. I'm leaving."
Bagana had to be commended for his ability to read the situation and switch sides. The moment things went wrong, he led his men out.
Pero cursed. "Damn that bastard! We're retreating too!"
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