Chapter 834: Combat Power Increases by 32%
Along the walls, the battle had quickly escalated into hand-to-hand combat.
The fierce bandits soon discovered a terrifying problem.
These workers, every single one of them, were incredibly strong and in peak physical condition!
While their martial arts skills were poor, and they initially showed some hesitation and fear of battle, once engaged, the bandits realized these men were all burly. What else could those bulging muscles on their arms be but pure strength?
These were the kind of people you wouldn't notice unless you provoked them, but once angered, their punches and kicks landed with terrifying force.
The bandits' hearts screamed, "What the devil!"
“What in the hell are these monsters?”
“Damn it, no matter! We've breached the walls, there's no turning back now. Victory hinges on sheer grit. Whoever's more ruthless will win...”
Just then, a roar suddenly erupted from the cement road to the west. Hundreds of strong young men, wielding various farm tools adapted into weapons, charged forth. The one leading them shouted, "Steel Mill brothers, hold on! The Yuncheng Cement Factory No. 1 Militia is here to reinforce you!"
Then, he continued driving towards Hedong City.
When the Cement Factory personnel heard this, how could they stand for it? Bandits daring to attack their brother factory!
They immediately organized two to three hundred people, grabbed flintlock muskets, and, armed with tools used for digging rocks and mixing cement, charged over.
As soon as this group arrived, the Steel Mill quickly opened its western gate.
The Cement Factory militia immediately streamed through the west gate into the factory, pressing towards the northeast. With the arrival of these fresh forces, the bandits instantly felt the pressure. The advantage they had almost seized was immediately pushed back.
He Zonghan flew into a rage, roaring, "Kill! Fight to the death, and slaughter every single one of these bastards who dare oppose us!"
The fierce battle continued...
After another ten minutes or so, another roar echoed from the official road to the west: "Steel Mill, Cement Factory brothers, hold on! The Textile Factory Militia is here to reinforce you!"
"Textile Factory? Bloody hell!"
"The Textile Factory!!!"
Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou turned their heads to look, and indeed, the Textile Factory had sent an army of women! A large group of robust women, wielding all sorts of makeshift weapons, charged forward.
Qi Cheng broke out in a cold sweat: "The Textile Factory really didn't need to come!"
Leading the Textile Factory reinforcements was a woman with rough, large hands and feet, her figure plump and round—a typical formidable matron. She wielded a large cleaver, roaring, "I've been butchering fish in the Textile Factory cafeteria for three years! My blade is colder than my heart! Where are these bandits? This old woman will chop them all down, one by one!"
Qi Cheng was speechless.
"Charge!" the cafeteria matron roared, and the women soldiers echoed her cry, then charged forward with fierce determination.
Before they arrived, the male militia had been a little hesitant, a bit cowardly. The moment these women arrived, the situation changed instantly.
"Damn it, we can't let women look down on us!"
"There's no goddamn way I'm losing to a bunch of women!"
The male militia suddenly gained a "Being Looked Down On by Women is Worse Than Being Hacked to Death by Bandits" buff, instantly boosting their combat effectiveness by 32%.
Bachelors, in particular, saw an even greater increase in combat power. In addition to the standard 32% boost, bachelors received an extra "If I'm Strong, Textile Factory Workers Will Notice Me" buff, adding another 32% to their combat effectiveness.
With that stack, it was incredible!
The bandits were instantly screaming and howling as they were cut down...
Seeing the battle grow increasingly difficult, the three bandit leaders also grew furious. "Why does this factory have so many reinforcements? Why are the surrounding factories helping them? This is too strange! Damn it! Let's go, we'll join the fight ourselves!"
The three bandit leaders, bringing their most ferocious bandits, charged forward together.
However, just as the three reached the wall, another roar echoed from afar: "Steel Mill, Cement Factory, Textile Factory brothers and sisters, hold on! The Fertilizer Factory No. 1 Militia is here to reinforce you..."
"We're here too! The Salt Production Factory No. 1 Militia has arrived!"
"The Pig Farm No. 2 Militia is here to reinforce!"
...
At the sight of this formation, the three bandit leaders were instantly dumbfounded...
The five thousand bandits, seeing this scene, were also stunned...
What kind of hornet's nest had they stirred up?
This is bad!
The three turned and fled, abandoning their subordinates without a second thought.
However, just as they started to run, they heard the distinct wail of a whistle.
Experimental Car No. 2 was back.
It had sped to Hedong to inform Xing Honglang, then immediately raced back.
This time, the car wasn't just carrying the driver; a furious Xing Honglang was also inside.
Xing Honglang, a lone general, had seized the car to arrive as quickly as possible and provide support!
As for her five hundred Hedong City guards, they were currently sprinting their hearts out, but how could they outrun an automobile? They were still miles away.
Xing Honglang roared, "Run over those three bastards!"
The driver broke out in a cold sweat: "No, this is a valuable experimental vehicle!"
Xing Honglang retorted, "I don't care what kind of vehicle it is! Don't let those three scoundrels escape! Chase them down and ram them!"
The driver, helpless, dared not disobey Xing Honglang. This formidable woman, with fierce, almost simian features and an overwhelming aura of menace, required immense courage just to retort to.
He could only steel himself and chase after the three bandit chieftains.
The massive automobile tore across the cement road. After it sped past the Steel Mill, the cement road ended. But Shanxi hadn't seen rain in over half a year; the ground was bone-dry and hard as rock, allowing the car to continue its charge.
Its enormous wheels kicked up plumes of sand and gravel.
This terrifying iron behemoth petrified the bandits; they stood frozen, too terrified to move.
The massive vehicle roared through the bandit ranks, tearing past them to pursue the fleeing bandit leaders.
Xing Honglang bellowed, "Die, you scoundrels!"
The car caught up to the three bandit leaders, and with a thunderous "bang," it slammed into their backs. The immense and terrifying force sent all three flying high into the air, nearly thirty thousand feet off the ground...
When they hit the ground, they were nothing but twisted, broken corpses.
Experimental Car No. 2 sped a long distance, then spun around before finally stopping. The driver leaped out and stared at the front of the car, instantly letting out a wail: "Oh no! The front is caved in, the windshield is shattered! Bai Gongzi will kill me, ahhh!"
Far away in Gao Family Village, Bai Gongzi suddenly sneezed. "I have a strange feeling something's wrong. Is someone messing with my invention?"
The five thousand bandits—no, more like four thousand now—had lost their chieftains. Everyone knew the tide had turned.
The remaining bandits quickly dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.
Xing Honglang leaped from the car, a saber in her right hand, and slowly walked toward the bandits.
The bandits, seeing the colossal, formidable woman approaching with a dark expression, were so terrified they nearly wet themselves.
After a long moment, Xing Honglang's deep voice finally cut through the silence: "Drag them all back, starve them for two days, then throw them into the labor reform camp."
Having spoken, she turned to Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou. "You two have earned great merit this time. I will immediately write a letter to the Gao Family Village Village Committee to request a special pardon for both of you."
Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou were overjoyed. They exchanged a glance, then cheered in unison.
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