On the 15th, Rolls-Royce received a visit from several high-ranking members of the British cabinet. The Secretary of State for War, the Minister of Industry, and the Minister of Transport, among other cabinet members, arrived together to inspect the company.

In terms of aero-engine capability, Rolls-Royce remained a top-tier global enterprise, its strength second only to Chinese aviation companies. Compared to its American and German counterparts, Rolls-Royce possessed a significant advantage.

Britain is rainy, with few sunny days, and London is famously known as the "Big Smoke." Inside the company, the final assembly workshop ran 24 hours a day under bright lights to ensure engine installation proceeded smoothly. Over 40 jet engines in various stages of completion were fixed to the assembly lines. Various production workshops transported a massive number of finished components to the assembly warehouse, ensuring continuous production.

The cabinet members inquired about the company's output and learned that it could produce 25 to 30 engines a day. Upon hearing this, the grim expressions of these British dignitaries improved slightly.

At 30 engines a day, they could produce about 10,000 engines a year. Currently, most British jet fighters were single-engine designs, meaning these engines could support the production of 10,000 fighters annually.

Even with such high production, the number of jet fighters on the front lines remained critically low. A fighter requires more than just an engine; it consists of many other components. After visiting Rolls-Royce, the dignitaries proceeded to the British Aircraft Corporation.

Production here was only ten aircraft per day. The aircraft company stated, "We have done our best! If we want to increase output, we must expand the scale of investment. First, let us double the number of engineers and technicians. After a six to twelve-month break-in period, we can increase fighter production to twenty per day."

Ten a day meant 300 a month. Britain had previously produced about 500 jet fighters, but in the last three days, roughly 100 jets had been shot down each day. The remaining fighters had to be kept back to protect Eastern Canada and could not all be committed to the battle on the West Coast.

Such a production speed was lightning-fast for Britain. If Britain had possessed such capacity before the outbreak of the Battle for Western Europe, the British military believed it could have soundly defeated the "Jerries."

However, three years later, Britain's production was still insufficient for a war of attrition. The British high command no longer knew how to wage an equal war against China. Ultimately, the cabinet members returned to 10 Downing Street with the data to attend a cabinet meeting.

The Secretary of State for War had no mood for flowery language and suggested bluntly: "Prime Minister, send all our jet fighters to the front."

Currently, 300 jet pilots were undergoing training in the British home islands. These pilots could at least manage takeoffs, landings, and basic flight. As for tactical training, it was indescribable, and no one wanted to discuss it.

Churchill had also seen the relevant data and did not voice opposition. The proposal to send pilots who hadn't finished their training to their deaths on the front was passed. The British cabinet then resumed the discussion on whether to allow U.S. troops into Canada.

In previous discussions, Britain wanted to "eat soft rice the hard way"—letting the Americans go to their deaths in Canada while keeping control. But according to recent news, the British military situation was unfavorable. More cabinet members believed they could allow the U.S. to enter the Canadian regions occupied by China to launch attacks. In terms of playing minor tricks, Britain could indeed proudly state it was professional.

Ultimately, the proposal was passed by the cabinet, and the British Foreign Office immediately contacted the U.S. State Department.

The U.S. State Department found the British approach foolishly unreasonable, as the British suggestion was to invite U.S. troops to fight only in the regions occupied by China. The U.S. State Department's plan, however, was for Canada to be fully open to the United States, allowing the U.S. military to choose where to station its troops.

Since the British cabinet still clung to unrealistic illusions, the U.S. State Department believed it was necessary to wait longer. Furthermore, the Joint Chiefs of Staff also believed they could wait.

The Joint Chiefs had initially feared China would directly attack the U.S. mainland, so they suggested proactively entering Canada to ensure that when full-scale war broke out in North America, the U.S. military would not face the hardship of being caught unprepared.

Now, China truly was focusing its main attack on Canada and had not entered U.S. territory. Canada's heartland was limited to a strip of territory about 200 to 300 kilometers wide along the U.S.-Canada border. China would inevitably attack Canada along this narrow region. In the view of the Joint Chiefs, this would cause the Chinese operational units to stretch out like a "one-word snake" formation. When the U.S. military crossed the border to fight, they could cut off the Chinese units.

Currently, the Chinese operational area was in the Rocky Mountains. Even if they turned south after penetrating to a certain extent, they would still be attacking in a mountainous region where they couldn't fully deploy their forces.

Although the State Department didn't understand military matters, the Joint Chiefs' view supported the strategy of leaving Britain out in the cold for a while longer, so the Joint Chiefs and the State Department reached a temporary consensus.

On May 16th, after a series of intense battles, China captured most of the high ground around Vancouver. The British side was forced to rely on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway to transport large numbers of troops to Vancouver.

British war correspondents had already written countless stories about "Human Wave Tactics," and this time they were prepared to report on the heroic British army slaughtering endless waves of Chinese troops.

The reporters soon reached the front lines and found themselves very lucky: the British had assembled at least three divisions to launch an attack on the areas occupied by the Chinese and had already surrounded two pieces of high ground held by Chinese forces.

How could the reporters pass up such an opportunity? They immediately rushed to the front line. When the few isolated peaks appeared in the reporters' binoculars, the bunch from Fleet Street were all astonished. These peaks didn't look large; the space on the high ground was only enough to deploy battalion-sized units. Britain had mobilized three divisions, a numerical advantage of nine to one.

But the reporters quickly came up with a reasonable explanation: the British army surely intended to capture these heights quickly, and the three divisions were troops prepared for subsequent offensives.

Soon, the battle began. British artillery conducted a round of shelling, sending stones flying and creating a shroud of dust over the high ground. The British infantry, who had moved forward as much as possible during the shelling, launched a fierce assault as soon as the bombardment ended.

In the reporters' binoculars, a massive number of British troops advanced toward the peaks in squad and platoon formations. There were dozens of meters between each unit, and the assault was deployed in an orderly fashion. Two regiments were committed to this attack, so British soldiers could be seen everywhere on the slopes.

A British reporter couldn't help but exclaim: "Never did I imagine the majesty of our Heavenly Army would reach such heights."

When the British reached within two hundred meters, the Chinese troops holding the high ground began firing with mortars. The British immediately suffered casualties, but they continued to advance fearlessly, completely undeterred.

When the British reached about one hundred meters, the infantry in the Chinese positions began to fire. The leading British infantry platoons immediately stopped their advance and began to return fire.

The British reporters were not strangers to war. At this stage, the British infantry could continuously deplete the Chinese defensive strength, create a gap, and then break through the Chinese lines.

However, the duration of this attack far exceeded the imagination of the British reporters. Gunfire was constant from the Chinese positions on the peaks, and the British infantry's attacks from all angles were met with counter-fire. The British soldiers tried to charge up again and again, only to be driven back time and again. On the paths from the peaks to the foot of the hills, stretcher-bearers carrying the wounded never stopped. The Chinese troops in the defensive positions on the heights continued to fight, showing no signs of fatigue.

The battle raged for nearly an hour, yet the British army remained unable to advance further. The British reporters were stunned. There was nothing inherently strange about such a battle—normal combat should be like this. But those on the other side were the Chinese army—the Chinese army whose numbers supposedly never ran dry. This did not fit the pattern of "Human Wave Tactics"!

Seeing they couldn't take the peak, the British infantry withdrew. Immediately, British artillery began a fierce bombardment, and the Chinese positions on the high ground were once again shrouded in explosions and thick smoke.

The shelling continued until the British commander believed the Chinese troops on the heights had been sufficiently weakened, and then the British infantry launched another attack. Yet this assault still made no progress. At least in the eyes of the British reporters, the Chinese troops on the high ground still possessed enough manpower and firepower to maintain a continuous strike against the ascending British forces.

The offensive proceeded like this three times. The British reporters eventually lost interest in watching further, and some went to interview the field hospital. On the path to the field hospital, stretcher-bearers were constantly bringing in the wounded. At least 40 could be seen at once; as for how many were in the field hospital in the mountain hollow, a rough estimate by the reporters from a distance was at least 300.

As for the British soldiers who had already been killed, they were placed directly into body bags and sent elsewhere. In other words, having fought until now, the British had suffered over 400 casualties, yet they still hadn't managed to take a height held by at most one Chinese infantry battalion.

At this time, the sound of artillery was incessant as the fourth round of British shelling began. The British reporters also couldn't understand why a single battalion of Chinese troops was able to hold onto a hilltop the size of a pillbox. Were these Chinese people not afraid of artillery fire?

Before this mystery could be solved, the reporter heading to the field hospital was stopped by British soldiers. The reporter desperately tried to explain that they were British journalists here to conduct interviews. But after the explanation, a British soldier coldly told the reporter, "We have orders: no one enters except medical personnel."

The reporter was about to explain further that a journalist could interview the logistics department. Just then, two lieutenants strode over. Seeing the reporters hadn't left, the lieutenants shouted at them: "Get the hell out of here, right now!"

On the battlefield, life and death can change in an instant. The language used by British officers and soldiers at the front was heavily laced with profanity, devoid of any gentlemanly grace or fraternal sentiment.

The reporters didn't mind the "ancestor-greeting" language; they understood the soldiers' emotions perfectly, so they requested again with the utmost politeness to go to the field hospital for an interview.

Seeing that the reporters were obstinate, a lieutenant directly drew his pistol, pointed it at the reporter, and barked: "The field hospital only takes the wounded. If you want to go in, that's fine—you just have to take a bullet first."

The reporters saw the murderous intent in the lieutenant's eyes. How could they dare to hold out against these "tommies"? They quickly said "sorry" and turned to leave.

Though they were angry along the way, the reporters dared not say anything disrespectful about the soldiers. After all, these men had suffered so many casualties and were filled with rage. If they provoked a soldier, they might face physical suffering.

Fuming with resentment, they returned to the front just as the shelling ended. This time, the British attacking units were lined up in neat formations. Each unit began to advance toward the high ground in dense ranks. The flag-bearers of each British unit held their colors high, charging at the front. Following the flag-bearers, the British soldiers let out a deafening roar that shook the mountains as they launched an assault on the high ground held by the Chinese.

The crowd surged; the British soldiers were like a wave of anti-gravity floods, rushing straight from the foot of the hill toward the Chinese positions on the heights. It seemed that in the next instant, they would sweep away the Chinese lines.

On the Chinese positions, which had endured four rounds of shelling, the sound of guns and cannons erupted once more. The Chinese army was still holding the high ground, and their fire remained fierce. But there were too many British soldiers in the massed charge. They fired as they advanced; although they were mowed down row by row, the British relied on their sheer bravado, using their lives to exhaust the Chinese ammunition as they continued their arduous and bloody push.

The British reporters were dumbstruck. Finally, someone said in a nearly neurotic, trembling voice: "This is the human wave tactic!"

Indeed, this was a human wave tactic—a competition to see if there were more bullets or more lives. These two peaks had been surrounded on all sides by the British. No matter how brave and skilled the Chinese army was, there would come a moment when their ammunition ran dry. When that time came, the British army could rely on their absolute numbers to storm into the defensive positions and tear the Chinese soldiers to pieces to satisfy their deep-seated hatred!

The front wave of the human ocean composed of British soldiers crashed against the reefs of the Chinese defense and was shattered into foam. The subsequent second wave continued to strike and was again broken by the reefs. Then came the third wave, and the fourth.

Although the reefs formed by the Chinese defensive positions appeared to be in peril, they stood firm, using bullets and grenades to continuously strike at the British human wave.

However, the ammunition that mountain infantry could carry was limited after all. Finally, the gunfire from the Chinese positions weakened. Immediately, Chinese military flags were suddenly raised over the Chinese positions.

As if it were a signal, several fire-spitting objects suddenly appeared in the distant sky. They lunged straight toward the high ground and subsequently exploded there. The British reporters felt the ground shake like a wild horse; one reporter was directly thrown to the ground by the vibration. Another reporter felt a surge of nausea, opened his mouth, and the lunch he had just eaten gushed out.

These fire-spitting objects fell from the sky one after another. Fierce explosions swept through the dense British ranks in the middle and lower parts of the high ground. Shrapnel and shockwaves, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, harvested a massive number of lives.

The reporters' minds had fallen into a state of chaos until one suddenly shouted in terror: "Suicide planes! Suicide planes!"

This shout completely awakened the fear of the British reporters. In early 1924, when the army of the He Rui government captured Shanghai, a British squadron went to intervene. They were subjected to Chinese suicide attacks, which directly annihilated the British fleet. Since then, the fierce impact of Chinese suicide planes falling from the sky had become a thorn in the hearts of many military reporters.

Now that someone had shouted "suicide planes" again, that sense of terror was reawakened. Indeed, these objects spat fire from their tails and fell from the sky with immense explosive power. These must be Chinese suicide attack aircraft!

At this moment, the Chinese troops on the high ground had already fixed bayonets and charged out. The British troops across from them had failed in several attacks, and their subsequent units had been struck from the sky. The courage of the British to fight on vanished instantly without a trace.

Seeing the gleaming bayonets charging toward them—one bayonet instantly killing a comrade beside them—the British let out a scream and turned to flee.

Fewer than two squads of Chinese soldiers launched a bayonet charge against a British force more than ten times their size. In less than half a minute, the foremost British troops had already turned and run. The fleeing soldiers carried the British troops behind them like an avalanche toward the bottom of the hill. They were driven off the high ground like sheep by fewer than 20 Chinese soldiers.

The Chinese army did not pursue them relentlessly; they quit while they were ahead and quickly withdrew to their positions. As soon as they were back inside, the shapes of J-9 advanced trainers appeared in the sky. These J-9s all carried bombs and began bombing the chaotic British forces.

The British commander, seeing the situation was about to spiral out of control, was forced to order his troops to withdraw in the direction they had come. The British reporters were also swept up in the retreat. It wasn't until they had retreated more than three kilometers that the panting reporters and soldiers finally stopped.

The shaken British reporters fell dejectedly to the ground. Someone panted: "Human wave tactics! Human wave tactics!"

The term was so appropriate at this moment. The reporters had indeed seen a human wave tactic, and they had seen how it failed miserably under the fierce, relentless, and death-defying attack of the opponent, ultimately resulting in the loss of a massive number of officers and soldiers before complete failure.

The British reporters finally understood why the human wave tactics launched by China could win. With such an army that was not afraid to die, it would be strange if human wave tactics *didn't* win.

The summer sunset in Canada is exceptionally late. Before dark, Chinese relief units broke through the British defensive lines and reached the two heights. In the sunset, on one of the heights, the Chinese military flag fluttered in the mountain breeze.

Leading the relief unit was a deputy brigade commander. Seeing the flag and the British corpses that almost covered the entire height, the commander—hard as iron as he was—couldn't stop tears from welling up.

Wiping away his tears, the commander immediately began to arrange a new defensive line. Soon, the troops began to execute his orders. The commander stepped onto the black-red slope and strode into the field fortifications. Even though they had been dug for only a short time, it was clear the positions were laid out with exquisite precision; the soldiers who had built them had fully mastered the essence of field defensive works.

Sixteen officers and soldiers stood up. The lieutenant at their head had lost his left arm. He stood with the support of a comrade and saluted with his right hand.

The deputy brigade commander looked at the comrades, each of whom was wounded, and his eyes grew hot again.

The lieutenant said loudly: "Report, sir! I am currently the commander of Height 2319. When my unit arrived here, it was a battalion of 319 men, with 275 actually in place. Now, the total number of personnel back with the unit is 21, including five seriously wounded."

With casualties exceeding 90%, they were still able to persist in fighting. The commander was so moved he didn't know how to praise his comrades. Finally suppressing his emotions, he returned the salute and said loudly: "Received! Now, I order your unit to return to the ranks! Also, which comrade called for indiscriminate bombardment of your own position over the radio?"

Upon hearing this question, the lieutenant immediately puffed out his chest and replied loudly: "Report, sir! It was the radio operator who called. He has fallen. The decision was made by all the comrades on the position! We will never be taken prisoner; if we die, we die together with the enemy!"

The deputy brigade commander's eyes grew wet once more. A strong sense of guilt arose in his heart; what had he done to deserve such subordinates? Yet because of a command error, he had allowed such men to be trapped in a death trap.

At this point, the commander could only say loudly: "Comrades, the motherland thanks you! The motherland thanks all of you!"