Chapter 169: Too Terrifying!
Heyuan Japanese Gendarmerie
Sato Jino personally went to arrange the traces and had just returned to the office.
He then saw Fujita Ichi hurrying over: “Deputy Minister, something terrible has happened. Regimental Commander Kuroshima and his men lost another battle. Their troops suffered extremely heavy casualties. The cavalry regiment, tank regiment, and infantry battalion all lost more than half their strength!”
Sato Jino naturally did not believe it upon hearing this and roared: “Fujita, you idiot, what nonsense are you spouting! Two regiments plus two infantry battalions attacking a mere 358th Regiment—how could they not win, and lose so badly!”
Even if Chu Yunfei’s 358th Regiment was a reinforced regiment with five thousand men.
Even if Chu Yunfei’s fortifications were fortified.
Even if his superior gave Chu Yunfei an additional artillery battalion!
But Regimental Commander Kuroshima Morita and his two regiments plus two infantry battalions—how could the advantage not be with our Imperial Army?
How could they still not win and lose so badly!
“Deputy Minister, I don’t believe it either, but they really lost. They said the Eighth Route Arsenal produced another new artillery.” Fujita Ichi explained, “This new artillery can be carried on a single soldier’s shoulder and fired without recoil…”
“Baka, that’s utter nonsense!” Sato Jino interrupted directly, “How could artillery fire without recoil? Without recoil, how would the cannonball launch! Even our grenade launchers have recoil. This artillery can be fired from the shoulder—Regimental Commander Kuroshima is just finding an absurd excuse for his failure this time.”
Clearly, Sato Jino did not believe artillery could be fired from the shoulder.
He thought this was Kuroshima Morita and Ueno no Mura seeking excuses and reasons for their repeated defeats.
These connected insiders, these Imperial Bureaucrats, kept suffering losses at Chu Yunfei’s hands, and their excuses were ridiculously absurd.
Sato Jino was even considering suggesting to Lieutenant General Shinozuka, the First Army Commander, that they replace them.
“Deputy Minister, no matter how strong Regimental Commander Kuroshima’s connections are, they couldn’t possibly find such an outrageous excuse, right?” Fujita Ichi pondered, “Think about it—the Eighth Route, with their junk conditions, managed to produce heavy cannons pulled by mules. If they can produce artillery that fires cannonballs from the shoulder, perhaps…”
“Baka!” Sato Jino cursed and cut him off, “You idiot, what artillery has no recoil? Use some common sense!”
“Deputy Minister, since Regimental Commander Kuroshima and his men lost, what about this matter…” Fujita Ichi did not argue with Sato Jino.
After all, in his heart, he still thought the Eighth Route producing recoil-less artillery fired from the shoulder was too fake!
“We don’t need to worry about their combat troops for now.” Sato Jino said, “Since Kuroshima Morita and his men have suffered over half casualties, it’s perfect timing for me to apply to headquarters for replacements. I’ve already personally laid down the traces of the bait. As long as the Eighth Route bites the hook, takes the thing to their arsenal, and then we use the military dog to track the scent, we can find their arsenal. Remember, our most important task now is to find the Eighth Route Arsenal first.”
“Deputy Minister, have you applied for that military dog? I don’t think I’ve seen it.” Fujita Ichi asked.
“I’ve already submitted the application, and there will be results soon.” Sato Jino was confident.
Military dogs are precious and hard to borrow.
But this one is for finding the Eighth Route Arsenal.
So, it will get the green light all the way, no problem.
“Then that’s fine, I…” Fujita Ichi did not finish his words.
He then saw Sato Jino’s assistant running over like his ass was on fire: “Deputy Minister, there’s news of an enemy attack from the Cuicun Arsenal—we’ve lost contact.”
Cuicun Arsenal under enemy attack!
Fujita Ichi and Sato Jino were both shocked upon hearing this.
The arsenal is the cradle of army weapons and ammunition, the mother lode.
They had wanted to secretly relocate it quickly out of fear of an enemy attack on the Cuicun Arsenal.
And now!
The Cuicun Arsenal was still attacked by the enemy!
“Baka, who did it?” Sato Jino roared in fury.
Although half the equipment and supplies from the Cuicun Arsenal had already been secretly transported out in advance.
It was equivalent to only half being attacked, but this was still an unforgivable mistake!
Fujita Ichi also looked at the assistant in disbelief and said: “Right now, neither the Jin Sui Army nor the Direct Line Army can spare troops—they’ve been beaten back by us. The Eighth Route is hiding and doesn’t dare come out. It couldn’t be that the Eighth Route hiding in the shadows suddenly popped out, right?”
Amid his shock, Fujita Ichi also felt fortunate.
Fortunately, the Deputy Minister acted fast and secretly transported half the equipment and supplies in advance.
Otherwise, we’d be committing seppuku in minutes.
The assistant replied: “It was the Eighth Route.”
“Baka, baka, baka!” Sato Jino ranted wildly, grabbing Fujita Ichi’s hair and immediately slapping him with a barrage of blows, “It’s all your fault, you idiot! If you hadn’t taken the military dog to patrol the Cuicun Arsenal, the Eighth Route couldn’t have guessed there was our military stronghold there. You bastard, you should commit seppuku right now!”
Fujita Ichi’s face quickly swelled up, blood spurting from his nose, and he was beaten unconscious by Sato Jino.
The assistant continued: “Deputy Minister, strongholds along the way barely scraped together troops for reinforcements, but none could stop the Eighth Route. Reports say the Eighth Route had two heavy weapons, plus artillery that fires cannonballs from the shoulder…”
Before the assistant finished, Sato Jino was stunned: “Baka, could the Eighth Route really have produced shoulder-fired artillery!”
Due to the attacks on the Jin Sui Army and Direct Line Army, troops from the strongholds had been drawn away.
The barely scraped-together reinforcements certainly weren’t many.
With the Eighth Route having two heavy weapons, how could they be stopped?
Of course!
What shocked Sato Jino most was that the Eighth Route used shoulder-fired artillery that launches cannonballs!
Could it be that Regimental Commander Kuroshima and his men weren’t making absurd excuses, and the Eighth Route Arsenal really produced shoulder-mounted cannons!?
Could this artillery really have no recoil!?
Baka, this is truly too terrifying.
From producing heavy weapons to now producing light weapons like shoulder artillery!
How long has it been since then?
This master in the Eighth Route Arsenal is truly horrifying.
If they don’t quickly find the Eighth Route Arsenal and capture this person soon, who knows what terrifying weapons he’ll produce next!
“Deputy Minister, I didn’t believe it either, but now it’s not about whether we believe it—it’s that the Cuicun Arsenal was attacked, and we need to mend the fold after the sheep is lost as soon as possible.” The assistant’s tone was very serious, “According to reports, the Eighth Route brought over a thousand horses. Horses aren’t slow for transport. If we’re late to act, the Eighth Route will enter the mountains.”
“Baka, where did the Eighth Route get over a thousand horses?” Sato Jino was stunned.
The Eighth Route is so poor—even gathering all their horses, they probably don’t have a thousand.
The assistant explained: “Based on initial judgment, these warhorses very likely came from Regimental Commander Kuroshima’s cavalry regiment.”
“Baka, Regimental Commander Kuroshima has committed a major error.” Sato Jino cursed in annoyance, but without hesitation, he immediately said: “I’ll call upstairs right now to report and order all units attacking the Jin Sui Army and Direct Line Army to halt offensives immediately, withdraw, and pursue and intercept the Eighth Route. We must stop them before they enter the mountains!”
“Deputy Minister, the Eighth Route isn’t slow. Even withdrawing the units attacking the Jin Sui Army and Direct Line Army might not…” The assistant didn’t finish.
Ding ling ling!
The telephone on the table rang.
Sato Jino picked up the microphone: “This is Sato Jino.”
The call from the railway line came through: “The Zhangjia Village railway is expected to be repaired and operational by noon tomorrow.”
“Yoshi, understood.” A rare smile appeared on Sato Jino’s face as he hung up the microphone.
Sato Jino said to the assistant: “The Zhangjia Village railway section will be repaired and operational by noon tomorrow. Rear military trains can depart early and supply materials by tomorrow afternoon. So, attacking the Jin Sui Army and Direct Line Army is meaningless now. Have them withdraw immediately to blockade the Eighth Route and mend the fold after the sheep is lost.”
“Deputy Minister, I’ll go notify them.” The assistant nodded and left quickly.
The gendarmerie side can notify the Imperial Army troops in the jurisdiction.
Of course, major units of the Imperial Army still need orders from above.
Sato Jino quickly picked up the telephone and reported the situation.
“Sato-kun, confirm the Eighth Route really produced new weapons again—this shoulder-fired cannonball artillery?” Lieutenant General Shinozuka’s tone on the phone was extremely shocked.
“Your Excellency Commander, this once again proves my guess was correct. There must be a very terrifying military industry expert in the Eighth Route Arsenal—we must capture him alive as soon as possible.” Sato Jino’s tone was very serious, “For Colonel Yamamoto’s side, I hope Your Excellency Commander can do some work.”
Yamamoto Ichiki is a proud fellow. Previously discussed, he was unwilling to attack a small Eighth Route Arsenal.
His grand goal is the 18th Army Group Headquarters and Second War Zone Command Department.
His dream is to air-drop into Shancheng for a decapitation strike on the Bald One!
Attacking the Eighth Route Arsenal, this mosquito-level small target, is an insult to his special operations team!
Now, with the Eighth Route Arsenal producing shoulder-mounted cannons, it proves this target can’t be measured as a mosquito.
Its value has quickly closed the gap with Yamamoto Ichiki’s two grand goals.
“Sato-kun, I’ll talk to Yamamoto Ichiki again.” Lieutenant General Shinozuka’s tone was serious, “You lock down the arsenal’s location as soon as possible—no mistakes.”
“Yes, Your Excellency Commander.” Sato Jino replied.
After the call ended, Sato Jino slowly replaced the microphone, pacing back and forth twice in the office.
Amid his angry expression, Sato Jino felt a mix of excitement.
The Eighth Route Arsenal producing another new thing further proved the value of this master in the Eighth Route Arsenal.
Once this person is captured alive and makes major contributions to our military industry, perhaps even the Emperor will receive me, the meritorious minister.
