Chapter 157: Strike First
“Commander-in-Chief, someone is looking for you outside!” A staff officer found Su Yaoyang, who was reviewing documents in the command headquarters.
“Who is it?” Su Yaoyang asked without lifting his head.
The staff officer walked up to Su Yaoyang and said in a low voice: “It’s the Eighth Route Army!”
“Hm?”
Su Yaoyang was slightly startled, raised his head, thought for a moment, “Could it be someone sent by Li Yunlong?”
“He didn’t say?”
“Please invite him in.”
“Yes!”
Soon, a man dressed as a commoner walked in, with dark skin, a honest expression, and the appearance of a genuine ordinary peasant.
The visitor’s eyes were also sharp; the moment he entered the room, he spotted Su Yaoyang, who was standing with his hands behind his back watching him.
As the old saying goes… a man changes his demeanor and bearing through his environment. After more than half a year of military life, Su Yaoyang had transformed from a youth of the 21st century into a qualified soldier.
Coupled with his high position, he had now become the commander of over ten thousand troops, naturally cultivating an aura unique to those in authority—what later generations would call an increasingly strong official demeanor.
“Hello, sir. I am a liaison officer of the Eighth Route Army. Our headquarters leaders ordered me to deliver a piece of intelligence to you.”
After speaking, he pulled an envelope from his bosom and handed it over with both hands.
Su Yaoyang took the envelope, gestured for him to sit, then sat down himself, pulled out the letter from the envelope, and began reading.
This glance was alarming—the letter turned out to be a personal letter from the Commander-in-Chief to him. The Commander-in-Chief first thanked him at the beginning of the letter for the batch of weapons they had given to Li Yunlong a few days ago, then described the recent unusual movements of the Japanese army and their predictions of the Japanese army’s next actions.
The Commander-in-Chief also stated in the letter that if Wutaixian really could not be held, he could lead the Shanxi militia to withdraw to the Eighth Route Army base area; as long as they notified them in advance, they would send troops to receive him.
The letter was thick and long; Su Yaoyang spent a full half hour to finish reading it.
After reading, he pondered for a moment before saying to the liaison officer who had been sitting in the chair: “Please convey my thanks to the Commander-in-Chief and all the leaders on my behalf. We have actually already heard about the Japanese army’s movements and have made corresponding arrangements.”
Seeing Su Yaoyang unmoved, the liaison officer became anxious, “Commander Su, forgive my bluntness, but the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army in Shanxi is still very strong, especially the 20th Division, which is their standing A-class division, equipped with complete artillery, cavalry, and engineer battalions, with a total force of 25,000 men.
Now they are coming out in full force; it’s very difficult for just Wutaixian to withstand their attack. I personally suggest that you take advantage of the fact that the Japanese haven’t arrived yet and lead your troops to withdraw to the mountains.”
“Thank you for the reminder.” Su Yaoyang smiled slightly: “But we as soldiers have the duty to defend our homes and country. If we see the Japanese army’s power is great and flee in panic without even the courage to fight, how can we face the uniforms we wear?
So I appreciate your kind intentions, but please go back and tell your leaders that I thank them for the intelligence, but I can only appreciate the kind intentions. I will not abandon Wutaixian.”
Seeing Su Yaoyang’s resolute attitude, the liaison officer sighed helplessly, “Alright, I will report your words to the higher leadership. If you have no other matters, then I will take my leave.”
“Please wait a moment.”
Su Yaoyang stopped him, beckoned a staff officer over, gave him a few low instructions. The staff officer nodded and went out, soon carrying in two boxes.
“Comrade, you have come from afar, and I have nothing good to offer.
Here is a box of cigarettes and a box of penicillin. Please take them back to your leaders as a small token of my appreciation.”
“Penicillin?” The liaison officer let out a cry of surprise, then stammered: “Sir… sir… did you just say the wonder drug penicillin?”
“Yes.”
Su Yaoyang nodded, “This box of penicillin contains a total of one hundred boxes, ten ampoules per box. I hope it can be of help to your troops.”
“Thank you… thank you so much. With these medicines, many of our wounded will be saved. I thank you on behalf of those wounded.”
After speaking, the liaison officer solemnly saluted Su Yaoyang.
Su Yaoyang returned the salute and instructed the staff officer to take the liaison officer to eat before leaving.
But at this moment, how could this liaison officer have the mood to eat? He quickly bid farewell to Su Yaoyang and hurriedly left with the two boxes.
And before leaving, Su Yaoyang also had someone bring a codebook and entrusted it to him to deliver to the Eighth Route Army headquarters, to facilitate communication between the two sides.
After seeing off the Eighth Route Army’s liaison officer, news came from the intelligence agent lurking in Taiyuan: the 39th Brigade under the Japanese 20th Division had already taken a train from Taiyuan and was advancing along the railway toward Wutaixian, expected to arrive in Xiangding County tomorrow or the day after. Thus, the two sides would soon engage in battle at any moment.
Upon hearing this news, Su Yaoyang and Pi Ruoyu discussed and immediately ordered Li Gaoyuan: the tank battalion, 1st Regiment, artillery 1st Regiment, and air defense battalion to set out first and launch an attack on the Japanese before they reached Xiangding County.
With Su Yaoyang’s order issued, the entire militia began bustling about. The logistics battalion, renamed the Logistics Department, opened the warehouses and distributed boxes of ammunition to the participating units.
The field hospital led by Song Mei also began clearing beds to prepare for receiving the wounded. The entire Wutaixian entered a state of war readiness.
Wutaixian is not far from Xiangding County, about 100 li away. After a day of forced march, the 1st Regiment and tank battalion arrived at a place called the H Qiu stronghold outside Xiangding County town in the evening.
The H Qiu stronghold is a small stronghold, with its main force being a three-story gun tower, inside which a squad of Japanese troops and more than 50 puppet troops were stationed. Their task was to block the highway in front of the stronghold, and anyone or vehicle passing on the highway had to be inspected by them.
At this time, although the Japanese cage policy had not yet been formally implemented, its prototype already existed up to now.
The Japanese had begun to gradually implement the “rationing system,” strictly prohibiting food, salt, medicines, and other materials from flowing into the base areas to control resources in the occupied areas.
In the evening, when the tank battalion led by John began appearing in front of the H Qiu stronghold, the entire H Qiu stronghold instantly fell into panic.
The highest commander of the H Qiu stronghold was a second lieutenant named Taichi Tano. At this moment, looking at the four Sherman tanks spewing thick smoke from their tails outside the stronghold, his face showed an expression of doubting his existence.
“Amaterasu Great God, please tell me, is the place I’m in now China? Why have so many tanks suddenly appeared?”
Unfortunately, Amaterasu Great God did not respond to his prayer; instead, the four slowly advancing tanks fired a salvo at the bunker where he was.
“Boom boom…”
Amid the deafening explosions, this three-story gun tower instantly billowed with thick smoke, and with the explosions, most of it collapsed…
