Chapter 115: Things Traded For The General’s Sword
Heyuan Japanese Gendarmerie
“Why hasn’t there been a reply yet? It’s really driving me crazy.”
Fujita Ichi paced back and forth in the room, anxious like an ant on a hot pan.
Fujita Ichi had already received the news that the iron smelting plant had been looted clean by the Eighth Route Army, and the Eighth Route Army was fleeing with the things.
But Kuroshima Morita’s side had not appeared at the iron smelting plant; instead, they had fought with the Jin Sui Army 358th Regiment.
This really left Fujita Ichi baffled. What was going on with Kuroshima Morita and the others? Why didn’t they continue to reinforce the iron smelting plant?
Although the Eighth Route Army was fleeing with the things, they had not disappeared yet and could still be pursued.
Why weren’t you Cavalry Regiment and Mechanized Regiment continuing the pursuit? Why fight Chu Yunfei?
“Captain, Regimental Commander Kuroshima has replied by telegram.” A confidant ran over and handed the newly arrived telegram to Fujita Ichi.
Fujita Ichi immediately grabbed it and took a look, instantly left dumbfounded:
Kuroshima Morita said in the telegram that they had fallen for the Eighth Route Army’s scheme, which was why they fought with the Jin Sui Army 358th Regiment.
Even more unbelievable was!
Kuroshima Morita and they had actually lost the battle.
Caught in a pincer attack by Chu Yunfei and the Eighth Route Army, their troops suffered heavy casualties, all supplies were lost, and even!
Even the bait that Fujita Ichi had prepared for the Eighth Route Army was swallowed by the Eighth Route Army.
“Baka, this Kuroshima Morita and Ueno no Mura have ruined the big plan!” Fujita Ichi viciously tore up the telegram.
Do the two of you have bean curd dregs in your brains?
Why bother with the Eighth Route Army so much? Ignore everything and just charge straight to the iron smelting plant.
In the end, you fell for their ploy and even lost the bait for me.
This is equipment that can produce bullets! Although I had removed the key parts from inside in advance, it still couldn’t be lost!
What to do now?
The confidant said to Fujita Ichi, “Captain, leaving aside the loss of the iron smelting plant and Regimental Commander Kuroshima and their defeat for now, the Eighth Route Army swallowed the bait. They will discover there are no key parts and won’t be able to produce bullets. How about you use these key parts again to continue fishing for them?”
“Fish your baka!” Fujita Ichi angrily rebuked, “Are you really planning to let the Eighth Route Army fully produce bullets…”
Fujita Ichi’s words stopped abruptly before he could finish cursing.
Thinking carefully, it wasn’t without reason.
The Eighth Route Army took the equipment missing key parts; they couldn’t produce bullets, and they must be anxious about it.
If we use these key parts as bait, they should take the risk no matter what.
As long as the fishing operation succeeds, face will naturally be recovered.
The lost things can also be taken back.
“To fish, we still need troops.” Fujita Ichi had a terrible headache.
Kuroshima Morita and they suffered a defeat with considerable casualties; supplies gone, war vehicles lost over half.
In the short term, it was unrealistic for them to recover their strength.
In other words.
Without Kuroshima Morita and they helping to set up the ambush formation, even if Fujita Ichi had bait, the fish couldn’t be caught.
The confidant suggested, “How about applying to headquarters again to transfer other troops?”
Our First Army has a total troop strength of seventy to eighty thousand!
With Kuroshima Morita and they resting, troops can definitely be transferred from other places.
“Even if we need to transfer, it won’t be that fast.” Fujita Ichi shook his head.
Although the First Army has seventy to eighty thousand men, there are so many places in Shanxi Province to defend, and troops are dispersed.
Plus, there is warfare in other places too, and the First Army has also mobilized troops for reinforcement.
This is the drawback of the front line being stretched too long; China’s depth is too great, and the Empire’s troops are insufficient.
But soon, Fujita Ichi nodded: “We can only communicate with headquarters first.”
“Captain, this mess is so big this time: mine lost, iron smelting plant lost, even equipment gone. Can you still hold your position steady?” The confidant was still somewhat worried.
If Fujita Ichi’s position became unstable, all this would be for nothing.
“Did I lose the mine? Did I lose the iron smelting plant? Did I lose the equipment?” Fujita Ichi directly hit the confidant with three questions in a row.
I am the Gendarmerie Captain, not responsible for guarding the mine. The mine lost, I am not directly responsible!
As for the iron smelting plant, that is the Third Regiment’s responsibility!
As for the equipment, it wasn’t directly lost from my hands; this is Kuroshima Morita and their responsibility. At most, I bear secondary responsibility!
Kuroshima Morita and they failed to save the mine, failed to save the iron smelting plant, and even lost the equipment. This blame has to be on them; how can they shift it to me!
I did notify them immediately in a timely manner for rescue.
“That’s true.” The confidant nodded reassuringly. It sounded like it was indeed the case.
“I’ll contact headquarters first to see if we can transfer troops.” Fujita Ichi picked up the microphone while saying to the confidant, “You go check what supplies are left—ammunition, grain, etc.—and send it all to Kuroshima Morita and them.”
Although Kuroshima Morita and they suffered a defeat, we can’t just let them take the blame without providing supply aid.
They are still the backbone force of the encirclement troops after all; we still need to rely on them to maintain rear security and stability.
“Hai!” The confidant accepted the order and left.
Fujita Ichi connected the call. As soon as he revealed his identity, Lieutenant General Shinozuka’s scolding came through: “Fujita Ichi, you idiot, how did you serve as Gendarmerie Captain? Why didn’t you provide timely and accurate intelligence to Kuroshima Morita and them!”
Fujita Ichi was instantly baffled. From the looks of it, Kuroshima Morita and they seemed to have shifted the blame onto him, blaming him for not providing timely and accurate intelligence.
These damned Imperial Bureaucrats!
It must be that bastard Kuroshima Morita, relying on his imperial family member status and hereditary baron identity, worked the rear connections to shift the blame onto him.
Fujita Ichi’s background definitely couldn’t compare to Kuroshima Morita and them. If the other side slung this blame over, he had no ability to sling it back.
To rise to Gendarmerie Captain, Fujita Ichi was no pushover. His brain quickly thought it over and immediately shifted the responsibility to Hirata Ichiro: “General, you’ve misunderstood me. It’s not that I didn’t provide accurate intelligence to Kuroshima Morita and them; it’s just that I had just taken over, and Hirata Ichiro hadn’t communicated many intelligence matters to me. For example, there is an iron smelting plant in the Third Regiment Area—such important intelligence, and Hirata Ichiro never told me…”
“Baka, damn it!” Lieutenant General Shinozuka roared and interrupted, “Then how do you explain using the equipment to fish for the Eighth Route Army?”
Lieutenant General Shinozuka had only just learned of this news.
Fujita Ichi actually dared to use bullet-making equipment as fishing bait; there was no stupider pig in the world than him.
Can this equipment be used for fishing?
What a joke!
“General, the equipment was lost in Kuroshima Morita and their hands; it was their failure to protect it…”
“Baka, you idiot still want to quibble!” Lieutenant General Shinozuka grew even angrier. “If you hadn’t used the equipment for fishing, would the thing have been lost?”
“General, I, I, I…” Fujita Ichi stammered.
“I’ll mobilize some supplies over here to let Kuroshima Morita’s side recover strength quickly.” Lieutenant General Shinozuka snapped, “Quickly coordinate intelligence with Hirata Ichiro and get back all the things the Eighth Route Army robbed. Otherwise, don’t bother doing this Gendarmerie Captain job!”
After Lieutenant General Shinozuka finished, the phone hung up.
Fujita Ichi slowly placed the microphone back on the stand, his face showing contemplation.
General Shinozuka was going to help Kuroshima Morita and them recover strength quickly; that was good.
Although he had been blamed by Kuroshima Morita and them, his position was at least secure for now.
However, if he wanted to fish for the Eighth Route Army again, using those key parts for fishing—did that still count as using equipment for fishing?
This probably didn’t count as using equipment for fishing.
Parts and equipment are still different.
……
Border Region Arsenal
“Xiao Li, the Jin Sui Army side is interested in our general’s sword.”
Zhang Wanhe walked over and said to Li Muzhi with a smile, “What do you plan to exchange with him?”
The Border Region Arsenal is our army’s key stronghold, and Li Muzhi is the most critical part of it.
Therefore, Zhang Wanhe didn’t bring the person here; he only acted as the intermediary messenger.
“How much interest?” Li Muzhi asked. “If it’s not much, then exchange with someone else.”
“Very great interest. I heard he’s determined to get it and must have this general’s sword.” Zhang Wanhe explained to Li Muzhi, “I asked around; this guy doesn’t get along well in the Jin Sui Army. Dirty and tiring work is left to him, but merit has no share for him. He wants to use the general’s sword to smooth relations and transfer to the Direct Line Army.”
“Give him this.” Li Muzhi took out a note and handed it to Zhang Wanhe. “Tell him, if he can get these things, not one less, then we’ll exchange the general’s sword for him.”
Zhang Wanhe took the note and glanced at it under his eyelids.
Most of what was requested on it were materials.
The reason we couldn’t obtain them was the blockade was too strict, and also technical issues.
Zhang Wanhe still pointed to two materials on it and said, “These two things are hard to get, right? That guy probably can’t manage it.”
“Otherwise what? You think our general’s sword is so easy to get!” Li Muzhi said seriously. “These two things are the most critical. If he can’t get them, then exchange with someone else.”
Zhang Wanhe asked suspiciously, “Xiao Li, what do you want to do with these materials exchanged over?”
“Minister Zhang, you’ll know later.” Li Muzhi teased first.
“Alright then. Things exchangeable with a general’s sword, I believe must have great use.” Zhang Wanhe didn’t ask further.
After all, Old Zhang Comrade was best at handling logistics; as for military industry, he was clueless.
Whatever Li Muzhi said to do, we just cooperate accordingly.
“Xiao Li, then I’ll contact him again and give him this note.” Zhang Wanhe put away the note.
“Besides this person, you can also scout others. In short, whoever can get these materials, exchange the general’s sword with him.” Li Muzhi added.
“Mm.” Zhang Wanhe acknowledged. This was called casting a wide net.
Lao He hurriedly walked over and reported to Li Muzhi, “Factory Director, a special commissioner from the 120th Division has come and is urgently asking to see Minister Zhang!”
