Chapter 204: Nearly Twenty Thousand People
“Send this telegram to Tian Jing’s side.”
Sato Jino personally drafted the telegram and handed it to his assistant.
Another military train over there was attacked by the Eighth Route Army, and there were actually five cars of tungsten ore on the military train.
The ignorant Eighth Route Army only took a small portion of the tungsten ore, leaving most of the tungsten ore behind.
Although most of this tungsten ore would be urgently transferred to Tian Jing’s warehouse, all the reinforcement troops from various routes were contained.
This was enough to show that the remaining tungsten ore would still be coveted by the Chinese people.
So, Sato Jino suggested to Tian Jing’s side.
Sprinkle special powder on the tungsten ore.
If this remaining large batch of tungsten ore could be preserved, that would naturally be a good thing.
If this large batch of tungsten ore could not be preserved and was seized by the Eighth Route Army.
The Eighth Route Army would surely transport this tungsten ore to their arsenal.
We sprinkle special powder on this tungsten ore, and then we can lead the military dogs to track and recover the tungsten ore while also finding the location of the Eighth Route Army Arsenal.
Originally, Sato Jino’s side had already laid out bait, waiting for the Eighth Route Army to take it.
But this tungsten ore was undoubtedly even better bait.
“Deputy Minister, if we send this telegram over, Tian Jing will probably curse when he sees it,” the assistant said while taking the telegram.
Sato Jino’s intention was good; if the tungsten ore was really seized, we would still have a chance to get it back and conveniently find the location of the Eighth Route Army Arsenal.
But sending this telegram would also mean adding pressure to Tian Jing’s side.
When he received the telegram, he would definitely think that we believed he could not hold it.
“Let him curse,” Sato Jino said indifferently. “If he really cannot hold it in the end, this will be the only chance to turn the tide, and he will eventually thank me.”
“Hai!” The assistant went to send the telegram.
Sato Jino clenched his fist, his emotions somewhat complex.
He hoped that Tian Jing’s side could hold and preserve the tungsten ore.
But he also hoped that Tian Jing’s side could not hold, so that he could then lead the military dogs to follow the scent, recover the tungsten ore, and conveniently lock down the location of the Eighth Route Army Arsenal.
Now, how things would develop depended on heaven’s will.
……
“Regiment Commander, according to reconnaissance, the Japanese invaders have moved all the tungsten ore to the warehouse; the other supplies on that military train have not been touched.”
“Regiment Commander, according to reconnaissance, the Japanese invaders’ warehouse has strengthened its defenses, and the added troops are a full Japanese regiment from Yuehua Station as reinforcements.”
“Regiment Commander, the Japanese invaders have no other reinforcement troops active nearby for the time being; they should still be in the process of being contained.”
One piece of reconnaissance intelligence after another was reported to Li Yunlong and the others.
Gao Xigang said gravely, “I reconnoitered that warehouse earlier; the garrison troops numbered no more than a thousand. Now with an added Japanese regiment, the Japanese garrison troops total four thousand, half our number—this will be a tough battle.”
“Bullshit tough battle!” Li Yunlong pointed at the fiery clouds on the horizon and said, “Can’t you see the sun is about to set? The Japanese invaders are not good at night combat; the night is our main battlefield.”
Gao Liujin also said, “We have four Hell Cannons. If the Japanese troops hide in bunkers and gun towers without coming out, they are live coffins—we hit one and nail it. If they come out to fight us, are our over two hundred grenade launcher mortars and Type 92 Infantry Guns just for show? We can overrun them with artillery fire.”
Cheng Xiazi was also full of bravado: “When the time comes, let me lead the main attack.”
Ding Wei cautioned, “Gentlemen, there are three or four thousand Japanese invaders after all; if they fight desperately, their combat power is not to be underestimated. We cannot be careless. The Japanese invaders didn’t even move the other supplies on the military train, clearly intending to stand or fall with this tungsten ore.”
“Old Ding, then tell me, how should we fight this battle?” Li Yunlong asked.
“If we can find a way to lure out part of the Japanese invaders, the pressure on our attack would be much reduced,” Ding Wei said.
“Old Ding, how do we lure them?” Li Yunlong asked.
The other regiment commanders also looked at Ding Wei one after another.
The Japanese invaders clearly intended to stand or fall with this tungsten ore; it probably would not be easy to lure them out.
“What if we do this: we hold back part of our strength, pretend to be exhausted as we break into the warehouse, grab a portion of the tungsten ore, and withdraw,” Ding Wei said. “We withdraw carrying this portion of tungsten ore— if you were the Japanese commander, would you sit and watch us leave?”
As soon as Ding Wei finished speaking, Li Yunlong immediately said, “The Japanese reinforcements from various routes are on the way, and airplanes have come out too, which shows the importance of this tungsten ore. If we pretend to be exhausted breaking into the warehouse and grab the tungsten ore, the Japanese commander will definitely pursue. Otherwise, he would have to commit seppuku.”
Li Yunlong thought to himself: Old Ding really lives up to being the Scheming Advisor; at the critical moment, his method is even more insidious than old Li’s.
Set up an ambush formation outside in advance; once the Japanese invaders are lured out and taken down, then make a return charge to take the warehouse would be much easier.
Gao Liujin also chimed in, “I think this plan works. The Japanese invaders have three or four thousand troops after all; if we don’t take out part of them first, forcibly attacking the warehouse would still be quite a pressure.”
Cheng Xiazi shouted, “Let me handle this task.”
Gao Xigang vied, “Let my 28th Regiment do it.”
“No more arguing,” Li Yunlong said. “Cheng Xiazi and Gao Xigang set up the ambush; Old Ding, Gao Liujin, and I attack the warehouse. Once the Japanese invaders are lured out, Cheng Xiazi and Gao Xigang surround them, then our three regiments press up, and the five regiments hit together. That’s the plan.”
The combat deployment was quickly confirmed.
Cheng Xiazi and Gao Xigang quickly went to set up the ambush, while Li Yunlong, Ding Wei, and Gao Liujin rapidly headed toward the warehouse.
Zhang Wanhe arrived with the transportation team. Li Yunlong’s men said to Zhang Wanhe, “Minister Zhang, there are still other supplies on that Japanese military train that haven’t been moved. Does your transportation team have enough manpower? If not, just focus on transporting the tungsten ore.”
“What a joke—don’t you know who I am!” Zhang Wanhe boasted, glaring: “I’m the Head of Logistics; would the transportation team ever lack manpower!”
Li Yunlong’s men reminded, “When our regiment commander takes the Japanese warehouse, there will definitely be more supplies inside. Minister Zhang, are you sure you have enough manpower?”
“Nonsense!” Zhang Wanhe said righteously. “Knowing this trip was to get rich, how could I not prepare adequately? I’m not bragging—this transportation team is just the first batch, over four or five thousand in this batch alone, with two more batches behind, totaling nearly twenty thousand. What couldn’t we carry back! I’m even worried we have too much manpower!”
“Worthy of Minister Zhang indeed; no wonder our regiment commander always says you deserve to be the Head of Logistics…” Li Yunlong’s men flattered, without finishing the sentence.
Zhang Wanhe interrupted: “How long until your regiment commander takes the Japanese warehouse?”
“Hard to say, but if smooth, it should be around dawn,” Li Yunlong’s men answered. “After all, the Japanese garrison troops have added a regiment, now nearly four thousand strong.”
“My god, four thousand Japanese invaders—this is really a tough job,” Zhang Wanhe was stunned upon hearing four thousand Japanese invaders were guarding the warehouse.
On the frontal battlefield, four thousand Japanese invaders could casually overwhelm one or two Direct Line Divisions.
For example, the Sakada Regiment could directly crush two Direct Line Divisions.
The pressure on Li Yunlong’s side was not small.
Zhang Wanhe then asked, “Can it really be taken by dawn?”
“Minister Zhang, that depends on whether the regiment commander and the others go smoothly.”
“I believe he can do it.” Zhang Wanhe did not understand fighting wars and did not ask more.
“Go move the stuff on the Japanese military train back right away,” Zhang Wanhe ordered the transportation team. “By the way, also dismantle a section of that railway to take back.”
“Yes, Minister Zhang.”
The first batch of the transportation team immediately went to work.
……
On Li Yunlong’s side, the troops of the three regiments were soon in position.
The battle plan was simple: the three regiments attack fiercely from three directions, all main assaults.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Three Hell Cannons roared, with cannonballs landing on the defenses of the Japanese warehouse.
Several fortified firepower points were immediately destroyed outright.
“These Eighth Route Army are indeed after the remaining tungsten ore,” the warehouse garrison officer and Regimental Commander Okamoto saw this, their expressions grave, and immediately ordered: “Defend to the death, vow to stand or fall with the position—no one moves without my orders!”
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
With the sustained attack of the Hell Cannons, more bunkers and firepower points of the Japanese warehouse were destroyed, and the Japanese inside went to meet Amaterasu.
“Charge!”
“Attack!”
“Go!”
More bunkers and firepower points were destroyed, an opening torn in the warehouse defenses, and the three men’s troops rapidly assaulted from three directions.
Hard targets encountered were directly hit with Hell Cannons.
Type 92 Infantry Guns and rocket launchers took out small enemy firepower points on the charge path; mortar and grenade launcher shells rained down, strongly suppressing the Japanese invaders.
Plus the firepower cover from light and heavy machine guns, the three men’s troops forcefully punched straight into the Japanese warehouse.
Finding where the Japanese invaders had placed the tungsten ore was also easy.
Wherever the Japanese invaders resisted most fiercely, just blast straight there.
Although these Japanese invaders had four thousand troops, they were dispersed in garrison, their fists not clenched together.
Facing the frenzied assault of Li Yunlong’s three, they were heavily suppressed; several counterattacks were directly overrun by artillery fire.
Li Yunlong, Ding Wei, and Gao Liujin reached the tungsten ore storage warehouse almost simultaneously.
“Hurry, hurry, grab the tungsten ore as fast as possible!”
Li Yunlong’s three had part of the troops hold the defenses, while another part rushed into the warehouse to hurriedly transport the tungsten ore.
Seeing this scene, Regimental Commander Okamoto was shocked: “The Eighth Route Army’s firepower is too fierce; they directly attacked the tungsten ore storage warehouse—unbelievable.”
The warehouse garrison officer was also shocked: “You can see their grenade launcher mortars are not yet proficient, but they just washed the ground with shells—no one could block it, it’s just…”
The garrison officer paused and said, “It’s just that when they’re grabbing the tungsten ore, why has their covering artillery fire weakened?”
“Most likely their shells are running out,” Regimental Commander Okamoto judged. “The Eighth Route Army fought fiercely earlier; now they’re probably at the end of their strength.”
“Okamoto, should we counterattack now, or let them take the tungsten ore?” the garrison officer asked.
They had already received Sato Jino’s urgent telegram.
Special powder had already been sprinkled in that tungsten ore warehouse.
If the Eighth Route Army took the tungsten ore, they could track with military dogs by scent, recover the seized tungsten ore, and if lucky, find the Eighth Route Army Arsenal.
The Eighth Route Army’s Hell Cannons and shoulder-mounted cannons posed too great a threat.
Only by destroying their arsenal could the hidden danger be fundamentally eliminated.
But now the Eighth Route Army was like spent force; with extra effort, they could be driven off, even pursued and killed.
That way, the remaining tungsten ore would be completely preserved, and we would not need to commit seppuku.
It seemed the first choice was the best.
But using strategic materials like tungsten ore as bait carried too great a risk.
If anything went wrong, it meant seppuku.
Sato Jino’s suggestion was just an extra insurance.
Not to have them do it directly like this.
So, the garrison officer was now in a dilemma.
Regimental Commander Okamoto thought for a moment and said, “This tungsten ore is a strategic metal; using it as bait—if something goes wrong, you and I cannot bear the responsibility. Quickly request instructions from General Shinozuka.”
The garrison officer quickly called the signalman to send a telegram to General Shinozuka.
Soon, General Shinozuka’s reply telegram arrived.
“Okamoto, General Shinozuka orders us to let the Eighth Route Army go. He said that if we rashly go out, there is likely an ambush outside,” the garrison officer read the telegram and said to Regimental Commander Okamoto. “He also judged that the Eighth Route Army will transport this tungsten ore to their arsenal; leading military dogs to follow the trail, we can find their arsenal and recover all the previously seized tungsten ore.”
“Alright, then we execute General Shinozuka’s orders,” Regimental Commander Okamoto nodded.
Indeed!
The Eighth Route Army often lured people out and ambushed outside.
Their current appearance of being spent was very likely a feint.
If we rashly sortied, the warehouse’s defensive strength would drop, and if the Eighth Route Army then attacked with full force, it would be no joke.
