Chapter 257: This Group Of Japanese Invaders Is No Ordinary Bunch
Kumamoto Division Headquarters
Although the rain stopped today and the weather cleared up, Kumamoto Shidan Zhang did not urgently order the troops to attack.
First, because the roads had not yet dried.
Second, he received news from Sato Jino that there would be results from Sato Jino’s side in just one or two days.
As long as they could find and lock onto the location of the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal, they could strike the snake at its vital point.
Therefore, the Kumamoto Division was not in a hurry to attack.
By the way, it also allowed the troops to seize the time to rest for a day.
Wet clothes should be dried quickly, the sick should be treated promptly, and so on.
Night fell, and Kumamoto Shidan Zhang ate raw fish sushi made by Fujita Ichi himself, praising, “Mr. Fujita, if you didn’t have ambitions as high as a swan, I would want you to stay and be my chef.”
Although the coal dug up by Fujita Ichi with the engineers could be used to cook hot food.
But Kumamoto Shidan Zhang still really liked eating the raw fish sushi made by Fujita Ichi.
Of course, when Kumamoto Shidan Zhang said Fujita Ichi had ambitions as high as a swan, that was just something to listen to and let go.
Fujita Ichi smiled and said, “Kumamoto Shidan Zhang, as long as you like eating it, I…”
Fujita Ichi wanted to take this opportunity to express his loyalty to Kumamoto Shidan Zhang, laying the groundwork for staying with the Kumamoto Division later.
As a result, Major General Muto came in quickly holding a telegram: “Kumamoto Shidan Zhang, this is the telegram from the Commander.”
“What did the Commander say in the telegram?” Seeing how happy and expectant Muto Juichi looked, Kumamoto Shidan Zhang did not take the telegram and asked directly.
Kumamoto Shidan Zhang already had a guess; it was most likely good news from Sato Jino’s side.
“The Commander said in the telegram that the bait on Sato Jino’s side has been swallowed by the Eighth Route Army, and at dawn there will be elite troops leading military dogs to track by scent. The Commander wants us to prepare for striking out.” Muto Juichi said quickly: “Once the elite troops lock onto the location of the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal, we have to rush over at the fastest speed.”
“Yoshi!” Kumamoto Shidan Zhang’s expression showed great appreciation: “Deputy Minister Sato is indeed an elite from the Gendarmerie Headquarters. With his first move, he found that the Eighth Route Army’s headquarters was at Daxia Bay. Now with this move, finding the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal seems effortless too.”
Fujita Ichi on the side also flattered: “Deputy Minister Sato serving as a deputy is a waste of talent; he should be promoted to full minister.”
In his heart, Fujita Ichi truly admired Sato Jino.
The situation was so bad, yet he could still turn the tide; he was indeed an elite of the Empire.
It’s just a pity that Deputy Minister Sato has a prejudice against us; otherwise, we could follow him and learn a few skills.
Kumamoto Shidan Zhang’s expression quickly became solemn: “Orderly, go relay my orders: all units seize the time to sleep now, but be prepared to strike out at any moment.”
“Yes.” The orderly quickly went to relay the orders.
Kumamoto Shidan Zhang said to Muto Juichi: “Mr. Muto, you go rest first too.”
“Alright.” Major General Muto withdrew.
Fujita Ichi looked at Kumamoto Shidan Zhang: “Kumamoto Shidan Zhang, I…”
“Your raw fish sushi is very well made, but the troops will strike out soon, so you in logistics should hurry and prepare.” Kumamoto Shidan Zhang said to Fujita Ichi.
“Yes.” Fujita Ichi’s words of expressing loyalty would have to wait for next time.
Both left, but Kumamoto Shidan Zhang still picked up the telegram left by Muto Juichi, read it once, then with a smile and anticipation, forced himself to sleep and rest.
……
Time passed very slowly, yet also very quickly.
During the waiting process, Sato Jino kept looking down at his watch.
Special Agent Captain Yamamoto Ichiki was different; he kept meditating with eyes closed.
When there were ten minutes left until dawn, Yamamoto Ichiki’s eyes opened.
The special operations team members were immediately quickly assembled by Yamamoto Ichiki.
“Check weapons and ammunition.” Yamamoto Ichiki ordered the special operations team to check weapons and ammunition, and had the radio operator test the radio.
Sato Jino’s side was not idle either; he quickly brought over two military dogs.
Of course, considering the military dogs did not like being touched by strangers, the two military dogs’ handlers came along too.
After Yamamoto Ichiki had the special operations team check the ammunition status, the time was about right.
He said to Sato Jino: “Deputy Minister Sato, except for the two military dog handlers, don’t bring any of your other arranged people.”
Sato Jino had arranged others, but Yamamoto Ichiki did not plan to take them.
They were still in the process of raiding the Eighth Route Army, and there would definitely be plenty of Eighth Route Army guerrilla team eyes and ears along the way.
Bringing too many people would make the target bigger.
Moreover, Sato Jino’s people did not understand mountain tracking and camouflage; taking them would easily expose the target.
“Alright then, Colonel Yamamoto, I’ll keep everyone here and not add burden to you.” Sato Jino had good intentions to help Yamamoto Ichiki, but since the other did not want them, he respected his decision.
“Let’s go, set out.” Yamamoto Ichiki did not say much, waved his hand, and the special operations team with the two military dogs immediately vanished into the night.
Watching this scene, Sato Jino clenched his fist, his expression very excited: “Whether I can be ennobled depends on Colonel Yamamoto.”
……
386 Brigade Headquarters
Since he anticipated the Japanese invaders would track tonight, the Brigade Commander had not slept and kept waiting.
Until one o’clock in the morning, the Deputy Brigade Commander quickly came over and reported: “Brigade Commander, the Japanese invaders have made a move.”
“Speak.”
“They led two military dogs and are tracking along the route we planned.” The Deputy Brigade Commander’s tone was very serious. “Moreover, based on judgment, this group of Japanese invaders is most likely the same group that encountered the Independent Regiment in the Yang Village battle earlier.”
“Confirmed to be this group of Japanese invaders?” Upon hearing this, the Brigade Commander’s eyes immediately narrowed.
In the Yang Village battle, on the surface, this group of Japanese invaders had given Kong Jie a bald one of two hundred to zero.
In reality, they had slapped the Brigade Commander’s face!
The Brigade Commander had always remembered it.
It was just that this group of little Japanese invaders had hidden too deeply, and there had been no opportunity to deal with them.
Now, they had come out on their own.
“This group of Japanese invaders moves at night without sound, and their steel helmets do not reflect moonlight; preliminary judgment is that it’s most likely them.” The Deputy Brigade Commander answered, then continued, “The existence of this group of Japanese invaders is a huge hidden threat. Now that they’ve come out, it’s the opportunity to eliminate them.”
“No hurry.” The Brigade Commander waved his hand and said: “First use fake tungsten ore to attract the Kumamoto Division’s attention, pull in the Direct Line Army, then we act.”
“Mm, that’s right.” The Deputy Brigade Commander nodded. “After attacking the Kumamoto Division’s logistics and supplies, once the Direct Line Army is pulled in, we move to kill this group of little Japanese invaders.”
“You go notify those intelligence group leaders: at dawn, release the news in a timely manner.” The Brigade Commander instructed.
This group of Japanese invaders leading military dogs to track by scent would probably reach Yang’er Mountain around morning.
“Good.” The Deputy Brigade Commander went immediately.
The Brigade Commander was not idle either; he quickly wrote several orders and had them delivered.
Once the Japanese invaders discovered the tungsten ore, the troops related to these orders would act.
After all, it was our tungsten ore that the Japanese invaders discovered; if we didn’t put on a desperate show, it definitely wouldn’t work.
……
Yamamoto Ichiki led the special operations team, carefully searching along the way.
They bypassed villages, bypassed woods, bypassed rivers and mountains.
At dawn, just as the Brigade Commander had anticipated, they arrived at Yang’er Mountain.
“Rest in place here, eat breakfast.” Yamamoto Ichiki saw that the environment at Yang’er Mountain was concealed and suitable for rest, so he ordered a brief rest in place.
The special operations team stopped here, seizing the time to eat and rest.
After all, after tracking all night, energy consumption was considerable.
After resting for half an hour and finishing breakfast, Yamamoto Ichiki’s special operations team was about to set off to continue tracking.
But the two military dogs suddenly started digging the soil.
Yamamoto Ichiki watched the scene and immediately turned to ask the two military dog handlers: “What’s going on?”
If the bait was placed here, the military dogs should have dug when they first arrived.
They had been here for half an hour and were about to leave, yet the military dogs started digging now; Yamamoto Ichiki could not quite figure it out.
“Report to the Colonel, we don’t understand either; maybe something is buried here.” The two military dog handlers answered.
“Pull the two military dogs away immediately, quick.” Yamamoto Ichiki decisively had the two military dog handlers pull the dogs away.
If there was a trap here, losing the two military dogs would make the tracking mission impossible to continue.
“Yes, Colonel.” The two military dog handlers hurriedly complied.
“Let’s go, move.” Although Yamamoto Ichiki was also curious about what the military dogs were digging here.
He still decisively ordered the special operations team to continue the original tracking mission.
A team member said: “Colonel, could it be that the Eighth Route Army hid something else here? Really not dig it up?”
“No matter what the Eighth Route Army hid here, our current mission is most important.” Yamamoto Ichiki was very clear-headed. “Moreover, if we dig it up early and the Eighth Route Army discovers it, wouldn’t they transfer in time? So without digging, the Eighth Route Army won’t notice. We note the location, and after finding the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal and completing the mission, we can come back to dig anytime.”
“The Colonel is wise.”
Just like that, Yamamoto Ichiki led the special operations team to leave Yang’er Mountain directly.
The Brigade Commander hiding in the dark watched the scene through the telescope, his tone very solemn: “Looks like this group of little Japanese invaders really ain’t ordinary.”
Clearly your two military dogs were digging the soil, yet you could still choose to leave decisively and continue the tracking mission.
This way, the fake tungsten ore plan would fall through.
A staff officer anxiously said to the Brigade Commander: “Brigade Commander, what to do? If these little Japanese invaders don’t discover the tungsten ore, our follow-up plan will be…”
The Brigade Commander was very calm and said: “What’s the hurry? If the little Japanese invaders don’t discover the tungsten ore on their own, we’ll make them discover it passively.”
Make the little Japanese invaders discover the tungsten ore passively?
The staff officer did not understand what the Brigade Commander meant and asked suspiciously: “Brigade Commander, how to make them discover the tungsten ore passively?”
