Chapter 260: Abandon The Car To Save The General
Taiyuan First Army Headquarters
“Your Excellency Commander, this is an urgent telegram from Colonel Yamamoto Ichiki!”
A staff officer walked over and respectfully handed the newly arrived telegram to First Army Commander Shinozuka Yoshio.
Upon hearing this, Shinozuka Yoshio immediately grabbed it. This must be that Yamamoto Ichiki had discovered the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal.
He quickly glanced at it, and upon seeing the content, Shinozuka Yoshio was still stunned for a moment.
He had originally thought that Yamamoto Ichiki had already found the location of the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal.
Unexpectedly, this mission had failed.
But Yamamoto Ichiki had unexpectedly seemingly discovered the hiding place of the tungsten ore seized by the Eighth Route Army. Yamamoto Ichiki asked the Taiyuan Arsenal side to quickly send experts to confirm.
Yamamoto Ichiki also mentioned in the telegram that he had sent a telegram to Kumamoto Division Commander as well.
Considering that Kumamoto Division Commander might not obey the orders, he asked Shinozuka Yoshio’s side to send another order to Kumamoto Division Commander.
“Immediately send a telegram to Kumamoto Division in the name of Headquarters, ordering them to bring the mopping-up troops to rapidly advance toward Yang’er Mountain. Spare no effort to seize the thing for me!”
Shinozuka Yoshio quickly adjusted his emotions and said to the staff officer in front of him.
Although the scent-tracking operation had failed, if they could seize back five trucks of tungsten ore, that would still be a kind of consolation.
Even more importantly, if handled well, there might be an opportunity to severely damage or even eliminate the Eighth Route Army’s main force troops.
In this way, Kumamoto Division’s mopping-up operation would seize the initiative.
“Hai.” The staff officer nodded and immediately strode away.
Shinozuka Yoshio picked up the microphone: “Connect me to line 9.”
Soon, the phone connected, and a deep voice came from inside: “This is Sagi Ichiro.”
“Sagi-kun, quickly send an expert who recognizes tungsten ore from your side to rendezvous with Colonel Yamamoto Ichiki. The rendezvous point is Ping’an County Town. Be sure to confirm whether the sample in Colonel Yamamoto Ichiki’s hands is tungsten ore!” Shinozuka Yoshio said solemnly into the phone.
Yamamoto Ichiki had also said in the telegram that he would withdraw to Ping’an County Town to rest.
Have this expert who recognizes tungsten ore go to Ping’an County Town to quickly inspect the sample brought by Yamamoto Ichiki to determine whether it is truly tungsten ore.
“Yes, Your Excellency Commander.” The deep voice responded.
Shinozuka Yoshio put the microphone back on the rack, and the call ended.
He stood up and paced two circles, then Shinozuka Yoshio called a staff officer: “Send a telegram to Major General Kawashima, requiring them to find a way to contain the group of Eighth Route Army outside. The hiding place of tungsten ore in the Eighth Route Army lair is suspected to be exposed. This group of Eighth Route Army is highly likely to charge back. They must not be allowed to threaten Kumamoto Division’s rear.”
The staff officer was somewhat troubled: “Your Excellency Commander, if it were just the Eighth Route Army, perhaps they could contain them. But now this Eighth Route Army is acting as the vanguard for the Jin Sui Army. I’m afraid Major General Kawashima and the others cannot contain them.”
Not to mention containment—now this group of Eighth Route Army is acting as the vanguard for the Jin Sui Army, leading the Jin Sui Army to charge around everywhere like wild horses that have slipped their reins. Major General Kawashima and the others simply cannot hold them down.
“Spare no effort to contain them!” Shinozuka Yoshio’s tone was serious. “They number twenty or thirty thousand; they can’t all be rice buckets.”
“Hai!” The staff officer nodded and left.
Shinozuka Yoshio sat down, preparing to call Sato Jino, when the phone rang.
Shinozuka Yoshio picked up the microphone: “This is Shinozuka Yoshio.”
“Your Excellency Commander, the pilot just reported that there are a large number of Eighth Route Army personnel at Yang’er Mountain. They are rapidly digging and transferring things.” The voice of an Army Aviation officer came through the phone with the report.
“Understood.” Shinozuka Yoshio nodded and added, “Immediately dispatch aircraft again from your side to track this group of Eighth Route Army from the sky. They must not be allowed to hide the things again.”
“Hai.”
Shinozuka Yoshio ended the call with Army Aviation and picked up the microphone again: “Connect me to Sato Jino.”
On Sato Jino’s side, after Yamamoto Ichiki left with the special operations team, he did not go to sleep.
Even knowing that news would not come back quickly, he still stayed by the radio.
He guarded there until dawn.
Sato Jino was sleepy but still insisted on not going to sleep.
He had to wait for Yamamoto Ichiki’s telegram.
In the end, Sato Jino did not wait for Yamamoto Ichiki’s radio message but received a call from Shinozuka Yoshio.
“Your Excellency Commander.” Sato Jino was extremely respectful and polite into the microphone.
“Sato-kun, you are an extremely excellent intelligence officer.” Shinozuka Yoshio first heavily praised Sato Jino, then said: “Colonel Yamamoto Ichiki sent me a telegram. He failed to find the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal but seemingly found the tungsten ore seized by the Eighth Route Army. I have already ordered Kumamoto Division to rapidly advance there. Army Aviation also called, reporting that the Eighth Route Army is rapidly digging and transferring supplies at Yang’er Mountain. Sato-kun, you can now get some good rest.”
Upon hearing this, Sato Jino was somewhat stunned: “Your Excellency Commander, what is going on? How did they fail to discover the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal and instead find the Eighth Route Army’s tungsten ore hiding place?”
“It is like this…” Shinozuka Yoshio still patiently explained it to Sato Jino.
“So that’s how it is.” After listening, Sato Jino paused and said: “Your Excellency Commander, since tungsten ore was discovered there, after the military industry expert confirms it, perhaps the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal is not far from there. I suggest you dispatch more aircraft for reconnaissance.”
“I will communicate with Army Aviation.” Shinozuka Yoshio nodded.
He naturally wanted Army Aviation to dispatch more aircraft, but the frontline battlefield was too intense, with truly no more aircraft available.
But Shinozuka Yoshio still planned to call First War Zone Commander Matsui Iwane to discuss whether two or three reconnaissance aircraft could be transferred.
“Your Excellency Commander, I will continue to work hard.” Sato Jino was not discouraged and said: “I will not stop until I find the location of the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal.”
Sato Jino still had a premonition that discovering the tungsten ore seized by the Eighth Route Army was, to some extent, a consolation.
But with Kumamoto Division Commander charging over, the Eighth Route Army would not fail to understand whether the tungsten ore or the main force army was more important.
In other words, at the critical moment, the Eighth Route Army was highly likely to abandon the tungsten ore to protect the commander, discarding the cart to save the general.
In this way, Kumamoto Division’s mopping-up operation would still lack breakthrough progress.
To fundamentally solve the problem, they still had to find the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal. That was the Eighth Route Army’s true soft spot.
“Very well, Sato-kun. If you need anything on your side, you can tell me.” Shinozuka Yoshio greatly appreciated Sato Jino’s work attitude.
Shinozuka Yoshio also understood that the Eighth Route Army’s true soft spot was the Border Region Arsenal. Relying on tungsten ore might not severely damage them.
Sato Jino was an excellent intelligence officer; he had even found the location of Eighth Route Army Headquarters.
Shinozuka Yoshio believed that finding the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal was just a matter of time for him.
“Yes, Your Excellency Commander.” Sato Jino nodded.
The call with Shinozuka Yoshio ended. Sato Jino put the microphone back on the rack and shouted: “Person!”
“Deputy Minister, what are your orders?” An assistant quickly walked in.
“Prepare another batch of bait separately and place the bait in another place, no longer in 386 Brigade’s jurisdiction.” Sato Jino’s tone was serious.
The first time, Yamamoto Ichiki led the special operations team to attack Daxia Bay, and it failed!
The second time, Yamamoto Ichiki led the special operations team to hit Chenjiayu, and they also returned defeated!
This time, Yamamoto Ichiki used a military dog for scent tracking, and it still failed. He did not find the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal.
This made Sato Jino feel that 386 Brigade’s jurisdiction was an unlucky jurisdiction, so Sato Jino planned to switch to another place.
Upon hearing this, the assistant asked suspiciously: “Deputy Minister, what’s wrong? Why lay bait again? Could it be that Colonel Yamamoto Ichiki’s operation failed?”
“Yes, he failed.” Sato Jino nodded and said: “But it does not matter. As long as I succeed once here, victory will still belong to us. Go prepare.”
“Yes, Deputy Minister.” The assistant nodded and left.
Sato Jino yawned, no longer forcing himself, and immediately went to rest.
……
The brigade commander watched a reconnaissance aircraft fly overhead toward the direction of Yang’er Mountain.
The brigade commander’s expression was very calm; this was expected.
The Japanese Army side had detected large-scale digging and transfer of supplies at Yang’er Mountain. To prevent our army from transferring the supplies, their aircraft were tailing from the sky.
If it did not tail, that would be the bad thing.
“Brigade Commander, a report from 771 Regiment.” At this time, a staff officer hurried over and reported to the brigade commander: “They say the Japanese Army’s Kumamoto Division, Ninth Brigade, Twenty-first Brigade, and puppet army troops have all rapidly set out. They abandoned the original mopping-up operation and are charging full speed toward Yang’er Mountain.”
Upon hearing this, the brigade commander smiled: “I’m just afraid they won’t come. Have the jumping mines been laid?”
“All laid, with the entire family fortune buried.” The staff officer nodded.
“Pass down the order: All troops participating in the relief attack are to unleash full firepower, do not conserve ammunition, make full use of guerrilla warfare and sparrow warfare to harass the enemy, delay their speed, and avoid direct frontal clashes.” The brigade commander ordered.
The jumping mines were laid, but that was far from enough.
Because the Japanese invaders were not fools; they would have the puppet army troops clear mines in front.
To truly delay them, it still had to rely on the troops.
Of course.
This so-called delay was not a true delay in the real sense.
Rather, it was putting on a show for the Japanese invaders.
After all, what the Japanese invaders had discovered was our tungsten ore.
If we did not put on a full show, the Japanese invaders might become suspicious.
“Yes.” The staff officer quickly left.
The brigade commander called an orderly and instructed: “Go notify Liu Weidong’s side that Kumamoto Division’s mopping-up troops have rapidly set out. With their full-speed advance, their supply and logistics will definitely lag behind. Tell him to act according to the opportunity.”
Immediately after, the brigade commander added: “Also remind Cheng Xiazi from 772 Regiment again that after letting the Japanese invaders seize the fake tungsten ore, quickly rendezvous with Liu Weidong.”
“Yes.” The orderly hurriedly ran off.
“Now, the Japanese invaders’ mopping-up troops are rapidly charging toward Yang’er Mountain. The direct lineage side must have received intelligence too and will surely be curious about what the Japanese invaders are doing.” The brigade commander smiled. “The intelligence group leader has leaked the intelligence. Once Liu Weidong succeeds, they will come in. At that time, the real show will truly begin.”
