Chapter 273: Promoted Three Ranks, Rewarded With 100,000 Silver Dollars!
（Note: The regimental commander of the direct lineage 217th Regiment is Feng Zhihui. In Chapter 260, the author mistakenly wrote Han Guanping, which was a writing error, now corrected.）
Direct Lineage 217th Regiment
“Regimental Commander, the Kumamoto Division sweeping army has a new situation, it’s really incomprehensible.” The deputy regiment commander walked over and said suspiciously to Feng Zhihui, the regimental commander of the direct lineage 217th Regiment.
“What new situation?” Feng Zhihui looked up at the deputy regimental commander, “Could it be that they failed to snatch the five carts of tungsten ore from the Eighth Route Army?”
“No.” The deputy regimental commander shook his head and said, “The Japanese Army did snatch these five carts of tungsten ore, but after getting the tungsten ore, the Japanese Army did not continue sweeping the Eighth Route Army troops, nor did they send people to transport the five carts of tungsten ore back. Instead, they adopted a defensive posture over there with the Eighth Route Army, like turtles shrinking into their shells.”
“Is that so? This is indeed a bit incomprehensible.” Upon hearing this, Feng Zhihui blinked, “Even if the Kumamoto Division sweeping army drew away one brigade to deal with the Jin Sui Army and the Eighth Route Army outside, the remaining troops are still very sufficient. Now that they’ve seized the tungsten ore, they should quickly transport it back. With sufficient troops, they stopped sweeping and became turtles shrinking into their shells. What medicine is this Kumamoto Japanese Invaders division selling in their gourd?”
This is five carts of tungsten ore, this is strategic metal.
Didn’t your Kumamoto Division army previously abandon the sweep and rush over with full force just to seize these five carts of tungsten ore?
Now that the five carts of tungsten ore are in hand, why not hurry to bring them back? What’s the point of shrinking and defending over there like turtles?
The deputy regimental commander continued, “And the movements on the Eighth Route Army side are also very strange.”
“What strange movements by the Eighth Route Army?” Feng Zhihui asked.
“The Kumamoto Division sweeping army has adopted a shrinking defense, yet the Eighth Route Army unusually did not continue guerrilla harassment as usual, but instead provoked and harassed the Kumamoto Division sweeping army from the front.” The deputy regimental commander said, “It looks just like a bunch of ants teasing an elephant.”
Ants teasing an elephant?
Upon hearing this, Feng Zhihui was instantly dumbfounded: “This is too bizarre. Looking at this, could it be that the Eighth Route Army has some secret weapon that scared the Kumamoto Division sweeping army, so these tens of thousands of Japanese Invaders and Traitors chose to become turtles shrinking into their shells?”
The deputy regimental commander said, “If the Eighth Route Army had a secret weapon, they probably would have used it already. But the intelligence officer said that the Eighth Route Army is using conventional weapons and ammunition, at most Hell Cannon artillery fire bombardment, and the quantity isn’t much.”
“That’s really strange then.” Feng Zhihui scratched his scalp, “What exactly happened in this Japanese Army troops…”
Feng Zhihui’s words were not finished when an intelligence officer hurriedly ran over: “Report to the Regimental Commander, an urgent message has just come in.”
“What urgent message?” Feng Zhihui quickly asked.
“The Japanese Invaders chasing the Jin Sui Army and the outside Eighth Route Army split off half their people, carrying quite a lot of supplies, heading towards the Kumamoto Division side.” The intelligence officer answered.
“Half their people carrying supplies heading towards the Kumamoto Division side?” Upon hearing this, Feng Zhihui immediately became sensitive.
If this half of the Japanese Invaders were going to help the Kumamoto Division, they should travel light without needing supplies, because the Kumamoto Division side has sufficient supplies.
But carrying supplies would slow down their marching speed, and this half of the Japanese Invaders are carrying supplies, so the problem is obviously here.
The deputy regimental commander muttered on the side, “Could it be that the Kumamoto Division sweeping army’s logistics supplies were attacked by the Eighth Route Army?”
If the Kumamoto Division army’s logistics are cut off, they would be unable to continue sweeping the Eighth Route Army, so temporarily adopting a defensive posture makes sense.
Upon hearing this, Feng Zhihui was still stunned: “The Kumamoto Division Commander has such sufficient troops, and surely dispatched sufficient troops to guard the logistics and supplies. It shouldn’t be that easy for the Eighth Route Army to sneak attack, right?”
“Under normal circumstances, it definitely wouldn’t be easy for the Eighth Route Army to attack the Kumamoto Division army’s logistics and supplies.” The deputy regimental commander nodded and continued, “But not easy doesn’t mean the Eighth Route Army can’t do it. Otherwise, why is the Kumamoto Division army lying low pretending to be grandsons…”
Ding ling ling!
The deputy regimental commander’s words were not finished when the telephone on the table suddenly rang.
Feng Zhihui walked over and picked up the microphone: “This is 217th Regiment Regimental Commander Feng Zhihui.”
“Feng Zhihui, take your troops and set out immediately, follow our army to snatch the tungsten ore from the Kumamoto Division.” The voice of the superior’s direct order came from the telephone.
Upon hearing this, Feng Zhihui was instantly shocked.
Snatch tungsten ore from the Kumamoto Division?
This isn’t a joke, right.
That’s sixty thousand Japanese Invaders and Traitors.
Are we deploying a large army?
Thinking of something, Feng Zhihui immediately asked: “Division Commander, has something happened on the Kumamoto Division side?”
“The Kumamoto Division’s logistics and supplies were destroyed by the Eighth Route Army, now these Japanese Invaders and Traitors only have one day’s dry rations left.” The tone in the microphone was very serious, “For us, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snatch the tungsten ore. And!”
The microphone paused, then continued: “And if there’s a chance then, search in the Eighth Route Army’s territory to see if we can find their Border Region Arsenal. We can take advantage of the situation to sweep that Border Region Arsenal too. Shancheng side has said that whoever can capture alive and bring back the Eighth Route Army’s formidable military industry expert will be rewarded with one hundred thousand silver dollars and promoted three levels in position!”
Rewarded with one hundred thousand silver dollars, promoted three levels in position!
Upon hearing this final reward, Feng Zhihui’s eyes immediately started sparkling.
He was currently short on money.
Of course, he’d been stuck at the regimental commander position for a long time, and Feng Zhihui dreamed of getting promoted.
As long as he captures the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal’s military industry expert, he can be promoted three levels—this would make anyone’s eyes red!
What?
Someone might say, isn’t this sabotaging the cooperation between the Nationalists and Communists! Isn’t this the united national front now?
Get real.
It’s been said long ago that the united national front is just a banner raised by Shancheng side, with the aim of using the Japanese Army’s hand to eliminate dissenters.
Back in January this year, when over 9,000 New Fourth Army troops were transferring north in southern Anhui, didn’t we still deploy 7 divisions totaling over 80,000 troops to attack them?
If we can’t borrow the Japanese Invaders’ hand to borrow a knife to kill, then we’ll do it ourselves—what’s the problem!
“Division Commander, is there any information or photos of this Eighth Route Army military industry expert?” Feng Zhihui quickly asked.
“According to intelligence, after the Japanese Army attacked First Line Sky, the Eighth Route Army’s Border Region Arsenal was also attacked, and the original Border Region Arsenal factory director was injured. The Eighth Route Army then replaced him with a new factory director.” The microphone said, “And the Eighth Route Army’s Border Region Arsenal produced the Hell Cannon right at that time, and from then on, their Border Region Arsenal rapidly developed. So the intelligence department preliminarily judges that this new factory director of the Border Region Arsenal is the Eighth Route Army’s military industry expert.”
“Then is there a photo of this person?”
“No photo for now, no other information either.” The microphone said.
“Division Commander, isn’t the intelligence department’s people a bit too useless? Don’t they have even a scrap of information?” Feng Zhihui asked.
Without photos or information, how to find the person.
“Shancheng side is also very dissatisfied with the intelligence department’s capabilities now, planning to replace them with capable and efficient people.” The microphone said, “But that’s not our concern right now. Immediately assemble your troops and come over. Not knowing the Border Region Arsenal factory director’s information doesn’t matter—as long as we find their arsenal, grab a worker and ask, we won’t fear not knowing who the factory director is.”
“Yes, Division Commander.” Feng Zhihui nodded heavily.
After the call ended, Feng Zhihui put the microphone back on the stand while quickly calling for the orderly: “Go, pass my order: except for the guard troops, everyone else bring weapons and ammunition and assemble urgently.”
“Yes, Regimental Commander.” The orderly hurriedly ran off to convey Feng Zhihui’s order.
The deputy regimental commander still quickly asked: “Regimental Commander, what happened on the Kumamoto Army side? And what’s this about an Eighth Route Army military industry expert?”
Feng Zhihui quickly said: “The Division Commander said the Kumamoto Army’s logistics and supplies were destroyed by the Eighth Route Army, they now only have one day’s dry rations left—this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snatch the tungsten ore. As for the Eighth Route Army’s military industry expert, if we have a chance then, we’ll search there and if we can find the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal’s factory director, capture him alive and bring him back—promoted three levels, rewarded with one hundred thousand silver dollars!”
“Promoted three levels, rewarded with one hundred thousand silver dollars!” Upon hearing this, the deputy regimental commander’s expression froze—this reward was too generous.
“So, hurry up and move out.” Feng Zhihui said briskly.
“Yes, Regimental Commander!”
……
And so, the direct lineage’s large troops took the opportunity to strike swiftly, their forces heading straight for the Kumamoto sweeping army.
——
Taiyuan First Army Headquarters
“Baka, no cannon barrel needed, cannonballs launched from a dirt pit—this is simply too ridiculous!”
First Army Commander Shinozuka Yoshio looked at this intelligence report in his hand, unable to believe it no matter what.
Originally, with the Kumamoto Army’s logistics and supplies gone, Shinozuka Yoshio still had the Kumamoto Division Commander side submit the reason.
And this was the result submitted!
This was still the Kumamoto Division Commander relaying the telegram from Kitano Chuji.
North China Area Army Chief of Staff Miyano Doichi also nodded: “This is simply mythologizing too much the military industry expert at the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal. For hundreds of years, cannonballs have always been propelled out through huge chamber pressure in the cannon barrel. Now if the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal can make cannonballs that fly on their own, wouldn’t that change the way artillery is fired!”
“After this crisis is resolved, we must severely punish that damned bastard Kitano Chuji!” Shinozuka Yoshio was furious beyond measure; he’d lost the army’s supplies and even fabricated such a laughable lie to deceive—simply stupid beyond salvation.
“Your Excellency Commander, the urgent matter now is still to mobilize available airplanes and first airdrop reinforcements to Kumamoto Division Commander and them.” Miyano Doichi’s tone was very solemn.
In Miyano Doichi’s view, asking Commander Okamura’s side and the Kwantung Army for airdrop reinforcements would still be a bit difficult.
It would be better to mobilize transport planes from nearby war zones for airdrop reinforcements.
“If the warfare in the nearby war zones weren’t so intense, these airplanes would have already come for reinforcement.” Shinozuka Yoshio was very troubled; the Empire had plenty of airplanes, but most were in the hands of those stupid idiots in the Navy.
The Empire’s front lines were stretched too long, and the warfare in the nearby war zones was all in full swing, with everyone too busy to help.
From the First War Zone side, Shinozuka Yoshio planned to ask Matsui Iwane for two or three reconnaissance aircraft, but ended up getting only one.
“We still need to hurry and communicate.” Miyano Doichi said, “I have a very bad premonition.”
“What premonition?”
