Chapter 304: Thirty Airplanes
“It’s like this…”
Major General Kawashima told Director Hojo the whole story.
Major General Kawashima had not even finished speaking when Director Hojo’s expression froze: “Baka, what did you say? Was it Fujita Ichi who brought you here to me! Baka, this damned idiot, he brought you here and exposed the natural gas factory here!”
He had originally thought that kicking out that bastard Fujita Ichi would allow the natural gas factory to rest easy from then on.
He had not expected that this bastard would bring his troops here to obtain supplies from this side, which exposed the natural gas factory.
Back then, why didn’t the military court execute this bastard… Oh, right, this bastard’s background was too big, and the judge at the military court was his relative.
“Director Hojo, rest assured, when my troops leave, I will leave a battalion to help guard this place,” Major General Kawashima reassured him. “If I had any other choice, I would not come here lightly, nor would I easily accept Fujita Ichi’s stupid suggestion.”
“Even if you leave a battalion to help guard this place, it’s not thieves breaking in that I’m afraid of, but thieves keeping it in mind,” Director Hojo was still extremely furious. “Since the Eighth Route Army knows about this place and did not launch a strong attack, they must be keeping it in mind. Not to mention leaving one battalion—even if you left your entire brigade, I think it would be meaningless.”
With the natural gas factory’s location exposed, the Eighth Route Army might not be able to break in, or perhaps they did not dare to attack or were unwilling to!
But the natural gas factory’s significance lay in extracting the natural gas here and transporting this precious strategic material back.
As long as the Eighth Route Army cut off the transport line and prevented the extracted natural gas from being transported away.
In that case, no matter how much natural gas the natural gas factory extracted, if it could not be transported back, it would be utterly meaningless.
Major General Kawashima continued to reassure him: “Director Hojo, you are overthinking it. The Eighth Route Army is rampant now, but it is only temporary. China’s national strength is far inferior to that of our Empire, and our combat troops’ combat power is not something they can match. Believe in our combat troops—they will uproot the Eighth Route Army before long.”
“I hope so.” With the location already exposed and known, and Major General Kawashima’s troops indeed needing supplies, there was no point in saying more at this stage, so Director Hojo said nothing further. He picked up the microphone on the table and said to Major General Kawashima: “However, I do not have the authority to give you these supplies directly. I need to make a phone call to headquarters to request approval.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Major General Kawashima nodded.
……
Taiyuan First Army Headquarters
“Banzai, banzai, excellent, excellent. I certainly will not disappoint you again. I will definitely uproot this group of damned local Eighth Route Army!” Shinozuka Yoshio excitedly guaranteed into the microphone.
The call was from Okamura Neiji, who said he had already coordinated with the Kwantung Army, and thirty airplanes would come as reinforcements.
Okamura Neiji had already had the military train reloaded with supplies, and with sufficient airplane escort, he did not believe the local Eighth Route Army could still attack.
After the call ended, Shinozuka Yoshio put the microphone back on the stand, called in a person, and ordered: “Send a telegram to the Kumamoto side that the military train will deliver the supplies to him again, this time with sufficient airplanes escorting the military train. Tell him to hold on a bit longer.”
“Hai.” The person nodded and left.
Remembering something, Shinozuka Yoshio picked up the microphone again: “Connect me to Sato Jino.”
Soon, the call connected, and Sato Jino’s voice came through: “This is Sato Jino.”
“Sato-kun, how is progress on your end?” Shinozuka Yoshio got straight to the point.
Although the Kumamoto Army would soon receive supplies, and then have thirty airplanes to cooperate in combat.
The raid on the Eighth Route Army base area would definitely proceed smoothly.
But!
If Sato Jino could find and lock onto the location of the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal, it would still be the best way to cut the grass at the root.
“Your Excellency Commander, the bait has been laid. The Eighth Route Army is very cunning and requires patient waiting,” Sato Jino replied.
Although he had not chosen to operate in the 386 Brigade’s jurisdiction again, switching to another Eighth Route Army jurisdiction.
But the Eighth Route Army in other jurisdictions was not stupid either.
Hunting a cunning fox required sufficient patience.
“No rush, then wait patiently,” Shinozuka Yoshio said. “Whenever there is progress on your end, notify me at the fastest speed.”
As long as the thirty airplanes escorted the military train to deliver the supplies to the Kumamoto Army, allowing them a brief rest and recovery of combat power.
Then they could sweep through the Eighth Route Army base area, so Shinozuka Yoshio was not so anxious anymore.
It would be even better if Sato Jino could find the Eighth Route Army Border Region Arsenal location in advance.
If not, they would just sweep the ground, conduct blanket searches, and he did not believe they could not find it.
“Yes, Your Excellency Commander.” Sato Jino nodded.
The call ended, and Shinozuka Yoshio had just put the microphone back on the stand.
Ding ling ling!
The phone rang again immediately.
Shinozuka Yoshio picked up the microphone: “This is Shinozuka Yoshio.”
“Your Excellency Commander, this is Keiji Hojo.” Director Hojo’s voice came through the microphone.
“Hojo-kun, is there some urgent matter on your end?” Hearing Keiji Hojo’s voice, Shinozuka Yoshio’s mood, which had just relaxed, tightened again immediately.
Keiji Hojo was in charge of the natural gas factory and would not contact headquarters lightly unless there was something.
Now that he had called personally, it naturally made Shinozuka Yoshio tense.
With so many important factories lost in the Second War Zone, had the natural gas factory been found by the Chinese people too?
“It’s like this…” Keiji Hojo repeated Major General Kawashima’s words to Shinozuka Yoshio.
He had only said half when Shinozuka Yoshio’s rage instantly ignited in his mind: “Baka, what did you say? That idiot Kawashima brought troops to your natural gas factory for supplies!”
Baka, that damned bastard Kawashima!
He told you to resupply in the county town, and you went to the natural gas factory!
What is in that brain of yours? How did you become as stupid as Fujita Ichi?
With the natural gas factory location exposed, how could the Eighth Route Army let go easily?
“General Kawashima said it was Fujita Ichi who brought him…” Keiji Hojo’s words were not finished.
Shinozuka Yoshio interrupted him again: “Baka, what? Fujita Ichi led the way?”
Shinozuka Yoshio was puzzled.
The natural gas factory’s location was so secretive—how could Major General Kawashima know about it? How could he commit such stupidity?
He had not expected that it was Fujita Ichi, that stupid bastard, who had influenced him.
“Your Excellency Commander, what is done is done—there is no use talking about it,” Keiji Hojo advised. “I think what General Kawashima said makes sense. Although the local Eighth Route Army is rampant now, China’s national strength is no match for ours—they cannot even compare to a fraction of ours. As long as the combat troops can quickly sweep away the Eighth Route Army, the crisis at the natural gas factory will naturally be resolved.”
“Hmm, that is true.” Shinozuka Yoshio hummed in acknowledgment.
With the Kwantung Army providing thirty airplanes to escort the military train delivering supplies to Kumamoto, the situation would come alive.
As long as they could ultimately uproot the Eighth Route Army lair and then pursue and annihilate the remnants, relentlessly cutting the grass at the root, the crisis at the natural gas factory would indeed be resolved.
However, Shinozuka Yoshio’s emotions were still fiercely angry. Into the microphone, he said: “Tell that bastard Kawashima that after he gets the supplies, he should hurry to the Jin Sui Army and Direct Line Army territories to resupply himself, then quickly reinforce the Taiyuan Rear with his troops to help me eliminate the Jin Sui Army and the Eighth Route Army.”
Although the Kumamoto troops had suffered losses, with supplies and airplane support, they should have enough strength to continue raiding the Eighth Route Army base area.
Therefore, Major General Kawashima’s troops had no need to go there anymore.
Now, the Jin Sui Army was still desperately breaking out.
Without poison gas shells to suppress them, the Jin Sui Army’s breakout was only a matter of time.
But if Major General Kawashima could quickly resupply and return to reinforce, they could probably block the Jin Sui Army again.
If they could surround and heavily damage these Jin Sui Army clowns again, it would have significant meaning for security in the Second War Zone.
Of course, once the Jin Sui Army was eliminated, the Eighth Route Army would definitely be taken out too.
“Yes, Your Excellency Commander. I will relay your orders to General Kawashima,” Keiji Hojo responded.
“Also, tell Kawashima to immediately drive away that bastard Fujita Ichi and not let this stupid bastard follow his troops anymore!” Shinozuka Yoshio spat furiously into the microphone.
There was a Chinese saying: those who are close to ink get stained black.
Fujita Ichi, this idiot, lowered the intelligence quotient of wherever he went!
“Yes, Your Excellency Commander.” Keiji Hojo responded again.
The call ended, and Shinozuka Yoshio slammed the microphone back onto the stand, cursing: “This damned Fujita Ichi—I need to think of a way to use the Chinese people’s hands to get rid of him.”
Originally, with the Kwantung Army’s airplane support, the Kumamoto Division army was saved.
But not even two minutes of happiness later, Fujita Ichi’s idiotic actions plunged the mood back into the valley—what a mess!
……
After ending the call with Shinozuka Yoshio, Keiji Hojo said to Major General Kawashima in front of him: “Commander Shinozuka said the supplies can be given to you. He wants you to go to the Direct Line Army and Jin Sui Army territories at the fastest speed to resupply, then bring your troops to support the Taiyuan Rear and help surround and eliminate the Jin Sui Army and Eighth Route Army.”
“Alright, no problem.” Major General Kawashima nodded immediately.
The Taiyuan Rear was now short on troops, and that hateful Jin Sui Army and Eighth Route Army were thorns in Major General Kawashima’s side!
Having been toyed with by them earlier, the pent-up anger in Major General Kawashima’s chest needed to be vented.
Keiji Hojo added: “The Commander also said not to let Fujita Ichi follow your troops anymore—drive him away.”
“Good, no problem.” Major General Kawashima nodded again.
With the natural gas factory exposed, Major General Kawashima had already pinned the blame on Fujita Ichi’s head.
With the blame pinned on Fujita Ichi, the line needed to be drawn quickly.
In Chinese idiom: unload the millstone and kill the donkey.
Major General Kawashima’s troops quickly obtained precious replenishments from the natural gas factory and also left a battalion to increase security.
“Mr. Fujita, I now have an important military action and cannot take you with me. Find a place to stay on your own,” Major General Kawashima said bluntly to Fujita Ichi.
“General, do not abandon me. I…” Fujita Ichi was stunned. He had finally worked his way into the combat troops, and now he was being kicked out again?
“Mr. Fujita, I believe you have somewhere to go.” Major General Kawashima did not waste words with Fujita Ichi and quickly marched off with his troops.
“I cannot stay with the Gendarmerie, nor with the combat troops—where should I go?” Fujita Ichi had a headache.
