Chapter 98: If Things Go Wrong, He’s Probably Gonna Attack Taiyuan!
Facing the brigade commander’s dark face, Ding Wei lowered his head: “Sorry, brigade commander, I failed to keep an eye on him.”
“Ding Wei, what happened?” The deputy brigade commander spoke up from the side and asked, “You’re Li Yunlong’s old comrade-in-arms. You should know what kind of person he is. How could you let him disappear?”
“It’s like this…” Ding Wei began to explain.
It was mainly because he had to act simultaneously on two fronts with Li Yunlong, and Ding Wei was stretched thin.
After hearing this, the deputy brigade commander and the brigade commander did not blame Ding Wei: “You did the right thing. The roads must be cleared out, otherwise the mine equipment can’t be brought back, and it will also affect our subsequent important operations.”
“Then what do you think, where will Li Yunlong go?” The brigade commander suppressed his inner anger and asked tensely.
With Ding Wei helping to keep watch, the brigade commander was not worried that this kid Li Yunlong would cause trouble.
But now without Ding Wei watching him, this kid Li Yunlong had turned into a wild horse that slipped its reins again. Who knows what he was going to do.
“Brigade commander, I really don’t know.” Ding Wei shook his head, then remembered something and said: “But I judge that he will most likely pull Chu Yunfei of the Jin Sui Army’s 358th Regiment along to do something together.”
“How did this involve Chu Yunfei of the Jin Sui Army’s 358th Regiment again?” The brigade commander asked puzzled.
“Chu Yunfei of the Jin Sui Army’s 358th Regiment happened to come for a visit, so he went along together.” Ding Wei explained.
“This is like playing the piano to a cow!” The brigade commander said angrily, “He, Li Yunlong, previously attacked Ping’an County Town to scheme against Chu Yunfei. Luckily Chu Yunfei won the battle. If Chu Yunfei had lost, the Jin Sui Army would definitely come looking for trouble with us. Now Li Yunlong is going to stir up trouble again. How could he bring Chu Yunfei along? If something happens to Chu Yunfei, our two armies have had no friction for a long time.”
“Brigade commander, I think we should still think of this matter in a positive way.” The deputy brigade commander spoke up from the side, “If Li Yunlong can really pull out Chu Yunfei’s 358th Regiment to join in, it might give us a big surprise…”
“I’m just afraid it’s a big scare.” The brigade commander interrupted the deputy brigade commander.
Every time this kid causes trouble, we are anxious. You know that too.
If he really pulls Chu Yunfei along, things could go wrong—he might even go attack Taiyuan!
“Brigade commander, that’s not right.” The deputy brigade commander continued, “Chu Yunfei of the Jin Sui Army’s 358th Regiment is a top graduate of Whampoa’s fifth class. His battlefield insight is no less than Ding Wei’s. Perhaps he can help keep an eye on Li Yunlong for us at critical moments. After all, the two of them are now grasshoppers on the same rope—one prospers, both prosper; one suffers, both suffer.”
“When this bastard comes back, see how I deal with him!” With things having come to this point, the brigade commander could only think positively.
The brigade commander said to the deputy brigade commander: “Arrange these prisoner of war soldiers as quickly as possible. I’m taking the mine equipment to the arsenal.”
“Yes.” The deputy brigade commander nodded.
“Ding Wei, go back and rest.”
“Yes, brigade commander.”
……
Heyuan Japanese Gendarmerie
“Captain, the bait has been set, and the ambush formation is all prepared, but the Eighth Route Army hasn’t bitten the hook.” The confidant walked over and reported to Fujita Ichi.
“Calm down.” Fujita Ichi said calmly, “Trust me, the Eighth Route Army will definitely bite the hook.”
What a joke!
This is equipment that can make bullets. For the Eighth Route Army, it’s a good thing delivered to their door. Even if it’s a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, you have to come!
“That’s true. They’re so poor, and the quality of their reloaded bullets is so bad…” The confidant’s words were not finished.
The first confidant hurried over, his tone grave: “Captain, there’s a situation.”
“What happened? What’s wrong?” Fujita Ichi was stunned.
“No. 9 concentration camp has been attacked by the Eighth Route Army.” The confidant answered.
“Baka, No. 9 concentration camp has been attacked by the Eighth Route Army?” Fujita Ichi’s expression turned serious upon hearing this, “Are you sure? Is it really the Eighth Route Army?”
“Captain, sounds of heavy cannon attacks have come from the No. 9 concentration camp side.” The confidant answered.
“Baka, these damned Eighth Route Army, truly very cunning!” Fujita Ichi jumped up in rage.
The first confidant didn’t understand and said suspiciously: “Captain, the Eighth Route Army didn’t come to bite the bait but instead attacked No. 9 concentration camp. They should be the stupid ones, right? How can they be cunning? Captain, shouldn’t you be happy?”
In this confidant’s view, No. 9 concentration camp had little value to the Imperial Army.
If the concentration camp was taken by the Eighth Route Army, at most it was just losing some laborers.
What this land lacks the least is people.
Without laborers, just shout, and plenty of puppet army can help grab more.
So the confidant didn’t understand why Captain Fujita Ichi was angry.
The confidant also didn’t understand what use the Eighth Route Army got from attacking No. 9 concentration camp—it didn’t seem like much.
No. 9 concentration camp mostly held direct lineage prisoners of war. Even if the Eighth Route Army took it and rescued the prisoners, the direct lineage prisoners of war wouldn’t appreciate it.
This was equivalent to the Eighth Route Army taking the concentration camp with no practical benefit.
“Baka, you’re the stupid one!”
Fujita Ichi cursed, “The Eighth Route Army has seen through my fishing for them. They didn’t come to bite the bait because they judged our heavy troops are here at the bait. They attacked No. 9 concentration camp to lure the tiger away from the mountain, the lure the tiger away from the mountain stratagem. Do you understand?”
The confidant thought thoughtfully: “The Eighth Route Army wants to do like when they attacked Ping’an County Town—feint attack another target first to lure our main force away from the mountain. They attacked No. 9 concentration camp with the goal of drawing away our main troops from the ambush formation here. Once we move, they’ll immediately swallow the bait. Truly cunning as foxes, but…”
“But what?” Fujita Ichi asked.
“But I’m still a bit confused. Since the Eighth Route Army wants to lure the tiger away from the mountain, why not choose a target important to us? Choosing a mere concentration camp is of no consequence to us…” The confidant answered.
Alright, this confidant’s words weren’t finished.
The third confidant ran over in panic, roaring at Fujita Ichi like a slaughtered pig: “Captain, bad news, bad news! The Eighth Route Army is attacking our No. 9 mine!”
The Eighth Route Army is attacking No. 9 mine!!!
As soon as these words came out, the place around Fujita Ichi instantly fell silent.
The Eighth Route Army attacking No. 9 mine had a completely different meaning.
The Imperial Army invaded this land mainly to plunder resources.
No. 9 mine is an important copper ore mine. The Eighth Route Army attacking No. 9 mine will greatly affect the supply of copper!
Making bullets requires copper, making cannonballs requires copper, making tanks requires copper, making airplanes requires copper, making warships also requires copper!
In short, everything depends on copper!
Slap!
Fujita Ichi fiercely slapped the second confidant across the face and roared: “Baka, you idiot, if you can’t speak properly, don’t talk nonsense. Look at your crow’s mouth!”
This second slapped confidant aggrievedly covered his face. Is it my crow’s mouth?
I was just raising a question.
To put it another way, if I didn’t say it, would the Eighth Route Army not do this?
Of course, the second confidant could only lower his head and swallow the broken teeth.
No. 9 mine being attacked was too big a deal; he couldn’t speak carelessly anymore.
The first confidant said to Fujita Ichi: “Captain, I’m afraid we have to abandon the fishing operation and send the main force troops to reinforce No. 9…”
Slap!
Without waiting for the first confidant to finish, Fujita Ichi slapped him and cursed: “Baka, are you an idiot too? Abandon the fishing operation, and wouldn’t all this be for nothing? Let me tell you, believe it or not! As soon as I move the heavy troops of this ambush formation, the Eighth Route Army will immediately swallow the bait. Believe it or not?”
In Fujita Ichi’s heart, he had also come to recognize the prowess of this group of Eighth Route Army.
Previously, he had mocked Hirata Ichiro for being incompetent, letting the Eighth Route Army loot Heyuan County Town twice.
Now it was his turn, and the Eighth Route Army first hit Ping’an County Town, then No. 9 mine. He had lost even more face than Hirata Ichiro.
Over at the field hospital, that grandson Hirata Ichiro was definitely secretly gloating. Baka!
The first confidant covered his face and looked at Fujita Ichi: “Captain, are we just going to let the Eighth Route Army loot No. 9 mine and sit idly by? The Eighth Route Army now has heavy cannons, their wings are stiff, and the strongholds in that area probably can’t stop them…”
Alright, this first confidant’s words weren’t finished when the fourth confidant ran in and reported to Fujita Ichi: “Captain, bad news. The strongholds around No. 9 mine have been removed by the Eighth Route Army.”
……!!!!!
Fujita Ichi’s office immediately fell into dead silence again!
Without any suspense, the first confidant got another hard slap from Fujita Ichi: “Baka, you’re an idiot too. Shut your crow’s mouth!”
“Captain, what do we do now?” The confidants didn’t dare speak carelessly anymore and all looked at Fujita Ichi.
With things at this point, everyone could see clearly.
The Eighth Route Army attacking No. 9 concentration camp and No. 9 mine was most likely testing the Imperial Army’s bottom line!
If the captain ignored this, the Eighth Route Army would definitely probe the bottom line further, constantly attacking our important targets.
They couldn’t just watch the Eighth Route Army nibble away step by step.
But if the captain moved the heavy troops, just as the captain said, the Eighth Route Army would definitely have other troops take the opportunity to swallow the bait!
This was the so-called difficult choice, in a dilemma!
No matter how they chose, it was infuriating.
The rear security war had fallen into a quagmire. The Eighth Route Army was indeed the most difficult to deal with, living up to their reputation.
Fujita Ichi pondered with his head down for a moment and made a decision: “Have Regimental Commander Kuroshima and them go reinforce. Take the bait with them too.”
Have the main force troops take the bait to reinforce?
The several confidants, upon hearing this, were a bit admiring of Fujita Ichi’s brain. How did the captain come up with such a win-win solution?
This way, they wouldn’t worry about the Eighth Route Army swallowing the bait, and they actively responded to the Eighth Route Army’s bottom line probe.
So the several confidants all flattered together: “Captain is brilliant!”
“Stop flattering. Hurry and pass my meaning to Regimental Commander Kuroshima and them.” Fujita Ichi urged.
The gendarmerie’s main tasks are supervising military discipline, collecting intelligence, suppressing anti-Japanese activities, etc.
Dealing with this group of Eighth Route Army could also be considered suppressing anti-Japanese activities.
However, for commanding the encirclement and suppression operation, it wasn’t up to Fujita Ichi alone; those three regimental commanders still had to discuss it. Fujita Ichi was just providing suggestions.
“Hai!” The confidants withdrew.
“These damned Eighth Route Army are really hard to deal with.” Fujita Ichi started having a headache again, completely without his earlier high spirits.
He had set up the fishing operation, thinking he controlled the initiative.
As long as the Eighth Route Army bit the hook, he would make sure they didn’t return.
Yet the Eighth Route Army easily resolved it with a simple lure the tiger away from the mountain stratagem.
On the surface, he was sending the main force troops with the bait to deal with the Eighth Route Army, but in reality, he had already lost the initiative.
Of course, not completely lost yet!
As long as the bait is still there, we’ll see if this Eighth Route Army dares to seize the opportunity amidst danger!
