Chapter 137: Sorry, I Really Can’t Do It
The fractured hull, under tremendous inertia, emitted a tooth-grinding metallic groan and began to slowly sink and disintegrate.
Burning heavy oil gushed out from the ruptured oil tanks, rapidly spreading across the river surface, forming vast expanses of raging infernos!
The water surface was illuminated a uniform red, like a blood pool hell!
In just a few dozen seconds, another earth-shattering explosion roared…
The ammunition on the Jiang Jin Maru could not withstand the high temperatures and detonated in chain reaction…
Instantly, piercing screams, desperate wails, the crackling of flames, the groans of twisting and snapping steel, the massive “plop” of heavy objects hitting the water…
Countless terrifying sounds intertwined, converging into a death symphony from the deepest layers of hell.
Iron Anvil wiped the mud, water, oil, and blood foam—whose blood it was, he didn’t know—from his face, peering through the gradually dissipating gun smoke and rising water vapor at that human purgatory.
“Evacuate!” he rasped, his voice almost inaudible amid the tremendous clamor.
“Riveting Nail,” “Wedge,” and “Wrench” swiftly rose from their respective undercover positions, agilely converging on him.
“Hammer” was responsible for recovering the detonator; at this time, the Military Statistics Bureau didn’t have such lavish resources—one demolition device per district station.
This was the lifeblood of the demolition team and could not be casually abandoned.
Hammer’s movements were quick; in a few motions, he packed up the demolition device, stowing it into the pre-prepared bag. Just as he prepared to evacuate, his gaze was magnetically drawn, suddenly fixed on the edge of the burning oil slick near the north bank.
There was a human figure there!
That person had clearly survived the violent explosion and been flung by the blast wave into the waters near the shore.
His white Navy officer uniform was nearly torn to shreds, soaked through with oil and blood, one arm twisted in an unnatural position.
The leaping flames on the river surface clearly illuminated that face—painfully contorted yet exceptionally familiar: Matsumoto Koji!
Damn, he was still alive.
Murky river water kept choking into his mouth and nose; his eyes were filled with the madness driven by survival instinct, staring fixedly at that reed shoreline representing hope for life.
“Team Leader! It’s that Japanese devils captain!” Hammer’s voice carried shock and a trace of barely perceptible tension as he subconsciously reached for the Boxer pistol at his waist.
The distance was very close; with Iron Anvil’s marksmanship, at such range and in such conditions, ending the life of a man struggling in the water with no power to fight back would be easier than smashing a wine bottle.
Matsumoto Koji stared blankly at the Military Statistics Bureau agent before him, neither begging nor cursing.
Only a near-empty, fate-crushed despair, and a numbness toward the end.
Iron Anvil’s finger rested on the icy trigger.
“As a soldier, I shouldn’t abuse prisoners of war, but as a Chinese person, I have no reason to let you go.”
“Captain Your Excellency, sorry, I’m a Chinese person.”
“Bang.” A short gunshot rang out, and everything ended.
As the gunfire faded, Iron Anvil abruptly turned, his voice low and deep, raspy like it had been sanded: “Go.”
The group plunged into the dense, shadowy reed marshes; the “swish” of reed leaves brushing their bodies was monotonous and rapid, accompanied by their heavy, suppressed breathing and footsteps.
The firelight and explosions behind them gradually faded into the distance, blurred and swallowed by the boundless reed marshes. The murky river water flowed beneath their feet, silently carrying burning debris and the dead’s remains downstream.
Shanghai, Southern Transportation Department.
News of the Jiang Jin Maru and Tsuwahou cargo ship encountering Military Statistics Bureau agents at Niu Gu Tan quickly reached Shanghai.
Logistics Department Minister Yamaki Kenichi of the Naval Marine Corps Headquarters faced severe reprimand from his superior.
This transportation materials mishap had put Japanese troops in a dilemma.
The original Military Department plan was to rush ammunition to the front lines, allowing Matsuura Junroku to tear open a gap in Mount Lu before Officer Xue could fully establish the Mount Lu defense line, capture Mount Lu, and directly attack the Wuhan Three Towns.
But now, with massive ammunition destroyed, the 106 Division lacked heavy firepower support. Mount Lu’s terrain was steep and precipitous, easy to defend and hard to attack, forcing the original offensive plan into a short-term standoff between both sides.
Moreover, the Hata Detachment of the 106 Division had paid a heavy price attacking Tianjia Town and Fuchi Kou.
The Hata Detachment contained many Satsuma-conscripted highland ethnic soldiers, who were already showing signs of battle reluctance—a momentum very unfavorable for the Empire.
Matsuura Junroku had already applied to the Central China Expeditionary Army Headquarters to have the Itai Regiment replace the Hata Detachment in attacking the southern flank of Mount Lu.
In the office, Chen Yang was bent over reviewing documents from the materials warehouse.
The destruction of the Jiang Jin Maru and Tsuwahou transport ships had made the Navy Transportation Team a target of universal criticism.
Army Department, Homeland Operations General Staff Office, Military Affairs Section—all jointly pressured the Navy, demanding they take responsibility for the incident.
The Navy Department, knowing they were at fault, did not dare act as arrogantly as before.
The Army Department seized the opportunity to demand unified planning of transportation matters, ensuring no further issues in the transportation links.
This made things quite interesting.
The original joint sea and land transportation had been mere empty talk; now, due to the transport ships’ destruction, the Navy had no choice but to bow and become the Army’s transportation tool.
Of course, the Navy transport ships’ destruction did not implicate Chen Yang.
Because the Naval Investigation Department had searched top to bottom several times without finding any intelligence leak channels.
It was only when the Special Higher Police Affairs in Jiujiang investigated the transport ship shipping route issue that they discovered transportation person in charge Captain Matsumoto Koji had sneaked ashore to drink while the transport ship was docked at Jiujiang.
Following this lead, the Special Higher Police Affairs raided that izakaya, discovering its boss had long been controlled by the Military Statistics Bureau.
Thus, everything became reasonable.
Matsumoto Koji had inadvertently leaked intelligence, allowing Military Statistics Bureau agents to grasp the transport ship’s timing, leading to the incident.
The Naval Investigation Department personnel originally had objections to this investigation result.
Because it only took four hours from Jiujiang to Niu Gu Tan.
Four hours to plan a perfect attack action seemed a bit rushed.
The opponent’s use of mines like anchor mines clearly indicated long-term preparation for sinking ships.
However, this small doubt could not serve as a reason for the Navy Department to evade responsibility.
The Special Higher Police Affairs’ reply was that the Military Statistics Bureau had likely prepared long ago to attack Navy transport ships.
Perhaps not just targeting this one transportation, but they had coincidentally obtained transport ship intelligence from Matsumoto’s mouth.
This answer seemed very reasonable too; with the Naval Investigation Department finding no other evidence, and Matsumoto having already perished for the country, they could only acquiesce to the other’s investigation result.
“Thud thud thud.” Footsteps approached; Secretary Li Ningyu lightly knocked on the half-open office door and said to Chen Yang: “Officer, Minister Oshima has something for you.”
“Naval Transportation Department’s special liaison Lieutenant Colonel Saito is here, probably to discuss joint sea and land transportation with Minister Oshima.”
Chen Yang frowned slightly, set down the steel pen in his hand, and said: “I understand.”
Southern Transportation Department third floor, Oshima Kenjiro sat behind the desk, face ashen, glaring at Saito Koichi opposite him.
“Lieutenant Colonel Saito, I want to know what exactly your Navy Department is doing?”
Oshima Kenjiro’s angry voice rang out rapidly: “The backlog at Jiujiang Wharf must be completely resolved within this week.”
“The 106 Division’s vanguard troops have already reached the vicinity of Mount Lu; their heavy equipment, artillery, tractors, supplies—all stuck at Jiujiang Port!”
“Central China Expeditionary Army Headquarters is urging the Navy three times a day; you may not care, but the pressure is directly on me!”
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: “I understand your department’s manpower shortage and the difficulty in clearing shipping routes, but the battle situation waits for no one.”
“The success or failure of the Wuhan campaign hinges on the logistics supply line; now this lifeline is being choked at Jiujiang!”
“Is it just because transport ships were bombed once that you’ve become lax?”
Saito Koichi straightened his chest, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Minister Oshima, I fully understand your feelings.”
“The congestion at Jiujiang is absolutely not intentional delay on our part.”
With that, Saito Koichi walked to the map, pointing at the Yangtze River shipping route map: “Please look; since July, Hunan has had continuous heavy rains, mud and sand scoured down from upstream have silted up, especially the main channel near Pengze, where water depth is insufficient.”
“3,000-ton transport ships are restricted by draft and can only queue up to pass slowly.”
“We’ve mobilized all available dredgers, working day and night nonstop, but manpower and resources are limited; progress indeed falls short of expectations.”
Oshima Kenjiro inhaled and said gravely: “Manpower and resources? Lieutenant Colonel Saito, I don’t think that’s an excuse!”
“Maintaining normal shipping route operations is precisely your Navy’s responsibility.”
“Moreover, to ensure smooth transportation, we’ve already mobilized troops to provide escort and necessary firepower support on the river, securing relative safety of the routes.”
“You should be clear: these were originally the Navy Department’s duties, but we’ve done them; what your Navy Transportation Department is responsible for is ensuring these precious transport capacities operate with efficiency!”
“Now, the Army’s tanks are stuck in the mud, shells piled on the wharf exposed to sun and rain—this responsibility, neither you nor I can bear!”
“I demand immediate emergency measures: first, prioritize clearing existing berths; ships unloaded must depart within 24 hours!”
“Second, all non-military civilian vessels—requisition or forcibly halt them to make way for military transport!”
“Third, activate all backup small wharves and barge points; even if efficiency is low, unload the materials first!”
Saito Koichi’s brow furrowed imperceptibly, then quickly returned to normal: “Minister Oshima, you’re making unreasonable demands.”
“The first and second points we can coordinate, but the third, regrettably, I think we can hardly achieve.”
