Chapter 196: Breaking News
Wutai County
As the main base and troop replenishment area for the Shanxi militia, ever since the news spread that Su Yaoyang led his troops to march out and intercept the menacing Japanese 20th Division, the entire county town had been shrouded in an atmosphere of solemnity and anxiety.
Pedestrians on the usually bustling streets were sparse, most shops on the main streets had closed early, and every household kept their doors and windows tightly shut, fearing that if the militia was defeated, the Japanese would reoccupy the place, and they, the ordinary folk, would be the ones to suffer.
After all, the reputation of the Japanese 20th Division was well-known throughout North China, and many people were sweating for Su Yaoyang and his militia.
However, when the news that Niu Dao Shichang had been captured alive and the main force of the 20th Division annihilated rolled over Wutai County like spring thunder, all the previous suppression and worry were instantly replaced by immense, irrepressible joy!
“Extra! Extra! Great victory at the front lines! Commander Su decisively defeated the Japanese 20th Division! Captured enemy leader Major General Niu Dao Shichang alive!”
Several militia soldiers responsible for propaganda rode fast horses, galloping along the main streets in the city while waving small flags in their hands and shouting in hoarse but excited voices.
In an instant, the entire Wutai County seemed to awaken from a deep sleep.
“What? Real or fake? Commander Su won the battle?”
“Captured the Japanese division commander alive? My goodness!”
At first, people were somewhat unwilling to believe their ears. But as more and more news was confirmed, even from the mouths of wounded soldiers transported back from the front lines, all doubts and worries turned into joy.
“We won! We won! Commander Su is mighty!”
No one knew who shouted it first, but immediately after, cheers erupted from every corner of the county town like a mountain flood bursting forth!
The tightly closed shop doors reopened one after another, and the previously deserted streets were instantly packed with excited crowds. People passed on this tremendous good news to each other, their faces beaming with heartfelt smiles, and many were so moved that tears filled their eyes.
“Great! Great! These damned Japanese devils have finally gotten their comeuppance!” An elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, trembled all over with excitement.
This old man’s son was serving in Su Yaoyang’s troops, and these days had worried him sick.
“Commander Su is truly the guardian god of our Wutai County!” A woman holding a child clasped her hands together and prayed toward the sky.
Some impatient merchants even directly carried out strings of firecrackers from their shops and lit them on the street.
The “crackling” sounds of firecrackers rose and fell, deafening, resounding through the skies, as if to blow away all the pent-up gloom and fear in people’s hearts these past days.
Influenced by the adults’ mood, the children grew bolder, starting to chase and play among the crowds, picking up unburnt firecrackers, and the air was filled with the thick smell of sulfur and a festive celebratory atmosphere.
And those media reporters from various parts of Shanxi who had come to Wutai County in search of news were even more excited, like sharks that had smelled blood.
They had originally come to report on this battle with a great disparity in strength, and many had even prepared drafts about Su Yaoyang’s defeat. But what arrived was such an earth-shattering reversal!
“Quick! Quick, send a telegram! Front-page headline! No! The entire page must report this news!” A reporter from the Shanxi Daily shouted excitedly to his assistant, the shutter of the camera in his hand clicking nonstop, recording this historic moment.
“‘Anti-Japanese Iron Army Annihilates Japanese Elite Troops, Militia Commander Captures Enemy Leader Niu Dao Alive!’ How about this headline?” Another reporter from Kedipo scribbled furiously while excitedly discussing with his companion.
They knew this was absolutely the most explosive news on the entire North China battlefield this year! Not only would it greatly boost newspaper sales, but it would also make them, the eyewitnesses, famous.
In an instant, long lines formed in front of the few telegraph machines at the county post office, as reporters eagerly sent this uplifting news to all parts of the country.
A radio wave pierced the long sky, transmitting this astonishing news to the Second War Zone headquarters far on the east bank of the Yellow River, that place locally known as “Kedipo.”
Kedipo
This base that Yan Xishan had operated for over a year was now, in a heavily guarded cave office, where Yan Xishan—this man over fifty, thin but spirited—twirled his signature goatee while listening to his confidential secretary read the urgent telegram sent by Su Yaoyang.
When he heard “successfully captured Japanese 20th Division Major General Division Commander Niu Dao Shichang,” a burst of joyful light exploded in Yan Xishan’s deep-set eyes. He sprang up from his chair with a “whoosh,” and his face, previously somewhat weary from days of toil, instantly flushed with color.
“Good! Well fought! This kid Su Yaoyang didn’t disappoint me!”
Yan Xishan slapped his thigh excitedly and said, his thick Shanxi accent echoing in the cave. He paced back and forth a few steps, his face blooming with a smile like a chrysanthemum.
He knew full well how much weight this battle report carried.
At this time when the Wuhan Defense Battle was suffering repeated setbacks and domestic anti-Japanese morale was somewhat low, such a brilliant victory was undoubtedly a shot in the arm! Even more importantly, this achievement was credited to his Second War Zone!
“Immediately! Immediately notify the whole country of this news! No! Notify the whole world!”
Yan Xishan waved his hand grandly; at this moment, he was exceptionally high-spirited. “Tell that one in Chongqing, and that one in Yan’an, that although I, Yan, am confined to Shanxi, my determination and ability to fight the Japanese devils are no less than anyone’s!”
He narrowed his eyes, as if already seeing the front-page headlines of major newspapers proclaiming “Second War Zone Great Victory, Captures Japanese Leader Niu Dao Alive,” seeing the jubilant scenes across the nation, and seeing his own prestige rising further domestically and internationally.
“Draft a commendation order! Heavily reward Su Yaoyang and his meritorious officers and soldiers! Also, prepare a press conference; I will personally announce this good news to Chinese and foreign reporters!” Yan Xishan grew more excited as he spoke, as if already seeing himself becoming famous and leaving his name in history.
He knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a chance for him and his Second War Zone to shine on the national anti-Japanese stage. Niu Dao Shichang’s capture was not just a military prisoner, but a huge political bargaining chip and propaganda tool. And he, Yan Xishan, would be one of the direct beneficiaries of this tool.
The atmosphere in Kedipo became one of jubilation because of this telegram from the front lines. And Su Yaoyang, far away on the battlefield, was unaware of all this; at this moment, he was still commanding his troops to pursue the routed 20th Division.
