Anti-Japanese War: Starting from Yaobai

Chapter 3065 The Temptation of a Three-Rank Promotion!
Following orders from Kitashirakawa Minami, Ito herded the hundreds of captured civilians into the Japanese army camp like livestock, surrounded them with barbed wire, and surrounded them by heavily armed Japanese soldiers.

Those unarmed civilians were filled with fear, but could only huddle together, trembling.

However, Kitashirakawa Minami did not immediately launch an attack on the anti-Japanese brigade. He stood in the command room of the military camp, looking at the imprisoned civilians through the window, a cold smile on his lips.

He knew that this battle could not be won by relying solely on these captured Chinese civilians; it required a comprehensive plan and strong firepower.

He graduated from the Japanese Army University and had in-depth knowledge of military tactics.

He firmly believes that coordinated operations between the army and air force will be the key to victory on the future battlefield.

Therefore, he immediately contacted the air force in Fengtian and asked them to send reconnaissance planes to conduct a detailed reconnaissance of the Anti-Japanese Brigade's base, and to make sure to find out the brigade's troop deployment, fortifications and possible retreat routes.

At the same time, he ordered the logistics department to stockpile enough powerful weapons such as aerial bombs and incendiary bombs for the upcoming battle, so that the anti-Japanese brigade would suffer a devastating blow in this battle.

While awaiting the results of the air force's reconnaissance, Kitashirakawa Minami did not relax his efforts in intelligence gathering.

He knew that intelligence was the lifeblood of war, and only by having accurate intelligence could an effective battle plan be formulated.

He ordered Ito to lead the military police to continue indiscriminately arresting and killing suspicious persons in the city, regardless of age or gender, and to arrest and interrogate anyone who was even slightly suspicious.

For a time, the people of Songyuan City were filled with fear. They kept their doors tightly shut and dared not go out, for fear of accidentally getting themselves killed.

At the same time, Kitashirakawa Minami ordered all city gates to be closed, strictly prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving.

He planned to trap all suspicious individuals in the city and then investigate them one by one. Once he discovered any rebels or people connected to the anti-Japanese brigade, he would kill them all.

He planned to kill all the suspicious individuals in the city before opening the city gates, in order to ensure that the Japanese army would not be threatened in the rear when attacking the anti-Japanese brigade.

Upon receiving the order, Ito immediately led the military police in a new round of searches throughout the city. They searched house to house, and took away anyone they found suspicious.

Many innocent civilians were implicated and taken to military camps by the military police, where they were subjected to severe torture in order to extract so-called "intelligence" from them.

However, the civilians they arrested were just ordinary people who knew nothing about the anti-Japanese brigade.

But the Japanese soldiers didn't believe them, and they continued to cruelly torture these people until they were on the verge of death.

Kitashirakawa Minami, however, turned a deaf ear to this. Not only did a few Chinese people die, but almost all the Japanese soldiers in the Japanese hospital also died, and he didn't say a word.

At this moment, he had only one thought in mind: how to devise a perfect battle plan, how to win this battle, and how to prove his abilities to His Majesty the Emperor.

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Meanwhile, at the Anti-Japanese Brigade's base, Ma Ping'an was reporting to Duanwu that Watanabe had quietly left the base, presumably to meet with Japanese spies.

They were speculating what kind of mission the Japanese spies might receive.

Just then, a soldier from the intelligence department suddenly ran up to report to Duanwu that a major incident had occurred in Songyuan City, with hundreds of civilians captured by the Japanese army and their fate unknown.

Duanwu's expression was solemn because he had already guessed Beibaichuan Nan's intentions. He was afraid that these Japanese devils were capturing these civilians in order to break the minefield of the anti-Japanese brigade.

The anti-Japanese brigade's minefields were almost impossible to deal with, because they often appeared right under their feet in unexpected places.

That's why the Japanese came up with such a wicked plan. Duanwu asked Ma Ping'an, "Old Pan, what do you think?"

Ma Ping'an muttered, "The Japanese devils are trying to use the lives of civilians to ensure their safe attack. We can't just stand by and do nothing. We have to save people! But if we fight them head-on, we will suffer heavy losses. We need to find a way that satisfies both sides."

Duanwu nodded, his finger slowly moving across the map as he considered possible tactics.

He had encountered this situation before: the Japanese soldiers couldn't defeat him, or because they were afraid of landmine attacks, they would grab some civilians to walk in front of them.

With that in mind, Duanwu already had an idea.

However, this idea can only be used once; it probably won't work the second time.

However, at that moment, Jiang Li hurriedly walked into the conference room.

A hint of anxiety crossed her face, but Duanwu quickly saluted and said, "Captain, I just received new information. Comrade Cobra... he has gone missing."

This news came like a bolt from the blue, leaving both Duanwu and Ma Ping'an stunned.

Moreover, especially during the Dragon Boat Festival, Cobra stayed at the Japanese hospital to provide cover for him and Shadow's safe departure from Songyuan. Could it be that he was exposed because of this?

But last night, he clearly sent a message to the Anti-Japanese Brigade.
Duanwu countered, "When did this happen? Were any clues left behind?"

Jiang Li shook her head and said, "I don't know the exact time, but it should have been last night. My men went to observe Comrade Li Ru this morning, but they saw the Japanese searching for something in Li Ru's house. We don't know if he was captured or escaped."

Duanwu's expression turned serious again. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Immediately have the brothers in the city try to find out whether Li Ru is alive or dead."

"Yes!"

Jiang Li accepted the order and left. Duanwu and Ma Pingan continued to study strategies and tactics in preparation for the Japanese army's large-scale mopping-up operation.

Meanwhile, the Japanese spies naturally began to act as well.

Watanabe, who had infiltrated the anti-Japanese brigade, had already made contact with "Tugou," a special agent of the Special Higher Police, five kilometers away.

After meeting Watanabe, the two exchanged a few pleasantries before getting down to business.

The dog said with a serious expression, "Watanabe-kun, be careful. This time, we've encountered a very dangerous commander."

Watanabe scoffed, "Who could be more dangerous than Lord Kujo?"

The dog chuckled slightly and said, "Have you heard of Prince Kitashirakawa?"

Watanabe was shocked: "Prince Kitashirakawa? What's he doing here?"

At this moment, the dog sneered and said, "There's something even more shocking. Prince Kitashiro just arrived in China and secretly executed Kujo Miyamoto and Maruyama. Just think about it. If he can kill such important figures so easily, what will happen to us if we make a mistake?"

Watanabe broke out in a cold sweat, and after a moment, he asked in return, "What orders does headquarters have?"

Tu Gou said, "Your mission now is not only to steal the Anti-Japanese Brigade's operational plans, but also to blow up the enemy's armory at a crucial moment and assassinate their high-ranking commanders. If you succeed this time, Section Chief Kitahara said we'll be promoted at least three ranks!"