Liang Jian: Commander, save some for me

"Don't forget, we also have two or three thousand puppet troops who can assist us in the battle!" the Japanese regimental commander added.

In his view, if the Northeast Army hadn't gotten involved, dealing with the New First Regiment wouldn't have been difficult for them.

The puppet troops in several county towns were quite capable of fighting, unlike those puppet troops recruited locally who only knew how to loaf around and wait to die.

"The regimental commander is right. So when do we set off?!" the Japanese major asked.

"Don't rush, let me tell the brigade commander about this first, and then let me hear what he has to say." The Japanese regimental commander said, picking up the phone on the table and calling the brigade commander.

The call was quickly connected, and the Japanese regimental commander hurriedly informed him of the situation!

"Alright, as long as we're sure that Northeast Army wasn't involved," the Japanese brigade commander breathed a sigh of relief.

If Mu Jin were also there, it would be much more difficult for them to fight. They would probably have to gather their forces and retreat to the county town.

"By the way, how are the attacked pillboxes and checkpoints?! Not too many dead or wounded, right?!" the Japanese brigade commander asked again. Although each pillbox and checkpoint didn't have many people, the total number of people in so many pillboxes and checkpoints was still quite large.

"This..." Upon hearing this, the Japanese regimental commander also became somewhat hesitant.

"Baka! Speak up! Stop stammering!" the Japanese brigade commander immediately cursed.

"Hey! Brigade Commander, the soldiers inside the attacked pillboxes and checkpoints are basically all dead, and the pillboxes have been destroyed by the enemy." The Japanese regimental commander dared not delay any longer and quickly told the truth.

"What?! How is this possible? Didn't you say that the Northeast Army wasn't involved? With the combat strength of the New 1st Regiment, how could they have taken down the pillbox and checkpoint in such a short time?!" The Japanese brigade commander's tone was one of utter shock.

In his view, even if the soldiers of the New First Regiment could suppress the Imperial soldiers in the fortress, it would be impossible for the enemy to take it down in such a short time.

"It's true. If that Northeast Army had been involved, the reinforcements they sent would probably have been in trouble too, but they're fine now."

"So, we must have underestimated the fighting power of the New First Regiment." The Japanese regimental commander quickly explained his reasoning.

"What you said makes sense. It seems that the New First Regiment's combat effectiveness has indeed improved a lot by following that Northeast Army!" The Japanese brigade commander nodded in agreement.

The only explanation is that the New First Regiment learned a lot from that Northeast Army, which improved its combat effectiveness.

"That's what I was thinking too, Brigade Commander. Now the New 1st Regiment and the Independent Regiment have launched an attack on us. What should we do next? Should I lead a team to attack their base directly?" the Japanese regimental commander asked tentatively.

"Of course we should attack them. Anyway, that Northeast Army isn't here, so we don't need to be afraid of them. But first, we should deal with the remains of the soldiers who died in battle. I'll give you two days. Then, gather all the soldiers and launch an attack on the New First Regiment's garrison!" The Japanese brigade commander's tone was filled with murderous intent, clearly showing that he also hated the New First Regiment to the bone.

They were already furious that they couldn't defeat that Northeast Army, and now the New First Regiment dared to provoke them. If they attacked, the New First Regiment might think they were scared.

"Understood! We need to let the New First Regiment know that we are afraid of that Northeast Army, not them!" said the Japanese regimental commander.

"Baka! Who's afraid of that Northeast Army!" the Japanese brigade commander immediately cursed. Even if he was really afraid, he couldn't say it out loud, or it would affect morale.

"Hey! I misspoke." The Japanese regimental commander realized his mistake and quickly apologized.

"Alright, you take care of your business first. I need to report this to the division commander." The Japanese brigade commander hung up the phone after saying that.

"Regimental Commander, has the brigade commander agreed to let us launch an attack?!" The Japanese major asked cautiously. From what the regimental commander said, he felt that the brigade commander seemed to have agreed.

"Yes, the brigade commander ordered us to properly dispose of the remains of the soldiers who died in the battle, and then gather all the soldiers to launch an attack on the New 1st Regiment's garrison." The Japanese regimental commander nodded and said.

"Great! We can finally vent our anger. We must let the New First Regiment know that without that Northeast Army, they are no match for us!" The Japanese major was also delighted.

"Don't be too happy yet. We still need to be cautious. We underestimated the fighting strength of the new 1st Regiment. We need to be very careful in the upcoming operations, or we might fail," said the Japanese regimental commander.

He wanted to vent his anger, which was understandable, but he wouldn't underestimate the New First Regiment. He had to defeat or even annihilate it.

"Understood! But, regimental commander, do you think they'll just run away?! If that's the case, where will we find them?!" The Japanese major expressed this concern.

If you want revenge, you need to find the right person first. Otherwise, how can you take revenge? From thin air?!
"I think it's unlikely. The New First Regiment has been here for so long, it's impossible for them to abandon their base here."

Moreover, the fact that they dared to launch a preemptive attack most likely means they don't take us seriously at all, and may even think that we wouldn't dare to take the initiative to cause them trouble." The Japanese regimental commander thought for a moment, and then began to analyze.

In his view, the new regiment would not withdraw voluntarily, so there was no need to worry too much about it.

"That makes sense." The Japanese major nodded, agreeing with the regimental commander's point.

"Tomorrow, have the puppet troops bring back the remains of the soldiers who died in battle. Cremate them as soon as possible," the Japanese regimental commander ordered.

Those soldiers who died tragically should still have their ashes sent back to their homeland; they should not be buried in a foreign land.

"Yes, sir!" the Japanese major replied.

.........

In Taiyuan, Itagaki Seishiro was smoking in his office. There were already several cigarette butts in the ashtray on his desk, but he kept smoking one after another, and the room was filled with smoke.

Ring ring ring………

The phone on the table rang, and Seishiro Itaga immediately perked up. He sat up straight and reached out to answer the phone.

"Division Commander..." came the voice of the Japanese brigade commander on the phone, and he explained the situation in detail.

"Yes, as long as that Northeast Army isn't involved," Itagaki Seishiro calmly replied.

"Division Commander, I have just given orders that after they have disposed of the bodies of the fallen soldiers in the next two days, they should assemble their troops and launch an attack on the New 1st Regiment's garrison," the Japanese brigade commander said. "That's exactly right. We must teach them a lesson! Otherwise, they'll really think they have the fighting power of that Northeast Army!" Itagaki Seishiro said, agreeing with the other side's actions.

"Don't worry, Division Commander, I will definitely make the New First Regiment pay the price!" The Japanese brigade commander quickly assured him.

"However, we still need to be careful. Although we haven't encountered that Northeast Army yet, we can't rule out the possibility that they aren't there."
"You all need to be careful. If you notice anything amiss, retreat immediately," Itagaki Seishiro instructed.

He worried that tonight's operation might be a trap set by the Northeast Army, a surprise attack during the fighting between the two sides, so he still had to be on guard.

"Division Commander, if that's what you're saying, then maybe we shouldn't attack. If that Northeast Army unit is really there, our men might not be able to come back." The Japanese brigade commander panicked and said hastily.

He would feel more at ease if they hid in the county town, but the problem is that they took the initiative to attack the New First Regiment's garrison. If that Northeast Army was there, their men would definitely not be able to escape.

"What are you afraid of? I was just saying. The probability is not high. Just let your men attack," said Seishiro Itaga.

"Division Commander, I think we should just give up," the Japanese brigade commander said, already having second thoughts.

"Baka! As an Imperial soldier, how can you be so cowardly and afraid of death? Do you want me to dismiss you?" Itagaki Seishiro roared in anger.

"No, no! I just felt we shouldn't take such a risk," the Japanese brigade commander quickly explained.

"Sigh... I didn't want to say this, but I'll tell you anyway. We've already prepared a trap for that Northeast Army. Now we just need you to confirm whether that Northeast Army is actually there or not."
This way, we can take action against them. As you know, this group of enemies has caused us heavy losses, and it wouldn't be good for the Empire if we didn't eliminate them.
You need to understand, to deal with them, several divisions were transferred here from other war zones—specifically, to wipe them out.

We're just one step away from annihilating them. Tell me, can you back down?! Do you want the empire to suffer even greater losses later?! Itagaki Seishiro began to preach his grand principles.

"Division Commander, I understand! I will personally command the operation this time and will not let you down!" As soon as the Japanese brigade commander heard that it was related to the Empire, he immediately had no intention of backing down and only wanted to dedicate everything to the Empire.

"It's not about not letting me down, it's about not letting the Empire down," Itagaki Seishiro corrected him.

"Yes! Your subordinate will never let the Empire down!" the Japanese brigade commander replied.

"Alright, let's do it then." Seishiro Itagaki said with satisfaction.

"Hi!"

Itagaki Seishiro hung up the phone. As things stand, the Northeast Army has not appeared, but that doesn't rule out the possibility that they are not there.

After all, Mu Jin is a very cunning person. Perhaps this is a trap, a plan to lure the snake out of its hole.

Therefore, it was necessary to have the soldiers take the initiative to attack the garrisons of the New First Regiment and the Independent Regiment in order to confirm that the Northeast Army was indeed not there.

Actually, they had no other choice but to do this. They had made many preparations, and if the Northeast Army didn't fall for it in the end, all their previous preparations would have been in vain.

Itagaki Seishiro then called Yamamoto Ichiki to inform him of the situation and to mention that he had asked the troops to take the initiative to form the New First Regiment and the Independent Regiment.

"As expected of the division commander, he's so thoughtful!" Yamamoto Ichiki praised.

"It's nothing. If I didn't have some skills, I wouldn't be able to become the division commander. Besides, I've been dealing with Mu Jin for so long, so I know a thing or two about his fighting style," said Itagaki Seishiro. Although he hadn't met Mu Jin yet, he hadn't forgotten any of the losses he had suffered these past few days!
"Division Commander, don't you think the price is a bit too high for you to use a brigade to test whether they are there?!" Yamamoto Ichiki retorted.

It should be understood that the troops that took the initiative to attack the New First Regiment and the Independent Regiment were far from their own defense zone. If that Northeast Army was really there, this brigade would basically have no chance of returning.

“There’s no other way. We have to confirm whether their target is the Sixth Division or not. Otherwise, all our preparations will have been for nothing,” said Seishiro Itaga.

Although it would come at a great cost if something went wrong, it would also allow us to determine the enemy's objective and roughly pinpoint their location.

In this way, they were able to mobilize their troops to begin encircling the enemy, with a clear direction, unlike before when they didn't even know where the enemy was.

“That’s right. The threat they pose is far greater than that of the Nationalist Army and the Eighth Route Army!” Yamamoto Ichiki nodded. Without dealing with this threat, they would be unable to carry out any further plans while they were here.

Moreover, several divisions were transferred from other war zones, which also had a significant impact. If this Northeast Army could not be dealt with, none of them would escape the fate of being court-martialed.

"If you ask me, the problem lies with that guy in the Nationalist Army. Why did he have to discriminate against us? As a result, he created such a troublesome enemy for us!" Yamamoto Ichiki said, changing the subject.

He felt that if Mu Jin hadn't left the army, there would have been no opportunity to develop the troops, let alone make them so powerful.

"What's the point of saying all this now? This is their business," Itagaki Seishiro said irritably.

It's no use blaming anyone now. That Northeast Army has already become a force to be reckoned with. The only way is to seize this opportunity and take care of it.

.........

On the other side, Li Jin and his men were still in the temporary command room. The flashlights in the hands of several soldiers had dimmed because they had been shining for too long, and it looked like they would run out of power soon.

"It's almost midnight, and we still haven't heard anything from your side?!" Commander Zhang rolled up his sleeves, revealing his wristwatch, and glanced at the time. It was a little past 11:40.

"Commander Zhang, don't be in such a hurry. Do you think other units are as capable as Regiment Commander Mu and his men?" Li Yunlong said.

It's only been half an hour since Blind Cheng and his men started their operation, so they probably haven't taken down the watchtower yet.

Upon hearing this, Commander Zhang fell silent. Therefore, Li Yunlong was indeed right. Not everyone had the fighting strength of Mu Jin and his men, and could take down the blockhouse in such a short time!

"Commander Mu, how long do you think it will take them to take down the blockhouse?!" Chief of Staff Fang asked Li Jin.

"It's hard to say, but I guess it'll be soon," Li Jin shook his head and said.

(End of this chapter)