Liang Jian: Commander, save some for me

The Japanese lieutenant was genuinely surprised that the New First Regiment had launched an attack on all the pillboxes and checkpoints built by their regiment last night.

Furthermore, judging from the situation, the attacked pillboxes and checkpoints have all been captured by the enemy. No wonder the regimental commander did not consider sending anyone over when Qingyuan Bridge was attacked last night; he was worried about an ambush.

"Lieutenant, if that's the case, our regiment lost at least a thousand soldiers last night! That's a huge loss!" The Japanese sergeant sitting in the passenger seat couldn't help but say.

They built nearly thirty or forty strongholds, including watchtowers and checkpoints, with each stronghold having anywhere from twenty to thirty or forty people.

Therefore, with so many places breached at once, it's practically impossible for any of the soldiers inside to survive.

"Yes, the new 1st Regiment actually dared to launch an attack with its entire regiment. No wonder the regimental commander felt something was amiss," the Japanese lieutenant remarked. If it were him, he probably would have thought the same thing.

However, it appears that only the New First Regiment attacked the pillboxes and checkpoints, and they underestimated the New First Regiment's combat capabilities.

"I wonder what the regimental commander will do next." The Japanese sergeant frowned. Having suffered such a great loss, the regimental commander probably wouldn't swallow this insult.

"I don't know about that. I'll go see the regimental commander later and ask him what his next steps are."

"I feel the regimental commander might actually swallow his anger, because he's unsure if that Northeast Army unit is really not there," the Japanese lieutenant said, expressing his speculation.

To be on the safe side and avoid further losses, the regimental commander is unlikely to choose to attack the new 1st Regiment.

“That’s possible. Although I don’t want to admit it, we are indeed no match for that Northeast Army.” The Japanese sergeant agreed, his eyes filled with apprehension when he spoke of the Northeast Army.

There was nothing they could do. The enemy was capable of destroying the command post of a Class A division, while they were only a Class B division, so they had no way to deal with the enemy.

"Alright, let's stop talking about this." The Japanese lieutenant said this and then fell silent.

Before long, after transporting the bodies of the fallen soldiers to the hospital, they headed towards the military camp. With the notification, the Japanese lieutenant successfully met the Japanese regimental commander and the Japanese major.

"Regimental Commander! Major." The Japanese lieutenant entered the office and immediately saluted the two men.

"Were the wounded soldiers just brought in from the hospital injured by landmines on their way to provide support?" the Japanese regimental commander asked directly. In fact, he already knew the situation, but he just wanted to hear it from someone else in person.

"Yes, platoon leader. Fortunately, you were wise enough to call ahead in time, so we were overtaken halfway there."
That's why they stopped providing support; otherwise, we probably would have been completely wiped out last night." The Japanese lieutenant even offered a small compliment.

"Yes, the New First Regiment is indeed quite cunning; the tactics they use are almost exactly the same as those of that Northeast Army."
"I guess they've learned a lot from their frequent cooperation with that Northeast Army unit. Now the New First Regiment has become quite formidable." The Japanese regimental commander nodded and added.

The New First Regiment's actions practically demonstrate that they are not taking them seriously.

"Commander, the New 1st Regiment's actions have caused us heavy losses. Should we launch an attack on their position?!" the Japanese lieutenant asked.

"That's natural. In fact, it wasn't just us who were attacked; another regiment was also attacked by the Independent Regiment and suffered heavy losses."
"The brigade commander has ordered us to assemble all soldiers, including the puppet troops, and launch an attack on the garrisons of the New First Regiment and the Independent Regiment in two days. We must let these two regiments know what the consequences are for offending the Empire!" The Japanese regimental commander said, his face full of murderous intent.

"But isn't the regimental commander worried that the Northeast Army might be lying in ambush?! What if the enemy deliberately provokes us to launch an attack and then launches a surprise attack?!" The Japanese lieutenant voiced his concerns.

In contrast, he felt that the two regiments were backed by the Northeast Army, otherwise how could they be so arrogant and dare to mobilize the entire regiment to launch such a large-scale attack?

"That's not something you should be worried about," the Japanese regimental commander replied coldly, though he had naturally considered the issue.

However, in order for the Empire to annihilate that Northeast Army, even if that Northeast Army was behind the New First Regiment and the Independent Regiment, they had to take action.

Besides, there is no intelligence to prove that the Northeast Army was involved. So, if they are not there, we can successfully attack the New First Regiment and the Independent Regiment and let the enemy know that they are not to be trifled with.

"Yes, sir!" The Japanese lieutenant nodded hurriedly, not daring to say anything more.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, go back to the transit station. Remember to tell your captain to be ready to come and meet us at any time. Now you can leave." The Japanese regimental commander gave these instructions and waved his hand to dismiss them.

"Commander, if that Northeast Army unit were still here, we probably wouldn't be able to come back," the Japanese major couldn't help but bring up the matter again.

It wasn't that he was afraid of death, but they simply couldn't defeat that Northeast Army. If they really encountered them, they would only face certain death. In his view, such a death was meaningless.

"Don't think the worst. The brigade commander will also come to personally command the operation. This operation is to eliminate a major threat to the Empire."
Even if it means our complete annihilation, it's worth it! As long as this Northeast Army isn't eliminated, we'll never have peace! We're fighting for the Empire. Understand?!" The Japanese regimental commander said solemnly.

"Understood!" The Japanese major nodded quickly.

.........

Around 12:30 pm, in the office of Seishiro Itahira in Taiyuan.

"Division Commander, you are absolutely right. Last night, not only were the railways extensively damaged, but the highways under construction were also destroyed by the enemy! The enemy's forces numbered no less than two hundred thousand."

Moreover, given the Eighth Route Army's cautious nature, they definitely have troops dedicated to guard duty. Therefore, the Eighth Route Army likely has around 300,000 troops on their side! The Japanese brigade commander came to the office and recounted the events of the previous night.

Furthermore, the number of enemy troops deployed was speculated to have surged from 200,000 to 300,000.

"Three hundred thousand men, how could the Eighth Route Army have grown so fast?!" Seishiro Itagaki was somewhat unsettled.

This data truly shocked him. He had thought that the enemy's numbers reaching 200,000 was already unexpected, but now, upon further assessment, the number had actually reached 300,000. How could this not shock him?

However, in reality, the number of Eighth Route Army soldiers far exceeded their budget, and was much more than 300,000!

"Yes, we have no idea how they developed this. It's outrageous! Division Commander, did the Jin-Sui Army really not get involved?!" The Japanese brigade commander couldn't help but ask again.

He still felt that the Eighth Route Army shouldn't have so many people on its side; it must be that the Jin-Sui Army had gotten involved.

"Our intelligence agents over there haven't received a single piece of information. If the Jin-Sui Army were involved, such a large-scale troop movement couldn't possibly escape the eyes of our intelligence agents," said Itagaki Seishiro, shaking his head. Their intelligence agents weren't just within the Jin-Sui Army; they were also in the counties under its jurisdiction. If anything seemed amiss, they would immediately relay the news.

"So, the people who took action last night were really only the Eighth Route Army?" The Japanese brigade commander was still somewhat skeptical; he felt that the Eighth Route Army couldn't possibly have that many people.

"Believe it or not, it's true. But so what if they outnumber us? They only dare to sabotage our railways and highways."

The fact that they dared not attack the fortified towers and checkpoints shows that they lacked sufficient firepower for assault operations! Therefore, they are still insignificant,” Itagaki Seishiro said slowly.

No matter how many enemies there are, only the New First Regiment and the Independent Regiment dare to attack the pillboxes and checkpoints. Don't forget that these two regiments are the strongest in that area, so it's normal for them to dare to attack.

If the other regiments of the Eighth Route Army were as formidable as these two, then they would indeed be something to be wary of.

"The division commander is right. We have three Class A divisions stationed here. So what if they have more men? They can't cause any trouble in the face of absolute strength." Upon hearing this, the Japanese brigade commander's previous apprehension disappeared, replaced by confidence.

"However, their sabotage of railways and highways has indeed caused us considerable trouble, especially the railways, which need to be repaired as soon as possible, otherwise it will affect the transfer of troops!" Itagaki Seishiro said slowly.

The railway is a vital transportation route for them to transport large numbers of troops. If the railway cannot be repaired as soon as possible, they will still face considerable trouble.

"Don't worry, Division Commander, I've already sent people to repair the railway. And not just the railway, I've also sent people to repair the damaged roads," the Japanese brigade commander said hurriedly.

"Yes, repair the railway as soon as possible so that subsequent operations can proceed more smoothly. Since they have chosen to take the initiative, they should also face our fierce retaliation." Itagaki Seishiro nodded, his tone filled with murderous intent.

The Eighth Route Army is now posing a serious threat to them, and if this is not resolved, their subsequent plans will not proceed smoothly.

The main task is to eliminate that Northeast Army, especially under these circumstances. If they don't take down that Northeast Army, they won't be able to carry out their subsequent plans.

The Eighth Route Army also posed a threat to them, although the Northeast Army was a greater threat by comparison.

Although the Eighth Route Army had a large number of troops, their overall strength could not compare with that of the Northeast Army. Therefore, despite their fear, their primary objective remained the Northeast Army.

"Yes, sir!" the Japanese brigade commander quickly replied.

"Division Commander, I think we should ask the Commander to send some more men over!" the Japanese brigade commander said after a moment's hesitation.

The sheer number of Eighth Route Army soldiers made him uneasy, so he wondered if he could transfer more troops.

"Mobilize troops?! What's the point of mobilizing troops? We have three Class A divisions stationed here, with over 100,000 soldiers. Add the puppet troops, and we have over 200,000 men."
"Do you think we need to be afraid of them?! As long as we deal with that Northeast Army, the rest is no big deal," said Itagaki Seishiro.

"I just wanted to have an extra layer of insurance," the Japanese brigade commander said. What if they couldn't hold out? Having more men would be better able to deal with any potential dangers.

"Alright, you can go now." Itagaki Seishiro waved his hand, and only after the Japanese brigade commander left did he let out a slow sigh.

He now felt that the situation was becoming increasingly dire. The Northeast Army had not yet been dealt with, and now he realized that the Eighth Route Army had unknowingly become stronger than the Jin-Sui Army, which was simply unbelievable.

Fortunately, they had anticipated that the Eighth Route Army posed a greater threat to them, so they had begun to formulate a cage policy early on, which has now forced the Eighth Route Army to expose its strength.

However, eliminating this group of enemies will be quite difficult.

"I should tell the commander about this." Seishiro Itagata sighed again, picked up the phone on the table, and called Commander Yoshio Shinotsuka.

After a short wait, Yoshio Shinotsuka's voice came through the phone.

"I already know everything. You're calling to ask me to transfer more people to you, aren't you?! I don't have time to deal with your affairs right now!" Yoshio Shinotsuka's icy tone came through the phone.

The Eighth Route Army's large-scale operation affected even his own area, causing problems throughout the entire district.

"Commander, I don't want to transfer personnel, I just wanted to tell you that, based on our assessment, the Eighth Route Army's deployment last night..." Itagaki Seishiro explained the situation in detail.

"Hmm, your judgment is similar to mine, but you should be able to handle it, right?!" Yoshio Shinotsuka said slowly, his tone icy.

"Don't worry, Commander, I have absolute confidence that I can handle and wipe out that Northeast Army," Itagaki Seishiro quickly assured him.

"Well, things have taken a bit out of the ordinary, but we can still proceed as planned. Don't let me down," Yoshio Shinotsuka said.

In fact, they were only slightly passive, and the fact that the plan was forced to be brought forward a while was not a big deal.

The only thing we didn't expect was that the development of the Eighth Route Army's side was beyond our imagination.

However, the thought that they had three top-tier divisions stationed there reassured him considerably.

Their Class A division was capable of confronting and even defeating a Nationalist army group of over 100,000 men. Now that it's the Eighth Route Army, the problem is even less significant.

"Yes, sir! I will certainly complete the mission." Itakatsu Seishiro replied.

“Actually, as long as we can deal with that Northeast Army, the rest will be easy to handle. You understand what I mean, right?” Yoshio Shinotsuka hinted.

The most dangerous enemy at present is still the Northeast Army led by Mu Jin. Once Mu Jin is dealt with, the remaining enemies are not worth mentioning at all.

"Understood!" Itagaki Seishiro nodded.

"Okay, that's all for now! You go ahead and do your work." Yoshio Shinotsuka hung up the phone after saying that. (End of Chapter)