Spy Shadow: Command & Conquer

Chapter 1982, Things Have Gone This Far, Let's Eat First.
"Suddenly..."

"Suddenly..."

Zhang Yong drove his three-wheeled motorcycle around the battlefield.

He's the freest one, anytime, anywhere. He can do whatever he wants.

Because there's no one up there.

The bald guy isn't here. And he doesn't listen to the bald guy either.

No one gives him orders. On the contrary, he is the one giving orders.

No matter what you do, you don't need to explain. Others will naturally fill in the blanks. Even if they don't understand, they will still carry it out diligently.

"Commissioner".

"Commissioner".

Soldiers and officers along the way saluted.

Then everyone was curious. They were all concerned about where the commissioner was going.

Generally speaking, wherever the commissioner goes, an outbreak of war is bound to occur. And the Japanese invaders there are bound to suffer.

In fact it is.

Zhang Yong is now heading to the position of the French-made 105mm heavy cannon.

There were only twelve of these French-made 105mm heavy cannons. They were considered to have the longest range, but they were never used.

Because the French-made 155mm howitzer is sufficient.

The Japanese heavy artillery was basically eliminated at the beginning of the war.

This Korechika Anami, despite his aggressive rhetoric, actually didn't have much real weaponry. He was severely lacking in heavy artillery firepower.

The Japanese army produced a decent number of 105mm artillery pieces. A severe shortage was unlikely.

It is likely that it was not allocated to Anami Korechika.

In other words, the Japanese high command might also be playing tricks on Anami Korechika.

Let it draw the attention of the Nationalist army or the entire world here. Then quietly head south.

"and many more……"

"Could this be a trap set by the Japanese invaders...?"

"The Japanese invaders want to keep me tied down here, and then quietly launch their attack on Vietnam?"

"possible……"

Zhang Yong was lost in thought. He was thinking about Maggie Hannah's death.

It is very likely that they were tricked by the Japanese invaders.

The Japanese had one face in public and another in private; the French were too naive.

But it doesn't matter.

His original intention was to lure the Japanese invaders southward.

This is a major historical process that cannot be changed. The future world order will be related to this.

Now, we still need to create conditions to reassure the Japanese invaders so they can move south with peace of mind.

Go and have a good clash with Britain and the United States.

"report!"

Suddenly, a communications officer caught up with them.

It was said that the Japanese invaders were launching a fierce attack on Anqing.

There are also other areas in the western part of the Fifth War Zone, especially the Xinyang direction.

"To relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao..."

Zhang Yong instantly understood the Japanese invaders' objective.

This was to force the main force of the Fifth War Zone to move westward, in order to prevent their rear lines from being cut off.

Then, reduce the pressure from Bengbu. This will create an opportunity for Anami Korechika to escape.

Correct.

Escape.

Anami Korechika is running away.

He himself might be too embarrassed to admit it.

However, headquarters will certainly order it to escape.

This guy, supposedly, has some connections. And he managed to survive until the very end when he surrendered.

Before surrendering, a small group of fanatical Japanese invaders refused to accept the facts and tried to kidnap Tianhuang, but in the end they were also intimidated and submitted to him.

Leave it alone for now.

First, go to the 105mm heavy cannon position.

arrive.

Arrange for long-range firing immediately.

A designated area was demarcated, and then the heavy cannons were ordered to fire freely.

It's about firing intermittently. You don't need to worry about where the shots land. It's about repeatedly covering a certain area.

Two pre-designed grid tables were handed to the artillery commander.

The grid table shows the corresponding directions and distances, covering different locations of the Japanese positions.

By simply firing according to the grid pattern, we can continue to deter the Japanese invaders.

Specific results are not required.

Anyway, they just opened fire.

To keep the Japanese invaders from having a peaceful time. I'm feeling irritable. The pressure is mounting.

It eventually teetered on the brink of collapse.

"Each cannon fires two shells per minute."

"Yes."

"Continuous firing."

"Yes."

Zhang Yong finished giving his instructions.

Then he rode his motorcycle back to the front-line command post.

Seeing that Commander Li's guard company was ready, it was clear he was about to leave the front lines.

Currently, most of the troops in the Fifth Theater Command are on the front line in Bengbu.

Behind them were only Sun Tongxuan's 12th Army and Mo Dehong's 55th Army. Then came Zhang Zizhong's (who had already died in battle) 33rd Army Group.

In the Anqing and Luzhou direction, there are also the 7th Army and the 31st Army. They need to be assigned to defensive duties.

The Fifth War Zone is too large; such a small force is completely insufficient.

"Commander Li, let's abandon Anqing!"

"Now?"

"Yes. Give up!"

Zhang Yong is a straightforward and outspoken person. He can take things in stride and let them go easily.

Continuing to block the Yangtze River waterway would certainly be appealing, but in reality, it's not easy to do.

The Japanese invaders were indeed short-handed. But wasn't the National Revolutionary Army in the same boat?
No one holds a decisive advantage. It's all a tug-of-war. Back and forth. A dynamic equilibrium.

"But Roach's 95th Army..."

"I will retake Anqing when necessary."

"Alright."

Commander Li had no objection.

With Zhang Yong's abilities, the Japanese invaders couldn't take Anqing.

Last time, it only took a few hours to capture Anqing.

It would be about the same if we did it again.

They occupied Anqing, replenished the 95th Army with troops, and then withdrew from Anqing. The Japanese invaders re-entered the city.

Zhang Yong would come again if needed next time. And so the cycle would repeat.

Defense requires a long-term commitment of troops, which is a heavy burden. Offense, on the other hand, is much more flexible.

This was tantamount to handing Anqing, a huge burden, over to the Japanese invaders.

If Japan were to station a large number of troops there, it would require a significant amount of manpower.

Without two divisions, totaling over 30,000 men, no one could withstand Zhang Yong's sudden and fierce attack.

Ten thousand men were stationed in Anqing, but they all collapsed and died in less than two days.

However, 30,000 people would probably be a lot of squeezing for the Japanese invaders.

Given Hata Shunroku's personality, it's very likely he'll just arrange for an infantry regiment to make a show of it.

If you, Zhang Yong, come, I'll run away.

I'll come back after you leave.

To put it simply, if you need it, you can take it and use it first. Give it back to me when you're done.

That's about it.

Therefore, the order was issued.

The Seventh Army was ordered to withdraw from Luzhou, and the 31st Army was ordered to withdraw from Anqing.

This gave the Fifth War Zone two more main forces, making it much easier to deal with other directions.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Zhang Yong waved goodbye to Commander Li.

Military affairs at the Bengbu front were entirely handed over to Sun Zhen, commander-in-chief of the 22nd Army Group.

Sun Zhen is quite adept at this kind of routine offensive play.

If Zhang Yong has any changes to make, he can simply issue the order.

"Yiqi, let's go!"

"Yes!"

After seeing Commander Li off, Zhang Yong paid no attention to the war.

Sun Zhen is perfectly capable of handling routine combat command. As a special commissioner, he has absolutely no need to interfere.

His current focus is on eating meat.

From Anqing to Luzhou, and then to Bengbu, the Fifth War Zone was indeed exhausted.

It must be understood that they were members of the Nationalist Army, and they lacked any religious faith. Therefore, their ability to fight continuously was very poor.

Don't expect to boost morale with inspiring slogans.

Others don't believe in this. It's useless.

It must be a tangible substance. Ideally, it should be a large sum of money.

However, with so many people participating in the war, it would be impossible to afford to spend so much money!
So, the final result is still white rice and white flour, plus pork. After the system upgrade, it's still quite cost-effective.

Even the system's in-game store has beef. And the price isn't very expensive.

That is, it's slightly more expensive than pork.

It seems that the system supplies goods without regional differences; they are all sold directly from the place of origin.

Otherwise, the same beef would be incredibly expensive in China. Even in 2025, it would be much more expensive than pork.

"Commissioner!"

"Commissioner!"

Zhang Yong arrived at the railway.

The railway is located south of Bengbu, approximately twenty kilometers away.

Very busy.

Looking around, there were people everywhere.

They're all here to move things.

Either it involves transporting ammunition, including shells and bullets.

They might be there to transport rice, flour, or something similar. And of course, the most important thing is pork.

The ammunition came in boxes, so you could just carry them away.

Rice and flour come in bags, which can be easily carried away.

The pork was a bit of a problem. There was no packaging. It was just cut into individual carcasses, and it seemed to still be bleeding.

It's summer now, and the weather is hot, so we need to deal with this as soon as possible.

To put it simply, just eat it quickly.

Otherwise, it will smell bad.

"quick!"

"quick!"

Someone was wielding a large machete and slicing the pork open on the spot.

But it seemed we didn't have enough knives. So we brought out all sorts of large machetes, but it still wasn't enough.

A large cleaver is perfectly fine for beheading Japanese soldiers. But it's not quite good for cutting pork.

It's simply not sharp enough.

What's needed now is a relatively sharp knife.

Zhang Yong: ...

A brilliant idea struck me. I've got it!

The personal compartment contained many wakizashi (short swords). These were used by Japanese soldiers who committed seppuku (ritual suicide).

The long kind, similar to the swords worn by Japanese soldiers, is called a kaishaku. Swords like the Muramasa, which are considered kaishaku, are also types of kaishaku.

The wakizashi is a short sword. It's usually around 20 centimeters long and very sharp.

Okay, let's use the Japanese invaders' wakizashi to slaughter pigs.

"for you!"

"for you!"

Distributed on the spot. More than fifty were distributed in one go.

Sure enough, the efficiency of cutting meat was greatly improved.

Okay, we're in for a treat today.

Eat large chunks of meat.

Soon, all sorts of cooking pots were set up.

Cut the pork into chunks and put it in to make broth. The aroma is irresistible.

what?
Stir-fried?

Brother, this is a battlefield!
You think this is a five-star hotel?! You want to eat stir-fry too.

With the current conditions, if you can stew pork and add some salt, it will be a delicious dish.

If you add some wild vegetables, even the gods would turn back.

"It smells so good!"

"It smells so good!"

The aroma was irresistible, and the Nationalist soldiers were eager to try it.

Everyone was full of energy, craning their necks, waiting for the pork to be finally cooked.

Some couldn't wait and used a spoon to sip some of the broth.

The broth was delicious too! Lots of oil!
Even if the broth is piping hot, it's still something I'd love to have.

Some people secretly soaked a little meat broth in their cornbread before wolfing it down.

I must say, the steamed buns soaked in meat broth taste really good.

Finally, it's done cooking!

"Time to eat meat!"

"Time to eat meat!"

A deafening roar.

The voices rose in waves.

If he hadn't been there, Zhang Yong would have found it hard to believe that a meal of meat could make someone so excited.

[Favorability 100+]

[Favorability 100+]

Numbers kept flashing before my eyes. A dense, overwhelming array.

It feels like the stat boost from winning a battle isn't even as much as the stat boost from eating a meal. That's ridiculous.

If you gave them a bowl of meat every day, they could fight to the ends of the earth.

"One big bowl for everyone!"

"Don't worry. There's plenty! Don't crowd! Everyone gets a big bowl!"

"Add more wild vegetables! Otherwise, they'll get diarrhea!"

"Hey kid, eat slower, or you'll stuff yourself! Nobody's going to take it from you!"

"Queue up! Queue up!"

The chefs in charge of cooking were all in high spirits.

They were already full. They were stuffed during the food tasting.

As the steaming pot was opened, a rich aroma spread rampantly in all directions, including the Japanese positions.

"What smells so good?"

"It looks like meat..."

The Japanese invaders, too, smelled the aroma. They all craned their necks.

Having fought continuously, their diet was naturally not very good.

Many Japanese soldiers couldn't even get a single rice ball for a meal.

The aroma of meat...

So fragrant...

It came from the Nationalist army.

Damn it, the Nationalist army is actually getting meat to eat. It's unbelievable.

Suddenly I felt incredibly hungry.

It felt like my throat was being slowly cut with a dull knife.

"Nani?"

"The smell of meat?"

"idiot……"

Anami Korechika also smelled the aroma of meat.

I'm in a really bad mood.

Damn!

The Nationalist soldiers were even allowed to eat meat.

The rich aroma suggests that the Nationalist army must have had a lot of meat.

It's not just a few people eating it.

It seems like a lot of people are eating. Perhaps it's a treat for the entire army?

what does this mean?
Does this mean the other side is about to launch a full-scale attack?

wrong.

The final offensive won't happen so quickly.

Because the area currently controlled by the Japanese army is quite large.

Even if millions of Nationalist troops rushed at him, they wouldn't be able to wipe him out in a short time.

His courage to shout out the slogan of a million-strong army was not entirely without reason.

Even if the opponent has strong overall combat capabilities, it still needs enough time.

"report!"

An advisor rushed over.

He handed a telegram to the chief of staff.

After reading it, the chief of staff was somewhat surprised, and then came to Anami Korechika. "Your Excellency, the frontline reconnaissance report says that the enemy in the north has moved to the east."

"Move to the east?" Anami Korechika pondered for a moment before realizing what was going on.

The other party did it on purpose.

They deliberately left the northern entrance open, allowing him to escape.

The strategy of surrounding three sides while leaving one open is one of the oldest tactics employed by the Chinese people. It has proven effective time and again.

The Nationalist army at present does not have an absolute advantage.

The Japanese army is putting up a desperate resistance, and the battle will be protracted.

With no way out, the Japanese army will definitely fight to the death.

However, now that the gap to the north has been opened, everyone's minds have become active.

To the north lies Xuzhou.

Wouldn't it be better to retreat to Xuzhou?

Why fight to the death here?
The Nationalist army on the other side is feasting! We have nothing.

It's so uncomfortable...

The problem is that this matter is not friendly to him, Anami Korechika.

Because it was Anami Korechi who shouted it out, and even a million-strong army couldn't defeat him for a hundred years.

As a result, he ran away in just a few days. What will others think?
That's like slapping yourself in the face.

Zhang Yong probably saw this as an opportunity, so he deliberately watched Anami Korechika make a fool of himself.

"chief of staff!"

"exist."

"Order the troops to continue fighting! No retreat is permitted without my order!"

"Tie!"

The chief of staff turned to relay the order.

For the first time, I felt that Anami Korechika was a bit out of touch with reality.

They have absolutely no understanding of change.

The past is the past. The present is the present.

Previously, I felt there was no way out but to fight to the death.

But now, there's a way out! The north is the escape route. We can retreat safely.

Instead, you demanded a fight to the death. That's terrible.

It's obvious that his orders will be discounted. Some will outwardly comply but inwardly defy them.

Sure enough, that very night, all the divisions and independent mixed brigades under its command abandoned several forward positions.

The report said that the entire defending force had been killed in action. In reality, they had quietly retreated.

"idiot!"

Anami Korechika was both angry and furious.

Knowing the truth, he wanted to lash out, but recently he's been holding back.

D.

Several division commanders joined forces.

The following report was also flawless. The defending troops were all killed.

All the men are dead. The position is lost. What's the problem? To keep asking is just nitpicking!
Frustrated...

have no choice……

With morale low, the team is difficult to lead...

"Rumble..."

"Rumble..."

Suddenly, a dull, loud bang was heard.

Damn!

It was the Nationalist Army's bombers again.

Again, those high-yield bombs. And the extremely terrifying incendiary bombs.

"Rumble..."

"Rumble..."

With a series of deafening roars.

The morale of the Japanese troops was further shattered. More and more Japanese soldiers wanted to withdraw and flee back to Xuzhou.

Anami Korechika could only look up at the sky and sigh, then lay down.

"Somebody come!"

"exist."

"Prepare meat! I want to eat meat!"

"Tie!"

Anan Vichi reluctantly gave the order.

That being said, let’s eat first.

Since the Nationalist army on the other side is enjoying the spoils, we must do the same.

As for whether the soldiers below have anything to eat, that's none of their concern.

It's not a soldier.

He is the military commander!

What's wrong with a military commander eating some meat?
idiot!

……

"good to eat!"

"good to eat!"

At this very moment, Zhang Yong was happily eating a meat bun.

I woke up early and there were meat buns to eat. It was so great!

If you're talking about fighting, the Nationalist army probably didn't have many skilled fighters. But when it comes to cooking, they were incredibly talented.

From all corners of the country, we've got all sorts of local specialties for you.

Perfect! We have rice, flour, and sugar—the basic ingredients are all there. That means we can make so many different kinds of food.

As long as Zhang Yong is on the front lines, he can guarantee that he won't have the same dish every day.

"report!"

Cao Yiqi rushed over.

It was said that a report had been received that He Guoguang, the director of the Sichuan Military Headquarters, had arrived.

Zhang Yong: ? ? ?
Damn, is the bald guy in such a hurry?
Finding that Commander Qian was ineffective, they then sent He Guoguang instead?
If this continues, is he going to come to the Fifth War Zone in person?

Hey, you know what, the bald guy really does know how.

The bald man must be worried because he made such a big commotion in the Fifth War Zone.

The rapid expansion of the Fifth War Zone's strength has hurt who the most? It's definitely Baldy! He's probably having sleepless nights again.

Should!
I'll make you doubt me!
It's easy for me to leave, but you want me to come back?
Hehe, it's not that easy.

When Commander Qian arrived, he didn't say anything. This time, He Guoguang definitely has something to say.

Shake off your spirits.

Go to the front to greet He Guoguang.

[To be continued]

(End of this chapter)