Spy Shadow: Command & Conquer

Chapter 1984, A Clown, utterly vulnerable.

"idiot……"

"That damned Zhang Yong..."

"What else can you do besides artillery fire? If you're so capable, let's fight hand-to-hand!"

"hateful……"

Anan Korechika was filled with resentment. He was both irritable and frustrated.

Life in the underground tunnels was extremely difficult. It was damp and sweltering. It felt like my entire body was rotting.

The military doctor frankly told it that if the situation did not improve, once the skin began to rot, it would be difficult to reverse the damage even with medication.

The external natural environment must undergo a significant change. It must be at least dry and well-ventilated, and able to receive sunlight.

These are things that ordinary people could do. But now, the Japanese invaders no longer have the right to enjoy them.

They can only huddle in the tunnels. Like rats.

"boom……"

"boom……"

Shells were falling everywhere.

The Nationalist army's artillery fire was completely unpredictable. It was practically random.

If the Japanese army had been shelling indiscriminately like this, wasting ammunition, the artillery regiment commander would definitely have been arrested and forced to commit seppuku as an apology.

Anami Korechika attributed the irregular shelling to the poor artillery technology of the National Revolutionary Army.

Perhaps this is the only comfort it can find.

However, it was precisely this irregular shelling that was extremely deadly.

Because you have no idea when a shell will land on your head.

It's completely random.

Walking outside, you could lose your life at any moment.

They could only survive by staying in the tunnels for as long as possible.

"Rumble..."

"Rumble..."

A very loud explosion was heard.

Well, it's the Nationalist bombers again, randomly dropping bombs. Blindly and indiscriminately bombing.

Anami Korechika also despised the Nationalist army's bombing capabilities.

The technical precision is terrible.

There's absolutely no precision involved. It's just random throwing.

If the Japanese air force acts recklessly like this, they will be executed by seppuku when they return.

How could this be?

Where have you learned your skills?
idiot!

However, for the Japanese invaders, this indiscriminate bombing was equally deadly.

Because you can't predict where the bomb will land. One wrong move and it could land right next to you, killing you instantly.

Whether it's artillery bombardment or air raids, the density is extremely high. It's practically saturation.

Even indiscriminate shelling and air raids resulted in Japanese casualties.

Sometimes, the casualties can be quite high.

"Drip!"

"Drip!"

In the adjacent tunnel, the radio station was bustling with activity.

All the radio stations are operating at overcapacity because they are tasked with handling short-range communications.

Most of the telephone lines were destroyed by the intense artillery fire. The communications soldiers responsible for maintaining the lines were all dead.

Nowadays, there are practically no telephone lines left that are usable. Even between two or three hundred meters apart, radio communication is required.

If you send messengers, they'll almost certainly die on the way. It's simply impossible to cross the border.

The overwhelming barrage of artillery fire caused comprehensive damage.

"Report……"

An advisor arrived cautiously.

The chief of staff bowed his head and took the telegram. Everyone around him knew exactly what was going on.

There's only one possibility in this situation: someone else has died a violent death.

Moreover, at least a colonel or higher.

Sure enough, after reading the telegram, the chief of staff slowly said, "Brigade Commander Yoshino..."

Anami Korechika waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to continue.

Got it. Another one died.

This Yoshino is definitely courting death.

Most likely they ran out to try and launch a counterattack against the Nationalist army, and then...

Those independent mixed brigades are all trash.

In fact it is.

Unable to tolerate being passively attacked, Yoshino led his troops in a desperate counterattack.

They attempted to teach the other side a lesson using the Bushido spirit of the Great Japanese Empire.

It insists that the Bushido spirit is omnipotent.

result……

It was completely destroyed by the overwhelming artillery fire.

Nothing is left.

It and the troops it led were all annihilated.

The remaining Japanese troops dared not come out again. At the same time, they eagerly hoped for a retreat.

Yoshino was killed in action, and the battalion commander below took the opportunity to retreat with his troops. It was Yoshino's order, but now that he's dead, there's no way to verify it.

"idiot!"

"These bastards!"

Anami Korechika realized he had been deceived.

However, it has no way to correct this.

Unless you want to send all your troops to their deaths, resulting in total annihilation.

A counterattack would be suicidal.

"Commander, please reconsider..."

The chief of staff hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

It wanted to remind Anami Korechika once again that there was no point in fighting Zhang Yong head-on here.

The Japanese are now in a completely passive and defensive position, which is very disadvantageous for them.

The Japanese troops should voluntarily withdraw and change battlefields.

Since the start of the war, twelve colonels have been killed or wounded, and three brigade commanders have been killed or wounded.

The casualties among the other soldiers are even more staggering. Their deaths were almost entirely meaningless.

It was all because of Anami Korechika's careless remarks that Zhang Yong targeted him. Then he launched a relentless and indiscriminate attack.

The current situation is that the Nationalist infantry rarely launch offensive attacks. They rely more on artillery shells and aerial bombs to wear down the Japanese forces.

This kind of play is simply unbreakable. There's no way out.

The only option is to retreat.

Escape quickly.

Otherwise, the entire army would surely be wiped out.

"boom……"

"boom……"

Outside, the continuous explosions never stopped.

This shows that Zhang Yong was determined to fight them. He wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal.

What is the purpose of this?
It meant driving the Japanese troops out of Bengbu. Getting rid of them.

It wasn't a complete annihilation.

Because the other side left a passage to the north.

Japanese cavalry had already scouted northwards and found no Chinese ambush. The roads were clear.

In other words, the Japanese army could have retreated northwards.

Then they joined up with friendly forces in Xuzhou.

Now, the only obstacle is Anami Korechika's face-saving issue.

It was they who shouted the slogan of "a hundred years, a million-strong army." If they were to retreat voluntarily, it would indeed be very embarrassing for them.

What Zhang Yong really wanted was to save face for Anami Korechika.

"idiot……"

Anami Korechika had a stern face and a ferocious look in his eyes.

retreat?

It will never issue an order on its own initiative.

Don't I have any pride? How could I possibly retreat? Unless ordered by headquarters.

otherwise……

"report!"

"Urgent telegram from headquarters!"

Suddenly, another staff officer arrived in a hurry.

He handed a telegram to the chief of staff.

After reading it, the chief of staff's expression brightened, and he subconsciously said, "Commander, there's a chance!"

"What turning point?" Anami Korechika's tense nerves immediately relaxed.

Hopefully it's really good news. I won't lose face.

Otherwise, he would lose face.

Everyone else is fine. But if it were Mitsumasa Yonai, he'd probably lose face completely.

In short, he and Navy Malu were mortal enemies.

He dreamed of killing Mitsumasa Yonai.

"The headquarters has received the latest news: Jiang is going to recall Zhang Yong."

"recall?"

"Chiang is preparing to launch a counterattack on Yueyang and Nanchang. We need to call Zhang Yong back to assist us."

"is it?"

Anami Korechika has finally confirmed that it is good news.

That damned Zhang Yong. He's finally leaving. Hurry up and leave. Leave immediately. Leave right now.

As long as Zhang Yong isn't on the front lines in Bengbu, Anami Korechika has nothing to fear. He can easily handle the other Nationalist commanders.

"Yes."

When will he leave?

"This one……"

The chief of staff's expression gradually froze.

It's good news, indeed. But it's also bad news.

Because he thought of a possibility.

The question is whether Zhang Yong will end the Bengbu campaign before he leaves.

In other words, Zhang Yong would only leave if he captured Bengbu. Otherwise, he would resolutely refuse to leave.

Anami Korechika was concerned with saving face. Zhang Yong was the same.

If Zhang Yong hadn't captured Bengbu, his leaving would have been tantamount to admitting defeat.

Given Zhang Yong's arrogant and disdainful personality, how could he possibly accept it?

Therefore, it is highly likely that they will only leave after taking Bengbu.

That's it.

The tip of the needle is facing the wheat awn.

Neither side has a way out. They can only fight to the death.

The other Japanese soldiers all became casualties.

There was clearly a way out to the north, but Anami Korechika simply didn't choose it.

For the sake of saving face, he squandered several divisions and independent mixed brigades here. Such a fool is a sinner for all time!
"boom……"

"boom……"

The explosions outside seemed to have intensified.

The Japanese chief of staff's face grew increasingly grim. He felt that his fears were becoming a reality.

Zhang Yong is indeed leaving. However, before he leaves, he will definitely occupy Bengbu.

In other words, a battle must be fought between him and Anami Korechika. There can only be one victor.

"Rumble..."

"Rumble..."

More bombers dropped bombs. The ground trembled violently.

The nearest aerial bomb landed more than 200 meters away. The debris and dust that were kicked up even drifted over here.

hateful……

This really can't go on!
Zhang Yong's relentless bombing will cause even more Japanese invaders to lose their lives.

A decision must be made as soon as possible.

However, Anami Korechika refused to back down even in the face of death...

"report!"

An advisor rushed over.

His face was somewhat pale. But he didn't have a telegram in his hand. His eyes held a hint of fear.

"what's up?"

The chief of staff immediately realized something was wrong.

Could it be that the headquarters has made a decision to deal with Anami Korechika?
However, there's no mention of telegrams being sent from headquarters!

"Chief of Staff, I, I..."

"You bastard, talk!"

"I... I just received news that the 27th Division has sent a direct telegram to headquarters requesting permission to advance into Xuzhou..."

"Nani?"

The chief of staff's expression immediately turned solemn.

27th Division!

It's that same Honma Masaharu again.

That bastard actually bypassed the military headquarters and sent a telegram to headquarters.

What does he want to do?
Is it a lack of military discipline?

However, after a brief moment of anger, the chief of staff quickly calmed down.

From his perspective, Masaharu Honma's transgression was actually a good thing. At least, someone was dissatisfied with Korechika Anami and publicly complained to headquarters.

That Masaharu Honma has a criminal record. He previously retreated without authorization during the Battle of Wanjialing.

As a result, the 106th Division was almost completely annihilated, suffering a severe blow.

If it were an ordinary person, they would have been dealt with seriously long ago. But this person has connections, so they are unharmed and continue to serve as division commander.

This time, it was Masaharu Honma who started the trouble again, and there are probably others involved as well.

"Report……"

Sure enough, a moment later, another staff officer arrived cautiously.

The report stated that other divisions were also secretly sending telegrams to headquarters, requesting a retreat. Their reasoning was that further attrition was pointless.

There has been no response from headquarters yet.

However, not replying is itself a statement.

If headquarters wanted to take this kind of bypassing of levels of authority seriously, it would have already notified the army headquarters.

It turned out not to be.

This indicates that the headquarters is also struggling with the decision.

I don't know whether I should order Anan Weiji to give up Bengbu.

"Your Excellency Commander!"

The Japanese chief of staff felt that this matter required a swift and decisive action.

The headquarters is in a dilemma, caught between a rock and a hard place. If Anami Korechika continues his stubbornness, the consequences will be severe for the sake of his own face.

Conversely, if Anami Korechika had decisively retreated, although he would have lost face, his headquarters might have let him off the hook.

"Chief of Staff, please refrain from further discussion."

"Commander, you must not put the headquarters in such a precarious position!"

The chief of staff went all out.

We must use strong words to wake Anami Korechika up.

For the sake of your own pride, you've put the headquarters in a difficult position; you're doomed.

If those bigwigs at headquarters get angry, Anami Korechika's life might be in danger. He might be taken away by the military police.

"Nani?"

Anami Korechika's face was ashen.

Damn...

The chief of staff's words were too blunt.

It cannot accept this.

However, this is all true.

The current situation is indeed a major headache for headquarters.

He puts headquarters in a difficult position. Headquarters will put him in a difficult position in return. They might even retaliate in kind.

In this way, he had no choice.

Morale has collapsed, and the troops are difficult to lead. The division commanders below have rebelled.

hateful……

Why is this happening?

why?
Was it just because he was being careless with his words?

of course not.

It was definitely not my fault.

It was because the Japanese army's own fighting strength was insufficient; they couldn't defeat Zhang Yong.

It's all the headquarters' fault.

The troops they assigned to themselves were all lousy.

There weren't a single main force division left. They had all been transferred to Terauchi Hisaichi's Southern Army.

Only Terauchi Hisaichi was born to a biological mother. Anami Korechika was raised by a stepmother. There isn't a single standing division with a number below 20!
Heavy weapons were also severely lacking. They were simply not properly equipped. They had all been allocated to the Southern Army.

He stuffed himself with a whole bunch of independent mixed-use groups.

What am I supposed to use to fight Zhang Yong? Isn't it normal to lose?
Before, Nishio Toshizo and Hata Shunroku, with so many men and so many main divisions, still lost, didn't they?

idiot……

However, we'll have to wait.

I, Anami Korechika, will wait a moment before giving the order...

"Report……"

Then some staff officers started peeking around.

The chief of staff then walked over and listened to the report in a low voice.

Anami Korechika: ...

idiot!

What else?

You actually kept this from me? Do you think I'm invisible?
Annoyed.

Shouting loudly.

"Say it out loud! I'm not dead yet!"

"Reporting to the Commander, Chinese cavalry have appeared on both sides of the northern passage..."

"Nani?"

Anami Korechika's expression immediately changed.

Damn!

The enemy is about to encircle them.

Zhang Yong wanted to eat them.

Previously, it was a situation where three were surrounded but one was missing; now, it's like catching a turtle in a jar.

The appearance of Chinese cavalry is definitely not a good thing. The next step will certainly be an encirclement by infantry.

No more.

Can't wait any longer.

It's better to lose face than to lose your head.

"chief of staff!"

"exist……"

"Immediately order the troops to advance towards Xuzhou. The action must be swift."

"Tie……"

The chief of staff seemed somewhat dazed.

I didn't expect Anami Korechika's attitude to change so quickly.

They were holding on desperately before. Why did they suddenly order a retreat?

Was it merely because of a few scattered Nationalist cavalrymen?
Is it really that scary?
But never mind. Immediately order a retreat.

Run quickly.

It will be too late if it's too late.

Therefore, the order was issued swiftly.

The Japanese invaders, who had been eagerly awaiting this, immediately retreated in a frenzy.

"boom……"

"boom……"

Behind them, shells continued to fall.

Many Japanese soldiers were killed as soon as they came out of the tunnels.

But the other Japanese soldiers didn't look back and fled frantically northward until they were killed in the bombing.

"what?"

"Are the Japanese invaders about to escape?"

Zhang Yong quickly noticed the changes in the radar map.

He had anticipated this scenario, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

I thought the Japanese invaders would hold out for a few more days, maybe even a week. I never expected them to run away so quickly. How pathetic. What happened to the samurai spirit?

Mud...

I thought that Anami Korechika was a really good fighter.

The result was the same. They started off aggressively, but ended up in a sorry state.

"Commissioner, it seems the Japanese are retreating."

"Yes."

"Shall we give chase?"

"You should consult Commander-in-Chief Sun. The rest of the battles will be handled by him."

"Yes."

Zhang Yong gave a brief instruction.

Now that Anami Korechika has escaped, the mission is considered complete.

It's truly a pity that Anami Korechika wasn't killed. But there's nothing that can be done about it.

Taking down a Japanese commander was quite difficult.

Of course, his work wasn't over yet.

“Yiqi”.

"exist."

"Sending a message on 95.27 MHz frequency. Plain text. I have entered Bengbu. Anyone who disagrees, come and challenge me. Signed Zhang Yong."

"Yes!"

Cao Yiqi agreed and hurriedly went to make the arrangements.

Zhang Yong mounted his horse. Ready to enter Bengbu. Send a telegram. Take photos. Arrogant and smug. A complete service is a must!
Otherwise, how could they prove that they had entered Bengbu?
Hmph, a million-strong army!

One hundred years!

joke!

Now, here I come!

where are you?

what!
A clown!

Vulnerable!
[To be continued]

(End of this chapter)