Anti-Japanese War: The whole world is a base vehicle

The purpose behind Chapter 222!
"Commander, it looks like we have to stop the immigration work." Lu Yufeng hurried into Lu Yuhua's office with a serious look on his face and beads of sweat on his forehead. It was obvious that he had jogged all the way here.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuhua paused with the pen in his hand, slowly raised his head, and looked at Lu Yufeng with a puzzled expression, as if he was trying to explore the seriousness of the matter.

"Why?" His voice was low and steady, with a hint of confusion.

"I'm not used to the local climate and water." Lu Yufeng sighed helplessly, "This rainy season is a disaster. Diseases are spreading like wild weeds. We in the Freedom Army have been very careful, but we still can't prevent it."

The arrival of the rainy season makes this land even more terrifying.

Heavy rain poured down, floods were raging, and the humid air seemed like it could squeeze water out.

This harsh environment has become a breeding ground for germs.

Even though the soldiers of the Free Army have undergone rigorous training and their physical fitness is far superior to that of ordinary people, they still find it difficult to resist the invasion of diseases in such an environment.

Many soldiers began to have fever, cough, and feel weak all over, and their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced.

The situation is even worse for immigrants and workers.

Especially for immigrants from the north, they are used to the dry and cool climate of the north. When they first arrive in the hot and humid tropical jungle of the south, their bodies are simply unable to adapt.

In a short period of time, more than a thousand people died due to acclimatization.

It was a heartbreaking scene as bodies were carried out one after another and the cries of their loved ones echoed in the camp.

In order to cope with this situation, the Free Army has repeatedly conducted immigration training and management.

They earnestly told the immigrants not to drink raw water, to be careful to prevent mosquito bites, and to seek medical treatment promptly if they were sick.

But many immigrants do not take it seriously and continue to do as they please.

In their opinion, drinking raw water for years is fine, and being bitten by mosquitoes is a small matter and there is no need to make a fuss.

They don't realize that in this unfamiliar environment, these seemingly ordinary actions may have fatal consequences.

The large-scale immigration wave also caused many management loopholes within the Free Army’s territory.

Each immigration site is overcrowded, there are often problems with the distribution of supplies, and sanitary conditions are difficult to guarantee.

Accidents occurred frequently. In just a few months, the number of abnormal deaths of immigrants due to various diseases and the harsh jungle environment exceeded tens of thousands.

These numbers, like heavy shackles, weigh on the hearts of the Free Army.

If the Free Army had not implemented martial law and strictly controlled the quarantine policy, a large-scale epidemic would have probably occurred long ago.

In order to control the epidemic, the Free Army established isolation areas, gathered the sick people together, and arranged medical staff to take care of them.

All medicines are provided free of charge, and special attention is given to those patients with serious conditions.

Moreover, most of the immigrants are young and strong with strong resistance, otherwise the death toll would be even more shocking.

In this era when antibiotics such as penicillin have not yet been widely popularized, venturing into the tropical jungle is undoubtedly a dance with death.

Every breath you take may inhale deadly germs; every wound may cause an uncontrollable infection.

So far, the Free Army has only controlled the cities on the territory and the main towns along the transportation lines. Apart from some land reclamation, there are very few people who have gone deep into the jungle and rural areas.

Most of the army's non-combat casualties were caused by going deep into the countryside and jungles to suppress bandits.

Those dense jungles hide unknown dangers, including not only brutal bandits but also various deadly diseases.

However, the migrants responded to the toll with surprising calm.

Since they choose to immigrate, especially immigrants from China, it is difficult for them to live in the country.

In their hometown, natural disasters and man-made tragedies are constant, and death has long become commonplace.

Here, even if they don't work, the Free Army will provide food. If they can work and get enough to eat, it's like heaven for them.

For those who died early, people would just sigh and say they were unlucky, but no one would randomly put the blame on the Freedom Army.

After listening to Lu Yufeng's report, Lu Yuhua frowned and fell into deep thought.

He knew very well that the Free Army's army not only had to fight the enemy, but also had to use the army's organizational advantages to fight the disease.

This is a war without the smoke of gunpowder. The victory or defeat concerns the future of the Free Army and the fate of these immigrants.

"We can't just give up the immigration plan." Lu Yuhua suddenly raised his head with a firm look, "These immigrants are our hope, and this land is also our hope. We must find a way to solve the problem instead of avoiding it."

Lu Yufeng looked at the commander's determined eyes and felt a surge of admiration in his heart.

"But, Commander, what should we do?" he asked.

Lu Yuhua stood up, walked to the map, and moved his finger slowly on the map.

"First, we need to strengthen medical resources. We need to draw more medical staff from various cities, form mobile medical teams, and go deep into every immigration point. At the same time, we need to increase the procurement and production of medicines to ensure the supply of medicines."

"Secondly, we need to strengthen the training of immigrants. We can't just give them a few simple words, but make them truly aware of the seriousness of the problem. We can also organize some immigrants who have recovered from illnesses to tell everyone about their personal experiences, so that everyone can have a more intuitive understanding."

"Secondly, we need to improve the management system. We need to re-plan each immigration point, allocate materials rationally, and strengthen health management. We need to establish a supervision mechanism and impose severe penalties on violations of regulations."

Lu Yufeng listened carefully and nodded in agreement. "Commander, you are right. We will definitely get through this difficult time."

In the following days, the Free Army carried out operations in full swing according to Lu Yuhua's deployment. Medical staff carried medicine boxes and shuttled between various immigration points to diagnose and treat sick immigrants.

Regardless of their own fatigue and danger, they guard the health of the immigrants day and night.

Immigrant training is also in full swing.

Those immigrants who had recovered from the illness stood on the stage and recounted their experiences with tears in their eyes.

The immigrants in the audience listened attentively, and their expressions changed from initial indifference to seriousness and vigilance. With the improvement of the management system, order at the immigration point has gradually been restored.

The distribution of materials became fair and reasonable, and sanitary conditions were greatly improved.

Supervisors patrol every corner and immediately educate and punish anyone who violates the regulations.

As time went on, the immigrants' situation gradually improved. The spread of the disease was effectively controlled and the death toll dropped significantly.

The Free Army also accumulated valuable experience in the fight against the disease.

"Under control?" When Lu Yufeng stepped into the command center again, Lu Yuhua's anxious voice instantly broke the silence in the room.

At this moment in the command center, the map covered the entire table, with various marks and arrows telling of the complexity of the situation.

Lu Yuhua stood in front of the map, tapping the table casually with the pencil in his hand, his eyes full of concern about the situation.

"Well, it's under control for the time being, Commander." Lu Yufeng nodded slightly, with a hint of fatigue and relief in his tone.

During this period, in order to control the spread of disease in the immigration colony, he worked day and night, and his eyes were bloodshot.

However, he immediately lowered his voice and asked cautiously: "Should we suspend the attack?"

When he said this, he was unsure in his heart, after all, he knew very well how persistent the commander was in the attack plan.

"Why?" Lu Yuhua's eyes suddenly became sharp, and he stared at Lu Yufeng closely, revealing obvious dissatisfaction in his eyes.

He thought, now is the perfect time to pursue the victory, how can I stop so easily? The battle situation outside is changing rapidly, and every minute and every second may change the entire situation.

Lu Yufeng took a deep breath. He knew that what he was going to say next might cause strong opposition from the commander, but he still decided to tell the truth.

"We are having some indigestion right now," he said slowly, walking to the map and running his finger over the area they had just occupied. "These newly occupied territories are difficult to manage. The immigration point issue has just been resolved, and our manpower and material resources have been consumed greatly in this fight against the epidemic. We should first digest the territories in front of us, and then continue to expand them after they are fully digested. This way, our foundation will be more solid."

Hearing this, Lu Yuhua did not express his opinion immediately. There was no expression on his face. He just looked at Lu Yufeng quietly, his eyes so deep that they were hard to read.

Lu Yuhua was actually struggling fiercely in his heart. He understood that what Lu Yufeng said was not without reason, and that it would take time to consolidate and manage the newly occupied territory. But as a commander, he knew better that opportunities were fleeting.

"Now is the best opportunity," Lu Yuhua finally spoke in a deep and powerful voice. "When we have fully digested it, the Japanese army will also react. By then, they will definitely not give us this opportunity."

As he spoke, he heavily tapped the Japanese sphere of influence on the map with a pencil.

"Right now, while the Japanese army is attacking Borneo and Burma, their forces are scattered and they have no time to take care of us. This is the golden opportunity for us to grow and develop. If we miss it, we will really miss it."

In Lu Yuhua's view, the Freedom Army has always been surviving in a difficult situation, and every opportunity for development has been hard-won.

This time, the Japanese army was stuck in the quagmire of other battlefields, which was a godsend opportunity for the Free Army to break through the difficulties and expand its territory.

If we miss this opportunity, once the Japanese army has time, they will surely launch a brutal encirclement and suppression campaign against the Freedom Army, and the Freedom Army will then face an even more severe test of survival.

Lu Yufeng was silent for a moment. He understood the commander's concerns and ambitions, but he also had his own considerations.

"Commander, I understand your thoughts," he said sincerely, "but our current situation is not optimistic. The people in the newly occupied territory have not yet completely surrendered, and our army also needs time to rest and replenish. If we attack rashly, once problems arise in the rear, we may be caught in a dilemma of being attacked from both sides."

Lu Yuhua frowned, he knew that what Lu Yufeng said was true.

During this period, the army's energy was diverted to deal with the crisis at the immigration point. The soldiers were exhausted from continuous combat and anti-epidemic work. Moreover, the security in the newly occupied areas was unstable, and small-scale resistance activities often occurred.

"We can take some compromise measures," Lu Yufeng saw that the commander was lost in thought, and continued, "Part of the army will stay behind to consolidate the rear and maintain law and order, while strengthening the management and construction of the new territory. Another part of the elite troops will remain on high alert in the border areas, looking for the right time to launch small-scale raids, constantly harassing the Japanese army, so that they can't fight with peace of mind, and also buy us more time to digest the new territory."

As Lu Yuhua listened to Lu Yufeng's advice, the balance in his heart began to slowly tilt.

He paced back and forth in the command center, thinking about the feasibility of this plan.

After a long while, he stopped and raised his head, his eyes revealing a firm determination. "Okay, let's do as you say." He said, "Leave one-third of the troops to consolidate the rear, and the rest of the troops will be on standby at the border. However, we must pay close attention to the movements of the Japanese army. Once there is a suitable opportunity, we must not let it go."

Lu Yufeng was delighted, knowing that the commander had finally adopted his suggestion.

"Yes, Commander, I'll arrange it right away." He saluted and turned to leave.

"Wait," Lu Yuhua stopped him, "You've worked hard this time. The immigration point was handled very well. When the situation stabilizes, we must reward the medical staff and soldiers."

"Thank you, Commander. This is the result of everyone's joint efforts." A gratified smile appeared on Lu Yufeng's face.

In the following days, the Free Army took action according to this new strategic deployment.

The troops that stayed behind actively participated in the construction and management of the new territory. They helped the people rebuild their homes and resume production, while strengthening public security management, and gradually won the trust and support of the local people. The troops on the border were always vigilant, knowing every move of the Japanese army, and launching small-scale raids from time to time, making it difficult for the Japanese army to cope.

On the other side, Terauchi Juichi was sitting in the spacious command center, with soft light shining on his serious face.

He held the information he had just received tightly in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, forming a deep groove.

"The Freedom Army has stopped its offensive?" His voice was low and filled with disbelief, echoing in the empty headquarters.

Terauchi Juichi could never have imagined that the Freedom Army, which had previously launched a fierce offensive and was in a close fight with the Japanese army, would suddenly shrink back like a turtle.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind. Was this a plot by the Free Army?

Are they secretly preparing a more powerful force to catch him off guard?

Or did they have serious internal problems that forced them to stop the attack?

Terauchi Hisaichi was well aware of the difficulty of the Freedom Army. They were flexible in combat and determined, and were definitely not a team that would retreat easily.

He slowly stood up and walked to the huge battle map, which was densely marked with the spheres of influence and military deployments of both sides.

His fingers gently stroked the Free Army's defense line, his eyes full of confusion and vigilance.

"What is the purpose behind this?" he whispered to himself.

(End of this chapter)