Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Just as the artillery fire on the Central China front was turning the sky blood red.

Thousands of miles away in North China, a silent and even more insidious war has quietly begun.

Lijiacun is the garrison of a company of the Fifth Group Army.

In the afternoon, it should have been the time for soldiers to clean their weapons and help the villagers repair their farm tools.

However, at this moment, an unsettling silence permeated the small village.

The makeshift medical clinic at the company headquarters was packed with soldiers and civilians, their faces contorted in pain.

They were all sallow-faced, with cracked lips, huddled on straw mats, emitting suppressed groans.

The sour smell of vomit and excrement, mixed with the odor of herbs, was almost suffocating.

"Vomiting and diarrhea, general weakness, and persistent high fever—this isn't just simple diarrhea."

The company's medic was sweating profusely, repeating the symptoms over and over again, but he was helpless.

"Commander! Something's wrong!"

The company commander kicked open the door of the infirmary and rushed to the regimental commander, who was comforting the civilians. His voice trembled as he said, "In half a day, more than thirty of our brothers have fallen!"

"A large number of the villagers also fell down, which was most likely done by the Japanese."

Looking at the scene before him, the regimental commander felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!
Without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed the phone on the table and frantically shook the handle.

"Get me to the division headquarters! Emergency! Extremely urgent!"

……

This outbreak of "mass diarrhea" in a remote village was like a stone thrown into a lake, quickly creating ripples.

That afternoon.

A telegram marked "Top Secret" was delivered to the North China Joint Command.

Inside the command center, Lin Wei stared at the contents of the telegram, his face ashen.

Commander Li also received a copy, and his face was full of solemnity.

"It was most likely the work of the Japanese army, which is their so-called 'divine punishment holy war plan'."

Lin Wei turned to Yan Ruifeng, the staff officer beside him: "Ruifeng, where is Section Chief Wu now?"

"He was still undergoing a follow-up examination at the military hospital a couple of days ago, he should be in the inspection department now, right?"

"Call the Inspectorate and tell them we need to speak with them to get some information."

Li Zongren sighed, his tone a mixture of lingering fear and relief: "It really did come. Luckily, Yunfei had foreseen it and made preparations in advance."

"I just don't know if our preparations are sufficient, or if we can cope with the Japanese army's last stand."

Lin Wei was filled with worry.

In response to the Japanese army's possible "divine punishment" plan, several "joint epidemic prevention and water supply teams" had already been secretly established in various parts of North China.

These teams were not only equipped with the latest disinfection equipment and medicines obtained from US allies, but also accompanied by many highly skilled traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

Combining Chinese and Western approaches, it was specifically designed to deal with various unknown plagues.

When Chang Ruiyuan was promoting the New Life Movement in the early 1930s, he advocated that people should not urinate or defecate indiscriminately and should wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet.

In parts of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces.

The promotion of health work continued for several years.

In other areas that have only recently been liberated, the people have not yet developed good habits, which may very well facilitate the Japanese army's strategy.

Thinking of this, Lin Wei did not hesitate at all and gave the order to Zhang Dayun beside him: "The epidemic prevention team closest to Lijia Village, rush to the scene immediately, seal off the epidemic area, find out the source of the disease, and control the spread of the epidemic at all costs!"

"Yes!"

……

The message, like the most urgent military intelligence, was delivered to the Hubei-North Front Command almost simultaneously.

Chu Yunfei had just finished a short rest.

The continuous command had already pushed his mental state to its limit.

When he saw the telegram from North China, his brows, which had just relaxed, instantly furrowed again.

"They still came."

Chu Yunfei muttered to himself, his voice filled with suppressed anger and deep worry.

In the history he knew, the Japanese army had used this inhumane method on the Chinese battlefield on several occasions.

They would even deliberately breach canal embankments to create floods, inundate farmland, and then disguise it as a "naturally occurring epidemic."

"Your Excellency."

After reading the telegram, Zhao Pengcheng's face was also filled with lingering fear. "Fortunately, it only happened in one place. We made preparations in advance, so we should be able to control it, right?"

Chu Yunfei didn't speak, but just frowned deeply.

His inner world was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface.

No one knows just how crazy the Japanese will become when they're cornered.

This is a war in which the enemy is invisible.

The enemy is those deadly germs that are invisible to the naked eye.

A single oversight could lead to the loss of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of innocent lives.

him at the moment.

For the first time, I experienced the helplessness of being on the front lines but concerned about the rear.

The decisive battle in western and northern Hubei is at its most critical moment, and he cannot leave.

Every decision concerns the life and death of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

The epidemic prevention in North China is equally important; it is the foundation he has painstakingly built and the guarantee for his future counterattack.

there is always a solution to a problem.

Chu Yunfei slowly closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing all the anxiety and unease in his heart.

He knew that at this moment, the only thing he could do was to trust.

He trusted his colleagues in North China.

Trust Lin Wei's composure and Zhang Dayun's decisiveness.

Trust those unsung medical workers who have already set off for the epidemic area.

He opened his eyes again, and in those eyes was only a cold, steely resolve.

Chu Yunfei walked to the map, his gaze refocusing on the still war-torn land: "Since you are so heartless,"

He muttered to himself, his voice filled with chilling murderous intent: "Then don't blame me for being ruthless, Zhao Pengcheng."

"Have."

"Didn't Commander Chi ask before whether to use the 'special ammunition' captured in North China?"

"Indeed, they did, and they were the only combat unit among the participating troops equipped with 'special ammunition.' They are currently fighting the 232nd Infantry Regiment of the 39th Division of the Japanese Army on the outskirts of Yichang."

"Send a telegram in my name approving his previous request to use the special ammunition. Make sure to determine the wind direction and timing before using it, so as to break through the enemy's defenses as soon as possible and cut off the 13th Division's connection with the Japanese forces in the Yichang direction."

"Yes!"
-
Nanjing, the headquarters of the China Expeditionary Army. Commander-in-Chief General Hata Shunroku held the intercepted telegram, which was practically a summary of the Yamashiro Command meeting, in his hand, his expression quite intriguing.

At such a critical moment, receiving such a telegram offered a real chance to turn the tide of the war.

"God help me too!"

Hata Shunroku slammed the telegram heavily onto the map, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement!

Chang Ruiyuan's orders were clearly visible.

The intelligence department worked through the night to compile the attack directions, troop deployments, and even the behavior and past achievements of each Nationalist Army commander in the Sixth War Zone, and attached them to the telegram.

This is no longer a war; it's practically an open-book exam!

"Commander-in-Chief," Chief of the General Staff Masazo Kawabe stepped forward quickly, his face also filled with excitement, "The Chinese army's trump cards have been fully exposed to us. This is our best chance to turn the tide of the war!"

“That’s right!” Hata Shunroku’s eyes flashed with a cold and calculating light. “Chang Ruiyuan thought he was commanding a general offensive, but little did he know that he was just sending his precious pawns, one by one, into our clutches!”

He no longer hesitated or wavered, and seemed to have become ten years younger.

The decisiveness and ruthlessness of a Japanese army general were fully revealed at this moment!
He picked up a red and blue pencil and began to redraw the course of the battlefield on the huge battle map.

Every word he uttered became a precise and deadly command!

"Send a telegram to Yokoyama-kun immediately!"

With his red pencil, he drew a sharp arrow on the map pointing towards Song Kentang's troops!

"The Chinese army's deployment appears to be a full-scale offensive, but in reality, it is full of flaws. Their weakness lies in those weak and ragtag troops! Order the 13th Division and the Yeji Detachment to stop engaging the enemy in front of them and concentrate their main forces to launch a counterattack against Song Kentang's troops."

"After completely defeating them," Hata Shunroku changed his tone, drawing a solid defensive circle around Yichang and Yidu, "the main force will immediately retreat, with Yichang and Yidu as the core, to build a decisive battle position, waiting for the main force of the Chinese army to come and crash into our pre-set position. We will fight them to the death in the Yichang area."

Hata Shunroku's pen pointed to the other side again: "The Toda Detachment shall immediately advance westward to cooperate with the 17th Mixed Brigade, and need not pay any more attention to other enemies!"
Our goal is singular: to entangle the 51st Division of the 74th Army of China, which has penetrated deep into our territory, and to halt their offensive.

If the battle continues to develop favorably, we will switch to an offensive strategy and repel them.

"Order!"

"The 63rd Independent Infantry Battalion and the 115th Independent Infantry Battalion directly under the 11th Army, as well as the 14th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment, no longer need to hold the rear! All of them, move forward and give them a head-on blow to the 10th Army Group of the Chinese Army that is counterattacking the Yuyangguan line!"

"Commander, shall we use the general reserve now?"

"I'll show Chang Ruiyuan!" Hata Shunroku threw down his pencil, braced himself on the map with both hands, his eyes filled with the satisfaction of impending revenge. "We have firmly grasped the initiative in this war; all his struggles are futile!!"

Orders, formulated based on absolute intelligence superiority, were swiftly issued to the front lines.

The entire 11th Army quickly began to operate according to the tactical instructions of the Expeditionary Army Headquarters—
The 32nd Army's temporary headquarters.

A dim kerosene lamp flickered in the damp air, casting Song Kentang's shadow on the wall, making it appear to grow longer and shorter.

He was somewhat uneasy because he hadn't received any direct orders from Chang Ruiyuan for some time.

Something's not right here.

When did the Chairman change his ways?

"Report to the Commander! The Fifth Division has sent a message saying they have encountered an unidentified main force of the Japanese army at the Tucheng Temple line, and the enemy's offensive is exceptionally fierce!"

"Report to the Commander, urgent telegram from the 139th Division! The Gaojiayan position is under fierce attack by the Japanese army."

Telegrams came one after another from different directions, but they all pointed to the same perplexing fact.

They ran into the Japanese! And they were tough nut to crack!

Song Kentang pinched his chin, staring intently at the map, his brows furrowed into a knot.

Something is wrong!
Something is wrong!
According to the operational plan issued by the Sixth War Zone, the mission of the 32nd Army was to infiltrate the flank and rear of the 13th Division and cooperate with the main force to encircle and annihilate it.

Tucheng Temple and Gaojiayan should have been within the attack range of the main force long ago, so how could there still be such a powerful Japanese main force there?
It is clear that these troops were previously unknown and were suddenly deployed.

These troops were well-equipped and well-supported, and were most likely the reserves of the Japanese 11th Army.

Just as Song Kentang was racking his brains trying to figure it out.

A staff officer scrambled in, his face still showing signs of shock: "Commander, something bad has happened! The guards have reported that a force of elite Japanese troops is rapidly advancing towards our headquarters!"

"what?!"

Inside the command post, an uproar erupted instantly.

The guards instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.

"but."

The staff officer gasped for breath, his face showing even greater confusion. "They were less than five kilometers away from us when they suddenly turned east!"

Turn east?

Song Kentang suddenly raised his head, rushed to the map in three steps, snatched the red and blue pencils from the staff officer's hand, and drew a clear red marching route on the map that was already full of arrows, based on the coordinates reported by the scouts!

The final destination of that red line was their previous forward command post.

It was also the location of the military headquarters before they received Chu Yunfei's orders.

Thinking about this, Song Kentang couldn't help but feel a little scared.

"These damn Japanese devils got their intelligence from who-knows-where; they're trying to take down our command post."

"Should we report this to the theater command headquarters?"

Song Kentang muttered to himself, already secretly suspecting that there was a problem with the command's battle plan: "Damn it, could the high command's decisive battle plan have been leaked?"

"It's hard to say. This matter is of utmost importance. Moreover, this unit is operating at night, and its size is unknown. If it affects the current operation, it will be troublesome. We cannot bear that responsibility, Commander..."

Song Kentang nodded: "You're right. Go and deal with this matter immediately."

Following this, an urgent telegram was sent to the Sixth War Zone Command and the Northern Hubei Front Command.

Chu Yunfei was also woken up by Zhao Pengcheng in his sleep.

Upon opening his eyes and seeing the telegram in Zhao Pengcheng's hand, Chu Yunfei frowned deeply: "What happened?"

"According to the 32nd Army, several unidentified Japanese armed groups have appeared around Commander Song's unit. They seem to be carrying out a 'secret mission.' According to the telegram sent by the 32nd Army, it appears that the General Headquarters' telegram has been intercepted by the Japanese."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunfei immediately got up and went to the battle map, his consciousness already immersed in the three-dimensional battle map.

The reserves of the Japanese 11th Army had now been fully deployed to the battlefield.

Throughout northern and western Hubei, the Japanese army had no troops left to mobilize.

The Japanese army's attack led them directly into the ambush that Chu Yunfei had prepared for the 13th Division.

Such an intelligence advantage is, at this moment, a disaster.

Chu Yunfei continued, "If that's the case, then it means that the General Headquarters' telegrams have most likely been intercepted by the Japanese army again. Send a telegram to Wen Baigong, Commander Chen, and the Admiral's Office, explaining the situation."

"Yes!"

Chu Yunfei's consciousness was once again immersed in the three-dimensional combat map.

The Wang Jingwei regime's forces, which had previously suffered heavy losses, are now stuck in place with fewer than 4,000 men and their organization has dropped to less than 20%.

Chu Yunfei guessed that these people were most likely planning to surrender rather than continue to aid and abet the evildoers.

From this perspective, these people are quite sensible. After all, according to the current national government policy, as long as they haven't committed any major crimes, they still have a chance to start anew after ten years of labor reform.
"Sir, has the Japanese army mobilized its strategic reserves?"

Chu Yunfei smiled, not taking the Japanese army's deployment adjustments to heart: "In my opinion, the main force of the Japanese 11th Army in Central China is like a grasshopper in autumn; it won't be able to jump around for more than a few days."

Upon closer reflection, we originally had no chance to achieve our goal in one fell swoop.

In retrospect, the Chairman's misguided commands actually did us a great favor. (End of Chapter)