Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 303 Hehehe, No Hehehe
After capturing Zhongtiao Mountain at a relatively low cost, the entire Japanese army of the North China Expeditionary Army was overjoyed.

After turning around and sweeping through the Eighth Route Army again, they were even more smug.

Okamura Neiji always walks with a smile on his face.

However, just a few months later, Okamura Neiji was no longer smiling.

"The situation in China is improving, so why is the General Headquarters still so determined to move south?"

"Give me some more time, and the security situation in North China will definitely improve!"

Okamura Yasuji stared in disbelief at the telegram sent by the Army Chief of Staff.

"General, we're out of money in the country," Chief of Staff Miyano Tsukasa whispered.

As the chief of staff who handles various types of information, Tsukasa Miyano has a high level of understanding of logistics.

"No money? How could you not have money?" Okamura Neiji was a little skeptical.

Putting everything else aside, the soldiers' pay has only just been issued.

"Sir, perhaps I didn't explain clearly. It's that we've run out of foreign exchange," Miyano Tsukasa explained.

Although Miyano Tsukasa didn't know how much foreign exchange the headquarters had left, it was definitely not much.

The supplies that have been replenished recently are noticeably different from those before.

Especially fuel, Miyano felt was even more scarce, and he didn't dare to easily deploy the tanks.

What Miyano Tsukasa and Okamura Neiji didn't know was that the situation with the country's foreign exchange reserves was far more serious than they thought.

According to the US ambassador to Japan, Italy had $2 in foreign currency available for payment.

Without money, the United States would not sell a single drop of oil or a single piece of iron to Italy.

Italy's current domestic reserves of oil, steel, food, rubber, and other resources can only sustain its consumption for a year at most.

Faced with this situation, the Japanese could only set their sights on resource-rich Southeast Asia.

Although many European countries have been destroyed, they still have vast colonies and a large number of people under their rule in Southeast Asia.

There is an inexhaustible supply of rice, an inexhaustible supply of oil, countless copper, tin, iron, and nickel, and an endless supply of rubber.

These are all essential supplies for the war machine.

The Italian headquarters looked at this treasure trove and their mouths watered.

"Damn it! China is still too poor!" Okamura Neiji said helplessly.

The Locust Army originally planned to use war to sustain war and directly plunder China's resources.

But I never expected that China was so poor.

It's like robbing a bank, only to find the bank has no money.

If you want it, you have to print it yourself, and then no one will recognize the print you made.

What a joke!
When buying goods internationally, people won't accept Japanese yen.

Not to mention the military scrip printed by the Japanese army in China, which was so hard it was barely enough to wipe one's backside.

The Locust Army swallowed up large swathes of Chinese land, but the maintenance costs were too high.

The Eighth Route Army was really too noisy.

According to Okamura Yasuji's estimate, for every dollar of profit collected in rural areas, there might be a cost of five dollars.

But if we abandon the impoverished rural areas and only seek big cities, that won't work either; it would be even more troublesome if those villages were occupied by the Eighth Route Army.

"It seems that a full-scale southward advance is a foregone conclusion," Okamura Yasuji said helplessly.

Italy has no other choice now; its northward expansion plan has been completely thwarted.

12 month 7 day.

"Okay! Okay!"

Chiang Kai-shek listened to the radio broadcast and was so excited he almost jumped up.

Italy attacked Pearl Harbor!

The Americans are dumbfounded, aren't they?

In November, the US committee reiterated that it would not go to war with Italy.

Chiang Kai-shek was so worried that he couldn't eat for three days, but now the United States has been slapped in the face.

However, Chiang Kai-shek thought it was normal. If you impose an embargo on Italy, how could they not attack you?
“Darling, should we have Ziwen contact the US again to see if we can take this opportunity to raise funds there?” Merlin said from the side.

There are many Chinese people in the United States, so they could definitely go there to do some fundraising.

At that time, not only will the party and the state receive aid, but the family will also make a fortune.

"Yes, darling, this matter still needs to be handled by you," Chiang Kai-shek said with a smile.

Merlin speaks excellent English and is also his wife, making her perfect for this job. "Don't worry, I'll try my best to get as many as possible," Merlin said with a smile.

Chiang Kai-shek patted Merlin's hand but didn't say anything more.

Yan Xishan from Kenanpo also heard the Pearl Harbor broadcast on the radio.

At this moment, he was even more excited than Chiang Kai-shek.

"That's wonderful, Xingru! This is truly wonderful."

Yan Xishan paced excitedly around the room.

Yan Xishan has been under immense pressure from the Italians lately.

Just when they were about to surrender, they received this shot of adrenaline.

“Once the United States joins the war, Italy probably won’t be able to hold out for much longer,” Yang Xingru said with a laugh.

This was the first time they had seen the dawn of victory since the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.

"Sir, what about the meeting the Japanese requested?" Yang Xingru asked.

Yan Xishan had already backed down and accepted Yoshio Shinotsuka's request to meet, and even received a batch of Japanese equipment.

"That is indeed a problem."

Yan Xishan stopped smiling and stroked his beard with some embarrassment.

If the war between the US and Japan had started two months earlier, Yan Xishan could still have refused Yoshio Shinotsuka's request.

But now that he has already taken all the benefits, he fears that if he turns his back on them, Yoshio Shinotsuka will become enraged.

Although there are signs of victory, the Japanese army still possesses absolute strength in China.

If Yoshio Shinotsuka were to attack the Jin-Sui Army, he would definitely not be able to withstand it.

"Let's pretend to be sick first and buy some time," Yan Xishan said after a long pause.

If he doesn't want to become a traitor, his only option now is to stall for time and wait for things to change.

“Then I will reply to Yi immediately.” Yang Xingru nodded.

When Yoshio Shinotsuka received Yang Xingru's call, he was so angry he almost died on the spot.

When we last contacted each other, Yan Xishan was full of energy, but now he's suddenly fallen ill?

Even ghosts wouldn't be fooled like this, would they?
"Yang Sang, I wonder how Commander Yan's condition is? Should I send a few doctors to help with his treatment?"

Yoshio Shinotsuka, barely suppressing his anger, asked.

Although the Jin-Sui Army was not very strong, it still had tens of thousands of soldiers.

If we can win them over, it will be very beneficial to the governance of the First Army going forward.

"Thank you for your concern, Commander Shinotsuka, but I'd better not bother," Yang Xingru said with a smile.

"The doctor has examined Commander Yan and said it's due to overwork. The doctor has advised Commander Yan to rest in bed."

"I'm afraid the meeting I promised to Commander Shinotsuka will have to be postponed for a while. I hope Commander Shinotsuka will understand."

"It's nothing. Please give my regards to Commander Yan."

Yoshio Shinotsuka gritted his teeth and hung up the phone.

"Baga! Baga! Way to go!"

"Yan Xishan has gone too far in bullying me!"

Yoshio Shinotsuka was so angry that he started cursing.

At the same time, she also made a decision in her heart that when Yan Xishan defected to Yiben, she would definitely let him know what it meant to say "if only you had known then what you know now!"

However, to Yoshio Shinotsuka's surprise, Yan Xishan's 'illness' never got better.

After months of fruitless phone calls, Yoshio Shinotsuka could no longer hold back.

"Yamaoka-kun, the North China Area Army has issued the 'Outline of the Public Security and Pacification Construction Plan'."

"I am preparing to launch a major sweep against the Eighth Route Army in northwestern Shanxi and the Taihang Mountains."

"You will prepare an operational plan based on the requirements of the army group."

"Furthermore, the Jin-Sui Army in northwestern Shanxi will also be included as one of the targets of the sweep!"

Yoshio Shinotsuka decided to teach the Jin-Sui Army a lesson and let Yan Xishan know what a king or queen was.

He refused to believe that Yan Xishan could remain lying down in the face of such a powerful offensive.

"Hai!"

(End of this chapter)