Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 195 Second Interview

5 month 27 day.

2:34 PM.

The jeep came to a stop in front of the command post. The back door opened, and Wang Feng jumped out and slammed the door shut.

Zhao Fangyuan and Zhang Hu had been waiting for a long time, and immediately surrounded Wang Fenghou when they saw him.

The three of them hurried into the house.

Zhao Fangyuan followed behind Wang Feng on the left, saying as they walked, "Sir, we have received news from the front that the Yudong Corps has arrived at the Dangshan battlefield, and the Fourth and Sixth Columns are withdrawing in an orderly manner."

Wang Feng responded:
"Send a telegram to Chu Yunfei, instructing him to protect critical supplies and weapons during the retreat."

Zhao Fangyuan nodded, took out a notebook from his pocket, and started writing as he walked.

Zhang Hu stood to the right rear: "Sir, the brothers have been resting here for two or three days. When can we move around? Everyone wants to go back to their hometown as soon as possible."

The three of them walked to the front of the house, and the guards standing at the door promptly opened the door.

Wang Feng stepped over the threshold and went straight to the map hanging on the east wall:
"I plan to leave tomorrow, Fang Yuan, what do you think?"

Upon hearing his superior ask him, Zhao Fangyuan immediately raised his head: "Okay!"

"Three hours ago, a batch of supplies arrived in Lanfeng from Changzhi, including about one million rounds of ammunition, 50,000 hand grenades, and more than 1,000 artillery shells of various types."

"And the current reserves of basic food items such as rice, flour, and cooking oil are sufficient to last for a month or so."

Wang Feng stopped in front of the large hanging picture and stared at it intently.

Where is Sergei?

"Sir!"

Sergei rushed in and stood at the door, giving a salute.

Wang Feng turned around: "Has the situation in Heze been investigated?"

After the system panel is upgraded to level 9, the overlook radius is directly increased to 100 kilometers, allowing you to see the situation inside Puyang City directly from Lanfeng.

Heze is also within the area of ​​view.

Now, whenever he wants, he can immediately know not only the situation inside the city and the size of the Japanese garrison, but also what the Japanese soldiers are doing.

But we're not at a critical juncture yet.

They still need to put on an act in front of me, which is also a good opportunity to test their abilities.

Sergei handed over a file book. He and Wang Feng got out of the car at almost the same time, but they didn't go into the house for a while. They were looking for the information that had already been collected.

Zhao Fangyuan reached out and took it, opened it, glanced at it first, and then handed it to Wang Feng.

"Sir, there aren't many Japanese troops in Heze City, only about two companies!"

Upon hearing this number, Zhang Hu couldn't wait any longer.

Two squadrons, at most less than six hundred men.

Although the First Column's strength has not been fully replenished, it still has seven or eight thousand men.

There are also more than twenty 75mm field guns.

If he can't take down even two mere companies, then he, as the corps commander, might as well just smash his head against the wall and die right here.

"Sir, how about now?"

Wang Feng raised his hand, his brow furrowed, and interrupted Zhang Hu: "Don't rush things. Does the Japanese Second Army still have any troops left?"

The two main armies under the North China Area Army.
One was the First Army, stationed in Taiyuan, Shanxi.

The other was the Second Army, stationed in Jinan, Shandong.

To recapture Puyang, Heze, and other places, it would be inevitable to encounter the Second Army.

Sergei: "The 10th Division suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Caiyutai and the Battle of Erzhuang. After the Battle of Xuzhou, it moved to the rear for rest and reorganization. The 16th Division was defeated by our army in the Battle of Dangshan. The new division commander has not yet taken office, and his troops are also resting in the rear."

"The 108th Division, the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, is currently in Dangshan, assisting the 5th Division in launching an offensive."

Wang Feng nodded: "The intelligence gathering is quite good!"

"By the way, which Japanese regiment was it that blocked our troops in Shanxian that day?"

Zhao Fangyuan immediately replied, "The 59th Infantry Regiment under the 14th Division."

Wang Feng looked at the map: "I remember that we were in a hurry to march and did not clear out the remnants of the Japanese army. We only left two infantry battalions here to guard against them. Where is this Japanese regiment now?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "After the 59th Regiment was defeated, it seems that they fled in the northeast direction."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sergei added, "Our scouts have discovered traces of Japanese troops in the direction of Yutai, which are suspected to be the missing 59th Regiment."

Wang Feng frowned.

Yutai?

Zhao Fangyuan immediately took out a ruler and started working on the large wall chart.

"Sir, the straight-line distance from Yutai County to Heze is only 100 kilometers. If we want to provide support, the Japanese army can arrive in a day and a night, given their mobility."

Wang Feng's brows furrowed even more.

The 14th Division was incredibly wealthy, a fully-equipped Class A division. Kiyoshi Katsuki spared no expense, even draining the First Army's logistical reserves, just to arm this division.

This can be seen from the spoils captured after the war.

Although at that time, the 14th Division had reached a point of desperation, running out of ammunition and food.

But the trucks abandoned in the wilderness due to lack of fuel don't lie.

The 14th Division was equipped with at least two to three times the number of transport trucks as other divisions.

Otherwise, the 59th Infantry Regiment wouldn't have been able to advance so quickly.

I had just arrived in Shanxian the day before, and the Japanese blocking force came the next day.

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, Heze was originally the forward position where the 14th Division stored supplies. After the Lanfeng Campaign, the remaining logistics troops in the city transferred all the supplies to Yutai."

"The 59th Regiment is rolling in fat now!"

Zhang Hu rubbed his hands together, eager to get started: "Sir, how about we recapture Yutai first, and then go to Heze?"

"Or we could lure the Japanese soldiers here and launch an ambush halfway!"

Wang Feng shook his head: "No!"

"We can't afford to waste our troops any longer!"

The 14th Division had plenty of supplies left, but that made Wang Feng even more hesitant to act rashly.

The 59th Regiment, after all, was an infantry regiment of a Class A division, and its combat effectiveness was unquestionable.

It will take considerable effort to completely annihilate them.

Moreover, the supplies that were originally piled up in Heze have now been moved to Yutai.

Having ample combat supplies makes dealing with the situation even more complicated.

What we lack most right now is time.

The Japanese army's offensive speed will definitely be faster than our own recovery speed. If we cannot recover most of our strength before the Battle of Wuhan, it may delay important matters.

Wang Feng tapped his knuckles lightly on the table: "When will the Fourth and Sixth Columns be withdrawn?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "We will arrive in Lanfeng in about two days."

Wang Feng: "Pass on my order, the fourth and sixth columns will turn around and head directly towards Heze."

Zhao Fangyuan responded.

Wang Feng turned to Zhang Hu and said, "After you go back, immediately reorganize the troops. Tonight at 10 PM, the First Column, together with the General Command, will move into Heze!"

Zhang Hu saluted: "Yes, sir!"

"Dong dong dong——!"

There was a knock on the door.

"Sir, a war zone reporter would like to schedule another exclusive interview with you!"

Zhao Fangyuan immediately said, "It's Staff Officer Sun from the General Staff Headquarters. Do you want him, sir?"

Wang Feng nodded: "Let him in!" "That's all for today, you all go back and prepare!"

The meeting is over, and time is tight. There's no need to drag it out any longer.

Zhao Fangyuan opened the door and shouted sternly, "What are you doing?"

"Don't you know there's a meeting going on inside?"

As the chief of staff of the entire army and a core member involved in military decision-making, I have participated in so many battles, and my military skills and leadership have been greatly enhanced.

He was no longer the regimental-level staff officer he used to be.

Without a certain level of authority, you simply can't control your subordinates.

Staff Officer Sun lowered his head: "Over there, with the war zone reporters."

Zhao Fangyuan: "You're a veteran from the 414th Regiment era, how come you don't even know this basic rule!"

Where are the reporters?

Staff Officer Sun stood at attention: "They're waiting next door!"

"Sir...this..."

Zhao Fangyuan rolled his eyes at him and said irritably, "Alright, this is the last time!"

"Call that reporter over here!"

Staff Officer Sun breathed a sigh of relief and immediately turned and ran out of the courtyard.

inside the house.

Wang Feng was still studying the Japanese army's next move and was unaware of the situation outside the door.

Managing the staff department effectively was Zhao Fangyuan's responsibility.

If he had to do everything personally, with an army of over 100,000 men, then there would be no need to fight.

The mountain of housework was enough to crush him.

In no time, Miss Manli walked in quickly, guided by the guards.

"I'm sorry, Commander Wang, but we suddenly received a message from our superiors that we need to evacuate Lanfeng by 3 p.m. If we weren't really in such a hurry, we wouldn't have bothered you like this."

One cannot hit a smiling face, so Miss Manli apologized profusely as soon as she entered the room, and Wang Feng could not be too harsh on her.

"sit down!"

Wang Feng pointed to the chair and sat down in the head seat.

Unlike the previous interview, this time Ms. Manli was followed by several other reporters, their cameras and microphones aimed at Wang Feng, making the interview appear more formal.

The guards nearby removed the poster to prevent the leakage of military secrets.

After several reporters set up their cameras, Miss Manli leaned forward and asked, "Commander Wang, may we begin?"

Wang Feng nodded.

After obtaining permission, the staff turned on the camera and took the first photo—Wang Feng sat in the head seat, dressed in a crisp military uniform, with his hands crossed on the table, and a huge national map behind him.

The guards stood behind the staff, their eyes fixed on the camera.

Miss Manli glanced down at the prepared document and asked her first question:
"Commander Wang, in the Battle of Lanfeng we killed at least 20,000 Japanese soldiers, achieving another brilliant victory after Taierzhuang and Dangshan. So what are your thoughts on the upcoming Battle of Wuhan?"

"Will our army inflict another heavy blow on the Japanese army, just like in the Battle of Lanfeng?"

Wang Fengqing cleared his throat.

The question is simple.

Whether or not victory will be achieved is uncertain.

But the interview content is to be published in the newspaper for the whole nation to see. If you can't fight a war, can't you at least say nice things?

"Regarding this issue, this is what I think: as long as the entire nation's military and civilians are of one mind, the Japanese invaders will not be able to defeat us!"

"The Battle of Lanfeng was not the end. The ultimate goal of the War of Resistance was not to play both sides internationally and seek temporary peace, but to use force, with the strength of the Chinese people themselves, to drive the Japanese back to their homeland."

"In this process, many of our soldiers and officers may sacrifice their lives, including myself."

"But I hope that the people of the whole country can keep one thing in mind."

"Chinese people cannot be killed!"

"If one person falls, thousands upon thousands will rush to his aid!"

Miss Manli nodded, her pen moving across the paper as she quickly jotted down Wang Feng's words.

"Commander Wang's speech was truly inspiring, but I still have a question."

"During the Battle of Xuzhou, we achieved three great victories in Huaibei, Linyi, and Taierzhuang, but in the end, 500,000 troops withdrew from Xuzhou."

"Now we have won the battles of Dangshan and Lanfeng in Henan."

"But the message I received was that the First War Zone Command had begun planning to leave Zhengzhou."

"If we win again in Wuhan, will the final result be the same as the previous two times, and we abandon the defense of Wuhan?"

Wang Feng was taken aback.

The question he had just asked had made him lower his guard, and he thought that this interview was just a formality.

Unexpectedly, Manli immediately threw out a "trump card".

That's not a good question!

Wang Feng paused for a moment: "The reason we withdrew from the Battle of Xuzhou was to preserve the flame of resistance. Miss Manli, if I remember correctly, you are the representative of the Central News Agency's reporter stationed in the Fifth War Zone."

Manli nodded.

Wang Feng continued, "You should be quite familiar with the situation at that time. If these 500,000 troops had not broken out of Xuzhou, but instead had chosen to fight the Japanese army to the bitter end despite being at a disadvantage."

"I'm afraid there wouldn't be the victory of Dangshan and Lanfeng today."

"The War of Resistance Against Japan is a protracted war, and it cannot be measured by temporary victories or defeats. No one wants to stand by and watch their country perish. If possible, we will do our best to defend Wuhan."

"You'd better ask our Supreme Commander about this."

Wang Feng laughed and shifted the blame to Chiang Kai-shek.

He didn't know if his words could be published. If they were published by the Central News Agency, the pressure would likely be on the Chongqing authorities.

Miss Manli smiled knowingly and nodded gently.

"Commander Wang, the remaining question is about personal matters."

"There are rumors that you will be going to the Central Military Academy as the director of academic affairs after the Battle of Lanfeng. Is this true?"

Wang Feng was speechless after hearing this.

Logically speaking, in an era where information was relatively scarce, such official appointments would not have spread so quickly.

I only received my letter of appointment a few days ago?

It had already spread among the people.

There's probably something fishy going on here!
Wang Feng nodded: "That is indeed the case."

There's no need to hide anything about this; just answer truthfully. The appointment letter wasn't issued by him. If the people are dissatisfied, they should just direct their anger at Chiang Kai-shek.

Miss Manley closed the pen cap.

The interview has now essentially come to an end.

Wang Feng smiled and took a sip of tea.

He had initially thought that Manli would make a big deal out of the transfer issue, but now it seems that his idea was not going to come true.

Ultimately, the Central News Agency was also under Chiang Kai-shek's control.

I dare not publish any articles that cross the line.

"Newspaper media."

This served as a reminder to Wang Feng.

It's time to set up our own newspaper in Changzhi.

(End of this chapter)