Spy game? Stop guessing, I really am an undercover agent!

Chapter 266: Aren't they poor Eighth Route Army soldiers? Where did they get their weapons?

Where the commander's sword pointed was the trap woven by the Red Party!
Outside Liushugou, there is a green canopy that sways and undulates in the summer breeze.

"Boom..." The diesel engine of the Type 89 medium tank, running at full power, emitted a deep and powerful roar. The short, thick 37mm gun barrel pointed deep into the sorghum field, and the tracks roughly crushed the field ridges, splashing up muddy mud.

The truck followed closely behind, its cargo bed crammed with Japanese soldiers, their faces contorted in rage as they gripped their Type 38 rifles.

Shibasaki's intention was simple and brutal: to use the advantage of armor to crush the "local guerrillas" who had just committed the ambush tragedy in the tall sorghum stalks, and to complete a textbook example of mechanized pursuit and annihilation of infantry.

The area marked on the map is a "plain area with no obstacles, suitable for the deployment of mobile forces".

However, when the steel torrent plunged headlong into that dark green ocean, Shibasaki Ozo's battle plan was instantly shattered by reality.

The sorghum stalks, over three meters tall, formed a dense green barrier, obscuring the view and hindering progress.

The heavy tank struggled to move forward in the deliberately dug, narrow ridges and deep ruts, its tracks often getting stuck in the soft mud and spinning futilely.

The truck's wheels were stuck deep in the mud. No matter how hard the driver pressed the accelerator and how much black smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe, the truck just spun in place and even tilted to one side.

Japanese infantrymen were forced to jump off their vehicles and attempt to pursue the enemy on foot.

This seemingly desolate green field is an excellent hunting ground for the soldiers of the 129th Division who are familiar with every inch of the soil.

"beat!"

A sharp whistle came not from the armored vehicle, but from all directions of the sorghum field, like a command swung down by the scythe of death!
"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!" A burst of intense firepower, never before seen on the Japanese army's "Eighth Route Army Equipment List," suddenly erupted!
This time it wasn't the crisp sound of a single shot from the old slide, nor the short bursts of a standard-bladed rifle, but a continuous, terrifying roar!
That's a heavy machine gun! And...

More than one!
Meanwhile, the crisp, rapid bursts of the Czech light machine gun were like the drumbeats of death, accurately targeting the bewildered Japanese soldiers exposed on the ridges of fields or beside trucks.

"Thud thud thud!" The dull thud of bullets piercing flesh and the shrill screams of wounded soldiers instantly echoed through the green gauze tent!

The Japanese infantrymen, who had just jumped off the trucks and hadn't even had time to disperse, fell in droves like felled wheat.

Blood mist sprayed onto the emerald green sorghum leaves, filling the air with a stench.

Shibasaki Ozo watched in horror as the machine gun crew he was protecting on his flank was riddled with bullets by the enemy's dense barrage in less than ten seconds, and the operator and assistant gunner fell into a pool of blood.

"Boom boom boom!" Even more devastating blows followed!

An 82mm mortar shell descended from the sky with a sharp whistle! The massive explosion tore apart the truck stuck in the mud, and wreckage and human remains were thrown high into the air.

The mortar shells landed with exceptional precision, covering the densest areas of the Japanese convoy and all possible assembly points according to the preset coordinates! Thick smoke and flames engulfed the road.

"What's going on?! Where did the heavy machine guns come from? Where did the mortars come from?" Company Commander Shibasaki hid on the side of the only tank that could still move, his helmet clanging from the impact, his face splattered with the blood and mud of his men, and he was so terrified that he could barely breathe.

This is absolutely not the Eighth Route Army that fought with "border area-made" grenades and captured equipment as described in maps and intelligence!
The firepower density, the level of equipment, and the accuracy of the artillery fire far exceeded their understanding of what a so-called "guerrilla" force could do!

The Type 89 tank futilely rotated its turret, attempting to fire in the direction of the roaring heavy machine gun.

With a muffled boom, the shell struck the sorghum field, only knocking over a patch of crops, without even touching the attackers.

Its clumsy body, bound by the maze of mud and tall grass, became a sitting duck.

"Lieutenant Colonel Shibasaki! The Chinese have heavy weapons! Their firepower is too intense! We..." A squad leader, his face covered in blood, scrambled to Shibasaki's side.

Before he could finish speaking, a mortar shell exploded nearby, and the huge shockwave blew him several meters away, his fate unknown.

"Too much firepower"—what an unfamiliar phrase!
Shibasaki Ozo never imagined that one day he would use the phrase "too much firepower" to describe the firepower of those Eighth Route Army soldiers.

Looking at the hellish scene before him—burning truck wrecks, soldiers lying dead in disarray, several firing positions that had fought back futilely under intense fire and were instantly suppressed and destroyed, and the tank struggling like a headless fly in the mud and hail of bullets…

Fear completely overwhelmed his zeal for revenge. At this moment, he no longer dared to hope for any "textbook-style annihilation battle." He had only one thought left: I must survive!
"Retreat! Retreat quickly! Retreat towards the Willow Gully stronghold!" Shibasaki roared hoarsely, almost scrambling onto the back of the only working motorcycle, completely disregarding his status and image, urging the driver to frantically reverse.

The remaining Japanese soldiers, as if granted a pardon, completely abandoned resistance, discarding all heavy equipment and even the wounded. Like ants whose nest had been disturbed, they fled frantically along the route they had come from, with the continuous reaping of lives by light and heavy machine gun fire and the cheering roar of mortars behind them.

The green sorghum field was no longer an easy plain to spread out, but a huge green graveyard that buried most of the Japanese army's elite mobile squadron.

Five days later, in Taiyuan, the headquarters of the First Army of the North China Area Army of the invading Japanese army.

The huge "Operational Situation Map for Maintaining Public Security" on the wall looked particularly ironic.

In the center of the map, the blue blockade line of the "Cage" plan is still conspicuous, but in the area representing the Taihang Mountains, the red arrow representing the activities of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army has just torn a hole in the map, marked as "near Liushugou, in the area of ​​green gauze tents".

Lieutenant General Shinotsuka, commander of the First Army, sat behind his large desk with a somber expression, his fingers tapping impatiently on the surface.

On the table lay a battle report that had just arrived from the front lines: the Shibasaki Squadron had been almost completely wiped out, and the mobile forces surrounding the Liushugou stronghold had been almost entirely destroyed.

The notes in the battle report were particularly glaring, repeatedly highlighted in bold:
"...The Red Army troops that were ambushed were far better equipped than expected, with several heavy machine guns and a large number of Czech light machine guns. Their rifle and machine gun firepower was exceptionally fierce and consistently strong."

"Furthermore, there are at least five 82mm mortars working in coordination, with exceptionally accurate artillery fire."

"The explosives are extremely powerful, and their lethality to armor and personnel far exceeds that of the 'border region-made' weapons we have seen before. Our soldiers generally report that the enemy's firepower intensity, sustainability, and equipment sophistication are vastly different from our intelligence department's assessment of the Red Party's local forces. It is suspected that there are stable external channels secretly supplying them with ample standard weapons, ammunition, and high explosives..."

"Absurd!" Lieutenant General Shinotsuka slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup jump. "What are those useless idiots in the intelligence department doing! The assessment just a few months ago was 'poor equipment, scarce ammunition, mainly relying on captured and homemade crude weapons'!"

"Where did so many heavy machine guns, mortars, and those incredibly powerful explosives come from in such a short time? Did they fall from the sky?" Chief of Staff Major General Masao Nakamura respectfully said, "Commander, please calm down. The intelligence section may have been negligent, but the report from Shibasaki Squadron is by no means an isolated case."

"In recent days, the North China Front Army's anti-communist and pacification campaigns against the Red Party have suffered repeated setbacks, with sporadic battle reports coming back from Pingxi and Jizhong..."

"It also seems to vaguely mention that the firepower of some Red Army units suddenly increased, especially in attacks on transport convoys and strongholds, where the explosive power was greatly increased."

"More importantly, the Shibasaki report points out that the ambush force seemed to have a thorough understanding of its route of action and the patterns of its equipment deployment."

"And the pursuit route of the Green Gauze Tent was precisely a 'standard response' based on our latest 'Purge Plan.' This is probably not just a matter of 'more firepower than expected'..."

"You mean..." Yoshio Shinotsuka's pupils contracted sharply, a chill flashing across his face, "Our top-secret 'cage' deployment map... has been leaked?"

"There's a traitor in the Imperial Army? Nakamura-kun, you can't just make up that accusation."

"This is putting Commander Tada in a very difficult position!"

"Lord Shinotsuka, I can only say that we cannot rule out the possibility that there has been a leak within the military, and that it is a highly classified core map that has been leaked."

"Otherwise, it's impossible to explain how they were able to pinpoint the rapid reinforcement routes and establish positions in the sorghum fields, the perfect spot to ambush our mechanized forces. Meanwhile..."

"Such a concentrated, large-scale, high-quality supply of weapons could not possibly be a sporadic battlefield capture! There must be a stable, covert, and powerful supply network behind it! Its source channels and contacts are crucial to our suppression of the Eighth Route Army and also to the overall security situation in North China."

Yoshio Shinotsuka's expression shifted, eventually settling into a grim one: "It seems our old adversary has prepared more than one weapon for us."

"One is a 'cage' drawn on the ground, and the other... is a supply line hidden in the darkness."

"Both of these must be eradicated immediately, completely!"

“Nakamura-kun! This matter is of great importance and is no longer just a matter for Shanxi. The leak of the ‘Cage’ plan may jeopardize the strategic deployment of the entire army group.”

"This unusual source of equipment is a major concern! You must set off immediately and personally report all the details of this matter to Commander Hata Shunroku of the Expeditionary Army Headquarters!"

"I urge him to coordinate with all intelligence agencies in China, especially those in the complex waterways of the Shanghai concessions, to conduct a thorough investigation! Who is secretly arming our mortal enemy!"

"Hai!" Nakamura Masao bowed deeply. "This subordinate will report in detail and request His Excellency Hata Shunroku to mobilize all resources to thoroughly investigate this damned blood transfusion line and the mole who leaked the information!"

A few days later, in Shanghai, in the Japanese quarter, a heavily guarded Western-style courtyard.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, this place was one of the secret resting places of General Hata Shunroku, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Expeditionary Army.

Inside and outside the courtyard, secret agents dressed in military police uniforms and black suits stood guard every three steps and sentries every five steps, creating a tense atmosphere where even the cicadas seemed to chirp cautiously.

Inside, in a Japanese-style tea room, Hata Shunroku, dressed in a kimono, sat cross-legged on the tatami mat. His gray hair was meticulously combed, and the deep wrinkles on his face could not conceal the authority of a superior in his eyes.

Opposite him, a travel-worn man named Masao Nakamura knelt respectfully, presenting a confidential urgent letter with both hands.

The room was completely silent, except for the rustling of leaves in the wind outside the window.

Nakamura gave a detailed report on the devastating situation during the Taiyuan siege, especially the 129th Division's unexpectedly powerful firepower and equipment, and its accurate grasp of the key map information of the "Cage" plan.

He emphasized the catastrophic impact of the combination of the unusual nature of the equipment's origin and the accuracy of the operational intelligence.

"...The above is the critical situation on the Shanxi front. Commander Shinotsuka is deeply concerned and believes that this is not just a local security problem in Shanxi, but a major hidden danger concerning the very foundation of 'security and order' in North China and even the Empire!"

"The Red Party's level of equipment and intelligence gathering capabilities did not come from nowhere; there must be systematic support from foreign forces and deep infiltration by spies behind it!"

"If this channel is not cut off and the leaking mole is not eliminated, our Imperial Army's strategy of 'cage' the enemy will be leaked everywhere, and all sweep operations will face the danger of being at a double disadvantage in firepower and intelligence!"

General Hata Shunroku slowly unfolded the secret letter, carefully reading it word by word, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

"'The Cage Map'... If it truly falls into the hands of Liu's troops, it would be tantamount to handing my sharpest weapon to the enemy."

"This map was painstakingly drawn by many generals of the Empire, yet it fell into enemy hands so easily... The Taiyuan Intelligence Section should all commit seppuku to atone for their sins!"

He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and his sharp gaze swept over Nakamura: "As for those weapons... heavy machine guns are not something ordinary people can get their hands on, and mortars are even more difficult to dismantle and transport."

"They are not the pistols, pistols, or stray bullets that the arms dealers in the concessions were selling."

"This route can secretly and reliably transport such a large amount of heavy equipment and ammunition from the rear, and it can bypass all the checkpoints and outposts along the way, reaching directly into the heart of the Taihang Mountains..."

"This doesn't require just a few connections or tricks; it's a tightly organized and incredibly powerful transportation network! A behemoth rooted right under our noses, possibly right here in Shanghai's bustling Bund!"

“Your Excellency is wise!” Nakamura immediately replied. “Commander Shinotsuka also thought so! This is no ordinary smuggling operation; the people behind it are definitely not ordinary!”

"Shanghai, known as the Paris of the East and the intelligence capital of the Far East, is a melting pot of all sorts of people. It is a place where various forces, including those from Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union, are entrenched and infiltrated. I suspect that there must be international forces secretly manipulating things here! The Soviet Union? Britain and the United States? They could all be using the concessions as a springboard!"

"Whether it's Soviet Russia, Britain and the United States, or those two-faced foreign compradors or remnants of warlords... anyone who dares to cross this red line," Hata Shunroku's voice suddenly turned icy cold, "will be regarded as a mortal enemy of the Empire, and will be killed without exception, without any leniency!"

There will be another chapter this afternoon…

(End of this chapter)