Bright Sword: From Border Region Manufacturing to Major National Heavy Industry

Chapter 254 Misplaced

Haruno Sato arrived at the area near where the bait was placed, where he secretly set up an optimal surveillance point.

Holding the binoculars, Sato Haruno observed for only a few seconds before a smile crept onto his face: "Yosh, it looks like the Eighth Route Army is planning to make their move in the next few days."

Several unfamiliar faces appeared in Sato Haruno's field of vision.

On the surface, these strangers all had very good reasons for coming here, and their cover-ups were perfect.

They've either come here to beg, to buy things, or to visit relatives, etc.

But no matter how well these Eighth Route Army underground members disguised themselves, they couldn't escape Sato Haruno's sharp eyes.

"Remember, don't alert them," Sato Haruno solemnly instructed. "Don't follow them, don't check their residences, just let things take their course. After their operation is successful, don't chase them too closely. Let them go. Once they've left safely, then use the military dogs to sniff out their arsenal."

"Yes, Deputy Minister." The assistants all nodded.

There was still one person who approached Sato Haruno and said, "Vice-Minister, I actually have another suggestion, perhaps you can listen to it."

"Who is this person?" Sato Haruno had never seen this person before, so he asked his assistant.

“This is one of the people left behind after Fujita Ichiji left,” the assistant explained.

"Baka! Fujita Ichiji is stupid, and his men must be stupid too. Get rid of them immediately!" Sato Haruno said solemnly, not wanting to listen to any of the other party's advice.

The assistant explained, "This is his home. Eighth Route Army underground agents are so cautious. If we found out he wasn't there before the operation, I was worried it would arouse the Eighth Route Army's suspicion, so I kept him here."

Whether they were Eighth Route Army underground agents, Kuomintang secret agents, or military police intelligence officers, none of them were idle.

Even the slightest difference could be a flaw.

For example, someone might leave home at a certain time every day, whether to buy something or take out the trash; this is a routine.

When this pattern disappears, especially before action is taken, it easily alerts the target.

This is this person's home. If he has disappeared now, and the Eighth Route Army underground members discover this detail before their operation, then they are very likely to terminate the operation.

"Why didn't you find another place before? Why did you have to come here?" Haruno Sato questioned.

“Deputy Minister, because this is the best observation point,” the assistant explained. “And I also instructed that this person not be involved in the operation; he should just do what he’s supposed to do every day.”

“He was just about to give me some advice,” Sato Haruno said, his expression still serious. “Your work still isn’t up to par. In the future, it’s better to use a less desirable observation point than to use that idiot’s location!”

"Hai." The assistant nodded.

"You continue to monitor the situation here. After the Eighth Route Army's operation, proceed according to plan. They left with the bait. Let me know when they've done so." Sato Haruno had come here secretly and couldn't stay too long. He should go back and wait for news.

The Eighth Route Army is about to take the bait, and Sato Haruno also plans to tell the Kumamoto Division Commander this good news.

This awful weather! First it was sandstorms, then it rained. Commander Kumamoto's sweep was forced to stop; he must be cursing.

Telling him the good news will be an encouragement to him.

At the same time, it also allowed the Kumamoto Division Commander to make preparations in advance for a precise strike against the Eighth Route Army's border arsenal.

"Yes, Vice Minister." The assistant nodded, and Sato Haruno quietly and quickly left.

As soon as Sato Haruno left, his assistant, still watching Fujita Ichiji, asked, "What suggestion did you want to make to the vice minister?"

Although I wouldn't listen to the other person's foolish advice, I'm still curious about what that foolish advice is.

The man said, "Since we already know these people are underground members of the Eighth Route Army, I suggest we just arrest them and torture them. I don't believe we won't find out the whereabouts of their border region arsenal..."

Before the man could finish speaking, his assistant shook his head and interrupted, "After this operation succeeds, you can disappear from my sight forever. I don't want to see you again! From now on, you are not allowed to interfere with the operation in any way, nor can you offer any suggestions to me. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to give you a chance to die a glorious death!"

The assistant thought to himself, "Fujita Ichiji is stupid, and his men are just as stupid."

They even arrested the person beforehand and subjected him to severe torture. Do you really think it's so easy to pry open the mouths of Eighth Route Army underground members?
Even if you manage to break through, the Eighth Route Army has a very strict procedure, and the lower-level people don't know what the higher-level people are doing.

The location of the Eighth Route Army's border region arsenal is a top secret. Even if all these people are captured, they probably won't know this information.

not to mention!
Making a move beforehand would alert the enemy.

Their superiors cut off the line in time, so we won't get a single penny.

"Yes, yes, yes." Fujita Ichiji's subordinate nodded repeatedly, still a little puzzled. His suggestion was perfect, so why didn't the other party take it?

If we capture the underground members of the Eighth Route Army, pry them open their mouths, and follow the clues, wouldn't we also have a chance to find the Eighth Route Army's border region arsenal?

If we follow the scent and something goes wrong, and the Eighth Route Army discovers it, we're doomed.

……

Instead of immediately returning to his office, Haruno Sato went to the dog shed... or rather, the doghouse.

It's raining now, and we can't let our two precious military dogs get wet and sick.

Therefore, Haruno Sato specially arranged for the two military dogs to be housed in a clean and tidy brick house.

Upon seeing Sato Haruno arrive, the two Japanese military dog ​​soldiers quickly saluted: "Vice Minister."

"The Eighth Route Army will be on the move in the next few days. During this time, the two military dogs cannot afford to get sick or anything." Sato Haruno checked the two military dogs and found them to be in very good health, but his tone was still very serious.

"Don't worry, Vice Minister, we will take good care of the military dogs." Both military dog ​​soldiers nodded emphatically.

Although they still did not understand what Haruno Sato's specific actions were.

But I could vaguely sense that this was probably no ordinary, important operation.

The operation was a success, and perhaps the two men and their two military dogs would all be sent to heaven as a result!
"Hmm." Sato Haruno nodded, glanced at the two military dogs a couple more times, and then returned to the communications room where he worked with peace of mind.

Sato Haruno ordered the communications soldier to get up, and he personally operated the radio to send a message to the Kumamoto Division Commander.

……

Kumamoto Division Headquarters

"Commander Kumamoto, come and try the fish sushi I made for you myself!"

Fujita Ichiji carried a tray and walked into the command tent of the Kumamoto Division Commander.

Looking at the sushi that Fujita Ichiji brought over, the Kumamoto division commander took a piece, tasted it, and looked somewhat surprised: "Fujita-kun, I didn't know you had this skill."

“I learned how to make it when I had nothing else to do before,” Fujita Ichiji explained. “Now, because of the rain, the logistics department isn’t protecting the firewood well enough, and a lot of the firewood is soaked and can’t be used to start a fire. I think eating this sashimi sushi is a good choice.”

"Yoshi, Fujita-kun, that's a good suggestion." Commander Kumamoto nodded. It was indeed true.

Because some logistics personnel were not doing their job properly, the firewood got wet from the rain, and the army didn't have enough firewood for cooking.

Eating sashimi sushi is a good idea.

However, the Kumamoto Division Commander asked suspiciously, "Where did these fish come from? Are there so many?"

“It’s raining, the river is rising, and these fish are swimming upstream, making them easy to catch,” Fujita Ichiji explained. “Of course, the army needs a lot of food, and it’s impossible to guarantee that all the soldiers can eat raw fish, but we can try our best to ensure that the officers can eat it.”

"Well, that's fine then." Division Commander Kumamoto nodded. "Fujita, you volunteered to come here to help. I thought you wouldn't be able to do much. Now it seems I was overthinking it."

Fujita Ichiji came to the Kumamoto Division not because the two were old acquaintances, but because the Kumamoto Division Commander received a call from the military headquarters.

Commander Kumamoto had, of course, heard about Fujita Ichiji's reputation.

He dared not let Fujita Ichiji participate in combat command and intelligence gathering, but instead had him busy with logistics.

It seems that Fujita Ichiji does have some talent when it comes to handling logistics.

There's a Chinese saying: There are no fools in this world, just fools in the wrong place.

Putting Fujita Ichiji in the military police force was a misplacement.

Logistics is his true stage.

Fujita Ichiji received Kumamoto Division Commander's approval and said with a smile, "Commander Kumamoto, I have also thought of a solution to the problem of the firewood getting wet and the army not having enough firewood for cooking."

"Alright, what's the plan?" Commander Kumamoto asked hurriedly.

Man is made of iron, food is made of steel!

I get hungry if I skip a meal!

Don't underestimate the problem of not having enough firewood.

If the army doesn't have enough to eat, it won't have the strength to fight.

The commander of the Kumamoto Division was actually quite worried.

The rain looks like it will continue for another two or three days, and the dry firewood we have will only last for one more day.

What will happen to the army's food supply when there's no dry firewood left?

The roads were muddy, and dry firewood from the rear couldn't be brought in.

As for using local materials, forget about it.

It rained, and the firewood got all wet.

Unexpectedly, Fujita Ichiji actually had a solution, which greatly surprised and delighted the Kumamoto Division Commander.

“There’s a coal mine not far from here,” Fujita Ichiji said. “Go to the coal mine, dig up some coal, and bring it over. This coal can be used as firewood.”

"Really? Are there any coal mines nearby?" Commander Kumamoto asked suspiciously.

If there were a coal mine here, he would have had it done long ago.

“Yes, when I was in the military police, I looked at some information. There’s a coal mine nearby that was blown up by the Chinese,” Fujita Ichiji said. “Let the engineers hurry up and dig it up. It should be fine.”

“Okay, no problem.” The Kumamoto Division Commander nodded quickly and immediately summoned the engineering battalion, ordering them to follow Fujita Ichiichi in mining coal.

The engineers followed Fujita Ichiji, and not long after, coal was indeed dug up.

The engineering battalion commander replied that the coal there was buried shallowly and was easy to dig.

There's no problem with cooking for the army.

This was a huge relief for the Kumamoto Division Commander; perhaps Fujita Ichiji really had misplaced his talents.

Division Commander Kumamoto patted Fujita Ichiji on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Fujita Jun, do a good job. When the opportunity arises, I will definitely recommend you to the military headquarters."

"Thank you, Commander Kumamoto, thank you so much. I will definitely do my best, I will definitely do my best." Fujita Ichiji finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Having gained the approval of the Kumamoto Division Commander, he could say that he had secured his position.

……

"Division Commander, Vice Minister Sato has sent a secret telegram." A staff officer walked over and handed the newly arrived telegram to Division Commander Kumamoto.

Sato Haruno's secret telegram?
Upon hearing this, the Kumamoto Division Commander quickly took it.

The Kumamoto Division Commander's sweep is not going well, so he is still placing some of his hopes on Sato Haruno.

Now that Sato Haruno has sent a secret telegram, could it be that he has found a clue about the Eighth Route Army's border arsenal?

Eagerly glancing down and reading the contents, Commander Kumamoto's expression immediately lit up with joy: "Yosh, the Eighth Route Army is about to take the bait from Sato Haruno. This is a good thing!"

"Go and summon Brigade Commander Muto, Brigade Commander Miyai, and all the operations staff. I need to hold an emergency meeting." Sato Haruno's side is about to see results, so Division Commander Kumamoto naturally needs to prepare in advance for a surprise attack on the Eighth Route Army's border region arsenal.

"Hayi!"

Soon, Muto Juichi, Major General Miyai, and the other operations staff arrived and asked, "Division Commander, is there any urgent military situation?"

"Take a look, everyone." The Kumamoto Division Commander handed over the coded telegram.

After reading it, Muto Juichi, Major General Miyai, and the others all showed expectant expressions: "Great! As long as Vice Minister Sato can pinpoint the location of the Eighth Route Army's border region arsenal, we can head straight for it. This is like hitting the Eighth Route Army's Achilles' heel!"

"Yes, if it's done, we can uproot the Eighth Route Army, and we can recover the tungsten ore and equipment that were stolen from us!" Commander Kumamoto said with a serious expression. "Of course, the most important thing is the cherry blossom tree. We must rescue it intact."

The Kumamoto Division Commander has received Yoshio Shinozuka's telegram that the cherry blossom tree is still alive and is most likely currently in the Eighth Route Army's stronghold.

"Is the cherry blossom tree still alive?" Upon hearing this, both Muto Juichi and Major General Miyai were immediately overjoyed.

"Yes." Division Commander Kumamoto nodded. "Unit 731 conducted an autopsy and proved that the body was not a cherry blossom tree."

Immediately afterwards, Division Commander Kumamoto said in a serious tone: "But now is not the time to be happy. The rescue mission and the task of eliminating the Eighth Route Army are still very difficult. Now let me talk about some details that we need to pay attention to."

……

(End of this chapter)