You are ordered to support the War of Resistance against Japan; China enters Level 1 combat readines

Three anti-tank guns in total!

Don't underestimate this quantity.

This quantity of firepower was considered by the Eighth Route Army and even most of the Nationalist Army to be an extravagant and desperate amount of firepower!

Many of the Nationalist Army's elite divisions had only a few outdated mountain guns and field guns as their entire arsenal, with anti-tank guns being extremely rare.

As for the Eighth Route Army, a main force regiment was considered well-off if it had one or two mortars.

Anti-tank guns? I wouldn't even dare to dream of them!

One of the Japanese battalions, which was equivalent to a reinforced battalion, was equipped with a full three anti-tank guns!

At this moment, Japanese engineers were frantically reinforcing machine gun nests and artillery positions with sandbags.

Some Japanese soldiers cut down trees and set up obstacles.

For the Japanese soldiers, constructing triangular barricades using steel bars and cement was clearly beyond their capabilities.

In other words, while the West could afford steel barricades, for the Japanese, a few wooden stakes nailed together were enough.

Of course, it is also related to the level of warfare on the Chinese battlefield.

Forget tanks, the Nationalist army didn't even have many armored vehicles; wooden stakes were enough.

Lieutenant Colonel Morita, the battalion commander, surveyed the position with a grim expression, his sword slung across his shoulder.

He had just learned of the "humiliation" that had occurred in Beiping, and a surge of anger welled up inside him with nowhere to vent it.

"Baka! A mere unidentified tank dares to act so arrogantly in the heart of the Imperial Army! That idiot Abe Sho deserves to die!"

He muttered a curse under his breath, then straightened his back and his face regained the arrogance of an "imperial soldier".

"However, their good luck ended there!"

He spoke to his adjutant and company commanders with a tone full of disdain and confidence:

"Gentlemen! The enemy merely caught us off guard! Before the true Bushido spirit of the Imperial Army, any attempt at opportunism is futile!"

"Our anti-tank gun has a caliber of 37mm, enough to tear any armored vehicle apart!"

"If they dare come, this will be their grave! I will crush them and wash away the shame of Beiping!"

"Let those rats who only know how to snipe from the shadows show them what a real, honorable battle is!"

"Hey!!"

The surrounding Japanese officers echoed in unison, their faces also displaying the same arrogance and confidence.

In their view, they were well-rested, had the advantage of terrain, and possessed overwhelming anti-tank firepower.

Intercepting a lone tank is a piece of cake.

This is not arrogance, but rather the absolute confidence that comes from strength and status!

A battalion intercepts a tank?

How could this possibly fail?

It should be noted that on the main battlefield, a single Japanese battalion could even hold its own against an entire Nationalist division!

Some Nationalist army divisions were even chased by large Japanese troops!

. . .

Meanwhile, attention turned to Shen Wang.

Boom boom boom—

Dust billowed along the official road!

The 99A was like a bird running wild, galloping freely.

The large V8 water-cooled diesel engine roars with a deep rumble, propelling the nearly sixty-ton vehicle and demonstrating astonishing maneuverability.

"Brother Shen, this...this car is amazing!"

"It's more powerful than any car I've ever driven in Beiping!"

Sha Zhenjiang shouted excitedly, his face flushed with excitement, like a big boy who had finally gotten the toy he had been dreaming of.

Under Shen Wang's tutelage, Sha Zhenjiang has learned how to drive a tank.

Of course, this is just the basic version.

However, during the War of Resistance against Japan, when there was no need to follow any traffic rules, it was enough.

Just step on the gas, and leave the rest to the big V8.

Looking at Sha Zhenjiang's still somewhat childish profile, Shen Wang couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

But at eighteen or nineteen years old, aren't they still just children?

On the other side, Ding Zhijian and Meng Guanglin squeezed into the train conductor's seat.

Unlike Sha Zhenjiang, the two men were not excited; their faces showed a hint of worry.

"Old Ding, we've been out of the city for most of the day now, the Japanese must have laid a trap ahead of us."

Meng Guanglin's tone was somewhat heavy.

"There are only four of us and one tank. No matter how powerful we are, can we just force our way through?"

Ding Zhijian nodded, his brows also furrowed: "Mr. Shen has been incredibly kind to us; we absolutely cannot let him risk his life for us again."

He took a deep breath, as if making up his mind, and turned to Shen Wang, who was familiarizing himself with the fire control system at the gunner's position, and said:

"Mr. Shen, I have a suggestion. When we encounter a Japanese checkpoint, the three of us will drive a tank to draw the enemy's main firepower, while you take advantage of the chaos to break through via the other side of the mountain road!"

"We can only repay your kindness in the next life!"

At this moment, Shen Wang was sitting in the gunner's position familiarizing himself with the 99A's firepower system. Hearing Ding Zhijian's conversation, he felt a warm current in his heart, but then shook his head.

"No need, let's charge through together!"

Hearing Shen Wang's words, Ding Zhijian also felt a warm current rise in his heart.

This nameless hero, whom we had only recently met, was willing to die alongside them; he was a true hero.

But he still said, "Mr. Shen, you don't need to feel bad. You saved our lives in the first place. We can't drag you down with us no matter what."

Meng Guanglin immediately echoed, "Yes, Mr. Shen! We have no regrets about dying for knowing a hero like you! It would be worth it to be able to kill a few more Japanese devils with your help before we die!"

"Brother Shen, please listen to Brother Ding!" Sha Zhenjiang said through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with reluctance, but his tone was extremely firm.

As Shen Wang listened to the three of them talking back and forth, vying to use themselves as bait to buy their own lives, he felt both moved and helpless.

These are the most adorable people!

He sighed, "Alright, alright, I know you mean well, but do you know what? Compared to our lives, this tank is actually the most important thing!"

"You three, please remember this: under no circumstances can we let this tank fall into the hands of the Japanese!"

Please, this is a 99A!

Shen Wang couldn't even imagine what would happen if it fell into the hands of the Japanese.

Ding Zhijian and the other two were taken aback by what they heard, and were somewhat puzzled.

This tank certainly looks incredibly powerful, but surely it's not more important than human life?

Don't the Japanese have quite a few tanks on their side?

Seeing the three men's confusion, Shen Wang knew he had to reveal some of the truth.

He patted the inner wall of the armored vehicle beside him and asked, "Do you know how thick the frontal armor of this tank is?"

The three of them shook their heads.

Shen Wang said, enunciating each word clearly, "Equivalent protection, exceeding one thousand millimeters!"

"One...one thousand millimeters?"

Ding Zhijian and Meng Guanglin were instantly stunned.

They had some knowledge of military equipment and fully understood what that number meant!

But Sha Zhenjiang was still a little confused and asked blankly, "Brother Shen, how much is one thousand millimeters?"

Shen Wang smiled. In this era, the concept of millimeters was not yet widespread, so he had to use a more intuitive way of saying it:

"About three feet thick!"

Three...three feet?!

Even Sha Zhenjiang was so surprised this time that he almost jumped up.

Good heavens, the armor is three feet thick?

When did armor thickness start being measured in feet?

It should be noted that the armor thickness of the Japanese Type 97 tank was less than an inch!

The tank he was driving had armor three feet thick? Dozens of times thicker than the Japanese tanks?

The three of them were dumbfounded for a long time!

Sha Zhenjiang almost drove the tank into a ditch!

The news that Shen Wang brought was truly shocking!

"My goodness!"

"No wonder...no wonder such a big lump of metal can only seat three people..."

"How...terrible!"

After the initial shock, the three immediately realized why Shen Wang had said earlier that the tank must not fall into the hands of the Japanese.

Ding Zhijian's expression was more solemn than ever before: "Mr. Shen, you're right! These powerful weapons are far more important than our lives! We absolutely cannot let them fall into the hands of the Japanese!"

The Japanese are already well-equipped; if they were to acquire such terrifying tanks, would they still be able to fight?

The three exchanged glances and instantly reached a consensus.

"Mr. Shen! You drive the tank away! The three of us will get out and distract the Japanese!" The three said in unison, their tone resolute.

Hearing these familiar words, Shen Wang felt a mix of emotion—touched, heartbroken, and amused.

"No way, after all that talking, it turns out I've been talking for nothing?"

"Our armor is three feet thick, why are we still running?"

"Just fucking kill them!"

"..."

The three were taken aback by Shen Wang's bold words, but then they suddenly realized what he meant!

Yes!

With such absolute defense, why would they even think about running away?

The ones who should be afraid are those little devils!

. . .

On the front lines at the pass in Fang County, the Japanese soldiers chatted while they worked.

The tone was relaxed.

"I heard that the tank in Beiping is a bit strange; it runs incredibly fast?"

"Hmph, no matter how wicked it is, it's still just a war chariot!"

"See that? A massive 37mm thing, it'll take care of anything that dares to challenge us!"

"In Shanghai and Nanjing, haven't we destroyed countless Chinese war machines with this cannon?"

"Those thin tin boxes fell apart with a single shot!"

"That's right! The Chinese are only fit to hide in the shadows and snipe. Once the Imperial Army gets serious, they'll either flee or wait to die! This time will be no exception!"

"Commander Morita is personally overseeing the operation, with three anti-tank guns waiting for them. If they dare to come, they'll be walking into a trap!"

"I heard that the tank rescued several high-ranking Communist criminals?"

"Ha, perfect! Let them all perish in this valley, saving us the trouble of hunting them down!"

"To die at the hands of our empire's elite is their honor!"

The Japanese soldiers were exchanging information without any restraint.

It's just a battlefield vehicle, what's the big deal!

Time passed little by little.

The defenses at the pass were finally set up.

Three anti-tank guns, a dozen light and heavy machine guns, and countless wooden stakes of all sizes...

In the eyes of the Japanese soldiers, as long as the enemy dared to show up, they would have no chance of escaping!

Just then, the ground suddenly shook.

Then, a roaring sound that the Japanese soldiers had never heard before came from afar.

Immediately afterwards, a dark green tank appeared on the horizon.

The Japanese soldiers defending the pass were a bit confused.

Didn't the telegram mention war chariots?

Damn it... how did it become a tank?