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

The representatives from the four countries looked at each other and saw the same shock and sense of reassessment in each other's eyes.

American representative: "Oh my god!"

English representative: "Ambulov!"

Soviet representative: "Nevozmono (What a load of rubbish! That can't be right!)"

German representative: "Onfasbal (Good heavens? Outrageous?)"

No matter how much they looked down on this impoverished and weak ancient Eastern country, or how much they underestimated its level of warfare, the ironclad results of their victory were undeniable.

The photograph of the captured military flag, the figures of the captured officers, and the urgent, pressing orders issued from home all point to one thing:

They severely underestimated the actual value and threat that "Mr. Shen" could bring!

An unknown amount of time passed.

The American representative broke the silence first, stubbing out his cigar. His tone had returned to calm, but his usual cynicism had vanished, replaced by a pragmatic seriousness.

"Gentlemen, it seems... we need to readjust our contact strategy. Clearly, the other side has enough confidence to ignore our previous... 'suggestions'."

The English representative cleared his throat, trying to regain some composure, but his voice was noticeably softer: "Perhaps... our previous communication style was indeed a bit... not direct enough. Perhaps we should have shown more... sincerity."

The German representative's expression remained grim, but his tone shifted: "Obtaining technical details is crucial! If money can solve the problem... then perhaps that's the most efficient way."

The Soviet representative also said in a deep voice: "For the progress of the world's proletariat, it is necessary to have a deeper and more frank exchange."

Faced with undeniable victories and strict domestic orders, the authoritarian stance of the former regulator has been forced to soften.

Immediately afterwards, almost simultaneously, all four representatives made a request to the rear staff responsible for liaison, a request they had never considered before:

"We hope to arrange a visit to Zhicheng in southeastern Shanxi as soon as possible."

"We hope to have a formal, face-to-face meeting with Mr. Shen."

"Since previous communications have failed, then... we are willing to go in person to express our 'sincerity'."

……

Their attitudes have completely changed.

From waiting for the other party to come begging to the point of having no choice but to condescend to go to "remote and impoverished areas".

Since the man surnamed Shen was ignoring them, they had no choice but to... take the initiative to talk to him!

. . .

Zhicheng, in the western suburbs.

As dawn broke, the air already carried the chill of late autumn.

The brigade commander, dressed in a faded military uniform with a worn-out cotton overcoat, was already waiting there with several key officers from the military region's political department and a well-trained guard company.

His face was calm, but his sharp eyes were fixed on the dirt road leading out of the mountains.

After the chief of staff, division commanders, and other headquarters leaders reported on the "Thunderous Decapitation" operation and confirmed that the overall situation was settled, they quietly returned to headquarters the day before.

First, there are indeed a mountain of important military affairs that urgently need to be dealt with; second, this is also a tacit understanding among the several top leaders to deliberately avoid.

They did not want to, nor were they willing to, meet directly with the incoming representatives of the "foreign devils".

Firstly, dealing with foreign powers, especially with the cutting-edge technology and equipment brought by Shen Wang, involves extremely complex and subtle nuances regarding the appropriate boundaries, bottom lines, and strategic maneuvering.

The CEOs admitted that they might not have Mr. Shen's forward-thinking insight and... "business acumen" in this regard.

Entrusting Shen Wang with the decision-making and negotiation powers is an absolute trust in his abilities.

The bosses believed that Mr. Shen would definitely not suffer a loss.

Secondly, if they were present, those foreigners would likely try to bypass Shen Wang and directly pressure or lobby them.

At that time, whether or not a statement is made, it may cause unnecessary interference or hindrance to Shen Wang's negotiations.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to stay out of it from the start and hand the stage over entirely to Shen Wang.

"Everything is left to Mr. Shen to handle."

These were the words the chief of staff said to the brigade commander on the shoulder before he left, his eyes filled with trust.

"Our presence here is actually in the way. If we can't reach an agreement, and those foreigners come to us complaining and lodge disputes, should we intervene or not?"

"Out of sight, out of mind. Mr. Shen knows what he's doing and won't suffer any losses!"

The brigade commander wholeheartedly agreed.

At this moment, he stands here not as a negotiating party, but as the host, a "receptionist" responsible for welcoming guests, maintaining basic etiquette, and ensuring security.

The real highlight, however, is in the city, in the hands of that young Mr. Shen.

In the distance, dust rose.

A rather odd-looking convoy, consisting of three or four American jeeps, two Soviet-made GAZ trucks, and some mule-drawn carts, slowly made its way along the bumpy dirt road.

The vehicle was covered in mud and looked dusty and worn.

The brigade commander straightened his collar, his expression returning to calm, and stepped forward to meet him.

Regardless, the other party was, after all, a representative of the four countries, and the basic etiquette and respect due to them should still be maintained, as this was related to the image and demeanor of the Eighth Route Army.

The convoy stopped in front of the reception point.

The car doors opened, and the representatives from the four countries disembarked one by one.

The American representative stepped out of the Jeep first, dusted off his suit, adjusted his sunglasses, and showed fatigue from the long journey, but more so, undisguised impatience and... a resurgent sense of superiority.

Next was the English representative, who tried to maintain his usual composure, but his furrowed brow and the undisguised contempt in his eyes as he surveyed the shabby surroundings betrayed his true feelings.

The German and Soviet representatives also got off the bus, their expressions equally grim.

The journey was anything but pleasant.

For the sake of secrecy and security, they could not take the relatively flat main roads, but could only proceed along hidden paths and mountain village dirt roads.

The journey was extremely bumpy and nerve-wracking.

What I saw along the way were still impoverished villages, emaciated people, and rudimentary fortifications...

Everything was not much different from the "backward" and "poor" China they had in mind.

This caused the "foreign masters," who had been forced to curb their arrogance somewhat due to the Beiping Incident, to unconsciously rekindle their sense of superiority.

The Eighth Route Army is still the same Eighth Route Army!

It was only through some ingenious schemes or a few special pieces of equipment that Shen somehow acquired that they managed to win a few brilliant sneak attacks.

They did not deny the abilities of some of the Eighth Route Army generals.

For example, the person who came up to us was a rare talent!

However, the gap in overall national strength, military power, industrial base, etc., remains as vast as an insurmountable chasm.

The representatives from the four countries all raised their necks in unison.

Like... a proud swan!