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

"Damn it, those Japanese devils are trying to kill us!"

An army of 100,000 men surrounded them from three directions.

The northern route pressed down along the Zhengtai Line, the southern route pushed up from the Zhongtiao Mountains, and the western route pushed eastward from Taiyuan. These three forces twisted into one rope, tightly strangling southeastern Shanxi.

"The 33rd and 41st Divisions came from the direction of Taiyuan, the 35th Division took the Zhengtai Line, and the 21st Division moved north from the Zhongtiao Mountains."

The vice president tapped across the map, his brow furrowing with each tap.

"The north and south routes are like two pincers, and the west route is like a hammer. They'll close in from three sides, driving us into the pocket that is Jinan. Once we get there, they'll surround us on all four sides and then dump 100,000 troops inside..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone in the room understood.

In the past, the bosses would naturally have been fearless.

They might even see it as an opportunity.

What can a hundred thousand troops do against hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles and thousands of rocket launchers?

It's not like we haven't fought before!

But now...

"How many troops are currently operational in southeastern Shanxi?" The deputy general turned around and looked at the general in charge of operations.

"At most... only two or three thousand people!"

The boss flipped through his notebook, read out a number, and lowered his voice as if afraid of being overheard.

"Most of the soldiers have contracted the plague. Even if they survive, they probably wouldn't be able to hold a gun steady on the battlefield in a short time!"

The room fell silent again.

It wasn't the kind of quiet where people could discuss things, but rather the kind of quiet where everyone knew how bad things were, but no one wanted to speak first.

The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered, casting the shadows of several people on the wall, dark and looming like mountains.

The vice president didn't say anything, he just stood there, staring at the red and blue arrows on the map.

His fingers tapped and stopped on the edge of the table, as if he had a game of chess in his mind, moving forward square by square.

After a long while, he spoke.

His voice was a little hoarse.

"Order: All units still capable of fighting, immediately organize a counterattack!"

"Fight the battles we can fight, defend the positions we can defend, hold them back, and don't let them advance an inch."

He traced a line on the map, extending halfway outward from Jinan.

"The troops south of the Zhengtai Railway, move quickly toward Quancheng. The guerrillas on the northern slope of Zhongtiao Mountain, keep a close watch on the 21st Division. Once you have a hold on, don't let go."

"The intelligence stations in the Taiyuan direction must report the movements of the 33rd and 41st Divisions at all times, every mile without interruption."

He paused for a moment, then finished speaking.

"Pass down another order—"

Everyone in the room looked up at him.

"Tell the brigade commander that if absolutely necessary, all equipment and supplies must be destroyed!"

"Tanks, artillery, ammunition depots, granaries—not a single bullet can be left for the Japanese."

"Even if we smash the things Mr. Shen gave us, we can't let the Japanese take them!"

The commander in charge of operations swallowed hard, as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back.

He lowered his head and wrote down the orders word by word in his notebook.

The chief of staff took off his glasses and slowly wiped them with the corner of his shirt.

His hands were steady, and he wiped very carefully, but after wiping, he would put it back on, put it back on, and take it off again, repeating this process several times.

Everyone knows what he's thinking. If it really comes to that, what he'll feel sorry for isn't the things themselves, but the anger he feels.

We've been fighting for so many years, and we've never been this extravagant.

We had tanks, cannons, and airplanes. We finally felt like we could stand up straight and fight the Japanese, but then a bucket of cold water was poured on us, chilling us to the bone.

The deputy commander-in-chief sat back down in his chair.

He didn't say anything more, just stared at the dense red and blue arrows on the map, his eyes unblinking.

After a long while, he suddenly sighed.

The sigh was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something. But everyone present heard it.

"The situation has just started to improve a little..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

When Jinan was captured, many people were so happy they couldn't sleep, feeling that good days were finally coming.

The afternoon the tanks rolled into the city, the streets were packed with people. Soldiers sat on the turrets, and the locals threw eggs and dates at the tanks, laughing from ear to ear.

The machines in the arsenal ran day and night, and shells were being piled into the warehouse one after another. The hospital was busy, but the busyness was worthwhile.

Land reform was being carried out in every village, with land being distributed and people carrying hoes to work in the fields. They felt proud and had a more confident attitude.

How long has it been?

If we can't win this battle, not only will we lose Jinan, but we'll also have to give up the entire southeastern Shanxi province.

"Back to square one!" one of the bosses muttered under his breath.

No one responded.

It's not that I don't want to answer, it's that I can't.

The phrase "going back to the way things were" sounds harsh, but upon closer inspection, it might actually be worse than before.

In the past, at least there were mountain gullies to hide in, people to hide with, and local people to protect you.

But now?

The plague was raging, the troops were sick, and the civilians were sick. There were already few people who could fight, and not many places that could be defended. And then the Japanese invaded with another 100,000 troops...

. . .

2025, Handong.

In the spacious apartment in Yuexi Bay, the curtains were drawn tightly, leaving only a dim wall lamp by the bedside.

The soft light spread across the bed, bathing everything in an ambiguous, warm hue.

Qin Ran leaned against the headboard, her hair loose, a few strands clinging to her cheeks, damp with sweat.

Her breathing hadn't completely calmed down yet; her chest was rising and falling as if she had just finished a long-distance run.

The blanket was haphazardly piled around her waist, revealing a section of her fair shoulder and collarbone, smooth and delicate, as if glowing.

She looked at Shen Wang sitting on the edge of the bed with a hint of resentment in her eyes.

"Junior...did you eat something...?"

Shen Wang smiled, leaned against the headboard, and reached out to tuck a strand of wet hair from her forehead behind her ear.

"Senior, I call this a special talent."

"Even extraordinary talent can't..."

Qin Ran bit her lip, swallowed the rest of her words, and a faint blush rose to her face.

She reached out and punched him lightly on the chest, the force soft and gentle, almost like a tickle.

"Did you do that on purpose?"

"What do you mean, intentional?"

"It's just... I clearly... but you still..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, and the last few words were almost muffled as she spoke.

Shen Wang looked down at her, a smile playing on his lips.

"Senior, I only used 80% of my strength just now."

Qin Ran's eyes widened.

"real?"

Why would I lie to you?

She stared at him for several seconds, and after confirming that he wasn't joking, she shrank further under the covers, leaving only half of her face exposed. Her eyes were filled with shame, anger, and a hint of resentment.

"You...did you hide your talents before?"

Shen Wang didn't answer, he just smiled.

His hand rested on her shoulder, his thumb slowly circling her collarbone.

A constitution of 20 points is twice that of an average person.

Not only strength, speed, and reaction time, but also endurance and recovery have doubled.

He didn't go all out in that match just now, but judging from his senior's condition, if he had really gone all out, he probably would have needed to call an ambulance.

"Senior, I have to go out tomorrow, so please don't come over for the next couple of days..."