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

Jin County.

The 41st Division's garrison.

The command post was filled with smoke. Division Commander Shimizu Kiku had been standing in front of the map for half an hour, motionless.

His military uniform was buttoned up neatly, but his face was ashen, his eyes were sunken, his cheekbones were prominent, and he looked much thinner.

Since the news of the annihilation of the 21st and 35th Divisions came, he hadn't had a full night's sleep.

Every night when I close my eyes, all I see are those two official roads burned white, and those charred, curled-up things that are indistinguishable from head to toe.

"Report!"

A communications officer rushed in, his voice shrill, his face deathly pale.

"A large-scale movement of the Eighth Route Army has been detected in the Taihang Mountains! At least one brigade is advancing from the east!"

Shimizu's fingers trembled slightly. Before he could speak, another staff officer barged in.

"Report! A large-scale movement of the Eighth Route Army has been detected in the direction of Quancheng! A large number of tanks and armored vehicles are advancing northward!"

Shimizu Kiku swayed and almost lost her balance.

Then, the third staff officer practically rolled in.

"Report! A large-scale mobilization of the Eighth Route Army has been detected in the Lüliang direction! At least tens of thousands of cavalry and infantry are closing in from the west!"

There was a moment of silence in the command center.

Shimizu Kiyokawa was dumbfounded!

Three armies from three directions pressed in simultaneously.

Shimizu Kiki's mind was buzzing, like a swarm of wasps swarming inside.

If it's just a large-scale troop movement, he can defend against it. He can fight if he can, and defend if he can't. If he really can't hold out, he can request reinforcements.

How can he defend himself against an attack from three sides?

Even if he holds firm and doesn't venture out, betting that the Eighth Route Army won't dare to bomb the county town on a large scale, that's not a long-term solution!

Shimizu Kiku's gaze fell on the map, moving from the Taihang Mountains to Jinan, and from Jinan to Lüliang. The three arrows looked like three knives, stabbing in from three directions.

Suddenly, as if grasping at a straw, he asked urgently:

"What about the south?"

Are there any Eighth Route Army troops to the south?

An advisor flipped through the intelligence in his hand and shook his head.

"To the south is the Zhongtiao Mountain, which is guarded by the 14th Army of the National Revolutionary Army. There are no abnormalities at the moment, and there is no sign of any troop movement from the other side."

Shimizu Kiki's eyes lit up.

Nationalist Army?

The National Revolutionary Army is great!

Moreover, the 14th Army was his defeated foe!

More than a month ago, they beat us so badly that we fled in panic like dogs!

"Retreat!"

Shimizu Kiku suddenly stood up straight, her voice rising with a resolute determination, as if she had nothing to lose.

"All troops, retreat! Break through towards Zhongtiao Mountain! Immediately! Right now!"

The staff officers were stunned for a moment, then scattered like ants whose nest had been disturbed.

The order was given, and the entire 41st Division's garrison instantly erupted into chaos.

The soldiers rushed out of the barracks, some buttoning their shirts, some looking for their guns, and some dragging their backpacks as they ran, cursing under their breath.

The Japanese officer rode his horse weaving through the crowd, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Turn around! Turn towards Zhongtiao Mountain! Quickly! Quickly!"

At first, the Japanese soldiers were a little confused, not knowing why they had suddenly turned around.

But when they learned that the Eighth Route Army was attacking from three sides, they were all in an uproar!

All the Japanese soldiers had only one thought in their minds—run!

Run as fast as possible, run as far as possible.

They all know how the 21st and 35th Divisions were wiped out.

By morning, two divisions had been burned to the ground.

No one wants to experience that kind of death a second time.

Furthermore, in order to avoid large-scale bombing, Shimizu Kiku ordered the entire division to disperse and advance independently in battalion units!

……

Meanwhile, at the 33rd Division's garrison.

Shozo Sakurai was having lunch when he received the intelligence.

Just as he was about to put a piece of pickled radish to his mouth with his chopsticks, the staff officer rushed in and said three sentences: "Taihang Mountains, Jinan, and Lüliang Mountains—the Eighth Route Army has surrounded us on three sides."

Sakurai Shozo's chopsticks stopped in mid-air. The pickled radish fell onto the table, rolled twice, and stopped on the edge of the table. He didn't pick it up or even look at it.

"What about the south side?" he asked hurriedly.

The question was asked in the exact same way as Shimizu Kiki, with the exact same tone and the exact same fear.

"To the south is the Zhongtiao Mountains, where the Nationalist army is stationed. There are no abnormalities at the moment."

Sakurai Shozo put down his chopsticks, stood up, and moved very slowly, as if checking whether his legs could still support his body.

Then he took a deep breath, his voice squeezed out from his throat, carrying a sense of relief at surviving a close call.

"Retreat! The entire army retreats!"

"Turn towards Zhongtiao Mountain."

"Break down into smaller units, organized into battalions, and beware of Eighth Route Army bombers!"

……

First Army Headquarters

Kazuo Shinotsuka stood by the window, looking at the sky outside.

The sky was very blue, so blue it was almost translucent, without a single cloud in sight.

His military uniform looked loose on him, like it was hanging on a clothes rack. He had lost so much weight in the past few months that his cheekbones were protruding, his eye sockets were sunken, and his chin was as sharp as a cone.

Over the past few months, this once-glorious commander of the First Army has become a complete loser.

He County was lost, southeastern Shanxi was lost, Quancheng was lost, the 36th Division was gone, and the 37th Division was gone too.

The first thing he does every morning when he wakes up is ask himself: Whose turn is it today?

Is it the 33rd Division's turn? Or the 41st Division? Or will it be his turn directly?

This can be considered a form of self-reflection.

Now, the answer has finally arrived.

"Report!"

When the staff officer came in, his face was as white as paper.

"Large-scale mobilization of the Eighth Route Army has been discovered on three sides: the Taihang Mountains, Jinan, and the Lüliang Mountains! The 33rd and 41st Divisions have begun their retreat towards the Zhongtiao Mountains."

After listening, Shinotsuka Kazuo remained silent for a long time.

His face showed no anger, no fear, not even surprise.

There was only a deep, bone-deep weariness.

Then he laughed.

The smile was gentle, carrying a sense of relief, as if the wait was finally over.

Finally, I don't have to wait to die every day!

The knife that had been hanging overhead finally fell!

"Retreat!"

"The entire army retreats!"

"The army headquarters, the 4th and 9th Independent Mixed Brigades, and the army reserve are to immediately advance towards the Zhongtiao Mountains!"

"Please note that this should be done in batches, by brigade!"

After saying that, Shinotsuka Kazuo plopped down in a chair.

It's as if all the energy and spirit have been drained from a person!

"After I got back... I resigned from headquarters and went home! I'm never coming back!"

……

As a result, the Japanese troops throughout northwestern Shanxi mobilized.

The group was scattered and hardly ever took the official road.

The Japanese soldiers were smarter this time and started moving through the mountains and forests.

In this way, even if the Eighth Route Army's bombers attacked, the trees would provide cover and greatly ensure their survival.

On the road, some Japanese soldiers lost their shoes and walked barefoot on the gravel road. Their soles were cut and bleeding, but they didn't care about the pain.

The artillery regiment abandoned its cannons, took off the draft horses and rode them themselves, leaving the artillery carriages abandoned by the roadside.

The supply corps was even more decisive. They overturned their wagons in the ditch, abandoning all their food, ammunition, and clothing, as long as they could get away faster.

As for why they didn't destroy those weapons and supplies, the Japanese had a very simple and straightforward idea.

The hope was that these "spoils of war" could delay the Eighth Route Army for a while!