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

"Sizzle—!"

The match head was rubbed against the phosphorescent paper once, but it didn't light. It was rubbed again, and then it lit.

The flame danced on the match head as he leaned closer, ready to light a cigarette.

"You smoker! Get the hell out of my way!"

A roar, like a thunderclap, exploded in the sky above the camp.

The young soldier paused for a moment, and the match in his hand went out.

He looked up and saw the logistics team leader standing next to the tanker truck, his eyes wide open and his expression as if he wanted to eat someone alive.

The young soldier shrank his neck, moved two steps to the side, squatted behind another rock, and took out another match.

However, before they could even row, the squad leader arrived.

They didn't walk over; they flew over.

With a flying kick, the sole of his foot landed precisely on the young soldier's buttocks.

The young soldier lunged forward, his face almost touching the ground. His cigarette fell out, his matches scattered, and he lay there, completely bewildered.

"You're smoking while others are cheering you on?"

The squad leader's voice was as loud as thunder, and everyone in the camp could hear it.

"Where's your safety awareness? Where's your discipline? Don't you know there can't be any open flames next to an oil tanker? If you smoke that one cigarette, our entire battalion will be airborne!"

The young soldier lay on the ground, his face pale with fright, unable to utter a single word.

The surrounding soldiers also fell silent, and no one dared to speak.

The squad leader was so angry that he immediately promoted him to officer.

"Are you fucking looking to die? It's not a big deal if you die, but these dozen or so brothers next to you, and this tank, will all be buried with you!"

"If you dare smoke in the gas station again, I'll skin you alive!"

The young soldier got up, dusted himself off, lowered his head, and whispered, "Yes, sir."

Then he slunk back to his spot, took all the cigarettes out of his pockets, and stuffed them into the bottom of his backpack.

The brigade commander watched this scene without saying anything, but his eyes became more serious.

too fast!

The military is expanding too fast!

In less than six months, they transformed from a ragtag group of soldiers wearing straw sandals and carrying broadswords into a heavily armored brigade driving tanks and eating self-heating rations.

This is far beyond what can be described as a complete upgrade!

"Once we take Jiaodong City, it seems we'll have to seriously address discipline and conduct issues!"

The brigade commander had already begun to make plans in his mind.

It's time for a cleanup!

. . .

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Beiping, at the headquarters of the North China Army.

It was already dark, but the lights in the corridor were on, casting a dim, yellowish glow on the gray walls and making the shadows long.

Gangcun had been standing in front of the map for almost an hour.

The message arrived that afternoon.

The Eighth Route Army fought its way out of Shanxi Province!

Okamura was not surprised.

Ever since Jinan was lost and the boy's lifeline was cut, he knew this day would come sooner or later.

If it were him, holding such a torrent of steel in his hands, he would also unleash it.

He would strike straight at the heart of the enemy, advancing along the Zhengtai Railway all the way to Beiping, and wipe out the stronghold of the North China Area Army.

To this end, Okamura made thorough preparations in advance.

He deployed three full divisions along the Zhengtai Railway.

They dug hundreds of kilometers of anti-tank trenches, buried countless anti-tank mines, and built hundreds of anti-tank bunkers.

They even borrowed two tank squadrons from the Kwantung Army.

They were just waiting for the Eighth Route Army to arrive, waiting for them to walk headlong into his trap.

However, the Eighth Route Army finally emerged, but instead of heading towards Beiping, they went east.

Okamura was a little confused.

Where are they going?

"Why did the Eighth Route Army, after leaving Shanxi Province, neither fight north nor south, but instead run east? What's in the east?"

The entire headquarters fell silent instantly.

All the staff officers looked at each other, and no one could answer the question.

"Mark their marching route!" Okamura said in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!" The staff officer immediately picked up a red pen and marked it on the map.

Anping Town, Wangjia Village, Heigouzi, Wangbaling, Liulin Town...

A series of red dots are connected on the map to form a straight line.

Starting from Zhicheng, heading east without deviating from its course, it leads directly to the Jiaodong Peninsula.

That's strange.

An advisor muttered to himself, twirling a pencil in his hand, his brow furrowed.

"They wiped out many small outposts along the way, but they didn't even glance at those county towns."

"The county seat is right next to Anping Town, but they went around it. There's also a county seat next to Liulin Town, but they still went around it. It doesn't seem like they intended to attack the county seat."

"Then what are they fighting?" another staff officer asked, his voice filled with an inexplicable confusion.

"Something's not right, something's really not right."

Okamura stared at the red line on the map, his brows furrowing even more.

"They didn't attack county towns, didn't loot supplies, and didn't expand their occupied territory. They just focused on running eastward. What was their purpose?"

"Who exactly is on the east side?"

What else is there to the east besides the sea?

"Commander, could this be a feint?"

One staff officer said, "They deliberately made it look like they were attacking Jiaodong to draw our attention, and then their main force suddenly turned around and attacked Beiping?"

"Possibly."

Another staff officer chimed in, "We cannot let our guard down; we should immediately strengthen the defenses of Beiping."

"That's right!"

"Now that the Eighth Route Army has come out, they're bound to take some action!"

Just as everyone was discussing this, a young Japanese officer in a corner whispered, "Commander, how about... we send the 32nd Infantry Regiment from Jicheng to probe their strength and see what they're up to?"

The moment the words were spoken, the entire headquarters fell silent.

Everyone turned around and stared at him as if he were a fool.

The officer felt extremely uncomfortable under their gaze, lowered his head, and dared not speak.

A senior staff officer sneered, his tone laced with sarcasm: "Send our infantry regiment to probe an armored brigade? How could you even think of that!"

"Was that a test? That was suicide!"

The officer's face instantly turned bright red, and he wished he could disappear into the ground.

Okamura's eyes suddenly lit up, and he abruptly looked up at the officer: "What did you just say? Say it again!"

The officer paused, then stammered, "Your...your subordinate said, was that a test? It's more like sending them to their deaths..."

"Not that sentence! The previous one!" Okamura said urgently.

"Send...send our infantry regiment to probe an armored brigade?"

"Armored Brigade!"

Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed in Okamura's eyes, and he slammed his hand on the table.

"That's it! An armored brigade!"

"Based on all the intelligence we've gathered, the Eighth Route Army only has 80 tanks and a few dozen armored vehicles in total, barely enough to form an armored brigade!"

Upon hearing this, some of the staff officers seemed to have realized something, and their eyes lit up.

"Commander, do you mean that the entire armored force of the Eighth Route Army has been deployed?"

"In other words, the current Shanxi Province..."