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

To govern the city.

Shen Wang sat at his desk, holding the reply telegram from headquarters in his hand. Looking at the densely packed orders on it, he was both amused and exasperated.

Good guy!

The headquarters' move was even bigger than he had imagined.

Not only did they directly expand his Flying Tigers Guard Regiment into a full-strength guard brigade of 5,000 men, but they also clearly arranged the chemical defense company, the air patrol team, and the three blockade lines ten miles outside the city.

He couldn't help but laugh and shake his head, muttering under his breath, "A guard brigade? If Okamura tries to assassinate me a few more times, will the higher-ups have to send out a whole guard division?"

You mustn't tell, you really mustn't tell!

Shen Wang knew the bosses' personalities all too well; they were capable of doing something like this for his safety.

Knock knock knock.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in."

Shen Wang put down the telegram and looked up.

Old Wang, the garrison commander of the city, pushed open the door and walked in. His military uniform was still covered in dust, and his face was full of guilt and self-reproach.

Upon entering, he gave Shen Wang a crisp military salute, bowing deeply: "Mr. Shen, I've come to apologize to you!"

"This infiltration of the Japanese special forces team into Zhicheng was my dereliction of duty; my security work was inadequate. I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate!"

Old Wang is a true veteran of the Red Army, a fierce general who fought his way through the snow-capped mountains and grasslands. He is a skilled fighter and has a straightforward personality.

After such a major incident, he didn't sleep a wink all night. First, he led his men to search the entire city for the remaining spies, and then he immediately came over to apologize.

He knew better than anyone else that among the dozens of counties and main cities in Shanxi Province, only Zhicheng had a special garrison command, specifically to safeguard Mr. Shen's safety.

Now that the Japanese have reached Mr. Shen's courtyard gate, he, as the garrison commander, cannot escape blame.

"Alright, Commander Wang, please have a seat."

Shen Wang got up, waved his hand, and poured him a cup of hot water.

"This is not your fault. Okamura risked the entire North China military force to cover up the assassination attempt. Yamamoto's special operations team was a highly trained elite unit specializing in infiltration and stealth, making it impossible to defend against."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "However, this incident did expose the soldiers' laxity and loopholes in patrols."

"We've been eating too much braised pork; it's time for a serious overhaul. The team's vigilance must be heightened."

"Yes! Don't worry, Mr. Shen!"

Commander Wang suddenly stood up straight, patting his chest: "I'll go back and immediately reorganize the garrison and redeploy the defenses. If even one more enemy manages to sneak into the city, I'll offer my head to you!"

"Sit down, sit down, don't be so formal."

Shen Wang smiled and reassured the fierce general.

This guy is on par with Li Keqiang, a true founding father of the People's Republic of China!

After exchanging a few more words, Shen Wang smiled and saw Commander Wang out.

Commander Wang saluted again, turned and strode away, his steps almost swift, clearly eager to get back and reorganize his troops.

After seeing Commander Wang off, Shen Wang walked out of the courtyard and looked up at the sky.

The eastern sky was already tinged with the pale light of dawn, the dim light dispelling the darkness of night, and the morning breeze carried a touch of the unique coolness of the Taihang Mountains.

Having spent a sleepless night experiencing a thrilling assassination attempt, Shen Wang felt little fatigue; instead, he had plans in mind.

"It's time to go back to the future."

He swore that he was not frightened by the assassination attempt and that's why he hid in the future.

Okamura's assassination plan completely failed, Yamamoto's special forces were wiped out, and the 250,000 troops at the front line failed to advance an inch.

This battle won't last long.

I believe that in a few more days, once Okamura doesn't receive any news from Yamamoto, he should call it quits.

If the fighting continues, the Japanese in North China will truly be wiped out completely.

There won't be any major battles in southeastern Shanxi for the time being.

I'll take advantage of this break to go back to the future.

Jiaodong City has been acquired, and the port, dock, and airport are under construction.

The base area in Jiaodong was also expanding rapidly, and the comrades there were in urgent need of weapons and equipment.

Shen Wang plans to hold a big lottery when he gets back.

With nearly a million military merits, even without the guaranteed ten-pull, he could squander them.

If you're lucky, you might even draw an even more advanced weapon and prepare another "surprise gift" for Okamura.

. . .

2025.

Jingzhou Department Store, conference room.

At both ends of the long conference table, cigarette butts piled up like small mountains in the ashtrays, and the murky smell of smoke mixed with the smell of cold tea lingered in the enclosed space.

The financial statements spread out on the table were crumpled, and the loss figures marked in red pen were painful to the eyes.

General Manager Zhou Jianmin tapped on the table, cleared his hoarse voice, and broke the deathly silence in the room.

"Everyone, I've gathered you all here today for one thing: Jingzhou Department Store is at a critical juncture, facing a life-or-death situation."

Zhou Jianmin picked up the report in front of him and emphasized the numbers on it: "For eight consecutive months, the turnover has declined by 47% year-on-year, and last month alone, we suffered a loss of 12 million."

"The finance department just finished calculating that, after deducting accounts payable to suppliers, the company's working capital is barely enough to pay the basic salaries of employees next month."

As soon as he finished speaking, even the breathing in the conference room became quieter.

Those present were all senior executives of Jingzhou Department Store. Everyone knew that this long-established state-owned enterprise with a 60-year history was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Offline stores have been devastated by e-commerce, online stores are barely surviving, supply chains are aging, and staff are bloated. Problems that have accumulated for more than a decade have finally come to a head this year.

All eyes turned to the seat at the bottom of the conference table.

Sitting there was Qin Ran, who had just been appointed acting executive vice president a few days ago by a joint document issued by the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department and the Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

At the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, he wore a well-tailored black suit, his long hair was neatly tied back, and his face had little expression. His cool and aloof eyes conveyed a sense of distance that kept strangers at bay.

When the appointment document was issued, the entire Jingzhou Department Store was in an uproar.

No one knew who this young General Manager Qin was. All they knew was that the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission had said that Qin Ran's arrival was to lead Jingzhou Department Store out of its predicament and revitalize this long-established state-owned enterprise.

However, in the three days since Qin Ran took office, apart from going through the company's financial statements and operational data, she has done almost nothing.

Zhou Jianmin looked at Qin Ran, forced a smile, and broke the silence: "President Qin, you are the backbone sent by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. Now that the company has reached this point, please say a few words to everyone and point out the direction."

Qin Ran raised her eyes, about to speak.

"Ding—Ding—"

The phone on the corner of the table suddenly started vibrating wildly, accompanied by a special notification ringtone that sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silent conference room.

It wasn't that Qin Ran forgot to silence her phone; rather, there was only one person in her entire contact list whose messages she had set to the highest level of special alert.