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

Eighth Route Army Headquarters.

The night enveloped the headquarters' mud-brick compound like thick ink, with only the footsteps of the sentries so faint they were like shadows.

The deputy general manager had barely fallen asleep for two hours when hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, followed by a guard's urgent knocking: "Deputy General Manager! Urgent telegram from the telecommunications department! Something terrible has happened in Jiaodong City!"

The kerosene lamp in the room was lit soon after.

The deputy commander, wearing a rough military overcoat, opened the door, his brows furrowed, his voice still hoarse from just waking up: "What's the panic? What are the Japanese up to now?"

"Big news! It's the granary!"

The guard, panting, handed over the telegram: "Twelve granaries south of Jiaodong City exploded and caught fire late at night, destroying hundreds of millions of kilograms of grain...it's likely all gone!"

"What?"

The telegram in the vice president's hand suddenly felt heavy.

He stared at the line of text for a full three seconds, as if he didn't understand it, before suddenly looking up.

"Hundreds of millions of kilograms? All burned?!"

"Yes, the telegram said the fire started inside the grain storage and was too late to put out; it's still burning."

The vice president's chest heaved violently as he gripped the telegram tightly, his knuckles turning white.

He turned around and slammed his fist on the octagonal table, causing the teacup on the table to jump up with a clatter, spilling tea all over the table.

"asshole!"

He called me a bastard, but I don't know who he was cursing.

"Go! Wake up the chief of staff and the division commander! They need to be in the operations room immediately for a meeting!"

In less than fifteen minutes, all the lanterns in the operations room were lit.

Several leaders rushed over, some even with their coats draped over their shoulders, some even buttoning their collars incorrectly.

Once everyone had arrived, the vice president slammed the telegram on the table and said in a deep voice, "Read it yourself!"

The chief of staff picked up the telegram, glanced at it, and his face instantly darkened: "Such ruthless methods!"

"Hundreds of millions of kilograms of grain! That was the Jiaodong Military Region's winter reserves, and the food supply for tens of thousands of dockworkers! And it was all burned in a single fire?"

The division commander next to him clenched his fists so tightly they cracked: "Twelve grain silos detonated at the same time. This was premeditated by professional agents. There must be a mole inside."

The atmosphere in the room was as heavy as lead.

After a moment, the chief of staff slowly spoke: "No need to think, it's definitely Okamura behind it!"

"In the past six months, we have been fighting more and more smoothly on the main battlefield. The Japanese can't get through the tough ones, so they changed tactics. Instead of fighting positional battles with us, they went behind enemy lines, carried out espionage, and bombed our supply lines."

"To put it bluntly, they're just copying our guerrilla tactics from back then, specifically targeting our weaknesses."

The vice president snorted coldly: "To be honest, this move really caught us off guard. The guards were all focused on preventing raids outside the city, and they didn't guard against the fact that the inside had been hollowed out."

"Two things are urgent."

The chief of staff raised his eyes, his tone resolute: "First, order the Jiaodong City Security Department to immediately seal off the entire city and thoroughly investigate the mole and hidden spies. Dig three feet into the ground to uncover this lead!"

"Second, issue a general order to all base areas of the army, and to all key units such as granaries, arsenals, and clothing factories, to immediately strengthen personnel screening and counter-espionage work, and to verify every vehicle carrying incoming and outgoing supplies. We must absolutely prevent a second incident like this from happening!"

The vice president nodded emphatically, his face still grim: "Investigate! A thorough investigation is necessary! Whoever is involved, they must be severely punished!"

But after the anger subsided, more pressing real problems weighed heavily on his mind.

The division commander sighed, his tone filled with undisguised worry: "Winter is just around the corner. Jiaodong is already remote, with difficult mountain roads, and the grain transportation cycle is long."

"With hundreds of millions of kilograms of grain suddenly gone, how will tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians survive the winter? The shipyard project has just begun, and the food supply for tens of thousands of workers will also be cut off."

"This gap is too difficult to fill."

The room fell silent instantly.

The flame of the lantern flickered, illuminating the solemn faces.

This fire burned not only the grain, but also the peace and stability of the entire Jiaodong base area for an entire winter.

After a long silence, the deputy commander finally spoke in a deep voice: "First, urgently transfer grain from the surrounding military regions as much as you can."

"Also... compile a clear summary of the situation and send it to Mr. Shen!"

The vice president paused when he said the last three words.

In this deadlock, perhaps only the all-powerful Mr. Shen has a way to break it.

……

at the same time.

North China Area Army Headquarters in Beiping

Okamura had already gone to bed when his adjutant came to the door and asked to see him in a low voice, his excitement barely contained.

He was already somewhat impatient, and as he put on his coat and came out to reprimand the officer, he heard his adjutant bow and say, "Commander! Good news! The Snow Agency's operation in the direction of Jiaodong City has been successful!"

Gangcun paused in his steps.

"What?! Say that again!"

"Report! Lord Guan Xue's plan to burn the grain was a great success! All twelve granaries south of the city exploded and caught fire, destroying hundreds of millions of kilograms of grain. The Eighth Route Army had no time to put out the fire!"

Okamura paused for a moment, then threw his head back and burst into laughter, the sound echoing loudly in the quiet corridor.

"Yo-ho! What a wonderful Guan Xue!"

He strode back to his study, took the detailed battle report, and became more and more satisfied as he read it.

"I originally thought it would take at least a month, but she only took seven days! She really didn't disappoint me!"

Several staff officers who rushed over upon hearing the news also looked delighted and echoed the sentiment.

"Congratulations, Commander! We've suffered setbacks and losses everywhere in Jiaodong over the past six months, but we've finally gotten our revenge!"

"Winter is just around the corner. Without food, I wonder how those tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians will survive. It won't be long before the Jiaodong base area descends into chaos!"

"Yes! This fire is more effective than wiping out an entire main regiment of the Eighth Route Army!"

"Even if Mr. Shen is incredibly powerful, he can't conjure up hundreds of millions of kilograms of grain in just a few days, can he?"

"Without food, all his weapons are just scrap metal!"

The Japanese soldiers chattered excitedly, each one more eager than the last.

I've been holding this in for far too long!

Okamura leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, a rare smile appearing on his face.

To be honest, since he took over as commander of the North China Army, he has probably only smiled a handful of times.

He spoke slowly, his tone tinged with a hint of smugness.

"The best way to deal with the Chinese is to use the Chinese to deal with the Chinese."

"Guan Xue understands people's hearts and knows how to use methods; she's a promising talent!"

When he defied public opinion and handed over the Snow Agency to a Chinese woman, it wasn't just because of her master's reputation; it was also a gamble.

In hindsight, he made the right bet.

"Pass on my orders!"

Okamura's smile faded, and his tone became serious: "Guan Xue has distinguished himself in battle and demonstrated excellent strategic planning; he is hereby promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, an exceptional promotion!"

"The Snow Agency will be expanded immediately, with priority given to personnel, funding, and equipment."

Everyone in the room was slightly startled.

Lieutenant Colonel?

How old is Guan Xue?

You should know that a lieutenant colonel in the Japanese army is no small rank.

The next step up is colonel, which is a high-ranking officer at the regimental commander level, and one of the most prominent in the entire North China Area Army.

This level of respect is simply beyond compare.

Looking out at the deep night, Gangcun's smile deepened.

The fire in Jiaodong City is just the beginning.

With Guan Xue as their sharpest weapon, the Eighth Route Army's rear areas would never have a peaceful day again.

……

Jiaodong City.

The sky is bright.

A young man arrived from outside the city.