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

"Has the information been verified?" The deputy commander stopped and asked in a low voice.

"It's been verified." The chief in charge of intelligence nodded. "The Japanese deliberately spread this information; they had no intention of hiding it. Three days later, they'll be executed by slow slicing..."

"Bang!" A hot-tempered CEO slammed his fist on the table, making the teacup bounce around.

"These beasts are going too far! This is clearly a trap they've set for us!"

"Calm down!" The chief of staff took a deep breath and pointed to Beiping on the map:

"The Japanese North China Area Army headquarters is right there. This public execution will definitely be a surprise attack by a large force. This is... not a good situation!"

"Are we just going to stand by and watch our three comrades suffer this torture?" Another boss's eyes turned red.

The deputy commander's gaze sharpened, and he suddenly asked, "By the way, was the assassination attempt at the execution ground yesterday carried out by our men?"

The leader in charge of the Northern Bureau immediately shook his head, his face also showing confusion: "No, we did organize an action team at the time, preparing to seize an opportunity to rescue them."

"But before we could even make a move, someone fired first, and their method of shooting... was very strange!"

"What's so strange?" the chief of staff asked hastily.

The leader of the Northern Bureau looked at him strangely: "That guy first shot the Japanese sergeant in the head, but the second shot missed, and then he disappeared quickly. The whole process was clean and efficient."

"We've been searching for a long time, but we still don't know which hero it is."

Upon hearing this, the vice president's eyes flashed with admiration: "Whoever it was, to strike that right in the heart of the Japanese is a hero! That was a satisfying blow!"

The other bigwigs also nodded in agreement.

That was the headquarters of the North China Army!

Although only one Japanese soldier was killed, it was a resounding slap in the face!

After the praise, the topic returned to the harsh reality.

"So now, should we save them or not?" The vice president's gaze swept over every bigwig present.

A rescue would inevitably come at a heavy cost, and the entire rescue team could very well be wiped out.

If we don't rescue them, the three comrades will die tragically, and the blow to morale will be immeasurable.

For a moment, silence fell over the command center.

This is not a easy decision to make.

"Beiping is a thousand miles away from Shanxi Province, and there is simply not enough time to organize an elite team to provide rescue."

The chief of staff looked at the map of North China with a solemn expression.

"If we want to carry out a rescue, we can only use the personnel who were originally stationed in Beiping."

"This time, the enemy has clearly set a trap. If things go wrong, the entire underground intelligence network in Beiping will be destroyed."

The intelligence chief nodded: "The chief of staff is right. The intelligence network in Beiping is something we built at great cost. If it is uprooted, the loss will be too great."

In war, intelligence is often the top priority.

The intelligence network located at the North China Army Headquarters was the most important of all the intelligence networks.

The experts took turns offering their opinions, continuously analyzing the pros and cons.

Emotionally, everyone naturally wanted to go to the rescue, and even the bosses wished they could carry guns and charge into the rescue themselves.

But rationally speaking...

Finally, the deputy general slowly spoke: "Tell the comrades in Beiping to be prepared to save them if possible. If things are hopeless, in the critical moment, let our comrades... die a quick death."

Upon hearing this, the other executives instantly understood what the vice president meant.

Even if we can't save them, we must never let our comrades suffer this torture.

"Sigh!" The chief of staff sighed.

"That's the only way!"

……

three days later.

The front gate tower of Beiping City.

The sky was overcast, with dark clouds hanging low.

The open space under the Qianmen Gate has been cleared out to create an execution ground.

Ding Zhijian, Meng Guanglin, and Sha Zhenjiang were escorted to the wooden stake in the center of the field with their arms tied behind their backs.

The three men were ragged and covered in wounds, but their spines remained straight, showing no fear whatsoever.

Surrounding the execution ground was a small squad (about 60 men) of Japanese military police.

In places unseen by the naked eye—behind the surrounding houses, alleyways, and makeshift bunkers—an entire military police battalion (approximately 1100 soldiers) was already in ambush.

The Beiping Military Police consisted of only three battalions, equivalent to the size of a regiment.

This time, Abe Sho (commander of the military police) directly mobilized one-third of the entire military police force.

However, precisely because of this, Abe Sho did not notify the garrison to provide assistance.

In Abe Sho's view, a military police battalion was enough to handle everything and ensure that nothing went wrong.

"Yamaguchi-kun, do you think... those cowardly rats will dare to come today?" In a nearby two-story building facing the street, Abe Sho held binoculars with a slight smile on his lips.

Adjutant Ken Yamaguchi bowed slightly: "Commander, in my opinion, they are most likely too afraid to come. We have set up such a formation, unless they want to walk into a trap and be completely wiped out."

"Chinese people can be foolish at times, but they can also be surprisingly 'pragmatic' at other times."

"Hmph," Abe Sho put down his binoculars, "If they don't come, I'll slice these three communist traitors to pieces right in front of all these 'good citizens'! I'll do it for three days and three nights, and see if they can endure it!"

What is an open conspiracy?

This is a calculated, open strategy!

They faced the danger of total annihilation if they tried to save them.

If we don't provide aid, it will severely damage morale.

No solution!

……

On the other side, several key members of the Beiping underground intelligence group, mixed in with the onlookers, felt their hearts sink to the bottom.

Team leader "Old Chen" lowered the brim of his hat and subtly glanced around.

Although he couldn't know the exact number and location of the ambushers, his intuition, honed over years of underground work, still made him notice some details—

For example, the fleeting reflections in certain windows, or the overly standard posture of some "casual passersby"...

All of this told him that this place was a den of dragons and tigers, fraught with danger!

"Old Chen, something's not right around here!" a young team member whispered.

Old Chen nodded.

"Notify all teams to abandon the original rescue plan! Once the execution begins, find an opportunity to give them a quick death..."

This was the final order from headquarters, and also the cruelest and most helpless choice.

……

Time passed by, second by second.

As noon approached, the sky grew increasingly overcast.

Abe Sho glanced at his pocket watch, then looked around the motionless execution ground, his contempt growing stronger.

He adjusted his gloves and sneered at Ken Yamaguchi, "Looks like I overestimated them!"

"In the end, they're just a bunch of cowardly rats, only daring to snipe from the shadows. When it comes to real combat, they're too scared to even retreat into their burrows. It's truly...disappointing!"

Abe Sho then turned to his adjutant and ordered, "Since the fish won't take the bait, let's change it!"

"Give the order to prepare for the execution! Remember, take it slow, cut him one slice at a time. When fishing, the most important thing is patience."

"Hey!"

Ken Yamaguchi bowed and accepted the order, then gestured to the executioner in the center of the execution ground to prepare for the execution.

A Japanese executioner dressed in bizarre clothes and wielding a specially made knife, with a cruel grin on his face, walked toward Ding Zhijian, who was tied to a wooden stake.

He picked up a thin, willow-leaf-like knife and gestured at Ding Zhijian's chest, seemingly searching for the spot to make the first cut.

Ding Zhijian's eyes widened in fury, and he spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva: "You little devils! Give me a quick death! Twenty years from now, I'll still kill you beasts!"

A collective gasp of dismay and suppressed sobs escaped from the crowd.

Old Chen and several underground team members had already secretly pulled the triggers hidden inside their clothes, their eyes fixed on the executioner's movements, ready to carry out the final order.

The executioner raised his gleaming dagger, about to bring it down—

At this critical moment!

Rumble—!!!

The earth suddenly began to tremble!

Immediately afterwards, a roar they had never heard before came from afar, approaching rapidly!

What was that sound?

"An earthquake?"

"No! It's over there!"

The Japanese soldiers on the execution ground stirred, and the crowd of onlookers quickly dispersed.

Abe Sho suddenly stood up and rushed to the window.

Under Abe Sho's bewildered gaze, all he saw was a dark green, unprecedentedly designed steel war machine, moving with an overwhelming and unstoppable force—

Heading towards the execution ground... hurtling towards it!

Shen Wang has arrived!