You were tasked with guarding the Sihang Warehouse, and you brought out a Tiger tank?

The group strolled along the bluestone-paved streets of Qibao Town.

The residents of the town who could run away had already fled, and there were very few pedestrians. When they saw Lin Feng's soldiers starting to build fortifications in the town, the few remaining people also ran away.

As Lin Feng walked, he quickly sketched a simple map in his notebook. This was a new skill he had unlocked after transmigrating—map-based work—by reading books, exploring the original owner's memories, and consulting with the system soldiers.

"This building," Lin Feng pointed to a pawnshop on the street corner with a "Jufengde" sign, its towering firewalls particularly eye-catching, "is it a brick and stone structure?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Corporal Ding quickly introduced, "This is owned by Liu, the richest man in town. The walls are very thick, all made of blue bricks and glutinous rice mortar. It is said that even the bandits' cannons could not break through them."

Lin Feng walked over, took a rifle, and slammed the butt of the rifle against the wall twice, making a dull thud.

"Good stuff." He marked it on the map. "This can be used as a stronghold for the Second Battalion. Set up a heavy machine gun and place a mountain gun behind the second-floor window. It will block this intersection perfectly."

Then, he pointed to a rather grand-looking teahouse across the street: "What about that one?"

"It's made of wood, all wood, and the carvings are beautiful."

"What good is being pretty?" Lin Feng shook his head and crossed out the map. "One incendiary bomb or one artillery shell from the Japanese and this will be a crematorium. Order that no troops be stationed in this building, only observation posts. Once the fighting starts, evacuate immediately."

We walked, looked, and drew along the way.

Lin Feng memorized all the locations: where there were basements to hide soldiers, where there were dead ends to set up ambushes, and where the walls were weak and needed reinforcement.

When Lin Feng reached a two-story Western-style house with a courtyard at the west end of the town, he stopped.

"Whose house is this?"

"Oh, this is a comprador's villa in the countryside. He's long since moved to the foreign concessions," Corporal Ding said. "There's a large wine cellar downstairs, quite deep."

"wine cellar?"

Lin Feng's eyes lit up, and he immediately led his men inside.

Pushing open the heavy oak door to the basement, a rich aroma of wine wafted out.

The shelves were filled with dusty bottles and jars, including red wine, brandy, and even several cases of high-proof vodka.

"My goodness, how much is this worth?" Zhao Yushu stared at the foreign liquor, his eyes wide and his Adam's apple bobbing.

Lin Feng casually picked up a bottle of vodka, checked the alcohol content, and smiled.

"Not bad, that's strong enough."

He turned around and shouted to the messenger behind him:

"Go and call a team of laborers to carry all the wine out for me."

"Brigade Commander, are you... going to treat the whole army to drinks?" Zhao Yushu was completely bewildered.

Thinking that low-alcohol beverages would probably be unsuitable as Molotov cocktails, Lin Feng subconsciously responded:

"Keep the lower-proof ones for everyone, and give the higher-proof ones to the Japanese!"

Lin Feng's idea was to mix gasoline and high-proof liquor, add some sugar and natural rubber obtained from the system to increase viscosity, plug the bottle with a strip of cloth, light it, and throw it out.

He picked up a bottle of brandy and tossed it around:

"If this thing hits a Japanese tank, it can roast the Japanese soldiers inside into suckling pigs; if it hits a group of infantry, it will turn into a sea of ​​fire that can't be put out."

Zhao Yushu looked on with a puzzled but impressive expression: "This can actually work?"

"I'll have someone make a finished product later, then you'll know whether it works or not."

Stepping out of the wine cellar, Lin Feng looked up at the dim sky.

This place is very close to Shanghai. The Japanese warships anchored in the Huangpu River and the open sea can easily cover this area with their large-caliber naval guns.

Once spotted by Japanese observation balloons or reconnaissance planes, a single 203mm naval gun shell could level half a football field.

The troops cannot be concentrated too much; they must be dispersed.

After setting up the defenses and positioning the two artillery battalions, the final step was to select a location for the command post.

"Let's go there."

He pointed to the Western-style building: "I'll set up my command post in the underground wine cellar, install the radio and telephones there, camouflage the antennas by hanging them on the trees outside, and connect the telephone lines to the command posts of each battalion and to all the observation points."

Everything is arranged.

Lin Feng walked into his underground command post and, by the light of the kerosene lamp, drew a circle on the map with a pencil to indicate the location of Qibao Town.

"Qibao Town...this will be the battle where our Third Security Brigade makes its name."

He raised his wrist and looked at the watch he had taken from Zhao Dashan.

"Everyone to your positions, the show is about to begin."

-----

Colonel Tatsuhiko Tsuda, commander of the 149th Infantry Regiment under the 101st Division, rode a tall Japanese horse with his ancestral samurai sword at his waist. His right hand, gloved in white, gripped the reins tightly, while his left hand habitually stroked the neatly trimmed mustache on his lips.

His gaze was somber, like the gloomy sky.

Frankly speaking, the 101st Division, as a special division (reservists converted to active duty), performed in this battle in a way that can only be described as disastrous.

Originally, when the mobilization was underway in China, the newspapers boasted every day about "conquering Great Xia in three months" and "the Chinese army being utterly invincible," as if as long as they charged with bayonets, the Great Xia army on the other side would scatter and flee like frightened rabbits.

The results of it?

Reality slapped all the arrogant people hard across the face.

The 101st and 149th Regiments, as fresh troops, were immediately thrown into the siege of Dachang Town as soon as they disembarked.

That place was a veritable meat grinder. The Great Xia army on the other side was not the "sick man of East Asia" as the propaganda claimed. Relying on the ruins, they used their flesh and blood to withstand the Imperial Army's artillery fire, fighting to the death without retreating.

What Tsuda Tatsuhiko found most humiliating was that Colonel Kano Haruo, the commander of the neighboring 101st Regiment, that arrogant fellow, was riddled with bullets by the defenders of Daxia during the Battle of Dachang and died on the spot.

The death of the regimental commander was a rare disgrace in the history of the Imperial Army.

"That idiot Ghana only knows how to charge like a wild boar."

Tsuda Tatsuhiko sneered inwardly, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, but more so wariness.

Although the Imperial Army finally captured Dachang after a fierce battle, cutting off the defenses of the Daxia army, the 149th Regiment also paid a heavy price.

Now, the only elite force he has left that can maintain full combat effectiveness is this reinforced battalion.

Even so, Colonel Tsuda still volunteered to the division commander, Lieutenant General Masayoshi Ito, to take on the mission of flanking maneuvering.

Why?

To wash away the shame, and even more so for that glittering star of generalship.

He's been stuck at the rank of colonel for far too long.

If we can successfully infiltrate the flank of the Great Xia army and cut off their retreat, or drive a nail into the strategic point of Qibao Town, it will be a great achievement.

At that time, he will leap over the dragon gate and be promoted to major general, which will be just around the corner.

Of course, the premise is that one cannot be as unlucky as Haruo Kano, who was beaten to a pulp before he could enjoy military merit.

"Full of aggressive desires, as volatile as fire; yet one must also be as cautious as a fox."

This is Tsuda Tatsuhiko's way of war!

Just then, dust billowed up ahead, and a communications soldier galloped up on horseback, reined in his horse in front of Tsuda, dismounted, and stood at attention in salute.

"Reporting to Colonel, the advance reconnaissance team reports that the troops are about to arrive at Qibao Town."

"How is the situation?" Tatsuhiko Tsuda asked, slightly pulling on the reins.

"According to the investigation, there is a river blocking the way outside Qibao Town, and only one stone bridge can connect to it."

The enemy appeared to have been prepared, having erected barbed wire and makeshift fortifications outside the town and at the bridgehead. Based on observed signs of activity, the initial assessment was that the defending force numbered over one hundred.

"Oh? There are garrison troops?"

Tatsuhiko Tsuda raised an eyebrow, a disdainful smile playing on his lips.

"They're probably some ragtag troops that were urgently dispatched from somewhere, or maybe a local security force."

He was making plans in his mind.

After the fall of Dachang, the main force of the Central Army of Daxia retreated to the Songhu city area and the Suzhou River defense line west of the city. Now, what elite troops can be left in the southeast direction of the city?

At most, they were just a bunch of beggar troops carrying old rifles and not even able to put together complete uniforms, abandoned here as expendable pawns in an attempt to slow down the Imperial Army's advance.

Tatsuhiko Tsuda raised his right hand and glanced at the watch on his wrist.

3:30 p.m.

"The sun will set in about three hours."

He drew his command sword, pointed forward, and said with great pride:

"Pass down the order to have the mountain artillery squad and infantry artillery squad immediately construct firing positions. Order the 2nd Company to lead the charge, and the 1st Company to cover the flanks."

"Tell the warriors to hurry up. Let's try to have dinner in that town tonight. I'll celebrate our victory with Chinese wine."

"Hai."

The communications soldier responded loudly and turned to relay the order.