Courtyard Houses: Longevity Since the War of Resistance

Fly? How do you fly?

Hot air balloon? How fast can a balloon fly?

Airplanes? Does China still have such powerful aircraft?

A personal flight? Isn't that a bit too far-fetched?

"How about we contact the Navy for coordination?" a staff officer suggested.

Mentioning the navy, several officers from the army in the conference room exchanged gloomy glances. A young officer with a colonel's star on his shoulder epaulets scoffed, his tone carrying the army's usual disdain for the seahorse deer.

"Why call the Navy? To have them help solve the case? These three incidents are so obvious: Jiangsu Province's problem lies in poor frontline operations, Zhejiang Province's inadequate air defense, and ours in Shanghai is a problem with internal security. It's clearly our respective responsibility! Calling the Navy over here just to laugh at us!!"

"That's not how it works." Another general, wearing a single-lensed glasses and exuding a more composed demeanor, looked up. He was one of the few with experience in joint operations with the navy. "These are turbulent times, and any force should..."

His words were interrupted by the sound of the conference room door being pushed open.

The person who entered wasn't from the army; he was wearing a dark blue naval uniform, with collar insignia indicating the rank of major, and his face wore a disdainful expression. He was a liaison officer stationed at the naval headquarters, and rarely appeared at such high-level, purely army-based meetings.

"Excuse me," the naval lieutenant commander said, but his actions showed little respect. "I just overheard you all discussing coordination. The Third Fleet Command asked me to convey the latest situation and some suggestions."

The army generals all stared at him, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

"The Third Fleet Command is aware of the recent fluctuations in the fighting situation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces." He used a very euphemistic term, but it was full of sarcasm. "The Fleet Command believes that if the Army is feeling overwhelmed in certain areas, the Imperial Navy is not incapable of providing more direct support. After all, defending occupied territories and ensuring the stability of the rear are also the Navy's responsibilities."

"More direct support?" The young army colonel couldn't help but ask sarcastically, "What, can your warships sail onto the dry land of northern Jiangsu? Or are your sailors going ashore to help us dig trenches?"

The naval lieutenant commander wasn't angry; instead, he smiled, a smile that was particularly irritating to the army officers: "Your Excellency is joking. The Imperial Navy possesses elite land forces, as well as sufficient transport and firepower projection capabilities. If the army needs assistance, such as rotating troops at key strongholds or helping to eliminate certain intractable problems, the Navy is happy to provide that. We can't just watch the front lines suffer repeated defeats, affecting the morale of the entire China Expeditionary Army, can we?"

This was practically a blatant insult: if your army is no good, our navy can come ashore and clean up your mess.

"Baka!" An older army colonel slammed his fist on the table, his face flushed. "What do you naval personnel know about land warfare? You're just hiding on your warships, pointing fingers and giving orders!"

"It's precisely because we understand that we know some things can't be done recklessly," the naval lieutenant commander retorted nonchalantly. "I heard they lost nine cities in one day? This kind of battle is indeed hard to understand."

Just as the argument was about to escalate, the lieutenant general, who had been silent all along, suddenly coughed.

The meeting room fell silent instantly.

The lieutenant general didn't look at the naval lieutenant commander, nor at his enraged subordinate. He stared at the table, his voice weary yet carrying an undeniable authority: "We appreciate the Navy's goodwill. The Army will handle matters on land. Please convey to the Third Fleet Command that guarding the seas is the greatest support we can give to the front lines. If any more warships go missing without a trace, Tokyo will likely be even more concerned."

This is a counterattack that is both soft and hard.

The naval lieutenant commander's smile faded slightly, and he bowed gently. "I will convey your message. Well then, farewell."

He turned and left, his blue military uniform standing out conspicuously among the uniform yellow woolen uniforms of the army, and it also carried away his arrogance.

After the door closed, there was a few seconds of deathly silence in the conference room, followed by a burst of suppressed angry curses.

"Deer! These sea creatures!"

"They're just here to laugh at us!"

"Go ashore to help? Bah! They're just trying to seize land-based rights!"

The general with the monocle sighed and looked at the vice admiral: "Sir, given the navy's attitude, I'm afraid what will happen next..."

"I know." The lieutenant general closed his eyes, rubbed his temples, and seemed to have aged several years in an instant. "The Navy wants to see the Army make a fool of itself, and even wants to extend its reach onto land. The conflict between the Navy and the Army in Kyoto will only complicate matters further."

He opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening once more. "Reply to Kyoto, using careful wording. Explain the seriousness and potential connections of the incidents in the three locations, hinting at an unusual threat, but avoid giving the Navy any grounds to attack our Army's incompetence. At the same time, request the dispatch of a high-level Special Higher Police investigation team. This must be a joint investigation team led by our Army; the Navy can send personnel to participate, but cannot take the lead."

"Yes, sir!" The staff officer quickly took notes.

"Furthermore," the lieutenant general added, his voice low, "send secret telegrams to Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, reminding them that not only is the enemy situation unclear, but they are also under great internal scrutiny and pressure, especially from other military forces. Tell them to maintain their composure, expedite internal investigations, but also be wary of anyone using this as an excuse to cause trouble."

The telegram has been sent.

But everyone knew in their hearts that it would take at least two or three days for the bureaucrats in Tokyo, who were wavering between the army and navy, to come to a conclusion after their wrangling.

..................

"I laughed triumphantly, laughed triumphantly."

If the Japanese are unhappy, then I'm happy, extremely happy.

I want to burst into song, "Find some free time, find some time, take the kids, and go home to visit often. Holy crap!"

Family?

northeast?

Damn it!!! We forgot about that beastly army!!!

The digital army, Shiro Ishii, the devil in the white coat, frostbite experiments, vivisections, and so on—those photos and numbers made me feel extremely uncomfortable in my past life, and I couldn't let go of them for a long time.

Nanshi and the Northeast are two events that any Chinese person who travels through time would want to change. Nanshi was late in 1942, but the Northeast was still there. I have to resolve things here as soon as possible and get to the Northeast.

"We must bring back a big gift."

Hey guys from the Northeast, hold on a minute. Let me take care of those bastards in Nanshi. This time, I'm willing to be quick.

Call me Fast Man, Fast Knife, Fast Gun.

"System, use your attempt to draw a skill."

[Ding! Random skill being drawn for the host]

[Drawing]

[Congratulations, host, you have acquired the skill: Search. Skill effect: Enter the target's name to obtain their location.]

[Congratulations, host, you have acquired the skill: Blade Nurturing Technique. Skill effect: The blade can nurture its killing intent without being sheathed; the longer it is nurtured, the greater its power.]

[Congratulations, host, you have acquired the skill: Sound Source Fog. Skill effect: Singing can summon a large amount of fog; the more enthusiastic you sing, the larger the fog becomes.]