Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

Inside the valley, the bugle call for the 323rd Division's general offensive had sounded, and countless soldiers charged into the valley like tigers descending the mountain, reaping the fruits of victory.

The surrounded Japanese soldiers had long lost their ability to resist. They were like ants on a hot pan, running around in all directions, pushing and shoving each other, and some even used knives to save their lives.

The command system was completely paralyzed. No one organized resistance, and no one could control the chaotic soldiers. Everyone was fleeing for their lives, and as they fled, they became corpses.

The soldiers of the 323rd Division were divided into groups of three, forming a battle formation. They would open fire on any Japanese soldiers they saw, cooperating with each other and working as efficiently as a sophisticated killing machine.

Outside the command post, Chi Fengcheng was shocked by the scene before him. He had fought all kinds of battles in his life, including tough battles, fierce battles, and battles that wiped out entire families, but he had never seen such an easy encirclement and annihilation battle. The Japanese soldiers seemed to have been reduced to mere chickens and dogs.

So professional, so fast! This is a truly world-class military force. Seeing is believing, and seeing is even better than hearing about it.

Chi Fengcheng and the Northwest Army were utterly shocked and secretly rejoiced that it was an allied force; otherwise, their 31st Division would not have stood a chance.

"This is truly a formidable force! With such a powerful army, the nation and the people are truly exceptional! I, Chi, am filled with admiration!"

After showing off his skills, Zhao Yunwen started to show off:

"It was just luck. The Japanese were too arrogant, underestimated the enemy, and advanced recklessly, which is why they fell into the ambush. The 31st Division also deserves credit; it was a victory for us all!"

Chi Fengcheng didn't find these words pretentious at all. He had already made up his mind not to be enemies with the Tiger Legion. If there were another war in the Central Plains and he encountered Zhao Yunwen's troops, he would simply avoid their sharp edge; there was no shame in it.

"Commander Zhao is too modest. The 31st Division was merely acting on your orders and was used as bait."

Chi Fengcheng was an upright man. In his view, the Tiger Army was the only force that won the battle, and the 31st Division was not even a part of it.

Zhao Yunwen didn't say anything more, leaving it at that. As long as he could shock the men of the Northwest Army, that would be enough. He believed that Shi Fengcheng would know what to choose by using both kindness and force.

He didn't want to resort to these petty tricks, but the Chinese are prone to internal strife. The two sides belong to the Central Army and the Northwest Army systems respectively, and they often stab each other in the back. He still had to make sure that nothing went wrong on a major scale.

The encirclement and annihilation of the remaining enemy forces in the valley is nearing its end, and there will be no more suspense. This can be considered a warning to the Japanese. The real fierce battle is about to begin, and there will be no more shortcuts.

As the last Japanese soldier fell, Zhao Yunwen said with great interest:

"Commander Chi, the brothers have finished their work. Let's go down and take a look."

Chi Fengcheng said respectfully:

"I will follow Commander Zhao's arrangements."

"Commander Chi, please!"

After Zhao Yunwen finished speaking, he strode down the mountain, his steps steady as if walking on flat ground. It was clear that he was a trained fighter, with a stable lower body.

Chi Fengcheng was also a skilled martial artist with superb swordsmanship, and he rarely submitted to anyone. However, he suddenly had a feeling that even when it came to wielding a knife, he might not be a match for Zhao Yunwen.

When Zhao Yunwen and his men arrived in the valley, the battlefield had already been cleared. Qiu Fengzi, commander of the 323rd Division, loudly reported:

"Commander, I have successfully completed the mission. The brothers have finished the work."

They killed 2279 Japanese soldiers and captured 4 Type 92 infantry guns, 3 Type 94 mortars, 16 heavy machine guns, 108 light machine guns, 92 grenade launchers, over 1500 rifles, 2 radios, over 300 mules and horses, 82 warhorses, and a quantity of ammunition and supplies.

Unwittingly, this allowed Zhao Yunwen to show off once again. It must be said that Qiu Fengzi is technically skilled. After the battle results were reported, several mid- to high-ranking officers of the 31st Division were filled with respect.

This is almost the entire force and equipment of two and a half battalions, wiped out in one fell swoop, not even including the Japanese soldiers eliminated outside the gorge. Chi Fengcheng asked subconsciously:

"Were the casualties among our brothers high?"

Qiu the Madman raised his voice and said:

"Not much. By the time they charged, the Japanese soldiers' teeth had already been pulled out, and they were in a mess, offering almost no resistance."

The casualties haven't even exceeded one platoon.

Quiet, unusually quiet, Chi Fengcheng was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Killed more than 2,000 enemy soldiers, but lost 50 of their own? If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.

I had heard that the Tiger Legion was the strongest army in the world, but I never expected them to be so powerful. No wonder they slaughtered Japanese devils like pigs and dogs.

"It was just luck, nothing more. Such an exchange ratio is impossible to replicate. I'm also quite shocked; we usually don't achieve this level of exchange."

Zhao Yunwen was unusually modest, and Chi Fengcheng subconsciously asked:

"What's the normal value?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Yunwen said:

"It's really hard to say. If anyone wins by a score of 3 to 1 or less, I'm going to start yelling."

Do you think those Japanese devils' lives are worth as much as our brothers'? Three of them for one of us is already giving them a lot of face.

Qiu Fengzi couldn't suppress the smile on his face, thinking to himself:

The commander is getting better and better at showing off; these bumpkins in the Northwest Army have never seen the world.

Brigade Commander Wang Guanwu looked at Zhao Yunwen with awe, as he had previously harbored some reservations about being placed under the command of the Central Army.

Having achieved the desired effect, Zhao Yunwen got down to business:

"We were just trying to ambush the Japanese, so we didn't adjust our defenses. The real battle is about to begin."

Before the main force of the Japanese army arrives, we must hurry up and repair the fortifications. The previous ones are far from enough. At least one squad should have a shelter from artillery fire, and the artillery should also be hidden in the reverse slope tunnels.

If the Japanese wanted to control the valley, they had to take the mountains on both sides. The 323rd Division was responsible for defending the northern mountains, while the 31st Division was in charge of the southern mountains, with the Tiger Cavalry Regiment providing support from the outside.

Two requirements were set: first, all mountain paths had to be controlled to prevent the Japanese from outflanking and launching a surprise attack.

Another point is to maintain a sufficient reserve force. You can't just defend blindly; appropriate counterattacks are the key to victory.

从缴获的战利品中，再拿出12挺九二重机枪、50挺轻机枪、500支步枪、3门迫击炮加强给31师。

"Commander Chi, can you hold the southern front?"

Chi Fengcheng was surprised to receive another batch of equipment, which, combined with the previous ones, completely solved the problems of insufficient heavy firepower and insufficient guns and ammunition.

The Tiger Legion was strong, and the 31st Division was no pushover either. A surge of pride rose within Chi Fengcheng, and he loudly proclaimed:

"With my 31st Division here, the Japanese devils won't even think about crossing this line!"

"Very good. I have high regard for the combat capabilities of the 31st Division. The southern front is now in your hands."

Both sides have established good communication, and I will provide you with fire support when necessary. You are not fighting alone; the northern and southern fronts are interdependent. Only through close cooperation can we repel the powerful enemy.

Chi Fengcheng reiterated his position:

"Please rest assured, Commander Zhao, the 31st Division will fight wherever instructed, with absolutely no disloyalty, and will unite to resist the powerful enemy!"

Zhao Yunwen set up his command post on the reverse slope of Eagle's Beak Mountain, so that he could climb to the top and overlook the entire battlefield when needed, and easily command the two divisions to coordinate operations using the radio.

This place used to be the headquarters of the 31st Division. Now it can only be moved to Yanjia Mountain on the south side. The 31st Division is deployed along the mountain, and the cavalry regiment provides support in the open areas, so there is no need to worry about being outflanked by the Japanese.

After listening to some instructions, Chi Fengcheng led the 31st Division to relocate to the southern position. When they left, they took a lot of equipment and supplies with them, including 1000 entrenching tools suitable for digging trenches, which were even more useful than broadswords in hand-to-hand combat.

The 323rd Division was also busy repairing fortifications, something they were already used to. Zhao Yunwen, on the other hand, went into the command post to conduct war games with Qiu Fengzi, Ma Weilan, and others.

In another timeline, the reason for the fall of the gorge was that the Japanese soldiers took a shortcut and launched a surprise attack on the defending troops. Zhao Yunwen highlighted this issue during the war game simulation.

Qiu the Madman deployed his troops and took precautions to prevent any potential problems, ensuring that the northern front was completely secure.

At the 16th Division headquarters, Colonel Nambu returned defeated. Enraged, Fujie Eifu slapped him several times in front of everyone.

Still not satisfied, he cursed loudly:

"You idiot, are you a pig's head?!"

"As the art of war says, never enter a valley. But you went in with more than two thousand men, and not one of them came out alive."

This is a crime!

"Are you worthy of His Majesty's trust?"

"How can you face the families of the heroes back home?"

"How could you do this to me?!"

The last sentence is the key point. Colonel Nanbu bowed deeply and said:

"Commander, I have failed His Majesty and your trust. Please allow me to apologize to the Emperor!"

Lieutenant General Fujie sprayed Colonel Nambu's face with his saliva, the gist of which was that he didn't even have the right to commit suicide.

The chief of staff stepped forward to smooth things over, saying:

"Mr. Nanbu, get up from where you fall. A soldier's shame can only be washed away with the blood of the enemy."

Colonel Nambu volunteered for the mission, saying:

"Your Excellency Division Commander, please allow me to lead my warriors to capture the pass and atone for my sins."

Lieutenant General Fujie's expression softened somewhat, and he said in a deep voice:

"These are the real warriors. Tell me, how did you suffer such a crushing defeat? As far as I know, the 31st Division defending the gorge is just a ragtag force of a few thousand men, and many of them are still using broadswords."

"Commander, we've been deceived by the intelligence department. The garrison at the gorge is not the poorly equipped 31st Division at all, but our old adversary—the Tiger Legion!"

"What?! The Tiger Army! Didn't they flee to Xinyang?"