Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

After the dinner, everyone went their separate ways.

After a quick wash, Chu Yunfei returned to his lounge.

He didn't fall asleep immediately, but lay in bed and closed his eyes.

Almost instantly, his consciousness was immersed in a world that only he could see.

A light blue, technologically advanced screen appeared silently before his eyes.

[Base Area Name: Shanxi Anti-Japanese Base Area (Core Area: Southeast Shanxi)]

[Current base level: Lv.max (Level 5 is the highest, and it unlocks the trait buff quest; completing it will grant a special buff)]

Current total population: 457 million

[Estimated Gross Domestic Product: 186 Million (Fiat Currency)]

[Current estimated total annual income: 3700 million (fiat currency)]

Current tax revenue capacity: 88%

[Currently estimated number of recruits: 11 (out of 44)]

[Current development status of the base area: 21 (out of 100)]

[Current pillar industries of the base area: tobacco industry; mining; military industry]

Current literacy rate: 50%

Current stability: 80%

[Special: Base area pillar industry resources increased by 10%, and work efficiency of all industries increased by 10%]

[Special buff missions for the current base are now available.]

[Mission Requirement: Submit "proof" (0/5) to an enemy faction officer of colonel rank]

After an autumn and half a winter, the data on the system panel showed a delightful change.

The southeastern Shanxi region, which forms the core of the economy, has successfully completed the special enhancement upgrade tasks previously released by the system, driven by the third pillar industry—the military industry: ① stability reached 70%; ② base area development score increased to 20; ③ tax revenue capacity reached 80%; ④ literacy rate reached 45%.

The Jin-Southeast base area has now reached the highest level assessed by the current subsystem and has launched a brand-new "characteristic enhancement mission".

As long as the mission requirements are met and "proof" from five enemy faction officers is submitted, a powerful base buff can be randomly selected to further improve production efficiency or obtain other unexpected benefits.

In addition, the population of the base area increased by more than 100,000 in just a few months.

The literacy rate also continued to climb due to the vigorous literacy campaign, reaching an astonishing 50%.

This means that once a full-scale war mobilization is carried out in southeastern Shanxi, the entire region will be able to provide him with more than 400,000 high-quality soldiers!
What excited Chu Yunfei even more was that the estimated GDP of the base area had soared from the original 140 million yuan to 186 million yuan.

Although the majority of this increased output value came from the military industry, and actual tax revenue did not increase significantly in tandem, this means that the war machine in North China has a more powerful "self-sustaining" capability.

If this momentum can be maintained, it is not impossible to gradually reduce over-reliance on the United States.

Thinking of the Americans, Chu Yunfei frowned slightly again.

The temporary halt to the North China offensive had nearly exhausted Stilwell's patience.

Recently, he has sent telegrams repeatedly, once again requesting the expeditionary force to cooperate with the US military in the island-seizing operation in the Pacific.

Chu Yunfei refused, citing that "the Japanese army still occupies a large number of islands and has a strong ability to defend in depth, and our army lacks experience in amphibious operations, so rashly participating in the war would result in too many casualties."

However, he did not simply shirk responsibility.

He stated that the expeditionary force was willing to assist the Allied forces in opening new battlefields in Southeast Asia, and could even help US allies launch a joint attack on the Philippines.

This attitude is quite respectful.

But Stilwell was not so happy.

After conquering Burma, the authorities in the mountain city refused the British army's request to redeploy troops, citing the "poor performance of their British allies."

Even with the United States mediating, Britain was only able to retain some of its interests in the Yenangyaung oil field.

This matter has already given Stilwell a huge headache.

Now that the Philippines is isolated overseas, even if Chu Yunfei's troops were to capture it, they would not be able to obtain effective maritime supplies.

Stilwell was well aware of the Chinese army's powerful ability to integrate and assimilate regions. He was really worried that if Chu Yunfei led the expeditionary force to stay in the Philippines and refused to leave, and if the mountain city caused any more trouble, then things would get really messy.

and so.

He dared not rashly agree to the proposal to open a new front in Southeast Asia.

The problem is that the US-aided task force is already stationed in Yangon, and the new naval base has been basically completed with US assistance.

Everything is ready. If we don't fight a war, wouldn't it be a waste of time to travel halfway around the world for tourism?
Just as Chu Yunfei was pondering how to proceed with the next round of maneuvering with Stilwell.

In a mountain city a thousand miles away, a conversation about the Jianghan War was quietly taking place inside the Chairman's residence.

……

Mountain city, Huangshan official residence.

Chang Ruiyuan stared at the red arrow on the map, which had penetrated deep into the heart of the Sixth War Zone, with a gloomy expression, remaining silent for a long time.

Although the Sixth War Zone was caught off guard at the beginning, it quickly organized an effective resistance and performed reasonably well.

But Chang Ruiyuan knew in his heart that under the Japanese army's long-planned all-out attack, the possibility of defeat in this battle was extremely high.

It is now the New Year, and if news of repeated defeats were to come, it would be a heavy blow to the morale of the entire nation's resistance fighters. This is not a good omen.

Chief of Staff Zhu Peiji stood to the side, carefully observing the situation, and then whispered a suggestion: "Chairman, for now, perhaps we can order the National Revolutionary Army in the Fifth War Zone, that is, in North China, to launch an offensive as well, in order to disrupt the overall deployment of the Japanese army."

Seeing that Chang Ruiyuan did not immediately object, he continued, "This is similar to the strategy you used when you ordered the Sixth War Zone to attack Yichang after the defeat in the Second Battle of Changsha, in order to attract the main force of the Japanese invaders to return to reinforce. This strategy was very successful."

Given the current strength of the Fifth War Zone, exerting pressure on Central China will inevitably affect the deployment of Japanese troops in the Jianghan Plain.

Chang Ruiyuan sighed, a look of weariness and helplessness on his face: "That makes sense."

"But in this battle, everyone can see that the Sixth War Zone is doomed to defeat. Letting other war zones launch an offensive would only delay the arrival of defeat and would not be of much significance, especially since our combat troops are already lacking in the ability to attack fortified positions."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Peiji also let out a long sigh, his tone carrying a hint of pleading: "Chairman, even if we ultimately fail, it shouldn't happen within half a month of you delivering your New Year's address."

"No matter what, we must hold out in the Sixth War Zone for a while longer to save face for the Party and the country."

These words struck a chord with Chang Ruiyuan.

He pondered for a moment and said to Zhu Peiji, "Go and talk to Cixiu in my name. Tell him that I hope he will request the support and assistance of the North China Joint Command in his dual capacity as the commander-in-chief of the Sixth War Zone and the head of the South China Joint Command."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Peiji shook his head: "Chairman, no."

"Oh?"

"The South China Joint Command and the North China Joint Command are in a delicate competitive relationship."

"If he were to ask for help, that alone would be enough to make the South China Joint Command no longer be able to compare with the North China Command in terms of prestige."

Zhu Peiji analyzed: "For the long term, it would be better for our aide-de-camp to send a telegram directly to the North China Front Army, to Chief of the General Staff, Commander Lin."

Chang Ruiyuan frowned, a look of worry on his face: "But what if we refuse to do it?"

A complex smile appeared on Zhu Peiji's face: "Chairman, you are overthinking it."

"If Commander Chen asks him for support, he might find all sorts of excuses to delay and weigh the pros and cons. But," Zhu Peiji's tone became incredibly certain, "if you ask him for support, he will definitely provide it!"

Furthermore, in order to minimize troop losses and to demonstrate the might of the Nationalist army in North China, he might very well personally go to the front lines and direct this supporting operation!

Chang Ruiyuan remained silent.

He gazed out at the pitch-black night for a long time before letting out a long sigh.

Yes, if he were to speak, how could his most prized student, his proudest warrior, possibly disappoint this old man?

But isn't this just another form of "whipping the fast ox"?

If it works well, use it to the extreme.

Even during the Lunar New Year, they weren't allowed a moment's peace.

This is neither reasonable nor ethical.

But it seemed to be his only option as the supreme leader. Thinking of this, Chang Ruiyuan subconsciously cursed, "Damn it!"
-
The Jianghan Plain, Xinchang area.

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, the piercing sound of gunfire shattered the tranquility of dawn.

The main forces of the Japanese 13th and 40th Divisions, like two giant iron pincers, launched a fierce concentric attack on the defense zone of the National Revolutionary Army's 118th Division from the east and west!
In an instant, bullets rained down and artillery fire raged.

The 118th Division and part of the Advance Army stationed in the Xinchang area put up a tenacious resistance, relying on the pre-prepared field fortifications and the water network terrain.

The battle lasted from dawn until dusk, with gunfire never ceasing.

The entire battlefield had become a mill of blood and fire.

As the battle raged until dusk, the defending forces paid a heavy price.

Except for Jiao Ziyuan's position, which was lost due to being attacked from three sides and outnumbered.

The remaining major positions were firmly in the hands of the Sixth Theater Command's combat troops.

However, the defending troops overlooked the seemingly calm and wide river surface.

In the early hours of the third day, just as the defending troops were exhausted and thought they were about to face another round of frontal assault,

Under the cover of darkness and river fog, a Japanese naval force quietly sailed south along the Yangtze River, like a silent dagger, precisely piercing the back of the Xinchang garrison!

In the blink of an eye, the situation changed drastically!

Besieged on both sides, with their retreat cut off!
The 118th Division's defenses collapsed instantly.

The division's directly subordinate units were defeated in the chaos, but some officers and soldiers broke through the encirclement in a desperate situation, broke into the rear of the Japanese army, broke into small groups, and launched guerrilla warfare.

The main force of the division, led by Division Commander Li Xuezheng, braved enemy bombing and strafing near Shishou to cross the Yangtze River and eventually returned to the 87th Army, but it was severely damaged.

On that day, the Japanese army completely occupied the Xinchang area, completing the key strategic task of blocking the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

Subsequently, Yokoyama Isamu left a portion of his main force to defend the north bank of the Yangtze River and block traffic, while the main force quickly turned around and encircled Wang Jinzai's troops, who were still struggling in the Fengkou area!

……

North China Joint Command, Operations Conference Room.

Unlike the bloody battles on the front lines.

The atmosphere here, however, was unusually calm, even tinged with optimism.

Chu Yunfei, Lin Wei, Zhang Dayun, and several core operations staff officers were conducting a war game exercise around a huge map showing the enemy and friendly situation in Central China.

Zhang Dayun silently lit a cigarette and handed the match to Regan Stone, the U.S. military attaché standing beside him. He took a deep drag amidst the swirling smoke before slowly expressing his opinion.

"In my personal opinion, although the battle on the Jianghan Plain was poorly fought, the strategic objectives of the Sixth War Zone have been basically achieved."

His voice wasn't loud, but it attracted everyone's attention.

"Judging from the current battle situation, Commander Chen has indeed listened to our previous advice." He pointed to the blue arrows on the map that were retreating step by step but had always maintained their complete organizational structure: "They did not choose to fight head-on, but instead used space to buy time, gradually depleting the Japanese army's manpower."

"Yokoyama Isamu may seem to be making rapid progress, but in reality, he has to pay a considerable price for every step he takes."

Stone nodded and echoed in slightly broken Chinese, "Yes, with this kind of fighting, the Japanese losses can't be small."

Chu Yunfei shifted his gaze from the map, sweeping it over everyone present, a smile playing on his lips: "It seems we don't need to take that 'inquiry' telegram from the Attendant's Office that we received a few days ago too seriously."

He subtly pushed the photocopy of the telegram to the center of the table.

"The Chairman hopes that we can make some moves in the Fifth War Zone to support the operations of the Sixth War Zone."

"I have already asked the Fifth Theater Command Staff to draft a plan for this matter. As for how the two army groups of the Guangxi clique will fight, that is not our concern."

Looking at the relaxed expressions on everyone's faces, Chu Yunfei continued, "Gentlemen, we don't need to worry too much about the gains and losses in the Jianghan Plain. We should take a longer-term view."

Chu Yunfei walked to another huge world map, his voice becoming loud and powerful: "Only two months have passed this year, but it is foreseeable that this will be an extremely crucial year!"

His baton was firmly planted on the Soviet Union.

"On the Eastern Front, just over ten days ago, the world-renowned Battle of Stalingrad officially ended on February 2nd!"

"According to our information, the Soviet army has achieved a brilliant and decisive victory!"

"They annihilated the German Sixth Army, as well as several army groups from Romania and Italy!"

"The German army and its allies lost more than 1.5 million men in this battle, and completely lost the initiative on the Eastern Front!"

Chu Yunfei then shifted his focus to Africa: "In North Africa and the Mediterranean battlefield, the smoke of the Battle of El Alamein has just cleared."

On January 23, Montgomery's British Eighth Army successfully captured Tripoli, the capital of Libya!

In this battle, the British forces, with their superior air and sea power, seized air and sea control, completely defeated Rommel's German-Italian Afrika Korps, annihilated more than 55,000 enemy soldiers, and destroyed more than 350 tanks!
This was a major turning point in the North African campaign!

Chu Yunfei's lips curled into a playful smile: "Prime Minister Churchill, who had previously been unable to hold his head high on the international stage, even called this battle 'a pivotal moment in history'."

Lin Wei chuckled and retorted sarcastically, "After all, the arrogant British hadn't really won many battles before."

"As the British and American forces landed in North Africa, they joined forces with the British Eighth Army and devised a plan to launch a general offensive against the German and Italian forces in the direction of Tunisia."

"It is clear that the war in Africa is about to come to an end!"

Finally, Chu Yunfei pointed his baton towards the azure Pacific Ocean.

"With the conclusion of the two major naval battles at Midway and Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater, our reliable American allies have completely turned the tide of the war!"

"The Japanese Combined Fleet has been severely weakened and has shifted from its previous strategic offensive to a full-scale strategic defensive posture!"

"Our powerful American ally has stabilized the situation in the waters between Hawaii and Midway, eliminated the Japanese threat to Australia and the US-Australia shipping lanes, and seized valuable forward bases, creating the most favorable conditions for our subsequent full-scale counter-offensive!"

"As for the Far East battlefield, our strategic counter-offensive was even a year ahead of our allies. This is our pride, and also the pride of all Chinese people."

His words stirred the emotions and ignited the passion in everyone present!

Chu Yunfei paused, then a brighter smile appeared on his face: "Our efforts have not been in vain!"

At Chu Yunfei's instruction.

Zhao Pengcheng took out a copy of the latest edition of the *Central Daily News* from his pocket and held it high: "As the War of Resistance against Japan has progressed, our enormous role in the world's anti-fascist war is increasingly being recognized and valued by the international community!"①
"As one of our most important allies, Britain, the United States, and other countries have no choice but to reconsider their relationship with us!"

"Just this year, they officially announced the abolition of consular jurisdiction and a series of other unequal privileges that had been imposed on us for a century!"

"And promised to return all concessions after the war!"

"As of the latest negotiations in early February, we have nominally joined the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom as one of the world's 'Big Four'!"

As for the French

Chu Yunfei's tone carried an undisguised contempt: "They're still surrendering right now."

"Ha ha ha ha."

A burst of hearty laughter erupted in the operations room.

The dawn of victory has never been clearer than it is now.

The mountain of humiliation that weighs on the heads of all Chinese people.

With each great victory, it is being pushed down and crushed inch by inch!

Just when everyone thought the situation was so favorable.

At a time when the gains and losses of a single city or region in the Jianghan Plain are not so important.

Chu Yunfei then changed the subject: "Final victory is just around the corner. We all know that even if we don't launch an attack, the Japanese defeat is imminent."

"But is this the kind of victory you want?"

Lin Wei fell silent.

The American military attaché gave Chu Yunfei a deep look.

"Do you really want the Japanese to kill so many of our compatriots, then just pack up and surrender, and return to their hometowns to live a peaceful life on their islands?"

Zhang Dayun silently took a deep drag on his cigarette: "If they don't want to, why should they just stop fighting?"

Chu Yunfei gave him a look of appreciation: "Therefore, we must continue fighting at our own pace as much as possible, completely defeating them and ensuring they never have a chance to rise again. I want their so-called Yamato people to be forever trampled underfoot by our Chinese nation!" (End of Chapter)