I used the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) to fight the Japanese.

At Huluzui in Dayanshan, Mancang and his brothers rested in the forest. Further ahead was Yuguan Town, outside which a highway cut through the valley leading directly to Yiyang, and beyond that, Hancheng. This was the shortest route from Guya County to the front lines.

Upon learning that the Japanese were collecting 100,000 jin of flour to transport to the front lines, Mancang immediately thought of this highway, especially for supplying the Japanese troops currently engaged in combat. Mancang became restless. The Japanese wanted to use our grain to attack our army—could we agree to that? Currently, the Modao Regiment was too weak to directly confront the Japanese, but cutting off their supply lines and preventing the grain from Guya County from reaching the enemy was still a viable option!

This is far more meaningful than destroying a small horse stable!

"Uncle Cang, we've figured it out! There's a canyon called Laohegou south of Yuguan Town. The mountainsides are covered with dense forests, and the road runs through the bottom of the valley. It's the best ambush point!" Da Zhao reported back.

"Alright! Let's ambush the Japanese right here in this old ditch! Brothers, let's go!" Mancang called to the group and they headed towards the old ditch.

"Uncle Cang, how many shi is 100,000 jin? How many trucks would it take to transport it?" Tiger was used to measuring crops in sheng, dou, and shi, and had no concept of jin. 100,000 jin was indeed beyond his imagination.

"Well... if it's wheat, it'd be about two hundred shi (a unit of dry measure), and flour would be a bit more, close to three hundred shi!" Mancang thought for a long time before giving an estimate.

"100,000 jin of flour can't be gathered all at once; the Japanese are definitely transporting it there in batches. How's your motorcycle practice going, brothers? This time we'll be driving cars!"

"Not bad! I ride the one with the most ease; it can easily do figure-eight maneuvers in the yard!"

"A clear spring is fine too; it's never hit a wall!"

"Hit a wall?..." Man Cang was immediately overwhelmed. He had no idea what his three motorcycles were like after being messed with by his brothers!

"No problem! Those Japanese things are really tough. They crashed into two walls and didn't break!" Shimizu added from the side.

"..."

Those motorcycles are a pity! It's a good thing they were stolen!

Soon, the group passed through Yuguan Town and arrived at Laohekou, as Da Zhao had described. Just as Da Zhao had said, two small mountains nestled between a canyon, with a stream flowing through the valley and the road running right along its banks. The mountains were covered in dense forests and overgrown with weeds, perfect for their concealment and ambush.

The group quickly chose a suitable location to build fortifications. All the crossbows needed platforms to be set up, and mechanisms had to be designed to intercept vehicles. By the time they finished all this, it was already evening.

They arranged for sentries to be on night watch, both visible and hidden, while everyone waited fully clothed in the fortifications, ready to jump into action at the slightest disturbance.

They waited for a whole day and night. Occasionally, vehicles would pass by on the road, but the grain transport team that everyone was looking forward to never appeared!

"Brother, how long are we going to have to wait? Do you think the Japanese might stop using this route?" Manxiang, already impatient, couldn't help but ask.

“That’s right, Uncle Cang! If the Japanese don’t take this route, then all our efforts will have been in vain!” Da Zhao also lost his patience.

"Wait! Have you forgotten about the bombing of the base last time? When has Uncle Cang's judgment ever been wrong? I guarantee we'll all be driving the Japanese's big trucks!" Tiger said confidently.

"Just wait and see!" Mancang said calmly.

The old problem persists: Wu Erdan's low rank prevents him from accessing highly confidential information; they can only speculate about the Japanese intentions based on overt actions. Without the specific routes and schedules of the grain transport teams, all they can do is wait. This problem won't be solved anytime soon; if the Japanese really choose to take a longer route, there's nothing they can do!

……

Early that morning, Nagano Yokoo personally led five trucks to the Mafang Village stronghold. Three trucks were empty for loading, while the other two were full of Japanese soldiers; such a long distance couldn't be covered without an escort!

"Yoshi! You've worked hard these past few days! You were the first to finish the grain requisitioning task here!" Nagano Yokosei praised, looking at the mountain of flour sacks.

"Hi! Thank you for the compliment, senior!" Masao Inoue quickly replied.

"We must keep up the good work! Things aren't peaceful here! The incident at the base has been determined to be due to operational error by our people, but the gold mine incident shows that external forces can easily infiltrate and cause damage to us!"

"Those lowly Chinese people will definitely be resentful about collecting so much grain. We should take advantage of the grain collection to carry out a major sweep and eliminate all potential threats in their infancy!" Nagano Yokogami earnestly instructed.

"Yes, sir! I understand! I will prepare to send these grains away immediately!" Inoue Masao quickly stood at attention and replied.

"Keep up the good work! During the Battle of Seoul, the Chinese have amassed a large number of troops on both sides of the Yangtze River to fight against our army. As the place closest to the battlefield, we must be ready for combat at any time. We may be pulled out at any time if the situation requires it!" Nagano Yokoo continued.

"Hmm? What news did you get, senior?"

"Not yet! Judging from the battle reports of the past two days, the war is not going well. The Chinese are vast and rich in resources. We can't afford to fight them at a loss. Even if we use war to sustain the war, it will still be disadvantageous to us if the war drags on."

“I suspect that if the Chinese persist, most of us soldiers in the rear will likely be transferred to support the front lines. So you and I need to be prepared to go into battle at any time!” Nagano Yokoo analyzed.

Japan itself is just a large island with limited resources. During the War of Resistance against Japan, the Japanese soldiers appeared to be swaggering and arrogant on the Chinese mainland, but their living conditions were comparable to refugee camps! Even cooking oil was requisitioned to be made into fuel for the front lines!

"Yes, sir!" Inoue Masao quickly stood at attention and replied, his excitement evident.

He was a graduate of a military academy, but after arriving on this continent and seeing few battles, he was assigned to this remote corner to guard the house! He was furious! How could he not be excited when he heard about the opportunity to go to the battlefield and fight?

"Haha, I knew you wanted to go to the battlefield! Just wait! I'll take you there to conquer the battlefield when I get the chance!"

How could he not know what his junior was thinking? In truth, how could he not want to return to the battlefield? To fight for His Majesty the Emperor and expand the empire's territory was the duty of an Imperial warrior, and even dying in battle would be an honor!

"Hi! Thank you for your guidance, senior!" Masao Inoue responded excitedly once again.

It took almost half the morning to load the 30,000 jin of flour. Watching the convoy slowly drive out of the village, Inoue Masao let out a long sigh of relief. After several accidents, it was impossible for him not to worry; if the supply to the front lines was delayed, he'd have to commit seppuku!

We need to start preparing for the sweep plan proposed by the senior student as soon as possible. We can start sweeping as soon as a village finishes its grain harvest!