Canteen System Assistance Notes

Then, the battalion-level artillery fire needs to be maintained at the level of a regular division, otherwise it will not be able to compete with the mortar and direct-fire artillery attacks of the Eighth Route Army; the regiment headquarters must have artillery power at the level of mountain artillery to form absolute suppression on the regimental-level troops of the Eighth Route Red Army.

Finally, the division headquarters must have field artillery to deal with the attack of the main force of the Eighth Route Army, which is obviously not a mountain artillery, with some kind of "75 field gun" to form fire suppression.

Chief of Staff Yukio Kasahara, who had made a lot of plans, asked his staff to do some calculations and came to the conclusion: if the brigade was expanded "with the goal of building this new three-unit division", the entire North China would need more than 200 infantry companies, 96 artillery companies, 8 engineering companies, 16 supply companies and reinforcements, and then find the corresponding Type 41 and Type 38 modified tanks, more direct-fire guns, light and heavy machine guns, and 4 cavalry regiments - in this way, the entire North China would be able to obtain more than 8 powerful divisions, and it would also be possible to rebuild two independent mixed brigades that could not fight, and to supplement the 36th division.

It saves money and is powerful, how great!

After hearing this report, Itagaki Seishirō almost choked himself to death with his tea.

This plan is quite similar to the organization of the US military's security forces in this time and space. It strengthens the grassroots, strengthens the direct subordinates, and weakens the middle level, so as to compress the troop levels to ensure flexibility; the weapons carried are also more light, more heavy, and fewer medium-sized weapons, so as to improve the firepower and flexibility of the grassroots, while ensuring the defense against the Eighth Route Red Army's large-scale attack on the city.

But with this cost, do you want me to rob the Ministry of Finance? Itagaki thought.

There was no shortage of red-paper soldiers; after filling the vacancies in various units and the army's replenishment battalion, they could indeed be added to the various independent mixed brigades. However, these technical arms and mobile forces couldn't be obtained by simply sending a postcard!

Itagaki's ability to save face wasn't everything, and the Empire's military equipment couldn't be produced instantly with just a simple "I value it." With no other options, cash-strapped Itagaki could only ask his advisors to devise a scaled-down plan.

The search regiments were incorporating guides from the pacification squads and the new militia groups. Some of them switched from horseback to bicycles, and some cavalry that could no longer be found were supplemented by dismantling the search regiments of other divisions. The artillery could only be "suspended" or "on standby," or the artillery of lower-level units could be upgraded. For example, the battalion used a combination of 37mm "Taisho Infantry Guns" and "70mm Indirect Fire Cannons," while the regiments were equipped with the older "Type 31" rapid-fire cannons or 92mm infantry cannons...

The only thing that cannot be reduced in size is the modified 38 field gun of the division headquarters, because once this thing is missing, when the Eighth Route Army drags their field guns in, the garrisoned Japanese troops will lose the last bit of firepower advantage they can rely on - fortunately, there are still some of these old guns in the lJA warehouse, and they can still be used after being dragged out.

After much effort, the Japanese finally completed their military reforms in May 1940. Itagaki Seishirō hoped that these changes and increased strength would distract the Eighth Route Army from their continued harassment, allowing him to carry out his next strategic plan.

However, any discerning eye could see that this troop upgrade came at the expense of many other downgrades. Newly recruited Red Paper Soldiers were simply inducted into the ranks without much training, and their equipment was largely leftover from the Russo-Japanese War. The splitting up of the cavalry regiments would deprive the front of valuable strategic mobility.

I have to find some other means to divert the energy of the Eighth Route Army.

Outside the meeting place, in the commander's lounge, Deputy Chief of Staff Masaaki Hirata walked in and whispered to the commander that the mountain warfare and guerrilla warfare expert he was looking for, Tsuchida, had already taken a reconnaissance plane from Shimen to the airport outside Sijiu City and would arrive soon.

I hope he can give me some surprises, Itagaki thought.

Chapter 308: Tsuchida Advance Team (Part 1)

What Itagaki Seishirō and Tsuchida Heigo discussed was not recorded in the official records. Perhaps it was because it was a bit embarrassing for the commander to personally summon a lieutenant colonel, or perhaps it was because the lieutenant colonel did indeed come up with some eye-opening ideas. In short, this matter was ultimately known only to a very small circle, which was enough to reflect his prudence.

However, Lieutenant Colonel Tsuchida Heigo, one of the protagonists of the interview, was extremely excited. After the interview, he received a handwritten letter and appointment letter from the commander.

After several twists and turns, we flew directly to the epicenter of this operation.

- Jinyang City in Jin Province.

After visiting General Shinoda Yoshio of the First Army and presenting him with a gift, he boarded a train with his second order and finally arrived at his destination:

The 53rd Division, formerly the 4th Independent Mixed Brigade, is now undergoing restructuring.

The place is Yangquan, Shanxi Province.

"Gentlemen! I've come here today not for any other reason than to test your character and sharpen your spirit!"

Heigo Tsuchida was wearing a tight-fitting military shirt, a helmet, a belt, and a pistol. He looked very combative as he spoke to the group of people in front of him.

It must be said that the fact that this lieutenant colonel, instead of wearing officer's uniform, had directly confronted Sergeant Sergeant 1000, had earned him some favor from the veterans. "I just returned from the commander, and I've been ordered to tell you something confidential!"

Tsuchida stood on the wooden box and loudly announced, "Secret." Following orders from Itagaki and the First Army, he was able to select outstanding veterans and non-commissioned officers from Katayama Shotaro's 53rd Division to carry out his plan. After a selection process, a special detachment of approximately one hundred people was established.

"Our army is about to launch a major operation!" He feigned mystery, clenched his fists, and announced loudly, "Our army is about to mobilize troops and launch an attack on the enemies of the Empire!"

Sharing secrets would help close the gap, especially since he hadn't said anything wrong, Tsuchida Heigo thought. When Commander Itagaki gave him his instructions, he understood his mission and the desired outcome: he needed to organize several elite teams to penetrate the Eighth Route Army base, wreak havoc, contain the Red Army's movements, and perhaps even decapitate its commander.

Itagaki hoped that this tactical action would be able to cooperate with the North China Front Army at the strategic level to launch a decisive battle.

If this battle is successful, the Imperial Army will not only be able to severely damage the Eighth Route Red Army in the Taihang area, but also free up more than two divisions of troops for the Imperial Country, allowing the Imperial Army to concentrate all its efforts on dealing with the Eighth Route Red Army and resolve the North China Incident in one fell swoop.

At the same time, you will be assigned to a certain army as a combat staff officer at the army headquarters! You will have the opportunity to be promoted to the rank of colonel. This is a real military achievement. After reaching the rank of colonel, according to your age, if you work hard, you may be able to climb to the rank of general during your service period!

"Everyone! This is the plan of the wise Commander Itagaki. There is absolutely no way it can go wrong!" he concluded excitedly.

However, the veterans of the 4th Independent Mixed Brigade, or the 53rd Division, did not show the fanatical expression they wanted.

This unit, which served as the "villainous boss" in a TV series based on this time and space, is still composed of soldiers urgently mobilized during the 1937-1938 invasion of China. Their quality is even inferior to that of the Red Paper Soldiers who had undergone basic training. Even so, this group of mobilized soldiers has always been a formidable enemy that our army has been extremely cautious of.

However, in this time and space, because the Zhengtai Line, its defense zone, served as North China's major east-west artery, not only serving as a crucial transportation route for the Japanese to plunder Shanxi Province but also as a key transportation link for the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan and Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei base areas, this unit encountered numerous clashes with our guerrillas, local forces, and even main forces in the Taihang and Beiyue regions, generally suffering few victories and numerous losses. Their base at Yangquan was even briefly occupied by Eighth Route Army artillery fire, breaching the city's defenses. Even the former brigade commander, Hyakutake Haruyoshi, was driven to the brink of collapse.

Without the full support from the aviation unit in Jinyang City, the 4th unit would not even be able to recapture the county town.

Now, those conscripts had gained experience and become veterans, but their original "sacrifice for the Empire" blind obedience hadn't diminished at all. Instead, they had become more mature and impassive. Tsuchida Heigo thought about it and decided to try a different approach:

Gentlemen, I'm sure you all want to end this war as quickly as possible. We're fighting such a cunning enemy in this faraway land, and even though we're winning one victory after another, we don't know when it will end. Those bandits are hiding in the mountains and forests, afraid to confront our army head-on in a fair and decisive battle. If this continues, when will we truly annihilate those damned bandits? When will we be able to return home with the honor of a soldier?

This somewhat unorthodox statement finally resonated with the soldiers and non-commissioned officers. The continuous bloodshed in the past few years was really tiresome and exhausting.

"Sir, what do we need to do?" someone finally asked.

"What to do? There's a lot we can do."

Tsuchida Heigo clenched his fists and encouraged, "Now, we are the surprise attack force that created miracles in the Battle of Okehazama!"

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles." This is a saying that was regarded as a guiding principle by the "guerrilla expert" Tsuchida Heigo; "A stone from another mountain can be used to polish jade." This is also a saying that was firmly believed by the "mountain warfare expert" Tsuchida Heigo.

Seeing the army's morale was high, he struck while the iron was hot and began to reorganize the hundred-plus men. This time, he brought with him the "North China Propaganda Officer" from the Secret Service's Peking Propaganda Squad, as well as a senior member of the puppet army's "New People's Society." This Japanese-traitor combination consisted of a top-notch professional in charge of surrender recruitment, propaganda, and enslavement education, while the other was a senior traitor who was deeply familiar with the customs and folkways of North China and had a profound understanding of the Shanxi dialect and customs.

They selected a group of Japanese soldiers and divided them into two groups: one who could speak Chinese and one who could understand Chinese. They conducted targeted training and, supplemented by a lot of information about the Eighth Route Army collected by the First Army's intelligence system, conducted popular science education on the management regulations and troop composition of the Eighth Route Red Army.

While disguising this group of Japanese troops to look more like the Eighth Route Army, he also mobilized a lot of valuable resources with the order from Commander Itagaki.

The "Storm Tactics" used by the Republic of China during the European War, the Borgmen short machine guns purchased in small quantities by the IJA and captured from the National Army, the "naked imported military uniforms" made of imported twill cloth, and a large number of captured German rifles, Zhi-style light machine guns and other weapons... Tsuchida Heigo personally planned and divided the more than one hundred selected veterans and non-commissioned officers into two squads, two "special combat teams", two vanguard teams, and a fully camouflaged "heavy firepower team".

Moreover, with his intervention, the salaries of these veterans and non-commissioned officers were no longer "forced to save" or "delayed in payment", but were actually paid to them.

Finally, after more than a month of running-in, with such direct support and abundant supplies, a special team with high morale and powerful combat capabilities was formed. This group of weak young men, once emergency conscripts, once full of war-weary soldiers, truly brought out a hint of the fierce and powerful aura they had when they first entered China.

Division Commander Katayama Shōtayu personally visited the training grounds and inspected the elite troops. For this veteran of the 22nd Infantry Class, he sensed a familiar aura. "This is a strong army! Tsuchida-san, I truly admire your ability to train my soldiers to this level!"

Although his own rank was higher than the other side, Katayama Shotaro still sincerely admired: "Does this unit have its own name?"

"Not yet, sir!" Tsuchida Heigo was very proud. This squadron-level unit was his hard work, and it was a happy thing to be recognized. "How about you name it?" "Okay!" The major general, who rose from brigade commander, happily agreed. "These are the brave men you led, who dared to stand up in such a situation. Let's call them the 'Tsuchida Volunteer Corps'!"

"Gentlemen! The division commander has given our unit a name! Did you all hear it?" "Yes!"

"Louder! I can't hear you! Did you eat all the white rice these days for nothing?" "I hear you, sir!"

Hearing the thunderous shouts, Tsuchida Heigo felt immensely satisfied. He waved his hand and said, "Excellent! We will accomplish a difficult task never before accomplished by the Imperial Army and bring about a complete transformation of the war situation in North China. We will—" He pulled a stack of propaganda posters from his pocket and slammed them on the table. "We will become the Oda army in Okehazama and launch a surprise attack to eliminate Liu Mingzhao, the commander of the Eighth Route Army entrenched in the Taihang region!"

Chapter 309: Tsuchida Trading Team (Part 2)

Whether it was the "Mashiko Advance Team" and the "Okawa Advance Team" in the historical mopping-up operations, or the continuous pursuit and brutal destruction of our army's command institutions in the "Iron Wall Encirclement" and "Three Lights Mopping-up Operations", the Japanese army has always been very interested in conducting "humiliation operations" against our army's command institutions. Although they have been defeated repeatedly, they have also had many successful records, posing a serious threat to our army's logistics, command, and administrative systems.

In this time and space, this unconventional special operations was considered a "magic weapon" against the Eighth Route Army. It was a poor solution devised by the Japanese army in a slow-death confrontation. However, even so, the huge amount of resources invested by Tsuchida Heigo ultimately paid off:

From May to August 1940, he ran back and forth within the 1st Army, waving the orders of the expeditionary force commander and the army commander, switching between being popular and being looked down upon, offending many people, and finally pulling out a total of 6 such detachments in different organized divisions - some of these detachments were named after their respective commanders, such as "Kojima Advance Team", and some were named after places, such as Utsunomiya Advance Team, and the detachment of the 53rd Division (formerly the 4th Independent Mixed Division) was named "Tsuchida Advance Team" and was led by Tsuchida Heigo himself.

According to Itagaki Seishirō's strategic plan, these teams will launch a collective attack on a certain day at the end of August 1949, launching a decapitation operation against the commanders of the Taihang base, such as Liu Mingzhao, Zhang Hao, Cheng Zaidao and Wang Wenshan, and wait for opportunities to destroy key targets such as the Eighth Route Army's command center, logistics core and fortress control areas, so as to tie down the Eighth Route Army's forces and cover the launch of another campaign.

Heigo Tsuchida set out from Yangquan, the base of the 53rd Division, and personally led the "Tsuchida Volunteer Corps" towards the depths of the Taihang base.

He was extremely cautious, and from the moment he entered Yangquan City, he had already prepared a complete disguise. This was because, at this point, if he set out from Yangquan, after about 10 miles, the 53rd Division's control would begin to decline rapidly. At Pingding County, 20 miles away, the 53rd Division's control would end.

If the detachment wanted to go further south, it could no longer march openly as the Japanese army - not to mention that in the area where the two sides were intertwined, there must be a large number of Eighth Route Army intelligence agents active, passing on information to the Eighth Route Army. In recent years, Tsuchida, who worked as a combat staff officer, naturally knew that almost all the Eighth Route Army bases had the characteristics of intelligence black holes, and even intercepting wireless messages was extremely difficult.

This caused a lot of headaches for the Japanese intelligence personnel.

Aside from some insignificant information, or crucial but time-sensitive intelligence, very little information about the Red Army's equipment, movements, and assemblies could be passed on. Instead, the Imperial Army's actions were always exposed. Therefore, Tsuchida thought, it was always better to be cautious.

"Okay, from now on, we are a caravan!" Tsuchida Heigo, wearing a mandarin jacket, announced to the people around him. "Understood, Dana!"

He was accompanied by about twenty men, pulling eight carts, each drawn by a donkey, as they left Pingding County and slowly headed south. Rolls of wool felt were placed on the carts, representing the caravan's cargo—supplies from the northern grasslands, perfectly matching the northern accents of the Japanese puppet troops in the Propaganda and Appeasement Squad and the New People's Society, thus avoiding dialect issues.

Of course, inside the seemingly heavy wool felt, there are two heavy machine guns and two indirect fire cannons - the heaviest firepower units in the entire detachment, capable of providing fire support for the combat teams.

Indeed, this caravan was actually the command and heavy firepower unit of the Tsuchida Volunteer Corps, a force requiring extensive protection. Tsuchida Heigo creatively separated it from the main force, disguising it as an independent caravan. "The Eighth Route Red Army could never have imagined that this commonplace caravan was actually an unprotected command unit!" he thought, turning aside to inquire of the telegraph operator on the cart, "Any news from the detachment ahead?"

"Not yet, Dana," replied the signalman, wearing a civilian shirt and a turban to absorb the sweat. Inside these carts were two radios. One was a Type 94-6 portable radio, a valuable item only available to corps signalmen. It would provide clear radio communication to Japanese troops within a 2-kilometer radius, facilitating Tsuchida Heigo's command. The other was a shortwave radio for external communications.

Now, the group of traitors walking in front did not report anything, which meant that this rescue team was still safe, but they also did not gain anything.

The caravan continued on for nearly half a day, climbing over a hill and covering nearly 40 miles before arriving in Xiyang County. Here, Tutian encountered an Eighth Route Army checkpoint. "Ah! Eighth Route Army boss, nice to see you again! Hello, hello, smoke, smoke!"

The puppet soldiers in the team came forward with Tu Tian. This was a "solo peddler" who had been assigned earlier. He had been carrying goods on his shoulders and doing the peddling work for several months. He was quite familiar with the man. "Boss, boss, this is the man I introduced to you last time, my distant relative, Shopkeeper Tian!"

Tsuchida Heigo nodded, smiled, greeted in a familiar manner, and handed over a cigarette box wrapped in banknotes.

As the puppet soldier had said, the Eighth Route Army soldier's eyes lit up, but he only took one look at the Japanese soldier's "preparatory ticket" before his surprised expression collapsed, and even the usual interest disappeared. He picked up a Japanese cigarette from the box, looked at it, and didn't touch it.

"Hello, hello. Mr. Li's stuff is reasonably priced, and he said they all come from you. Today I see that Shopkeeper Tian is really confident. However, doing business in our base area requires mutual consent and fair transactions. Tax evasion is not allowed." The clerk handed back the cigarette box containing the Japanese "fake banknotes". "Well, Mr. Li has told you our rules. If you want to enter the base area, please show us your pass!"

"Oh! Oh, Eighth Route Army, no problem, please! Let me see the pass."

Tsuchida feigned sudden realization and began rummaging through his pockets. Road passes were used by the Eighth Route Army to identify personnel. They came in different colors, markings, and styles, each with its own unique format. They were usually valid for no more than three days and could only be used on designated routes. The one he had was a replica of the First Army's intelligence department, painstakingly recreated from numerous photographs and oral accounts. It shouldn't be a problem.

The clerk took the yellow slip and began to examine it. A puppet soldier and a Japanese soldier watched a clerk from the base holding the yellow paper, not daring to breathe. They only saw the clerk touch it, examine it, hold up the red paper to the sun, and suddenly let out a "Huh!"

Tsuchida immediately wanted to reach for the pistol behind his back, but he finally held himself back.

"There's nothing wrong with your travel permit, but it's about to expire." The clerk stuck his head out, glanced at the caravan brought by Tsuchida Heigo, nodded, and then carefully recorded it in the notebook.

Seems to have passed?

Tsuchida Heigo breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed these Eighth Route Army soldiers weren't that great after all!

The clerk took out a stack of bills from the drawer, tore off a piece and handed it to them, pointing to the door and said: "Please park your car in the open space over there and line up.

Get ready."

"Okay, no problem, Eighth Route Army commander. But what do we need to prepare?" the puppet soldier asked with a smile. "Why don't you tell us first so we can be prepared?"

Oh, it's tax! Businesses in the border areas have to pay commercial taxes. Pay the tax based on the value of the goods. Someone will help you unload the truck and calculate the amount. The clerk seemed a little surprised. "Li, you've been here several times in the past few months, haven't you? How come you don't know this?" He frowned and asked, "Have you paid the taxes the last few times? You can't have failed to pay them?"

"No, no! How dare I!" The puppet soldier quickly denied it. "Shopkeeper Tian and I are very willing to pay the anti-Japanese tax, and every time we pay a penny! Fighting the Japanese invaders is everyone's responsibility! Shopkeeper Tian, ​​don't you agree?" "Ah, yes, that's right. Fighting the Japanese is a good thing, and donating to the anti-Japanese is a great thing!"

"But before, when I was carrying the load..." the puppet soldier known as Crappy Li said in embarrassment, "Isn't it enough to just take a look at the load? We have so many carts of goods, and if we unload them, wouldn't that bother the Eighth Route Army commander?"

"That's not a problem," the clerk shook his head. "Our government collects taxes according to rules and regulations. We don't do it arbitrarily. The tax rate is written in black and white and posted outside. You have a lot of stuff, but we still need to know what it is and how much it is. Shopkeeper Tian, ​​can you read here? Please fill out this tax form yourselves!"

He took out a form and a tax bill and said seriously:

"Likely a jerk, Li, let me tell you, engaging in smuggling and tax evasion in our government will not end well!"

Chapter 310: Tsuchida's Assault (Part 2)

Tsuchida never thought that he would encounter such huge trouble at the first hurdle.

Were the advancing troops afraid of the militia and guards at these checkpoints? Of course not. Even the small number of people in the baggage and command detachments, with the limited weapons on the logistics trucks, could easily kill these small Eighth Route Army troops. However, it was obvious that this would trigger the Eighth Route Army's early warning mechanism at the first line of defense. After that, a large number of guerrillas and even local troops would move in this direction, surrounding this small detachment from both sides and completely killing it.

But they could not honestly accept the unloading inspection - in addition to the wool felt used as camouflage, these trucks also contained Type 92 heavy machine guns, 70mm cannons and Type 94 radios, as well as some hidden firearms. If they honestly unloaded the wool felt, well, it would be like walking into a trap.

Tsuchida Heigo thought about it and made a decision immediately.

"Tear down the rapid-fire cannon and hide it in the compartment. Send the kamikaze radio signal, and when it's finished, tear it down and put it in the cargo bag!" He quickly ordered as they left the village and headed towards the customs station's cargo yard. "Throw away the heavy machine guns! Tear them down and throw them into the ditch nearby!"

The eight four-wheeled carts had been modified to include a hidden compartment in the floor for storing gun barrels, firearms, and shells. The Type 92's one-piece barrel was the only thing that was difficult to fit in, requiring it to be hidden inside a pile of wool felt. The well-trained Japanese veterans, while keeping watch and taking cover, quickly discarded the Type 92 heavy machine guns and some of the ammunition on the carts as they leisurely walked toward the cargo yard. They then stuffed the disassembled 70mm mortar barrels and seat plates into the compartment beneath the carts.

Afterwards, these things will definitely be discovered by the Eighth Route Red Army, but it will be too late by then. I have already completed the decapitation mission and left this place! Tsuchida Bing took a few deep breaths to calm himself down and maintain the composure of the owner of a big trading company.

Just think of these two machine guns as additional "commercial tax"! He consoled himself.

"Okay, Shopkeeper Tian, ​​Clumsy Li, your taxes have been collected. Wool felt is a standard commodity and isn't eligible for tax refunds or discounts. For duty-free goods like hardwood, you can present your invoices to claim a tax refund when you leave the base!" The tax officer handed over a few receipts and kindly advised, "As long as you don't force sales and operate legally in the base, you won't be in danger!"

Perhaps it was the Emperor's blessing, or perhaps it was the presence of Amaterasu, but Tsuchida Heigo, disguised as a merchant, actually managed to get through the first checkpoint. The militia and clerks at the first checkpoint in Xiyang County diligently unloaded all the wool felt bags, conducted random inspections, and determined the weight and value of the goods, and collected commercial taxes.

Good! Good! Thank you! "Lackluster Li" thanked the employee like a chick pecking at rice, and hurriedly took Shida away from the tax station. "We will definitely abide by the law. If anyone dares to do something wrong, they will be punished by heaven!"

After all, the working principle of the tax card made it impossible to open all the packages for inspection. After receiving the tax payment certificate and the new road permit, Tsuchida Heigo almost wanted to jump up and cheer: He had actually infiltrated the Red Bandit base without bloodshed and entered the "intelligence black hole" of the past!

The price paid was just two heavy machine guns and some silver dollars in taxes!

"Sir, those Reds were too rough with the loading and unloading, causing the Type 94 radio's tubes to leak and fail," the signalman reported. "But the spare parts stored in the ledger are fine, and they've been repaired!" Oh, bad luck, there are still a few expensive tubes.

The caravan left Xiyang County and continued to move south.

According to the meaning of the "divine wind" signal sent earlier, the command group and the baggage train disguised as a trading team need to wait at the designated location south of Xiyang County, waiting for the "combat team" to cross the mountain and reunite with them.

The "combat team" also possessed forged travel permits and identities. They would pose as an Eighth Route Army unit that happened to encounter Tsuchida Heigo's caravan. Since their routes were "coincidentally similar," they decided to travel together. This way, if they discovered the Eighth Route Army headquarters, the caravan and the "Eighth Route Army" would transform into an elite decapitation squad, striking and escaping in one fell swoop.

However, the Type 94 radio, with a range of 2 kilometers, hadn't received any signal, and the only response to the signalman's calls was a rustling white noise. Just as the squad was about to give up, a group of beleaguered men finally emerged from the hilltop on one side of the road. They waved signal flags, identifying themselves as the combat squad that was supposed to advance in stealth.

"What happened? Why are you so late?"

The tension in Tsuchida Heigo's heart tightened again.

The combat group had nearly three squads' worth of troops. Besides the two combat squads, there were two "special operations teams" equipped with automatic firepower, as well as vanguards and rearguards. These troops were equipped with a total of twelve intelligent light machine guns and eight grenade launchers, representing a formidable firepower. However, while their numbers hadn't decreased significantly, they were all wounded, especially the elite twelve vanguards, known as the "Eight Tengu Four Heavenly Kings." Only four remained.

"I'm deeply sorry, sir! We were discovered by the Eighth Route Army guerrillas while crossing the mountains! Although we tried to deceive them with our pass and serial number, they were still found to be forged!" The leading squad leader bowed and whispered, "In desperation, we had no choice but to return fire. Fortunately, we succeeded in our mission, defeated those guerrillas, and finally arrived here!"