Canteen System Assistance Notes

In the interrogation room of the Metropolitan Police Department, Miyagi and Toku were interrogated, intimidated, threatened, and subjected to the Showa police's signature tactics of inducement - they wanted to obtain evidence that Miyagi and Toku accepted funding from American intelligence agencies, to prove that this returnee who went to the United States from Okinawa to seek refuge with relatives, grew up in the United States, and then returned was an out-and-out "non-citizen who surrendered to the British, American, and beasts."

"Why did you leave your wife and rent a house to live alone? The house is also facing the street on three sides. Are you trying to observe from the room, waiting for an opportunity to steal intelligence from the Empire and make it easier to escape?"

"I've said it several times: I moved out because I had a fight with my wife and was threatening a divorce! I just randomly picked a comfortable place to rent. And the place only faces the street on one side, how can it be three sides..." "Nonsense! You speak English so well and without an accent, you must be a rebel! A non-national!"

“? ? ? ”

After all, no one asked Miyagi Yotoku whether he was a communist.

There are capable people in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, but even the most powerful people, in the absence of any traceable clues, probably would not have thought that a returned American citizen could be a communist working for the GRU and in liaison with the Chinese Communist Party.

They tried every possible means, but could only find out that this famous returning painter had only brought black and white paint to the venue to paint for people on that day as required by the Industrial Exposition, and no suspicious people were seen throughout the whole process; he was indeed married to an Okinawan girl, and their relationship was indeed not very good; normally, he just created Ukiyo-e, painted portraits for people, and participated in some art exhibitions.

The Metropolitan Police Department discovered that this artist had been recognized by the generals of the Kwantung Army for his exceptional painting skills and style, and was invited to paint portraits of their officers. His portraiture was even recognized by the Ambassador of the Republic of China to Japan, Eugen Tai, who recommended him to paint a portrait of His Excellency Kenji Doihara, making him somewhat of a star artist.

This seems to be no problem...

Although some individuals still harbored suspicions, citing a confession from eleven years prior, suggesting he was suspected of being a communist, that evidence was too old. Ultimately, Miyagi and Toku were forced to write a written pledge pledging to "die for the Empire, dedicate their lives to the cause, and never associate with the British, American, or communist elements." They were then thrown into a regular prison for "strict custody," restricting their personal freedom.

Miyagi spent several months there peacefully, and was eventually exchanged back to the United States as a "famous artist" at the American-Japanese exchange ceremony in Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique) in June 1942, successfully escaping danger.

The experience of another member, Hidemi Ozaki, is more tortuous and dramatic.

He was indeed under suspicion and was also on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's watch list. However, the reason for his attention was not suspicion of being a communist, a spy, or even a "collusion between America and Britain", but rather suspicion of having private dealings with the independent country.

You were the personal secretary of Konoe, the one who boasted about negotiating with the US. To further those shameful US-China talks, you leaked information to Dokgu, saying things like the Empire wasn't planning to exchange war supplies with Dokgu, or that it wasn't planning to send troops to Chilu. This put the Empire in an unjust position. Isn't that perfectly normal?

After several days of surveillance and questioning without any results, the Metropolitan Police Department officer in charge of Ozaki Hidemi, Inspector Ito Taketora of the Tokyo Meguro Ward Police Station, who was a special police officer, finally couldn't hold back and took the initiative to "invite" Ozaki Hidemi to the police station to "taste the pork cutlet rice."

Since there was really no conclusive evidence and the status of the gentleman in front of him was indeed quite high, Ito Taketo not only addressed Osaki as "様", but also actually dug out the Indian Ceylon black tea that he was reluctant to drink, brewed it himself, filled the cup for Mr. Osaki, and invited him to sit down and chat slowly.

Ozaki Hidemi, displaying the demeanor and courtesy of a young master, politely asked if he could call a friend first and then tell him everything he knew. Inspector Ito agreed, believing it was fine, as the police station's phones were monitored and recorded.

Then Ozaki Hidemi actually called his friend and sat down to chat with Mr. Ito. They talked about the current international situation, the Japan Independence League, and the Imperial Kingdom's invincible navy and invincible army.

Just as the topic shifted to whether Osaki had leaked Imperial secrets to Dokkoku, how, and whether it was intentional, the police station door was violently broken into. All the young and old members of the "morning meal party" came forward:

Arima Yoshiyoshi, the son of Count Arima, the lord of Kurume Domain, rode a tall horse and rushed into the police station gate, knocking down the two policemen who tried to stop him; the former Minister of Justice, Akira Kazami, who had just been sent home by the Tojo Eijo Cabinet and ordered not to hold public office again, walked in front, shouting, "You thieves, lackeys!"

Don't make up stories and arrest people arbitrarily;

Inukai Ken, the third son of former Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi and heir to a long-established political family, went to the police chief's office and yelled about losing his position as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs due to the fall of the Konoe Cabinet.

Matsukata Masayoshi's grandson, the president of the Domenico-sha and leader of Isao Nakanishi, called a group of reporters and stood at the door with cameras pointing inside. He then gave a speech to the reporters, saying that this group of police lackeys dared to persecute an innocent former prime minister's secretary without any evidence.

But it's not over yet.

Among this group of people, the most dangerous one is Yoshida Shigeru.

This Mr. Five Hundred Thousand Gold, who had inherited 50 yen from his adoptive father during the gold standard era and soared into politics, was "the most courageous, the most wild, and most importantly, he had a little bit of brains. This representative of the civilian government actively advocated for an attack on Northeast China, but opposed expanding the war in China and forming an alliance with Germany and Italy. He was indifferent to the police chief who came out to maintain order.

Instead, he walked into the police station and searched along the door number. Finally, he walked into the room.

He swung his fist and punched Inspector Ito, the lowest-ranking officer, twice in the face, catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground.

Finally, he pulled up Ozaki Hidemi and walked out of the interrogation room like a victorious general.

This group of distinguished men, young and old, who had nothing to do with the belief in communism at the "morning meal party", were now "radiant" and "heroic", as if the era of their youthful vigor and enthusiasm had returned.

Even when the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Police Security Bureau Director Abe Genki urgently intervened, trying to maintain a smile and apologize to the young masters, promising to immediately release Ozaki Hidemi, the crowd still refused to show mercy. They knocked Director Abe's glasses off and drove him into the police station building, where he hid and refused to come out. Finally, they walked away singing a strange song they had learned from a strange radio station, "Gold has increased by 15 sen."

However, this incident, which seriously undermined public order and disregarded national laws, ended up with an extremely funny Japanese-style outcome - Inspector Ito Taketo was beaten in vain and had no place to seek justice; the young masters who beat people and "robbed the execution ground" ended up with only a "warning" from the Minister of Internal Affairs Kido Yukichi: "I hope you will reflect more, cultivate your character, and regulate yourselves in the future."

For a while, as the members of the morning meal party went to Hokkaido to cleanse their souls, went to Atami to wash their bodies, or went to the country estate to fish and find peace of mind, the whole night in Tokyo became much more depressed.

Of course, not everyone was so lucky: To convey this "warning," Koichi Saionji and Saburo Matsukata, members of the "Cho Shokukai" who had not participated in the event, were summoned to the palace by Koichi Kido and given a severe reprimand. As for Hidemi Ozaki, the man at the center of the incident, he was merely forced to temporarily leave Japan and "travel the world" to avoid suspicion.

"This is to commemorate the comrades who sacrificed their lives on the intelligence front..."

Ultimately, as Japanese intelligence radio stations gradually went silent and numerous lines of communication withdrew, the channels for transmitting information back from Japan became scarce. The prolonged loss of contact, conventional inferences, and the dire situation in Japan led both Chinese and Soviet intelligence organizations to believe that Ozaki Hidemi and his men were doomed.

We even held a small memorial service to commemorate the comrades who died on the secret front.

In the sadness and anger, everyone felt something in their hearts: Perhaps this is the sadness and glory of the intelligence line. Everyone attending the meeting knew that their names would not be known to others for a long time, nor would they appear in public records, but would only lurk silently in the deepest part of the archives.

Although everyone still had a glimmer of hope for a miracle in their hearts, in the end, many names that appeared at the memorial service disappeared into history without a splash.

However, one day in the second half of 1942, in the Gulf of Aden on the west coast of the Indian Ocean, the Chinese Indian Ocean Squadron, which was training with the newly arrived training cruiser, encountered a strange incident.

To manage its members and communicate with the Allies, the Chinese Communist Party established an office at the Pandaria Cannery, which also housed a Party branch. One day, a few strange visitors arrived at the factory where the Party branch was located.

This person arrived in Yemen on a cruise ship in the Gulf of Aden, among the first group of upper-class passengers to disembark from the pier. Even in a hot place like Yemen, two of them wore silk shirts, carried a leather suitcase, and a walking stick, accompanied by two East Asian servants. One of them pulled out a wrinkled, yellowed letter of introduction to the guard at the Pandaria factory gate.

The man was then taken into the office of the local party branch.

He took off his sun hat and pulled out a yellowed, but well-preserved, Party membership card, handing it to the bewildered Party branch director. "Hello, my name is Ozaki Hidemi, and I'm here to report to the Party organization."

Chapter 537: The Invincible Wise (Zero) ■■ Plan

(Update)

Saigon can still be quite scorching in October and November, but Shirai Yukiyuki's office isn't experiencing this problem. In Saigon, a blend of Eastern and French styles, his two-story office building is shaded by trees, has electricity and running water, and features a sophisticated blend of Japanese-style living quarters and Chinese-style gardens. It also boasts a spacious garage and a view of the Saigon River. Shirai's office even has air conditioning, a rare feature at the time, to regulate the temperature.

"Mr. Branch Manager, is this where the things are placed?"

"Yes, these things can be placed here."

Following a nonchalant order, several local workers carried a few packages into the room of the Shirai branch manager, then put the things away under the scolding of the secretary, and finally bent their bodies and stretched their necks, bowed awkwardly again and again, and retreated - during this period, the newly appointed Shirai naturally received a lot of gifts.

After all, even if you are a god, as long as you are still alive in this world, you naturally need to enjoy some worldly things.

Among them, those that were larger in size, more numerous, and more complicated in style had all been opened, counted, and stored away safely by the secretaries. Only a small number of gifts marked with the words "Personally addressed to Mr. Shirai Yukihiko" or "Personally addressed to His Excellency Shirai" and beautifully bound and with instructions were placed in Shirai's room, accompanied by a shiny chrome letter opener, waiting for his visit.

After all, unpacking is also a kind of pleasure for leaders - subordinates fully understand and agree with this, and are willing to do their part to achieve it. This is a moment of busyness and dullness for the Shirai branch manager.

Shirai Yukiyuki, former head of the intelligence section of the Japanese North China Front Army, has been the head of the Japanese Army's intelligence system in Vietnam since December 1940. He also serves as a hired hand (professional manager) of the Saigon branch of Nisshin Kisen Kaisha, in charge of the branch manager of the regional company. At the same time, he is also a contributor to the "Haku Plan" and a key member of the Imperial Nation who holds a "Special Certificate of Appreciation" from the Japanese Imperial Headquarters.

On the surface, he was the 'Minister of State Affairs' sent by the Japanese Army to the "National Policy Company" Nisshin Kisen Kaisha. According to the "Outline of Wartime Maritime Transport Management", he was responsible for supervising Nisshin Kisen Kaisha on behalf of the "Special Legal Person Ship Operation Committee" and the Army, and had the authority to audit and interfere with the company's operations. Secretly, he was the head of the newly established "Shirai Agency", and had the authority to establish an intelligence network covering the Indochina Peninsula, the countries around the South China Sea, and even extending into Southeast Asia.

The accumulation of so many identities naturally brought him the power of a child emperor in Japanese society, an aura that was almost unapproachable. However, in this short time together, it was clear that this new leader, who had connections above him, while demanding and strict, was no amateur. He would not overly criticize his subordinates and knew how to "share joy with the people."

This quickly made the staff of the intelligence station and Nissin Steamship, who were nodding and trembling with fear, feel secretly relieved, thinking that a more gentle leader had come this time.

But in the following year, the branch manager quickly shed his kind and gentle appearance - in the process of external business, he used his identity as an army soldier, brought in Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and ruthlessly plundered companies such as Yamashita Steamship, Otoko Shipping, Osaka Shosen, and Kokusai Steamship, which also did business in Southeast Asia. He integrated more than 30 ocean-going ships from other shipping companies into the name of Nissin Steamship, which originally had only three ships.

It's not that the other party didn't resist, but all of this was within the calculations of Branch Manager Shirai: he had early on brought out the Maritime Control Order of Showa 15 and the Outline of National Policy for Maritime Control as backing, and in turn accused those steamship companies of deceiving the Empire for the sake of profit, and of refusing to integrate resources and contribute to the country - this behavior of integrating resources and reducing waste was even recognized by the Japanese shipping management agency, the Special Corporation Ship Operations Association, which completely gave his expansionary behavior official endorsement.

For a time, rumors spread that Lord Shirai Yukiyuki was a dual spokesperson for the royal family and the army. He was also known as "Lord God" in the shipping circles of Nissin Kisen Kaisha and Saigon.

What's there to say about this? It's just taking advantage of the situation.

Shirai Yukiyuki put aside the first gift he opened - it was a scroll, which was said to be the original work of Kusakabe Meikaku, with "Be cautious in solitude" written in cursive style, and came from the headquarters of Nissin Steamship.

The general message was that I should be more cautious and meticulous when I was unsupervised, right? After all, if someone carefully investigated Nisshin Kisen Kaisha's background, they could uncover some clues about the Imperial Company. Combined with my letter of appreciation, my position as intelligence chief, my background in the Army, and my understanding of Japan's current situation and demands... setting up a few branches of the shipping company wouldn't be a piece of cake.

Shirai turned the letter opener around and began to open an envelope that had been left for him to "personally open".

Compared to the first, this one was packaged more modestly: it came in a stamped envelope, a gift from his junior, Ozaki Shotaro, a token of friendship for his predecessor and former boss. Shirai Yukiyuki pulled out the handwritten letter and read it. After the initial greetings and well wishes, Ozaki Shotaro briefly described the recent progress of work in North China, touched on the Sino-Japanese War situation in Shanxi Province and North China, and raised some questions about his work, requesting answers.

Naturally, there was some intelligence information left for him. Shirai Yukiyuki memorized the codes and secret phrases while unpacking a package. Then, he was stunned. There was an extra bag and a bottle in the package - a bag of millet from Jin Province and a bottle of aged vinegar.

what?

Shirai turned the package over and checked the postmark and information on it, and was surprised to find the "Royal Mail" mark on it - this package was sent from Wan Chai, and the sender was Nissin Kisen Kaisha's partner in the Hong Kong government, United Bank.

Thank you for your kindness, comrades.

All packages are inspected, even those from God.

So, if Chinese comrades in Hong Kong want to contact me, apart from using high-power radio, they can only use this method to convey some information that is inconvenient to send by telegram.

Fortunately, trade between Didai and Saigon was frequent. Rice was often shipped north from Saigon, and light industrial products were often shipped south from Wan Chai. The United Bank, a company with considerable influence in the Hong Kong government, would naturally have business dealings with the current Vietnamese shipping giant.

Shirai Yukiyuki took the gift from the package and found a thank-you note and a price list listing various products and their corresponding prices. He had clearly already given the price list a cursory inspection, but he didn't mind opening it. Using the reading method corresponding to the secret code conveyed by Ozaki Shotaro's letter, he began to decipher the information.

Soon, a document with three pieces of information took shape in Shirai Yukiyuki's mind:

First, while fulfilling his duties, he should also increase the operation of the Nissin Steamship line, striving to expand and strengthen it, and to involve it in the transportation of military supplies and the delivery of supplies for the Japanese army's southward advance. To this end, the joint banking system in Wan Chai and Macau in Hong Kong could provide Shirai with commercial assistance.

This is only natural, Shirai thought. Regardless of how special a position Nissin Kisen Kaisha, a company with royal background, holds in the Japanese army's upcoming southward advance, if he could gain access to maritime transport in Southeast Asia, how much valuable information and intelligence could he obtain? Perhaps he could even exert influence on headquarters...

Secondly, Shirai needed to gain control over the financial resources. Funding was the primary material basis for both the Japanese military and the organization. The Japanese Army's Special High Section and intelligence agencies simply couldn't sustain the high funding they provided Shirai. Nisshin Kisen's operating profits were difficult for Shirai to embezzle without alerting the Japanese Army, and the organization couldn't openly bribe Shirai.

So, set up an electronics company in Saigon to produce electron tubes and supply them to the navy and army's radar and radios? Shirai Yukiyuki was a little surprised. Why did the central government plan to let him engage in the electronics industry? After reading further, he finally understood the whole story: a freight forwarder hired by the United Bank acquired second-hand equipment from the former Shanghai Shaotun Electric Factory in Wan Chai and was able to sell it to Shirai.

This equipment can produce many categories of old-fashioned electronic tubes - although they are old-fashioned, they are also advanced products for Japan - in the future, considering the trouble of returning to the mainland for supplies for the troops heading south, if some electronic product spare parts can be obtained locally, then even if it costs a little more, they will be happy to pay: Look, Mr. Shirai, you only need to acquire a light bulb factory as the basis for the equipment, and then hire personnel

Isn't that how business comes?

Well, the comrades at the United Bank are certainly quite skilled at commodity economics. Having a factory in their own pocket, with no worries about sales, not only helps cover unplanned intelligence expenses, but also provides cover for some colleagues… Jing Xingxing approved of this suggestion and continued to interpret the third message.

Investigation........Communist Party of Malaya.......

Hmm? Is this to support the friendly party? Hunting "Wright..."

Shirai Yukiyuki's mind was in turmoil. Why would the organization issue such a rare order? But as he continued to decipher the contents, he gradually finished reading the cargo manual with simple instructions and prices. A story involving British and French intelligence agencies, conspiracies, and intertwined forces was succinctly described, revealing some clues to Shirai.

"I see."

Shirai Yukiyuki placed the product brochure back on his desk. It was normal for a branch manager to have a business partner's inventory on his desk. He called over his secretary and assistants, asking them to pack up the unused packaging, find a place to hang the scroll in the living room, send the millet and aged vinegar to the kitchen, and make him a pot of tea.

"That's true. Isn't it normal for a Japanese intelligence agency to take down a 'wicked' Communist Party General Secretary?"

Chapter 538: "Low Intensity" Stalemate

Since the conclusion of the Western Inner Mongolia Campaign in late July and early August of 1941, the Eighth Route Army had recaptured parts of Suiyuan and northern Shanxi Province. Taking advantage of the Japanese army's weakened forces and widespread retreat, they launched offensives, reclaiming much lost territory. The Western Inner Mongolia Military Region, centered around Alxa, Bayannur, and the Ikh Ju League, was established. The Daqingshan base was also upgraded to the Suiyuan Military Region, assuming responsibility for administering the newly controlled area.

The New Third Division of the National Revolutionary Army, which already had established party organizations, and the border region's civil administration system, along with a large number of newly trained cadres and Mongolian officials, began organizing the reconstruction, development, and construction work in this area. However, this peace-based construction could not yet include Yanggao and Tianzhen.

Yanggao and Tianzhen counties, located in the Yanggao Basin, are nestled in a vast, flat basin, surrounded by the towering and undulating Yinshan Mountains. This makes them a typical example of a region that is easily defended from the outside but lacks strategic advantages from within. When the Japanese army retreated in August, the Eighth Route Army, with the cooperation of local guerrillas and underground party organizations, pursued them all the way and recaptured the two areas, only stopping when they suffered a setback in Huaian, a city held by the Japanese.

After all, if Huaian is lost again, the Japanese soldiers in Zhangyuan City can really take off their clothes and carry short knives, ready to commit seppuku at any time; and if Zhangyuan City is lost - well, the city of Beiping will become a box of coconut milk with a straw, and you can drink it whenever you want.

Therefore, the 64th Division (formerly the 15th Independent Mixed Brigade) which was urgently transferred from Peiping defended Huaian with almost all its life; also transferred along the railway, the firepower base of the North China Front Army - the 12/4-type 150mm heavy howitzers of the 5th Regiment of the 2nd Brigade of Field Heavy Artillery - fired non-stop, and after a few rounds, they maneuvered to the preset positions and finally defended Huaian.

It was unwise to continue fighting to the death, so the Eighth Route Army retreated to Yanggao and Tianzhen. The field troops began to station and train, and assisted the local civil affairs system to resume administrative management and production and life. But within a few months, a large number of new Japanese troops suddenly arrived in the direction of Huaian.

37th Regiment of the Japanese 4th Division.

This group of devils did not follow the usual Japanese army's practice of resting and conducting reconnaissance after arriving at their base before taking action. Instead, they moved forward immediately after arriving in Bei'an and launched a swift attack directly on Tianzhen, about 50 kilometers away. Not only did they bring engineers to advance along with the train, they also ordered the infantry to march about 5 kilometers ahead of the train. Instead of taking the flat road, they occupied the ridgeline of the mountain to ensure the safety of the traffic line. Once this area was cleared, the remaining infantry and firepower units advanced rapidly along the railway line, rotating the front guard infantry to continue the advance.

This novel and reliable tactic caught the guerrillas, who were on routine patrol at the front lines, off guard and unable to cope. Our local troops then pretended to be weak, hoping to lure the enemy deeper and strike them while they were advancing. However, these Japanese soldiers were completely unmoved by this tactic—they remained within a roughly 5-kilometer circle centered on the train. This was roughly the maximum range of the train's 150mm heavy guns, deployed quickly from the train without establishing positions.

If the local troops are eager to attack, they will be bombarded by various artillery pieces from the rear of the Japanese army while fighting with the forward Japanese troops, resulting in heavy losses.

Now even the local troops were in trouble. The 37th Regiment of the 4th Division kept advancing, changing the previous trend of the Japanese army's attack being difficult to advance. In just two and a half days, it broke through the delay of the local Eighth Route Army troops and the outer positions and reached the mountains outside Tianzhen City.

-------one

Under normal circumstances, the Japanese army would attack the city next.

The 4th Division actually did the same thing. They deployed artillery in the mountainous terrain east of the city and sent infantry to seize some of the hills around the railway to ensure that the Eighth Route Army could not see the artillery positions. Then, 75mm field artillery and 150mm howitzers fired in unison, crossing the hills and bombarding Tianzhen County. At the same time, the search wing attached to the division also emerged from the mountain pass under artillery fire and advanced. Continuous - Update q@q@group@book@collection@81317*5933

This is the fighting style of the 4th Division. They are willing to put in the effort and use their brains, and also focus on leveraging the advantages of equipment and experience. Combined with the rigorous training of the Japanese army, they can often achieve a very good exchange ratio in normal games.

But something unexpected happened to these Osaka people soon: when the Japanese artillery fire had not yet stopped and the shells were still penetrating the air, making a terrifying whistle, the whistles of artillery shells, which were completely different from those of Japanese artillery shells, also sounded, and triggered continuous explosions on the mountain pass, hitting the search team that was on the march.

For a time, the troops suffered heavy casualties, with nearly a hundred people killed or injured.

This is the Communist Army's heavy artillery!

The Osaka Division quickly realized that since they had already occupied the commanding heights around the railway, it was impossible for the Eighth Route Army to directly guide their artillery fire. Therefore, they must have used pre-measured parameters to bombard the mountain pass in order to hinder our army's movement.

The enemy is not simple! The commander of the 37th Regiment felt emotional, and he immediately ordered the infantry to attack the hills further west - if they wanted to suppress the Communist army, they must have an observation post that could visually observe the ground positions - as expected, there were already Communist troops defending those hills, and those Communist soldiers were dressed in uniform and well-armed, which was very different from the previous Communist guerrilla forces. After several rounds of confrontation, the Osaka soldiers of the 37th Regiment did not gain any advantage and had to retreat.

Apparently, this group of Communist troops had firmly controlled the visual line of sight within the basin plain, and possessed a group of heavy howitzers with a caliber of at least 10cm or more, most likely the rumored 12cm or more!

The staff of the 37th Regiment began to analyze the current situation: the enemy's situation was unclear, and our army could not attack rashly. If we wanted to attack, we had to first obtain information about the enemy. Now, the enemy controlled more hilltops than ours, and had a positional advantage. Our army needed to capture those hilltops first to ensure the safety of the attack. However, in this case, the troops of both sides would have to engage in close combat on the hilltops, strangling each other: the damage would be too great, which was unwise.

The battle has reached a stalemate. To break the deadlock, we should call in the air tactical advisor!

In the Japanese Army, calling for tactical guidance was considered quite shameful. After all, it meant that the unit had encountered a problem that it could not handle on its own and needed guidance from others. However, the 4th Division set up a radio without hesitation and sent a message for help: if there could be an aircraft to launch an air raid, or even just conduct reconnaissance, it would greatly help the 4th Division reduce its losses and break the deadlock.

Unfortunately, as the wing's request trickled down to Peking, they quickly received a reply: "The aviation unit currently has no available troops. We expect your unit to fight on its own." "Fight on your own... um..."

"Sir! A telegram from the division headquarters!"

Just as everyone looked at the regimental commander, the signalman's voice rang out again: Following the Army Aviation Corps' reply, the division commander, Kenzo Kitano, issued an instruction: "To continue the attack, we must have three times the current strength. Please use your talents and make decisions on the spot."

"Oh...I understand. I understand, Your Excellency, Division Commander."

Time passed like this, day by day. One day, on a hill outside Tianzhen City, something resembling a rabbit's ear emerged from a patch of weeds. The tip of its ear was covered with a layer of screen cloth, draped in a ring of weeds of the same color. Like a rabbit trying to find food, yet wary of hawks, it looked around.

No, no, no, this wasn't some New Year's greeting that transcended time and space. It was simply an unassuming artillery scope. Accompanying it were a series of artillery instruments, including a direction finder and range finder, as well as guards scattered around.