207: You tell me how to fight, then we'll fight.

Shanghai Urban Area.

The air was thick with a heavier scent of gunpowder than usual and an invisible tension.

Lu Fan rushed back to the Xiafei Road manor, travel-worn, and it wasn't long before Tang Jifeng arrived in a hurry.

As soon as he entered, he stepped forward and asked with concern, "Brother Fan, you're finally back. You aren't hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine~~" Lu Fan didn't have time for pleasantries and asked directly, "What is the situation like outside now?"

Seeing Lu Fan, Tang Jifeng felt as if he had found his pillar of support.

But he immediately looked bitter and sighed heavily, "Brother Fan, the situation is terrible! Everything turned upside down overnight!"

He pulled Lu Fan to the map, his fingers trembling as he pointed toward Baoshan and Luodian.

"That damned ceasefire order gave the devils a full two days to breathe and bring in reinforcements."

"The 13th, 15th, and 16th Divisions they transferred from their homeland launched a sudden general offensive under the cover of heavy fog early this morning."

"Naval guns, planes, heavy artillery... the bombardment made the earth shake."

"What about our troops? Weren't we holding the advantage before?" Lu Fan's heart tightened.

"Advantage?" Tang Jifeng gave a miserable laugh. "The troops are there, but they were caught completely off guard! They have no power to fight back."

"Many units were still resting and reorganizing; they never expected the devils to launch such a swift and violent offensive. Sigh~~~"

Tang Jifeng sighed and lowered his head, looking very dejected.

Lu Fan frowned and asked, "Didn't Old Sixth translate the devils' telegram? Why didn't he report it?"

"He did report it, but Old Man didn't let us move. What can you do?" Tang Jifeng said with a face full of helplessness.

"So what's the current situation?" Lu Fan spoke faster, asking seriously.

"The intensity of the devils' attack far exceeds anything before. The outer positions of Baoshan were lost in half a day, and Luodian has now become a meat grinder!"

"Our army's casualties are extremely heavy; several divisions have been crippled!"

"The devils have not only gained a firm foothold on the northern line but are also continuing to push toward Dachang and Nanxiang."

"They're trying to cut off the connection between our northern and southern forces and outflank the urban area!"

"The small advantage you worked so hard to gain before has been completely squandered!"

Listening to Tang Jifeng's narration and looking at the defensive line markers shrinking back on the map.

Lu Fan felt a surge of blood rush to his head, and his vision went dark for a moment.

He had put in so much effort, even changing the course of the battles at Jinshanwei and Chuansha Estuary.

Yet because of a stupid ceasefire order from Jinling, everything was forcefully dragged back onto its original, even more tragic trajectory.

The Battle of Shanghai was ultimately sliding toward that blood-soaked direction he knew all too well!

A deep sense of helplessness and anger almost threatened to consume him.

He slammed his fist hard against the wall; his knuckles were instantly scraped and bleeding, but he didn't even notice.

"Brother Fan, are you okay?" Tang Jifeng was startled by his reaction.

Lu Fan took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down; now was not the time for regret.

He remembered something more urgent and said in a low voice, "Old Fourth, there's even worse news."

"While I was wiping out enemies in the suburbs, I learned from a prisoner that the Japanese Kamikaze Special Agents have already landed in Shanghai."

"And they've separated from the main Japanese force; they've likely already infiltrated the urban area."

"Their target is unknown, but they are definitely plotting something big!"

"What? Kamikaze Special Agents? Landed in Shanghai?" Tang Jifeng was also greatly shocked.

He subconsciously muttered, "This must be reported to Yaoxian immediately!"

As he spoke, he immediately grabbed the phone, connected to the private line, and quickly and clearly informed Zheng Yaoxian on the other end.

Putting down the phone, Tang Jifeng looked at Lu Fan, whose expression was still grim.

He asked worriedly, "Brother Fan, this mess... what are your plans next?"

Lu Fan looked at the precarious northern line on the map, his mind racing.

The original strategy of using mobile forces to put out fires everywhere and strike hard at landing points...

...was now difficult to implement, given that the main Japanese force had already broken through and the entire front line was under heavy pressure.

Because sporadic victories could not reverse the strategic decline.

He fell silent for a long time, a flash of determination in his eyes as his finger pressed heavily on the location of Luodian.

"We can't let the devils advance so easily; we must blunt their momentum."

"Old Fourth, come with me to see Commander Zhang Zhizhong. I'll explain the stakes and have him order the 122nd Division to move north to reinforce the Luodian front."

I will lead the team personally, coordinating with the 122nd Division to launch a counterattack against the Japanese salient."

"Even if we can't fully recover the lost ground, we must take a chunk out of them and disrupt their offensive rhythm."

"What?! You want to take the 122nd Division to Luodian?!" Tang Jifeng almost jumped in shock.

"Brother Fan, do you have any idea what the situation is in Luodian right now? It's a furnace! A bottomless pit!"

"The devils have deployed their most elite troops, and their firepower is several times what it was before!"

"We throw in several divisions every day, and they just vanish!"

"You're going? That's not a counterattack; that's suicide!"

"I know you have good equipment and can fight, but that's a frontal assault! A war of attrition! No matter how good the equipment is, it won't last through that!"

Tang Jifeng spoke quickly and urgently, his words full of sincere dissuasion.

Although he hadn't been to the front lines personally, the casualty figures in the battle reports were horrifying; he knew the cruelty of that place.

How could Lu Fan not know?

But he knew even better that if the Japanese Army were allowed to simply steamroll forward, the entire war situation would collapse even faster and more tragically.

"Old Fourth, you're right." Lu Fan's tone was calm but carried an unquestionable firmness. "But some battles... even knowing they are hard to fight, someone must fight them."

"We need a victory now, even if it's a pyrrhic one, to stabilize the military's morale!"

Without further hesitation, he picked up the phone on the desk and connected to the 122nd Division headquarters on the Chuansha front.

"Hello? This is Feng Tiankui!" Feng Tiankui's raspy yet still heroic voice came from the other end.

"Division Commander Feng, it's me, Lu Fan."

"Brother Lu, you're back in the Baoshan? Perfect, I just repelled a wave of devil attacks over here and was getting bored!"

Lu Fan took a deep breath and got straight to the point, "Division Commander Feng, to keep it short."

"The situation at Luodian on the northern line is critical. The main Japanese force has broken through, and our army has suffered heavy losses."

"I plan to request Commander Zhang to order your unit north to Luodian. My unit will coordinate with yours to launch a counterattack against the devils."

"This battle... is extremely dangerous, a near-certain death. What do you think?"

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, followed by a louder voice, even tinged with a hint of excitement.

"Hahaha~~ No problem! This is exactly the kind of tough battle I've been waiting for! Luodian, right? The brothers have been missing that place quite a bit."

"Near-certain death? Dammit, what's there to fear! If my head falls off, it's just a scar the size of a bowl."

"As long as we can kill devils, everyone in my 122nd Division will have no complaints."

"Brother Lu, we'll fight however you say!"

Feng Tiankui's answer was resolute, filled with the heroism of one prepared to die and absolute trust.

A warm current welled up in Lu Fan's heart. "Good! Division Commander Feng, wait for my word! Assemble your troops immediately and prepare for the sortie!"