107: Chapter 107 Attacking for Reinforcements? Sorry, we have no reinforcements!
The air at Headquarters was even more choking than the gunpowder smoke in a Japanese munitions factory.
The Deputy Commander's eyes were bloodshot, and the ashtray in front of him had piled up into a small mountain; he hadn't closed his eyes for three days.
One hundred thousand Japanese Soldiers were pressing down on He County like dark clouds; the weight of it was suffocating.
The Chief of Staff pointed at the map, his voice hoarse: "Leaders, I think that Old Devil Shinozuka Kazuo is likely playing the 'besiege a point to strike the reinforcements' trick on us!"
He paused, analyzing: "It's not that they lack the ability to launch a direct assault. But what is our He County right now?"
"It's the three Anti-Aircraft Battalions left by Mr. Shen, plus twenty 107mm Rocket Launchers! Not to mention those fourteen invincible heavy tanks!"
"If the Japanese want to take it by force, they won't stand a chance without leaving behind the corpses of several regiments!"
At this point, the Chief of Staff's tone shifted as his finger drew a large circle around the outskirts of He County on the map, his brow furrowing deeper:
"But that's exactly the problem! No matter how tough He County is, it's still an isolated city!"
"Ammunition and food will eventually run out!"
"If the Japanese are sinister enough, they'll simply besiege it without attacking, hiding their main force on the high ground outside to wait... Then do we rescue them, or not?"
These words struck a chord in everyone's hearts!
To rescue or not?
If they didn't? The Chiefs would be heartbroken to lose that munitions factory in He County, which was about to start 'laying eggs,' along with all those advanced weapons!
To rescue? But how?
Even though the Eighth Route Army had grown to over a hundred regiments with two to three hundred thousand men, making it sound like a massive force...
They knew their own foundation best!
Most units were still carrying old-fashioned hanyang rifles!
With their current equipment levels, going toe-to-toe against two full Japanese divisions?
That would be no different from throwing eggs against a rock!
"Damn it, if the Japanese really try to besiege the point and strike our reinforcements, they've given us a hell of a problem!" one hot-tempered Leader couldn't help but pound the table.
The atmosphere in the command post grew even more solemn.
However, just as the suffocating silence was about to solidify—
"Report!"
A Communications Staff Officer practically rushed in, clutching a telegram in his hand.
"He County! A secret message from He County! Top secret!"
Swish!
Every gaze instantly focused on the Communications Staff Officer.
In He County, the Brigade Commander had a top-secret radio station that only communicated with Headquarters, and the codebook was also uniquely configured!
"Read it!" the Deputy Commander-in-Chief stood up abruptly, his voice trembling slightly with urgency.
At this critical juncture, any news from He County tugged at everyone's nerves!
The Communications Staff Officer took a deep breath, his voice still shaking: "The Brigade Commander reports that Mr... Mr. Shen! Mr. Shen has arrived! He is in He County!"
"What?"
"Mr. Shen is here?"
"Fantastic!!"
The command post instantly erupted with gasps of surprise, and the faces of several Chiefs simultaneously lit up with the glow of hope.
The supplies and equipment Mr. Shen brought a month ago were almost enough to hold off a Japanese division; now that a month had passed...
The Deputy Commander waved his hand urgently: "Quick! Keep reading! What did Mr. Shen bring? What's the situation?"
The Communications Staff Officer steadied himself and read quickly from the telegram: "Mr. Shen has arrived with a large quantity of new equipment! Specifically including: eighty type 59 medium tanks, organized into a tank regiment!"
"Thirty-six Katyusha rocket launcher vehicles, equipped with over eleven thousand 132mm rockets!"
"Additionally, eighteen 107mm Rocket Launchers, seventy Type 40 Rocket Launchers, four 85mm Anti-Aircraft Guns, twelve 85mm Howitzers, twenty-four 100mm Mortars, twelve 37mm Anti-Aircraft Guns, over a hundred light and heavy machine guns of various types, and nearly three thousand type 56 submachine guns..."
"In total, the new equipment for... one tank regiment, one infantry regiment, one Anti-Aircraft Battalion, one rocket battalion, and one artillery battalion!"
By the time he reached this point, the Communications Staff Officer's own voice had become somewhat ethereal!
Inside the cave dwelling, it was already quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
Several Chiefs, including the Deputy Commander and the Chief of Staff, were all frozen in place.
"My... goodness..." one Leader murmured unconsciously, his enamel mug hitting the ground with a 'clatter.'
"Eighty tanks... a whole regiment..." The Chief of Staff adjusted his glasses.
"Ten... over ten thousand 132mm rockets? That must be... hundreds of tons of shells, right?"
"This is insane... Mr. Shen is..." Another Leader was so shocked he could only click his tongue.
This firepower configuration, this number of tanks, this ammunition reserve...
This wasn't just nine battalions; this was practically moving the entire inventory of a major power's main mechanized brigade over!
In fact, even for the main brigades of Germany or America, would they have such terrifying firepower?
The Chiefs didn't know how things were with Little Mustache or the 'Dead Cripple,' but they knew one thing—
"He County is saved! It's absolutely saved!"
One Leader slammed his fist onto the map, shaking dust loose from the ceiling.
"Eighty tanks, over ten thousand heavy rockets! Forget two divisions, even if Shinozuka Kazuo bets his entire First Army, I have the confidence to knock out every single one of his teeth!"
An army of a hundred thousand was indeed terrifying, but ten thousand 132mm rockets were even more terrifying!
But after the initial euphoria, a realistic question immediately surfaced in their minds.
The previous equipment was, at the very least, exchanged for 'IOUs' and some materials.
This time... the value of what Mr. Shen had brought was likely an astronomical figure!
Selling the entire Eighth Route Army might not even cover the spare change!
What could they possibly give him in return?
As if guessing the embarrassment of the Headquarters Leaders, the Communications Staff Officer looked at the end of the telegram and hurriedly added:
"At the end of the telegram, Mr. Shen specifically stated: This equipment is temporarily lent to our army to break the siege of He County!"
"Specific details will be... discussed at leisure after the war!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the cave fell silent for a moment before erupting into heartfelt praise.
"Good! What a 'discussed at leisure'!"
"A true scholar of the state! Truly a peerless scholar!" the Deputy Commander-in-Chief said with emotion, his eyes actually reddening slightly.
"Such righteous generosity! Mr. Shen's treatment of our army is... truly beyond words!" The Chief of Staff was also deeply moved.
"Say no more; this friendship is something our Eighth Route Army will never forget!" the other Chiefs chimed in one after another.
With Shen Wang's words, the last bit of hesitation vanished.
Now was not the time to fret over the cost, but to make good use of these 'divine weapons' to win this battle!
The Deputy Commander quickly regained his composure, barking out a series of orders:
"Immediately telegraph all units around He County! The New First Regiment, New Second Regiment, and all available County Battalions, District Squads, and Militia Forces are to abandon their current missions and rush toward He County to assemble! All are to be placed under the unified command of the Brigade Commander!"
Shen Wang had brought a brigade's worth of new weapons; they had to have enough manpower!
With the Independent Regiment, plus the New First and New Second Regiments and the local forces, they had nearly fifteen thousand battle-ready troops!
Then, the Deputy Commander looked at the Chief of Staff: "Send our analysis—the high probability that the Japanese intend to besiege the point and strike reinforcements—to the Brigade Commander as well!"
"Remind them that while the Japanese are besieging the city on the surface, they've certainly opened a pocket in the shadows waiting for our reinforcements! Let them be aware and prepare in advance!"
Finally, the Deputy Commander's tone became incredibly solemn as he emphasized each word:
"At the same time, in the name of Headquarters, issue a death order to the Brigade Commander: Holding He County is the current second priority!"
"The first priority is to ensure the absolute safety of Mr. Shen at all costs!"
"Tell Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang that even if their units are wiped out and they have to use their own bodies to block bullets, they must protect Mr. Shen for me!"