Chapter 319

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

While the Tsuchiya Maru's Fourteenth Division was being surrounded and annihilated, Japanese reinforcements were rushing from Heze.

North of Cao County, the Youth Second Army's blocking position.

The sky was torn by a strange meteor shower.

That was naturally not for making wishes to the devils; rather, the Rocket Artillery Battalion of the Youth Army Second Army under Qiu Qingquan had opened fire.

Twenty-four rocket artillery launch vehicles lined up in a row on the preset positions, and upon the Rocket Artillery Battalion's order, the launch racks tilted slightly, ignite!

Successively, hundreds of 132mm rockets dragged long orange-red tail flames, flying out of the launch tubes one after another.

A few seconds later, a continuous expanse of huge fireballs exploded on the distant horizon, devouring the vanguard of the Japanese reinforcements Qiu Qingquan had encountered.

In the observation post, Qiu Qingquan put down his binoculars, showing little tension on his face.

The rocket shell's saturation strike effect was excellent; in his field of view, the front of the Japanese marching column had already fallen into complete chaos.

Trucks were burning, soldiers scattered like frightened ants, and the artillery position attempting to deploy was blown to pieces.

Zhang Fei said: "Yu'an, the vanguard of a Kwantung Army brigade we just struck; the Japanese have already moved two Kwantung Army brigades to Heze;

besides, the main forces of the Japanese 108th and 109th Divisions are also about to arrive at Heze."

Qiu Qingquan nodded, his tone calm: "Don't worry, we are no longer fighting alone now; we are under the Third Army Group's establishment;

the Army Group has four armies in total, two of which are Sichuan Army units that have already reached our rear; what can the little devils do to us?"

Qiu Qingquan turned around and ordered the Heavy Artillery Regiment commander: "The artillery regiment, prepare; as long as the devils dare to support Tsuchiya Yuan right under our noses, immediately implement interdiction fire!"

"Yes!"

Zhengzhou, a heavily guarded, gloomy underground prison.

Dai Chunfeng said softly: "Commissioner, Lu Commander, Dizhou Libing has confessed!"

The atmosphere of the underground prison was starkly different from the scorching artillery fire on the frontline; the once-arrogant Japanese Thirteenth Division Commander Dizhou Libing, Lieutenant General, was now tied to a cross.

His general's uniform was in tatters, his skin bore new and old whip marks and burn scars, his face was black and blue, and one eye was swollen to a slit.

Hearing footsteps, Dizhou Libing weakly raised his head and saw Dai Chunfeng standing at the front.

The old man frowned, covered his nose, looked at the disheveled Japanese lieutenant general in the prison, and asked: "What did he confess?"

Dai Chunfeng said in detail: "According to his confession, the Imperial General Headquarters and the Central China Expeditionary Army are actively preparing for the next large-scale offensive.

The target is Wuhan, the core defense zone of Central China!

A major battle will soon erupt in the Wuhan region, expected to be led by the Central China Expeditionary Army with the North China Area Army cooperating, with troop strength exceeding 250,000."

"250,000? The Xuzhou Campaign hasn't even fully ended, and the Japanese are preparing to attack Wuhan?!" The old man sucked in a breath of cold air.

Although they had expected the Japanese not to let it go after being frustrated in Xuzhou, they did not expect the other side to gather such a huge force so quickly, pointing straight at Wuhan, the core of Central China!

Li Zongren shook his head, not expecting the Japanese to be like madmen, but Lv Muzhi seemed to have been prepared and was not surprised.

Dai Chunfeng continued: "In addition, Dizhou Libing confessed another matter.

The rumors about a southwest mutual protection pact between Han Fuqu, Liu Xiang, and Lu Commander indeed originated from the Japanese secret police agency.

This is their carefully plotted scheme to sow discord, aiming to disrupt our war of resistance camp, especially targeting Lu Commander and the Youth Army; the Japanese high command has already arranged some actions."

Li Zongren, hearing this, snorted coldly: "Very well, this shows the Japanese fear the Youth Army; unable to defeat the Youth Army on the battlefield, they want to do tricks outside the battlefield by all means."

The old man's solemnity eased slightly, replaced by a proud expression: "The Japanese's such ghostly tricks, how could they hide from me?

I never believed those absurd talks!

The more the Japanese fear Wei Yue, the more it proves the Youth Army has struck their pain point! The more so, the more I will reuse Wei Yue and rely on the Youth Army!"

After hearing this, Lv Muzhi nodded: "Thank the Central Government for trusting the Youth Army; Wei Yue will definitely kill more Japanese dogs!"

But the threat to Wuhan still weighed like a huge stone on the old man's heart.

He turned toward the prison, looking at Lv Muzhi and Li Zongren, saying: "The Japanese are about to launch a major offensive with 250,000 troops against Wuhan... it seems the Japanese are unrepentant."

At this time, Dizhou Libing in the prison seemed to have recovered a bit of strength; perhaps thinking the Xia Guo leadership feared the offensive against Wuhan, and knowing he would not end well, he arrogantly said: "Wuhan... the Imperial Army is determined to win! You cannot stop it! Henan, including all of North China, will soon be in the Imperial Army's pocket!

Chinese people! You..."

"Slap!" Before Dizhou Libing could finish, a crisp slap rang out.

Lv Muzhi slapped Dizhou Libing's big mouth, forcing this old devil to shut up directly.

The old man had studied in the East and knew some Japanese, so he pointed at Dizhou Libing's nose and cursed: "A defeated general and a prisoner, daring to bark wildly?"

Dizhou Libing was furious, about to bare his teeth, but Dai Chunfeng stepped forward, and this old devil immediately wilted, not daring to act recklessly anymore.

Lv Muzhi said: "This devil is still unconvinced; Director Dai still needs to discipline him strictly."

The old man also nodded, saying: "Exactly, daring to speak wildly to me; the Military Statistics Bureau's deterrent power is still insufficient!"

Li Zongren also agreed: "There's no need to show any human feelings to the little devils, especially those who have entered Jinling City!"

Dai Chunfeng wiped his sweat, saying: "Yes, I will immediately discipline Dizhou Libing properly!"

Several secret police took Dizhou Libing down from the cross and tied him to the electric chair.

Lv Muzhi said directly: "Use maximum power!"

"Yes! Lu Commander!"

Ah! Ahhh!! Ahhhh!!!

Pig-slaughtering screams came from the underground prison; Dizhou Libing convulsed from the electric current.

Dai Chunfeng dismissed the others and personally operated the trigger device, demonstrating before the three commanders—the old man, Li Zongren, and Lv Muzhi—how he tamed Dizhou Libing.

While Dizhou Libing was being shocked, the old man voiced his concern: "Wuhan is very important, Henan is also very important; I am now worried that if we send the Youth Army to the critical Wuhan battlefield, the North China Area Army might take the opportunity to seize Henan—what then?"

Once Henan falls, the North China Area Army can advance south along the Pinghan Railway to attack Wuhan, and together with the Central China Expeditionary Army launch a pincer attack on Wuhan—in that case, wouldn't both Henan and Wuhan be lost?

More importantly, once Henan falls, if the Japanese Army attacks westward from Henan to seize the Guanzhong Pass region, we won't be able to hold steady in the Southwest Region either!

Li Zongren said: "The little devils have probably committed everything this time; they are indeed a difficult opponent."

The old man thought for a moment, recalled a stratagem previously mentioned by the Hans Advisory Group, looked at Lv Muzhi and Li Zongren, and asked:

"Why not use flooding in lieu of troops, break open the Yellow River Levee, so that the Japanese Army's mechanized units have nowhere to maneuver in Henan, and the Youth Army can go to defend Wuhan with peace of mind......"

Ah! Aaah!! Aaaah!!! The screams of Dizhou Libing being electrocuted rang out once more, startling both the old man and Li Zongren.

Lv Muzhi directly refused: "No, I don't think the situation has come to that yet!"