Chapter 400: Reporting Less

Yu Hua said a word to the guards, telling them not to let this old Japanese devil eat too much, to prevent Goto Senshu from bursting to death.

After all, this old Japanese devil had been hungry for too long; now that a bowl of sugar water had been poured down, if it wasn't controlled, Yu Hua was truly afraid the guards wouldn't know better and give Goto Senshu an extra meal.

Seeing that the old Japanese devil Goto Senshu was perfectly normal, everyone began to disperse.

The next day!

The Sichuan Army held a press conference in Lincheng, and many reporters and common people came; everyone wanted to see how the Sichuan Army would wash away its grievances;

Or, regarding the Sichuan Army's alleged false reporting of battle results, exactly how many little Japanese devils had been annihilated.

The people at the scene were also very expectant. Fortunately, for this press conference, the Sichuan Army had made preparations in advance and arranged for Military Police to maintain order, preventing any major chaos in the venue.

At the 22nd Group Army headquarters, Yu Hua received a notification from the guards that the reporters at the venue had mostly arrived and the meeting could begin; Yu Hua immediately came to Sun Zhen's side: "Commander-in-Chief, we can begin."

"Chief of Staff!" Wei Dayong patted his chest and said: "I have long followed your instructions and sent brothers to keep an eye on the people in the crowd who are specifically there to stir up trouble."

"Don't you worry, not one of these people will be able to run; in a moment, I will definitely make this group of people know why the flowers are so red."

"Take the Niangziguan Campaign, for example; my 22nd Group Army annihilated two Japanese Army brigades and routed one brigade."

In the crowd, members of the Military Statistics Bureau and the Central Statistics Bureau shouted: "This is absolutely impossible!"

The Chinese reporters began to write furiously, describing what they saw and heard at this press conference, and some reporters even began to think about tomorrow's front-page headlines.

"Punish the Sichuan Army... Punish the Sichuan Army..."

Many common people who did not know the truth also followed along and started to clamor.

"Otherwise, if local troops all follow suit, where will the majesty of the Central Government be?!"

Hearing this, Yu Hua patted Wei Dayong on the shoulder: "Well done!"

"Submit a petition... Submit a petition..."

Seeing the crowd boiling over, Sun Zhen waited for everyone to clamor for a while before continuing: "Everyone, regarding this matter of falsely reporting battle results, my Sichuan Army was actually forced into it."

Arriving at the venue, Sun Zhen sat at the podium, and the reporters below all raised their cameras to take pictures.

Immediately following, several other people from the Central Statistics Bureau and the Military Statistics Bureau began to fan the flames in the crowd.

"Hmm!" Sun Zhen nodded: "Adjutant, bring the things, let's go."

Several Military Statistics Bureau personnel lurking in the crowd, seeing the Sichuan Army spokesperson on stage admit that the battle results were falsely reported, one of them took the initiative to stand out and loudly scolded: "The Sichuan Army falsely reported battle results."

At the same time, when the personnel counting the supplies reported, they clearly stated how many enemies were annihilated, how many rifles were captured, how many light and heavy machine guns, how many mortars, and how many Type 92 Infantry Guns and Type 41 Mountain Guns!

Many reporters exclaimed: "Oh... my god..."

What? The Sichuan Army falsely reported battle results, and it was actually reporting less? The real battle results were even more glorious?

"Impossible!"

This video was quite long, about an hour, and the ordinary common people watched it very intently; even the reporters from Europe were amazed by the Sichuan Army's battle results—this was battlefield video footage, and it was not fake.

How many Japanese Army tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed, and how many cars and motorcycles were captured!

The disclosure of this series of data, coupled with the piles of war trophies counted in the video, all served to prove the authenticity of the Sichuan Army's battle results.

Yu Hua stood on the high platform and said to his personal guard Wei Dayong: "Dayong!"

"Well said, well said... The Sichuan Army has no respect for the Central Government; we should submit a petition to the Chairman at the Nanjing Command and have him properly punish the Sichuan Army."

Under the incitement of the Central Statistics Bureau and the Military Statistics Bureau, some common people also followed along and shouted.

Seeing the reaction of the crowd, Sun Zhen knew that many common people now wished they could skin him alive.

"Did you see those few people who were fanning the flames just now?"

Sun Zhen first tested if the microphone had any problems, and after everything was normal, he said: "Everyone, I would first like to thank you for coming to Lincheng; I hear some reporter friends even crossed enemy-occupied areas to get here."

After speaking, Sun Zhen walked off the podium, and on the screen, one could see Sichuan Army soldiers cleaning up the battlefield after the war; the captured supplies were piled like mountains, and the corpses of the fallen Japanese Army were endless as far as the eye could see.

Seeing this group of people making such a merry scene, Sun Zhen felt very satisfied in his heart; the more you make a scene, the more your faces will definitely be swollen when you get slapped later.

As soon as Sun Zhen finished saying this, everyone at the scene was a bit stunned!

Immediately, the people from the Military Statistics Bureau and the Central Statistics Bureau began to list various examples.

In the eyes of some common people, flames of anger began to fill them; as soon as everyone heard the term "falsely reporting battle results," the first reaction in their minds was that the Sichuan Army annihilated one thousand enemies but reported a regiment.

"Otherwise, I think the Sichuan Army is just the next Han Fuqu!"

Regarding this kind of troop that deceived the feelings of the countrymen, many common people were also unhappy; if it weren't for the fact that they were searched by the Sichuan Army upon entering the venue and many items could not be brought in, many common people would surely be throwing vegetable leaves, rotten eggs, and other items at Sun Zhen by now.

"This is simply lawless and has no respect for the Central Government; for your 22nd Group Army, the Commander-in-Chief, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and several Division Commanders, etc., you should all be transferred to a Military Tribunal for a proper trial; the Central Government must discipline you pests."

"The Sichuan Army must be lying, just empty words... I could also say I annihilated so many Japanese troops; fellow countrymen, think about it carefully, our National Government assembled elite German-equipped Adjustment Divisions and Reorganized Divisions."

When Sun Zhen said this, some people in the venue were stunned for a moment; everyone thought the Sichuan Army would definitely change their tune, but they didn't expect them to say they falsely reported battle results now.

"Regarding the theme of this press conference, everyone is already very clear; regarding Dean Wang's previous statement that my Sichuan Army falsely reported battle results, I admit this."

"Hundreds of thousands of troops couldn't achieve such great results; this Sichuan Army is as poor as a beggar, with no guns, how could they possibly create such results."

"You have worked hard!" After speaking, Sun Zhen took the lead in applauding, and everyone in the venue followed suit. The lively applause sounded like thunder.

"This video was filmed by my Sichuan Army reporters after the battle ended!"

"When reporting, we only told the Nanjing Command in Hankou that we annihilated one Japanese Army brigade and routed one brigade; this was indeed a false report of battle results."

"Since everyone is questioning it!" Sun Zhen smiled slightly: "Then, next, my Sichuan Army will present physical evidence; first, please watch the video."

On the road, the cars, tanks, armored vehicles, etc., destroyed by the Sichuan Army;

Reporter Zhang of the Ta Kung Pao had already drafted tomorrow's headline, which was: Shocking, the Sichuan Army actually did such a thing at the press conference, causing Western reporters to cry out to God!

Shocking! After the Sichuan Army 22nd Group Army announced they falsely reported battle results, men at the scene were silent, and women were moved to tears!

Regarding this headline, Reporter Zhang had learned it from the Sichuan News published by the Sichuan Army; this Sichuan News was a newspaper just published in Sichuan Province, and whether inside or outside the province, its circulation was not very good.

Ever since this Sichuan News came up with this kind of shocking headline, its sales suddenly increased.

(End of this chapter)