Chapter 135: ‘Jungle Wolves

Jiang Anguo walked back and forth a few steps, stopped, and his mind began to think.

Since it was confirmed that the Little Devil was trying to flee, Jiang Anguo naturally could not let them slip away so easily under his very eyes. That would not only waste the meat at his mouth, but also insult his military uniform.

He stood in front of the muddy command post, his gaze sharp, and swiftly issued the pursuit order: "Notify Seventh Company Golden Sword, Ninth Company Qian Jiaguo, have their two units rest in place for three hours. After three hours, bring ten days of supplies… no, bring fifteen days of food directly, and chase that Japanese Army squad!"

"Yes, Commander!" the Messenger turned and ran to deliver the order.

Jiang Anguo changed it to fifteen days because he deeply understood the terror of this MianDianBeibu jungle. Jungle pursuit is far from a simple running race; it is a brutal contest with the natural environment.

He can supply his troops at any time, but Golden Sword and Qian Jiaguo cannot.

"This damned place, relying on people to carry fifteen days of dry rations and also guns and ammunition, the soldiers would die of exhaustion before even encountering the Little Devil," Jiang Anguo calculated silently.

He suddenly recalled that he had ordered Li Yi's unit to go to Northern Thailand to harass the Thai Army, and they had taken war horses for transporting supplies.

He decisively accessed the system and directly exchanged for fifty sturdy war horses. In the complex terrain and jungle fringe lacking conditions for mechanized vehicles, war horses are the best heavy transport.

The arrival of fifty war horses solved a major problem. They can not only haul heavy food and ammunition, but also carry necessary drinking water purification equipment and medicines.

Jiang Anguo has very strict requirements for his troops' logistical support; his soldiers must never drink raw water, nor go into battle hungry like those broken troops.

In this humid and hot environment, once drinking raw water causes diarrhea or dysentery, in a jungle lacking doctors and medicine it is tantamount to a death sentence.

If Jiang Anguo is present, there may still be a chance of rescue; once he is gone, the Non-combat Casualties would rise sharply.

Besides supplies and disease, they must also face ubiquitous Poisonous Snake, insects, rats, and ants. In Myanmar's rainforest, every dark corner may hide a lethal threat.

However, the good news is that the situation has completely reversed.

The three most important strategic cities in MianDianBeibu—Lashu, Bamo, and Myitkyina—are now firmly in Jiang Anguo's hands.

History has been completely altered; more Expeditionary Force units can safely return to the rear, and it's still early to go home!

After May comes the rainy season in MianDianBeibu; nature effectively thwarts the Japanese Army's northward advance, and the Expeditionary Force has ample time to recuperate.

With the three MianDianBeibu towns in the Expeditionary Force's hands, even if the troops light fires at night to cook and keep warm, safety is assured. Of course, outdoor living is very difficult.

At least these three positions, backed by the rear, need not fear a surprise attack by large Japanese Army forces.

Watching Golden Sword and Qian Jiaguo ready to move out, Jiang Anguo's expression grew serious, and he specifically instructed: "Pay attention to safety. Bite the tail of these Little Devils. Don't lose them, and don't let them run too fast. Press them slowly; if pressed too hard they may panic like a cornered dog. We will eat them piece by piece. This is a hunt, not a duel."

"Yes, Commander, we guarantee to complete the mission!" Golden Sword and Qian Jiaguo answered in unison.

The soldiers of the two companies were invigorated, and everyone changed into a clean set of uniforms. The previous days of marching and combat had turned everyone into mud monkeys, and even Jiang Anguo himself emitted a foul odor that was hard to bear. Now, with the conditions, they must keep their appearance tidy, which also reflects morale.

Jiang Anguo thought that eradicating these Little Devils was not the sole goal; the main aim was to eliminate as many as possible. Killing one more Little Devil would lessen future pressure by a bit.

He was certain that the MianDianBeibu rainforest could prevent at least half of the Little Devils from returning to the South.

Of course, it is said that MianDianBeibu produces jade, and they could also capture some Little Devils to mine.

On paper, the Japanese Army's numbers actually exceed those of Golden Sword and Qian Jiaguo. The two companies total only 320 men at most, since Jiang Anguo's forces are lean; a standard Infantry Company has only 160 men.

And the fleeing Japanese Army unit still holds a numerical advantage, but Jiang Anguo is not worried.

Because Golden Sword and Qian Jiaguo understand "jungle warfare" better than the opposing Japanese Army commander who only knows rigidly following orders.

Just as the unit was about to depart, Golden Sword ran back with a suggestion: "Commander, I discussed with Company Commander Qian Jiaguo. Sending an entire company into the jungle brings too many people, slowing movement and enlarging the target, which would hurt the pursuit effect. We plan to each bring 100 men into the jungle, that will be enough."

Jiang Anguo was momentarily stunned, then nodded: "Alright, jungle warfare, you are the professional, so follow your plan. Remember to bring extra supplies, especially anti‑Poisonous‑Snake medicine and purified water tablets."

"Yes!"

Golden Sword and Qian Jiaguo's specialty is "jungle", meaning they are like fish in water in the rainforest. Regarding the myriad flora and fauna of the Myanmar rainforest, they know them better than their own palms.

Once truly deep in the rainforest, Jiang Anguo knows that the soldiers' greatest enemy is no longer rifle‑wielding humans, but the unseen poisonous mosquitoes, blood‑sucking leeches, and deadly Poisonous Snake.

Thus, the two companies were reduced again. Ultimately, the jungle pursuit consisted of two hundred hand‑picked jungle hunters.

Jiang Anguo personally watched these two elite squads disappear into the jungle edge.

The remaining over a hundred soldiers were handed back by Jiang Anguo to the rd Battalion commander Hu Dali. Seeing Hu Dali's bewildered expression, Jiang Anguo was at a loss; Old Hu had indeed been close to becoming Guanggan Siling these days, the rd Battalion's structure consists of Seventh Company, Eighth Company, Ninth Company; the Eighth Company's entire regiment followed the th Division in Xibu, and now Seventh and Ninth Companies also have combat missions.

In fact, the rd Battalion commander truly had no troops left under his command. But there was nothing to be done; Myitkyina had just been captured and needed troops to maintain order. The forces left in the rd Battalion could be used for defense and patrol, ensuring the safety of this empty city.

The remaining men of Seventh Company and Ninth Company, plus the rd Battalion's direct units, are sufficient.

Thus Myitkyina was taken, a great victory; the combat objective was achieved, namely capturing Myitkyina.

But Jiang Anguo still felt a bit unsatisfied. Mainly because he hadn't killed a Little Devil in a satisfying fight, and hadn't even earned many points, which left him somewhat frustrated.

Of course, taking Myitkyina without bloodshed, preserving strength, is also a huge piece of good news.

Recalling the march, Jiang Anguo rubbed his sore lower back; this march had ruined his backside. From Lashu to Bamo and then Myitkyina, nearly three hundred kilometers of mountain roads, mostly uneven dirt and gravel paths. Fortunately the journey was smooth, with no special incidents.

For this kind of mountain‑road march, they still drove along the barely passable road; if they had to march on foot, it would take an indefinite, far‑off time.

At this point, Jiang Anguo couldn't help but wonder why Jiu Mi Jing, despite having few troops, still sent about a hundred soldiers to support Myitkyina; how confident he was. That guy in Bamo was also like a clever housewife with no rice to cook; he only gathered about ten functional trucks, patched them up, squeezed them, and that was just enough to cram in the few people and equipment.

Otherwise, with such dilapidated mountain roads, marching on foot would take at least two to three days, which would still be fast. That's only possible because a road exists.

If there were no road at all, requiring them to blaze a path over mountains, a marching speed of seven or eight kilometers a day would already be good. By the time they reached Myitkyina, the daylilies would have gone cold.

Night fell, and Jiang Anguo did not choose to occupy Myitkyina city.

His suspicion and caution made him still worry that Little Devils were inside the city; even without yellow‑skinned Japanese troops, Japanese spies were present.

Japanese spies arrived in Myanmar earlier than the Japanese Army's Fifteenth Army.

Although Myitkyina is said to be empty, who knows if those broken walls and ruins still hide a few stubborn Japanese snipers? If a hidden Little Devil were to fire a dark gun at this commander, he would be in big trouble.

Thus, he chose an open area on the east side of the Yi Luo Wa Di Jiang. The view there is good, allowing him to see everything on the Myitkyina side of the river; he had the engineers erect a sturdy Tent as his temporary command post.

Listening to the rushing river, Jiang Anguo lay on his marching cot, looking up at the Tent's roof.

Golden Sword and Qian Jiaguo have already set out, hoping these two "Jungle Wolves" will bring him good news.

"Run? Under my very eyes, where could they run?" Jiang Anguo sneered, turned over, and fell into a deep sleep.

He was simply exhausted!