Chapter 154: Chasing the Japanese Army

In the officers' mess, the officers of the th Division also enjoyed the proper privileges. Although the food and drink were similar to the soldiers', the environment was a bit quieter.

In fact, for these officers who had been fighting in Myanmar for over two months, being alive, sitting here calmly to eat a hot meal made them feel they were already very fortunate.

War always comes with sacrifice, but as Chinese soldiers they would rather die for their own motherland; that is the deep‑rooted "fallen leaves return to their roots" sentiment of the people. Many soldiers, at the moment of death, clutched a comrade's hand and pleaded earnestly, "Take me home…"

But the situation then made it impossible. The comrades could only hold back tears, take a final glance at the brother fallen in the grass, then turn and keep charging. Those figures ultimately remained forever in Myanmar's jungle.

"Lao Gao, tell me… why is this Independent Regiment so flush with wealth?"

Regiment Commander Liu Shuren of the 599 Regiment held a cigarette between his fingers and took a deep drag. It was genuine United States merchandise, Camel brand, rich in flavor and strong in kick, a rarity back home.

He exhaled a smoke ring, looking around with a puzzled face: "Isn't this Independent Regiment just the Supplement Battalion we had before? How did the equipment, supplies, and logistics all appear in the blink of an eye? It's like a whole new way of living."

Deputy Division Commander and Regiment Commander Gao Jiren lowered his voice, saying mysteriously, "Let me tell you a secret: the commander of this Independent Regiment, Jiang Anguo, is the Division Commander's brother‑in‑law."

"What?!"

The several officers around froze, their chopsticks suspended mid‑air.

"Lao Gao, this news… it can't be false, can it?" someone questioned.

Gao Jiren nodded emphatically, then whispered "shh," signaling everyone to keep quiet: "Absolutely true! Just keep it to yourselves; never blurt it out outside, it would cause trouble."

So that's it!

The others' doubts vanished instantly. No wonder! No wonder all the supplies were prioritized, no wonder there were so many good things. It was a nepotistic connection! Yet, considering Division Commander Dai Anlan's character, this relationship actually made people feel reassured.

In reality, where is there any priority in supplies!

Everything is self‑sufficient thanks to Jiang Anguo; even the supplies that haven't been moved from Lashu, Jiang Anguo has people busy transporting them back to Yunnan.

"Alright, take your time eating; I'll go check on the Division Commander." Gao Jiren stood up and wiped his mouth.

"Let's go, let's go, Lao Gao, we'll go together to see the Division Commander." Liu Shuren and the others also rose.

After the soldiers had eaten and drunk their fill, the person in charge of the Independent Regiment came over to assign them quarters.

Ten people shared a large Tent; it was a bit cramped, but still hundreds of times better than sleeping in the jungle outdoors. Of course, the Tent needed reinforcement and drainage ditches dug around it. This was a temporary camp; although the site was on higher ground, Myanmar's rainy season was about to arrive, and once the torrential rain fell, low‑lying areas were utterly unsuitable for stationing troops, easily leading to plague and disease.

On the other side, in front of the field hospital's special care ward.

Jiang Anguo had actually been waiting here for a long time. The moment Dai Anlan woke up, Doctors Lei Ao and Li Qing had already rushed over to inform him.

"Anguo… it's you!"

Dai Anlan strained to sit up, looking at the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar figure by the bedside.

Compared with before departure, Jiang Anguo had darkened considerably and lost weight, yet his whole frame seemed sturdier, with a new streak of resolve and murderous aura between his brows—a temperament forged on the battlefield.

Jiang Anguo nodded, looking at the brother‑in‑law he once admired, at a loss for what to call him, then stood straight and said, "Division Commander."

Dai Anlan weakly smiled, waved a hand: "Anguo, there are no Outside people here; we're relatives, just call me brother‑in‑law."

Jiang Anguo replied softly, "Yes, brother‑in‑law."

Dai Anlan married Jiang Anguo's elder sister Jiang Anwen; the two families had always been close. Primarily because the Jiang line now had only Jiang Anguo as the remaining male, his elder sister often asked Dai Anlan to look after her younger brother.

And at this moment, the soldiers guarding the entrance of the field hospital were all Jiang Anguo's confidants. Of course, a portion of the Guard Company soldiers inside the ward were Dai Anlan's guards; these men were absolutely loyal to Dai Anlan, constantly standing by the Division Commander's side, not a step away.

"Anguo, tell me the current situation: where has the th Division reached according to headquarters?"

Although Dai Anlan had awakened, his last memories remained on the night of the assault on Xibu. He knew nothing of what happened afterward or how he was brought back.

Jiang Anguo hesitated a bit: "Brother‑in‑law, the doctor said your injuries aren't fully stabilized yet; you need more rest."

"It's fine! I've slept enough! Hurry up, I'm dying of anxiety!"

Reluctantly, Jiang Anguo recounted the general situation. The main force of the Expeditionary Force was retreating to Myitkyina and Bamo; with the supplies Jiang Anguo had left, they could hold out for a while. Meanwhile, the th Division had already withdrawn safely to Lashu, and the defenses there were so solid that Jiang Anguo could say Lashu was almost an iron bucket; it would take ten thousand Little Devil (Japanese soldier) to break through.

Moreover, Jiang Anguo briefed Dai Anlan on the Japanese Army's situation, though he only knew one movement of the 56th Division.

After hearing the report, Dai Anlan was silent for a long time, then let out a deeply regretful sigh and slammed a fist onto the bedside rail:

"Alas, Anguo! You missed a chance to chase the 56th Division!"

Dai Anlan, a man of military knowledge, knew that although the 56th Division had just finished fighting, it was at the end of its strength; catching them in the chaos of their retreat would deliver a severe blow to the Japanese Army's arrogance.

But he changed his mind and felt relieved: "Fine, the 56th Division is the Japanese Army's elite, dubbed the 'Dragon Corps', with great combat power. Let them go; the soldiers under your command… if they all chased and fought them head‑on, it would likely be a death match, not worth it."

In Dai Anlan's impression, Jiang Anguo's Supplement Battalion, when deployed, consisted entirely of raw recruits who had barely handled a rifle. As for that so‑called Lashu Defense Force, he had never even heard of it.

As for the current elevation to an Independent Regiment, Myanmar is a foreign land; where does the manpower come from to replenish it?

The th Division has suffered heavy losses along the way and cannot replenish troops locally.

How could Dai Anlan know that the troops under Jiang Anguo were long no longer the old Wu Xia A‑meng? He thought they were a bunch of fresh recruits, but in fact they were warriors forged through System Exchange and rigorous training!

If Dai Anlan learned the truth, he'd probably slap his thigh in regret and even curse his mother.

However, pursuing the enemy during Myanmar's rainy season is a factor Dai Anlan hadn't considered, because the 56th Division took the Small Road, making supply transport extremely difficult.

A rash pursuit would instead cause one's own troops to suffer losses.

"Yes, brother‑in‑law, I should have sent troops to chase."

Jiang Anguo verbally agreed, but a bitter feeling rose inside him. He lowered his head, masking the complex expression in his eyes, then offered an excuse: "Brother‑in‑law, you rest first; I'll go arrange tomorrow's defenses."

Having said that, Jiang Anguo immediately turned and walked out of the camp Tent.

Standing in the night outside the Tent, Jiang Anguo took a deep breath of Myanmar's humid air.

The rainy season is coming; is it really wise to chase the Japanese Army now?

His hesitation caused the great opportunity to slip away through his fingers.

Even though he commanded such a strong force, he was scared of the already weakened 56th Division because of fear of losses! No matter what, they should have ripped a big chunk off the 56th Division to show the Japanese the might of the Chinese!

The night wind blew, as if also mocking his indecisiveness.

ps: As for why Bamo and Myitkyina earlier didn't use mortars, you read at a glance; I specifically wrote a charge distance of six or seven hundred meters. Setting up a mortar requires soldiers to operate and adjust the angle; tell me, is a mortar faster or is a howitzer faster?