Chapter 217: Viewing Cherry Blossoms at the Foot of Mt. Fuji

Stilwell glanced at the special uniform Jiang Anguo wore that showed no rank, and at the well‑equipped, stern‑faced soldiers of the Independent Regiment behind him, and quickly formed a judgment in his mind.

To be able to independently command a brilliant counter‑attack, to have his own elite troops, and even speak so boldly and insightfully… this young man is certainly not an ordinary Regiment Commander.

"Your name is Jiang Anguo, right?" Stilwell's tone grew serious. "Very good, your tactics are outstanding. I need a detailed report on this counter‑attack."

"Yes, General." Jiang Anguo nodded in response.

Stilwell watched Jiang Anguo turn and walk away, then looked at Dai Anlan and asked in low English, "Why is this Jiang Anguo only a Colonel? From his bearing and equipment, he should at least be a Major General, right?"

Dai Anlan's mouth twitched slightly at the remark; he decided not to answer the question for now.

Jiang Anguo, hearing that, gently shook his head. He extended a finger and pointed to the empty khaki patch on his collar, his tone even yet unmistakably serious.

"It's the same issue, General. On the battlefield, rank is the sniper's best target; it tells the opponent who the commander is." He paused, meeting Stilwell's probing gaze, and continued, "Besides, General, I am not a General. My rank is Colonel."

Jiang Anguo's feelings toward Stilwell are complicated. He does not dislike the American General's bluntness and pragmatism, but he cannot say he respects him. To him, Stilwell is like a card player who holds a great hand yet plays it terribly.

That is not entirely Stilwell's fault. Anyone in his position, seeing those "perfect" paper figures, would think a decisive victory could be won in Myanmar.

Is the gap between enemy and ally really that huge?

Jiang Anguo's thoughts raced.

Air power—American and British aircraft may not outnumber the Japanese, but whether P‑40 fighters or Brewster bombers, their performance far exceeds the Little Devil's land‑based aircraft.

Ground weapons—Du Yuming's Fifth Army's standard‑issue, Soviet‑made gear is no worse than the Japanese Army's. Even the British‑Myanmar Forces' equipment surpasses the Japanese; they are a fully mechanized unit.

Moreover, in numbers, the Sino‑British‑American coalition far exceeds the Japanese.

Yet with such seemingly perfect data, the Japanese Army was driven back step by step!

The Japanese Army's early attacks were cautious, probing assaults, but once they broke through a point in the Expeditionary Force's defensive line, the entire Myanmar Sino‑British‑American coalition collapsed like a punctured balloon, instantly losing the ability to resist and unable to form an effective line.

It is no longer a matter of weapons or numbers; it is a total collapse of command, will, and trust among allies.

Stilwell clearly heard Jiang Anguo's warning about rank; he turned to his adjutant and said low, "Write it down, the Colonel is right. Many of our officers were sniped dead on retreat because their rank insignia were too obvious. This is a battlefield discipline that must be propagated."

The adjutant immediately recorded it in his small notebook.

Stilwell turned his gaze sharp again, this time with a hint of accusation. "But, Colonel, may I ask, in Tonggu you should have received a telegram from Chongqing—why didn't you go to rescue the British?"

The question came like a needle, stabbing straight.

Dai Anlan's heart leapt to his throat; he nervously looked at Stilwell, then at Jiang Anguo. In his view, whatever the reason, questioning "not rescuing an ally" in front of the Allied commander is a grave taboo. He thought the hot‑tempered American would now be furious.

Yet Jiang Anguo's face showed no ripple. He did not even try to argue, merely looking calmly at Stilwell as if stating an obvious fact.

"General," Jiang Anguo's voice was soft but reached everyone's ears, "if you wish to return to the United States with glory, then fully trust our Chinese army. If you wish to return with stains and shame, then continue to trust the British. Of course, whether the British will later abandon you and flee on their own, I cannot say."

Those words were less an answer than a loud slap straight to the "Allied" face.

Sometimes, with these self‑righteous Americans, politeness is useless; you must use the most direct, most brutal way to make them see reality.

"Moreover, can you tell me where the captured British are? We have no intelligence indicating where the British were captured, so we do not know where to rescue them!"

Dai Anlan was already ready to step forward and smooth things over, even to apologize for Jiang Anguo.

But contrary to his expectation, after a brief moment of shock, Stilwell's face not only lacked anger but slowly showed a bitter smile. In that smile were self‑mockery, helplessness, and a sense of relief at having his heart laid bare.

He was silent for a moment, then looked at Jiang Anguo and said word for word:

"Colonel, you are right."

Clearly Stilwell is very dissatisfied with the British's actions in Myanmar, but now that dissatisfaction is meaningless, because Stilwell now can only rely on the Expeditionary Force.

The British have all become Japanese prisoners.

Stilwell looked at the assembled Expeditionary Force commanders, happily saying, "I will lead you to retake Yangon, and then enter Tokyo together—that will be the happiest moment of my life. I will use facts to prove to the world that Chinese soldiers are not only equal to any Allied soldiers but will surpass them. Then I will die without regret."

Dai Anlan looked at Stilwell strangely, wondering why he said that.

Everyone present thought Stilwell's words made sense, but they did not know how many years it would take, how many soldiers must be sacrificed, to defeat Japan.

Only Jiang Anguo knew how terrifying the American engine's ignition would be; in just three years Japan would surrender.

Jiang Anguo stepped forward and said, "General Stilwell, your thinking is normal, but our army needs more weapons to resist more Japanese; otherwise, once the Japanese leave the Asian theater and move into the Pacific, that is something you Americans do not want to see."

In fact Jiang Anguo said that deliberately, because once Chongqing gave up, it would truly be near abandonment; one can imagine all aid routes being cut, making the resistance extremely difficult.

Japan poured so many troops into the Asian theater, while the Southern front had only four or five hundred thousand.

Stilwell nodded in agreement; through the Myanmar Campaign, the kid knew the disparity between the coalition and the Japanese, and that only the Chinese army could fight; as long as they were given the same weapons and equipment, they could suppress the Japanese.

"You are right, Colonel, I will report this to President Roosevelt, and he has already begun shipping the first batch of weapons to you." Stilwell looked at Jiang Anguo and said.

Jiang Anguo looked into the distance and said, "General, I hope there will be a chance, to watch the cherry blossoms under Mt. Fuji."