The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 400 Midnight Snack (Two Chapters Combined)

...When I received the news of the victory at Kunlun Pass late at night, I was overjoyed, but I also had some feelings.

Firstly, I am deeply grateful for the immense and incredible grace and wisdom bestowed upon me by Jesus. The decision to launch this counterattack in Guinan was undoubtedly a stroke of genius.

After this battle, who can question my military command ability?

Secondly, Hu Biao and Hu Yitong are both fierce and lucky generals on the battlefield, and all their companions are talented. If they can be fully utilized by me, they will be even more powerful.

Unfortunately, this person and his companions were all unruly individuals who repeatedly rejected my attempts to win them over.

However, people in this world always have their own desires and wants, whether for fame, wealth, power, or sex. Given time, they can all be won over...

...Excerpt from the bald-headed principal's diary, December 26, 12...

"Good heavens! Why are so many people gathered here, and none of them are saying a word?" Looking at the dense crowd in front of him, Old Ma was startled and muttered to himself.

However, this group of time travelers did not stay in the Japanese command post at Kunlun Pass for very long.

The main problem was that by the time they stormed in, all the Japanese soldiers had already been killed; all the other documents had been burned, and the radio station had been completely destroyed, so there wasn't much to gain.

So after Anne translated a passage from the diary, they stayed inside for another two or three minutes.

During this time, he casually picked up some samurai swords, watches, cigarettes and lighters as his spoils, then left the command post and walked to the gate tower of the pass, which had been blasted open with several gaps.

Then they were all dumbfounded.

Below the city gate, on the road leading to it, and further into the wilderness, were densely packed men from the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment and the Fifth Army.

Adding them all up, there are at least two thousand people.

These were brothers who had just experienced a major battle, their bodies reeking of gunpowder and covered in blood that could be identified as either that of Japanese soldiers or their own.

At this moment, no one spoke; they just stood there silently, their gazes toward them filled with complex emotions.

It was filled with a mix of longing, worry, anxiety, and doubt. Such a strange scene left Old Ma somewhat bewildered.

Fortunately, at this critical moment, Hu Biao, whom they affectionately called "Deadbeat Hu Biao," the captain of the time-traveling team, was actually quite reliable.

In a very short time, he understood the emotions in those many eyes, which could be summed up in two words: the answer.

At this moment, all the sounds of gunfire and shouts of battle on the Kunlun Pass battlefield had completely ceased, which should have meant that this gateway to southern Guangxi had been captured.

However, this operation is a large-scale offensive.

Since the start of the War of Resistance against Japan in 1937, the National Revolutionary Army fought against the Japanese for more than two years. During this period, countless brothers died in numerous battles, but the National Revolutionary Army never won a single large-scale offensive battle.

This time they not only won, but they won so quickly and so easily.

After so many failures, they were almost in disbelief, fearing it was just a beautiful illusion.

Therefore, they wanted to get a definite answer from Hu Biao and Commander Hu, to confirm that everything was true.

Since that's the case, then Hu Biao will give them the answer.

Under the watchful eyes of at least two thousand people, Hu Biao took a deep breath and suddenly raised his right arm high.

He focused his energy in his dantian and roared:
"Brothers! We have won! We have captured Kunlun Pass!"

Screw the pledge, screw the two-day deadline! We only need thirteen or fourteen hours, and we'll even have time for a late-night snack afterward.

So cheer loudly! After the cheers, we'll have a late-night snack; it's on me, Commander Hu.

The above passage was carried far away by the mountain wind, so that everyone standing below could hear it clearly, and from then on they had no more doubts.

In an instant, cheers of "We won!" and "Let's have a midnight snack!" erupted like a volcanic eruption.

Every face was filled with indescribable pride and ecstasy; they too deserved it.

A short while later, the main force, which should have been stationed in the distance, heard the cheers and launched an even louder, thunderous roar.

Under such circumstances, Annie, who seemed to have thought of something, quietly nudged Hu Biao in the waist, attracting the attention of the big jerk.

He whispered a reminder: "Mr. Hu, just a friendly reminder."

Tonight at dinner, in order to keep your promise to treat our comrades to meat, we ate all the canned food, taro, melons, and vegetables in one go.

Now, all that's left in the kitchen is some brown rice and pickled vegetables. How did you manage to treat so many people to a late-night snack?

Are you suggesting we serve everyone brown rice with pickled vegetables and plain water?

Faced with Annie's reminder, Hu Biao looked surprised and asked, "What's wrong with brown rice and pickled vegetables? What we eat isn't important; it's the atmosphere that matters."

Upon hearing this, Annie was just thinking of explaining that it would be impolite to do so.

But seeing the expressions of unwavering agreement on Hu Biao's words from the male members of the transmigrator team, including Black Star, Uncle Bo, and AT, he finally realized something:
As a woman myself, I still don't understand the thoughts of these rough men...

At the same time, the famous Xiyuan Hotel in Nanning was also the highest command post of the Japanese in the Guinan region.

In contrast to the joyous atmosphere that had spread throughout Kunlun Pass, this Japanese command post was a gloomy and desolate ghost town.

No other reason than that! Just a minute ago, the commander of the 21st Army, Ando Rikichi, and the commander of the 5th Division, Imamura Hitoshi, were working feverishly through the night with a large number of staff officers.

They were busy figuring out which troops to deploy and what methods to use to support Sakata Genichi at Kunlun Pass.

Even if we cannot ultimately hold this place, we must hold out for at least another week to allow other reinforcements from the South China Front Army to arrive from the direction of Guangzhou.

At that time, they will have more troops, which will not only be able to reverse the current passive situation, but also take the opportunity to occupy the entire Guangxi province after severely damaging the National Army and the Guangxi Army.

During this period, due to differing opinions on some of the above-mentioned battle plans, many Japanese staff officers got into a heated argument.

It was a bit noisy, but at least it made the atmosphere in the command center more lively.

However, just a minute later, Sakata Genichi's farewell telegram arrived, meaning that all their previous enthusiastic plans had now become a huge joke.

Ando Rikichi and Imamura Hitoshi, in particular, looked extremely grim.

The fact that the two highest-ranking generals reacted in this way made the other Japanese soldiers not dare to utter a word, for fear of getting into trouble for themselves if they angered the two men.

This deathly silence lasted for seven or eight minutes.

Imamura Hitoshi finally came to his senses and, in a voice that seemed to have suddenly become hoarse, addressed the group of staff officers: "All plans to reinforce Kunlun Pass are now cancelled."

The plan was revised to order the immediate withdrawal of all reinforcements and to establish a defensive posture in key areas.

And let's talk about the plan to build defensive fortifications in Nanning, and to mobilize troops from Beihai, Fangchenggang and other areas to hold out and await reinforcements!

Gentlemen, do not be too discouraged. Although we suffered a defeat in the battle at Kunlun Pass, the remaining forces can easily defend Nanning City.

"As long as Nanning is held, the biggest objective of this campaign in southern Guangxi will have been achieved; other setbacks are insignificant."

That's right! Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi no longer dares to dream of the good thing of severely damaging the Nationalist Army and the Guangxi Army, and then conquering the entire Guangxi Province.

My greatest ambition is to defend Nanning and cut off the most crucial supply route for China.

And he is confident enough about this.

Faced with Imamura Hitoshi's statement, his superior, Ando Rikichi, the former commander of the 5th Division, had some different opinions, or perhaps some other concerns.

Stimulated by the great victory, especially under the leadership of Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, the morale and mindset of the Nationalist and Guangxi Army troops participating in this battle will be completely different.

In particular, the Guangxi Army will no longer passively avoid battle as it did before, thus preserving its strength.

More importantly, the people of southern Guangxi, and even the entire Guangxi province, will be encouraged to join in, drawing them into a huge quagmire of battle.

If such an outcome were to occur, it would be a massive disaster for them. So, as Imamura Hitoshi fantasized, could they simply withdraw the troops originally intended to reinforce Kunlun Pass and easily hold Nanning City? He considered these possibilities extremely pessimistic.

Only after seeing Imamura Hitoshi's words of comfort did the staff officers at the command post, who were initially filled with dejection, begin to feel a little better.

So after letting out a silent sigh, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

However, the frustration in his heart grew stronger and stronger. To use an old cliché from the modern world, it would be: Ando Rikichi silently bore it all.

Soon after, Rikichi Ando discovered that his fears had all come true.

Unfortunately, this successful foresight brought him no sense of accomplishment, only endless trouble and even fear...

At the same time, but in Shuangqing City, at the bald principal's official residence.

On a normal day, the bald principal would have been asleep by this time.

To be honest, no matter how much criticism the bald principal may have in later generations, he is at least exemplary in terms of maintaining a regular schedule.

They get up at 5 a.m. and then do morning exercises to stay fit.

We ate breakfast at 6:30, and then started meeting with guests.

Meetings are held after 10 a.m. to handle various daily tasks.

We eat lunch at 1:30 p.m. and then take a nap for about an hour. This nap is an almost unwavering habit.

After waking up, I will continue working.

At 6 p.m., he still knows to take his wife by car or take a walk around the neighborhood.

I always go to bed promptly at 11 p.m.

Compared to the modern world, someone like Hu Biao, who used to be unable to sleep at night and unable to wake up during the day, now has a much better sleep schedule.

But today's situation is quite different.

The bald principal had already changed into his pajamas, but instead of lying in bed having sweet dreams, he sat listlessly in his office drinking plain water.

All of this was because he was preoccupied with the current battle taking place at Kunlun Pass.

Even though, according to his daily routine, he would wake up at 5 a.m. and the outcome of whether or not Kunlun Pass could be captured would be decided, he was so worried about the result that he unusually suffered from insomnia.

Unable to sleep, I simply waited for news in the office.

His all-night wait was not in vain.

While I was lost in thought, the office door was suddenly pushed open, and a servant walked in, reporting with a beaming smile:
"Reporting to the Chairman, Kunlun Pass has been captured."

Normally, if a servant didn't even knock before entering, it might have angered the bald principal, but now, filled with immense joy, he didn't care at all.

He simply waved his hand, signaling the servants to leave.

Then, the bald principal, who had been waiting for news, finally got his wish, but he still didn't go to sleep.

Instead, he pulled out his diary and began to write extensively on it; after all, in addition to nicknames such as micro-management expert, transport captain, stock trading expert, and gangster disciple, he was also known as the 'diary maniac' in later generations.

Happy! Unhappy? Writing a diary entry is just a basic requirement.

The way people show off and complain on social media in modern times isn't much different from how they do it.

The contents of today's diary are nothing more than praising his own foresight and considerable military capabilities and command skills.

He berated his subordinates as a bunch of useless trash, calling Bai Jiansheng and Chen Xiuzhi good-for-nothings who just freeload.

And no matter what, we must bring Hu Biao and others under our command, building a small but well-equipped force as our sharpest weapon, serving as a fire brigade in critical moments...

******
Just a few minutes before 3 a.m., the "midnight snack" that Hu Biao and Commander Hu were talking about finally officially began.

However, contrary to Annie's earlier fears, instead of everyone eating brown rice with pickled vegetables and drinking plain water, each person received a large bowl of steaming hot Lao You Fen (a type of rice noodle soup).

Lao You Fen, a famous dish from Nanning in a modern-day world, is a relatively new food.

The specific method is to heat the pan with cold oil, then stir-fry the minced meat, minced garlic, fermented black beans, and pickled bamboo shoots. During the process, add cooking wine, soy sauce, vinegar, etc. to stir-fry until fragrant, and then add an appropriate amount of broth and bring to a boil.

Finally, put the prepared rice noodles into a pot and cook until boiling. Add chili, pepper, and chopped green onions, and it's done.

When you eat it, you'll find it has a delicate pink color, a rich broth, and a tangy, spicy, and savory flavor.

Especially on this somewhat chilly night after everyone had just fought a fierce battle with the Japanese, eating a bowl of this would make one break out in a light sweat, and feel much more comfortable.

This surprising result, upon closer examination, doesn't seem so strange after all.

Unlike people in other regions, who learned from radio and newspapers that Commander Hu and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment had captured Jieshou Mountain and completely recaptured Kunlun Pass in just three hours, it was believed that such news would not be long before the news spread.

They had no other way to offer support than cheering and celebrating.

But for the locals near Kunlun Pass, it's a completely different story.

For the past month, they had been living in constant fear, worried that if the Nationalist army were defeated, their hometown and homeland would be occupied by the Japanese and become occupied territory.

They had long heard about how difficult life was in the occupied territories.

Upon hearing the good news, all their worries vanished; instead, they wanted to do something for Commander Hu and the brothers of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment to express their gratitude.

For Chinese people, the best way to express gratitude to others is to have a good meal.

Just as the Japanese invaded Nanning, many people from Guangxi in Nanning fled here to escape the war. Among them, some gentry with status proposed:

I heard on the radio that Commander Hu and his men will continue their attack on Kunlun Pass tonight and take it completely before dawn.

Why not send them some of the ingredients for "Lao You Fen" (a type of rice noodle soup), which has been the most popular dish in Nanning in recent years? After their big battle, it would be great for them to have a bowl in the morning.

This suggestion quickly received a response.

As a result, local residents worked through the night to make rice noodles and prepare various other ingredients, which were then transported to Kunlun Pass via a small path.

Of course! The grateful people brought more than just ingredients for Lao You Fen (a type of rice noodle soup).

In addition, there were other supplies such as wine, meat, rice, noodles, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

When Hu Biao came down from the Kunlun Pass position and heard the news, he was overjoyed; good heavens! This is exactly what he needed.

He immediately ordered all the ingredients for Lao You Fen (a type of rice noodle soup) to be processed and made into a late-night snack.

Forget about the troops involved in the war; everyone present, including the villagers who came to cheer on the troops, each had a bowl, just to share in the joy.

Therefore, at this moment, all the large pots on the starting position side are processing Lao You Fen (a type of rice noodle).

Long queues formed in front of each large cauldron, with soldiers, officers, and civilians mixed among them, and everyone's face was filled with joy.

Including Hu Biao and others, each of them was holding a large bowl and queuing up, not intending to do anything special.

Fortunately, the Lao You Fen (a type of rice noodle soup) was quick to prepare, and it would soon be their turn; just then, a captain, one of his staff officers, rushed over and said to Hu Biao and the others:

"Reporting to the Regiment Commander, four officers, namely Bai, Chen, Li, and Zhang, have arrived."

Upon hearing this, Hu Biao quickly led his men to greet them. Before Hu Biao could say anything, Commander Bai jokingly said:

"Yitong, I heard you're planning to treat everyone to a late-night snack. I wonder if we'll get any?"

"Of course! Someone, get a set of bowls and chopsticks for all the officers, and make sure they're large bowls," Hu Biao said with boundless generosity...

(End of this chapter)