The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Is Chapter 413 just the appetizer? (Two chapters combined)

Time: 2:17 AM on January 6th.

Location: A solitary little building next to the Xiyuan Hotel, in a detention cell on the second floor.

With a "plop," Lao Yu finally spat out the towel that he had rolled into a cylindrical shape and stuffed deep into his mouth.

After a series of extremely suppressed coughs, a relieved expression finally appeared on his face.

Because this meant he could finally commit suicide without having to test whether he could withstand the torture inflicted by the Japanese soldiers.

Just kidding! As someone who grew up in a modern, peaceful environment, I used to need anesthesia to get a tooth pulled.

Among the various tortures described in Japanese legends, the pain of tooth extraction seems to be less than an appetizer; just thinking about it makes one's scalp tingle.

So the moment he was captured by the Japanese, he made a decision: to commit suicide.

Don't overestimate your willpower; just commit suicide as quickly as possible to avoid suffering more; and to avoid making an irreparable mistake if you can't bear it.

However, the Japanese soldiers who captured him were very professional and immediately restricted all his mobility.

Even if he wasn't interrogated immediately, when he was brought here and imprisoned, not only were his hands and feet tied behind his back, but it was also quite difficult for him to stand up.

They also rolled the towel into a cylinder and stuffed it into Lao Yu's mouth.

It took the poor, taciturn man almost three hours to painstakingly use his tongue and oral muscles to spit out the thing bit by bit.

To the point that now my mouth and tongue have completely lost all sensation.

Fortunately, now he can finally take his own life.

After taking a deep breath, Lao Yu looked down at the collar of his coat, where he had secretly sewed a small oil paper packet.

Inside the oil paper package was about three grams of arsenic.

According to the knowledge taught to him by Xiao Cui, a nurse, if a person ingests just one gram of arsenic at once, there is a high probability that they will die suddenly due to circulatory failure and respiratory depression.

If it reaches two or three grams, there's no need for emergency treatment.

This was a final measure that Lao Yu had carefully devised after infiltrating Nanning City.

It should be noted that when we actually arrived at this era, and after consulting with some professionals from our Party,

Old Yu then realized that he was in the modern world, and that many of the spy movies he had watched before had plots that were just too far-fetched.

In terms of suicide alone, many things are simply impossible.

Suicide by biting one's tongue? Under normal circumstances, a person can only bite down to the front third of their tongue at most. These areas only have some capillaries; the real blood vessels are at the base of the tongue.

Therefore, there is a high probability that biting one's tongue to commit suicide would only result in drawing blood and experiencing severe pain, and there is no other way to actually kill oneself.

Biting down a poison pill hidden in your mouth or teeth? That's not a foolish thing to do.

This approach is too dangerous. Under normal circumstances, you don't even need to bite the poison pill yourself; you'll break it while talking or eating normally, which is tantamount to killing yourself prematurely.

Slamming your head against a wall? It's not entirely impossible, but the chances of success are extremely small. More likely, you'll end up with a concussion.

In short, the underground work of our Party was far more difficult than what is depicted in movies and TV dramas.

Having made up his mind, Lao Yu opened his mouth and showed his white teeth, then went straight for the collar.

Just at this crucial moment, he suddenly heard heavy footsteps approaching the door of his room.

More importantly, during this process, he heard the sound of heavy objects being dragged over by the newcomers.

So who did the Japanese capture this time and are planning to lock him up with? Could it be that Uncle Bo, that old fox, has also been unfortunately exposed?

With this worry in mind, Lao Yu stopped his suicide attempt and decided to assess the situation first.

After all, it would only take him two or three seconds to bite through the oil paper packet on his collar and suck the arsenic into his mouth, and the Japanese wouldn't have time to stop him.

After the door was opened, a person that Lao Yu never expected was dragged in by the Japanese soldiers like a dead dog.

Surprisingly, Old Yu once wished he could devour that iron-willed traitor, Yang, the chairman of the puppet regime, whom he hated even more than the Japanese.

At this moment, Chairman Yang's hands were tied behind his back. He was pushed in by the Japanese soldiers and fell to the ground, wriggling like a maggot. It was difficult for him to even stand up.

One side of his face was swollen high, and his clothes were covered with mottled bloodstains, making him look incredibly disheveled.

Where was the dignified and respectable old man he once was in front of Lao Yu?

After throwing Chairman Yang down, the leading Japanese captain glanced at Lao Yu, but didn't pick up the towel again, instead gagling him back into his mouth.

After leaving with a few men, he slammed the door shut again, and judging from his footsteps, he left once more.

That's why Lao Yu suppressed his urge to bite open the oil paper package.

Driven by hatred for Chairman Yang, even knowing that the Japanese might be eavesdropping outside or had installed old-fashioned wired listening devices in the room, they still...

Still facing Chairman Yang beside him, he couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark:

"Oh dear! Isn't this Chairman Yang, who was loyal to the Locust Army? Why are you in such a sorry state now? Does this mean the Locust Army doesn't want you anymore, you old dog?"

Faced with Lao Yu's mockery, Chairman Yang neither retaliated with anger nor complained with tears.

After a great struggle, he finally managed to sit up; after glancing at the direction of the door, he said calmly:

"What locust army? They are just some Japanese pirates who have temporarily gained power."

To think that they can swallow up our great nation of China is nothing but wishful thinking.

Yang stayed in Nanning as the chairman of this so-called maintenance committee, just thinking that even if he didn't take the position, the Japanese would always find someone else to fill it.

If I were to take charge, it would at least make things a little better for the people in the city.

And they also passed on some intelligence to the Nationalist army, offering some small assistance.

According to Chairman Yang's statement above, the reason he became the chairman of such a maintenance committee was simply to feign compliance with the Japanese.

This kind of statement and excuse was used by almost every traitor after the victory against Japan; there is even a possibility that it was a ruse he staged in cooperation with the Japanese.

So upon hearing this, Lao Yu retorted with great disdain:
"That must have been tough on you, Master Yang. Not only did you have to swallow a lot of other people's property and money against your conscience, but you also took a beautiful new concubine."

"They're about the same age as your granddaughter, how could you do this?"

Despite such sarcasm, Chairman Yang remained remarkably calm.
"The property and money I seized originally belonged to no good people; rather than letting them keep it for their own enjoyment, it's better to use it to complete the Japanese's task of collecting money and grain, rather than letting it harm the villagers."

As for the concubine, she was merely a means for Yang to gain the trust of the Japanese and to tarnish his own reputation; the woman had been married for over a month, and he hadn't even touched her.

Whether Chairman Yang had ever touched that concubine, as stated above, is something Lao Yu doesn't know.

But upon closer reflection, he realized that none of the owners whose property and money had been seized by Chairman Yang were any good people.

So this traitorous dog—no, it should be Master Yang—is still the kind of righteous man in history who, for the sake of his compatriots and country, did not hesitate to submit to the Japanese and bear a bad reputation.

Regarding this, Lao Yu couldn't be completely certain whether it was true or not, so he changed the subject:
"How did you get in? Why did the Japanese arrest you?"

At this moment, a bitter smile finally appeared on Mr. Yang's face. He shook his head and replied, "Based on the targeted attacks by the National Army in recent days, the Japanese suspect that the details of their defensive lines have been leaked."

When the defense line was being built, you were wandering around the area every day taking pictures, so you naturally became the first prime suspect.

I initially agreed to your establishment of the "South China News," giving you an excuse to carry out such activities; and I also took good care of your actions on a daily basis, naturally making you the second suspect the Japanese.

Not long ago they searched my house and found some evidence of my communications with the Nationalist army; now, this old man is probably going to die here.”

It was only at this point that Lao Yu realized exactly why he had been exposed.

Even so, he still hadn't given up on his plan to commit suicide. But for some reason, the Japanese hadn't come to interrogate them yet; so, thinking that there was still time when the time came, he chatted idly with Chairman Yang.

Little did I know that this action would lead to an experience where I would refuse to tell anyone, no matter what, when asked by my friends…

******
At the same time, at the township office of Dadong Township.

Hu Biao, in a classic Asian squatting posture, started eating a bowl of steaming hot vegetable porridge, his face full of indescribable satisfaction.

Surrounding him were a large group of Nationalist generals and high-ranking officers, all with the same expression.

That's right! Their so-called midnight snack was just a bowl of porridge for each person.

There was nothing that could be done about it. If you include the artillery units, the Nationalist army now has more than 31,000 troops in this ambush battlefield where they are besieging a stronghold to catch reinforcements.

Given the circumstances and the time, it's simply impossible for so many people to have a proper late-night snack.

So they simply put some of the brown rice they had brought into the large pots and started cooking it.

They added chopped canned meat, various pickled vegetables, and some vegetables they found nearby, making a stew that served as a bowl of vegetable porridge for each person.

I don't know if it was because of our mood, or because we were all starving after the big battle.

In any case, not only did Hu Biao think the vegetable porridge was quite delicious, but Xia Wei, Du Yuming, and other generals from the Guangxi Army and the Central Army also ate it with great satisfaction.

Even more wonderfully, they received telegram after telegram during this process.

The contents of the telegram were all initiated by the bald-headed principal, Commander Bai, Commander Chen, and many other big shots.

The telegram commending them for annihilating an independent mixed brigade of the Japanese army within four hours and capturing Japanese Major General Haruyama Endo alive.

Even the specific rewards for them will not be finalized until the Battle of Nanning is completely over.

However, the telegram contained many flattering words, which made everyone feel even better.

Even just drinking porridge without drinking alcohol made them all feel a bit tipsy, as if they were about to get drunk.

Unfortunately, with each new telegram, the content changed after the latest one:
"Latest intelligence: The Japanese headquarters has received news that the 19th Independent Mixed Brigade has been completely annihilated in Daito Township, enraging the enemy leaders."

Under their latest orders, the 18th Division, which was originally scheduled to begin boarding the ships on the afternoon of the 6th, officially began boarding the ships one by one at 1 a.m. today.

It is estimated that the 18th Division's reinforcement force of 1.5 men will be able to land in Beihai on the morning of the 8th.

Commander Bai, in his capacity as the Director of the Guilin Headquarters, issued an order: "The relevant reinforcement troops must overcome all difficulties and annihilate this reinforcement force..."

Upon hearing the above orders, the porridge in the bowls of the Nationalist generals present instantly lost its original flavor.

The reason is simple: the second wave of Japanese reinforcements will be arriving soon.

Compared to the 18th Division, which was comparable to a Class A division, the 6,000 men of the Independent Mixed Brigade 19, which they had just annihilated, showed a staggering gap in troop strength and combat effectiveness.

It's simply impossible to take them down as easily as we did tonight.
Even more critically, the Japanese soldiers of the 18th Division, based on their conventional thinking, believed that the Nationalist army would stop after succeeding once and would not dare to ambush them a second time.

However, along the way to Nanning, the 18th Division will exhibit some different behaviors in their instincts.

For example, increase the intensity of aerial reconnaissance, send more small scout units forward, disperse them to conduct close reconnaissance, and prevent being ambushed again.

They were more careful during marches and encampments, and there would be no more opportunities like the 19th Independent Mixed Brigade, which allowed the Nationalist army to disperse, surround, and defeat them one by one.

In summary, the real challenge of the encirclement and reinforcement plan is only just beginning.

After a long silence, a major general from the Guangxi Army uttered the following curse:
"Damn it! If the order in which the two waves of Japanese reinforcements arrived had been reversed, we could have taken advantage of the 18th Division's lack of preparedness and ambushed them properly."

If we take out the 18th Division first, the remaining Independent Mixed Brigade 19 will be much easier to deal with.

However, his hypothetical scenario is destined to be impossible.

So, in their somewhat agitated state, they finally looked with a hint of expectation at Hu Biao and his companions, who were slowly shoveling the vegetable porridge into their mouths.

Even among these people, the highest-ranking officers were only lieutenant colonels, and a large portion were majors.

But who could blame them when this crazy plan of besieging a point and attacking reinforcements was originally proposed by these same people, who had just led them to an easy victory they never dared to imagine before?

Compared to these, the difference in military rank doesn't seem so important.

What made these generals instinctively want to heed the advice, or rather, the orders, issued by Hu Biao, a lieutenant colonel and regimental commander, at that moment?

To be honest, when conventional tactics are no longer feasible, relying on people like Hu Biao is the right thing to do.

Hu Biao then called the other transmigrators to his side, and after whispering for seven or eight minutes, they seemed to have reached a consensus.

Then, after Hu Biao stood up, he issued a series of commands:

"Someone, immediately send a telegram to the four officers, Bai, Chen, Li, Zhang, and others, who are commanding the front lines outside Nanning City, and instruct them to launch a maximum-force attack on Nanning City immediately."

No matter the cost or the number of casualties.

We must put immense pressure on the Japanese troops entrenched in the city, so that they will constantly request reinforcements from headquarters.

This very first order caused all the KMT generals present to let out a long sigh.

Was Hu Biao's request correct? It was definitely correct, because only the Japanese soldiers in the city panicked and kept frantically requesting reinforcements from their headquarters.

Only when General Headquarters issues a strict order will the 18th Division speed up its march.

When the speed increases, the Japanese troops of the 18th Division will make mistakes, giving the National Revolutionary Army an opportunity to strike.

However, this requirement also implies that in order to put enough pressure on the Japanese troops in the city, the attacking forces will likely suffer horrific casualties, and countless friendly forces will suffer heavy losses.

Hu Biao naturally noticed the sighs and lamentations on the faces of the KMT generals.

He also knew that such a suggestion and request would lead to the deaths of many brothers; however, given the critical state of the war and the fact that soldiers consider it their duty to defend their country, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and make the suggestion.

So after a pause, without hesitation, he continued to the next point:
"At each division in Dadong Township, at least one company of veterans will be selected, equipped with sufficient weapons and ammunition, and temporarily placed under the full command of Majors Warehouse Manager, Old Ma, and Little Henan."

Starting on the 7th, they will deploy special operations along the line from Beihai to Dadong Township.

The objectives of the special operations were, firstly, to continuously harass the Japanese 18th Division, slowing their march and depleting their morale and energy.

Second, we must do everything in our power to compress and strangle the operational space of the Japanese vanguard, preventing them from operating far from the main force.

The generals knew the necessity of carrying out this order.

To put it bluntly, they served the same purpose as scouts and night watchmen in ancient warfare, concealing the battlefield and preventing the Japanese from discovering their true strength.

Although this special operations are not large in scale, the intensity and brutality of the fighting are far greater, and the casualties among these veterans are likely to be quite staggering.

Hu Biao continued: "Finally, he ordered the newly formed 22nd Division's armored vehicle units, as well as the cavalry and motor transport units drawn from various armies, to arrive at their designated locations by dawn on the 8th."

Hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted.

Almost forgot! They had this trump card, which was useless in the battle to ambush the Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade No. 19.

The reason for not deploying these troops is that, firstly, their equipment needed to be modified before the attack to better implement the tactics proposed by Hu Biao and his team.

These modifications are quite extensive and none of them have been fully completed yet.

On the other hand, it was to prevent the Japanese from being prepared in advance, so that it could be used suddenly to achieve the best results.

Thus, after an appetizer-like siege and reinforcement operation, another larger and more difficult siege and reinforcement operation, which would determine the final outcome of the Battle of Guinan, began.

As time slowly passes, the curtain is about to rise...

(End of this chapter)