You are ordered to support the War of Resistance against Japan; China enters Level 1 combat readines

On the outskirts of He County, on the back of a ridge covered with shrubs.

Wang Shuanzi, a soldier in the reconnaissance company of the Independent Regiment, was almost one with the mud and gravel beneath him.

Only those sharp eyes peered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, intently watching the movements in the open area below the mountain.

He had been lying there for almost a day, even relieving himself on the spot. His pants were wet and then dried, then wet again, but his body didn't move an inch, and he was breathing very softly.

If we're talking about a direct, head-on confrontation, the current Eighth Route Army might still be lacking in experience.

But when it comes to lurking, spying, and waging guerrilla warfare in the Taihang Mountains, the Japanese aren't even worthy of carrying their shoes!

In the words of Wang Shuanzi's company commander, "We can lie prone all day waiting for a target, even drying our poop and pee in our pants! Can those delicate Japanese soldiers handle that?"

In fact, long before the Japanese had completed their encirclement of He County, the brigade commander had taken precautions and dispatched dozens of elite reconnaissance teams like Wang Shuanzi's, carrying dry rations and camouflage, to infiltrate several key high points and transportation hubs on the outskirts of He County.

Not to mention that the Japanese soldiers' every move was under the brigade commander's surveillance, at least their large-scale mobilization could not be concealed!

The Japanese soldiers were, of course, aware that they might be being monitored.

But they didn't care, and even looked down on them!

What good will it do to see it?

He County is surrounded like an iron barrel; it would be difficult for even a bird to fly in. How could you, a bunch of scattered soldiers, possibly send intelligence in?

By the time your people take a detour of a hundred miles to deliver the message, it will be too late!

However, no matter how much Kazuo Shinotsuka and Tsuyuki Adachi calculated, they could never have imagined that these seemingly rustic Eighth Route Army scouts were carrying an iron box on their backs!

It's one of those old-fashioned backpack radios!

The kind where you can make phone calls directly!

They didn't need to go into the city to deliver intelligence; they could make phone calls to the pre-war command from the mountains!

At this moment, Wang Shuanzi carefully took out the walkie-talkie microphone, which was wrapped in oilcloth, from his pocket, lowered his voice, and almost whispered as he reported to the other end:

"Reporting to command, reporting to command, this is Mountain Eagle No. 3!"

"Target area, the gentle slope southeast of Hill 379, confirmed that the Japanese are constructing a large artillery position!"

"At least six 105mm howitzers observed, with a large number of ammunition boxes piled up. Japanese engineers are reinforcing the firing positions... Over!"

Almost simultaneously, similar emergency reports came from several other frequencies within the command center:

"Mountain Eagle One reports: Artillery positions spotted on Hill 598..."

"Mountain Eagle No. 5 reports: A large number of packhorses and artillery vehicles have entered area 263..."

……

He County, 386th Brigade Frontline Command Post.

On the huge map, based on the constant influx of intelligence, the staff quickly marked at least four newly discovered Japanese artillery positions with blue thumbtacks.

The brigade commander, Shen Wang, Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, Ding Wei, Kong Jie, and others gathered around the map, their faces serious.

"It seems the Japanese can't wait any longer and are finally getting serious!"

Li Yunlong stared at the four blue dots, his eyes showing no fear but rather a burning excitement.

"Damn it, after seven days of this, I've basically got my hands on all the new guys in my crew! I'm just looking for a place to have some fun! Brigade Commander, give the order! Let's go for it!"

Ding Wei and Kong Jie were also eager to get started: "Brigade Commander! The New 1st Regiment (New 2nd Regiment) requests to lead the main attack! We guarantee to silence the Japanese artillery!"

Over the past seven precious days, nearly 15,000 people from the three regiments have demonstrated astonishing learning abilities and fighting spirit under immense pressure.

With veterans of the Independent Regiment as the backbone, the "mentoring" approach has yielded remarkable results.

Although high-tech units like the Katyusha rocket launcher still need time to integrate, the infantrymen have already mastered the basic operating skills of the Type 56 assault rifle, Type 40 mortar, and tank driving, forming an initial combat capability.

These seven days are crucial!

The brigade commander nodded. These seven days of respite were indeed a great gift from Mr. Shen's return and the Japanese's strategic miscalculation.

However, he was a little confused at this moment.

"Comrades, hold your breath, something's not right!"

"Logically, if the Japanese were to launch a general offensive, the infantry should deploy first, followed by artillery support or gradual barrage fire, with infantry and artillery working together to advance layer by layer."

"But look at the current intelligence—the main force of the Japanese infantry has barely moved; they're still holed up in their pre-established positions and ambush zones on the outskirts. On the contrary, the artillery is busy constructing positions!"

Li Yunlong also sensed something was wrong: "Yeah, what are those damn Japanese devils up to? Setting up artillery like this without moving any infantry, what are they trying to do?"

At this moment, Shen Wang, who had been quietly observing, spoke. His voice was calm, yet it sent a shiver down everyone's spine:

"Brigadier, gentlemen, I have a guess. These Japanese artillery pieces... may not be there to support the infantry attack at all."

"Hmm?" Everyone's eyes immediately focused on Shen Wang.

Shen Wang walked to the map and pointed to the four artillery positions with his finger:

"Look at this layout. The Japanese artillery is distributed in all directions, and the straight-line distance between them and the county town is less than eight kilometers."

"This distance is the ideal range for the 105mm howitzer to unleash its maximum power."

"If their goal isn't a specific breakthrough, isn't clearing obstacles for the infantry..."

At this point, the brigade commander's eyes gleamed, clearly understanding Shen Wang's meaning.

"Mr. Shen, are you saying... the Japanese devils' target is the entire Hexian county town itself?"

"That's right!" Shen Wang nodded affirmatively.

"If I'm not mistaken, the Japanese are planning an indiscriminate, carpet-bombing saturation bombardment of He County!"

"Destroy everything in the city—all buildings, fortifications, personnel…!"

"hiss--!"

Everyone in the command room gasped in shock upon hearing this!

"You beast! You bastard!"

Li Yunlong instantly flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table, his eyes glaring bloodshot.

"They don't even spare ordinary people? You little devils, I curse your ancestors for eighteen generations!"

Everyone else in the command post was horrified. Indiscriminate shelling of civilian cities had crossed the line of conventional warfare!

Shen Wang sneered: "These beasts aren't even human! Especially that 37th Division Commander, Anda Twenty-Three."

"Back in Nanjing, this man was one of the most notorious executioners, committing countless atrocities! He used living people for bayonet practice, organized killing contests, burned down houses—he did every imaginable evil!"

"For them, shelling a county town is probably no different from stepping on a nest of ants."

In this era of limited information flow, many people only knew about the Nanjing Massacre, but had no idea about the specific details.

When Shen Wang recounted some specific details, the temperature in the command center plummeted to freezing.

Li Yunlong was so angry that he trembled all over, and Ding Wei, Kong Jie and others gritted their teeth, wishing they could tear him to pieces immediately.

"Alright! Now is not the time to be angry!"

The brigade commander took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger and chill in his heart.

"Since the Japanese have resorted to such a vicious trick, we have to accept it! Let's think about what to do."

"What should we do?"

Shen Wang's lips curled into a cold smile as he pointed to the four blue artillery positions marked on the map.

"We've practically pinpointed the coordinates of the Japanese artillery positions to our doorstep, what else can we do?"

"Of course... an eye for an eye! A blood for a blood!"