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

"A few days ago, in North China, the Eighth Route Army used methods we didn't know to shoot down ten Japanese bombers in one go! Ten!"

The principal's voice was not loud, but it carried a certain power.

The topic of this meeting was the news of the Eighth Route Army shooting down a bomber.

Although the principal had received news about the tank incident in North China, he didn't pay much attention to it.

A tank isn't worth his attention.

The fact that ten bombers had been shot down thoroughly alarmed him.

You should know that the mountain city was frequently bombed by the Japanese, forcing him to take refuge in the Huangshan Mansion.

Because of the fog, it is impossible to bomb this place.

Forget about seeing ground targets clearly, you might even crash into a mountain.

Even so, on sunny days, they still occasionally get bombed.

The principal felt very aggrieved and embarrassed.

And now, the Eighth Route Army has actually shot down ten bombers in one go?

The principal was very eager to know what had happened.

"I do not understand!"

"Can anyone tell me what's going on? When did the Eighth Route Army acquire heavy weapons capable of shooting down airplanes?"

"Why didn't we receive any prior warning?"

Faced with the principal's repeated questioning, none of the high-ranking party and state officials dared to meet his gaze.

Don't even mention the principal not understanding; they don't understand either!

Eighth Route Army soldiers shooting down airplanes? That's utterly absurd!

Where did they get their anti-aircraft guns?

Even if there were a few, how could they possibly achieve such efficient results?

There must be something wrong with this, but what is it?

Shooting down ten planes in one go is no accident!

It must have possessed a considerable number of cleverly arranged medium-caliber anti-aircraft guns.

But where did they get them?

Soviet aid?

I haven't received any messages!

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with disbelief and a hint of... jealousy!

Their Central Army's elite troops were well-equipped, but their air defense capabilities were extremely limited, often leaving them helpless as Japanese planes wreaked havoc.

What makes the Eighth Route Army so special?

Among the crowd, one person seemed particularly restless!

It was none other than the head of the secret service, Boss Dai!

He did have informants in North China and within the Eighth Route Army, but the intelligence he received regarding the downing of the plane was vague and even contradictory.

Some say they used new anti-aircraft guns, while others say they used "shells with eyes."

This is utter bullshit!

Can artillery shells grow eyes?

If he dares to report this news to the principal, this day next year will probably be his death anniversary.

"Speak!" Seeing no response, the principal's voice suddenly turned stern. "Are you all mute? Minister He, speak!"

Commander He forced himself to stand up: "Chairman, this matter... this matter is indeed strange!"

"The Eighth Route Army is poorly equipped and should not have such strong anti-aircraft capabilities. We are verifying this, but at present... there is no conclusive intelligence to confirm that they have organized anti-aircraft artillery units."

"Verify? How long do you need to verify?"

The principal interrupted Director He with displeasure, then turned to look at Boss Dai.

"Yu Nong, where are your spies? Have they all become blind and deaf to the Eighth Route Army?"

Boss Dai immediately stood up, his tone tinged with caution: "Principal, the students have neglected their duties! Our people did send back some information, but... there are conflicting reports, making it difficult to verify."

"The Eighth Route Army has kept this matter under tight control, and we are currently unable to obtain the core intelligence."

"But please rest assured, Principal, the students have already made arrangements and believe that they will receive accurate information soon."

Upon hearing this, the principal's expression softened somewhat.

"Alright! I'll leave this to you then! I need to know the results as soon as possible!"

"Yes! The student understands!"

Boss Dai slowly sat down and wiped away a bead of cold sweat.

This was originally his responsibility, and he couldn't shirk it even if he wanted to.

However, Boss Dai did make some arrangements. He did have informants within the Eighth Route Army, and more than one. Obtaining relevant intelligence should not be difficult for him.

Just then, the conference room door was gently pushed open.

An attendant hurried up to the principal, leaned down and whispered a few words in his ear.

In an instant, the principal's expression changed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

From previous depression and confusion, it instantly turned into extreme shock and disbelief!

He even subconsciously sat up straight, his hand holding the walking stick trembling slightly.

"Damn it!"

Everyone was stunned, looking at the principal in bewilderment.

The principal said to the aide-de-camp, "Say what you just said... louder! So that all the officers can hear it!"

The attendant responded and turned to the crowd, clearly stating, "Reporting to my lords! We have just received reliable intelligence from the Shanxi province."

"Early this morning, a unit of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, deploying at least fourteen unidentified heavy tanks, launched a surprise attack on the Japanese-held county seat of Hexian!"

"He County...has been captured by the Eighth Route Army overnight!"

The moment those words were spoken, the conference room erupted in chaos!

"What?"

"The Eighth Route Army has attacked the county town?"

"Fourteen... heavy tanks?"

"Take over the county town overnight?"

"This...how is this possible?"

The generals, who were just confused by the plane incident, were now completely dumbfounded!

If shooting down a plane could be attributed to some trickery or chance, then using an entire tank force to capture a county town garrisoned by a Japanese regiment overnight is a completely different matter!

This means that the Eighth Route Army now possesses an armored force that they could not have imagined, with a formidable frontal assault capability!

"Didn't they say there was only one? How come there are suddenly fourteen?"

"Where did the Eighth Route Army get these guys from?"

"Given by the Soviet Union? Impossible! The Soviet Union itself didn't even have tanks this good!"

"America? Even less likely! The channels for aid to us aren't even fully established yet!"

Everyone was talking at once, and the meeting room was in complete chaos.

The principal's face was so dark it looked like it could drip water.

He admitted that he was jealous!

"Yu Nong!"

"Students are here!"

"At all costs, immediately utilize all available connections and personnel to find out the truth for me—"

What secrets lie behind the Eighth Route Army?

. . .

In front of the temporary command post in He County.

"Mr. Shen, won't you stay a few more days?" The brigade commander held Shen Wang's hand, his tone full of reluctance.

Shen Wang shook his head: "No, the regimental flag is of great importance. I'll go back and take a look. Maybe I can come up with some other good things and send them over to you as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, the brigade commander immediately stopped trying to persuade him to stay.

Although the news of the captured regimental flag was immediately suppressed, no one could say for sure whether it would leak out.

If the Japanese soldiers go berserk, it would be dangerous for Shen Wang to stay here now.

"Alright then, Mr. Shen, please be careful on your way!"

The brigade commander shook Shen Wang's hand firmly, then gestured to the guards behind him to bring over a heavy jujube wood box.

"Mr. Shen, here are ten large yellow croakers, which is about half of the catch we had in He County this time."

"The headquarters commander specifically instructed that this is a small token of our appreciation, please be sure to accept it..."