You were tasked with guarding the Sihang Warehouse, and you brought out a Tiger tank?

A huge war sand table occupied the very center of the command post.

It was covered with red and blue flags representing the opposing sides.

Looking around, the red flags, like a red tide, have completely surrounded the blue island that represents Jiang Yin, and are still spreading westward.

Lin Feng held a baton in his hand and struck it heavily on the sand table, making a "thump-thump" sound.

The whole scene looked just like something out of an old movie, making Lin Feng almost hallucinate.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a capable chief of staff to guide him.

So he had no choice but to do it himself.

"Gentlemen, look, the Japanese have changed their movements."

Upon hearing this, Division Commanders Zhang Wenzhong and Li Dadao immediately stubbed out their Hademen cigarettes and straightened their backs.

"The main forces of the Japanese 11th, 13th and 16th Divisions have bypassed our defense zone and are heading straight for Nanjing."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yushu, who had been standing behind him, suddenly brightened up and couldn't help but excitedly interject:

"Cousin, the main Japanese force has fled, so does that mean we've held out? Jiangyin City is safe, right?"

In his simplistic logic, the withdrawal of the enemy's main force meant victory and safety.

Lin Feng did not feel any relief; on the contrary, his brows furrowed even more.

He turned and glanced at his cousin, saying coldly:

"Hold on to my ass."

He pointed his baton at the still densely packed red flags surrounding Jiang Yin:

"They've gone to seize the big piece of meat in Nanjing; they don't care about us, this tough nut to crack. But to ensure the safety of the supply line, the Japanese still have a considerable number of troops left here."

"The 26th Brigade, the 103rd Brigade, plus the 30th Brigade that was crippled and is being reorganized."

Although there were only three brigades, they totaled nearly 20,000 Japanese soldiers, and were also equipped with heavy artillery.

This force should not be underestimated.

Division Commanders Zhang Wenzhong and Li Dadao exchanged a glance.

They originally thought that the pressure would be lighter once the main force of the Japanese army left, but they didn't expect to be dancing on the edge of a cliff.

Lin Feng looked at the two newly appointed provisional division commanders and sighed inwardly.

Both of these units have potential.

With the help of a large number of light weapons discarded during the system upgrade process, brand-new Hanyang rifles and Type 24 rifles, plus mortars and heavy machine guns assigned to each company.

In terms of firepower density, the Provisional 50th and 51st Divisions were actually comparable to the German-equipped divisions of the Central Army.

But fighting a war isn't just about looking at equipment data.

In terms of personnel quality, these two units are filled with a large number of defeated soldiers, new recruits, and former security guards, and they need more training and integration before they can form a decent combat force.

Lin Feng silently assessed the situation in his mind:

Holding their ground and playing a defensive counter-attacking style is acceptable.

If we really wanted to take them out and fight the Japanese in the open field, we would still have to rely on his directly subordinate Honorary First Brigade.

His First Honor Brigade, though composed entirely of German-equipped elite troops with tanks and heavy artillery, boasted individual firepower capable of easily defeating the Japanese.

However, the casualties in the previous series of fierce battles were also considerable.

After all, the Japanese had absolute air superiority, a numerical advantage in heavy artillery, and a constant stream of reinforcements.

This is a gap in national strength, which cannot be bridged by the elite troops of a single brigade.

Lin Feng turned his attention to the larger map.

On the friendly side, the 103rd and 112th Divisions had suffered heavy casualties in previous battles and were already at their last gasp.

Although the outer river defense forts are still standing, they have consumed a great deal of ammunition, and some of the strongholds have already changed hands.

If the Japanese launch another full-scale attack, some of the artillery positions might fall.

"The current situation is that the major county towns on the outer defense line of Jinling have fallen one after another, and Jiangyin has become an isolated city."

Lin Feng's voice echoed in the tent:

"Looking around, I saw enemies everywhere."

The nearest main force is in Jinling, over a hundred miles away, and they're busy setting up defenses; they can't spare any attention for us.

This feeling of being isolated behind enemy lines and surrounded by enemies sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

"Commander..."

Zhang Wenzhong, being an old-school soldier with a rather conservative personality, hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Since there are no new orders from above, should we continue to hold our ground by relying on the fortifications? After all, we have food and ammunition. As long as we hold Huashan, the Japanese won't be able to break through our defenses for a while."

"Defend?"

Li Dadao, who was standing next to him, had a short temper and slammed his hat on the table.

"Old Zhang, are you stupid? The main force of the Japanese army has gone to Nanjing. Who are we guarding here for? Once the Japanese take Nanjing, they'll turn around and surround us like dumplings."

In my opinion, we need to break through.

We have tanks and armored vehicles; let's charge straight out.

Lin Feng shook his head, rejecting Li Dadao's suggestion.

"Breaking through is easy."

He pointed to the road heading west on the map:

"My armored regiment can tear open a gap in the Japanese encirclement at any time."

The question is, what happens after it's torn open?

The road westward to Nanjing has been completely blocked by the four main Japanese divisions: the 9th, 11th, 13th and 16th.

If we charge out, we'll run headlong into this army of over 100,000 Japanese soldiers in the open field.

An armored regiment may be able to break through the first breach, but it may not be able to break through the second or third.

"At that time, we will be surrounded by the Japanese in the open field, without any fortifications to rely on, and that will result in the annihilation of the entire army."

"Then... what should we do? We can't defend, and we can't run away either?" Li Dadao was so anxious that he kept scratching his head.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted.

A communications officer rushed in, sweating profusely, holding a newly translated telegram in his hand.

"Reporting to the Commander, this is an urgent telegram from the Supreme Command."

Lin Feng took the telegram and glanced at it.

With just one glance, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily, and he let out a sarcastic sneer.

"Ha, just as I thought."

He casually tossed the telegram onto the table: "Pass it around, everyone. The higher-ups have given us directions."

Zhang Wenzhong and Li Dadao went over to take a look, and their expressions immediately turned strange.

The telegram was short, beginning with praise for the Provisional 8th Army, saying that Jiang Yin had defended well and bought valuable time for consolidating the Nanjing defense line, and so on.

Then, the tone shifted:

"...Given that Jiangyin is now an isolated city, in order to preserve our strength, all garrison troops are ordered to break out immediately. Any heavy weapons that cannot be moved must be destroyed and not given to the enemy."

This is still considered normal.

But the next order was specifically for Lin Feng:

"...The Provisional 8th Army, given that its structure is intact and its combat effectiveness remains."

He was ordered to immediately cross the river and head north to the north bank.

Pursue and cut off the enemy's attempt to encircle Nanjing from the rear, and ensure the safety of Nanjing's rear route north of the Yangtze River.

This order is of utmost urgency.

After reading the telegram, the tent fell silent.

Lin Feng sat in the chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, while mentally ranting and raving.

How is this any different from when he was a corporate slave in his previous life?

They don't provide resources or support, and they even try to cut your bonuses.

When the project is about to fail, and it turns out that you're the only one in the entire company who can still get things done, the boss's attitude immediately changes.

They'll use you to the fullest, exhaust you to the point of exhaustion, wishing they could split you into eight pieces and use you as eight people.

Other units breaking out were simply running away, fleeing for their lives.

Did it get to him?

We still need to go to Jiangbei to pursue the Kunisaki Detachment that had circled around us.

This is simply the ultimate example of the ruthless exploitation of the phrase "the capable should do more".