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

After dealing with the new recruits, Lin Feng went to the refugee camp by the river.

Tens of thousands of elderly, weak, women and children who had just crossed the river gathered here.

Hearing that General Lin was going to lead troops to chase the Japanese, the people flocked out.

"General Lin, you are my great benefactor."

An elderly man with white hair, trembling, held a bowl of hot porridge and handed it to Lin Feng:

"If you hadn't sent a boat to ferry us across the river, our whole family would have been killed by the Japanese devils long ago."

Lin Feng quickly helped the other person up and comforted them:

"Grandpa, don't be too sad. Although your home is gone, you are still here, and your roots are still here."

The old man was overcome with tears:

"We will never forget your immense kindness and generosity!"

"Yes, General Lin is a living bodhisattva!"

"We want to erect a longevity tablet for General Lin."

"We want to build a shrine in his honor, so that our descendants will always remember General Lin's kindness."

The people knelt down and worshipped, some even pulling on their children's clothes, making them kowtow to Lin Feng.

In this chaotic world, human life is as worthless as grass.

Officials were busy fleeing for their lives, while soldiers were busy looting.

Only this General Lin was not only good at fighting the Japanese, but also genuinely cared about the lives of ordinary people.

For the simple and honest people, this kindness is like being given a second life, like being a living Buddha to every family.

"Old man, please get up, you mustn't do this."

Lin Feng quickly helped the old man up. Looking at the pairs of eyes around him filled with gratitude and admiration, he felt a lump in his throat.

To build a shrine for the living?

In ancient times, this was the highest honor that only those virtuous and wise ministers who brought benefits to their regions could enjoy.

Lin Feng was filled with mixed emotions.

In his past life, he was nothing more than a subservient, nine-to-five office worker in a big city.

Every day, for that meager salary, I have to put up with the boss's attitude and endure difficult customers.

Forget about being thanked; you'd be lucky if you didn't get scolded.

That kind of life is like being a screw; once it rusts, you replace it, and nobody cares whether it lives or dies.

But now.

He stood there, with tens of thousands of people who had survived because of him.

This feeling of being genuinely thanked, needed, and seen as a source of hope...

Seriously, it's so flattering and so addictive.

This time travel was definitely worthwhile.

Lin Feng said silently to himself.

Although he has not been able to change the overall trend of the War of Resistance against Japan until now, Nanjing may still fall and the country may still be lost.

But he has already saved countless lives.

These tens of thousands of lives are the meaning of his existence.

This sense of accomplishment is more precious than any equipment rewarded by the system.

"Fellow villagers!"

Lin Feng gave a solemn military salute to the crowd:

"You can head north without worry, to the rear."

As long as I, Lin Feng, am still here, as long as the Provisional 8th Army is still here.

We will definitely stand in front of the Japanese devils.

Sooner or later, we will drive the Japanese devils out and bring you home.

After saying that, Lin Feng turned around abruptly and strode towards the armored command vehicle that was already running.

He climbed onto the vehicle, waved his hand, and pointed westward at the billowing smoke and dust:

"The entire army is to set off."

"Target: Kunisaki Detachment."

"Chase them and kill them!"

"Boom!"

The tank engines of the armored regiment roared, and the tracks kicked up dirt.

Hundreds of trucks, fully loaded with heavily armed soldiers, rolled along the highway like an iron torrent.

On the river, the ship's horn sounded a long blast.

The massive fleet cut through the waves, sailing upstream.

The sword of revenge has been drawn!

----

In the distance, dust swirls across the open fields north of the river.

A large marching column is winding westward along the dirt road on the north bank of the Yangtze River.

At the very front of the column, a Japanese officer wearing a Showa 5-style military uniform (pictured) and carrying the rank of Major General was riding a tall white Japanese horse.

He pulled on the reins, and the warhorse snorted and came to a stop.

This man was none other than Major General Kunisaki Noboru, the brigade commander of the 9th Brigade of the 5th Division of the Japanese Army and the highest-ranking commander of this "Kunisaki Detachment".

This unit was renowned throughout the entire Japanese army.

Its parent unit was Seishiro Itagaki's 5th Division, known as the "Steel Army".

In order to cut off the retreat of the Nanjing garrison, the Central China Front Army specially transferred the 9th Brigade from the 5th Division and reinforced it with the 3rd Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment, a battalion of the 5th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, and a part of engineers and supply troops, forming this super-strong detachment with independent combat capabilities.

Kunisaki looked back and saw that the soldiers of the 41st Infantry Regiment behind him were all strong and muscular. Although they had been on a long march, their eyes still revealed a fierce killing intent.

This unit has more than 15,000 men.

The equipment is so luxurious it's astonishing.

In addition to the standard Type 38 rifle and Type 96 light machine gun, they also reinforced their weapons with a large number of Type 92 heavy machine guns and grenade launchers.

Even more terrifying was their artillery firepower, which included not only the 5th Division's signature Type 41 mountain guns, but also several 105mm howitzers and 150mm heavy mortars.

With such firepower, let alone fighting the ragtag army of Da Xia, they would dare to take a bite out of three fully equipped German-trained divisions of the Central Army.

"map!"

Kunisaki Noboru coldly extended his hand.

The adjutant next to him immediately jogged over, took out a detailed military map from his map bag, and handed it to him with both hands.

Kunisaki Noboru unfolded the map with a "whoosh" on horseback, his eyes fixed on a place name on the left side of the map—Pukou.

How much further?

"Reporting to Your Excellency!"

The adjutant stood at attention and answered:

"At the current marching speed, we are still about 120 kilometers away from our target, Pukou."

Considering the road conditions and potential sporadic resistance, the main force will need at least five more days.

"Five days? That's too slow!"

Kunisaki Noboru frowned, his riding crop lashing out sharply in the air with a crisp sound.

"Commander Matsui's order was for us to be like a sharp knife, piercing straight into the heart of Nanjing from behind."

Five days from now, those guys from the 6th and 16th Divisions will probably have already stormed into Nanjing. By then, we won't even have a chance to get a taste of the spoils.

His finger slammed heavily on the two characters "Pukou".

At this moment, the name Pukou carries immense strategic significance.

It is the southern terminus of the Jinpu Railway, located on the north bank of the Yangtze River.

Directly opposite it, across the river on the south bank, lies the Xiaguan Wharf of Nanjing.

That was the only waterway escape route out of Jinling City, and also the vital passage connecting the north and south.

The present-day city of Nanjing is surrounded on three sides and backed by the Yangtze River.

If the Kunisaki Detachment could seize Pukou before the fall of Nanjing, block the river, and cut off the Jinpu Railway.

Therefore, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and countless civilians in Nanjing were trapped like turtles in a jar, unable to escape.

That would be a perfect encirclement and annihilation battle, a "one-way kill" situation!

"Your Mightiness."

Seeing Kunisaki Noboru's fanatical gaze, the adjutant cautiously suggested:

"But... the warriors have been marching for two days straight and are extremely exhausted."

Moreover, the road ahead was muddy, and the heavy weapons slowed them down.

"Should we... let the troops rest for one night and then...?"