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

In the distance, the rumbling of cannons could still be faintly heard.

Kunisaki Noboru felt weak and reached out to touch his forehead, only to find it covered in sweat.

The enemy's firepower was beyond his imagination.

Now, even if he switches to defense on the spot and digs out circular fortifications.

But under such a high-density, large-caliber firepower, how long can his more than 10,000 crippled soldiers, who lack heavy weapons and supplies, hold out?

A week?

five days?

They should be able to hold out for at least five days, right?

However, he actually had no confidence at all.

Located in a narrow area, it is surrounded, with no cities or forests nearby to defend it...

"quick!"

Kunisaki Toru suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, like a wild beast cornered in a desperate situation:

"Immediately send a telegram to the Shanghai Expeditionary Army and the Central China Area Army Headquarters."

Report our current situation and request urgent tactical guidance.

Go quickly.

"Hai."

The chief of staff dared not delay and turned to run towards the telegraph machine.

-----

Meanwhile, in Jiangnan, at the headquarters of the Japanese Central China Area Army.

The army commander, General Matsui Iwane, stood in front of a huge military map, holding a cup of sake in his hand, a smug smile on his face.

On the map, the blue arrows representing the Japanese army, like countless greedy venomous snakes, are tightly coiling around the city that represents the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty—Jinling—from all directions.

第3、第6、第9、第13、第16、第18、第114师团……

Seven elite divisions have formed a perfect encirclement of Nanjing.

The outer strongholds are being eliminated one by one. Although the Chinese defenders are putting up fierce resistance, their collapse is only a matter of time in the face of the absolute strength of the Imperial Army.

"In just a few more days, the flag of the Great Japanese Empire will be raised atop the city walls of Nanjing."

Matsui Iwane took a sip of sake, secretly pleased with himself.

Capturing the capital of an enemy country is an unparalleled achievement worthy of being recorded in history.

His name, Matsui Iwane, will surely be remembered by posterity, along with those famous generals of the empire.

Just as he was immersed in his beautiful fantasy.

"Reporting to the Commander."

A communications staff officer strode into the command post, breaking the silence:

"Urgent telegram from the Kunisaki Detachment, Jiangbei."

"Oh? Major General Kunisaki Noboru?"

Matsui Iwane frowned slightly and put down his wine glass:

"Didn't he report before that he was turning to pursue that Chinese general named Lin Feng?"

"What, you caught someone?"

In Matsui Iwane's view, a fully equipped brigade-level detachment could easily defeat a Da Xia Provisional Army composed of defeated soldiers and new recruits.

"No...that's not it."

The communications officer swallowed hard, lowered his head, and said:

"Major General Kunisaki reports that his troops were ambushed by the main enemy force near Huangtian Port in Jiangbei."

Currently, they are surrounded from both sides, their rear is cut off, and the heavy artillery battalion is annihilated.

He requested urgent tactical guidance from headquarters.

"What?!"

Matsui Iwane touched his signature mustache, and the smile on his face vanished instantly.

He walked to the map, his gaze sweeping over the location of Huangtian Port in Jiangbei, and he suddenly felt a little irritated.

That Kunisaki Noboru, he's such a worry.

Why ask for help now of all times, instead of earlier or later?

What time is it now?

This is the most crucial moment in the attack on Nanjing!

All the troops had their eyes fixed on the city that represented supreme honor, and everyone wanted to be the first to rush in and claim the credit.

At this moment, if Matsui Iwane were to order any unit to be transferred across the river to rescue Kunisaki Noboru, the commander of that unit would definitely curse inwardly, and might even outwardly comply but inwardly disobey, going through the motions without putting in any real effort.

Moreover, in Matsui Iwane's opinion, is the situation really that urgent?

The Kunisaki Detachment was, after all, an elite force of 15,000 men drawn from the 5th Division.

No matter how cunning or how skilled Lin Feng is,

Kunisaki Noboru immediately switched to a defensive posture. Could he not even hold out for a week?

Once Jinling falls, the overall situation will be settled. Then, dealing with Lin Feng will be a piece of cake.

"Return the call to Kunisaki Noboru."

Matsui Iwane pondered for a moment, then calmly issued the order:

"He was ordered to build a strong fortification on the spot, uphold the spirit of Bushido, and hold out for reinforcements."

The command is coordinating troop strength and will soon send troops across the river to relieve the siege.

Tell him he absolutely must hold on.

These words were spoken in a very official and formulaic manner, and they sounded very perfunctory.

After dismissing the communications officer, Matsui Iwane sighed and began pacing in front of the map, pondering which divisions' reserves should be transferred across the river as a token gesture.

however.

Before he could figure it out...

Less than ten minutes later.

"Report!"

The communications officer knocked and came in again, and this time, his face was even more pale than before, with cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"What's wrong now?"

Matsui Iwane asked, somewhat displeased.

"Commander, it's another telegram from Major General Kunisaki."

The communications officer handed over the telegram with both hands, his voice trembling:

"This time...this time it's an extremely urgent telegram requesting help."

Matsui Iwane grabbed the telegram and quickly glanced at it.

His eyes widened after reading only half of it.

The wording in the telegram was more than ten times stronger than the previous one.

Kunisaki Noboru stated in the telegram that the enemy's firepower was far more powerful than he had imagined.

Warships on the river were bombarding the area with large-caliber naval guns, while dozens of heavy artillery pieces with diameters of 100 mm or more were firing across the ground.

Even more outrageous, he claimed that the enemy had deployed dozens of "heavy tanks" that were frantically tearing apart their defenses.

The positions were breached one after another, resulting in extremely heavy casualties.

Finally, Kunisaki Noboru didn't even bother with the fig leaf that Japanese generals often used—"tactical guidance"—and wrote bluntly:

"Our detachment is facing a life-or-death crisis. Without strong reinforcements, we fear total annihilation. We earnestly request that Your Excellency send troops to our aid as soon as possible!"

The urgency in his tone was almost as if he were saying, "For the sake of the Emperor, please lend me a hand."

"??????"

As Matsui Iwane looked at the telegram, a series of question marks popped into his mind.

He even wondered if he had drunk too much sake last night and was still sleepwalking.

Or perhaps Kunisaki Noboru's brain was damaged by the blast and he's talking nonsense?

Dozens of heavy artillery pieces?

Dozens of heavy tanks?

What a joke!

Even if you sold all those corrupt officials at the top of the White Party, they still couldn't afford so much equipment.

The Japanese Imperial Army itself currently has only about two hundred Type 89 medium tanks and the newly produced Type 97 medium tanks in service.

As for "heavy tanks," the Empire simply doesn't have any such thing.

Where did the Chinese get dozens of heavy tanks from?

Did it fall from the sky?

"Absurd, utterly absurd."

Matsui Iwane angrily slammed the telegram on the table:

"To cover up his incompetence, Kunisaki Noboru actually fabricated such an outrageous lie."

Is he insulting my intelligence?!