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

"This Shigeharu Suematsu is truly an oddball."

Lin Feng swallowed the sweet jujube flesh. With the replenishment of carbohydrate energy, his mind began to think at high speed.

In the past year, the Japanese generals encountered by the Great Xia army were mostly arrogant, conceited, greedy for merit, and reckless.

They believed in the so-called Bushido spirit, and when attacked, they would fight to the death and even launch suicidal charges.

Seishiro Itagaki is a typical example.

But now, the situation has clearly changed.

After suffering several major losses, the Japanese high command began to reflect and learn from their mistakes.

They learned to preserve their strength and to avoid direct confrontation.

When faced with the 33rd Army Corps, which possessed overwhelming armor and heavy firepower, they no longer stubbornly fought a head-on battle on the plains.

Instead, they chose to retreat into the mountains, using the complex terrain to offset the mechanized advantage of the Xia army.

"The enemy has become smarter, and future battles will likely become increasingly difficult."

Lin Feng spoke calmly.

Next, the staff officer reported on the specific results of the battle.

In this decisive battle, Weifang and the surrounding areas were completely captured, more than 5,300 Japanese soldiers were eliminated, and more than 5,000 square kilometers of territory were recovered.

Taking Weifang means that the 33rd Army Corps' controlled area is one step closer to the provincial capital of Shandong Province.

The entire Jiaolai Plain is now completely connected.

This vast grain-producing region will become his strongest support for future military buildup and industrial development.

"Relay my orders."

Lin Feng turned to the staff officer and gave the latest instructions:

"The newly formed Eighth Army has been fighting continuously, and its officers and soldiers are exhausted."

They were ordered to cease pursuit and to engage in defensive reorganization and rest along the Weifang line.

In addition, troops were drawn from the First Guerrilla Division and local security regiments.

They quickly moved into various county towns on the Jiaolai Plain and took over local defenses.

Tell officers at all levels that the top priority now is to help the people resume spring planting as soon as possible.

Anyone who dares to delay the farming season will be dealt with according to military law.

"Yes, sir!" The staff officer stood at attention, saluted, and turned to give the order.

Just then, the head of the telecommunications department walked in hurriedly, carrying a top-secret telegram.

"Sir, this is an urgent notification from the Fifth War Zone Command."

The head of the telecommunications department handed over the telegram, lowering his voice:

"Intelligence indicates that the Japanese have officially issued a general mobilization order within their own country."

All military and general industrial units were put into wartime operation, with workers working in three shifts around the clock.

The Japanese headquarters is once again conducting a large-scale conscription of reservists and new recruits of eligible age.

These beasts have gone mad; they're preparing to continue their insane army expansion.

Lin Feng took the telegram and quickly scanned it.

The more he looked, the more serious his expression became.

The Japanese Central China Area Army has launched its attack.

They amassed a large force and launched another fierce attack on the Huai River defense line in the south.

The Xia army stationed along the Huai River suffered heavy casualties, and its defenses were in grave danger.

Even more noteworthy was the naval intelligence document attached to the telegram.

The Japanese navy mobilized several seaplane carriers, including the Notoro, Kamui, and Kakumaru.

These ships formed a task force called the "Yangtze River Air Raid Team" and have already deployed to the Yangtze River.

In coordination with the army aviation units, they launched a massive bombardment of the positions held by the Da Xia garrison.

At the same time, the main force of the North China Area Army on the northern front also once again marched south along the Jinpu Railway line.

The next likely scenario is a pincer attack from the north and south by hundreds of thousands of troops from Central and Northern China.

The Battle of Pengcheng has reached its most critical moment.

In a telegram, Commander Li of the Fifth War Zone earnestly requested Lin Feng's assistance.

It is hoped that the 33rd Army Corps can launch an attack from the Jiaodong direction to attack the flank of the North China Front Army.

This was to tie down the Japanese troops and prevent them from advancing south to attack Pengcheng.

After reading the telegram, Lin Feng walked to the map and scanned the vast Central Plains with his eyes.

The whole nation fought the war of resistance against Japan as a unified whole.

If Pengcheng falls, the gates of Jiangcheng will be wide open.

As soldiers of the Great Xia, it is only right and proper for us to help.

But as Lin Feng looked at the distance scale on the map, his brows gradually furrowed.

The Huai River area is too far away.

The straight-line distance from the Jiaodong Peninsula to Bengbu, a key city on the Huai River defense line, exceeds 500 kilometers.

The most advanced BF-109 fighter jet in their possession, although fast and powerful, had a fatal flaw.

The flight range is too short; if they fly over the Huai River to support the operation, they may only be able to stay for a few minutes before having to return.

"That Yamamoto Isoroku guy is quite shrewd."

Lin Feng sneered, seeing through the strategic intentions of the Japanese high command.

The Japanese had clearly figured out the BF-109's weakness of short range.

They brought together experienced veteran pilots from the naval aviation force, as well as the newly commissioned Type 96 carrier-based fighter jets.

They were all transferred to Central China to attack the Huai River defense line from the south.

It perfectly avoided the air strike range of the Jiaodong Peninsula.

"It seems the Japanese have changed their tactics this time."

Lin Feng pointed to two directions on the map and analyzed the situation to his advisors:

"They launched a fierce offensive in the Huainan region on the southern front, attempting to break through the defenses in one fell swoop."

On the northern front in North China, a tactic of diversionary attack was adopted.

They've pinned us down in Shandong Province with a large force, preventing us from heading south to rescue them.

The chief of staff looked at the densely packed red arrows on the map and said with concern:

"Sir, should we divert our main force and head south directly to reinforce Pengcheng?"

"I'm not going."

Lin Feng answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

He picked up his baton and pointed it heavily at Pengcheng.

"Take a look at the terrain of Pengcheng."

This land is a battleground, flat and open, with no natural defenses.

The Central Army and various miscellaneous armies, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, were crammed into that small encirclement.

Factions abound, and command is chaotic.

Previously, we were able to annihilate the 5th Division and recover Jiaodong because the Japanese were complacent and arrogantly advanced alone.

According to intelligence, the Japanese have even transferred some of their elite Kwantung Army troops into the pass. Next, the Japanese North China Area Army will inevitably launch a massive offensive with multiple layers of cover.

Even with our troops holding back on the flank of Jiaodong, Pengcheng will ultimately fall.

Lin Feng's gaze swept over the officers present, and his tone became stern:

"What's even more deadly is the human heart."

There was a deep-seated distrust and mutual distrust between the Central Army and the miscellaneous armies.

It's passable when things are going well.

If the battle turns against us, as long as one unit dares to abandon its position and flee, it will be a disaster.

This will most likely trigger a chain reaction, leading to a complete collapse.

This has happened several times in previous battles.

We must be on guard.

Lin Feng knew very well that "Sa Beng Mai Liu" was a specialty of the National Revolutionary Army and was something he couldn't miss.

In the subsequent war of resistance in the original timeline, this kind of situation, where a single escape led to the complete collapse of the entire front, occurred countless times...

"I will never throw our hard-won main force into that quagmire of Pengcheng to be cannon fodder for the Central Army."

Lin Feng threw his baton onto the sand table, setting the tone:

"We need to break out of the encirclement and attack from the outside."

With Pengcheng lost, the Japanese will inevitably target Jiangcheng next.

The Battle of Jiangcheng is inevitable; it will be a battle for the fate of Great Xia against the Japanese invaders.