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

On the mountain defense line east of Qizhou, Lieutenant General Shigeharu Suematsu, commander of the 114th Division, stood in an observation post cleverly concealed by bushes, holding binoculars in both hands and scanning the vast plain beyond the mountains.

Through the telescope's view, a mule-drawn transport caravan was carrying bags of cement and ammunition along a rugged mountain path to various hilltops.

"Commander, the tunnels for the No. 13 reverse slope position have been completed. As per your orders, the firing ports are located on the right side of the cliff face, with a diameter of only thirty centimeters, making them completely invisible from outside the mountain."

Behind him, a captain of the engineering corps held up construction blueprints and reported loudly.

Shigeharu Suematsu put down his binoculars, turned around and took the blueprints, carefully scanning each annotation on them with his eyes.

Is the cement pouring thick enough?

Shigeharu Suematsu's voice was low and cautious.

"Completely according to your standards, the roofs of all the permanent fortifications were poured with 50-centimeter-thick concrete."

The army headquarters was very dissatisfied with our use of a large amount of cement.

They said other divisions were attacking on the plains, while we were digging tunnels in the mountains.

The engineer captain's tone carried a hint of resentment.

Suematsu Shigeharu snorted and returned the blueprints to the captain.

"What do those guys sitting in their offices in Tieshizi Hutong in Yanjing know?"

They've never fought Lin Feng before, so they have no idea how terrifying he is!

Suematsu Shigeharu turned back to the set-up folding table and looked at the battle map laid out on it.

On the map, the vast mountainous region east and south of Qizhou is divided into dozens of sectors of varying sizes, each marked with a number.

"I have repeatedly studied all of Lin Feng's battles in Jiaodong."

Shigeharu Suematsu pointed to the map with his finger.

"Lin Feng has a unique way of fighting."

He never fought a battle unprepared. Before each attack, he would use heavy artillery and aircraft to thoroughly raid the enemy's positions from beginning to end.

That guy, Seishiro Itagaki, his 5th Division was ultimately shattered on the plains by Lin Feng's rocket artillery, heavy artillery, and railway guns.

The chief of staff stood to the side, nodding repeatedly.

"General, you have a profound understanding of strategy. Our decision to abandon the plains and retreat into the mountains is precisely to neutralize Lin Feng's armored advantage. His tanks cannot penetrate the mountains, and his heavy artillery will have difficulty reaching our reverse slope positions."

"That's not all."

Suematsu Shigeharu walked to another photo wall, which displayed photos of various weapons and equipment belonging to Lin Feng's men.

"Lin Feng has BF-109 fighter jets, and recent intelligence indicates that they have even deployed a new twin-engine heavy fighter jet. He also possesses JU-87 dive bombers. These advanced Han aircraft pose a great threat to our ground forces."

Shigeharu Suematsu pointed to Stuka in the photo.

"If I deploy my main force on the front lines, a single dive bombing run will cripple the first line of defenses once his planes arrive."

Therefore, my strategy is to leave only a small number of observation posts and guard troops on the front.

The main force was hidden entirely in second-line tunnels and bunkers. Utilizing natural caves in the mountains, these tunnels were linked together with explosives to form a complete underground tunnel system.

The chief of staff opened a record of orders.

"As per your instructions, each regiment has cleared all isolated houses and trees within a 500-meter radius of the position, and the firing range has been cleared."

The anti-tank trenches were dug along the only route through the three valleys, and bamboo spikes and explosives were also buried at the bottom.

The crossfire network of all light and heavy machine guns has been recalibrated.

In addition, the batch of anti-tank guns and rapid-fire guns that you obtained from the army headquarters have all been distributed to the front-line battalions, specifically for dealing with Lin Feng's armored vehicles and tanks.

Shigeharu Suematsu nodded, as if he had completed the final calculation in his mind, and his eyes became clear and determined.

"Tell all officers in the division that Lin Feng has air superiority and that they should not make large-scale troop movements during the day."

It doesn't matter if some forward positions are lost; we should make more use of the night to launch counterattacks.

"Take advantage of his poor visibility and immobile tanks, and disrupt his offensive rhythm with night combat."

Shigeharu Suematsu turned around, looked at the chief of staff, and his tone became extremely serious.

"The key to this battle is not to defend, but to delay."

As long as we can hold Lin Feng back for two months, preventing him from taking Qizhou and cutting off the Jinpu Railway line, that will be fine.

Once the main force captures Pengcheng on the southern front, the empire will have gained absolute strategic initiative.

This defensive line will have fulfilled its mission by then. Gentlemen, every moment we spend here is buying time for the Empire's decisive victory!

Show the resolve to shatter like jade, and wither away like cherry blossoms in their prime!

The chief of staff and the surrounding colonels and lieutenant colonels were so inspired by Suematsu Shigeharu's words that they immediately stood at attention and shouted:

"Hai!"

-----

On the hillside.

Newly appointed Second Lieutenant Taro Kameda, who had just been transferred from the mainland to the 114th Division, was inspecting the defense line with a senior sergeant major with a thick beard.

"Lieutenant Kameda, you're really lucky to be assigned to our Division Commander Suematsu's command."

Cao Chang walked ahead, hacking at the roadside bushes with a machete as he spoke proudly.

"Our division commander was a man whom those old men in the army called 'Matsu-chan' (a derogatory term for a man who is not good at fighting)."

Ah, I'm not calling him cunning, but rather saying he's a brilliant strategist, as astute as a cat. Look at this fortifications, how meticulously they've been constructed!"

Taro Kameda looked around with a face full of curiosity.

He had just graduated from the Army War College, where he learned the Bushido spirit and the importance of bayonet charges. The dense and intricate system of fortifications before him was completely beyond his comprehension.

"Sergeant, why are all our bunkers built on the back side of the mountain?"

Kameda pointed to a concrete bunker in the distance, with only a tiny firing port visible.

"That Black Tengu Lin Feng has a railway cannon with a caliber of over 200mm."

Cao Chang stopped and pointed to the ridgeline to explain.

"See? All our fortifications are built on the side of the main peak facing us."

Thus, Lin Feng's artillery fire, whether from tanks or railway guns, no matter how fast the shells flew, could only hit the front of the ridge. It couldn't reach the rear where we were hiding.

The sergeant then pointed to the tiny firing hole.

"Take another look at that bunker."

The firing port is just a small hole, cut into the cliff face.

From the outside, it looks like an ordinary rock face.

Lin Feng's infantry charged right up to them without even noticing. Once they were within firing range, our heavy machine guns suddenly opened fire, leaving them nowhere to hide.

Kameda listened in disbelief, nodding repeatedly.

"That's amazing!"

"There are even more amazing ones."

The sergeant continued walking forward, pointing to the deep and wide trenches at the bottom of the valley.

"Do you see those trenches?"

The bottom was completely buried with bamboo skewers and landmines.

If Lin Feng's infantry and armored vehicles dared to charge, their tracks would either be blown off on the spot, or the soles of the infantrymen's feet would be pierced.

"If they get stuck in the ditch and can't move, our rapid-fire guns and infantry guns on the mountaintop can use them as live targets!"