Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

The 30th Infantry Regiment headquarters was in dire straits, so there was no way they could even think about rescuing the main force that was stuck in the valley; it would only drag them down with them.

They were the vanguard. The 16th Division was still quite a distance from Qixian, not to mention the 13th Mixed Brigade which was flanking them.

The only unit that was very close to them was the 16th Infantry Regiment, which was attacking the county town with them.

The senior staff officer, fully aware of the surrounding enemy and friendly troop deployments, advised Colonel Yamamoto:

"Commander, at this point we can only ask the General to request tactical guidance to temporarily halt the offensive on Dixian County and to quickly reinforce Wild Wolf Valley."

Colonel Yamamoto thought that this was the only option, but hoped that it would be in time. He immediately agreed to the senior staff officer's plan and ordered him to request tactical guidance from the brigade headquarters.

At this time, the headquarters of the 3rd Mixed Brigade was already shrouded in gloom. Major General Tamura was so angry that he wanted to kill, and he just hoped that the 30th Infantry Regiment could get revenge.

"You bastards! A bunch of useless trash! Aren't the Imperial cavalry supposed to be invincible? How could they be completely wiped out by the Chinese! It's a disgrace to the Empire!"

Major General Tamura's roar silenced the entire command post, with only Chief of Staff Kono Takamichi daring to speak out:

"According to reports from the cavalry warriors who escaped, the Chinese cavalry lacked martial ethics and were equipped with a large number of submachine guns. They used submachine guns in saber duels, resulting in heavy casualties and a great loss for the warriors."

Lieutenant Colonel Kono's subtext was that the Imperial Army was not to blame; it was simply that the Chinese were too despicable.

Major General Tamura really wanted to kick them away. These cavalrymen were still clinging to outdated ideas; it was no wonder they were defeated.

However, the cavalrymen were all nobles and had a lot of influence in the military, which he couldn't afford to offend. He could only swallow his anger and place his hopes on the infantry.

"Kono-kun, is there still no news from the 30th Infantry Regiment? The defeated Chinese cavalry is fleeing too fast; it's better not to catch them."

The Imperial Army's primary task remains capturing Qi County and relieving the Doihara Division from its predicament.

"General, not yet. Cavalry is no match for the Imperial Army's infantry regiments. Good news will arrive soon."

"Hey, where's the 16th Division? How far are they from the county seat?"

Major General Tamura changed the subject to avoid sulking, and Lieutenant Colonel Kono quickly replied:

"They have already set off from Guide City and should arrive within a day at the latest."

"Alright, have the 16th Regiment intensify its offensive. We must capture the county town before the main force of the 16th Division arrives. This concerns the face of the Kwantung Army, do you understand?"

Lieutenant Colonel Kono naturally understood that, thanks to the propaganda machine's hype, the Kwantung Army was the flower of the empire, invincible, and currently maintained its myth of never being defeated.

Qixian was a place where many Chinese troops gathered. The credit for capturing the county should be exclusively awarded to the 3rd Mixed Brigade and should not be shared with the 16th Division.

Just as Lieutenant Colonel Kono was about to relay the order, the communications officer rushed in, shouting:

"Something terrible has happened! The 30th Infantry Regiment was ambushed by a large Chinese force of over ten thousand while pursuing their enemy to Wolf Valley. We request tactical guidance!"

Major General Tamura's barely suppressed anger erupted once more:

"Damn it, a bunch of useless trash. They're an infantry regiment, and they can't even handle over ten thousand Chinese?"

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! I repeatedly told them not to enter any valleys, yet they kept chasing us!"

"You idiot, you can't even see through the Chinese tricks!"

Major General Tamura seems to have selectively forgotten that he was the one who ordered the pursuit in the first place, and now he is pushing all the responsibility onto the 30th Infantry Regiment.

"Simply shifting blame won't solve the problem," Lieutenant Colonel Kono interrupted him, saying:

"General, I just saw that the terrain of Wild Wolf Valley is too complicated. If the Chinese have laid tens of thousands of ambushes on both sides of the mountain beforehand, taking advantage of the enemy's surprise, the Imperial Army will suffer a great loss."

The most urgent task is rescue; otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable!

Major General Tamura was also furious. Now was not the time to be angry, but what troubled him most was that he had no troops left to send.

Squadron Leader Kono quickly reminded him:

"General, everything else is too far away to solve the immediate problem. We can only suspend the attack on the county town, withdraw the 16th Infantry Regiment, and rush to the aid of Yamamoto's Regiment."

At the same time, a telegram was sent to the 16th Division requesting tactical guidance.

"You bunch of trash, you bastards!"

This was undoubtedly the optimal solution, but Major General Tanaka felt somewhat embarrassed to send reinforcements to the 16th Division, and his old face turned a deep purplish-red from holding it in.

After a moment, understanding finally prevailed over impulse, and Major General Tanaka gave a cold snort:

"Do as you say. Be quick and make sure to get support for Yamamoto's regiment. The Kwantung Army can't afford the loss of an infantry regiment."

North of Qixian City, the offensive of the 16th Infantry Regiment continued, and they had already reached the city walls, putting the 58th Division's defenses in grave danger.

Commander Feng was considering whether to send the last reserve force into the battlefield. If so, the defense of Qixian County would have no room for maneuver.

He suddenly remembered something:

"Chief of Staff Yang, is there any news of reinforcements from the 107th Division?"

Feng Shengfa was a seasoned veteran. He advised the Nationalist army not to have too much hope for reinforcements, as they were all scheming and unless there was a very close relationship between them.

Feng Shengfa had interacted with Zhao Yunwen, but they weren't particularly close; they just didn't have any major conflicts, which was already quite remarkable.

Considering Zhao Yunwen's recent positive reputation, Feng Shengfa could only pin his hopes on his old classmate.

Colonel Yang Shaoren quickly replied:

"Not yet. We haven't established contact with the 107th Division, and Commander Li hasn't sent any new reports."

Feng Shengfa sighed deeply, thinking to himself:

"It seems I was overthinking things; it's better to rely on yourself than on others."

"Chief of Staff Yang—"

Yang Shaoren exclaimed in surprise:

"Commander, look! The Japanese seem to be retreating—there's no mistake, they're retreating!"

Feng Shengfa had no time to spare for Zhao Yunwen and quickly picked up his binoculars to observe.

Having fought many battles, he could tell at a glance that the Japanese were genuinely withdrawing their troops, and not just playing tricks.

"The Japanese were clearly in the lead, so why did they suddenly withdraw?"

"Commander, is it possible that Commander Zhao's reinforcements have arrived?"

This is the most reasonable explanation, but it is hard to believe. Even if reinforcements arrive, they wouldn't arrive so quickly, which is contrary to the common sense of the Nationalist army.

Feng Shengfa, always cautious, suppressed his joy and said:

"The Japanese are very cunning. Let's observe first! Order all regiments to hold their positions firmly, quickly reclaim their fortifications, and not pursue them."

In Wild Wolf Valley, the Japanese soldiers inside the encirclement attempted to break out several times but failed, suffering heavy casualties instead. The remaining troops retreated to the bottom of the valley, forming a battle formation to await reinforcements.

Qiu the Madman anxiously asked for instructions:

"Commander, the Japanese are digging fortifications at the bottom of the valley. Let me lead my men down and wipe out these sons of bitches!"

Zhao Yunwen shook his head and said:

"No rush. If the bait is swallowed so quickly, how will we catch any fish?"

Qiu the Madman suddenly realized:

"Is the division commander planning to besiege the enemy's stronghold and ambush reinforcements? It's too obvious. Will the Japanese fall for it?"

Zhao Yunwen smiled confidently:

"Whether they fall for it or not, let's just treat it as killing two birds with one stone. As long as there are still Japanese remnants in Wild Wolf Valley, given their nature, they won't give up easily."

It's better to lure the Japanese into the mountains to fight than to confront them head-on on the plains.

"I understand. With this dead fish here, the Japanese will have to send reinforcements. The more troops they send, the more pressure there will be on Qixian County. It's a strong support for the defending troops."

Zhao Yunwen nodded. At this moment, his minimap showed that the Japanese had sent reinforcements, and they were the same Japanese troops attacking the county town. His tactical objective had been initially achieved.

Now that the Japanese have been lured out of their cave, we should add fuel to the fire!

Thinking of this, he said to Qiu Fengzi:

"The infantry can remain stationary for now, but we can use artillery to bombard them and weaken the Japanese!"

"Let the mountain artillery battalion fire a few rounds; that will urge the Japanese on. If they don't send reinforcements soon, I'll have to swallow up the remaining troops inside the encirclement!"

Qiu the Madman learned another trick and gave a thumbs-up, saying:

"Commander, you're brilliant! What a load of crap, the Kwantung Army, the flower of the empire, they'd all kneel before you, Commander."

Zhao Yunwen laughed and scolded:

"Alright, stop flattering me and get on with your work. Be careful not to kill all the Japanese soldiers inside the encirclement. How can we fish without bait?"

"Commander, you can rest assured about my work, Qiu the Madman. I'll definitely leave the Japanese a chance to breathe!"