Chapter 52: Show These Little Jap Bastards What a True Limit Is!

After hanging up the telephone, Chu Yunfei turned his head and looked at his adjutant standing not far away.

"Sun Ming!"

"Here!"

"Immediately dispatch someone to notify Cavalry Company Commander Ma Kaying to assemble at once and march out to reinforce the Hanzhuang frontline!"

"Yes!"

Chu Yunfei turned back to look at the operational map, using the pencil in his hand to circle the Hanzhuang and Shuigouzi frontline.

"Ligong, help me send a telegram to Senior Official Wei, asking them to accelerate their offensive pace."

"Commander?"

Fang Ligong pushed up his glasses and asked, "Commander, what has happened to the Second Battalion?"

Chu Yunfei shook his head: "What I am worried about is that the First Battalion might not hold out!"

On the operational map, the military markers representing the Fifth Division and the Shibuya Regiment had appeared, launching a direct attack against the defensive positions of the First Battalion.

These Japanese bastards had finished resting, and both their ammunition and physical strength were fully replenished. Consequently, their combat effectiveness was comparatively formidable.

Although they had just entered battle, Yuanping was not Yueyue Pass; the vast majority of this terrain consisted of flat plains.

Such terrain was exceedingly advantageous for the Japanese invaders to display their capabilities.

Even Chu Yunfei dared not guarantee absolute victory against opponents he had previously defeated.

The mountain artillery battalion, which had remained silent for a long time, roared in anger for the first time since the outbreak of the defensive battle, acting upon Chu Yunfei's command.

Shell after shell rained down like a storm upon the advancing Shibuya Regiment.

Explosions erupted in continuous succession, sending flames soaring into the sky.

Shrapnel mercilessly harvested the lives of the Japanese devils.

First Battalion, Forward Command Post.

Qian Bogjun, who had just picked up the telephone, put it back down a moment later.

His adjutant, Zhang Fugui, asked in confusion, "Battalion Commander? Are we not going to ask the Regiment Commander to dispatch reinforcements?"

"Forget it. The Regiment Commander has no troops to spare right now. Send my guard platoon up instead!"

"Yes!"

Qian Bogjun, who had harbored some grievances just moments ago, felt a warm sensation in his heart upon hearing the rumbling sounds of artillery fire.

The moment his defensive line came under immense pressure, the supporting fire from the mountain artillery battalion arrived right on cue.

If the Regiment Commander had not been keeping a constant eye on his First Battalion, how could his reaction speed possibly have been this swift?

True to form, the Regiment Commander still cared about him.

Little did Qian Bogjun know that Chu Yunfei himself was currently facing a monumental headache.

The Third Battalion was beyond the boundaries of the operational map, and its exact situation remained entirely unknown.

The 386th Brigade was extremely slow in replying to telegrams.

Chu Yunfei even suspected that their telegraph operator was a novice; otherwise, how could their efficiency be so abysmal?

Chu Yunfei was relatively calm on his end, feeling only a trace of urgency.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Itagaki Seishiro, commander of the Fifth Division, was frantic with anxiety.

The Fourteenth Group Army.

The elite 54th Division under General Hao Mengling, led by Division Commander Liu Jiaqi, had launched fifteen charges within a single day.

The 15th Independent Mixed Brigade trapped within the encirclement suffered heavy casualties, and its ammunition was running critically low.

According to intelligence from telegrams, fewer than eight hundred Japanese soldiers had broken out of the encirclement, though this remained unverified.

The rest were completely surrounded by the main force of the Fourteenth Group Army.

At the current rate of development, being wiped out as a complete organizational unit was merely a matter of time.

The sole piece of good news was that the Shibuya Regiment, under his Fifth Division, had already reached the outskirts of Yuanping and had commenced its offensive.

The 11th Independent Mixed Brigade had suffered devastating blows at Yueyue Pass.

Even though the order to continue the offensive had been issued by the commander of the 15th Independent Mixed Brigade himself, Shinohara Seiichiro, if the 15th Independent Mixed Brigade were to be completely annihilated along the Xinkou frontline, he, Itagaki Seishiro, would lose every ounce of dignity as the commander-in-chief.

Compared to the unstoppable momentum along the northern sector of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, he had been stalled in northern Shanxi for two full months!

Just as Itagaki Seishiro was furrowing his brow in deep worry, Nishimura Toshio walked quickly into the command post holding a telegram, his expression grave. "General, the latest news: the Shibuya Regiment's advance has been hindered. They have encountered massive enemy artillery fire and are currently suffering heavy casualties. They are requesting air support from the aviation corps!"

Itagaki Seishiro could not help but curse angrily, "Baka! This bastard, as foolish as a pig!"

Nishimura Toshio stood at attention, bowed, and lowered his head, not daring to speak.

The furious Itagaki Seishiro immediately picked up the porcelain teacup from his desk and hurled it fiercely to the ground.

"Send a reply to the Shibuya Regiment, ordering them to breach the enemy's defense line no later than tomorrow noon!"

"Hai!"

That night.

The Japanese offensive did not cease.

Small detachments of Japanese troops attempting to break through also groped their way forward under the cover of darkness.

What baffled them, however, was that no matter how they altered their route of advance, soldiers of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army were always waiting for them in advance.

Accompanied by piercing screeches, flare after flare rose into the night sky once more.

Following closely behind were the accurate bombardments of 82mm mortar shells.

For a time, the Japanese devils found themselves in agonizing misery.

They were forced to fall back once again.

Meanwhile, inside the command post of the 358th Regiment, the telephone that Chu Yunfei had just hung up began to ring again.

The excited voice of Second Battalion Commander Wu Ziqiang came through the receiver: "Report to the Commander, the direction of the enemy detachment's advance was precisely as you anticipated. A single salvo from the heavy mortar company wiped out quite a few of the Japanese. Right now, they seem to be moving toward the small river valley... Cavalry Company Commander Luo requests permission to sally forth and annihilate this unit of the enemy."

Chu Yunfei snorted coldly: "Order him to stay put in Hanzhuang. Their cavalry company must serve the role of a fire brigade. Tell him on my behalf to rest well; the moment my call comes through, they must mobilize immediately!"

"Yes, Commander!"

Fang Ligong was completely dumbfounded at this point.

Within the span of a single day, Chu Yunfei had performed multiple feats of extreme micromanagement.

Every single time, he managed to intervene in the battlefield with absolute precision and dispatch troops to the most suitable locations.

The operational map spread before him was now a chaotic mess of messy markings.

To ensure this battle was fought successfully, Chu Yunfei was currently mentally and physically exhausted.

He had not closed his eyes for forty-eight hours, and he constantly had to switch perspectives to pinpoint the precise direction of the Japanese advance.

In reality, Chu Yunfei's physical strength was approaching its absolute limit.

Yet, because this was the critical juncture of the battle, he could not sleep, nor did he dare to sleep!

The 358th Regiment was dancing entirely on the edge of a blade; the slightest lapse in attention could easily result in total annihilation!

After briefly calculating the distance between the two sides, Chu Yunfei picked up the telephone once again: "I am Chu Yunfei. Connect me to the First Battalion headquarters!"

"Jinglingling~~!!"

At the First Battalion headquarters, Adjutant Zhang Fugui was on duty: "Hello, I am Zhang Fugui!"

"Zhang Fugui, I order you to form a stormtrooper detachment with the First Company as its core, equipped with broadswords and grenades. Taking advantage of the fairly decent night tonight, go and probe the Japanese devils' position."

"Commander..."

Hearing the hesitation in Zhang Fugui's tone, Chu Yunfei no longer had the patience to explain: "Execute the order. I do not have time to explain the purpose behind this to you right now."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fugui instinctively stood at attention and shouted clearly, "Yes! Please rest assured, Commander, Zhang Fugui will resolutely execute the order!"

"Go, call Bian Fucheng here!"

"Yes!"

As a series of new orders continued to be issued, Chu Yunfei hung up the phone, seated himself before the operational map, and awaited the results.

Bathed in the glow of the coal lamp, he appeared somewhat weary at this moment.

His previously sharp facial features now looked remarkably sunken, as if he were suffering from severe malnutrition.

From the outbreak of the battle until now, nearly one hundred and twenty hours had passed.

In total, Chu Yunfei's sleep time had not exceeded eight hours, and he had been forced to maintain continuous mental exertion.

Fang Ligong stood beside Chu Yunfei, feeling a pang of heartache: "Commander... You really ought to get some rest..."