Bright Sword: Iron Will 104

Chapter 103: Whose Cage, After All?

January 21, 2025

Chapter 103: Whose Cage, After All?

Two o’clock in the morning.

Rear command post.

Under the dim light, Wang Feng paced back and forth, his brow furrowed.

He glanced down at his watch.

The operation had been underway for an hour and a half.

Due to logistical constraints, military radios were only equipped down to the battalion level, while the operation was based on company-sized units.

It took time for reports to filter up.

Sergey walked over: “Commander, the Japanese command post has discovered our presence. Currently, along the Chihe River line, the enemy is showing signs of contraction.”

Wang Feng nodded, unsurprised.

An encirclement maneuver of this scale couldn’t be concealed for long; discovery was inevitable.

“Has the Third Battalion reached its designated position?”

Sergey replied: “A telegram arrived fifteen minutes ago. They are constructing defensive positions.”

Wang Feng pressed further: “How about the First Battalion?”

Sergey: “Still engaged in fierce battle with the Japanese; the fighting should last until dawn.”

Wang Feng picked up his teacup from the table and took a sip.

The tea, brewed on the west bank of the Chihe River hours ago, was long cold.

It wasn’t that he particularly liked tea; it was primarily for staying alert.

Using the three-dimensional combat map and commanding operations all night put an immense strain on his energy.

The lingering smoke of the battlefield kept his nerves taut, preventing him from sleeping in the late night.

But he could clearly feel his thinking becoming sluggish.

“The front line is lively; we should also relocate!”

Wang Feng pointed to a spot on the map: “Pass the order: the command post moves forward eight hundred meters, to this location!”

Sergey glanced at it: “Yes!”

The frequent relocation of the command post was to adjust the map’s detection range.

Currently, within a ten-kilometer radius centered on his location, the Japanese command post hadn’t been found.

However, he estimated they were close to their target. He frequently spotted a large number of messengers active on the map’s edge.

Wang Feng wasn’t looking for the front-line battalion command post, but rather the rear regimental, or even brigade, command post.

This battle wasn’t about killing a large number of Japanese soldiers. That was meaningless.

There were nearly 100,000 Japanese troops on the Jinghu line – an endless supply.

Securing supplies was for sustained operations. To temporarily eliminate the Japanese threat to Chihe and Bengbu, several high-ranking Japanese officers had to be eliminated. The central command had to be taken down.

Like the Battle of Nanhuaihua Village, where the 9th Brigade’s command post was destroyed.

Although the remaining two regiments fought fiercely after losing their command, ultimately breaking through the encirclement, it didn’t negate the value of the action.

The fighting along the Chihe River temporarily ceased. Japanese troops engaged in river-crossing operations received orders to turn back and support the rear.

Wu Guangsheng was shot in the shoulder, thankfully not severely; after being bandaged by a field medic, he continued to personally command on the front line.

“Chief of Staff, the little devils are retreating!”

Zhao Fangyuan was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately ran to the observation hole, raising his binoculars.

Through the lenses, the Japanese formations were orderly, retreating while fighting, clearly not a rout.

“It seems the Commander has started his operation!”

Wu Guangsheng, as the deputy corps commander, knew the plan for tonight, and stepped forward with a suggestion: “Chief of Staff, shouldn’t we do something to support the Commander?”

Although he was the deputy corps commander, his operational command and tactical insight surpassed Zhang Hu. Their strengths were different. Zhang Hu excelled at boosting morale, motivating troops, and organizing training. He was a role model for the troops. His other abilities were adequate, not outstanding, but still within the excellent range. Wu Guangsheng, on the other hand, was more like a staff officer, offering strategic advice during combat.

Zhao Fangyuan frowned. He also recognized the problem. The outflanking force had only 3,000 men, barely matching the Japanese. Given the elite nature of the First ‘Red Flag’ Mountain Warfare Corps, they weren’t at a disadvantage, but neither did they have an advantage. In this situation, it was easy to become bogged down with the Japanese. If the battle dragged on until dawn and Japanese reinforcements arrived, the situation would become difficult to manage. The outflanking force could easily become bogged down, surrounded, and unable to retreat.

As the two were pondering, the phone on the table rang. Zhao Fangyuan picked up the receiver.

“Hello!”

The other side of the line was silent for a moment: “Ahem… Is this Commander Wang?”

Zhao Fangyuan: “I am the Chief of Staff of the North China Combat Group. Please state your business!”

Upon hearing this, the other side paused: “I am Liu Shiyi, commander of the 31st Army. Forty-five minutes ago, the Japanese who launched a night attack on our troops retreated. Five minutes ago, we received confirmed intelligence that the Japanese are likely heading towards Chihe Town! I urge your unit to be on high alert!”

“The Japanese suddenly changed direction; are you guys doing something big?”

Zhao Fangyuan didn’t have time to respond, thanked him, and quickly hung up. He then hurriedly looked at the operational map on the table.

From the Ma Gang and Sanheji areas to Chihe Town was only about twenty kilometers. A forced march would take only two hours.

Based on the information provided by the 31st Army, the Japanese had already begun marching forty-five minutes earlier. Including the time it took to assemble troops, they had at most an hour and a half.

Wu Guangsheng heard the entire conversation thanks to the poor phone connection: “Chief of Staff, we can’t just watch from the sidelines!”

“We need to find a way to ease the pressure on the Commander.”

Zhao Fangyuan let out a long sigh, rubbed his forehead, and made up his mind: “First, send a telegram to the Commander, reporting the situation truthfully; our unit requests permission to cross the river and establish a bridgehead on the east bank of the Chihe River to draw Japanese fire. Then send a telegram to the 31st Army, requesting that friendly forces help contain some of the Japanese forces.”

Wu Guangsheng frowned: “Chief of Staff, the battle situation is fleeting; waiting for a reply… we might easily miss the opportunity!”

Zhao Fangyuan nodded. River-crossing operations weren’t easy. Taking advantage of the fact that the Japanese hadn’t yet fully retreated to quickly establish a bridgehead could maximize the attraction of Japanese forces.

Telegrams take time to receive and translate. By the time the commander makes a decision, sends a reply, and it is translated, even if it’s quick, at least half an hour will be lost. By then, some of the Japanese troops may already be on trucks headed to the rear.

Zhao Fangyuan rubbed his temples; beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. His palms were also damp. This was the first time he had independently commanded so many people, even if only for a few short hours.

As the saying goes, the battle commander carries the heaviest psychological burden, and Zhao Fangyuan felt it. One order could decide the life and death of countless people. Every move had to be in the right place. These were real lives, not cold words on a roster.

Previously, he was only the Chief of Staff, mainly responsible for providing advice and handling intelligence. The final decision-making power always rested with Wang Feng. He had never experienced this kind of pressure.

The atmosphere in the command post became tense.

Half a minute later.

Zhao Fangyuan’s eyes flashed with determination: “Immediately arrange for the troops to cross the river and report to the Commander in the telegram!”

A nearby communications soldier quickly wrote down the order and immediately sent the telegram.

“Lao Wu, how’s your shoulder? Should we hand over front-line command to Chu Yunfei for this battle?”

“Chief of Staff!” Wu Guangsheng tried to move his shoulder to show that he was still capable. But as soon as he moved it, he winced in pain.

Seeing Wu Guangsheng’s condition, Zhao Fangyuan knew he couldn’t continue commanding.

“Lao Wu, go to the rear hospital for treatment; don’t worry about the front line.”

“Communications soldier! Send a telegram to Chu Yunfei…”

Eastern hills.

Wang Feng had just entered the new command post and hadn’t had a chance to change his perspective when Sergey quickly walked in.

“Commander, urgent telegram from Chihe Town!”

(Error-free version available on 6X9X Book Bar!)

Sergey slowly read the telegram.

Wang Feng, who hadn’t even gotten warm on his seat, immediately stood up: “Approve river-crossing operation, establish a bridgehead, and do your utmost to contain the Japanese!”

He then looked at the map hanging on the nearby wall. It wasn’t as clear as the three-dimensional combat map in his mind, and the drawing was rather crude; some hidden mountain paths were not marked. It looked like an airtight cage, meant to trap people.

Wang Feng glanced down at his watch.

2:30 AM.

Four or five hours until dawn. This amount of time might be insignificant in a large-scale battle, but on a small battlefield of 30 kilometers, it was enough for a lot to happen.

If the Japanese returned to reinforce in time, the eastern hills would become his cage. The 3,000-strong outflanking force would be surrounded here.

The Japanese troops advancing north from the Jinghu line were advancing in brigade-sized increments, with new troops arriving at the front line almost daily. The consequences of being surrounded were predictable.

However, if he could intercept the Japanese reinforcements, he was confident in destroying the Japanese command post before dawn. Then, the Japanese on the east bank of the Chihe River would be leaderless and facing a two-pronged attack. They would surely collapse without a fight. The race was to see who could act faster and execute the plan more decisively.

Sergey ran out to send the telegram.

Wang Feng immersed his consciousness in the three-dimensional combat map. At the northernmost edge of the overhead view, the Japanese command post appeared before his eyes. Communications officers and messengers were coming and going.

Wang Feng adjusted his perspective and ‘entered’ the command post. Based on their ranks, he immediately recognized the Japanese officers.

Numata Tokushige had no idea that a pair of eyes were silently watching him.

“Where is Matsui’s detachment?”

Staff officer: “The vanguard is being transported by the motor transport unit; they’re still ten kilometers away.”

Numata Tokushige was smug.

“Yōshi!”

“Chinese soldiers, greatly cunning!”

“But in the face of true strength, all schemes are exposed!”

The staff officer flattered him: “Your insight is impeccable!”

“You saw through the Chinese army’s scheme at a glance. If tonight’s operation goes smoothly, we can successfully cross the river early tomorrow morning!”

Wang Feng looked coldly at the two, feeling disdain. Although he couldn’t hear what they were saying, he could guess from their expressions that they were plotting something.

A smile played on Numata Tokushige’s lips; he stroked his mustache: “Let’s not jump to conclusions. This Chinese army’s tactical encirclement is indeed worthy of admiration.”

“The commander is quite brave, no wonder Kunisaki Noboru was defeated by this unit.”

“If I have the opportunity, I must meet him personally!”

Numata Tokushige was overjoyed. Kunisaki Noboru was defeated by the so-called North China Combat Group. If this plan succeeded, he would definitely be able to completely surround this unit.

Roughly speaking, wouldn’t his command ability be far superior to Kunisaki Noboru’s?

Because they were classmates, the desire to compete was even stronger.

In his excitement, Numata Tokushige examined the map: “Move the command post two kilometers north.”

Those who could become major generals weren’t fools. The Chinese army’s penetration into their rear was like putting a gun to their heads. Numata Tokushige wasn’t that arrogant.

Seeing the activity within the Japanese command post, Wang Feng frowned. What was this? He had just locked onto the target, and it was moving.

In the past, Wang Feng would have already transmitted the coordinates to the heavy artillery positions for a long-range decapitation strike. But the current situation wasn’t ideal.

According to the distance calculated on the three-dimensional combat map, the Japanese command post was about twenty kilometers from the heavy artillery battalion. It was too far; out of reach.

Wang Feng withdrew from the overhead perspective and transmitted the specific coordinates.

“All units temporarily abandon their original targets and advance rapidly towards the Japanese command post!”

Then he sat down in his chair, his expression calm and composed. It was no use running. He had already roughly determined the trajectory of the Japanese command post’s movement; he only needed to order his soldiers to search in a specific direction, and they would surely find it.

In the overhead view, orders were issued level by level. For a time, various units advanced rapidly, like a wedge, piercing through the Japanese defenses. The entire eastern hills were ablaze with war, with fighting breaking out everywhere. Facing the sudden encirclement and infiltration, the Japanese, lacking heavy weapons, had difficulty effectively resisting. They could only retreat, retreating again and again!

Upon hearing that they were to attack the Japanese command post, the soldiers’ speed during their long-distance raid increased significantly. Wang Feng could visibly feel the ‘small green dots’ on the map as if a fast-forward button had been pressed.

The command post’s relocation wasn’t easy. The radio, rear-echelon supplies, tables, chairs, maps, ornaments, etc., all needed to be handled. The roads in the hills were rugged, the depressions were waterlogged; transporting these large items wasn’t easy. In terms of speed, they certainly couldn’t match the professional mountain warfare soldiers who were already rushing forward.

The distance between the two sides was closing.

Wang Feng breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to the east bank of the Chihe River.

Since the start of the war, Chu Yunfei had been silent for a long time, stationed in the northern battlefield, far from the front-line headquarters. Now, he finally had the opportunity to shine, and he certainly wanted to make a good impression. This was the first battle he had experienced since joining Wang Feng. Most of the backbone officers in his corps were from the 358th Regiment, and he couldn’t let the brother units laugh at them, making them think they had taken in a useless unit.

Deputy Officer Sun Ming: “Commander, the vanguard has crossed the river!”

“The devils on the other side have reacted and are currently engaged in small-scale skirmishes!”

Chu Yunfei nodded: “Good! Tell the brothers to quickly establish a bridgehead and strike hard at the Japanese!”

“We have to fight this battle to show them what we’re capable of!”

“Restrict the Japanese as much as possible and create time for the Commander’s operation!”

Sun Ming patted his chest and guaranteed: “Commander, rest assured, even if I die, I will absolutely not allow our unit to be disgraced!”

I got the flu.

(End of Chapter)

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