Spy Wars: I can get rewards by being a bully!

Chapter 1166 The objective of the counterinsurgency campaign has been achieved.

Ding County.

The interrogation is ongoing.

The "main culprit" has been found; all that remains is to secure the evidence. Lin Ze is always meticulous in his work, and this case is bound to be airtight.

No matter how absurd something may seem, as long as there are no flaws in the procedure, everyone from top to bottom has no choice but to acknowledge it. Whether the parties involved admit it or not is not important.

Otani Masaaki had discovered that the temporary telephone line to Shimen had been cut. Well, that was good. He simply ordered the Japanese troops in the Tanghe area to hold their positions and wait for further orders, and not to launch a rash attack.

The Japanese soldiers in Tanghe didn't want to fight anymore. The Eighth Route Army on the other side was incredibly stubborn. Several veteran Japanese commanders had already noticed the problem: they were facing what seemed to be the main force but wasn't. Their combat strength was comparable, but their numbers were mismatched!

The situation here is too complicated for captains like them to get involved in, so staying put is the best option.

In this way, the pressure on Zhang Kedi's main regiment was greatly reduced.

By now, the main force regiment has suffered nearly half its casualties, and the First Battalion has suffered even more. Apart from the Third Company, which was initially responsible for repairing fortifications at the rear and suffered about 30% casualties, the remaining two companies have lost more than 60% of their personnel.

Many junior commanders unfortunately sacrificed their lives, and Zhang Kedi himself suffered several wounds. He was unable to rest due to continuous command of operations, and his overall condition was very poor.

The last Japanese attack was an hour ago, and they haven't launched any attacks since.

However, the soldiers had become numb to it. They did not expect the Japanese to give up. Some soldiers sat and slept in the trenches, some treated the wounds of their comrades, and others just stared blankly at the sky.

Chen Youdi's left arm was also wrapped with strips of cloth. A stray bullet hit his left arm, but fortunately it was a penetrating wound and did not damage the bone.

He was so tired that he couldn't think anymore. It turns out that when a person is tired to a certain extent, their brain is forcibly controlled. All the sadness, anger, confusion, fear, and expectation disappear from his mind. He fell asleep sitting there.

Someone shouted first, "The sun is out!"

Everyone looked to the east, and sure enough, a hazy orange-red hue appeared on the horizon of the plain, and the sky began to brighten!

Zhang Kedi looked at the Japanese positions, but there was still no movement.

I was inexplicably shocked!

Is it really possible to go around to the north?!

What exactly happened? Why did the Japanese stop their attack?

He sent a messenger into the trenches to relay the order: "Everyone! Assemble quickly and head north! Move quietly, take care of the wounded, and don't fall behind!"

Everyone silently got up and obeyed the order to withdraw from the position.

Another half hour passed, and the Japanese soldiers on the other side seemed to have noticed something was wrong. One of the Japanese soldiers asked his officer, "The enemy seems to be retreating. Should we pursue them?"

The officer considered the orders from the Dingxian command post and shook his head, saying, "We only need to ensure they don't break through our lines. Now that they're retreating, that's a good thing. Don't pursue them, lest we fall into an enemy trap!"

After attracting the Japanese attention all night, this main force regiment miraculously began to retreat!

When Okamura's telegram arrived in Ding County, Lin Ze had the prisoners' confessions compiled, and with a report signed by Otani Masaaki, he rushed back to Shimen.

By the time they arrived at Shimen, it was nearly noon. Okamura looked emaciated, as if he had aged ten years overnight.

Lin Ze exclaimed in feigned shock, "General! What has happened!"

Okamura pulled Lin Ze aside, "Lin-kun, I regret not thinking carefully about what you said. The enemy in Tanghe was indeed a feint. The main force of the Eighth Route Army broke through in the Cihe area!"

Lin Ze was shocked. "How could this be! I'll take men and chase after them!"

Okamura waved his hand helplessly, "Where can we chase them? By now, they've already entered Tenglong Mountain. Lin Jun, all our efforts have been in vain, all our efforts have been in vain! I mobilized tens of thousands of people to besiege the Jizhong base area, and it seemed like we were about to annihilate them completely, but I never expected to be tricked by the Red bandits!"

At this point, Okamura closed his eyes in anguish, "With something like this happening, there will probably be a lot of gossip about me, both in and out of government. As the commander-in-chief of the dispatched army..."

Lin Ze took out his cigarette case, lit one for himself, and forced one on Okamura. "General, you mustn't think like that. What do you mean by 'this happened'? This is a good thing!"

Okamura opened his eyes, knowing that Little Zhuge was about to make his move again. "What makes you say that, Mr. Lin?"

"General Okamura, I ask you, are there still any Eighth Route Army troops left in the Hebei-Central Hebei base area?"

"The main force of the Eighth Route Army has broken through the encirclement. There is no point in continuing to fight that feint force in Tanghe. Once they break up into smaller units, we will not be able to catch up. In other words, there is no main force of the Eighth Route Army."

"Does that mean we can then easily establish various outposts in central Hebei?"

"The Eighth Route Army has all fled, what's the point of building a stronghold now...?"

"Nonsense! Nonsense! Your Excellency General, who said you intended to annihilate the main force of the Eighth Route Army? You simply wanted to use a scheme to drive them away!"

Lin Ze stood up. "General, you are well-versed in military strategy. By surrounding three sides and leaving one open, you drove the Eighth Route Army out of central Hebei with minimal effort. As long as we build strongholds, they will never be able to return! This is an innovation! If we had fought a fierce battle with the Eighth Route Army, how many soldiers would have died, and how much ammunition would have been wasted? But now? We have easily taken central Hebei!"

Okamura also stood up, picked up a match, and lit Lin Ze's cigarette.

"Lin Jun, what do you mean?"

"If the objective wasn't achieved, just change it! General, this is a great victory! From now on, the Jizhong base area has been wiped out, the objective of the counterinsurgency war has been achieved, and North China is at peace!"

"But a major general has died..."

Lin Ze pulled out a stack of confessions and a report signed by Otani Masaaki. "General, I have accomplished my mission. This case is now closed. The matter of Mizukawa has little to do with the Eighth Route Army; it is an internal matter of their 26th Division!"

Okamura's emotions were like a rollercoaster ride.

Advising people is an art. When Okamura was so devastated by failure that he began to doubt his life, Hayashi's words of guidance gave him a sudden "epiphany".

It wasn't that Lin Ze was too good at bluffing, nor that Okamura was too stupid. Rather, under these circumstances, in order to avoid a mental breakdown, Okamura voluntarily accepted Lin Ze's theory. Not only did he accept it, but he also firmly believed in it. Now, Okamura believes that Lin Ze is right, that he has won, and that he has won completely!

Lin Ze pressed on, "General, I'll come up with a plan right away. We need to prepare a report for the military headquarters. At the same time, you should spend some money to have all the major newspapers exaggerate your achievements. You're going to be in the limelight, a huge limelight! Your governance in North China over the past few years has come to a perfect end, and you've made a brilliant start to your position as Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Army!"

Okamura exclaimed excitedly, "Having Hayashi-kun is like a fish in water for me!"

By this time, Okamura no longer cared at all about where the Eighth Route Army troops in the Tanghe area had gone.

This is not an ordinary war; this is legitimate governance.