frightfiction Chapter 887: Anxious Okamura
Chapter 887: Anxious Okamura
When Lin Ze ordered his men to take Hanatani Masaru back to the headquarters, Okamura was also genuinely shocked.
Then things got tricky.
This Hua Gu was sent by the headquarters. Apart from gathering intelligence, who knows if he has any intention of serving as a military supervisor for the Special High Police or some big guys?
Now that he has committed a crime, the question becomes how to deal with it.
The key point is that Hua Gu Zheng refused to admit his guilt and kept crying out for injustice. His cry of injustice continued until Li Shengrong's family came to report the case, saying that Li Shengrong was missing.
Upon learning of Li Shengrong's disappearance, even Hua Guzheng himself was stunned. Could it be that he had really made a mistake, and that Li Shengrong was a spy who had stolen things from the safe?
Afterwards, Okamura activated the backup code book, contacted the headquarters, informed them of the incident, and asked the headquarters to decide how to deal with Hanatani Masaru.
At the same time, the fighting in Zhongtiao Mountain continued.
Lieutenant General Shimizu Nori on the northern front was almost gambling everything and sending all his available soldiers to the battlefield. At one point, the number of Japanese soldiers on the northern front exceeded 40,000.
Under the relentless bombardment of artillery fire, the Hengling Pass defense line was finally breached. The 17th Army and the 43rd Army retreated to the Changzhi line and continued to resist.
Now is the time to test your perseverance. The Japanese's logistics have been under severe pressure. The Red Zone has once again sent troops to cause destruction along the Tongpu Line, making it almost impossible for the Japanese to rely on the railway for supplies.
All the ferry crossings from Jiyuan to Yanqiu were still controlled by the Southern Army. Commander He was stationed in Yuancheng, constantly mobilizing and transporting military supplies, but the process was not smooth.
The soldiers of the 17th Army and the 43rd Army were also at the end of their strength. After several days of arduous defensive battles, some teams had less than half of their personnel and were in serious shortage of weapons and ammunition.
At this time, on May 14, exciting news came from the Eastern Front!
The 98th Army took the initiative to attack in the Wangcun area and defeated a group of more than 2,000 Japanese soldiers. More than 700 Japanese soldiers, including Colonel Hamada, were wiped out!
When the news came out, all the defenders were excited, and the radio stations and newspapers in the south reported it extensively. For a time, the defenders' enthusiasm for resistance was rekindled.
Lin Ze understood that at this point in the battle, both sides were playing with their cards open, and intelligence or not no longer had much effect. He also relaxed. Apart from sending Niu San to keep an eye on Wang Hualong and others to prevent them from doing anything rash, he went to the interrogation room to chat with Hua Guzheng.
The headquarters' opinion was to wait until the war was over and then bring Hanatani Masaru back to the headquarters for investigation.
To achieve this result, it must be the efforts of the Huagu family.
So Okamura didn't make things difficult for Hanatani Masaru, or rather, he didn't care about him at all. He just asked Lin Ze to take good care of Hanatani Masaru.
At the beginning, Hua Guzheng actually wanted to commit suicide. Lin Ze saw that this was not a good idea. He said, "You can die if you want, but not at this time. You can die however you want on the way back to the country."
So Lin Ze played the role of a close friend, preparing some wine and food every day and going to Hua Gu Zheng to drink and chat.
He even pointed out, "Hanatani-kun, there's a saying that goes, Victory and defeat are common in the military. Besides, you're not doomed to fail yet. Maybe there's a chance things will turn around."
The once high-spirited Hua Guzheng now has sunken eyes, disheveled hair, and a sallow complexion. Upon hearing this, he said dejectedly, "Lin Jun, I want to apologize to you. I used to be so disrespectful to you, but I never thought you were my true friend. Those who used to fawn over me now stay away. That Takeuchi Doukai used to bend over when talking to me, almost wanting to kneel down and kiss my shoes. Now, he even dares to look at me!"
At this point, Hua Guzheng sighed, "Lin Jun, I know you mean well by comforting me, but now that things have come to this, regardless of whether I'm at fault or not, the blame must be placed on me. If the battle goes smoothly, it might be fine, but looking at the current situation, if Zhongtiao Mountain can't be taken, I'm afraid I won't even be able to save my life!"
Lin Ze shook his head. "You're too pessimistic. Zhongtiao Mountain can definitely be taken. Otherwise, not only you, but even General Okamura would not be able to keep his current position. He's more anxious than you. If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. What are you afraid of? Besides, as for your case, no matter what, you didn't leak the secrets. Even if you were careless for a moment, it's not your fault. How long have you been in Yuancheng? How can you fully understand the situation in Yuancheng?"
Hua Guzheng's face, which had been ashen, now became more lively. "Lin Jun, what do you mean..."
"Once you arrive in Tokyo, work hard to get your hands on this. Even if it means spending all your money, it's worth it. Li Shengrong is missing, and this is a mess. Although you led this pre-war intelligence operation, you weren't the only one involved! Don't forget, Takeuchi Tokai is Li Shengrong's immediate superior!"
Hua Guzheng hadn't expected Lin Ze to actually think from his perspective. He knelt on the ground, touching his head to the ground. "Mr. Lin, I'm such a jerk. I used to criticize you in my heart, but today I understand that you're a true gentleman. If my situation can be resolved, I'll definitely reward you handsomely!"
Oh! Another one tricked!
Hanatani Masaru is already useless. Regardless of whether he is dead or alive, his mentality has changed drastically. Even if he continues to work in intelligence in the future, he will become a useless person who is hesitant, indecisive, and afraid to act rashly.
His life or death is not important. What is important is that Lin Ze can use him to completely clean up Yuancheng.
Although Takeuchi Tokai has been trying to get closer to Lin Ze, he is not one of his own after all. It would be better to just bring him down, and then pick a lieutenant from the Tianjin Military Police Headquarters to be the captain of the military police. Then, by cooperating with the Salt Company, Yuancheng will directly become an enclave under Lin Ze's jurisdiction, and it can also become one of the important sources of income.
It’s hard to count how much he ate from one fish. He won too many times and now Lin Ze’s sense of satisfaction has decreased.
Salt Merchants Association.
It was late at night, but the temporary command center was still brightly lit.
Okamura looked increasingly haggard, his eyes were red, and he hadn't slept for several days, but he still looked energetic because he used something special.
That’s right, what he took was the famous Assault Tablet.
Up to now, except for a major breakthrough on the western front, the Japanese have been entangled in battles on the northern and eastern fronts, with more than 3,000 deaths.
Please note that it is deaths, not casualties. According to statistics from the temporary command, the total casualties of the three troops have now reached nearly 30,000.
The headquarters was filled with surprise. How could such a carefully planned battle, which was originally intended to achieve public security throughout North China and thus spy on Henan and Qin provinces, turn out like this?
Of course, the defenders also suffered a terrible defeat. So far, more than 30,000 soldiers have died, and the total casualties are estimated to be close to 100,000.
But no matter what, the plan that the headquarters had spent so much effort to formulate can almost be declared a failure. If the fighting continued, Zhongtiao Mountain could indeed be occupied, but Commander He had already rebuilt the defense line on the south bank of the Yellow River. With the current strength of the North China Front Army, it was no longer able to cross the Yellow River and go south.
Okamura gritted his teeth and gave the order, "Issue military pills to all units. Send a telegram to Shimizu Guiji: If we can't take Yanqu within three days, he will bear the main responsibility! Send a telegram to the 21st and 35th Divisions, inflict casualties on the enemy at all costs. Remember, tell them to stop aiming to break through the defense line and focus on killing and injuring the enemy. They want to defend, right? Then they will pay the price!"