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"Your Excellency, Commander, have you worked hard?" the chief of staff followed behind Neji Okamura to comfort him and handed him a cup of hot tea.
Okamura Neji waved his hand: "As long as we can break the situation and take the opportunity to kill the Eighth Route Army in the Wing, it doesn't matter how hard it is."
"The Kwantung Army Headquarters has promised to send two main divisions to reinforce us."
"The troops are gathering and will march south in two days' time."
"We have to prepare in advance."
"The troops stayed in Peking for a day to rest, replenish their equipment and ammunition, and then continued southward, heading straight to Baoding."
"Add the Baoding garrison."
"This time I have prepared a total of 50,000 elite troops for the Yi Zhong Eighth Route Army. Even if they are heavenly soldiers and generals, I will destroy them."
Having said this, Okamura Neji took a sip of tea, put the tea cup on the table, strode towards the combat sand table, and continued.
"What's the situation in Baoding?"
"Did any accidents happen during my trip to the three eastern provinces? Do you know when the Eighth Route Army will launch a general offensive?"
The chief of staff shook his head: "The accident didn't happen then."
"But Kawasaki-kun is a little anxious."
"He set up an ambush of two thousand troops in the city."
"We plan to wait for the Eighth Route Army to launch a general offensive. We will first let the city defense troops consume some of their forces, let some Eighth Route Army enter the city, and then dispatch an ambush to annihilate the Eighth Route Army entering the city."
"As a result, the Eighth Route Army has been making small fuss in the past few days, using cold guns and artillery to sneak attacks on the city defense troops, but not launching a general offensive."
"Although the number of troops lost every day is not many, the total number is still scary. It almost wipes out all the mobile troops in Kawasaki's hands."
"If the Eighth Route Army continues to use this method to attack Baoding."
"Although the Baoding garrison can hold on longer."
"But the city defense troops will also suffer heavy losses in the battle."
"When the Eighth Route Army launches a general offensive in the future, it will not be able to consume a large number of offensive troops."
"If there are too many Eighth Route Army troops entering the city, the two thousand ambush troops will probably lose my wife and lose the troops."
"Not only will they not be able to eliminate the Eighth Route Army entering the city, they will also get themselves involved."
Okamura Neji laughed after hearing this.
As long as there are no accidents in Baoding City and the Kwantung Army successfully persists until the Kwantung Army moves south without affecting the elimination of the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong, it will be a great victory.
As for Kawasaki's little idea of taking the opportunity to severely injure the Eighth Route Army in Yichu and save face, Okamura Neji couldn't care about that much, and he wasn't in the mood to care about it.
He directly ordered with a nonchalant expression: "Contact Kawasaki immediately."
"If you can't take advantage, forget it."
“It’s all about the overall situation.”
"I don't care how he retaliates against the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong, but he can't put Baoding in danger."
"Remind him by the way."
"Two divisions of the Kwantung Army will go south to Baoding in five days at the latest, and they are required to be prepared to respond."
"At that time, I will personally rush to Baoding and command the army to sweep the Eighth Route Army's Yizhong base area for the second time and completely eliminate them."
…………
At the Baoding Garrison Headquarters, Major General Kawasaki was racking his brains to think of how to retaliate against the Eighth Route Army outside the city. When he wanted to avenge his shame, Lieutenant Colonel Cun Shang came over with a smile on his face: "General..."
"Good news, great news..."
"The front army headquarters has found reinforcements for us."
"Two entire main divisions."
"It is still the most elite Kwantung Army in the Imperial Army."
"We will head south to Baoding in five days at the latest."
"Your Excellency, Commander, will come together to eliminate the Eighth Route Army that besieged us, and conduct a second sweep of the Eighth Route Army's base area in the wing to avoid future troubles."
"Now the Eighth Route Army in Yi Zhong will definitely be completely defeated."
"Finally we don't have to worry all day long, afraid that the Eighth Route Army will attack here and there."
Major General Kawasaki was not as happy as he expected, but showed a bitter look on his face.
Two main divisions reinforced Baoding, and Okamura Neji personally visited Baoding.
At that time, Baoding City must be like stars in the clouds.
A small major general brigade commander is nothing in front of them.
The troops won the battle and eliminated the Eighth Route Army in the wing, but they themselves could not get much military credit.
Wherever the initiative on the battlefield is in one's own hands, it would be great to personally command the troops to severely inflict heavy damage on the Eighth Route Army outside the city.
But he quickly buried this idea in his heart.
For the Baoding garrison, the arrival of reinforcements is good news from every aspect.
If I show an unhappy expression and my subordinates and commander find out, they will definitely say that I am too stingy and only care about myself without caring about the overall situation.
As the chief of staff who was single-handedly promoted by Major General Kawasaki, Lieutenant Colonel Tomokami knew his brigade commander fairly well.
Combined with the brigade commander's mood these days, and then thinking about the brigade commander's first reaction after hearing the telegram, I instantly figured out what he was thinking, for fear that his impulse would put Baoding City in danger.
Quickly remind: "General... Your Excellency, Commander, also reminded us..."
"The next battle in Baoding City must focus on defending Baoding."
"Baoding City must not be put in danger because of personal emotions."
"As long as we drag the Eighth Route Army outside the city until the reinforcements move south, it will be a great victory."
Major General Kawasaki knew that this was Okamura Neji warning him.
Although I was full of reluctance, I had to compromise in the face of the overall situation. I could only nod helplessly: "I understand..."
"Call your Excellency the Commander right away."
"No matter when the Eighth Route Army attacks Baoding."
"In humble positions, we will strictly guard against them and not give them any opportunity to take advantage of them."
By the time Lieutenant Commander Cun Shang returned to Major General Kawasaki, the brigade leader had already sorted out his emotions.
Staring at the city defense map, he continued to order: "Let the city defense troops hold on for two more days."
"I will not be providing them with any reinforcements during this time."
"If the Eighth Route Army outside the city attacks Baoding within two days."
"We also severely damaged the Eighth Route Army's siege troops according to the original battle plan."
"If the Eighth Route Army doesn't fall for it."
"Two thousand ambush troops immediately supplemented the city defense troops in squadron units and defended Baoding to the death."
Lieutenant Colonel Cun Shang couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
This order means that the brigade commander has begun to compromise.
Although he has not completely given up the idea of severely damaging the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong.
But with this compromise, the probability of danger in Baoding City will be much smaller.
…………
At the Eighth Route Army headquarters, the chief of staff suddenly approached the deputy commander-in-chief with a solemn look on his face.
"Boss, there is a new situation..."
"It has something to do with the Eighth Route Army in Yizhong. Let's go out and talk..."
The deputy commander's brows suddenly wrinkled. When he walked to a deserted place, he asked anxiously: "Has Neji Okamura found reinforcements?"
"Two main divisions..." the chief of staff reported seriously.
"Coming from the three northeastern provinces, they are all Kwantung Army."
"With the addition of the Baoding garrison, the number of Japanese and puppet troops faced by Yi Zhong Base will reach an astonishing 50,000 people, almost all of whom are little Japs."
"Hiss, hiss..."
The deputy commander-in-chief was considered a person who had experienced strong winds and waves, but he was still frightened by the news and took a breath and couldn't help but let out an exclamation.
"Why are there so many troops? Is Okamura Neji crazy?"
"There is no need to send so many elites south to kill a chicken with a knife."
"Could the intelligence services have made a mistake?"
