Chapter 757
Haizhou has caught a big fish!
Mountain city, Huangshan official residence.
The doors and windows of Yunxiulou's study were tightly closed.
Chang Ruiyuan slumped in the rattan chair, clutching the draft "Proposal on Several Tax Adjustments for Wartime Social Fairness and Sacrifice" tightly in his hand, the edges of the paper soaked with sweat.
His knuckles were white, and the veins on the back of his hands throbbed like earthworms.
"He's gone mad! Yunfei's trying to tear a hole in the sky!"
Chang Ruiyuan suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Zhu Peiji standing to the side.
"blockade!"
"Call Yu Nong over here immediately!"
His voice was hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor: "This kind of seductive stuff must never be published!"
"This must never be leaked!"
"Also, go investigate!"
"Be careful which link in the chain leaks; isolate and investigate all the ciphers who have handled the telegrams!"
Chang Ruiyuan gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently: "If the people below hear about this..."
Zhu Peiji stood rooted to the spot, fine beads of cold sweat trickling down his temples.
He didn't move, but swallowed hard.
"Chairman."
Zhu Peiji's voice was dry, like sandpaper scraping against a tabletop: "It's too late."
Chang Ruiyuan's pupils contracted sharply: "What did you say?"
"He not only sent it to the Attendant's Office in North China."
Zhu Peiji took out several other intelligence reports from his briefcase, his hands trembling slightly: "He also copied them to the headquarters of the major theater commands, as well as Yan'an, the United States, France, the Soviet Union, and even Britain."
“According to our informants in Changzhi, several newspapers in North China, including the Xinhua Daily and the Jin-Sui Daily, are already rushing to print extra editions.”
"It won't be long before this draft of 'fair sacrifice' is presented to those who need to see it."
"Snapped!"
Chang Ruiyuan slammed his cane heavily onto the floor with a loud thud.
He slumped back in his chair, looking ashen-faced, as if his spine had been removed.
"Foolish! Utterly foolish!"
Chang Ruiyuan closed his eyes, his teeth grinding together: "Now is the crucial moment for the counter-offensive in North China. Why isn't he fighting his own battle properly?!"
"Robbing the rich to help the poor, that sounds nice!"
"This is a knife held to the throats of all bureaucrats!"
"This isn't a proposal, it's a draft! This is clearly a death sentence!"
Chang Ruiyuan knew all too well how he secured his position.
If Chu Yunfei's plan is followed, an 80% special war tax will be levied, and tax evaders will be severely punished.
Those tycoons and compradors who still control the nation's economic lifeline at this moment.
They would definitely unite to remove him, the chairman, from office, or even kill him before the Japanese surrender.
But what if you publicly refuse?
At this critical juncture for the nation's survival, he became a tyrant and traitor who "protected the powerful and abandoned the people."
"Chairman, what should we do now?"
Zhu Peiji wiped his sweat and said in a very low voice, "If we don't take a stand, public opinion will definitely explode."
"We can't confront them head-on, nor can we accept everything... we can only stall."
Chang Ruiyuan suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of ruthlessness and helplessness flashing in them.
Is this an attempt to force the emperor to abdicate?
He picked up the draft, but then helplessly put it down.
"Call back!"
"Say that this matter is of great importance and could shake the foundation of the nation. It requires careful consideration and should not be rushed."
Chang Ruiyuan turned around and stared intently at Zhu Peiji: "Prepare a plane immediately and fly to North China right away!"
"You must see Chu Yunfei in person!"
"Tell him that some things can be discussed and negotiated, but you can't overturn the table!"
"Tell him to quell this fire, at least to keep the force of this strike within my tolerance range!"
"Yes!"
Zhu Peiji put his feet together, turned around and walked away quickly, his back view showing a hint of panic.
Chang Ruiyuan looked at the empty study, filled with doubt.
Just then, rumbling thunder sounded outside the window.
Chang Ruiyuan sighed, stepped forward and opened the doors and windows. A strong wind blew against his face, and dark clouds gathered in the distance, as if an even greater storm was about to break.
……
Northern Jiangsu, Haizhou outer highway.
The roads were muddy and the ruts were deep after the heavy rain.
Han Deqin, wearing a military overcoat covered in mud, stood on a dirt slope by the roadside.
His face was filled with complex emotions: envy, jealousy, and a deep sense of self-reproach.
Behind him were the 89th Army soldiers, ragged and emaciated, carrying old Hanyang rifles or shoulder poles, trudging through the mud to maintain the logistics supply line.
And on the road in front of them.
Like a long steel dragon, it roared past a huge convoy.
"Buzz—buzz—!"
The deep roar of an American-made ten-wheeled truck engine could be heard.
One after another, they stretched as far as the eye could see.
The wheels rolled over the mud pits, splashing up mud that was half a person high, but this did not slow them down at all.
Inside the truck bed sat a uniform group of Nationalist soldiers from North China, all wearing M1 steel helmets.
They carried brand-new submachine guns in their arms, their faces covered in dust, yet they were all radiant with health and their eyes sharp as knives.
Some soldiers could even be seen chewing gum, looking as relaxed as if they were on a picnic.
In the middle of the convoy, towed cannons covered with canvas were so thick that even through the fabric, their imposing barrels exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.
"President."
The chief of staff, standing nearby, swallowed hard, pointed at the trucks, and said sourly, "They're all part of the National Revolutionary Army."
"They ride in American trucks, eat canned food, and carry submachine guns."
"Look at us again."
The chief of staff glanced back at his brothers, who looked like beggars, and sighed: "What's the difference between us and bandits?"
Han Deqin's lips twitched, and he spat out in annoyance, "Stop talking such discouraging things!"
"Those are genuine direct descendants of the North China lineage, how can they be compared?"
"but."
Han Deqin looked at the endless stream of cars, his eyes dimming: "We've been fighting for so many years, and we've never seen such a well-funded fighting style."
"No wonder they put us in charge of logistics when it comes to fighting and bloodshed, instead of letting us go to the front lines."
"With this equipment gap, if we were to go up there, we probably wouldn't even be able to keep up with them, let alone carry their shoes."
"We've become a piece of trash that's holding us back!"
The dust kicked up by the convoy made people cough.
Han Deqin wiped the dust off his face and waved his hand: "Let's go! To the forward command post!"
"I want to see how this battle is fought!"
……
Haizhou Frontline Command.
This place was originally a landlord's mansion, but it has now been transformed into a combat center full of modern features.
Countless telephone lines stretched out from the roof, the radio crackled incessantly, and staff officers moved in and out, busy yet orderly.
Sun Weiru, commander-in-chief of the Fourth Army Group and current commander-in-chief of the Haizhou front, stood calmly in front of the sand table.
Since being incorporated into the North China military, this famous general from Shaanxi seemed to have been rejuvenated, and the old warlord's senility was completely swept away.
"Report! Chairman of JS Province, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the 24th Group Army, Commander Han of the 89th Army has arrived!"
Sun Weiru turned around, a warm smile on her face, and strode forward to greet her.
"Brother Chu Zhen! You must be tired from your journey!"
PS: Sun's status is actually slightly higher than Han's, because he was the proper person in charge of Shaanxi before, so it is not presumptuous to address him in this way.
Sun Weiru held Han Deqin's hand tightly, without the slightest disdain, but rather with genuine warmth: "This muddy road must be difficult to walk on, right?"
Han Deqin was somewhat flattered and quickly returned the greeting: "You're too kind. I'm here to assist you, Brother Weiru. Please take good care of me."
"Not at all, it's all for the war of resistance, for the country."
Sun Weiru pulled Han Deqin to the sand table and pointed to Haizhou Port, which was now surrounded by a dense array of red and blue arrows.
"The battle is nearing its end."
Sun Weiru spoke casually, as if discussing the weather: "The main force of the Japanese devils had tried to retreat by sea, but they were bombed by our air force and cried for their mothers."
"Now, the remaining less than ten thousand men are squeezed into a narrow strip of land spanning seven or eight kilometers around the dock; they're like turtles in a barrel." Han Deqin looked at the sand table and tentatively asked, "So, what's the next step in the assault?"
"No need for intensive efforts."
Sun Weiru waved her hand, a confident smile curving her lips: "Chief Advisor Chu has brought us enough 'good stuff'. The shelling has already lasted for three days, and the Japanese defensive positions have been almost completely destroyed."
"We don't need to use human lives to fill the gaps."
"Brother Chu Zhen, would you be interested in going to the front lines to take a look?"
Sun Weiru extended an invitation: "I was just planning to go to Commander Sun Xinpu's command post to observe the 'heavy firepower coverage' tactics of our North China Army."
Sun Xinpu.
The ninth class of Whampoa Military Academy, in terms of seniority, background, and everything else.
He is far inferior to Han Deqin.
However, Sun Xinpu's current military rank is only two steps lower than Han Deqin's, and he has even gone higher and further than many of his seniors from the third and even the first cohorts.
This indirectly illustrates that promotion in the military is not solely based on seniority and background.
As long as you can build an army, know how to fight, and have logistical support.
Even if you lack experience, you can still move up the ranks.
Of course, the most crucial point.
Han Deqin believes it's important to follow the right people.
He owes his current success to the support of his old classmate, Gu Zhutong.
Otherwise, he would likely have been like most of the other graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy, finding it difficult to rise to a high position for most of his life.
As for Sun Weiru's suggestion of observing combat operations.
Han Deqin had long wanted to observe, so he wouldn't refuse. He immediately nodded and said, "I couldn't ask for more! I couldn't ask for more!"
……
Outside Haizhou City, on an unnamed hill.
Sun Xinpu's Frontier Observatory.
Han Deqin held up the binoculars, but his hands were trembling slightly.
At the edge of the horizon, the Japanese positions were already engulfed in flames.
"Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!"
Dozens of 105mm and 155mm howitzers roared simultaneously.
The feeling of the earth trembling made Han Deqin feel like his heart was about to jump out of his throat.
The shells, whistling with death, struck the Japanese bunkers and fortifications with pinpoint accuracy.
There were no probing charges, no feints by infantry.
It was a pure, unreasonable barrage of firepower.
Each heavy artillery shell that landed sent up a black and red mushroom cloud, tearing the Japanese soldiers, along with their sandbags, machine guns, and bodies, to shreds.
The entire outer perimeter of Haizhou seemed to be repeatedly kneaded and crushed by an invisible giant hand.
"Are they not going to live their lives anymore?"
Han Deqin muttered to himself, "The shells fired in this round of shelling are enough for our 89th Army to save up for half a year, right?"
Sun Xinpu put down his binoculars, turned to look at the shocked friendly commander, and smiled faintly: "Commander Chu said that if a problem can be solved with artillery shells, we will never sacrifice the lives of our soldiers."
"This kind of battle also fits the need for artillery units to learn through combat. In the past, when coordinated operations were required, the lack of artillery technical capabilities often led to slow attacks and even casualties."
"Now that there is no need for coordinated offensive operations, it is precisely the stage for these graduates."
Han Deqin suddenly realized.
So that's what he was thinking.
Within half an hour, the gunfire on the position had become pitifully sparse.
Two regiments of infantry followed behind the advancing heavy mortar support company, easily reaping the remaining enemies.
Those Japanese and puppet troops, who were trembling and mentally broken, crawled out of the ruins like startled quails, raising their hands in surrender.
"Reporting to the Commander!"
The excited shout of the frontline regimental commander came through the walkie-talkie: "The assault battalion has captured the enemy's core command post!"
"We've caught a big fish!"
"According to the prisoners, this man is Sun Mingjiu, the deputy commander of the Shandong Security Forces of the puppet army. He has been captured alive!"
Han Deqin's heart skipped a beat when he heard the name.
Sun Mingjiu!
Sun Mingjiu, a former young officer in the Northeast Army!
Inside Sun Weiru's temporary command post, the atmosphere was so enthusiastic it was almost scorching.
Everyone waited anxiously for half an hour.
"Bring it up!"
With a shout from a regimental commander, two burly military police dragged a middle-aged man, dressed in a mismatched uniform and covered in blood, into the hall like a dead dog, and threw him to the ground with a thud.
The man trembled all over, like a plucked quail; where was the slightest bit of the "Deputy Commander-in-Chief's" prestige?
Han Deqin held a teacup in his hand, his gaze falling on the man's face, and his eyebrows twitched involuntarily.
Although the man's face was covered in mud and his hair was disheveled, Han Deqin recognized him at a glance.
Sun Mingjiu.
Back then, he was so full of vigor and ambition in Xi'an, known as the top general under the young marshal. On that night, he was also a key figure who dominated the scene.
But now, he was wearing a yellow coat of puppet army soldiers, kneeling on the ground like a lump of mud.
"Spare me, sir, spare me!"
Sun Mingjiu, ignoring the blood on his face, banged his head against the blue brick floor repeatedly: "I was forced into this! I was doing this in a roundabout way to save the country."
"I have intelligence! I have crucial intelligence to confess!"
"A roundabout way to achieve the goal?"
Sun Xinpu was young and impetuous, and he couldn't stand hearing those four words.
He sneered, strode forward, and kicked Sun Mingjiu in the shoulder with his gleaming riding boot, sending him tumbling.
Save your nonsense for when you're in the underworld!
"You've gone to such lengths to be a traitor, not even taking the Japanese with you when they retreated. You really are a good dog!"
Sun Mingjiu screamed and curled up into a ball, his eyes filled with desperate fear. He raised his head, his cloudy eyes scanning his surroundings, and suddenly saw Han Deqin standing to the side.
"Commander Han! Army Commander Han!"
Sun Mingjiu, as if grasping at the last straw, scrambled forward, pleading, "You recognize me! We met back then! Please plead for me! Our Northeast Army has changed its flag and is now considered a former Nationalist army!"
Han Deqin subconsciously took a half step back, a hint of disgust and embarrassment flashing across his face.
He glanced at the mocking looks from the officers and soldiers of the North China Army around him, and his heart skipped a beat.
"You bastard!"
Han Deqin slammed the teacup in his hand down in front of Sun Mingjiu, splashing scalding tea all over the other man's face: "Who said we're comrades?!"
"Although our 89th Army is poor and not good at fighting, we have not stooped to being dogs for the Japanese!"
"You have not only disgraced the Northeast Army, but also the Chinese people!"
After saying this, Han Deqin turned around, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Sun Weiru, and said sincerely and with emotion, "Brother Weiru, it's an eyesore to even look at this kind of scoundrel. We should deal with him according to military law as soon as possible to set an example."
Sun Weiru nodded slightly and waved her hand: "Take him away and keep him under strict guard. Also, immediately send a telegram to the Chairman to inform him of the situation."
"Yes!"
Watching Sun Mingjiu being dragged away like a dead pig, Han Deqin let out a long sigh of relief.
He walked to the window and looked at the rows of neatly lined-up North China Army soldiers outside, and at the Sherman tanks and towed heavy artillery that were still running.
Just now, he witnessed firsthand how that arrogant deputy commander-in-chief of the puppet army was blown out of his "impregnable" bunker like a rat under a barrage of artillery fire for several tens of minutes.
There were no heroic charges, no brutal hand-to-hand combat.
It was simply an overwhelming massacre with firepower.
Han Deqin muttered to himself, "How can the Japanese possibly hold out if this battle is fought like this?"
obviously.
The days of fighting where you raise an army to seize a mountain stronghold or where you have to sacrifice lives to fill a hole are gone forever.
The fighting in North China is no longer ongoing.
It is clearly using the rapidly developing defense industry, along with steel and aid, to crush the enemy bit by bit.
Faced with such power.
The idea that either side is "preserving its strength" or "using its military power for self-importance" is a joke.
After all, Shanxi is a place where almost all raw materials for production can be produced independently, truly a place where one doesn't need to rely on others for anything.
Han Deqin turned around, his face serious: "Now that the battle of Haizhou is over, there's no need for our small force to cause trouble on the front lines."
"I'll take men to repair the port and highways right away, to ensure the smooth transfer of supplies for the army!"
"Even if it's just being a porter, my 89th Army will have no objections!"
Sun Weiru looked at this old hand who had once been a regional warlord and chuckled inwardly, but she also understood that Chief Advisor Chu's "muscle-flexing" strategy had completely impressed Commander Han.
"That would be the best."
Sun Weiru smiled and said, "Brother Chu Zhen, then I will trouble you. After completing the mission, I will certainly report the merits of your unit to your superiors truthfully." (End of this chapter)