Chapter 46: Fine—Far Too Fine!

In the dead of night, Chu Yunfei returned to the regimental headquarters.

With the assistance of the guards platoon, he took a refreshing bath. After changing into a spare uniform, Chu Yunfei walked straight into the operations room.

At this moment, Fang Ligong, along with operations staff officers Sun Weimou and Zhang Dayun, were gathered around the tactical map.

The combat reports from the daytime had all been compiled. The original map plotting needed to be updated accordingly. Throughout this process, it was also necessary to check for any omissions and patch up the gaps.

Based on the intelligence gathered by the scouts, deployments had to be adjusted to close any vulnerabilities and ensure the defense line remained rock-solid.

Is it any wonder people say being a staff officer is no job for a normal human?

"Commander, you're here!"

Chu Yunfei nodded and looked at the men. "You haven't closed your eyes for two days, have you?"

"Yes... Commander!"

"All of you, go back and get some rest. I'll keep watch here!"

"Commander... didn't you head into the town?"

Chu Yunfei chuckled softly. "The command post isn't actually inside the town. I just went over to lend a hand, lift some timber, and stretch my limbs."

"Stop standing around staring. Drop whatever you're holding and go back to rest first!"

"Commander, what about you?"

Chu Yunfei slightly rotated his wrist, reached out with his right hand, and picked up the telegram on the table. "I just took a cold shower, and I'm full of energy right now!"

Fang Ligong waved a hand to signal the two staff officers.

Sun Weimou and Zhang Dayun stepped out of the operations room.

"The offensive on the front line is proceeding smoothly. Judging by the current pace, we only need to hold out for about three days, and General Wei will be able to completely wipe out this batch of Japanese troops!"

Chu Yunfei glanced down at the tactical map. "Once the little Japanese dig in and fight to the death, three days might not be enough."

"So far, there has been no news of the Independent Mixed 1st Brigade making a move..."

Chu Yunfei touched his chin. "Could those little Japanese be planning to break through under the cover of night?"

Fang Ligong looked puzzled. "That doesn't make sense. The nearby roads and paths are all under our control... Besides, night combat is not their strong suit."

That was a valid thought.

"The Japanese firepower advantage is better utilized during the day. However, now that they have lost contact with their command post and can only communicate by skipping ranks up to a higher-level command, under these circumstances, it is entirely possible for the little Japanese to be driven to desperation!"

Chu Yunfei's consciousness instantly shifted into the tactical map.

The enemy tokens still failed to appear within a ten-kilometer radius.

There were only two possibilities.

First, before our side discovers the enemy, the system map does not feature perspective vision, so they will not be displayed.

Second, the little Japanese truly have no intention of attempting a nocturnal breakthrough.

To properly conduct this test and remain vigilant against small enemy detachments, Chu Yunfei walked over to the telephone and called 2nd Battalion Commander Wu Ziqiang and 3rd Battalion Commander Luo Weiguo respectively.

He instructed them to ensure their defensive preparations were thorough and to stay alert against potential night raids by the Japanese.

That night was very quiet.

The battlefield plunged into silence.

On the Japanese side, a much larger offensive seemed to be brewing.

And the 358th Regiment was clearly combat-ready.

Early in the morning, the two operations staff officers arrived at the operations room at the crack of dawn.

Chu Yunfei instructed, "Today's combat might be countless times more intense than the first day. We'll stick to our old methods and tactics."

"The moment our blocking positions are destroyed by enemy artillery fire, or if casualties become too heavy, do not hesitate—immediately abandon the positions, preserve our effective strength, and fall back."

Chu Yunfei paused for a moment, then added, "After a couple of hours, give a call to both the 3rd and 2nd Battalions respectively. Make sure they maintain absolute vigilance!"

"Understood!"

...................

Meanwhile, at the 386th Brigade headquarters, Commander Chen received separate report calls from the 772nd Regiment and the New Regiment.

The 772nd Regiment had eliminated two hundred and thirty Japanese soldiers.

Their own casualties had reached nearly nine hundred men, with over four hundred of them making the ultimate sacrifice.

More than a hundred were heavily wounded, and the situation was far from ideal.

The casualty ratio stood at 1:3.

This was not a pretty figure.

The New Regiment had eliminated sixty Japanese soldiers, suffering one hundred and eighty casualties of their own, including ninety soldiers who died, one of whom was a deputy company commander who had led the charge at the forefront...

After a brief exchange, Commander Chen immediately ordered the two commanders to hand over their current tasks and hurry to the brigade headquarters to report in person.

This battle had not been fought particularly well.

And this was an ambush—a case of the prepared taking advantage of the unprepared, striking from high ground with terrain superiority.

The combat effectiveness of the little Japanese was somewhat astonishing.

The war could not be fought this way!

Elsewhere, the attacking Japanese forces launched wave after wave of assaults against the 1st Battalion's blocking positions.

By noon, there was still no movement indicating a Japanese breakthrough at the 2nd and 3rd Battalions' blocking positions.

Unsure of the situation, Wu Ziqiang placed a call to the regimental headquarters.

"Hello~ I am 2nd Battalion Commander Wu Ziqiang..."

[Battalion Commander Wu, this is Sun Weimou. Is there anything urgent?]

"Staff Officer Sun, there is still no movement on our end. All cavalry scouts have been sent out. Is there any exchange of fire over at the 3rd Battalion?"

[There are no combat reports as of yet. Before the commander rested, he instructed you all to maintain high vigilance and wait patiently. The Japanese have no other routes by which to retreat!]

"Understood!"

Wu Ziqiang hung up the phone, feeling somewhat perplexed.

Four days had passed since he established his defenses.

Every single day, his soldiers had been bracing themselves for a Japanese attack.

Yet up to now, there wasn't even a ghost of an enemy in sight.

Aside from reinforcing the fortifications, the soldiers had nothing else to do on the line all day long.

Just as Wu Ziqiang was about to inspect the frontline positions, the telephone rang once more.

"I am 2nd Battalion Commander Wu Ziqiang!"

[I am Chu Yunfei. Battalion Commander Wu, is there a river valley located to the northeast of your position?]

"Yes, Commander. Please give your instructions!"

[I just noticed it on the map. Send a team to confirm whether the river's course has changed, and also check the water flow volume to see if it's feasible to wade across.]

"Understood, Commander!"

Wu Ziqiang immediately waved his hand. "Go, order the 3rd Company Commander to lead men immediately to the river valley for reconnaissance and defense. If any traces of the Japanese are found, open fire directly without waiting for permission!"

"Understood!"

At this moment, Chu Yunfei was already standing before the tactical map.

He gave this order because, for the first time on the tactical map, he spotted traces of Japanese activity within the encirclement.

Recently, there had been no rain in the Xinkou region, nor in the upper reaches of the river.

Given the water flow volume of rivers in the Shanxi region, the little Japanese might very well choose to force a crossing or even wade through the water to break out.

When Wu Ziqiang set up his defenses, he had only placed observation posts in this area and hadn't paid it enough attention.

To be safe, Chu Yunfei had personally made that phone call.

Sun Weimou stepped forward and replaced three tactical maps.

Only then did he find the location Chu Yunfei mentioned on a map of the surrounding area of Yuanping Town.

The two operations staff officers exchanged glances, their eyes filled with astonishment.

Thorough, this was far too thorough...

Combat reports arrived in a continuous stream, and the fierce battle on the front line was raging.

They received more than a dozen telegrams in a single day, yet their commander had taken even such microscopic details into account!