Chapter Twelve: An Aggressive Visitor!

"What the f*ck!" Stilwell exclaimed, blurting out his native greeting.

He processed the situation and added, "So, if we plant an ambush force in the right terrain at this moment, it will surely achieve unexpected results! It’s quite possible they could wipe out the entire Sakata Regiment!"

Montgomery nodded excitedly. "If I’m not mistaken, this Daxia regiment commander must have planned it this way from the very beginning. Oh my God! He’s just like me—he loves adventure and he loves to attack! I like this Daxia regiment commander! He is absolutely a military genius!"

Stilwell had not expected such high praise for Li Yunlong from his arrogant British friend. However, as Montgomery had said, the man was undoubtedly a genius.

"Montgomery, let’s head back to the city."

"Back to the city?" Montgomery tilted his head in confusion. "Aren't we going to meet this amazing Daxia regiment commander?"

"Compared to this regiment commander," Stilwell said, turning his head toward the Changye city behind them, "I think we should meet his superior, that mysterious Daxia division commander. To have such a military genius as his subordinate, he certainly isn't just an ordinary fellow! Perhaps he can provide us with some unexpected gains, don't you think?"

Montgomery nodded thoughtfully.

***

Stilwell and Montgomery were able to get a close look at the combat situation and even use the New First Division’s artillery sights purely because Liu Jianguo knew their backgrounds and wanted to put them to work as volunteers. He would only let them leave once he was sure they would not interfere with the New First Regiment's operations. As for others, let alone Yan Laoxi, even if the "Bald Man" himself came, Liu Jianguo wouldn't give them the time of day.

Consequently, it took the Japanese intelligence agents half an hour just to learn that the Sakata Regiment’s First Infantry Battalion had been completely wiped out. As for the specific details of the battle, they knew nothing.

"So, the monkeys at the Special Higher Police are completely in the dark!" Sakata Shinji gritted his teeth, his face dark as he glared at his adjutant, Matsuda Takeshi. "Our Sakata Regiment’s First Infantry Battalion—a full 1,233 brave warriors—just perished like that, without a clear explanation? Is that it?"

Although Sakata Shinji was not shouting, Matsuda knew very well that his commander was furious to the point of exploding. He only needed a spark. Not wanting to be the scapegoat, he quickly shifted the blame onto the Special Higher Police.

"Hai!" Matsuda added a final jab. "The news from the Special Higher Police was only gathered from the Daxia people's public announcements."

"Baka yaro!" Sakata suddenly drew his samurai sword and slashed fiercely at the table in front of him. "Useless! Idiots! Pigs! Everyone should just die!"

Judging by his posture, Sakata seemed intent on hacking the table to pieces. However, he was no different from the typical Japanese man—short, weak, and with only a few seconds of stamina. After a couple of slashes, he was panting, slumped in his seat, nearly gasping for air.

After his impotent rage, Sakata managed to calm down. He said coldly, "Issue the order: all infantry battalions are to slow their advance and converge on us quickly. Do not head to Changye alone! Also, have the air force at Taiyuan airfield prepared to provide support at any time! Finally, tell those idiots at the Special Higher Police that they must provide me with a complete combat report on the First Infantry Battalion within two hours! If they can't do it, they should prepare to commit seppuku to apologize!"

"Hai!"

***

Inside Changye, Liu Jianguo was in a villa confiscated from the Japanese, dealing with official business. He understood Li Yunlong’s bold combat plan perfectly. The New First Division only had so many men. If they engaged in a standard war of attrition against the Japanese, they would be fine for a short time, but they couldn't possibly outlast the enemy in the long run. Therefore, Liu Jianguo fully supported Li Yunlong’s plan and provided the New First Regiment with additional support.

"I hope that kid Li Yunlong doesn't make me lose face! Wipe out the Sakata Regiment in one fell swoop! Give that bastard Terauchi Hisaichi a hard slap in the face!"

*Knock, knock, knock!*

A series of urgent knocks sounded at the door. "Come in!"

Wei the Monk, a familiar face, pushed the door open. Upon seeing Liu Jianguo, he said, "Division Commander, those two foreigners say they have something to discuss with you."

*Looking for me?* Britain and the U.S. hadn't declared war on Japan yet, so what did they want? Liu Jianguo thought for a moment and agreed to meet them.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they met in the reception room, Stilwell, who usually played the role of a gentleman, pointed an accusatory finger at him aggressively. "Mr. Liu, you have stolen our American M1 Garand rifles and M2 Browning heavy machine guns. Don't you owe me an explanation?"

"Indeed!" Montgomery, standing nearby, was equally cold. "Why do you have German-standard submachine guns in your possession? They don't sell those to foreign militaries!"

Liu Jianguo didn't take their accusations to heart at all. *What a joke!* While the U.S. had only just begun production of the M1 Garand and M2 Browning this year, did they think he didn't know how low the output of American factories was, given that the U.S. was currently free of internal or external troubles?

Take the M1 Garand: they were only producing about twenty a month. Yes, twenty. Even with increased production next year, they would only make about 5,000 in a year. With such low output, after the U.S. declared war on Japan, they would be forced to reactivate retired Springfield rifle production lines just to meet the demand.

Liu Jianguo smiled coldly to himself. As expected, the Western nations that prided themselves on "civilization" and "democracy" could not hide the arrogance and barbarism in their bones. *You give them an inch, and they want a mile? You want to use this to seize the initiative in the conversation?*

He wasn't one of those sycophants who knelt before Westerners. Future famous generals and war gods? He didn't care for their bad attitudes!

"Nonsense! The New First Division currently has at least 6,000 M1 Garand rifles. Can your entire country of America scrape together 100? You say we stole your secrets? If we really get down to it, it’s not certain who stole from whom! Just wait, I’m sending a lawyer's letter to your U.S. military department! I believe plenty of big-shot American lawyers will be very interested in a lawsuit with a fifty-fifty split!"

Stilwell was momentarily speechless. He couldn't deny it—given that it was the end of the Great Depression, such a lucrative case would be snatched up instantly. Those high-powered lawyers wouldn't just sue the U.S. military department; they’d sue their own parents if it meant a payout!