The commander-in-chief was having dinner when the chief of staff hurried in!
"Commander-in-Chief, there is an urgent message from the Eighth Route Army headquarters: They are going to attack Datong and they hope we will send troops to cooperate!"
"Crash..."
The chopsticks held by the commander-in-chief fell directly on the table. He was shocked by the news brought by the chief of staff!
He stared at the chief of staff and asked, "What did you just say? Say it again, old man, I didn't hear you clearly!"
"The Eighth Route Army is attacking Datong and is sure to defeat it. I hope we can send troops to hold back the two thousand little Japs south of Datong!"
"The Eighth Route Army also said that after taking Datong, they can leave Datong to us for defense, and they can also release the good news that we have recaptured Datong in the name of a World War II zone, but we must give the Eighth Route Army some compensation!"
"Go to the war room!" The commander-in-chief couldn't sit still!
He has been dealing with the Eighth Route Army for more than a day or two, and he understands the Eighth Route Army's work style very well!
Since the telegram said that Datong can be captured, it must be captured!
Walking into the war room, several confidants were already waiting inside, with excitement, expectation, and doubt...the expressions were very complicated!
"Hello, Commander-in-Chief!"
The commander-in-chief waved his hand and ordered: "Don't be so pretentious, old man, I won't do this either! You should have read the telegram in the chief of staff's hand and tell me what you think!"
The chief of staff spoke first: "Commander-in-Chief, if we can retake Datong City, it will not only boost the morale of our Jinsui Army and improve the reputation of our Jinsui Army in the country, but also greatly ease our Jinsui Army's logistics and
Economic pressure to feed more troops!"
"There are rich coal mines buried under the ground in Datong. Now we are at war. The coal dug out is like gold and can bring us huge profits!"
"So I think the theater must support the Eighth Route Army in taking Datong! As long as the conditions proposed by the Eighth Route Army are within our tolerance, we can accept it!"
A military commander looked down on the Eighth Route Army's combat effectiveness from the bottom of his heart and asked with a frown on his face!
"No one knows whether the Eighth Route Army is telling lies!"
"If they fail to capture Datong in the end, then our Jinsui Army's help will not be in vain!"
Another army commander shook his head and replied: "How come your help is in vain? No matter whether the Eighth Route Army can capture Datong or not, we send troops to kill the Japanese!"
"Commander-in-Chief, I agree to send troops to help!"
"Even if the Eighth Route Army does not capture Datong, we have nothing to lose!"
"But if the Eighth Route Army captures Datong, the benefits to us will definitely be huge!"
"The chief of staff is right. There are a lot of coal mines buried underground in Datong. Selling the coal mines alone can bring us huge profits every year, not to mention other profits in Datong City!"
"Even if we pay some price to win Datong, as long as Datong is in our hands and with the benefits that Datong brings to us, it won't take long for those costs to be earned back!"
The commander-in-chief finally spoke: "Don't doubt it, everyone, we know well what the Eighth Route Army's combat effectiveness is, and they always keep their word, and never exaggerate the results! So I believe that since the Eighth Route Army sent this telegram, then
We can definitely win Datong!"
"Chief of Staff, what are the conditions for the Eighth Route Army to hand over Datong to us?"
The chief of staff hesitated and replied: "Equipment and ammunition for six regiments!"
"Why didn't they grab it!" the military commander who just spoke couldn't help but cursed!
The expression on the commander-in-chief's face did not change at all. He waved his hand to stop other subordinates from speaking, and then said: "Don't make any noise?"
"Don't you know this is a negotiation? Since it is a negotiation, there is bargaining!"
"Chief of Staff, how much equipment does our arsenal and logistics department still have in stock?"
"Five regiments!" This time the chief of staff did not hesitate, and answered readily like a treasure trove!
The commander-in-chief quickly made a decision: "Immediately send a telegram back to the Eighth Route Army headquarters. Our Jinsui Army agrees to cooperate, but the conditions must be compressed!"
"You can discuss the specific amount. As long as it does not exceed the equipment of four regiments, we will agree!"
At the Japanese garrison headquarters in Datong, Major General Noda didn't know that an Eighth Route Army unit had come under his nose and was quietly controlling the east gate!
A large number of Eighth Route Army troops are entering Datong City through the east gate!
"Jingle Bell……"
The urgent ringing of the phone suddenly rang. After hearing this for half a minute, the search officer’s face suddenly changed!
"General, our troops confronting the Jinsui Army reported: "The Jinsui Army is undergoing large-scale military mobilization!"
"Now there are two regiments of the Jinsui Army approaching them again. The two sides also engaged in an artillery battle, causing casualties on each other!"
Major General Noda frowned and cursed: "Bagya Road, I didn't expect that the Jinsui Army, which has always been at odds with the Eighth Route Army, also participated!"
"Originally, I wanted to mobilize troops from the southern blockade of Datong to return reinforcements, but now it seems that is impossible!"
"The Eighth Route Army has united with the Jinsui Army to attack Datong City together!"
"Immediately contact the troops returning from other directions. Why haven't they arrived at Datong City yet? Are they all pigs? It took so long to cover dozens of kilometers!"
The chief of staff quickly replied: "I just received a call from Dongmen. The reinforcements from the Jiuyang Town stronghold have entered the city. There are two teams!"
"The humble position has ordered them to take over the defense of the arsenal, material warehouse, ammunition factory, and armory, and slow down the Imperial Alliance Army!"
"Those places are too important to us, and we can't trust them if they are left in the hands of the Imperial Alliance Army."
"Other troops are still on the road, and the Eighth Route Army has deployed a large number of troops to pursue and intercept them! It's dark now, and planes can't reinforce them, so the march is very slow, and some troops have even lost contact!"
"I judge from my humble opinion that they should have been wiped out by the Eighth Route Army!"
"Baga! When we get through this, we must attack the Eighth Route Army's base area in northwestern Shanxi in the future, launch a retaliatory raid, and kill them all!"
"Order all the troops stationed in Datong City to be on alert!"
"It's dark now. As long as the Eighth Route Army's target is really us, they will definitely attack us tonight!"
"Also, contact the military department!"
"The Jinsui Army is also involved. The garrison in Datong is seriously insufficient. Please ask for reinforcements!"
"I need at least one infantry regiment to alleviate the bad situation in Datong, otherwise Datong will definitely not be able to hold it!"
"Da da da……"
As soon as the chief of staff went to give the order, a string of gunshots was heard at the headquarters!
The gunfire was very close, definitely not more than 500 meters away from the headquarters!
“Boom, boom, boom… da da da…”
Before Major General Noda could react, the gunshots had become increasingly dense, including many explosions!
"General, the Eighth Route Army, a large number of Eighth Route Army have entered the city. They have reached 500 meters outside the headquarters!" A second lieutenant broke in and reported, with fear on his face!
"How many people are there and how are the equipment?" Major General Noda was the first to react!
"At least one company, equipped with a large number of light machine guns and mortars, is exchanging fire with a squad of the Guard!"
