"I don't want to read the telegram from the aviation force, I want the telegram from our own troops." Nakata Yamaro decided to trust his own people.
The order continued: "Send out scouts immediately to conduct reconnaissance of the aviation bombing area, and then report the reconnaissance results as soon as possible."
"Continue to contact the assassination commando team. I want to know if Li Hao, the leader of the garrison, has been killed by them."
"This is our only chance to save this defeat. If we cannot seize it, the independent mixed brigade will definitely become the laughing stock of the empire. By then, everyone including me will be responsible for this defeat."
The Japanese army responded quickly.
More than a hundred scouts were sent out like casting a net, and all intelligence agencies took action, with one purpose: to find Li Hao, the leader of the garrison.
For the first time in a few days, the goddess of luck favored Nakata Yamaro.
Just three hours after the reconnaissance team was sent out, the chief of staff came back in a hurry.
"General, good news!"
"The reconnaissance force found a large number of corpses of the Eighth Route Army at the bombing site, at least 500. They were all left behind by the Eighth Route Army in order to retreat in time after being attacked."
"Have you found Li Hao, the leader of the garrison?" Nakata Yamaro asked the question he was most concerned about.
"No!" the chief of staff replied, shaking his head.
"Li Hao is the head of the garrison. Even if he is really killed or seriously injured in the bombing, the Eighth Route Army will fight to snatch the body back."
"So the possibility of finding him on the battlefield is too low."
"However, we found a bombed-out tent in the bombing area, with two destroyed radio stations left inside. We guessed that was the headquarters of the garrison regiment, which suffered a devastating blow during our bombing."
Hope lit up Nakata Yamaro's face.
Staring at the chief of staff, he asked: "In other words, the telegram sent to us by the aviation force was not an exaggeration. It is really possible that the leader of the garrison, Li Hao, was killed by the plane they dispatched."
"Hi!" the chief of staff confirmed.
"We don't rule out the possibility."
"As long as we find the assassination commando, all the questions will come to light."
"Sir, there is news from the commando team!"
A major rushed in suddenly, his face full of excitement.
"What's the news?" the chief of staff asked looking at the other party with an anxious look on his face.
"The reconnaissance force found a large number of corpses of the imperial army outside the bombing area. After confirmation, they were the assassination commandos we sent out last night."
"The reconnaissance team found a team member who is still alive. Does he know what exactly happened there this morning?"
Nakata Yamaro immediately ordered: "Then why are you still standing there? Bring him in immediately."
"Hi!" Major replied quickly.
In less than a minute, a second lieutenant with a bandage on his head was brought in.
"Hello, sir..."
Facing a major general, the second lieutenant couldn't help but become nervous and couldn't speak clearly.
Regardless of this, Nakata Yamaro asked directly: "Tell me everything you know immediately. The more detailed the better, especially the news related to Li Hao, the leader of the garrison."
The second lieutenant quickly replied: "Yes, sir."
"Three aircraft of the aviation force, under our guidance, successfully bombed the temporary garrison of the garrison."
"However, Li Hao, the leader of the garrison, was not bombed and managed to escape under the protection of the guards."
Hearing this, Nakata Yamaro and the chief of staff had a clear look of disappointment on their faces.
Li Hao is the backbone and soul of the garrison.
As long as Li Hao is still alive, no matter how many ordinary soldiers the garrison loses, they can replenish them in a short time, re-form their combat effectiveness, and continue to fight against the imperial army.
So neither of them are satisfied with the result.
The second lieutenant knew how to be measured and continued to report: "Sir, although the plane did not kill the leader of the garrison, our fourth commando team has targeted him."
"The three heavy mortars carried by the fourth commando team were used intensively, lurking around the station, staring at their leader to explode."
"Others took the initiative to attract the attention of the counterattack troops of the garrison, and covered the artillery to bombard them."
"The three mortars fired a total of five rounds and fifteen shells, and they all hit around their regimental leader."
"My humble position was as an observation post, and I saw with my own eyes that dozens of soldiers surrounding their regiment leader were blown over and suffered all casualties."
"Finally, a dozen Eighth Route Army troops rushed over from nearby and carried a man out of the artillery fire. I judged from my humble position that that man should be Li Hao, the leader of the garrison."
"Wait a moment!"
Hope lit up Nakata Yamaro's face, and he immediately interrupted: "You just said that the leader of the garrison, Li Hao, was carried out by his subordinates!"
"Can you determine whether this person is alive or dead?"
The second lieutenant thought for a moment and replied: "Eighty percent dead."
"Of dozens of people, he was the only one who was carried out. The others were all killed on the spot, and this person should be no exception."
"Heavy mortars are so powerful. They can not only kill people with fragments, but also kill people with shock waves."
"Even if the guard troops of the garrison lie on top of their commander and use their bodies to block the fragments that may fly past, they can't block the shock wave."
Nakata Yamaro responded seriously: "I don't want your inferences, I want to confirm the results."
"Li Hao is the soul of the garrison. Killing him will reduce the garrison's combat effectiveness by at least half, so we must make sure he is really dead."
"Chief of Staff, immediately order our remaining intelligence personnel in the garrison base to find out whether Li Hao is alive or dead."
"The reconnaissance force also took action. Taking advantage of the heavy casualties of the garrison, the blockade defense force was empty, and there were loopholes everywhere. We went deep into their base area and cooperated with the intelligence department to find out this matter. I want to see people alive and see corpses dead."
From the Laiyuan City Garrison Regiment Headquarters, Security Division Chief He Wenlin and Investigation Platoon Leader Chen Wei appeared side by side in front of Wang Hong, with solemn expressions on their faces.
"Political commissar, the Japanese special high school class is crazy."
"They are everywhere in the base area, blatantly using oceans to buy information from the villagers. Some people have already extended their tentacles to the army, directly using oceans to buy our comrades and provide them with information."
"I learned from the captured agents that these Japanese and puppet troops are all checking one thing: whether our regiment leader is still alive."
Chen Wei said: "The reconnaissance company is also under great pressure."
"The troops suffered heavy casualties in the counter-mopping up. The strength of our garrison base area blockade is less than one-third of the previous one, and there are almost loopholes everywhere."
"The Japanese scouts seized this opportunity and went deep into our base area in large numbers to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage."
"They are also investigating the matter that Director He just reported."
"The base area is so large, and the reconnaissance company only has about fifty people. In addition to ensuring the safety of Laiyuan City and killing the Japanese scouts who have entered Laiyuan City, we are beyond our reach any further."
Wang Hong frowned and analyzed: "The devil must have noticed something?"
"Otherwise, they would definitely not be so rampant and go straight into our base area to investigate the life and death of the regiment leader!"
Chen Wei personally experienced the bombing, thought about it and analyzed it: "On the day of the Japanese bombing, in order to reduce casualties, we retreated too fast. Especially after it was confirmed that the regiment leader was injured, the retreat speed was faster. There must be some little Japanese who were not beaten by us.
He died, saw the regiment leader being bombed, and leaked the news that the regiment leader was seriously injured.
"If this is really the case, it will be troublesome." Wang Hong's face became more and more solemn.