Chapter 8, Military Intelligence, The Raincoat Man (1)

With the military situation as urgent as fire, he thought for a moment, then straightened his collar and walked into the wartime command post

The second line of defense at Yunzao Beach has been breached, the southern bank has fallen, the northern bank has also fallen, the entire 32nd Division has perished in service to the country, and more than half of the General Instruction Brigade has been lost. Captain Liu Zishu sacrificed himself to cover the retreat. As of two hours ago, the remaining troops have fought desperately to break through and have retreated to the outskirts of Shanghai. The staff officer reported word by word, and with each pause, everyone present trembled. Several regimental commanders even took off their hats voluntarily to pay their respects.

As a senior alumnus of the Whampoa Military Academy, his character has always embodied the refined elegance unique to Confucianism. In his small family, he cultivates himself through tranquility and nurtures virtue through frugality. On the battlefield, he remains as steady as Mount Tai, strategizing before taking action. It is precisely for this reason that among the many generals under Chiang Kai-shek, Xue Yue enjoys the best rapport; for over a decade, no one has ever witnessed this middle-aged man lose his temper, nor has there been a single instance of heated argument. However, today he has made an exception, and it has spiraled out of control. It is precisely for this reason that among the many generals under Chiang Kai-shek, Xue Yue enjoys the best rapport; for over a decade, no one has ever witnessed this middle-aged man lose his temper, nor has there been a single instance of heated argument. However, today he has made an exception, and it has spiraled out of control

Inform the teaching brigade that the order specifies how long they must hold their position, and they must comply with that duration. A large number of residents and relevant personnel have not yet fully evacuated Shanghai; they cannot withdraw, and the teaching brigade must remain firmly stationed at their post.

What? Retreat, do they dare to retreat? Have they eaten the heart of a lion?! Xue Yue's voice suddenly rose, clearly a sign of impending anger

Xue Yue went straight to the point: "Cao Canmou, why are you here instead of working at your post? You should be aware that this is a military restricted area!"

After a while, he sighed and nodded: "If that is the case, I apologize, I take back what I just said." At this point, he changed the subject: "So... who is currently in charge of the training team?"

However, the advisor hesitated to speak further

This young man is approximately twenty-five or twenty-six years old, dressed in a blue military uniform without any insignia. While speaking, he continuously covers his mouth with his hand to cough, resembling a consumptive ghost. Behind him are two guards wearing blue raincoats and strange masks.

"Speak frankly, what do you want to say?" Xue Yue said directly to Zeng Yangfu

Pointing at a section of the river on the map, Zeng Yangfu cleared his throat: "According to the intelligence from the Military Commission, the Japanese landing forces number around 100,000, not including Matsui Iwane's personal troops: the 9th Division. Even under the assumption of an average distribution, the front line will have to face an enemy force at least several times its own size. If we take a 70% casualty rate as a baseline, then these two mechanized divisions, along with the subsequent two divisions to be deployed, will likely have their formations disrupted, and a complete command system will no longer exist. Even if we manage to contact the commander, it is doubtful that an effective defensive counterattack can be organized within a certain timeframe. Therefore, in response to the enemy's offensive, we can only avoid their main force." Zeng Yangfu glanced at the people present, whose ranks varied, yet all eyes were focused on him.

"General Xue, you think too highly of me, Zeng. " Zeng Yangfu responded off-topic: "You are a senior, and I am a junior. If it were a personal matter, I would certainly agree without hesitation, but this matter is not something a minor character like me can decide. " After saying this, he patted Xue Yue's shoulder and handed over the pre-prepared strategic document.

"You son of a bitch, how dare you abandon your brothers on the front lines? In urban warfare, do you even consider yourself a human being?" As Zeng Yangfu's words fell, on the opposite side, a division commander could no longer contain himself and stood up, cursing loudly

The command post's tent remains lively, filled with the distinctive beeping sounds of telegraph machines. A large group of officers of various ranks has gathered around a desk, while at this moment, General Xue Yue stands on the steps, engaging in an animated conversation with a young man seated in a pearwood chair

The advisor who can receive the letter is, however, filled with grievances that have no outlet.

At this point, what the hell are you still stammering about? Speak up if you have something to say, or just let it out! Xue Yue unprecedentedly crumpled the map into a ball, sweeping the teacups and fountain pen from the table onto the floor.

Thus, while greeting Xue Yue, the officer also brought the young man along.

"Commissioner Zeng, do you have any insights?" Xue Yue turned his gaze towards Zeng Yangfu, who hesitated for a moment, walked to the table, bent down to pick up the crumpled map, and slowly unfolded it.

However, Commander, there are hardly any personnel left in the training unit, and the German mechanized division has suffered almost total losses..." The staff officer's tone was not without concern

Yang Kai? Can we get in touch with him!" Zeng Yangfu, who had been sitting on the pear blossom chair drinking tea, suddenly brightened his eyes, unable to contain himself as he stood up. The unusual excitement caused his sickly face to twitch slightly.

Xue Yue, on the other hand, closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time. It seemed as if his thoughts had drifted to the distant battlefield, where the flames of war raged and corpses lay scattered.

"Can you let me think it over again?" Xue Yue's chest rose and fell, as if he were engaged in a fierce psychological struggle

Before the war, the 32nd and 57th divisions were deployed along the Wenzao River defense line. Based on the enemy's firepower density, the casualties from the first wave of targeted strikes for the two divisions should have been at least around 80%. However, they had already maintained a state of Level 1 combat readiness, so I estimate the casualties should be around 60% to 70%

Intuition told the advisor that this was a person of great significance for two reasons. First, this was someone he had never seen before, yet he was the only person seated in the entire venue; second, the attitude of his superior towards this individual was not casual, but rather respectful and deferential

It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am Boren Zengfu!" The young man smiled gently.

Xue Yue was somewhat surprised to open this square piece of letterhead, on which every word was written in regular script. Judging by the handwriting, it should have been penned by Dai Li himself, and there was also the seal of Chairman Jiang beside it. The general meaning of this letter was to instruct him to abandon the front-line troops and retreat entirely to the urban rear, gradually withdrawing.

What do you really mean!" Xue Yue glared at him angrily, one hand already resting on the gun holster. In the face of national crisis, if this deputy dared to have any other thoughts, he would undoubtedly execute military law without hesitation

What?! Xue Yue's fingers suddenly loosened their grip on the gun handle, and his right arm fell limply: "How... how did he die..."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," the advisor nodded repeatedly, then briefly summarized the situation at the front lines. After speaking, he handed over an item, which was the shoulder insignia that Yang Kai had removed.

The advisor pondered for a moment and said, "If nothing unexpected occurs, it should be Deputy Yang Kai. The information I received indicates that he signed it for the messenger."

At this moment, even Xue Yue himself felt the pale and powerless tone of his speech, for he was like a balloon that was just filled with air, about to burst, yet was punctured by a pin, completely deflated.

Why? Xue Yue's expression was one of great pain, after all, the several units at the front line were all dispatched by him personally

Hehe! Upon seeing his little scheme, Xue Yue immediately understood and smiled as he introduced, "These gentlemen are brothers from the Military Intelligence Bureau, all of them are our own people"

I see, then go ahead and speak!" Xue Yue nodded.

The advisor remained silent, merely casting a glance at the mysterious young man, the meaning being self-evident

The recently received frontline situation report was too urgent, so I ... ... " the staff officer explained

The young man smiled kindly.

What is the difference between a soldier retreating during battle and a deserter? If you said this, I can pretend I didn't hear it; if Liu Zishu said it, tell him not to come back. Xue Yue glared at this colleague with anger, his expression as if he were ready to devour someone.

There is no way around it; we have already lost this war. Even under normal circumstances, the two routes of reinforcements led by the Commissioner will take at least half a week to reach Nanjing, and the related deployments and allocations will require time to arrange. Zeng Yangfu's temperament is exceptionally good; when faced with someone cursing at him, he merely smiled faintly and began to explain in detail.

Currently, there has been no contact; the telephone lines of the command post have all been flattened by the enemy's mortars. That said, even if the training brigade has broken through and moved to the third defensive line, the news is half an hour old. The battlefield changes rapidly, and by now, it is likely that..." The secretary paused here, unable to continue speaking. However, he had already conveyed the worst possible outcome to every officer present.

The messenger does not fail in his mission

Is there a problem?" Xue Yue asked in confusion

The military officer lowered his head in some frustration, hesitating to speak.

"Military seat... I truly did not mean it that way." The staff officer seemed to be seeing his commander in such a furious rage for the first time, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"Abandon all the troops that have already been redeployed, use the residential areas of Shanghai as a barrier, and engage in a step-by-step resistance against the enemy, covering the retreat of key departments and civilians. If everything goes smoothly, we can at least secure one to three days' time, sufficient for most of the city's population to evacuate," Zeng Yangfu said calmly, glancing at everyone.

I... I just want to say that half an hour ago, Captain Liu... Captain Liu has already sacrificed himself for the country. The staff officer could not withstand this overwhelming pressure and fell to his knees, crying out.

Zeng Yangfu looked at him with a blank expression, his gaze filled with sympathy, but he soon shook his head slightly.