This killer star of the War of Resistance Against Japan was only 9 years old.

Chapter 329 The City of Er with Insufficient Defenses

6: in the morning.

Zhang Qing was awakened by the vibration of his communication bracelet.

In a daze, Zhang Qing answered the call.

"Hey?"

"Uncle Zhang, are you sure a Japanese battalion has really left the city?"

Zhang Qing heard Bai Luo's slightly dissatisfied tone coming from the bracelet.

I felt much more awake.

"It's confirmed. A large Japanese battalion did leave the city around 2:30 last night. This information came from an intelligence officer stationed near the west gate, so it can't be wrong."

As for where they're going, there's no definite news yet, but last night an intelligence agent outside the city reported several explosions coming from the south of Ershi. I suspect the Japanese are likely heading that way.

On a hillside northwest of the Red Party base, Bai Luo and Sha Niu were huddled in the back seat of the cat-themed car, covered with thick blankets.

Hearing Zhang Qing's words, Bai Luo was even more puzzled. If the information was correct, then why were Japanese soldiers supposed to appear?

He waited there until dawn, but he didn't see a single Japanese soldier.

"Uncle Zhang, the explosion last night was from a Japanese plane crash. I'm right here now, and it's already dawn, but I haven't seen a single Japanese soldier."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qing was completely sober.

He sat up straight out of bed.

"Then I'll go and double-check the information again, and I'll contact you again around noon."

Upon hearing this, Bai Luo felt that this was the only option for the time being.

After hanging up the call, Bai Luo didn't want to stay there any longer, so he climbed onto the front seat of the cat car, started the car, and prepared to return to the cave.

Bai Luo wasn't the only one who didn't sleep all night.

Inside the Japanese headquarters in Ershi.

Jujiro Itai, who hadn't slept all night, had bloodshot eyes.

His wrinkled face was also etched with fatigue.

"Dong dong dong."

Hearing the knock on the door, Jujiro Itai rubbed his cheeks vigorously, feeling a little better, before calling out to the door.

"Enter."

"Has news come from the Cunqi Brigade?"

Jujiro Itai saw Ozawa Yuji enter and quickly asked him a question.

Ozawa Yuji, who had just entered, shook his head at Itai Jujiro.

"Reporting to Commander, we are temporarily unable to contact the Muraki Battalion for some reason, but I have already sent a communications soldier out of the city to make contact, and I believe we will receive news soon."

Upon hearing this, Jujiro Itai frowned and nodded.

Around 3 a.m. last night, he suddenly received a telegram from the Northern Province Fortress, ordering him to send a team of Imperial soldiers to search for the transport planes that had been stolen from the Xiong Kingdom in the southwest of Er City.

But now the Cunqi Brigade has been gone for more than three hours, and no news has come back.

Seeing Itai Jujiro's furrowed brows, Ozawa Yuji couldn't help but speak again.

"Commander, good news has arrived from the Special Higher Police at the northern fortress. Also arriving were General Mitsui's orders."

"Oh?"

When Jujiro Itai heard the good news, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little, and even his spirits, which had been somewhat listless from staying up all night, perked up slightly.

Jujiro Itai raised his hand, signaling to Yuji Ozawa to continue.

Seeing this, Ozawa Yuji continued.

"According to intelligence gathered by the Special Higher Police in Xiong Kingdom, Xiong Kingdom is now in a very passive position because of our sudden attack on the eastern region."

There is simply no way to mobilize a large number of troops to provide support in a short period of time.

Therefore, the Bear Kingdom chose to cooperate with the Red Party within the Dragon Kingdom. The Bear Kingdom provided weapons and equipment, while the Red Party was responsible for creating chaos in the Northern Province, assassinating people, and planning attacks on supply convoys sent to the Northern Province fortress from cities such as Er City.

The aim was to help the Bear Kingdom delay the Empire's advance into the eastern region.

When Ozawa Yuji was saying this, Itai Jujiro suddenly interrupted.

"What about the Bear Country transport plane last night..."

"Yes, Commander, that should be the weapons, equipment and other supplies that the Xiong Kingdom sent to the Red Party."

"Furthermore, after extensive verification, the Special Higher Police have determined that the Red Party attaches great importance to this cooperation, and a high-ranking Red Party member should have arrived in Er City to oversee this cooperation with Xiong Guo."

General Mitsui Yanagida, commander of the North Province fortress, ordered us to ensure the safety and smooth flow of the supply lines, and ideally, to seize this opportunity to inflict a heavy blow on the Red Party elements in the North Province.

After Itai Jujiro heard Ozawa Yuji read the intelligence from the North Province Fortress, he realized that...

He lowered his head and pondered for a while, processing the information he had just received.

After about two minutes, Jujiro Itai finally spoke in a deep voice.

"Order the Special Higher Police in Er City to investigate the exact location of the Red Party's new base and the identity of that high-ranking Red Party official as soon as possible, following this lead."

Furthermore, the Muraki Battalion is supposed to notify me immediately of any news. I have a feeling that, if the intelligence is correct, the Muraki Battalion should be able to bring me some good news.

"Dong dong dong."

Before Jujiro Itai could finish speaking, there was another knock on the office door.

"Enter."

Jujiro Itai was interrupted by the sudden knocking on the door, and frowned slightly, but still let the person at the door come in first.

No sooner had Jujiro Itai finished speaking than the office door was pushed open.

When Ozawa Yuji saw the person who came, his eyes lit up.

He said immediately.

"Have you contacted the Cunqi Brigade?"

The person who came was a communications soldier sent out by Ozawa Yuji earlier.

"Reporting to the Commander, Lieutenant Ozawa, the Muraki Battalion was ambushed more than 10 kilometers south of Er City. The Muraki Battalion... was completely... completely annihilated."

The Japanese communications soldier's voice trailed off as he spoke.

This almost caused Jujiro Itai and Yuji Ozawa to miss the last sentence spoken by the Japanese communications soldier.

"All the jade pieces shattered?"

Ozawa Yuji grabbed the Japanese communications soldier by the collar and pulled him close to him.

"You just said something happened to the Muraki Brigade? That they were all wiped out?"

The Japanese communications soldier, head bowed, faced Ozawa Yuji's question once more.

"Hi."

"You idiot, you know that spreading false military information can land you in a military court. I'll give you another chance..."

"That's enough, Ozawa. You are an officer of the Empire; you should be mindful of your image."

Before Ozawa Yuji could finish speaking, Itai Jujiro interrupted him.

Looking at Ozawa Yuji, whose face was somewhat ferocious, Itai Jujiro sighed softly.

Since arriving in Er City, he has almost gotten used to the situation where one person dies while a large group dies, but Ozawa Yuji still cannot accept reality.

Jujiro Itai thought for a moment and then spoke.

"Xiao Ze, go to the place where the jade was shattered in Cunqi Brigade and investigate the situation to see if you can find any clues."

I had a feeling this attack was likely carried out by the same group that caused trouble in Erdos before, but my initial assessment might have been wrong; this group is probably not the Red Party.

Ozawa Yuji was puzzled by this. If he wasn't a member of the Red Party, why would he help the Red Party?

So he asked.

Why did the commander make this judgment?

"Just an intuition."

Seeing that Itai Jujiro didn't want to continue the topic, Ozawa Yuji hesitated for a moment and then turned the conversation back to the Muraki Brigade.

"Hi.

"Commander, should we reassign the Muraki Battalion to the search as originally planned?"

Upon hearing this, Jujiro Itai felt a headache coming on.

Now, after this series of twists and turns, Er City...

There are now fewer than 5000 Imperial soldiers left in the city.

It seems we'll have to allocate some puppet troops to help defend Ershi.

Jujiro Itai arrived at the military map of Ershi and began searching for the locations of puppet troops stationed around Ershi.

He quickly set his sights on a place called Manqi Town, if he remembered correctly.

It seems there's a fake military strategist here.

Jujiro Itai decided to first transfer three regiments from here to assist in the defense.