Rise From Eight Hundred

In the vast mountains of southeastern Shanxi.

A convoy and horse team with Japanese sun flags and Germanic flags were moving slowly forward at a speed of 20 yards.

But in front of the convoy, there was a row of Chinese cavalry galloping on horseback.

Above the valleys that we passed through, we could see the angry gazes of rows of Chinese soldiers hidden in fortifications on the mountain tops.

This phenomenon of sworn enemies being so close to each other but miraculously not firing has basically disappeared since the war began.

But this is a fact. On the North China battlefield, the Chinese Second Theater Command and the Japanese North China Front reached an agreement on a temporary ceasefire six days ago.

The negotiating delegation sent by Japan also arrived in Yuancheng, the capital of Shanxi Province, a few days ago until China agreed that they could leave.

Although they knew that the Chinese were playing tricks again and deliberately delayed the negotiation for a few more days, the Japanese side was helpless. After all, they were begging the Chinese for exchange in this negotiation, and the Chinese took the majority of the initiative.

As early as a few hours ago, the convoy had escaped from the area controlled by the Japanese army and completely entered the Chinese defense area. In half a day, it would reach Linfen, an important city controlled by the Chinese in the southeast corner of Shanxi Province.

Jindong in June is already considered hot.

But what was hotter than the weather was the heart of a certain Japanese Army Lieutenant General.

Even though the cool mountain breeze brought a little chill to his body due to the driving of the car, Saburo Okabe's hot sweat kept rolling down his forehead in the truck compartment.

It’s not because they are afraid of invading the enemy’s territory. The entire convoy is composed of 10 trucks carrying 100 elite special agents and a cavalry squadron. The 200 elite elites of the empire equipped with 4 heavy machine guns and 12 light machine guns are enough to handle it. Any emergencies.

Also traveling with the convoy was a director of the German Empire's largest trading company in China and 15 Roman Empire soldiers with live ammunition. This was also one of the security guarantees given to him by the Japanese North China Front Army.

Before setting off, that person contacted the German Empire's consulate in Jiangxia and sent a note to China. The Chinese Second Theater Command made it clear that it would ensure the safety of their group.

Of course, Japan's biggest trump card is not these accompanying Westerners, but the tens of millions of Chinese people in the occupied territories.

Needless to say, if the Chinese dare to attack their negotiating team, they should know the consequences of angering the empire, and hundreds of thousands of Chinese will be buried with them.

In fact, reality is not friendly to the Chief of Staff of the North China Front who has just been promoted to Lieutenant General of the Japanese Army.

He didn't like the mountains here at all, and he didn't like the reason why he was quickly promoted. It turned out to be because he had to negotiate with the Chinese, and the Chinese required that he must be an army lieutenant general to lead the team, so he originally set a month. The subsequent promotion ceremony has been urgently advanced.

This is not the most egregious thing. The most egregious thing is the expressionless words of Gen. Geng Shanshan after the brief promotion ceremony: "Okabe-kun, this negotiation with the Chinese for the exchange of prisoners of war is of great importance, especially for the Jin Dynasty." The numerous remains of the Imperial warriors who sacrificed their lives for the Empire in the battle in the southeastern mountains have touched the hearts of the people in the country. I hope that Okabe-kun can bring the souls of these warriors back to their homeland. If you successfully complete this mission, Okabe-kun, I will send them to you personally. Please take office in the Kwantung Army!"

Every time I think of these words, Saburo Okabe wants to punch that old guy in the nose. Why should you bet my future on the mess you made yourself?

Regardless of what Yuan Shanshan said in a grand manner, what he said about welcoming the souls of many imperial warriors back to their homeland was actually just to save one person. Even a fool could understand the subtext. If the negotiation task was successfully completed and that person was rescued, everything would be easy. , he could give Saburo Okabe the greatest honor of being sent off personally by a front commander for transfer, but what if it couldn't be accomplished?

Even Saburo Okabe, who has enough cards in his hand, is confident enough that the Chinese cannot refuse the negotiation conditions he has offered.

Saburo Okabe tugged on the tightly buttoned military discipline button a little irritably. I'm afraid that, let alone being transferred to the Kwantung Army as the division commander, he would already be a member of the army if he could continue to serve as the chief of staff of the North China Front. Be open-minded.

"Qingmizu-kun, what do you think of the good or bad luck of this trip to Linfen?" Saburo Okabe asked softly, holding on to the railing of the carriage and looking at the mountains in the distance through the window opened by the tarpaulin.

In the back compartment of the truck, in addition to the chief of staff of the North China Front, there was also a Japanese soldier Shaozuo who stood not far away from him, standing upright and with a somewhat rigid face.

Obviously, this young left-handed officer is someone whom Saburo Okabe trusts very much. The fact that he can still maintain a straight posture in the rather bumpy truck compartment also shows that he has undergone extremely strict training.

Hearing Naosaburo Okabe's question, the somewhat rigid-looking Japanese soldier Shaozuo's face became respectful, but he replied with great confidence: "But please rest assured, Chief of Staff, since the Chinese agree with our army's proposal to exchange prisoners of war, naturally They will not go back on their word easily. Even if they dare to make any changes, Qingshui Xiucheng will definitely keep you safe."

Saburo Okabe glanced back at the Army Shao Zuo, who was formerly a senior intelligence officer in the Intelligence Section of the North China Front and is now the first deputy of Senio Fujiwara of the Front's Special Forces, and nodded happily.

What he cares about is not the guarantee of this authentic master who has been engaged in intelligence for many years and is a direct descendant of the Yinhe sect of ninjutsu, but that he, the chief of staff of the front army with an uncertain future, is not just a decoration in the North China Front.

Even if it's just out of superficial respect!

A lieutenant general of the army was actually delighted by the statement of a young leftist, even though he held an important position.

This shows how difficult the situation of this new Japanese lieutenant general who was about to leave the North China Front Army was in the Japanese North China Front Army.

In fact, the commander above did not like him, and the lieutenant generals and division commanders below did not like him very much.

"Very good, I wonder how the deployment of Takaji Daizo is going." Okabe Saburo asked again.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Chief of Staff, the intelligence department has started the work of subverting Chinese prisoners of war several months ago, and now there are at least dozens of backbone forces.

A few days ago, the intelligence department specially arranged our personnel to enter the prisoner-of-war camp with another batch of prisoners of war. The prisoner-of-war camp itself has a variety of numbers, and our personnel numbers are complete, and there will definitely be no conflict with the numbers registered in the prisoner-of-war camp, and they have all been engaged in intelligence work in northern China for more than 7 years." Shimizu Hideki nodded.

"Very good! The Chinese thought they won a great victory in the southeastern part of Shanxi, but they didn't know that this was just a small setback on the empire's road to progress. The one who laughs last is the real winner." A smile appeared on Saburo Okabe's somewhat rigid face.

This is also good news that has a certain soothing effect on Saburo Okabe's rather impatient mood.

As long as this negotiation is successful, maybe through the opportunity of exchanging prisoners of war, the front army can insert more hidden chess pieces in his army, so as to play a role in defeating the Chinese defense line in southeastern Shanxi. This must be inseparable from the credit of the chief of staff of the front army who plays a leading role.

The lieutenant general division commander is not the end of his military career, perhaps just the beginning. One day, he may also be able to stand in front of the old man Shanshan Yuan, smiling and saying some words that make him feel like swallowing a fly, but he still has to pretend to be grateful.

"Hi! As the Chinese say, victory and defeat are common in the military. Even if the 2nd Mixed Brigade was defeated, it was because the 2nd Mixed Brigade underestimated the enemy. The hundreds of thousands of troops of our front army have already forced the Chinese to defend with the advantage of the terrain. Victory is only a matter of time. Empire, military fortune is prosperous!" Shimizu Hideki said to Okabe Saburo.

"Haha, that's true!" Okabe Saburo's depressed mood was much better after hearing this.

Although the front army took the initiative to exchange prisoners this time, the overall battlefield situation is still that the front army has the initiative. The failure of the Southeast Shanxi Campaign has no impact on the overall situation of the entire North China battlefield. He finds it hard to believe that the Chinese will not accept the conditions offered by the front army.

As for those large numbers of Chinese prisoners of war who still need to consume food meaninglessly, what does it matter if they are returned to the Chinese? The front army can defeat them once, and they can defeat them a second time, or even more times. They are just a group of rabble.

Don't say, Okabe Saburo's thoughts are very consistent with Tang Tuanzuo, and Tang Dao thinks so too.

Not to mention that Fujiwara Sen's current appearance is almost like a useless person, even if he was in his prime, the Tang sword could still beat him to a pulp.

Oh no, Fujiwara Sen's teeth are not many now. In this era when oral medicine is not well developed, it is impossible to implant teeth. In the future, Fujiwara Sen's mouth can only be pursed, like an old lady who can't speak well.

Okabe Saburo didn't know that just a few dozen meters behind his vehicle, two Westerners sitting in a jeep were also talking about their views on the Sino-Japanese negotiations.

"Mr. Krupp, what do you think of the Sino-Japanese negotiations?"

The brigadier general in the uniform of the Roman Empire respectfully asked the middle-aged man sitting next to him in a plaid suit, holding a pipe and with a pair of blue eyes.

Although the German Empire has become increasingly powerful, due to the defeat in the last war, the concession in Tianjin was taken over by the Western world. As the German Empire and the Roman Empire got closer and closer, many German expatriates and businesses were opened in the Roman Empire's concession. This Roman Empire brigadier general is the commander of the Roman Empire's concession now. He is a big shot in the Western concession, otherwise Shanshan Yuan would spend a lot of money to invite him.

But it is extremely rare for such a senior brigadier general, and a senior officer of a German ally, to be so polite to a businessman doing trade in his jurisdiction.

However, anyone who knows German history will not be too surprised when hearing the surname "Krupp".

Krupp is definitely a surname that cannot be avoided in the crimes of the German Empire that caused a storm in the whole world and billions of people crying in the raging war.

Krupp has been the largest arms manufacturing company in the German Empire since the last century. The Krupp cannon developed by it helped Bismarck defeat Austria and France in the 19th century. Decades ago, the Krupp cannon weighing 44 tons and with a range of 19,760 meters fully demonstrated the saying "everything within the range is the truth".

Cannons changed the war pattern in the 19th century, and the title of God of War was given to cannons at that time.

Chinese soldiers suffered enough from cannons and generally suffered from "fear of insufficient firepower", so that in the future they equipped themselves with the most calibers in the world. Even in the era of rampant missiles, they still stubbornly developed cannons. The rocket launcher with a range of 400 kilometers made all neighboring countries feel cold just by listening to the data.

Krupp is an arms company that made its fortune by making various types of cannons.

And Mr. Rostav Krupp beside the Roman Empire Brigadier General is an important member of the Krupp family. He is the uncle of Arod Krupp, the current head of the Krupp family, and the younger brother of the previous head of the Krupp family.

The Brigadier General also has no idea why this elder came to war-torn China, but it is probably the result of power struggles in the big family.

The young head of the Krupp family swore allegiance to the little mustache leader and drank with him several times. Even his office was hung with the portrait of the leader and written with "With the leader, until victory". Undoubtedly, he was the loser in the family power struggle.

But the loser is only relative. The arms manufacturing and sales controlled by Mr. Rostav Krupp accounted for one-fifth of the entire Krupp family.

Don't underestimate the one-fifth in his hands. If you know that Krupp Company has occupied 60% of the arms supply of the entire German Empire and employed nearly 100,000 employees, you will know what a huge company it is.

The reason why Rostav Krupp came to China was just to declare that he loved the ancient Eastern civilization since he was a child, and the center of Eastern civilization, China, was the place he dreamed of, so he arrived in China a few months ago.

Of course, in fact, this man is really a China expert. Not only does he speak fluent Chinese, which makes Brigadier General Sebastian, who has been in China for several years, ashamed, but his familiarity with major cities in China is also better than many Westerners in the concession.

If he was not worried about stimulating the Japanese who had already paid a huge price, Mr. Krupp might have worn a traditional Chinese robe to the negotiation table set by the Chinese.

Hearing the allied brigadier general asking about his views on the negotiations that have not yet taken place, Rostav smiled meaningfully: "Before answering General Tian's question, you may first talk about your views on the Sino-Japanese War."

"Although Japan's national strength cannot be compared with your country, its domestic industrial manufacturing capacity and soldier training level are far superior to China. The outcome of this war is almost unpredictable. The current one-sided situation between the two countries has already proved this point." The brigadier general of the Roman Empire pondered for a moment and still gave his own opinion very honestly.

"But General Tian, ​​you still don't give the absolute view that China will lose like those people in your country and mine, right?" Rostav smiled.

"Yes! Although China's equipment is backward and its soldiers are not well trained, if you have never been to China and have not seen those battlefields with your own eyes, you can't know what spirit those armies, which are almost composed of peasants, are fighting against their powerful enemies with." The brigadier general of the Roman Empire became serious.

"I often wonder if your army, composed of armored torrents, can conquer this ancient country within half a year."

"Oh? What is the result of the deduction of Brigadier General Yitian's military talent?" Rostav's eyes flashed with curiosity.

"No, China is too big, more than 20 times the area of ​​your country, almost as big as Europe." The brigadier general of the Roman Empire replied with a wry smile. "Their population is also large enough. As long as they don't give up resistance, I can assert that the Japanese will not conquer the entire China in three months as they claim, but it may take three years or even longer."

"Haha, that's it. Those short-sighted guys in China, don't come to see it with their own eyes, just based on the comparison of the national strength of China and Japan, they say that China will lose easily, abandoning such a huge market in China and supporting Japan, a warrior who has only learned a little bit of Eastern civilization. It's really ridiculous." Rostav laughed loudly and criticized some senior figures of the German Empire who made such a decision without scruples.

Rostav dared, because he had the largest arms group in the German Empire behind him. The brigadier general of the Roman Empire did not dare to agree, and could only pretend not to hear it.

"This ancient country missed the precious opportunity of the industrial revolution and is still in the agricultural era. Moreover, many forces in the country are intertwined and cannot form a joint force, but they have an extremely long history and brilliant civilization. If they can survive this disaster, perhaps they will surprise us.

What is the saying in ancient China: Phoenix rising from the ashes! Yes, that's right. China at this time is like the phoenix rising from the ashes. I just don't know whether they will be completely reduced to ashes in this war or be reborn." Rostav cast his eyes on a machine gun bunker visible to the naked eye on the top of the mountain and commented.

The German brigadier general knew the opportunity and did not ask the previous question. His attitude actually explained everything.

However, he still had great reservations about the so-called "phoenix rising from the ashes" of the arms dealer.

In this war, Japan's chances of winning accounted for more than 95%, which was the result of his deduction for half a year.

The wheel of history rolls forward like this huge caravan.

The Germans, who worshipped the ancient oriental civilization, didn't know that they would meet a man who could change their fate.

Tang Dao, who was still waiting for the Japanese to arrive in Linfen, didn't know that he would bump into the "treasures" he had been thinking about so hard in this mountain corner.

The big boss behind the foreign company where the weapons and equipment ordered by the young marshal arrived in Linfen!