Chapter 55: I Knew You Were Mediocre, But I Didn't Expect You to Be This Bad!

A flicker of conflict and helplessness crossed Sanlaodeng’s face. He let out a cold, skeptical snort. “But the crucial question is, do you really think the Japs will help us for nothing?”

His gaze grew profound, as if weighing each word, foreseeing the price the future would demand. “To mobilize those two divisions, I already sacrificed two railway lines as the cost!”

When the possibility of Japanese garrisoning in the future was mentioned, Sanlaodeng’s brow knit tightly, betraying his deep anxiety. “If we ask the Japs to aid Wangkou again, it might be tantamount to inviting them to stay for good. The price to drive them out later will be unimaginable.”

Caught in this predicament, Sanlaodeng turned to Yan Fei, his eyes probing and expectant. “Yan Fei, what should we do now?”

Though he sounded earnest, Yan Fei, familiar with Sanlaodeng’s character, understood this was merely a test.

If Sanlaodeng truly refused to ask the Japs for help, he wouldn’t waste time here.

Yan Fei’s heart was a swirl of complex emotions, mocking silently, “How ironic. All the infamy falls on my shoulders, yet all the glory is yours.”

Ah well, a pawn serves its purpose, and an adjutant must accept his lot.

Still, he replied solemnly to Sanlaodeng, “General, as the old saying goes, ‘One doesn’t strike a smiling face.’ For now, let the Japs have their way a little. When the tide turns, we’ll reclaim what was ours.”

“If we lose Wangkou today, our forces will suffer a fatal blow!” His voice brimmed with urgency and passion.

“By then, Li Zongren and Feng Yuxiang will surely seize the chance to attack us, and we’ll truly be doomed!”

Yan Fei’s words drove Sanlaodeng, who had staunchly opposed the Japs, into deep thought. He let out a heavy sigh, his expression complex and grave, as if after a long inner struggle, he had finally reached a decision.

“If that’s so, then I’ll swallow my pride for the greater good!” Once resolved, Sanlaodeng immediately issued his orders.

“Send a telegram at once to Ambassador Kawashima Naniwa in Oldping. Tell them that as long as they can drive back Jiang Bai’s 7th Reinforced Division, I, Sanlaodeng, am willing to accept all their terms!”

At that moment, every shift in Sanlaodeng’s features betrayed his inner turmoil and unease. Yet after a long, weighted sigh, it seemed he had laid down all burdens, and on his face appeared a determined, if painful, resolve.

Meanwhile, far away on the battlefield, the 7th Reinforced Division was exerting formidable military pressure on Wangkou. Under such strain, the defending troops’ morale was low; intelligence indicated they were on the verge of collapse.

Sanlaodeng and Yan Fei’s decision was, without doubt, a gamble to ensure the survival of their faction, hoping to change the unfavorable tide through outside intervention.

“Tell Wangkou’s defenders that holding their ground is their only task. Once the Japs arrive, we’ll strike together and utterly crush the enemy.”

Sanlaodeng now fixed his gaze on the military map spread across the table. On it, Wangkou’s position was singularly critical—not only a fortress but a strategic corridor linking Oldping and Chaha, its importance self-evident.

His fingertip traced Wangkou’s location, his eyes flashing with a strategist’s keen edge. “I want to see for myself—are the Japs’ forces truly supreme, or is Jiang Bai simply luckier?”

At this moment, all of Sanlaodeng’s hopes rested on Japanese reinforcements.

If the Japs intervened decisively, they would not only deal a blow to the Chenyun faction, securing their own safety,

but also seize a batch of high-quality equipment, greatly strengthening themselves.

Even if they regretted it later, they would then have the leverage to turn on the Japs.

But if the Japs chose to ignore them, Sanlaodeng could only watch helplessly as the Chenyun faction seized Wangkou,

witnessing his own equipment fall into enemy hands for the second time.

Meanwhile, at the Japanese embassy in Oldping, Yan Fei was about to meet with Kawashima Hiroshi. Yan Fei knew well that this negotiation concerned not only the future relations between the Jin faction and the Japs, but also his own turning point. He notified the Japanese side of his arrival as soon as he reached the embassy.

By the time Yan Fei arrived at the Japanese embassy in Oldping, it was already seven in the morning.

Upon receiving news of Yan Fei’s visit, Kawashima Hiroshi smiled faintly, set aside his breakfast, and decided to meet Yan Fei in the dining room at once.

Since Nezu Kazuma had left for Shenyang and been involved in a car accident,

Kawashima Hiroshi realized that preventing the Chenyun faction’s army from marching south was almost impossible.

He had therefore kept a close eye on the battlefield, holding great interest in the Jin faction’s plea for help.

When he learned that the Jin forces had failed to block the Chenyun advance at Chaha, and had instead been nearly wiped out, Kawashima’s expression became suddenly animated, his eyes shining with barely restrained excitement.

His pulse quickened; he trembled unconsciously. This response was not merely from the shocking news, but because it meant Sanlaodeng would likely have to turn to the Japs for aid—a pivotal shift for Japanese strategy in North Huabei.

As Kawashima quickly obtained detailed battle reports, his demeanor gradually grew somber. His earlier excitement was replaced by profound shock.

The 23rd and 24th Security Divisions, Sanlaodeng’s elite, had been routed by Jiang Bai’s 7th Reinforced Division in less than two days during the Battle of Wangkou. Scenes from the battlefield seemed to replay in his mind: Wangkou engulfed in fire and smoke, the two armies clashing fiercely on this strategically vital land, and ultimately the Jin forces defeated in despair.

Kawashima could hardly believe it. Troops equipped to rival a Japanese B-class division had collapsed so swiftly under the Chenyun 7th Reinforced Division’s onslaught. His astonishment was not only at the outcome, but at the combat power displayed in this campaign.

Since his appointment as ambassador to Huabei, Kawashima had witnessed many military conflicts. But never before had he seen such formidable fighting spirit on this ancient soil, and it filled him with unprecedented anxiety.

Kawashima struggled to maintain a diplomat’s composure, but his eyes betrayed a trace of inquisitiveness and caution.

“Chief of Staff Yan, if I may ask, could you update me on Wangkou’s current situation?”

When Yan Fei faced Kawashima’s inquiry, he did not conceal much. He reported Wangkou’s current status in detail, his voice heavy with helplessness and frustration.

After the fierce battles, Wangkou’s defenders were all but spent, their morale shattered. The gravity of this news weighed on Kawashima’s heart as well.