Chapter 34: The Plan Will Work! Destroy an Entire Division!

How many did Mr. Lin bring?

Li Yunlong took a deep breath and slowly held up two thick fingers.

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief’s pupils contracted sharply, and he gasped, "Twenty? My God!"

Li Yunlong shook his head vigorously, no longer daring to keep them in suspense. His voice rang out loudly: "Reporting to the Deputy Commander! Not twenty! Two hundred! Mr. Lin has brought two hundred 107mm rocket launchers this time!"

"What—?!!!"

"Clatter!"

The Chief of Staff’s enamel mug slipped from his hand and hit the floor. The Division Commander took a sudden step back, and the Brigade Commander’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.

Damn it... two hundred?

"Doesn't that... equate to two thousand 105mm howitzers?" The Chief of Staff swayed.

"Even if the Japanese in all of North China scraped the bottom of their warehouses, they couldn't scrape together that many heavy guns!" The Division Commander steadied himself, his voice filled with incredulous shock.

"They couldn't! Absolutely not!" the Brigade Commander interjected firmly; he knew the Japanese inventory all too well. "The North China Area Army has three armies, totaling just over ten divisions. Each division is equipped with only twelve 105mm howitzers! At the absolute most, that’s one hundred and twenty guns!"

"One hundred and twenty..." the Deputy Commander repeated the number, his face showing a complex expression. "Just those hundred-odd heavy guns have kept us gasping for air, forcing us to hide in mountain gullies and fight guerrilla warfare!"

Why did they always resort to guerrilla tactics instead of engaging the Japanese in positional warfare? It was precisely because of their fear of those heavy guns. In a positional battle, no sooner would you set up your lines than their shells would come raining down.

But now—

"Good, good, good!" The Deputy Commander said "good" three times in a row. "This Mr. Lin! He has truly... given us a monumental gift!"

Just then, the Division Commander’s sharp gaze turned back to Li Yunlong, filled with an insightful clarity: "Li Yunlong, is Mr. Lin’s plan to launch a night raid on the Japanese barracks?"

The moment these words were spoken, everyone looked over. Li Yunlong shivered, his eyes filled with awe as he looked at the Division Commander: "Division Commander! You… you are truly godlike! How did you know? That is exactly what Mr. Lin intended!"

The Division Commander smiled faintly. "With such a sharp weapon, how could we let it go to waste? A night raid on the enemy camp, burning their lair—this is precisely the stage where it can fully display its might!"

Just a moment ago, a flash of inspiration had struck him, and he had conceived the same plan. Using these 107mm rocket launchers against individual soldiers would be a waste, like using a butcher's knife to slaughter a chicken. But for a positional strike, it was perfect. He had already seen that a single volley could cover an area of about one square mile—roughly the size of a regimental barracks. And if multiple launchers fired in unison... well, the scene would be incredible.

The most important point was that this equipment could be disassembled and carried; a single platoon could transport one unit.

The other commanders pondered for a moment, and as the implications dawned on them, they all gasped, their eyes filled with shock and an enlightened excitement.

The Deputy Commander’s expression was grave as he looked at Li Yunlong and said in a deep voice: "How exactly does Mr. Lin envision this? Tell us every word, exactly as he said it!"

"Yes!" Li Yunlong stood straight, struggling to recall every sentence Lin Ran had spoken.

"Mr. Lin said that if we break our forces into small units—squads and platoons—and secretly transport dozens of these 107mm launchers to the very foot of the Japanese-held city walls, we can blast the hell out of them while they are sleeping soundly!"

After a pause, Li Yunlong added: "Mr. Lin also said this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Oh? How so?" The Deputy Commander was intrigued.

Li Yunlong hurriedly replied: "Mr. Lin said that since we just wiped out the Sato Brigade, the Japanese must think we will shrink back into a defensive posture. Meanwhile, we assume the Japanese are brewing a counter-attack, so why not do the exact opposite?"

"Ha! Good! A brilliant 'opposite approach'!" The Division Commander clapped his hands, his eyes blazing with intensity. He was becoming increasingly curious about this Mr. Lin he had never met. This precise grasp of enemy psychology and the keen ability to seize a fleeting opportunity were top-tier.

The Deputy Commander nodded heavily. "Anything else? What else did Mr. Lin say?"

Li Yunlong thought for a moment and continued: "Mr. Lin also said that the best defense is offense! He thinks that if we are afraid to act, we must act all the more! We have to make the Japanese sleep with one eye open from now on!"

"Well said!" The room erupted in praise.

The Deputy Commander looked solemn, a hint of guilt on his face: "It seems... we underestimated Mr. Lin before! He is not only courageous but possesses unmatched strategic vision!"

"His grasp of human nature, the timing of battle, and the use of weaponry... to be able to see through the fog and seize this fleeting opportunity in such a short time... he is a man of true national talent!"

The Chief of Staff, the Division Commander, and the Brigade Commander all nodded vigorously in agreement.

The Deputy Commander’s gaze swept across the room with unprecedented resolve: "Comrades, do you think this plan... is feasible?"

The group fell into a brief, contemplative silence, their eyes exchanging thoughts.

The Chief of Staff spoke first: "Theoretically, it is entirely feasible! As long as our operations are meticulous, we pre-survey the coordinates of the Japanese barracks’ core areas, and calculate the firing range and scales, the range and fire density of these 107mm launchers will be enough to cover their command centers, barracks, and warehouses in a single volley!"

The Chief of Staff then changed his tone: "But... there is one issue. After the first volley, we will be outside the city. How will we know immediately if the shells hit their marks and struck their vital points? If the deviation is too great, subsequent adjustments will lose the element of surprise, and the effectiveness will be greatly diminished. If only we had someone... inside the city or at a high vantage point, providing real-time feedback on the impact points... that would be perfect!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Yunlong smacked his forehead, as if struck by a sudden realization: "Right! Mr. Lin also had me bring something else."

"What is it?" Everyone looked at Li Yunlong.

Li Yunlong carefully pulled two heavy black boxes from a guard's satchel. "Reporting to the commanders! Mr. Lin had me bring these!" he said with the excitement of someone presenting a treasure. "Mr. Lin said these are called walkie-talkies! As long as we are within ten kilometers, we can use them to talk in real-time, just like making a phone call!"

The Deputy Commander: ...
The Chief of Staff: ...
The Division Commander: ...
The Brigade Commander: ...

"This Mr. Lin... he is so well-prepared that it seems we have no choice but to fight," the Deputy Commander said with a wry smile.

The Division Commander laughed: "I think it’s a great opportunity. The meat is served on our plates; it would be a waste not to eat it!"

The Deputy Commander nodded: "Then let us plan it carefully. While the Japanese are busy plotting their schemes, we will do as Mr. Lin suggested and take the 'opposite approach'!"

"If this battle succeeds, it will shake North China and strike terror into the hearts of the enemy! I say we not only fight, but we fight with style!"

The Chief of Staff immediately asked: "What about the target? Which division shall we hit?"

The Deputy Commander looked at the Brigade Commander: "Which division is closest to the New First Regiment?"

"Reporting!" The Brigade Commander stood at attention. "It is the 36th Division!"

The Deputy Commander nodded firmly: "Then, we hit the 36th Division!"

The group stood at attention and shouted in unison: "Yes! Hit the 36th Division!"