Chapter One: You're Nothing But a Useless Wretch!
Alternate world.
In early October 1937, the invaders began their southern advance to conquer Jin Province.
In less than a month, the gateway city of Xinkou fell, followed swiftly by Lady’s Pass.
The enemy pressed directly to the gates of Taiyuan.
Though the defenders of Taiyuan fought valiantly and shed their blood, they were ultimately overwhelmed by their losses and could no longer resist.
By November, Taiyuan—the provincial capital—had fallen into enemy hands.
With this, more than half the northwest region of Daxia was completely lost to the invaders’ control.
Yet, the enemy did not halt their advance.
The commander-in-chief of the North China Expeditionary Army, General Terauchi, issued orders to attack the remaining strongholds of Changye, Jin City, and Linfen in Jin Province.
Their aim was to cross the Yellow River to the west, following Kublai Khan’s path during the fall of the Southern Song, and to bring about the total destruction of Daxia.
Tens of thousands of enemy troops, guilty of countless crimes of rape and pillage, continued to converge from all corners of Jin Province.
Weapons and ammunition produced at the Taiyuan Arsenal were being shipped south to the frontlines near Changye.
A ceaseless barrage of aircraft and artillery pounded Changye day and night.
The enemy headquarters sought to use this campaign to shatter the spirit and backbone of the people of Daxia once and for all!
Ominous, heavy clouds cast their shadow over all of Jin Province—a massive battle was about to erupt!
...
Jin City, Temporary Headquarters of the Jin-Sui Army.
Commander-in-Chief of Daxia’s Second War Zone, Chairman of the Jin Provincial Government, First Rank General Yan Laoxi.
He wore a grim expression as he faced General Terauchi, whose intent was clearly to annihilate them.
There was no alternative; Yan Laoxi could only summon the remaining officers of the Jin-Sui Army in Jin City to hear their counsel.
“At present, the Sakata Regiment, serving as the enemy’s vanguard, has already reached the front at Changye and will soon launch an assault.”
“In addition, the 5th Division, as well as the 11th and 12th Divisions of the Kwantung Army, are en route to Changye as we speak.”
“Meanwhile, the 20th Division, along with the 108th and 109th Divisions, are quickly assembling.”
“By conservative estimate, the enemy has committed at least a hundred thousand troops to this offensive—not at all fewer than those used in the assault on Taiyuan.”
...
With each intelligence report delivered by the staff, the faces of the gathered generals darkened further.
Many present had already faced these enemy divisions in battle.
Initially, most of the Jin-Sui Army officers had believed it was only the Feng Army’s poor equipment and cowardly commander that had allowed the enemy to take the four northern provinces without a fight.
But they were not the same as the Feng Army.
Ten corps, four security columns, four cavalry divisions, seven artillery brigades, hundreds of mountain and field guns—mortars, submachine guns, even light machine guns issued down to the squad level.
Their soldiers were largely veterans of the Central Plains War, all men who had seen blood.
...
The Jin-Sui Army could be said to be strong and well-equipped, their morale high.
Moreover, Baldy had sent considerable reinforcements from other Nationalist units.
Yan Laoxi felt confident, eager for a fight, hoping to give Terauchi a taste of defeat.
Yet reality delivered a harsh blow.
In barely a month and a half, the greater part of Jin Province was lost.
They, too, had been driven to the banks of the Yellow River by the enemy.
Even Baldy, who had once stood with Yan Laoxi, withdrew his troops from Jin Province when he saw the situation was dire.
Now, in all of Jin Province, only the battered remnants of the Jin-Sui Army remained, along with a handful of local units who had volunteered to help.
With each piece of bad news, Yan Laoxi’s frown deepened.
“What about the international response?”
“Didn’t Great Britain, America, and France declare they would sanction the enemy?”
“Why haven’t those bastards done anything!”
The officers echoed Yan Laoxi’s words, voicing their condemnation of the Western powers.
But no one knew what to do next.
At heart, Yan Laoxi was a businessman, always calculating his options.
After weighing the pros and cons, he finally sighed.
“Ah, I cannot bear for the good people of Changye, Jin City, and Linfen to suffer reprisals from the Japanese because of this war.”
“Therefore, I’ve decided we must preserve our remaining strength and order a strategic withdrawal of all forces to the north bank of the Yellow River, holding the southern shore by relying on the river’s natural defenses!”
At these words, every officer present was stunned!
He called it preserving strength and a strategic withdrawal, but in truth, it was flight!
Though none believed they could hold Changye, Jin City, or Linfen, no one had suggested fleeing without firing a shot!
At the very least, they should put up a fight, make an effort, show the people of Jin Province and the whole country.
Let it be known that it was not the Jin-Sui Army that was weak, but the enemy that was simply too strong.
But now, the Commander-in-Chief of the Second War Zone, Provincial Chairman, and First Rank General was proposing to be the first to run.
This was unacceptable.
Immediately, voices of dissent arose.
“Chairman, if we lose Changye, Jin City, and Linfen, we’ll have nothing left in Jin Province!”
“That’s right, at least put up a fight; otherwise, the people will never forgive us!”
But Yan Laoxi dismissed all objections, insisting on retreat.
“Ah, it’s not that I don’t want to fight the Japanese. The Jin-Sui Army simply can’t endure any more!”
“We had everything we needed, and yet two of our divisions couldn’t defeat a single enemy regiment.”
“Now, we’re short on men and supplies, our arsenal lost; every bullet we fire is one less we have!”
“Wouldn’t it be better to regroup on the southern bank, rebuild our factories, produce more arms, and then counterattack?”
Those who remained were all men who understood “flexibility.”
The hardliners, those with true mettle, had already perished at Taiyuan.
Hearing Yan Laoxi’s reasoning, many fell silent.
He was right.
If they couldn’t win at full strength, to fight now would be to send men to their deaths.
Their lives were their own, after all!
Seeing no further objections, Yan Laoxi breathed a sigh of relief.
“Since everyone agrees with my plan, the withdrawal will proceed—”
Suddenly, a jarring voice cut him off.
“So, the Jin-Sui Army intends to desert?”
“Hahaha! Nonsense, this isn’t desertion—it’s a strategic withdrawal, a withdrawal!”
“Fleeing without a fight is desertion! Damn it all, according to military law, such men should be shot!”
Who dared speak so brazenly?
Such insolence!
Instantly, all eyes turned toward the source of the disturbance.
They saw, at the end of the table, two officers in different uniforms exchanging remarks.
One of Yan Laoxi’s loyalists, seeing the two dressed as mere junior officers, barked at them.
“Who do you think you are? Just a pair of low-ranking officers, daring to challenge Chairman Yan’s orders!”
To his surprise, the young man who had been silent until now looked at him coldly.
“Zhou Weiqiang, who the hell do you think you are—to presume to lecture my men!”
“Just these so-called low-ranking officers led a whole battalion to help your 34th Brigade wipe out the enemy pursuing you!”
“And where was their proper brigade commander then?”
“Running faster than a rabbit, abandoning his own troops!”
“If not for them, would your 4,000 men of the 34th Brigade still be alive?”
“You’re a disgrace!”
“What did you say?”
“I said you’re a disgrace—a complete and utter disgrace!”