Chapter 4: The Storm is Coming

  On the evening of that day, in the headquarters of the Second Independent Guard Unit of the South Manchurian Railway in Fengtianbei, the current commander of the guard unit, Shima Motoharu, was solemnly making a phone call.

  Behind him, two Japanese ronin with swords at their waists were waiting stealthily, and they turned out to be the two who had been taught a lesson by Zhang Xinghua in Fengtian City during the day.

  After being beaten, the two immediately took a train to leave Fengtian and arrived at the garrison of the 2nd Independent Guard Unit, where they reported to Shōma Masaharu about being publicly beaten by Chinese soldiers in Fengtian City.

  Shimomoto learned that at this very sensitive time, he was not sure what to do with himself, and immediately reported to the new senior staff officer of the Kwantung Army, who was urgently planning a detailed battle plan against the Northeastern Army, specifically against the Chinese garrison in Shenyang and Beidaying, Lt. Gen. Itagaki Seishirō and Director of Operations Ishiwara Kanji.

  The phone got through, and Shimamoto Masakazu reported the details of the incident to Ishihara Kanako on the other end of the phone.

  Ishihara Kanji was silent for a while after hearing this, and then his voice came over the phone.

  However, this time it was not Ishihara Kanji who spoke, but Itagaki Seishirō. On the other end of the phone, inside the Operations Department of the Japanese Kwantung Army Headquarters in Dairen, Itagaki Seishirō said in a serious tone: "Shimada-kun, listen carefully. The operational plan for the attack on Shina's Fengtian and Beidaying is still being urgently formulated, and we have not yet made sufficient preparations. For now, don't bother with this matter. I will notify the Consulate to put pressure on the Chinese and distract them, in order to provide effective cover and support for our next attack. Do you understand?

  "Ah, I understand." On the other end of the phone, Shimamoto Seiichi hastily nodded and hung up. He turned around with a dark face and coldly said to the two ronin, "This matter has already been handed over to the consulate, you can leave now."

  "Ah hai!" The two ghostly ronin simultaneously bowed their heads and immediately turned around, leaving together.

  ………

  Inside the conference hall of the Kwantung Army Headquarters in Dairen.

  Ittō Ryōsuke, who had just finished his conversation with Shimamoto Seiichi, slammed down the receiver and his face turned even more ferocious and gloomy. He said to Ishihara Kanji, who was sitting in front of him: "Ishihara, the Chinese soldiers are ridiculously arrogant, daring to beat up our overseas nationals on the street, it's really outrageous. I agree with the plan to launch an attack on the Northeastern Army the day after tomorrow."

  "It's alright, Itagaki. Don't get agitated. The day after tomorrow, we'll properly punish those arrogant and inferior Chinese people. Let them know the consequences of offending the Imperial Japanese Army - there's only one dead end."

  In fact, Itagaki Seishirō and Ishiwara Kanji had long been secretly planning to provoke a war, create an incident, and provide a pretext for the Japanese military to occupy Mukden and eventually all of Manchuria.

  It was only a short time that they hesitated to make up their minds, after all, with their current military strength in the Northeast, they were at an absolute disadvantage, and rashly provoking war would be extremely risky.

  To mention only the vicinity of Fengtian City, they had only the 29th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Division and an independent guard battalion. The 29th Infantry Regiment had about two to three thousand people, while the independent guard battalion led by Shigenori Shimamoto had only six hundred people, divided into four companies.

  The whole city of Fengtian was garrisoned with a large number of troops and police inside the city, and at least tens of thousands of elite Northeastern Army soldiers were stationed in the Beida Camp more than ten miles north of the city.

  And the one that was close to the Northeast Army's 7th Brigade in Beidaying was none other than Shima Kiyohito's 2nd Independent Guard Unit, with a huge disparity in military strength, and rashly opening fire would be full of unknown variables.

  Moreover, if an attack was to be launched, the Japanese army could only divide its forces into two routes and simultaneously launch attacks on Fengtian City and Beidaying, because neither Itagaki Seishirō nor Ishiwara Kanji dared to confirm whether all Japanese troops concentrated near Fengtian City could defeat the Northeast Army's Independent 7th Brigade stationed in Beidaying before reinforcements from the Northeast Army arrived.

  Because he was the ace of aces in the Northeast Army, the elite troops of Zhang Xueliang's direct lineage, well-equipped and well-trained, their combat effectiveness should not be underestimated.

  After all, once the Japanese army concentrated over 3,000 troops to attack Beidaying, regardless of whether the battle was a stalemate or the Japanese army captured Beidaying at a great cost, would they still have the strength to take down Shengjing city, which had already been fortified and had high walls, before the arrival of the Northeast Army reinforcements?

  The answer is definitely no.

  Therefore, Itagaki Seishirō and Ishiwara Kanji decided that if an attack were to be launched, it would have to be done in two routes, with the 29th Infantry Brigade, which had more troops and stronger combat power, launching a surprise attack on Shenyang City and taking it by force.

  Shimamoto's second guard regiment was responsible for launching a night raid on Beidaying, not seeking to defeat the Northeastern Army in Beidaying, but only to tie them down and gain time for the main force to capture Shenyang and wait for reinforcements.

  In this way, as long as the 29th Infantry Brigade took down Shenyang City in time and reinforcements arrived in time, it would be much easier to deal with the Seventh Brigade of Beidaying.

  However, with only 600 people, whether they can hold back the tens of thousands of troops in the Seventh Brigade is also a matter of great concern for Itagaki Seishirō and Ishiwara Kanji, so they have been hesitant to make a decision.

  While Zhang Xinghan's beating of two Japanese ronin on the street today has increased Tanaka Shigenojo's determination to provoke a fight, even if there was no Zhang Xinghan incident, it would have been only a matter of time before Tanaka and others made up their minds. Perhaps it would have happened a day or several hours later.

  The historical event of September 18th Incident happened on this day, which is now unavoidable.

  Zhang Xinghan's actions only slightly accelerated and guided the process, just like a pile of dry firewood that was about to reach its critical point and ignite, Zhang Xinghan's actions simply made it burn a little earlier.

  ……………

  At the same time, the Northern University Army barracks.

  Zhang Xinghan had parted with Wang Ruo Ying in the afternoon and returned to the military camp, after dinner, Zhang Xinghan brought Deputy Regimental Commander Liu Jianguo and several other officers to the vegetable field outside their defense zone.

  Speaking of this dish, it has to be said that the current commander of the 7th Brigade, General Wang Yizhe, since the 7th Brigade was stationed in Beidaying, he has been trying to improve the troops' food and strive for self-sufficiency to alleviate the financial burden on his superiors (Zhang Xueliang).

  Firstly, a munitions factory was set up. Then, soldiers with skills and strong learning abilities were selected from the entire troop to establish various factories such as leather shoes, tooth powder, socks, etc.

  The goods produced by the factory, in addition to being used by the officers and soldiers of the Seventh Brigade, were also sold wholesale to some small merchants or sold directly by special personnel in the Fentian City market. As a result, all the battalions of the Seventh Brigade made money in half a year.

  All this money was spent on the officers and men of the Seventh Regiment itself, either by adding it to their pay or using it to improve their food and living standards.

  Later, Wang Zhiyuan mobilized the entire regiment to reclaim all the vacant land between the barracks in Beida Camp and the wasteland outside the camp with dense weeds, and planted various melons, fruits and vegetables to improve the diet of the officers and soldiers.

  Therefore, the empty land outside Beida Ying, except for the main road outside the military camp gate, most of the wasteland has been opened up and utilized.

  Everywhere was a vegetable melon field, Zhang Xinghan and his party came to the white cabbage field of their camp.

  After walking back and forth in the cabbage field for several laps, Zhang Xinghan's gaze fell on the forest far away from the cabbage field. The distance from the Beidaying camp was about 700-800 meters. On the other side of the forest is the South Manchurian Railway, and not far from the railway is the Japanese Second Independent Guard Brigade.

  If the Japanese army comes to attack, this forest will provide the Japanese with excellent natural cover, which is conducive to their rapid approach to the Seventh Brigade camp.

  Xing Han stared at the forest in front of him for a long time without speaking, and Deputy Camp Chief Liu Jianguo asked puzzled: "Camp seat, what's wrong with that place?"

  "Build the country, you immediately gather all the workers in our camp, concentrate all the landmines and explosives in our camp, and have me densely bury a large number of landmines in that grove and the cabbage field on our side. If there are not enough landmines, then use more hand grenades instead." Zhang Xinghan did not respond to Liu Jianguo, but instructed him instead.

  "Lay down landmines? Why? This way, our people won't be able to get out either! This cabbage field has a cooking class coming to pick every day." Liu Jianguo was even more puzzled.

  "You don't need to ask about this, you'll naturally know when the time comes, just do as I say. I'm going to the team department to find Team Leader." Zhang Xinghan said calmly.

  "Oh, okay." Liu Jianguo nodded in agreement and turned around with Zhang Xinghan to head back to the camp.

  Ten minutes later, at the headquarters of the 620th Regiment.

  Zhang Xing Han saluted Team Leader Wang Tiehan with a standard military salute and said, "Team Leader, I don't know if I disturbed your rest?"

  "Hehe, no need, I'm reading a book." Wang Tiehan saw Zhang Xinghan so seriously smiling and waving his hand to signal: "Come, sit down."

  Zhang Xinghan sat down as he was told, and Wang Tiehan asked: "What's this, have you come to find me for something?"

  Zhang Xinghan sat up straight, looking at Wang Tiehan with a serious expression: "Comrade Commander, I came to see you in the middle of the night because there is something important I need to tell you."

  "What's going on?" Wang Tiehan put down the book in his hand and asked curiously.

  "According to intelligence, the Japanese South Manchurian Railway Independent Guard Unit stationed not far from our camp has been frequently mobilized recently, with an increase in troops. The gendarmerie along the railway line have also changed shifts. Moreover, Japanese merchants near Shenyang Station (South Manchuria Station) have all put on military uniforms. I suspect that the Japanese may want to provoke a war, and we must be prepared." Zhang Xinghan said the words he had previously prepared, because he couldn't directly tell Wang Tiehan that the Japanese would launch a simultaneous attack on Shenyang and Beidaying on September 18th, the day after tomorrow.

  So all that can be said is that these are indeed historical events, with the purpose of reminding Wang Tien-han to consolidate his defense and raise his vigilance.

  Although three regiments were stationed in Beida Camp, it was unrealistic for Zhang Xinghan, the regimental commander of a single regiment, to require the other two regiments to strengthen their vigilance and prepare for battle.

  So Zhang Xinghan could only pin his hopes on Wang Tiehan's 620 Regiment, the only one that had resisted in the Battle of Beidaying.

  The total strength of the 620 troops is over 3,000 people. Not counting their own third battalion, there are still more than 2,000 people left. If these 2,000 people can be put into battle and stay with the third battalion to defend Beidaying together, not only can they hold on to Beidaying, but also annihilate the few hundred Japanese troops that came to attack.

  Only after holding on to Beida Camp and solving the Japanese Second Independent Guard Battalion could Zhang Xinghan proceed with his next plan.

  However, Wang Tiehan's response was somewhat unexpected by Zhang Xinghan. After listening to Zhang Xinghan's report, Wang Tiehan showed no surprise at all, but instead said calmly: "Oh, I thought it was something important. What you've told me, I already knew about and reported to the brigade headquarters. After discussion, everyone agreed that this is just a normal rotation of Japanese troops, nothing to be alarmed about."

  "After all, such frequent movements of Japanese people are not unprecedented. However, in order to be on the safe side, I have ordered each battalion and company to raise their vigilance."