allonlinenovel Chapter 161 Right Hook 2
Chapter 161 Right Hook 2
As the commander-in-chief of this Right Hook operation, Li Yi stood in the middle of the crowd with a smile on his face, accepting the military supplies sent by the gentry and common people.
Although these supplies are not expensive, each one represents the people's care and support for the soldiers.
In this lively scene, several officers wearing puppet army uniforms attracted people's attention.
They were once accomplices of the enemy, but now they have chosen to return to the side of justice.
Li Yi took the initiative to walk towards them, shook hands with them and expressed his respect.
He also encouraged these officers to continue their efforts, play their roles and make greater contributions to the country and its people.
However, Li Yi also knew that not all puppet troops could be forgiven.
Some puppet troops committed unforgivable crimes, bringing great suffering and losses to the people.
Therefore, those who commit heinous crimes must be punished according to law.
However, Li Yi said that he would give leniency to those puppet soldiers who were willing to repent and actively cooperate with the Chinese army to fight against Japanese invaders and traitors, and hoped that they could cherish this opportunity and start a new life.
After accepting the military supplies, Li Yi gave a brief and powerful speech to everyone present.
He thanked everyone for their support and trust, and said that he would lead the troops to fight bravely and defend the motherland's territory and the security of the people.
At the same time, he called on everyone to unite and resist foreign invasion together and work hard to achieve national rejuvenation.
Finally, he once again emphasized the importance of the rule of law, requiring everyone to abide by laws and regulations, maintain social order, and jointly build a prosperous and strong new China.
These local gentry and celebrities as well as representatives of the common people, who were very nervous when they came, felt much less pressure when they returned.
Although they did not get the guarantee from the 78th Army, General Li still told them: "As long as you do not do anything that hurts the national sentiments and do more things that help the new government, then the new government will welcome you."
This made everyone present feel relieved. After all, in this era, who doesn't want to find a safe place? In this era, the 78th Army Group is undoubtedly one of the safest places.
However, there was also a lot of controversy within the 78th Army Group on how to treat these people.
Some people think that since these people are traitors, they should be punished accordingly.
But there are also some people who think that most of these people are just ordinary people. They were forced to become traitors by the Japanese army. If they did not commit any serious crimes, there is actually no need to hold them accountable.
Because after all, they are the people who originally lived on this land, and war is not an option for them. These people just want to survive.
As long as they are not die-hard traitors and have not done anything outrageous, the new government should give them a chance to reform.
Finally, Wang Chun and the top leaders of the entire group army discussed and decided to execute only the main culprits. As for those ordinary people and puppet soldiers, as long as they were investigated and found no problems, they would not be held accountable.
But don't underestimate this meeting. After these gentry, merchants and representatives of the people went back, they spread the news of how powerful the national army was and what Commander Li had said to them, which immediately caused a sensation in the entire Hebei province.
The puppet troops in many places began to waver, and some principled people even began to prepare for a counterattack.
Li Yi, the instigator of all this, was sitting leisurely in his command center at this moment, humming a little tune and looking at the map.
"Hey, just wait!" He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a sly smile.
On the other hand, the atmosphere in the Japanese North China Front Command was extremely solemn. They learned that the Chinese had actually sent out a powerful assault corps to open up a second front just like their own.
Moreover, their strength is much stronger than the two divisions sent by the expeditionary force to Datong. According to the news brought by intelligence personnel, the Chinese armored corps that appeared in the direction of Baoding was so large that even the imperial intelligence personnel could not count it.
The Chinese armored columns were endless, which is what the intelligence officers described as what they saw.
Commander Okamura Neiji's face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out of it. He tightly grasped the intelligence report in his hand, staring at the words on it, and his face gradually turned ashen.
His eyes flashed with anger and anxiety, as if they were about to burn the paper.
"The empire is in danger!" Commander General Okamura Neiji murmured in a low voice with a slight tremor in his voice.
He never thought that he would lose his composure like this, but the information was so shocking that he couldn't remain calm.
"The strength of the Chinese people is far beyond our expectations, it is boundless!" His voice suddenly rose, with anger that was hard to conceal.
He slammed the table hard, his eyes full of unwillingness and helplessness.
"Hahaha...what a boundless one!" He laughed loudly, but his laughter was full of bitterness.
He thought back to the glorious days when the Japanese army was at its peak, sweeping across the Asian continent with invincibility.
However, now they are facing such an unfathomable and boundless opponent.
He slowly closed his eyes, and the figures of His Majesty the Emperor and the imperial elites far away in Tokyo appeared in his mind.
These people have always been confident in the war and firmly believe that Japan will achieve ultimate victory.
But now, he really wished they could see it with their own eyes and see what this so-called "boundlessness" really meant.
He knew that the war had reached a critical moment and if Japan failed to adjust its strategy in time, it would be doomed.
He decided to immediately summon all the generals to discuss countermeasures, and to stop the Chinese at any cost, because only in this way could Japan be saved from danger.
The staff officers beside him also had livid faces and remained silent.
This sudden attack caught them off guard and not only caused them heavy losses, but also made the Japanese army lose face.
Okamura Neiji adjusted his mood, took a few deep breaths and said to the officers of the First Column below him, "Gentlemen! Now we have to wait for news from Fujiwara-kun. Only if they conquer Datong, we still have a chance to negotiate with the Chinese and end the war between the two sides in a decent manner!"
After hearing the commander's words, these senior Japanese officers who had fought on the Chinese battlefield for many years did not object to the commander's statement.
No matter how many great achievements the Locust Army had made on the battlefields of China before, the empire is no longer in its heyday, and China is no longer the impoverished and weak country it once was.
Just the 78th Army Group alone was enough to overwhelm the entire North China Expeditionary Force, not to mention the millions of troops belonging to various factions in China.
Maybe they don't have the incredible fighting power of the 78th Army, but a large number of ants can kill an elephant.
The empire's main energy is focused on the Pacific battlefield, where it is now retreating step by step. The Americans have crossed the Solomon Islands and are approaching the Philippines.