freenovelworld Chapter 959: All necessary measures may be taken to kill without mercy!
Chapter 959: All necessary measures may be taken to kill without mercy!
Inside the Japanese military police headquarters in the Tianjin Japanese Concession, the atmosphere was completely different.
Zhou Zhengqing's face instantly darkened as he looked at the translated telegram of Dai Li's reply brought back by Nanzo Yunzi.
"Need time to regroup? Wait for the right moment to act?" He sneered, his fingertips pinching the thin piece of paper as if he wanted to crush it: "Such a good opportunity is right in front of you, and you don't even dare to reach out and grab it. Can it wait for you? It'll be gone in the blink of an eye!"
He's always hesitant and fearful, incapable of accomplishing anything worthwhile, let alone anything significant! He's utterly hopeless!
He suddenly stood up, walked to the huge map of North China, and stared intently at the location of Nanjing.
As a time traveler who knew the course of history, he understood better than anyone how rare and precious the "internal strife" happening in Nanjing at this moment was.
Matsui Iwane's Central China Expeditionary Army and Matsui Michiko's elite Kwantung Army had broken off relations and were fighting each other to the death. The Japanese command system was in unprecedented chaos, and its combat effectiveness dropped sharply.
If a fresh force were to launch a fierce attack from the outside at this time, it could very likely cause an avalanche effect, or even destroy the main force of the Japanese army in China.
He originally planned to take this opportunity to weaken or even eliminate Matsui Iwane, a die-hard faction, by using the National Revolutionary Army, and at the same time to curry favor with China, laying the groundwork for his possible future "plans".
However, the Military Intelligence Bureau's reply was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing his expectations.
“Foolish, trash!” Zhou Zhengqing roared in a low voice, his mind flashing through the suffering that China had endured in this time and the possible fate of the future.
He had some expectations for the Chinese people in this era, hoping they could seize the glimmer of light in the cracks of history.
But Dai Li's caution was seen as cowardice by him, which greatly disappointed him.
Nanzo Yunzi stood to one side with her head bowed, not daring to utter a sound.
She had never seen Commander Takasaki so openly angry.
Zhou Zhengqing suddenly turned around, grabbed the precious Song Dynasty celadon teacup on the table, and smashed it hard on the ground!
Porcelain shards flew everywhere, the crisp sound of them shattering particularly jarring in the quiet office.
“Tell them!” Zhou Zhengqing’s voice was as cold as ice, carrying an undeniable determination, “There is only one chance! If we wait until Matsui Iwane is dealt with, the Kwantung Army is fully integrated, and the defenses of Nanjing are stabilized again, there will be no more such a good opportunity!”
Don't blame me for not warning you then!
Amidst his anger, a cold, murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
Since the plan to use external forces against them has been thwarted, it is imperative to ensure the thoroughness of the internal purge. Matsui Iwane must not be given any chance to turn the tide, nor should the Kwantung Army divisions be allowed to develop disloyalty after the victory.
What he wanted was a purged Japanese army force that would be completely obedient to him, Zhou Zhengqing.
"Send a telegram to Matsui!" He stopped looking at the debris on the ground and gave the order directly to Nanzo Yunzi, his tone resolute, "Order: Accelerate the general offensive, regardless of casualties or the facilities inside the city."
The primary objective is to capture or kill Matsui Iwane, thereby completely dismantling his command system.
"Any resistance from the Central China Expeditionary Army can be met with all necessary measures, including killing them without mercy!"
This order will undoubtedly add fuel to the already bloody Nanjing civil war.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
At the forward command post of Xiaolingwei in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing, Lieutenant General Matsui Masaru, commander of the 4th Division, received an urgent telegram from Zhou Zhengqing in Tianjin.
When the translator read out "We must capture Matsui Iwane alive" and "We may take all necessary measures," the air in the command post froze instantly.
Matsui Mikoto took the telegram with a blank expression, read it carefully twice, and suddenly a cold and eerie smile appeared on his lips.
He said nothing, but tore the telegram into pieces, piece by piece, and casually threw them on the ground.
The scraps of paper fell like snowflakes, carrying with them a chilling stillness.
Chief of Staff Major General Okada asked tentatively, "Division Commander, does General Takasaki mean...?"
Matsui raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the group of high-ranking officers in the command post. His voice was calm but carried an iron-like coldness: "Lord Takasaki has ordered us to end the war as soon as possible and eliminate the rebels. Gentlemen, you all understand what to do, right?"
After a brief pause, Matsui walked to the battle map and pointed heavily at the core area of Nanjing: "Order all regiments to advance the general offensive."
The artillery preparation time has been doubled, and the coverage area has been expanded to include all suspected enemy command posts, communication hubs, and supply depots.
Infantry units should not overemphasize assault techniques; in the event of fierce resistance, they can directly call for heavy artillery or air support to deliver a devastating blow.
He emphasized one point in particular, his voice low but clear enough to reach everyone's ears: "Tell all the battalion commanders and company commanders at the front that the fighting is fierce, and stray bullets are flying everywhere..."
If General Matsui Iwane were unfortunately struck by a stray bullet and died for his country, it would be a glorious end for him as a soldier of the Imperial Army. ... Do you understand?
The meaning behind these words was clear to all the officers present.
This was tacit approval, or even encouragement, to "accidentally" eliminate Matsui Iwane, the ultimate target, amidst the chaos.
In this way, the enemy can be completely eliminated, the political trouble that Matsui Iwane might cause in the future trial can be avoided, and the responsibility can be shifted to uncontrollable factors on the battlefield.
The ruthlessness of their methods and the depth of their calculations sent chills down the spines of many seasoned officers.
"Yes, sir!" the officers responded in unison, without raising any objections.
With the absolute authority of military police commander Takuto Takasaki and Kwantung Army warlord Kenkichi Ueda above, and the iron-fisted command of Matsui Michiko below, this "purge" operation has completely deviated from the original factional struggle and evolved into a war of annihilation that leaves no room for compromise and disregards consequences.
Orders were issued quickly.
The artillery positions of the Kwantung Army divisions besieging the city roared deafeningly once again, the artillery fire even more intense and violent than before, no longer distinguishing between military targets and civilian buildings, turning large areas of the city into a sea of fire.
Under the cover of tanks, the infantry launched a more ferocious and reckless charge.
In particular, the siege of the headquarters of the Central China Expeditionary Army intensified, with snipers and suicide squads taking turns to strike, clearly with the explicit intention of "decapitation".
The remnants of the Central China Expeditionary Army in Nanjing, already fighting like cornered beasts, were now in an even more desperate situation.
They discovered that their opponent's tactics had become unusually simple and brutal: to crush them with overwhelming firepower and manpower, completely disregarding the occupation and subsequent management.
Matsui Ishimoto himself also felt a deadly threat, and the frequency of relocating the command post increased significantly, but the space for maneuver was being compressed smaller and smaller.
Inside the Tianjin Gendarmerie Headquarters, Zhou Zhengqing stood alone by the window, gazing at the gloomy sky outside.
After issuing that cruel order, his anger subsided slightly, replaced by a profound sense of helplessness and a cold scrutiny.