0p0 Chapter 177: I was just worried about finding an excuse to criticize the Eighth Route Army, but now
Chapter 177: I was just worried about finding an excuse to criticize the Eighth Route Army, but now
At that moment, the Military Control Commission colonel, watching the division commander return to his office, his face flushed crimson, veins bulging on his forehead as he trotted into the office of a division commander of the National Security Army. His chest heaving violently, he gasped for breath. As soon as he stood still, he snapped to attention and gave the division commander a standard military salute, though his hand was still trembling slightly, betraying his inner turmoil.
"Division Commander!" The colonel staff officer shouted at the top of his voice, his eyes quickly filled with tears, and bean-sized tears rolled down his cheeks. "You have to make the decision for me!" He cried and wiped his tears with his hands, his voice becoming a little sharp because of excitement.
"This operation is completely lawless!" The colonel's eyes flashed with cunning and resentment. He paced back and forth in front of the division commander, waving his hands constantly. "They completely disregarded military discipline. They arbitrarily decided on the battle plan and got involved with that 'phantom' who appeared out of nowhere. That 'phantom' is obviously not a good person. He is sneaky and who knows what his purpose is! He might be a Japanese spy. Moreover, they are colluding with the Eighth Route Army. This is a blatant violation of our principles and lawlessness to the extreme!"
At this point, the colonel staff officer suddenly stopped, his expression becoming even more distorted. "And that 'Phantom' is simply a brutal thug! I was just upholding my military duty and raising reasonable questions about their reckless and dangerous behavior, but he rushed up and attacked me without saying a word. I think he was acting with such ferocity on purpose. Just because I'm from the Central Army, he wanted to show me his power. This is a blatant provocation to the authority of our entire Central Army! Division Commander, if you don't take care of this, how are you going to lead this team in the future? Where is the prestige of this army?"
The division commander sat in a chair behind his desk, leaning forward slightly, his hands folded on the table, his expression sullen enough to drip with water. He listened quietly to the staff colonel's story, his eyes fixed on him unblinking. His fingers tapped the table rhythmically, a "tap, tap" sound that felt like a thud against the colonel's heart. The division commander silently weighed the pros and cons. He knew full well that the relationships within the Military Control Commission were a complex tangle, and this incident, involving the Eighth Route Army, further complicated the already delicate situation. A single mishanded move could trigger a chain reaction not limited to the Military Control Commission and the National Security Forces, but could even impact the operational deployment and morale of the entire theater. He also knew that the man before him had risen to the rank of staff colonel thanks to his brother-in-law's connections as a corps commander. He truly knew nothing... but he was currently his subordinate. If the "phantom" struck the staff colonel, it would be a slap in the face. I was just worried that my superiors were saying they were going to curb the development of the Eighth Route Army, and I couldn't find an excuse to find fault with them. Now, here's my chance...
Upon learning of the division commander's plan, the captain of the Military Intelligence Bureau's special operations team felt a pang of anxiety. He knew that if he mishandled the matter, it would not only put him in a difficult position, but could also trigger unnecessary conflict between the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Eighth Route Army, potentially impacting the entire war effort. After much deliberation, he decided to take the initiative. Taking advantage of the situation, he brought two trusted aides and, along with personnel dispatched by the National Security Army division commander, headed to an Eighth Route Army division headquarters to try to defuse the conflict before it escalated.
The atmosphere along the way was heavy and oppressive. The Military Control Commissioner wore a stern expression as he pondered his response. His two trusted aides also wore nervous expressions, constantly monitoring their surroundings. The troops dispatched by the National Security Army division commander carried a touch of arrogance and hostility, seemingly already convinced of the Eighth Route Army's "fault" and waiting to confront the divisional commander.
Upon arriving at the Eighth Route Army division headquarters, they were politely received by the soldiers and led to a conference room to wait. Soon, several Eighth Route Army leaders walked in, their eyes revealing determination and composure, but with friendly smiles on their faces, attempting to ease the somewhat tense atmosphere.
The military commander rose first, saluted respectfully, and said, "Commanders, we've come here to clear up some misunderstandings. We've collaborated with your army in recent operations, but some minor frictions have arisen, exaggerated by those with ulterior motives, leading to the current unpleasant situation. We hope to communicate candidly, clarify matters, and avoid unnecessary disputes. After all, our common enemy is the Japanese army, and we cannot afford to lose our composure."
The Guoan Army division commander's men snorted coldly and interrupted, "What misunderstanding? Your people openly assaulted our colonel staff officer. That's a fact! And you have murky dealings with the Eighth Route Army. How can we be assured?"
An Eighth Route Army leader frowned slightly and said seriously, "We have always upheld the principle of unity in the fight against Japan, and our cooperation with all friendly forces is to fight the Japanese invaders. As for the so-called beating incident, we need to understand the specific circumstances and cannot draw conclusions based on one side of the story. Our troops have strict discipline and would not do such a thing without reason."
The Military Control Commissioner quickly agreed, "Yes, we believe in the Eighth Route Army's discipline. The situation was quite complicated, and Mr. 'Phantom''s actions may have been somewhat extreme, but they were also caused by reasons. We hope to sit down and clarify the cause and effect of this matter, rather than allowing the conflict to escalate further."
Afterward, both sides began to detail their respective understandings. During the exchange, the Military Intelligence Bureau captain, intentionally or unintentionally, revealed some of the colonel's staff's inappropriate behavior and negative performance during the operation, attempting to assure the Eighth Route Army that the incident was not their fault. The Eighth Route Army leadership also stated that they would investigate "Phantom's" behavior and, if any inappropriate behavior was confirmed, would be dealt with and educated accordingly.