Inside the command headquarters of a Grade-A brigade of the Japanese Army in Pingyi County, Takeshita Kongu stood over a tactical sandbox, working with his staff officers to simulate the maneuvers for the upcoming "mopping-up" operation.
Takeshita Kongu’s brow was furrowed, his gaze locked onto the terrain and the markers representing opposing forces on the sand table. He moved his command baton across the board, pointing as he spoke in Japanese: "This sweep must completely annihilate those resistance forces; we cannot give them a single moment to catch their breath. We shall split into columns here, here, and here, encircling them to ensure they have no way to escape..."
The staff officers nodded one after another. One of them pointed to a valley on the sandbox and said, "Colonel, this terrain is treacherous. Intelligence suggests that the Chinese army may have set an ambush here. Shall we send a reconnaissance squad to scout the path first?"
Chapter 190