NCCnovel Chapter 927 Reserve Plan
Chapter 927 Reserve Plan
Takehide Tojo sat behind his desk with a serious expression, his eyes as sharp as torches, staring directly at Watanabe Motoyasu who was standing opposite him.
"Watanabe-kun," Tojo Takehiko's voice was deep and powerful, "I order you to immediately collect information on all the imperial reserve soldiers. We must be prepared to form a reserve army at any time and send them to the front line."
Watanabe Motoyasu frowned upon hearing this, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes. "But, Prime Minister," he said carefully, "most of these reserve soldiers have never experienced the cruelty of the battlefield and lack the necessary combat skills and experience. If we rashly send them to the front line, I'm afraid..."
Tojo Takehiro took a deep breath and interrupted Watanabe Motoyasu: "Watanabe-kun, I understand your concerns. But you also know that our empire is now at a critical juncture of life and death. The Chinese army is approaching, and the situation is precarious. Every inch of land and every moment of time are crucial. Even if we can delay the Chinese army for one more day, or even one more hour, it will be a great contribution to the fate of the empire."
He stood up, walked to the window, and stared at the dark night sky outside. "I know this decision is cruel. But it is our duty as soldiers, and it is a responsibility we must bear. We cannot watch the foundation of the empire being destroyed."
Watanabe Motoyasu was silent for a moment, and finally nodded slowly, saying in a low voice: "I understand, Prime Minister. I will start preparations immediately and do my best to ensure that these reserve soldiers can receive the most basic training and increase their survival rate as much as possible."
Tojo Yuei turned around, his eyes revealing a hint of approval: "Very good, Watanabe-kun. I have always trusted your loyalty and ability. Let us make our final efforts together for the future of the empire."
The Fuso military system hides a unique operating model, especially in the construction of its reserve system, which embodies the concept of everyone being a soldier and family and country being one.
According to Fuso law, every adult male in a family, regardless of his noble or humble origin, must fulfill a sacred and heavy obligation: to serve in the military for two years.
Every time spring turns to autumn, batches of young people, with their visions of the future and fears of the unknown, step into the gates of military camps. There, they receive rigorous training, learn combat skills, sharpen their wills, and forge themselves into the sharp blades of the state machine.
However, these two years of military service are not the end, but another beginning.
When they took off their military uniforms and reintegrated into society as merchants, farmers, craftsmen or scholars, a new identity came with them - reserve soldiers.
This means that although they have returned to their daily lives, the responsibilities and missions of the soldiers are still with them, and they are always ready to respond to the call of the country.
In peacetime, these reserve soldiers may only occasionally participate in some training to maintain basic military literacy; but when the war is tense and the country is facing a crisis, they will be quickly mobilized, gather together from all directions, put on the familiar military uniforms again, take up weapons, and become the strongest backing for the front line.
There was a sense of urgency in the air in Watanabe Motoyasu's office.
He sat at the head of the conference table, his brows furrowed, his eyes darting back and forth between several military ministers.
"Everyone," Watanabe Motoyasu's voice was steady and powerful, breaking the silence in the room, "Now, we are faced with a difficult task - to gather 200,000 reserve soldiers in the shortest possible time and ensure that they can arrive at the front line smoothly, while solving their supply problems. This is a test of your abilities, and we have no way out."
A minister, with a haggard face, obviously had not had a good rest for many days. He said: "Minister Watanabe, it is not easy to recruit reserve soldiers. They are scattered all over the country, and some have already integrated into civilian life. It is extremely difficult to gather them in a short period of time."
Watanabe nodded to show his understanding, but his words revealed an unquestionable firmness: "I understand, but we must do our best. I propose that we immediately activate the nationwide mobilization mechanism and quickly convey the call to arms through local governments and military agencies. At the same time, we should use all available means of transportation, including trains, cars, and even ships, to ensure that they can assemble as soon as possible."
Another minister added: "Regarding the supply issue, I suggest that we immediately coordinate with the logistics department to develop a detailed supply plan. At the same time, consider setting up temporary supply stations near the front line to ensure that the soldiers can continue to get the supplies they need."
Just as everyone was discussing heatedly and trying to find the best solution, a staff officer hurriedly pushed the door open, his face full of fear and anxiety: "Minister Watanabe, urgent information! The Chinese Central Plains Corps, with Waka Castle as its base camp, launched an unprecedented air raid on Osaka. Half of Osaka Castle was almost bombed into ruins, with countless casualties, and panic spreading among the people."
As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the conference room, and everyone's face showed an expression of disbelief. Watanabe Motoyasu's face turned pale in an instant, and he stood up suddenly, his eyes were like torches: "This... How is this possible!"
He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, and then quickly issued an order: "Immediately contact Osaka to understand the specific situation, and mobilize surrounding military forces for emergency rescue. At the same time, notify all departments to speed up the call and assembly of reserve soldiers. We must respond to this crisis more quickly and more forcefully."
In a narrow alley in Kyoto's Kosato district, several figures hurried over, clutching a few crumpled newspapers in their hands, their faces filled with fear and anxiety.
"Have you heard? Osaka suffered an air raid. I heard that half of the city was destroyed!" A middle-aged man in coarse clothes spoke with a trembling voice, and the newspaper in his hand shook slightly because of nervousness.
"Really? How is this possible! Osaka is a big city, how could it be so easily..." A young woman next to her was pale, obviously shocked by the sudden news and speechless.
"It's absolutely true. Look, it's written in the newspaper!" Another thin old man raised the newspaper in his hand high and pointed at the headline on it. The headline was written in bold black letters: "Osaka suffered an air raid, an unprecedented disaster!"
People gathered around, scrambling to read the newspapers. Although the words on the newspapers were brief, every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting their hearts. In the pictures, flames shot up into the sky, ruins were everywhere, people ran in panic, and cries and explosions intertwined, forming a picture of hell on earth.
"What should we do? Osaka is like this, how can Kyoto be safe?" The young woman's voice was tearful, and her eyes were full of fear and helplessness about the future.
"Alas, these days, with wars constantly going on, there is no place that is absolutely safe!" The old man sighed, his eyes full of helplessness and desolation.