Near the capital of Guangxi province, there stands a famous mountain peak known as Kunlun Pass.
This peak, towering over 300 meters, is known as a formidable stronghold.
Back in December 1939, a fierce battle erupted here between the National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army.
Led by General Du, tens of thousands of National Revolutionary Army soldiers launched a ferocious assault on the Kunlun Pass heights, annihilating over five thousand Japanese soldiers and defeating the Imperial Japanese Army's elite Fifth Division.
The Battle of Kunlun Pass is considered a major victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Later, the Japanese Army re-established their presence at Kunlun Pass, deploying heavy artillery and concrete bunkers on the heights, with 6,000 soldiers from the 23rd Independent Brigade.
…
The Japanese Army's defeat in Guangzhou had a significant impact on the entire Guangxi region, prompting all Japanese forces in Guangxi to retreat towards Kunlun Pass, with a combined strength exceeding ten thousand.
Brigade Commander Inoue Mura muttered, "This mountain is far more difficult to conquer than anticipated. Even during the last battle, the National Revolutionary Army suffered thousands upon thousands of casualties!"
"Prime Minister Tojo and Emperor Hirohito expect me to hold this position and intercept Lin Zheng's army!"
Brigade Commander Inoue Mura exuded confidence.
However, a sense of curiosity lingered in his mind. Why hadn't Lin Zheng's Red Alert army arrived yet?
Just then, he noticed a small black dot appearing in the sky.
The black dot emitted a deafening sonic boom.
It was a Black Hawk fighter jet, carrying twelve bombs adorned with a skull insignia.
Twelve poison gas bombs rained down upon the mountain's defensive positions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!…
A murky green mist and a pale pink toxic fog enveloped the mountain peak, completely engulfing the vast mountain fortress.
The Black Hawk fighter jet executed a turn in the sky, and the pilot announced, "Mission complete. Chemical poison gas bombs deployed. The entire mountain is now shrouded!"
Poison gas…
Brigade Commander Inoue Mura's eyes widened in disbelief. His body nearly collapsed, his hands shaking as he clung to a support. The Japanese Imperial Army had extensively used poison gas during the invasion war. They knew firsthand how terrifying it could be.
Terror, pure terror!
It's over! It's over!
From the Brigade Commander's terrified gaze, the poison gas spread across the mountain surface and seeped through ventilation shafts, descending into the depths. Its effect was even more potent and rapid than the Japanese poison gas.
Tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers suffered skin ulceration and suffocated to death.
Tens of thousands of Japanese corpses lay strewn across the mountainside…
…
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Sano Nakayoshi, who had been directing the Guangzhou campaign, was leading a retreating force of one thousand Japanese soldiers towards Kunlun Pass.
These one thousand men, their bodies bound with blood-soaked bandages, arrived at Kunlun Pass.
They were met with the sight of countless Japanese corpses.
Tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers were dead…
Lieutenant General Sano exclaimed, "The Imperial Army's garrison of ten thousand here is gone? It appears they perished from poison gas!"
"Is there a radio nearby? We must report this intelligence to the Tokyo Imperial Headquarters!"
…
Within the Tokyo Imperial Headquarters.
An Imperial conference was convened once again.
The cabinet members sat in somber silence.
Emperor Hirohito declared, "My esteemed officials, the defense line we established at Kunlun Pass forced Lin Zheng to resort to poison gas!"
"Lin Zheng undoubtedly possesses a variety of poison gas formulations and likely has more than one standardized type."
"The fact that he's able to deploy standardized poison gas suggests his reserves might range from hundreds to thousands of tons!"
"This is excellent news, indicating that they are engaging in international criminal acts…"
The widespread use of poison gas during World War I had resulted in millions of casualties among both military and civilians, leading to international agreements to limit its use in World War II.
Western nations generally maintained thousands of tons of poison gas reserves, like the German Empire, which opted not to employ poison gas during the intense urban warfare of the Eastern Front.
Emperor Hirohito's face was triangular, with eyes resembling triangles, giving him a somewhat sinister and weasel-like appearance.
"My esteemed officials! Lin Zheng dared to use poison gas… let the Western newspapers, particularly those of Britain, the United States, Germany, and Russia, witness Lin Zheng's true colors!"
…
At this moment.
In Europe.
The German Third Reich.
The Führer, an unsuccessful art student named Hitler, sat at his desk.
Intelligence Chief Admiral Canaris reported, "The Asian battlefields are currently ablaze with conflict… The Japanese Empire has suffered defeats in Southeast Asia and is experiencing continual setbacks in the Sino-Japanese War!"
"Particularly in the recent Battle of Kunlun Pass, the Japanese Army sustained ten thousand casualties from a poison gas attack!"
The unsuccessful art student's eyes lit up, his voice hoarse. "Poison gas?"
Germany produced tens of thousands of tons of poison gas annually, but it remained unused throughout World War II.
"If my German forces encounter an impregnable fortress or face a situation requiring a desperate measure, we could use poison gas!"
Intelligence Chief Admiral Canaris, speechless, could only stare in disbelief.
“!!!”
"Your Excellency, that's too cruel!"
Intelligence Chief Admiral Canaris reminded him, "Poison gas use in warfare results in excessive casualties, and its horrific nature would lead to widespread international condemnation if nations engaged in a full-scale poison gas war."
The unsuccessful art student contemplated this for a moment, his eyes flashing.
"I've been thinking… perhaps we should consider making Lin Zheng our ally instead?"