"What do you call this thing?" Lieutenant Domiel picked up the small plate with the dip and smelled it. The smell was not very good.

"Man, we call this man, it smells strange, but it tastes very good." Martin Ruan Sergeant diligently introduced the food of his hometown to the new boss.

Hearing the sergeant's introduction, as a senior foodie, Lieutenant Domiel did not hesitate to use his finger to pick up a little liquid from the small plate and stuff it into his mouth. "Huh?" Domiel's eyes could not help but widen, a wonderful salty taste that had never been tasted before.

"Okay, I like the taste. It seems to be made from some kind of seafood or shellfish."

"The lieutenant is really a knowledgeable person. This is made from the fermentation of sea fish. It is our local specialty in Beiqi." Sergeant Martin Ruan praised his company commander with an exaggerated expression.

Lieutenant Domiel took office five days ago as the commander of the three companies, one battalion and three companies of the Tokyo Infantry Regiment of French Indochina. The Tokyo here is not the one on the east island, but the capital of the Annan Dynasty, which was later renamed the one in Hanoi. After the French occupied Vietnam, they simply referred to the northern part of Vietnam as the center of Tokyo, which is the area called Beiqi by the Vietnamese. The Tokyo Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment formed in the Tokyo area of ​​Vietnam. As the name suggests, the purpose of forming this team is of course for the defensive mission in the northern region of Vietnam.

In the early days, most of the infantrymen’s soldiers came from France and the local French nationals. They were under the management of the French Army Department and belonged to the regular French army. However, with the evolution of history, this infantry regiment, like other colonial troops, slowly Start localization. Especially under the management of the former humanist governor, the Tokyo Infantry Regiment began to recruit Vietnamese soldiers. Sergeant Martin Ruan entered the French army at that time. As a native Vietnamese, Sergeant Nguyen Nguyen can become a non-commissioned officer in the French army, which can be regarded as a remarkable achievement, except that he is clever and clever and speaks fluent French. Being good at observing, observing, and imagining the boss's mind should play a big role in it. The sergeant was originally called Ruan Fuyou, and the name Martin was given to him casually by the registrar of the recruitment office. Simple and unobtrusive, the sergeant was very satisfied.

"I will go to Tongdeng Defense Command once in the afternoon. You can go with me. At night we live in Tongdeng City." Lieutenant Domiel tore a piece of white bread from the bread blue and dipped some fish from the plate Put it in his mouth after showing it.

"Thank you very much, Lieutenant. I know a few very good places in the same city." Lieutenant Domiel immediately understood what looked at Sergeant Ruan's smile. But he nodded sternly to the flexible man.

"Sir, the 5th outpost called, and their patrol team found that a Japanese army was crossing Jinjiling and was quickly heading in the direction of Tongdeng." Sergeant Norva on duty in the communications class ran into a small break Room, waving a phone record in his hand.

"What? When did this happen." Domiel stood up and took the record.

"Twenty minutes ago, the patrol sent someone to the post to report that they should continue to follow each other."

"It's really damn." Domiel quickly ran out of the lounge, walked into the company's war room, and spread out the map of the Tongdeng defensive area on the map table.

"According to what was told on the phone, this Japanese unit was at this location." Sergeant Noirwa pointed to a ridge on the map.

"If they continue along this mountain path. You can reach Highway 4 by crossing this ridge."

"This crazy little dwarf, this is a flagrant armed invasion, they must have made adequate preparations. Even if they escaped the second and third posts, if the patrol was sent by the fifth post, it is likely that they will appear in When we were under our nose, we still found nothing."

Although Lieutenant Domiel had just transferred to this stronghold and was not very familiar with the local environment and geography, he possessed the military qualities generally lacked by local officers. On his way to office, he had repeatedly studied this area of ​​defense. The maps and information provided a clear view of the defense and strength of this area.

"We should report immediately to the superior of the regiment headquarters, this is a serious diplomatic incident." Sergeant Nowal suggested.

"No. It's not like an accident. They have crossed the border. The purpose of the operation is very clear. This is a military operation, sergeant. This is a war." Lieutenant Domiel took a hard look at the map. Subsequently, the position of the Japanese army and the time of discovery were marked on the map with a red pencil, and then an extension line of the road was traced on the map.

"If they continue to move forward, they may meet our stronghold directly. Immediately gather in an emergency, first-level combat readiness, distribute the ammunition, and summon all the platoon leaders to the headquarters to gather. Sergeant Ruan, you go to pick a machine gun squad, strengthen one. Machine Gun Castle, I order you to stay there, no one can pass from Highway 4 without my order."

"Observe, Lieutenant."

"Understood, Lieutenant." The two non-commissioned officers quickly stood up to salute the company commander and turned to rush out of the war room. Domière dropped the pencil, strode to the phone, slammed the handle of the magnet phone a few times, and then picked up the handset.

"Here is the a3 stronghold. I'm Lieutenant Domiel. I'll take the boarding command and ask Lieutenant Colonel Philip to listen to the call." Domiel sat at the desk and flipped out under the messy documents on the table. Half a pack of cigarettes, he shook a cigarette in his mouth, held the microphone between his shoulders and neck, and freed his hand to stroke the match and lighted the cigarette.

"I am Philip." The commander of the garrison zone sounded on the phone.

"Sir, I'm Lieutenant Domiel, and I have an emergency to report to you now." Domiel threw the match in his hand and picked up the telephone receiver to report loudly.

As a border transportation hub, Tong Deng has always been the focus of French colonial authorities. As the first town to enter Vietnam from the direction of Zhennanguan, the perennial border trade has created its prosperity. And as the junction of Vietnam's railway and highway system to Nanning, China, Tongdeng has a layer of strategic value. As long as it occupies this city, it can effectively cut off the circulation of materials in northern Vietnam and China. At the same time, she is also the main transportation node from the border to the mainland of Vietnam. The train from Tongdeng can go directly to Taiyuan and Hanoi through Langshan. It is also connected to the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway.

The French were well aware of the military and economic value of this small city, so a standard garrison area was set up in Tongdeng and a colonial infantry battalion was stationed all year round. Due to the limited number of French colonial forces. Therefore, the French follow the usual way of thinking. If the strength is not enough, they are supplemented by a strong fortress. The colonial government recruited a large number of migrant workers. A sturdy fort was built on the flat-topped mountain in the same area as the center of Dengcheng, and the firepower can cover a large number of surrounding peaks and passes.

Due to the late construction time of the fort, according to the French army's best efforts to pursue lying down and fighting, the facilities and configuration of this fort are very modern. In addition to the ordinary restaurant and bathroom, it is even equipped with a ballroom and officer bridge room, and the decoration is as usual. Luxury and comfort. So when the fort was completed, the garrison headquarters immediately moved in there. The officers can finally enjoy a leisurely day like the group of guys on the domestic Maginot line.

After receiving the call from the subordinate, Lieutenant Commander Phillips thought that the lieutenant from Marseille was joking with himself. How could this ridiculous thing happen in his own defense zone. When he discovered the seriousness of the matter, he was immediately scared out of a cold sweat. He knew the character of the group of Japanese people opposite him. He used to go to Nagasaki and Tokyo. Those guys' minds would be completely irrational when they got hot. It seems that this time something big is going to happen, this group of dwarves will play hard.

Philip quickly gathered the personnel of the regiment, commanders and combat staff at all levels, and communicated by wire and radio at the same time. Report the sudden situation here to the Langshan Defense Forces and Hanoi Headquarters, and ask for instructions and assistance from the superior.

At this moment, Lieutenant Colonel Philip was thankful that a battalion of French foreign corps soldiers arrived in Tongden just a day ago. Their destination is Gao Ping, and they are now resting in the barracks near the train station. According to the commander, they are waiting for heavy equipment to be transported from Haiphong. If you add this new army, as well as Tongdeng's existing troops, you should be able to insist that Langshan's reinforcements arrived.

The question now is, what is the next trend of the Japanese, whether this is an independent military operation or a prelude to a large-scale offensive, because there is too little intelligence on hand. Lieutenant Colonel Philip was unable to make a judgment for a while. But one thing is very clear, that is, he must fulfill his duties at this moment. Defend the glory of the army of the Third French Republic.

Commanders of the garrison zone headquarters began to concentrate one after another to the command center, and a row of combat phones against the wall rang successively. The piercing electric bells were huddled together.

"Sir, the a3 stronghold is engaged in an exchange of fire with the enemy, and Lieutenant Domiel asks for support."

"Colonel Bunova, the head of the 9th Regiment of Colonial Infantry in Lang Son wants to talk to you."

"The Observatory on the 15th reported that the enemy was advancing along Highway 4 in the direction of Tongdeng. The exchange of fire around the a3 stronghold was very fierce, and it was found that an enemy bypassed the stronghold and was approaching the edge of the city."

"The second company of the colony was ready to fight, and the company commander asked for the order."

The duty officer and the signal soldier reported to their respective supervisors in full force.

"It's all quiet!" Lieutenant Colonel Philip's roar sounded, and the command post suddenly became silent. Only the phone on the table was still ringing.

"It has been confirmed, Your Excellency, yes, the Japanese army crossed the border and launched a sudden attack on us. The front line has already started to exchange fire. The battle is very fierce. This should be a premeditated military operation, a military invasion. Okay, I understand that I have full confidence to block the enemy’s attack, but I don’t know if the enemy has follow-up troops. According to my personal judgment, they now have at least one regiment on the border.” Philippe held the phone and answered respectfully. Question.

"If the opponent is attacking across the board, I can guarantee to stick to forty-eight hours, which is no problem. Good Excellency Governor, thank you very much, yes, obey. Long live France." Philip put the phone down seriously and turned to look at the standing Subordinates. "

His Excellency the Governor ordered the troops in the garrison area to fight back against the enemies invading the border and start fighting, gentlemen, long live France. "

"Long live France." The French officials cheered loudly.

Ask for votes, thank you for your support. (To be continued.)