Japanese columns wound through the mountain passes of Korea, visible neither head nor tail. The footprints of these pursuing troops overlapped with the tire tracks of the Northeast Army; tens of thousands of military boots soon trampled the truck traces into oblivion. Whether pursuing or retreating, both Chinese and Japanese armies were marching in the same direction.

In the headquarters at Seoul, a pile of battle reports from the first engagement of the counterattack had already accumulated before Major General Okamura Yasuji. After flipping through two reports, Okamura pushed them aside and began to write. The staff officers nearby did not know what was wrong with these reports, but they dared not disturb Major General Okamura, exchanging glances with one another.

Okamura's brush moved like the wind; he quickly finished writing four points and handed them to the staff for circulation. Colonel Takeshita was astonished as soon as he read the first point: *'Under no circumstances emphasize our army's casualties.'* After reading the content, Colonel Takeshita wanted to ask a question but was stopped by a wave of Okamura's hand. Only when all the staff officers had finished reading did Okamura ask, "Do you gentlemen understand the reasons for these requirements?"

Colonel Takeshita snapped to attention, heels clicking together. "Your Excellency, this subordinate does not understand why Your Excellency requires downplaying our army's casualties. This subordinate cannot comprehend Your Excellency's reason for demanding the battle be described as our army holding the advantage. In this battle, the Imperial officers and men braved fierce enemy artillery fire to fight courageously. Any officer or soldier who witnessed it personally was moved by the Army's loyalty and bravery. If the battle reports are written according to Your Excellency's requirements, the nationals will be unable to understand the Army's valor."

The other staff officers held the same view. Hearing Colonel Takeshita voice their own feelings, everyone looked to Okamura Yasuji, waiting for him to provide a reasonable explanation.

Okamura Yasuji did not show displeasure at his subordinate's criticism. He nodded. "Takeshita-kun, what you describe is exactly the situation on the battlefield. Moreover, you mentioned the nationals' perception; I believe you have grasped the key point. Then I would like to ask you gentlemen: what do you think the nationals want to see?"

The staff officers were stunned, unable to grasp for a moment what Okamura Yasuji was thinking. Colonel Takeshita was also confused. After a brief thought, Takeshita replied, "Your Excellency, this subordinate believes that what the nationals want to see is the Army counterattacking, turning defeat into victory, and recovering lost territory."

Okamura replied, "Takeshita-kun, is this the thought the Army hopes the nationals will generate, or is it the nationals' own thought?"

Colonel Takeshita was stunned, unable to answer for a moment. Lieutenant Colonel Shimizu, standing nearby, felt he understood Okamura somewhat, so he tentatively asked, "Your Excellency, what do *you* think the nationals want to see?"

Okamura stood up and walked in front of the officers. "Gentlemen, the reason the previous great defeat shook the nation was that the nationals believed China was still the Qing Dynasty—the weak, muddle-headed, backward China under Beiyang rule. Facing such a China, the nationals have confidence. After such battle reports are sent to the rear, what kind of China will the readers see? Can such a China allow the nationals to generate confidence?"

The operations section fell silent for a moment. There was confusion and lack of understanding in the officers' expressions, but even more so a kind of helplessness after understanding.

Colonel Takeshita felt a turmoil in his heart. He knew Okamura was right. The Japanese nationals did not actually understand war. In the previous First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, Japan used the image of the 'Japanese Army winning every battle and conquering every attack' to inspire Japanese public opinion, using the propaganda that the Qing and Tsarist Russia were backward, decaying nations as the cornerstone of Japan's rising, magnificent atmosphere.

The battle reports up to now indeed fully reflected the bravery of the Japanese Army's hard fighting, but they also conveyed to the rear the message that 'China has risen again, is not inferior to the Japanese Army in many aspects, and even surpasses the Japanese Army in some aspects.' If such battle reports reached the rear, they would deal a heavy blow to the confidence of the Japanese people.

But, to encourage the people's hearts, could the setbacks and suffering the Army endured be wiped out with a single stroke? Colonel Takeshita felt this was unfair. Future wars would only be more tragic; was everything the Army was about to endure to be deliberately erased to cater to the people's hearts?

Okamura Yasuji looked at the expressions of his subordinates and explained frankly, "The enemy commander, He Rui, is the most outstanding talent cultivated by our Great Japanese Empire. Gentlemen may think my decision is erasing the Army's achievements. What I want to tell you is that everything I do is to counter He Rui. He Rui's goal is to not be obstructed by the Great Japanese Empire when he unifies China. If the Great Japanese Empire is united in heart and stops at no sacrifice to prevent China's unification, He Rui will have no way to successfully unify China. Therefore, what ultimately decides whether the war continues is the determination of the Great Japanese Empire. Before the nationals lose confidence, if we can recover Korea and invade Manchuria and Mongolia, He Rui cannot unify China in the short term. But once He Rui's scheme succeeds and the nationals lose confidence in victory, do you gentlemen believe the Empire can launch another war against China?"

Now, even Colonel Takeshita could not speak a word of opposition. Facing the Northeast Army's bravery, combat skill, decisiveness, and mobility demonstrated during Japan's fully prepared counterattack, the staff officers of the Operations Section already felt how difficult future wars would be. If the Japanese nationals lost confidence, the war could not go on.

Although the choice faced was so tormenting, Colonel Takeshita finally spoke. "Your Excellency, this subordinate understands."

Okamura Yasuji nodded. Although he tried hard to look composed, the feelings in his heart were not one bit better than those of these shocked officers. Just as Nagata had expressed privately, it was not that Nagata, Okamura, and Ishiwara understood military knowledge that other officers did not, but that Nagata, Okamura, and the others truly understood the real gap between the current Japanese Army and the Northeast Army.

The upper echelons of the Japanese military either still viewed the current situation with old-era eyes or, although understanding a part of it, dared not propose these assertions due to the heavy pressure within Japan.

Nagata, Okamura, and Ishiwara had conducted several simulations based on the cognition of the Japanese military high command, and the results were all suffering a great defeat during the counterattack on Korea. By that time, the Japanese military upper echelons would indeed understand the status quo. But when that time really came, Japan would have suffered heavy casualties and lost the ability to counterattack Korea.

Therefore, Okamura had to support Nagata Tetsuzan with all his might, fighting the Northeast Army on one side and fighting the various misunderstandings behind him on the other. Even if he was misunderstood, criticized, and cursed, Okamura could not let such a future happen.

At this moment, the communications officer walked quickly into the office and handed several telegrams just received to Okamura. Taking this opportunity, Okamura ordered, "Gentlemen, start working!"

Colonel Takeshita suppressed the emotions in his heart, picked up those battle reports, distributed them to the staff officers, and asked them to start revising as soon as possible.