Kuroki's expression remained unfazed. "There's no need to worry. The enemy at Dalian is only fifty thousand strong. Their Kwantung Army of forty thousand is off chasing our Third Army. They've underestimated us, and that's their mistake."
"To underestimate the Imperial Japanese Army… what an insult," Oku muttered, his jaw tightening.
"Then we'll repay that insult in kind," Kuroki replied sharply. "We'll take Lüshun swiftly and prepare to meet the Far Eastern Army head-on. The enemy numbers are a mere fifty thousand. This is our chance."
Even if the enemy retreated to Lüshun, it mattered little. Reinforcements from their main army would arrive in time to support the Third and Fourth Armies, securing the fortress and crushing the Far Eastern Army in one coordinated strike.
"We march for Dalian immediately!" Kuroki declared.
"Hai!" came the unified response, sharp and resolute.
