Chapter 55: 55, Trapping A Turtle In A Jar, Initial Victory
“Received.”
Ning Hangsheng put down the microphone, lifted the canvas curtain at the back of the truck carriage, and said to Deputy Regiment Commander Ni Shinai:
“Head to Chaiji, follow my command for the specific location.”
“Yes, Regiment Commander.” Ni Shinai acted according to the order.
Immediately, the full-strength regiment of 2000 men set off following the military truck.
Fang Wen, circling in the high air, took in the entire scene.
The Ning Hangsheng troops below looked as tiny as a line of ants.
Fang Wen pondered in his mind.
From Fuyang to Chaiji was over twenty li, and Ning Hangsheng said his army’s marching speed was 10 li per hour.
That meant they would arrive at Chaiji in two hours.
This was the key to the problem.
The bandits here were skilled at horse riding, much faster than the infantry regiment.
It was likely that by now, someone had ridden out from Fuyang City to report to the bandits.
He turned the fuselage around and flew back to the skies over Chaiji.
The airplane’s speed was far faster than any other land speed in this era.
Qingyun Hao had a speed of 220 kilometers per hour and returned to Chaiji in the blink of an eye.
Then it circled in the air waiting.
At first, there was no movement below.
But an hour later, a fast horse galloped in, and immediately the bandits in the courtyard on the earthen mountain sprang into action.
They hurriedly packed their luggage, rushed down the mountain, and joined the cavalry at the foot.
The bandits were going to run!
This was why Ning Hangsheng’s army had always been unable to deal with them—the bandits used inside help in the city, passed messages with fast horses, and always escaped one step ahead of the infantry regiment.
But now, they could not escape.
Qingyun Hao kept circling high in the air, continuously monitoring the movements below.
These bandits did not flee to other places but headed toward Chaiji, breaking into small groups and blending into the town.
Fang Wen immediately contacted Ning Hangsheng.
“Eagle calling Jackal, if received, please respond.”
“Jackal received, go ahead.”
“Target has received the report and transferred, they have entered the town center, dispersing to hide.”
Ning Hangsheng’s face turned grim as he finally understood why the bandits could vanish without a trace during encirclement and suppression.
The opponents had operated in the Chaiji area for a long time, and the local people, forced by the bandits’ brutality, could only shelter them.
But this time, these bandits had made the wrong move, trapping themselves in a cage.
The army sped up, trotting all the way to Chaiji and completely surrounding the town.
A siege began, and after the town was encircled, some bandits tried to flee desperately from this desperate situation.
They were shot dead on the flat ground outside the town by the surrounding soldiers, and the rest hid back in the town.
Then 1000 soldiers continued the encirclement, while another 1000 entered the town, searching house by house.
With the situation hopeless, many bandits laid down their weapons and surrendered, some even reported their accomplices, and later the townsfolk grew bolder and pointed out which ones were bandits who had blended into the town.
The first bandit suppression operation with air-ground coordination thus ended perfectly.
Over 200 bandits were tied together with ropes and brought back to Fuyang City.
This was rare good news for Fuyang City amid years of bandit-infested internal strife.
The county magistrate and the city’s officials and gentry specially came out of the city to view the bandits detained in the barracks.
Many locals also came to watch.
But those people’s impression of the bandits was different from that of the officials and gentry.
After the first day of flight, Fang Wen and Sun Debiao arrived at the barracks under the protection of a squad of soldiers and happened to see that lively scene.
Among the over 200 bandits, only a few were neatly dressed; the rest had tattered clothes and dark skin, unclear whether from sun exposure or long unwashed.
There were even children who looked underage.
The locals watching from the periphery whispered among themselves, showing no hatred toward the bandits.
Fang Wen noticed these subtle changes and quietly exchanged words with Sun Debiao.
“Why do the people here seem not to hate the bandits?”
Sun Debiao glanced and whispered back: “If we’re talking bandits, we have more in the Northeast, probably the same as there. These bandits fall into several categories. The first kind are bloodthirsty, brutal, and vicious; most become bandit leaders. They know only one method: rule by violence, tormenting to death anyone who disobeys. The second kind are insidious, cunning opportunists who follow the leaders and often become minor bandit chiefs. The third kind are many who were coerced into banditry or turned to it out of desperation to survive, including many half-grown kids.”
At this point, Sun Debiao seemed to realize something and added:
“General Manager, don’t let compassion stir you. A wolf cub is still a wolf cub no matter how docile, and kids who’ve seen blood are ruthless at heart. Those people don’t seem not to hate bandits; they’ve seen so much they’re numb.”
Sun Debiao’s words made Fang Wen feel the meaning of the word “numbness.”
In this world, rites and music have collapsed; people in small places have no hope and live only for themselves.
Only ending this chaos soon is the best solution.
Sighing inwardly, Fang Wen walked into the regiment headquarters in the barracks.
There, Ning Hangsheng, beaming with joy, was chatting with Fuyang County officials and gentry; today’s battle record made him very proud.
Seeing Fang Wen enter, he quickly stood up and familiarly put his hand on Fang Wen’s shoulder.
“Today’s battle succeeded thanks to Brother Fang’s air support. Without him, we wouldn’t know where to strike.”
The county magistrate smiled and said: “General Manager Fang has a stellar battle record fighting the Japanese; dealing with mere bandits is of course no issue. I just hope to clear Fuyang’s bandits soon, then open the flight path formally, so Fuyang can revive its economy.”
The others chimed in agreement.
Amid these praises, Fang Wen responded with ease, not taking the words seriously, keeping his heart steadfast.
After a while, the county magistrate led the group out to admonish the over 200 bandits.
Fang Wen then strolled and talked with Ning Hangsheng in the barracks.
“Brother Fang, what you did today opened my eyes. Who knew battles could be fought this way? With you commanding from the sky, the bandits have nowhere to run. Do you think the National Army could form and fight this way in the future?”
“Probably not. This equipment is very expensive; even a division might not afford it.” Fang Wen answered honestly, but he didn’t mention that other pilots flying the biplane might not achieve the same effect.
“Yeah, even if there’s the sum of money, it’s probably pocketed by those above. I was daydreaming.” Ning Hangsheng smiled bitterly, facing reality.
He shared a funny personal experience.
“Two years ago, they allocated a sum of money from above, saying it was for procuring blankets and military bedding to keep soldiers warm during field marches and combat, at a standard of 1 silver dollar each. When it reached our regiment, the stuff was unusable. I went to division headquarters to inquire and learned it had been taken by our division commander’s brother-in-law; we were lucky to get even that much.”
On such matters, Fang Wen said nothing and changed the topic.
“Hey, let’s not talk about that. Let’s discuss future bandit suppression. I can’t stay here too long; best to finish quickly.”
Immediately, Ning Hangsheng’s face turned serious.
“After today’s battle, I have a new plan. Since Brother Fang can provide real-time feedback on the bandits’ ground movements, starting tomorrow, our regiment will advance step by step, wiping out all bandits in Fuyang County.”
“Fine.” Fang Wen replied.
