Chapter 215: I Don’t Believe You For A Damn Second!
Li Yunlong brought back weapons and ammunition from the Border Region Arsenal and had just returned to regimental headquarters.
He hadn’t even sat down when someone came to report: “Regiment Commander, Regiment Commander Chu of the Jin Sui Army’s 358th Regiment is here to visit.”
Why has this Chu Yunfei come again at such a critical moment?
Li Yunlong muttered upon hearing this.
Normally, whether it’s the Jin Sui Army or the Direct Line Army, they all know now that we Eighth Route have pissed off the Japanese Invaders.
The Japanese Invaders have mobilized heavy troops for a large-scale sweep against us. Shouldn’t these people avoid us Eighth Route like the plague, fearing disaster?
Li Yunlong didn’t believe they would kindly come to help resist the Japanese Invaders. They wished we would fend for ourselves.
“Regiment Commander, should I send him away?” the person said.
After all, the vanguard of the Japanese Invaders’ encirclement and suppression army had already moved out, the military situation was urgent, and there was no time to chat idly with the Jin Sui Army.
“Old Zhao, distribute the weapons and ammunition I brought back to the troops.” Li Yunlong said to Zhao Gang, “I’ll meet this Chu Yunfei and see what medicine he’s selling in his gourd.”
“Old Li, how about I handle this? You go distribute the ammunition.” Zhao Gang felt Chu Yunfei’s intentions were probably not good; it might lead to a fight with Li Yunlong, so Zhao Gang decided to talk to Chu Yunfei himself.
“No need. With a great enemy at hand, I know my limits.” Li Yunlong still refused.
“Alright.” Zhao Gang didn’t insist, but still had Deputy Regiment Commander Xing Zhiguo follow Li Yunlong.
In case a fight broke out, Xing Zhiguo could stop Li Yunlong.
Li Yunlong walked out of regimental headquarters and sure enough saw Chu Yunfei waiting expectantly.
Moreover, to Li Yunlong’s surprise, Mr. Yan Kai had come along with Chu Yunfei again.
Seeing this Yan Kai, Li Yunlong immediately lit up like seeing a relative.
Last time, using Yan Kai, they pulled in the Jin Sui Army, letting the Jin Sui Army contain the Japanese Invaders’ reinforcement troops, and they successfully took the Copper Refining Plant.
This time, with sixty to seventy thousand enemies coming fiercely, if they could use Yan Kai again to pull in the Jin Sui Army, heh heh, the success rate of countering the sweep would be much higher.
Of course, Li Yunlong hid his inner joy and pretended to be serious as he said to Chu Yunfei: “Brother Chu, with a great battle imminent, what are you here for? Don’t tell me you’re planning to bring your 358th Regiment to fight the Japanese Invaders alongside me.”
“Brother Yunlong is joking. My mere reinforced regiment is a drop in the bucket against the Japanese Invaders’ encirclement and suppression army.” Chu Yunfei shook his head.
“Then what’s the purpose of your visit…” Li Yunlong asked.
“Brother Yunlong, we’re here to congratulate you.” Chu Yunfei said congratulatorily, “I heard your Eighth Route snatched five truckloads of tungsten ore from the Japanese Invaders. This has preserved our nation’s important mineral resources.”
Li Yunlong glanced sideways at Yan Kai on the side, then at Chu Yunfei: “Brother Chu, say what you have to say directly, no beating around the bush. I’m short on time and have no patience for your nonsense.”
Congratulating us on snatching five truckloads of tungsten ore from the Japanese Invaders? Like hell I believe you!
Bringing up tungsten ore right away—this bastard is clearly after our five truckloads of tungsten ore.
Li Yunlong already knew Yan Kai’s identity through the brigade commander: he was the deputy factory director of Officer Yan’s arsenal. As deputy factory director, how could he not know the importance of tungsten ore?
“Brother Yunlong, then I’ll be direct.” Chu Yunfei’s expression turned serious, “Your army snatched five truckloads of tungsten ore from the Japanese Invaders, enraging them. They’ve mobilized sixty to seventy thousand troops to annihilate your army. In fact, the Japanese Invaders are mainly after these five truckloads of tungsten ore. Officer Yan said that to avoid your army suffering a catastrophic disaster, he’s willing to take the Japanese Invaders’ rage for you. This is also for the overall war of resistance situation, to preserve our nation’s precious national defense forces.”
Li Yunlong’s expression darkened: “Brother Chu, what do you mean? You wouldn’t be asking us to hand over the five truckloads of tungsten ore to you for safekeeping, would you?”
Damn it, I knew these two weren’t up to any good.
Taking the Japanese Invaders’ blow for us? Bullshit!
In the past.
The so-called Steel Army’s 5th Division only deployed half a division and rampaged through all of Shanxi Province.
Officer Yan’s thirty-plus divisions of Jin Sui Army didn’t dare fart; they turned tail and ran, directly handing over the vast Shanxi Province to the Japanese Invaders.
Now you’re telling me you’re willing to take the tungsten ore and stand up to the Japanese Invaders for us.
Screw you!
Now the Japanese Invaders are deploying three brigades plus one division—far more formidable than the 5th Division’s half division back then.
Even if Officer Yan grew leopard’s gall, he wouldn’t dare touch a single hair of the Japanese Invaders.
Of course.
Though angry inside, Li Yunlong suppressed his rage and said directly: “No problem. These five truckloads of tungsten ore are indeed extremely valuable national assets. I’m also willing to trust Officer Yan’s sincerity. How about this: have Officer Yan first send troops to wipe out these sixty to seventy thousand Japanese Invaders and traitors, proving you truly have the ability to protect these five truckloads of tungsten ore. I guarantee no objections, and the tungsten ore will be stored with you thereafter. Brother Chu, what do you think?”
Chu Yunfei’s face darkened: “Brother Yunlong, the way you put it, those sixty to seventy thousand Japanese Invaders and traitors aren’t that easy to deal with.”
Originally, Chu Yunfei didn’t want to come play the bad guy.
But there was no choice; orders from above required Chu Yunfei to come.
As Chu Yunfei expected, though Li Yunlong was uneducated, he was indeed very hard to deal with.
What a nice way to put it—this was directly trying to make the Jin Sui Army take the bullets.
Sixty to seventy thousand Japanese Invaders and traitors—that was no joke; it could be a full-scale battle.
“Brother Chu, no choice then. If Officer Yan can’t prove he has the ability to protect these five truckloads of tungsten ore, why should we entrust it to him for safekeeping? Isn’t that logical?” Seeing Chu Yunfei deflated, Li Yunlong continued.
Yan Kai, who hadn’t spoken, finally did: “Regimental Commander Li, this large-scale sweep by sixty to seventy thousand Japanese Invaders and traitors is no joke. The five truckloads of tungsten ore are our nation’s precious mineral resources, so please…”
Li Yunlong interrupted Yan Kai: “Mr. Yan, precisely because this large-scale sweep by sixty to seventy thousand Japanese Invaders and traitors is no joke, and precisely because these five truckloads of tungsten ore are so important, I must be even more cautious. If Officer Yan lacks the ability to protect them and to annihilate the Japanese army, why should I entrust the tungsten ore to him? If I do and he loses it, wouldn’t that cause the loss of our nation’s precious mineral resources? Don’t you agree?”
Yan Kai was somewhat speechless from Li Yunlong’s words, paused, then said: “Regimental Commander Li, Officer Yan isn’t insincere. He said your Border Region Arsenal is just starting up and surely needs equipment. Officer Yan can consider supporting you with equipment.”
Hearing this, Li Yunlong cursed inwardly: Why didn’t you support us earlier?
Now that we’ve got the five truckloads of tungsten ore and the Japanese Invaders are coming to sweep us, now you offer equipment support.
Clearly, still trying to swindle our tungsten ore.
Of course, this Yan Kai was a very important bait.
Since the bait had come knocking, they couldn’t make relations too stiff.
Li Yunlong pretended to be very interested in the equipment.
Alright, no pretending needed—this was playing his true self.
Li Mouren was always thinking of getting equipment for Li Muzhi and excitedly asked: “Mr. Yan Kai, you’re not joking with me, are you? Officer Yan really is willing to support us with equipment?”
“Officer Yan has always wanted to support you. As you know, with the Taiyuan Arsenal lost, Officer Yan’s equipment is also in short supply.” Yan Kai feigned sincerity.
Seeing Li Yunlong very interested in equipment, Yan Kai relaxed inwardly.
Using equipment as leverage indeed created an opening.
The Eighth Route were so poor; with military industry development, they increasingly needed equipment. As long as there was hope of getting it, they definitely wouldn’t give up easily.
What?
Isn’t the tungsten ore very important?
Are the Eighth Route idiots?
Tungsten ore is indeed very important, but the key issue is, can the Eighth Route refine it?
They can’t refine it; the Japanese Invaders’ blockade is tight, and the Eighth Route have no channels to sell it. Five truckloads of tungsten ore in hand are just piles of useless sand—better to exchange for urgently needed equipment.
In the past, the Eighth Route got 8000 tons of tungsten ore and did exactly that, exchanging it all for supplies.
“Looks like I somewhat misunderstood Officer Yan.” Li Yunlong continued acting, “So, have you brought the equipment?”
“Regimental Commander Li, with the Japanese army coming, giving you equipment now would be very unstable.” Yan Kai said, “Officer Yan said to give it to you after you get through this crisis. Otherwise, if the equipment falls into Japanese Invaders’ hands, it’d just benefit them.”
“That makes some sense.” Li Yunlong nodded, looking at Yan Kai, “How about this: the tungsten ore is very important, and I can’t decide alone. Why don’t you come with me to our arsenal and discuss with our head of logistics…”
Before Li Yunlong finished, Xing Zhiguo on the side couldn’t help but want to speak.
How could our Border Region Arsenal be casually revealed to the Jin Sui Army?
Even if they weren’t Japanese Invaders, it wouldn’t do.
Li Yunlong glared at Xing Zhiguo, who immediately shut up.
Looks like this was just a ploy by Regiment Commander Li Yunlong.
Xing Zhiguo probably understood Li Yunlong’s idea.
It was to use this ploy to lure Yan Kai away, then forcibly take him out of the encirclement, go behind enemy lines to stir trouble, and use Yan Kai to pull in the Jin Sui Army again.
What Regiment Commander Li Yunlong was doing was a major mistake.
But as long as the Jin Sui Army could be pulled in, the success rate of the counter-sweep would greatly increase!
As long as the Japanese Invaders’ sweep could be broken, our arsenal could continuously produce weapons and ammunition—that would be worth it.
At worst, he’d get a scolding from the brigade commander later.
Our regiment commander getting scolded by the brigade commander was routine; he was used to it, no big deal for one more time.
“You can really take us to see Minister Zhang?” Yan Kai was very surprised.
Obsessed with the Hell Cannon shells, Yan Kai wanted to contact the Eighth Route’s head of logistics Zhang Wanhe again.
But Zhang Wanhe had always brushed him off with being busy.
Yan Kai knew that was just Zhang Wanhe’s excuse.
Now, through Li Yunlong, if he could connect with Zhang Wanhe, Yan Kai believed that as long as his offer was rich enough, this Eighth Route head of logistics couldn’t remain unmoved.
Of course.
As long as the Hell Cannon shells could be exchanged, the tungsten ore exchange would surely have great hope too.
However, Chu Yunfei on the side questioned skeptically: “Brother Yunlong, you’re not joking, are you? You can really take us to see your head of logistics? You won’t use Mr. Yan as bait again, will you?”
Li Yunlong had already used Yan Kai as bait once; though last time the Jin Sui Army didn’t suffer losses and even hit the Japanese Invaders hard.
But this time was different from last time.
With the Japanese Invaders’ sixty to seventy thousand troops, if Yan Kai were used as bait again and the Jin Sui Army dragged in once more, the consequences would be dire.
So Chu Yunfei had to guard against Li Yunlong pretending to take Yan Kai to see their Minister Zhang, but actually taking him elsewhere to use as bait again.
Facing Chu Yunfei’s questioning, Li Yunlong played hard to get and pulled a face: “Brother Yunfei, if you don’t trust me, you can take Mr. Yan Kai and leave now. I have combat operations, time is urgent, no time for your nonsense—see yourselves out.”
After pulling the face, Li Yunlong strode toward regimental headquarters while saying to Xing Zhiguo: “Deputy Regiment Commander Xing, see the guests out!”
“Regiment Commander Chu, Mr. Yan Kai, our regiment commander is angry. Please leave.” Xing Zhiguo immediately said seriously to Chu Yunfei and Yan Kai.
“Chu Yunfei, shut up!” Seeing Li Yunlong angry and done entertaining, Yan Kai scolded Chu Yunfei, then chased after Li Yunlong: “Regimental Commander Li, please wait.”
