Chapter 67: Cost-performance Ratio
Ping’an County Town
Boom!
A deafening explosion suddenly came from the East City Gate, startling all the Japanese Invaders and Traitors in the entire county town.
Looking at the breach and the rising smoke, the Japanese Traitors were dumbfounded:
“My God, this is a heavy cannon attacking the city!”
“Three regiments have left and gone far away, and immediately someone is using heavy cannons to attack the city. This is clearly premeditated.”
“Baka, could it be the Eighth Route Army? They attacked Heyuan County Town, and now they’ve set their sights on Ping’an County Town too!”
……
Kobayashi Iji was stunned: “This, this, how is this possible.”
He had long been worried that the Eighth Route Army might bring heavy cannons to attack Ping’an County Town, so he wanted to transport the supplies away in advance.
The three regiments left in a hurry, and he thought they could eliminate the Eighth Route Army, so he waited a bit.
As a result, this delay allowed the Eighth Route Army to come and attack the city.
Doesn’t this mean that the three regiments most likely fell for the Eighth Route Army’s Lure the Tiger Away from the Mountain ploy?
“Sir, what do we do? We definitely can’t hold them off,” a Puppet Army officer asked Kobayashi Iji nervously.
“Baka, we have to hold even if we can’t. We can’t just hand over the city…” Kobayashi Iji’s words were cut off.
Zhang Dabiao had already led the troops in through the breach.
“Immediately send a telegram to the three regiments, tell them the Eighth Route Army is attacking Ping’an County Town with heavy cannons and has already broken in. Tell them to rush back!” Kobayashi Iji roared at the signalman.
“Yes.” The signalman immediately got to work sending the telegram.
“Pass my orders: no one is allowed to flee privately. Violators will be dealt with by military law…” Kobayashi Iji planned to contain the Eighth Route Army at all costs to buy time for reinforcements.
The orders weren’t even finished.
Boom!
Another massive explosion came from the South City Gate, and another group of Eighth Route Army took the chance to charge in.
“Baka, damn it!” Kobayashi Iji’s face showed utter shock.
The Eighth Route Army’s actions were simply too fast, like a hot knife through butter.
“Captain, do we withdraw or fight the Eighth Route Army to the death?” a Japanese Officer asked Kobayashi Iji.
“Do we have a choice!” Kobayashi Iji said irritably.
The meaning was clear: the Eighth Route Army hadn’t even given them a chance to fight to the death.
Their heavy cannons had such fierce power—what could they use to fight back? Did they want to scramble like Hirata Ichiro in Heyuan County Town to take a shell?
“Captain, doesn’t that mean our supplies…” the Japanese Officer pointed out, full of regret.
If they had transported this batch of supplies away earlier with the livestock truck, there wouldn’t be this trouble.
Truly, cleverness backfired.
“It’s okay.” Kobayashi Iji could only try his best to steady his emotions and comfort himself: “If the supplies fall into the Eighth Route Army’s hands, it might be a good thing.”
“Captain, how could this be a good thing?” the Japanese Officer asked, puzzled.
“The Eighth Route Army is so poor. If they find the supplies, they definitely won’t bear to destroy them, let alone abandon them. They’ll take them with them. Do you get what I mean?” Kobayashi Iji said.
“Captain, you mean let the Eighth Route Army suffer the same backfire from their cleverness. Carrying a large amount of supplies, they definitely won’t move fast. Then the mechanized troops and cavalry regiment can catch up to them!” the Japanese Officer’s eyes lit up.
Catch up to the Eighth Route Army, eliminate them, and the supplies would be recaptured.
The captain was truly brilliant!
……
“Dabiao, what did you grab, kid?” After Li Yunlong helped Ding Wei blast open the breach, he found Zhang Dabiao.
“Regiment Commander, bad luck.” Zhang Dabiao’s tone dragged a bit. “You saw it too. The place we rushed into isn’t a bustling street or a Japanese Invaders military stronghold. It’s an ordinary street with no profits.”
“Not your grandpa.” Li Yunlong cursed irritably. “Damn it, looks like Old Ding will mock me again. Withdraw.”
They had charged in to quickly grab a haul, and no matter the gains, they had to withdraw fast.
The wheels of the Japanese Invaders mechanized troops and the hooves of the cavalry regiment weren’t slow.
If they left late and got caught, it would be all over.
“Regiment Commander, I found good stuff.” At that moment, Battalion Commander Shen Quan shouted excitedly to Li Yunlong.
“What good stuff?” Li Yunlong hurried over.
“Look, copper wire, copper billets, and some barrels. I don’t know what’s inside, but it smells sour—not like vinegar.” The Battalion Commander pointed to a storeroom in front of Li Yunlong.
“Not bad, at least it wasn’t for nothing. Hurry and move it out, quick about it.” Li Yunlong didn’t recognize the sour-smelling liquid, but no matter—Comrade Li knew copper.
Copper was good stuff, whether copper wire or copper billets—it was all copper anyway.
“Yes, Regiment Commander.”
The Independent Regiment grabbed the things and quickly withdrew.
“Old Ding, you kid got rich.” As Li Yunlong withdrew, Ding Wei was also withdrawing, and the two left together.
This kid Ding Wei had grabbed quite a lot: guns, ammunition, and plenty of sacks—either grain or salt inside.
“Rich my ass. Most of this is ammunition provisions. I thought we could grab a couple of Type 92 Infantry Guns.” Ding Wei’s words were scolding, but his tone was still happy.
“Old Ding, any sugar inside?” Li Yunlong asked.
“No. Damn it, these Japanese Invaders have no discernment—not even leaving sugar in advance.” Ding Wei cursed, then asked Li Yunlong: “Old Li, I see you didn’t grab much. What is it?”
“Nothing much, just some copper, and also some sour liquid—don’t know what it is.” Li Yunlong’s tone carried a faint smugness. “But anything stored with copper must be valuable too. Take it back, and Li Muzhi will know what it is.”
Li Yunlong’s attitude was saying: Don’t think Old Li grabbed less than you, Ding Wei—our stuff has higher value because our arsenal can use it.
“Alright, Old Li, looks like you turned the tables on me.” Ding Wei laughed.
“Of course. How could Old Li lose to you, Old Ding.” Li Yunlong bragged.
After marching a distance, Zhang Dabiao reminded Li Yunlong: “Regiment Commander, we have a tail behind us. Want me to cut it off?”
“Ignore it. Chu Yunfei’s territory is up ahead. I’ll hurry through.” Li Yunlong said casually. “Chu Yunfei will clean up our tail.”
Carrying the stuff, they couldn’t march at full speed, while the Japanese Invaders mechanized troops and cavalry regiment were fast—they couldn’t stop on the road.
Passing the edge of Chu Yunfei’s defense zone, Chu Yunfei wouldn’t fire.
But if the Japanese Invaders passed by, that was another story.
Among the Jin Sui Army, Chu Yunfei was definitely a real man. He never missed an opportunity to beat the Japanese Invaders.
Ding Wei said to Li Yunlong: “Old Li, we’ve only used two Hell Cannon Shells. We have two left—this test isn’t finished.”
Ding Wei meant they could use the tail to continue testing the shells.
“The Brigade Commander’s task isn’t done yet.” Li Yunlong glanced at Ding Wei.
“You still want to take down the scrap yard?”
“Isn’t this on the way? With the Japanese Invaders mechanized troops and cavalry regiment held back by Chu Yunfei, if we don’t complete the Brigade Commander’s task, we won’t have anything to show when we get back.”
“Haha, true, true.”
……
