Chapter 62: Li Mouren Plays Both Sides
Although Zhao Gang didn’t know much about military affairs, he was still nodding: “That’s a good idea. But then how should we contain the Japanese invaders’ mechanized troops and cavalry troops?”
If we can’t contain the enemy’s fast-moving troops, even if we successfully grab the profits from Ping’an County Town, we won’t outrun others. If they catch up, we’ll easily lose both men and money!
“This is even easier. Let others do it for us.”
Li Yunlong directly pointed at the position of Jin Sui Army’s 358th Regiment on the map and said: “This 358th Regiment is a reinforced regiment with five thousand men. Containing the Japanese invaders’ mechanized troops and cavalry troops for a bit to buy us time to withdraw shouldn’t be a big problem.”
Zhao Gang didn’t understand and looked at Li Yunlong: “Old Li, we haven’t caused friction with the Jin Sui Army for a long time. Don’t provoke them.”
Ding Wei also said: “Old Li, you’re not Chu Yunfei’s superior. What capability do you have to make Chu Yunfei help us contain the Japanese invaders’ mechanized troops and cavalry troops?”
“I have no friction with Chu Yunfei.” Li Yunlong pointed at the edge of Jin Sui Army’s 358th Regiment’s defense zone on the map and said seriously: “After we grab the profits from Ping’an County Town, we’ll go back from the edge of this 358th Regiment’s defense zone. First, I won’t invade Chu Yunfei’s defense zone. Second, I won’t have any contact with Chu Yunfei. I’m just purely passing by. What’s wrong with that? We can’t even march on our own land!”
Zhao Gang listened, looked at the map, and still raised a question: “Even if we’re just passing by, if the Japanese invaders pursue to the edge of Chu Yunfei’s defense zone and Chu Yunfei doesn’t move his troops, won’t we still get caught?”
“It won’t happen.” Ding Wei looked at the map and understood: “From the map, when we pass by the edge of Chu Yunfei’s defense zone, the furious Japanese invaders eager to pursue us will definitely choose to cut through directly from the middle of Chu Yunfei’s defense zone to save time and distance. The Japanese invaders’ mechanized troops and cavalry troops blatantly intruding into Chu Yunfei’s territory—Chu Yunfei absolutely won’t sit idly by.”
Immediately after, Ding Wei added: “Chu Yunfei’s troops have built fortifications in advance, and there’s an artillery battalion. The 358th Regiment is waiting for the enemy at ease. Not to mention that Chu Yunfei is an outstanding graduate of Whampoa’s fifth class with excellent command ability. If the Japanese invaders’ mechanized troops and cavalry troops rashly collide with Chu Yunfei without their infantry, they might suffer a big loss. This is equivalent to sending merit to Chu Yunfei. By then, he would be thanking us before anything else.”
“Old Zhao, do you understand? It’s the Japanese invaders who actively provoke Chu Yunfei; it has nothing to do with me.” Li Yunlong completely absolved himself of responsibility. It really had nothing to do with us Old Li.
“This matter is too big. If something goes wrong, the brigade commander will definitely shoot us!” Zhao Gang thought this was too crazy.
It was clearly just a small cannonball test mission, an action to attack a small scrap yard, but Li Yunlong turned it into something this huge!
He couldn’t help but question again: Is this really the brigade commander’s meaning?
“Old Zhao, remember this, kid: to do big things, you first need big guts!” Li Yunlong bellowed, “If you want to partner with me, if you want the Independent Regiment’s brothers to respect you, you must dare to act and fight.”
“Regimental Commander Ding, what do you think?” Zhao Gang turned to look at Ding Wei.
“If conditions allow, we’ll do it.” Ding Wei stated directly, looking at Zhao Gang: “Zhao Gang, if you’re afraid of dying, go back. I, Ding Wei, can handle the cannonball data recording!”
“How could I, Zhao Gang, be afraid of death? What a joke!” Zhao Gang was provoked by Ding Wei and glared: “From the moment I joined the army, I, Zhao Gang, have already hung my head on my belt.”
“Old Ding, don’t underestimate Old Zhao. He’s accomplished in both civil and military affairs, not some sour scholar!” Li Yunlong used the strategy of feigning retreat to advance, saying to Zhao Gang, “Old Zhao, I was actually just joking with you and Old Ding earlier. How could we really go attack Ping’an County Town? We’ll just honestly carry out the brigade commander’s orders. The logistical supplies of the Fourth Brigade and Ninth Brigade’s encirclement troops are definitely stored in Ping’an County Town. We’ll leave them for the Japanese invaders’ encirclement troops, so they can eat their fill and then come encircle us.”
“Li Yunlong, what nonsense are you spouting!” Zhao Gang glared: “What do you mean leave the logistical supplies for the Japanese invaders? What do you mean let the Japanese invaders eat their fill to encircle us? We should make sure these beasts don’t even get the soup! Let’s go all out, we’ll do it. As long as we can make these beasts go hungry, even if the brigade commander shoots me, I’ll gladly accept it.”
“Old Ding, look, look, what did I say? I said our Old Zhao isn’t a sour scholar. At the critical moment, he really dares to fight.” Li Yunlong struck while the iron was hot, saying to Ding Wei, “Old Ding, kid, give your final stance. If you don’t agree, I, Li Yunlong, won’t make it hard for you, old partner.”
“Old Li, stop pretending to be a big bad wolf with me.” Ding Wei cursed.
“Haha, I have to nag one last time: it’s not me, Li Yunlong, forcing you two to do it.” Li Mouren played both sides.
“Go, go, go.”
……
Heyuan County Town
Fujita Ichi personally came to the county town doorway, watching the gap repair work at the city gate. Fujita Ichi was still very shocked: “The Eighth Route Army’s heavy cannon siege capability is really not small. One cannonball blasted such a big gap—it’s simply unreasonable.”
A confidant beside Fujita Ichi nodded in agreement: “Indeed unreasonable. A heavy cannon with such great power definitely isn’t light. Yet the Eighth Route Army has no automobiles but can maneuver a heavy cannon quickly—too unreasonable.”
“Once we capture the Eighth Route Army, we can figure out the reason.” Fujita Ichi turned and asked: “What about the bait? How’s the preparation?”
“Still preparing. Mainly because Captain Hirata lost too many supplies.” The confidant answered.
“That waste Hirata, watch how I…” Fujita Ichi’s words stopped short as he froze.
Because someone came to attack the city.
Fujita Ichi hurriedly picked up the telescope to look, his expression like he’d seen a ghost: “Baka, am I seeing this wrong? The Eighth Route Army is attacking the city?”
The confidant also picked up the telescope to look, his tone tense: “Captain, it’s really the Eighth Route Army. What do we do now? The two gaps in the city wall haven’t been repaired yet. The Eighth Route Army doesn’t even need to fire cannons; they can directly kill in through the gaps. We definitely can’t hold.”
“Damn it, these arrogant local Eighth Route Army truly don’t take our Imperial Army seriously.” Fujita Ichi cursed loudly but forced himself to stay calm: “Don’t panic. First, have the strongholds around Heyuan County Town rush to aid. Then send a telegram to the encirclement troops at Ping’an County Town side, tell them to come aid as soon as possible.”
Behind Fujita Ichi stood one of Hirata Ichiro’s subordinates. Hearing Fujita Ichi’s orders, he sneered: “I thought you, Captain Fujita, had some tricks. Isn’t this just copying our captain’s playbook?”
Of course, scorn was scorn, but Fujita Ichi’s orders still had to be swiftly carried out.
