Chapter 148: Time To Expand
After more than half an hour, this great battle finally ended, and the battlefield also became quiet. The two groups of troops finally met face to face.
Li Yunlong and Liang Zefeng walked together surrounded by their respective soldiers, sizing each other up. They both saw the slightly vigilant yet surprised and admiring looks in each other’s eyes.
In the end, Liang Zefeng spoke first: “I am Liang Zefeng, battalion commander of the 6th Battalion of the Shanxi Militia. I was ordered by the commander-in-chief to block the Japanese reinforcement troops. I never expected to receive support from your unit. I am truly grateful.”
“Shanxi Militia?” Li Yunlong muttered to himself, surprise flashing in his eyes. But he quickly said: “We are from the 386th Division’s New 1st Regiment of the Eighth Route Army. I am the regiment commander, Li Yunlong.
This time, we just happened to be passing by. Seeing that you dared to attack Wuta County, I respect you as real men, so I lent a hand.”
“You are the Eighth Route Army?” Liang Zefeng suddenly realized. “No wonder your tactics were flexible and unconventional, completely different from the National Army’s. So you are the Eighth Route Army.”
Li Yunlong was just about to speak when he saw his guard Tiger running towards him. Besides carrying several Type 38 rifles on his back, he was also hugging several bundles in his arms, shouting loudly as he ran.
“Regiment commander… Regiment commander… We’re rich… We’re rich… Look what I found! Type 38 rifles, all eight-parts new, and these… grenade launchers…”
Tiger excitedly showed the items to Li Yunlong as he spoke.
Li Yunlong: …………
Liang Zefeng: …………
Seeing Tiger’s excited appearance, Li Yunlong felt his old face burning with embarrassment. He glanced at Liang Zefeng’s half-smiling expression, then couldn’t help kicking him on the butt. “What are you howling about, kid? Can’t you see I’m talking to this National Army officer? You’re so happy over a few broken guns, making me lose face.”
After speaking, Li Yunlong chuckled at Liang Zefeng: “Sorry, Brother Liang, you saw the joke. We’re just country folk used to being poor. The moment we see something good, we can’t help but show off.
By the way, today’s battle is over. What about these spoils of war…”
“That’s easy to say.” Liang Zefeng waved his hand: “This battle was fought together by our two units, so the spoils naturally split fifty-fifty. What do you think, Regiment Commander Li?”
“How could we accept that!” Li Yunlong was stunned for a moment, then his weathered old face broke into creases of smiles, as if afraid Liang Zefeng would change his mind. He quickly added: “Then it’s settled.”
Participating in one battle and capturing four or five hundred guns—such a good thing only happens once in eight hundred years. No wonder Li Yunlong was grinning from ear to ear.
With the weapons in hand, Li Yunlong was in high spirits and asked curiously: “Brother Liang, logically speaking, with your Shanxi Militia being so formidable, you should have been famous in Shanxi long ago. Why have I never heard of you?”
Liang Zefeng said: “It’s normal that you haven’t heard of us, Regiment Commander Li. We just came over from Xuzhou.
As for the Shanxi Militia designation, it was just appointed by the Military Affairs Commission. It’s normal you don’t know. Our original designation was the Nanjing Security Regiment.”
“Oh… so you’re from Nanjing. No wonder.” Li Yunlong nodded repeatedly as if suddenly enlightened, but he made up his mind to find someone to inquire about them once back, to properly understand this unit.
After dividing the spoils, the two sides clasped hands and parted. The delighted Li Yunlong led his troops away.
Over at Wuta County, although the Japanese dispatched an air fleet to bomb it, under the staunch counterattack of the anti-aircraft battalion, they lost three planes and could only withdraw in frustration.
After occupying Wuta County, Su Yaoyang immediately began posting notices to reassure the people, formally announcing that Wuta County had returned to its own people’s embrace.
After the initial panic, the people of Wuta County shifted from fear and worry to joy. After all, Shanxi had fallen less than half a year ago, and the common folk naturally still recognized the Nationalist Government’s rule more.
After doing all this, Su Yaoyang finally had someone send a telegram to Second War Zone Commander-in-Chief and SX Province Chairman Yan Xishan, reporting to him what had happened today.
After doing all this, Liang Zefeng and the 6th Battalion, who had been sent to block the Japanese reinforcements, also returned separately and reported today’s battle to Su Yaoyang. Liang Zefeng also reported the encounter with the New 1st Regiment and Li Yunlong.
Upon hearing the familiar yet strange names Li Yunlong and New 1st Regiment, Su Yaoyang was momentarily stunned.
“Goodness… Didn’t I come to the world of The Flowers of War? How did Swordsman come out too? Isn’t this a mess? Or is that big-headed doll messing with me?”
For a moment, Su Yaoyang felt his brain wasn’t keeping up.
“Forget it… Since I’m here, I might as well settle in. I’ve already encountered transmigration; meeting a few more plot tasks isn’t unacceptable.” Su Yaoyang helplessly accepted reality.
Perhaps scared off by the militia’s fierce firepower and their overbearing momentum like dragons crossing the river, more than a week had passed since the Shanxi Militia occupied Wuta County, but miraculously, the Japanese had made no moves during this week. This greatly surprised Su Yaoyang, Pi Ruoyu, and the others who had been closely monitoring Japanese movements.
“Regiment seat… What are the Japanese up to?”
At today’s battalion-level meeting, 6th Battalion Commander Hou Tianyou couldn’t help asking.
“I’m not a god. How would I know what that old guy Meizun Meichiro is thinking?” Su Yaoyang glared at him irritably, then slapped the table.
“Alright, since everyone’s here, let’s get down to business. Chief of Staff Pi, please speak.”
Hearing Su Yaoyang’s words, the officers who had been chatting idly while smoking and drinking tea quickly discarded their cigarette butts and sat up straight.
Unlike his thin and weak state when they first met in Xuzhou a few months ago, after several months of recuperation, Pi Ruoyu’s body was much better than before, and his energy was also much more abundant.
Wearing the same Type 36 German-style military uniform, he had colonel rank on his shoulders and a pair of black-rimmed glasses on his nose bridge, scholarly yet stern.
He glanced at everyone, waiting until all was quiet before saying: “Everyone, we’ve been in Shanxi for over a week. Thanks to everyone’s efforts these days, Wuta County is in our hands, and the Japanese have no major actions for now.
But don’t think we can rest easy. I can tell you clearly that the Japanese won’t let us off easily. This current calm is just the lull before the storm.
Given that the enemy we face is too powerful, it’s necessary for our militia to undergo another round of expansion.”
