Chapter 134: When Did The Brigade Commander Become So Generous?
Old Zhang was leading the transportation team, hurrying back in a rush.
Old Zhang, in a good mood, was even humming a tune.
This operation had gone really too smoothly.
The train had been disassembled and taken back, and they had two extra iron turtles to boot.
Even the cannonballs and grenades they had brought were completely saved.
Hahaha, today is a good day, everything he wished for came true!
“Minister Zhang, Brigade Commander Chen is coming.”
Someone reminded Zhang Wanhe.
Zhang Wanhe quickly looked over and saw Brigade Commander Chen bringing the 772nd Regiment and the 771st Regiment.
No sign of Ding Wei, nor Li Yunlong.
Zhang Wanhe couldn’t help asking: “Brigade Commander Chen, where are Regimental Commander Li and Regimental Commander Ding? This containment didn’t make that much noise; the losses shouldn’t be that big, right?”
The brigade commander cursed: “Old Zhang, can’t you hope for a little good for them?”
“Haha.” Zhang Wanhe laughed heartily, “How could I not hope for their good? Logistics can generate revenue all thanks to them; how could I not hope for our money tree to do well?”
But Zhang Wanhe didn’t know that the brigade commander’s words had a trap buried in them.
Hearing Zhang Wanhe speak like this, the brigade commander seized the opportunity and said: “Old Zhang, are these your true words? Don’t just say it with your mouth.”
“Of course it is, Brigade Commander Chen. These are words from the bottom of my heart; every word is sincere.” Zhang Wanhe’s expression was solemn.
“Alright then, Old Zhang. Li Yunlong and Ding Wei need cannonballs and grenades right now. Send someone immediately to deliver the grenades and cannonballs you have to them.” The brigade commander revealed his true intentions.
Hearing this, Zhang Wanhe’s expression froze: “Old Chen, are you joking with me? The train has been disassembled, and we’ve already returned. Do Li Yunlong and Ding Wei still need cannonballs and grenades?”
Moreover, your appetite is quite big.
To swallow all the grenades and cannonballs I brought in one go—do you really take me, the head of logistics, for a transportation captain?
“We’re on the road back now, but we haven’t safely entered the mountains yet.” The brigade commander pointed out, “If the Japanese invaders’ heavy troops catch up to us, it’ll still be very dangerous.”
“Aren’t there the 772nd Regiment and the 771st Regiment?” Zhang Wanhe pointed out.
“You can’t underestimate the Japanese invaders’ large reinforcement troops. If a regiment comes, do you think the 772nd Regiment and the 771st Regiment can hold them off?” the brigade commander countered.
“If the 772nd Regiment and the 771st Regiment can’t hold, you can call back Li Yunlong and Ding Wei,” Zhang Wanhe said.
“What if the Japanese invaders send two regiments?” The brigade commander didn’t mock Old Zhang for not understanding military matters.
“Then, then, then…” Old Zhang stared blankly at the brigade commander, “If we give the cannonballs and grenades to Li Yunlong and Ding Wei, and two regiments of Japanese invaders come, can they handle it?”
“Our troops’ greatest advantage is guerrilla warfare.” The brigade commander explained to Zhang Wanhe, “I’m having Ding Wei and Li Yunlong use the advantages of guerrilla warfare to contain the enemy, but without the right tools, you can’t do the porcelain job, right?”
“That’s true.” Zhang Wanhe had nothing to say.
After all, the transportation team hadn’t entered the mountains yet. If the Japanese invaders really sent heavy troops to chase and bite, it wouldn’t be a joke.
To draw away the heavy troops, Li Yunlong and Ding Wei indeed needed sufficient ammunition support.
Zhang Wanhe still said to the brigade commander: “Their task is containment, not to fight the Japanese invaders head-on. Do they really need that much ammunition? You’re not just using this as an excuse to take advantage of me, are you?”
Clearly, Old Zhang still wanted to save a bit.
He also suspected whether guerrilla containment would use so many cannonballs and grenades.
“Better to bring more; it’s always safer.” The brigade commander said, “If those two fail to contain them, it won’t just be a matter of a little ammunition.”
“Well, alright then. I’ll give you all the cannonballs and grenades I brought.” Zhang Wanhe nodded, not forgetting to add: “If there’s any ammunition left over, you have to send it back to me.”
“Certainly, certainly. If there’s any left, it’ll definitely be sent back to you.” The brigade commander gave Zhang Wanhe a very affirmative answer.
That spendthrift Li Yunlong—it’s a wonder if he’d leave you a single hair.
If nothing’s left, there’s nothing to send back, so I haven’t broken my word.
Then, Zhang Wanhe gave the brigade commander over seventy cannonballs and more than twenty cases of grenades.
“Regimental Commander Cheng, send this ammunition to Li Yunlong and Ding Wei,” the brigade commander said, turning to Cheng Xiazi.
“Yes, Brigade Commander.” Cheng Xiazi sent people with the ammunition and immediately took a shortcut to leave.
“Old Zhang, your logistics got rich this time. When we get back, you have to treat us,” the brigade commander said to Zhang Wanhe, leaning in close to avoid a heavy atmosphere.
Having taken so much ammunition from Old Zhang all at once, Old Zhang’s get-rich mood was a bit downcast.
“We didn’t get any military industrial supplies; how is that getting rich?” Zhang Wanhe looked at the brigade commander, “If you want me to treat, you have to get me military industrial supplies first.”
“Doesn’t this locomotive count as military industrial supplies? Don’t these iron turtles count as military industrial supplies!” The brigade commander glared, “You old miser, just say you don’t want to treat.”
“You wouldn’t know how poor our troops are if you weren’t running logistics!” Zhang Wanhe glared at the brigade commander, “If you were in my position, you might not be as generous as me!”
“Haha, just kidding, just kidding. Old Zhang, running this household is the hardest job; I understand, I completely understand.”
……
Seeing Li Yunlong bringing his troops over, Ding Wei was a bit stunned: “Old Li, weren’t you with the brigade commander? Why come to me? Hurry back and protect the brigade commander.”
Li Yunlong smiled and said: “Old Ding, don’t worry. The brigade commander has the 772nd Regiment and the 771st Regiment; he doesn’t need me.”
“You still can’t slip away like that,” Ding Wei insisted.
Ding Wei inwardly grumbled: You’ve really got skills, Old Li.
Even with the brigade commander personally watching you, you still slipped away!
“Old Ding, you’re wronging me by saying that.” Li Yunlong said seriously, “If the brigade commander hadn’t let go, do you think I could come find you?”
“The brigade commander told you to come find me?” Hearing this, Ding Wei thought it made sense.
With the brigade commander personally watching, Li Yunlong couldn’t have slipped away.
“The brigade commander gave us an order to attack the Japanese invaders’ station warehouse,” Li Yunlong said.
To attack the Japanese invaders’ station warehouse?
Hearing this, Ding Wei’s eyes widened round: “Old Li, you didn’t misrelay the brigade commander’s order, did you? Would the brigade commander issue such an order?”
The train has already been disassembled and taken back. Isn’t our task to rendezvous with the transportation team and cover their entry into the mountains?
Attacking the Japanese invaders’ station warehouse at this time would be completely stirring up trouble.
If the Japanese invaders’ reinforcement troops then swarm over, our situation would be dangerous.
“Old Zhang’s side took too many things; they’re moving slowly on the road. If the Japanese invaders’ reinforcement troops catch up, even you, me, the 772nd Regiment, and the 771st Regiment probably couldn’t protect Old Zhou and the others.” Li Yunlong said, “So, the best way is still to draw away the Japanese invaders’ reinforcement troops.”
“To draw away the Japanese invaders’ reinforcement troops, do we need to attack an important target like the station warehouse?” Ding Wei still questioned.
We could just pick any county town to hit, right?
The train is gone, two iron turtles are gone, and if the station warehouse is attacked too, the Japanese invaders will explode with rage.
They won’t rest until they kill us with full force.
“Since we’re drawing away the Japanese invaders’ reinforcement troops anyway, why not hit a profitable target? The Japanese invaders are already fired up,” Li Yunlong said leisurely.
“We don’t have enough ammunition either,” Ding Wei said. “Especially the hell cannon shells; I only have three left.”
“No problem, the brigade commander will send some over soon…”
Well!
Before Li Yunlong finished speaking, he saw Cheng Xiazi taking a shortcut over.
“Li Yunlong, Ding Wei, this is the cannonballs and grenades the brigade commander sent for you. Receive them.” Cheng Xiazi had his men place the ammunition in front of Li Yunlong and Ding Wei.
“Cheng Xiazi, why’d you only bring so few people?” Li Yunlong saw only about two hundred men with Cheng Xiazi and couldn’t help saying, “I thought you were coming to fight with me and Old Ding.”
“Li Yunlong, the brigade commander needs protection too!” Cheng Xiazi righteously found a way out for himself.
Of course, Cheng Xiazi had heard from the brigade commander that Li Yunlong and Ding Wei were going to attack the Japanese invaders’ station warehouse to contain their reinforcement troops.
That was more dangerous than jumping into an oil pot.
“Fair enough. Protect the brigade commander well; if he gets so much as a scratch, I’ll kill you!” Li Yunlong didn’t waste words with Cheng Xiazi.
“Go on, go on. Even if my entire 772nd Regiment is wiped out, I won’t let the brigade commander get hurt.” Cheng Xiazi didn’t argue with Li Yunlong and said to his men instead, “Give them the things we brought.”
Cheng Xiazi had brought not only the brigade commander’s cannonballs and grenades but also some machine guns and ammunition from the 772nd Regiment.
“Did the brigade commander give me these too?” Li Yunlong was surprised.
The brigade commander hadn’t mentioned this earlier. When did he get so generous?
It was always us getting the profits, and the brigade commander smilingly congratulating us on getting rich.
Like today, with the brigade commander proactively giving guns and ammunition—it was a first.
“This is what my 772nd Regiment is lending you,” Cheng Xiazi explained. “When the battle’s over, you have to return them.”
Although Cheng Xiazi didn’t get along with Li Yunlong and Ding Wei, he still had an eye for the overall situation.
Li Yunlong and Ding Wei’s task was too dangerous; supporting them with a bit of machine guns was helping out.
“Cheng Xiazi, if you’d had this awareness earlier, I would’ve taken you everywhere to earn meritorious service long ago.” Li Yunlong wasn’t polite and accepted everything.
Cheng Xiazi didn’t respond to Li Yunlong’s words.
Go everywhere with you?
No way. If I’d followed you, I’d probably still be a company commander now.
Ding Wei also expressed thanks on the side: “Thank you for your support, Regimental Commander Cheng.”
“Remember, this is borrowed. Don’t forget to return it.” Cheng Xiazi left these words and took his men away.
“Old Ding, look at this Cheng Xiazi. He’s just a blockhead, isn’t he? For the sake of him lending me these things, I’m even willing to let bygones be bygones and bring him along, but he, like Kong Er Lengzi, just doesn’t get it.” Li Yunlong pointed at Cheng Xiazi’s retreating figure.
“Old Li, give it up. Follow you everywhere stirring up trouble? Don’t you know what the brigade commander’s real intention is in having me go with you?” Ding Wei thought to himself, then said aloud, “Since we have enough ammunition now, let’s move out quickly.”
“Let’s go.”
