Chapter 194: Something More Valuable Than Sugar
“Hurry, hurry, hurry, grab the time to move!”
“Faster, even faster, baka, what are you dawdling for!”
“Baka, whoever is slow will be shot!”
On a certain section of the railway, Japanese soldiers were forcing laborers to hurry unloading from the military train.
There weren’t enough laborers, so even the puppet army was pulled in.
But even so, because there was too much cargo, manpower was still seriously insufficient.
After all, things happened too hastily; the Eighth Route Army’s attack on the railway was too sudden, with no prior preparation.
……
Gao Liujin and Gao Xigang led their troops rushing over quickly.
The scout reported to Gao Liujin: “Regiment commander, there’s a Japanese warehouse nearby. I’ve found its location. But the defenses there are too tight; I couldn’t get close.”
“We have the hell cannon; their tight defenses are nothing!” Gao Liujin was very pleased.
We can grab the military train cargo and also take a warehouse in passing; this haul is definitely a big profit.
The scout still said: “Regiment commander, the Japanese military train is fully loaded, their unloading personnel are seriously short-handed. Even combining our two regiments, we probably won’t have enough manpower. We can either grab the cargo on the military train or the warehouse—only one or the other, and we can’t take everything anyway.”
Although Gao Liujin’s troops now had nearly two thousand men.
The 28th Regiment’s troops also had more than three thousand men.
Together, that made five thousand strong.
But that military train was fully loaded; just the cargo on it amounted to one or two thousand tons.
Even by the lowest estimate, five thousand men transporting one thousand tons of cargo meant five men per ton on average—that was simply impossible.
Gao Liujin and Gao Xigang’s troops were combat troops after all, not a transportation team; without transportation tools, relying on shoulder-carrying and hand-carrying, it couldn’t be done.
Not to mention transporting such heavy cargo would slow the troops’ marching speed and let the Japanese catch up and bite them.
“Damn it!” Gao Liujin cursed upon hearing this. “This old heaven is really out to get me. Either give me troop transport vehicles, or I won’t even get a sip of soup. Or give me huge profits, and even if I eat till I’m stuffed, I can’t eat it all!”
Gao Xigang quickly said to Gao Liujin: “Let’s still grab the military train. The garrison there isn’t large; it’s easy to take. If we grab the warehouse, we’d have to assault it, which would delay time.”
Although the Japanese rapid mobile troops had been driven off, their infantry was still rushing over; we had to seize the time.
“Damn it!” Gao Liujin cursed again and said, “Looks like we can only grab the military train first. As for that warehouse, it won’t run away. I’ll come back for it later. Let’s go see first what exactly is on this military train that’s worth the Japanese urgently transferring midway.”
“Let’s go.” Gao Xigang and Gao Liujin led their teams quickly closing in on the cargo train side.
Reaching a hilltop, Gao Liujin looked through the telescope.
In the telescope’s view, Japanese were urging laborers and puppet army to urgently unload things from the carriages. Due to lack of transportation tools, their unloading efficiency was very slow.
“Gao Xigang, like this: let’s split our forces into two roads.” Gao Liujin immediately said to Gao Xigang, “I’ll take troops to seize the Japanese military train; you take troops to intercept those unloading personnel. The puppet army and laborers are all rare transportation manpower—you get my meaning?”
“Okay, no problem.” Gao Xigang of course understood what Gao Liujin meant.
Our two regiments combined were fully five thousand men, but still not enough manpower.
The profits on this military train were really too much; taking the puppet army could make them help transport things.
As for the laborers, once we rescue them, they would voluntarily help transport things.
And so, Gao Liujin and Gao Xigang split their forces into two; Gao Liujin led men straight toward the military train.
Still, someone puzzled asked the running Gao Liujin: “Regiment commander, aren’t the Japanese out of their minds? Why don’t they use another locomotive from behind to tow and pull this military train away directly? Why go to such trouble transferring cargo?”
“How would I know what’s in the Japanese minds.” Gao Liujin said casually, “Maybe their locomotive is still on the road, maybe there’s another military train blocking behind so the locomotive can’t get through, maybe there aren’t enough locomotives, maybe other reasons. Anyway, bottom line: why worry about why the Japanese don’t use another locomotive to pull from behind? Since heaven is serving us a meal now, we have to grab it quick—the Japanese infantry is still behind.”
“Yes, regiment commander.”
The garrison Japanese along the way, plus bunkers and such, were like paper under Gao Liujin’s rocket launcher and infantry gun assault.
Gao Liujin didn’t even use the hell cannon, just led the troops charging straight through.
“Baka, these damned Eighth Route—they really came along the railway line. Hateful.” The escorting Japanese officer watched the scene, eyes red with rage.
Due to the Wang Zhuang railway ahead being attacked by the Eighth Route Army, this cargo train had made an emergency stop.
This was a curve; the locomotive couldn’t reverse directly, and the new locomotive was still behind, not yet arrived.
Worried the Eighth Route would find them, so they planned to transfer some supplies in advance.
That way, when the Eighth Route attacked, the losses would be somewhat reduced.
He hadn’t expected it would all be in vain in the end.
Gao Liujin shot the escorting Japanese officer, showing no interest in his commanding sword, tossing it directly to the guard, and loudly ordered: “Open all the carriages at fastest speed, see exactly what cargo is inside, then we take the most valuable.”
This cargo train had about thirty carriages; only a small half were opened, the rest still closed.
“Yes, regiment commander.”
Gao Liujin’s soldiers immediately swarmed over.
“Regiment commander, this carriage is full of coal.”
“This is also coal.”
“This is iron powder, right?”
“This carriage is cotton.”
“This, this seems like vinegar!”
“Vinegar my ass—have you ever seen vinegar corrode iron bars instantly? This is acid!”
“Isn’t vinegar also acid?”
“Is this the same as that acid?!”
“This is sugar?”
“My god, regiment commander, this whole carriage is sugar.”
“Regiment commander, we’re rich—come quick!”
……
Soon, Gao Liujin was called to a carriage; inside were neatly stacked bags.
A soldier opened a bag; inside were snow-white granules, tasted very sweet—this was sugar.
“Hahaha, we’re rich, I’m rich, hahaha.”
Gao Liujin laughed wildly, “This one carriage of sugar must be over a hundred thousand catties. Move it, move it all back for me, hahaha. Whatever Li Yunlong, whatever scholar—in front of me, they’re nothing. The sugar they got isn’t even a fraction of mine, hahaha.”
See, heaven still favors me, Gao Liujin, after all.
Though heaven’s favor is a bit too exaggerated, but I like it, hahaha.
“Regiment commander, there are several more carriages of stuff; looks like iron sand, but not quite. Do we move it?” Someone found Gao Liujin.
“Damn it, what the hell is this.” Gao Liujin grabbed a handful of the gray-black stuff, held it to his eyes—couldn’t figure it out no matter what.
This gray-black stuff was what the Japanese had opened the carriage themselves to transfer.
At first, no one recognized it, thought it was coal powder or sand or something, didn’t pay much attention.
Now looking, this wasn’t iron powder or sand; seemed like something else.
Like that industrial acid and sugar—they hadn’t transferred those in advance, but transferred this gray-black stuff first.
This showed the gray-black stuff might be even more valuable than sugar.
This gave Gao Liujin a headache.
Several carriages of this stuff—not a small amount; one carriage over a hundred thousand catties, adding up to over a million catties.
Even combining with Gao Xigang’s troops, we still couldn’t move all this gray-black stuff back.
If we really moved all this, we’d have to abandon the industrial acid and sugar!
Damn it, heaven’s bowl of rice is really infuriating to eat.
“Regiment commander, Japanese reinforcement troops won’t give us much time. Do we move it or not? Abandon the sugar?” Someone urged Gao Liujin.
“Damn it, if only I had a radio.” Gao Liujin jumped in frustration.
If there was a radio to contact Factory Director Li, he definitely would know the goods.
“Regiment commander, I think, though sugar is precious, we should abandon it and all move this gray-black stuff.” Someone suggested to Gao Liujin, “The Japanese value it more than sugar, prioritizing its transfer—so it must be the most valuable.”
“No, we can’t abandon the sugar!” Gao Liujin said firmly, “I’ve finally gotten this much sugar; can’t abandon it. Besides, the border region arsenal urgently needs this batch of sugar.”
“Moving a hundred thousand catties of sugar means moving a hundred thousand less catties of this stuff, regiment commander—you better think it over.”
“Damn it, don’t push me. I’m slow-witted, not turning as fast as that bastard Li Yunlong.” Gao Liujin scratched his scalp in annoyance, finally saying, “The Japanese are cunning too. What if this gray-black stuff is their smokescreen? What if they deliberately transfer this worthless stuff to lure us, and we move the worthless stuff back—wouldn’t that be…”
“I don’t think so.” Gao Xigang ran over, shouting to Gao Liujin, “I’ve found the Japanese warehouse. When they were receiving this gray-black stuff, they looked extremely anxious; they even sent troops out and I drove them back. Bottom line: this stuff is definitely more valuable than sugar. Regimental Commander Gao, abandon the sugar, move all this gray-black stuff.”
“No, I’m not abandoning the sugar!” Gao Liujin roared, “This gray-black stuff may be more valuable, but not necessarily something the arsenal can use right away, whereas sugar is something the arsenal can use right away. Li Yunlong and them made so much fertilizer, needing lots of sugar.”
“Your point is valid too.” Gao Xigang pondered, then said, “Like this: we move the sugar and industrial acid, finish both, and use remaining manpower for the gray-black stuff. The Japanese warehouse is nearby; when we withdraw, destroy the railway and train to prevent them repairing the railway and using a new locomotive from behind to pull the military train away. That way, they’ll have to urgently move stuff to the warehouse. Once we get our stuff back, we figure out how to take their warehouse later. This way, we finish heaven’s bowl of rice.”
“Mm, makes sense.” Gao Liujin nodded immediately upon hearing, “Okay, we’ll do as you say.”
Gao Liujin and Gao Xigang’s teams quickly moved the sugar and industrial acid; remaining manpower moved the gray-black stuff, and before leaving, they destroyed the train and a section of railroad track.
Of course, they left plenty of eyes and ears secretly watching.
To see if the Japanese really transferred the military train supplies to the warehouse.
If not to the warehouse but somewhere else, they had to pin it down.
Bottom line: this batch of supplies we can’t finish now, but later even if we break our teeth, we’ll eat it all!
