Chapter 23: The Mess Li Yunlong Caused For You
“Do a good job. I have to go back now and report the good news to the Headquarters leader. Our Border Region Arsenal can really make cannons.” The Special Commissioner saw the production of the cannon with his own eyes and had to go back immediately to report the good news to the Deputy Chief of Staff.
“Special Commissioner Fan, I’ll see you off.” Li Muzhi wanted to see him off.
“No need, I can walk back myself.” The Special Commissioner waved his hand, then remembered something and said, “Seeing is believing. Take that cannon your Arsenal made to me.”
The Special Commissioner knew what kind of temper the Headquarters leader had. If he just told him verbally, he wouldn’t believe it.
He had to let him see it for himself.
Zhang Wanhe quickly said, “This cannon is temporarily lent to the 386 Brigade side.”
Zhang Wanhe wasn’t undeserving of being the Head of Logistics.
He had previously been demanding accountability for Li Yunlong, and he knew that clearly.
Why was Li Yunlong so bold? It was because there were leaders at Headquarters who liked him.
In the Battle of Cangyun Ridge, Li Yunlong disobeyed orders. If it weren’t for this leader speaking a couple of good words for Li Yunlong in front of the Deputy Commander, Li Yunlong’s outcome wouldn’t have been just demoted from Regiment Commander to doing embroidery at the Clothing Factory.
Otherwise, when Li Yunlong took two hundred military uniforms from the Clothing Factory, Zhang Wanhe would have turned a blind eye.
Also, other regiments found it hard to get twenty cases of grenades from Zhang Wanhe, so why did Li Yunlong get them before the Battle of Lijia Po?
Stepping back, Li Yunlong’s Brigade Commander wasn’t one to be trifled with either.
The cannon was already in the hands of the 386 Brigade, and they were also doing it to get sugar.
“The cannon was lent to the 386 Brigade?” The Special Commissioner was stunned and still somewhat puzzled. “Heavy artillery is so important. Shouldn’t it be prioritized for division-level troops?”
Zhang Wanhe explained, “Producing cannonballs for the cannon requires sugar, so we let the 386 Brigade take the cannon to get sugar.”
“So that’s how it is.” The Special Commissioner nodded, not objecting. “You’ve done well. We’ve made the cannon, but we can’t be without cannonballs. To continue producing cannonballs, we don’t need to stick to the rules so strictly.”
“Yes.” Zhang Wanhe quickly nodded.
“Alright then, let the 386 Brigade get sugar first. Making cannonballs is important, so the Headquarters leader will have to wait.” The Special Commissioner left those words, didn’t let Li Muzhi see him off, didn’t let Zhang Wanhe see him off, and went back by himself.
Once the Special Commissioner left, Li Muzhi got straight to the point and said to Zhang Wanhe, “The Arsenal will need fuel for power in the future. I want to stockpile some coal in advance. Do you have enough manpower here?”
“To get money, manpower is temporarily insufficient, but we can go to the civilians…” Zhang Wanhe’s words were cut off.
Li Muzhi interrupted, “If you don’t have enough manpower here, then let the combat troops help.”
The Special Commissioner went back and would soon submit an application report to Headquarters. By the time we contact the combat troops, Headquarters’ orders should arrive at the combat troops as well.
“Alright, then which combat troops do you want to cooperate?” Zhang Wanhe asked.
“The 386 Brigade just formed the New Second Regiment. The new regiment probably has no combat missions. Contact the New Second Regiment side. If they have no combat missions, have their Regiment Commander Kong Jie come here.” Li Muzhi said.
In the Battle of Lijia Po, Kong Jie was wounded and no longer served as Deputy Regiment Commander of the Independent Regiment.
After Kong Jie recovered, the 386 Brigade formed the New Second Regiment, and Kong Jie was now the Regiment Commander of the New Second Regiment.
“Alright, no problem.” Zhang Wanhe nodded.
Li Muzhi continued, “With fuel for the Arsenal, manufacturing gunpowder and explosives in the future will require sugar. We can’t keep relying on grabbing it; the enemy isn’t stupid. You can communicate with the civilians to plant more sugar beets. Then, I’ll try making sugar.”
Both sugar beets and sugarcane can make sugar. As long as there are raw materials, Li Muzhi has a way to make sugar by hand.
Northwestern Shanxi is in the North, where they plant sugar beets in the North and sugarcane in the South.
War conditions are poor, and sugar beets are scarce; otherwise, Li Muzhi could have Zhang Wanhe buy them directly.
“You can make sugar from sugar beets?” Zhang Wanhe was shocked. You’re already awesome enough for making explosives, and you can make sugar too?
“Let’s try. If it really succeeds, we won’t need combat troops to risk getting sugar in the future.” Li Muzhi downplayed it greatly; he wouldn’t say he could really make it by hand right away.
“Alright, I’ll communicate with the civilians.” Zhang Wanhe nodded.
……
New First Regiment
“Regiment Commander, the Japanese invaders at Xikou Warehouse just strengthened their defenses again.”
The New First Regiment’s intelligence officer reported to the new Regiment Commander Ding Wei of the New First Regiment, “According to our original plan, attacking Xikou Warehouse is probably impossible now.”
“Why did the defenses at Xikou Warehouse suddenly strengthen? Could the Japanese invaders know I’m coming for them?” Ding Wei couldn’t help wanting to curse upon hearing it.
Ding Wei was originally the Regiment Commander of the 28th Regiment in the Third Sub-Division. He was ordered to study in the rear but was detained by a Headquarters leader and made Regiment Commander of the New First Regiment.
New official, three fires to start. Now that Ding Wei was Regiment Commander of the New First Regiment, he naturally had to achieve something immediately. After all, when Li Yunlong left, he had fully equipped the New First Regiment with gear.
A strong general has no weak soldiers under him. He couldn’t embarrass the Brigade Commander, one of the “Huangpu Three Heroes,” could he?
“I’m not sure. We probably have to cancel the military action to attack Xikou Warehouse…” The intelligence officer’s words were cut off as someone ran up to report to Ding Wei: “Report Regiment Commander, the Brigade Commander is here, and Regimental Commander Li of the Independent Regiment is also here.”
The Brigade Commander and Li Yunlong were here?
Ding Wei was a bit surprised upon hearing it.
Why did the two come to the New First Regiment together without any notice?
Suppressing his suspicions, Ding Wei immediately ran out of the Regimental Headquarters.
“Brigade Commander!” Ding Wei saluted the Brigade Commander.
“Ding Wei, first order the entire New First Regiment to assemble.” The Brigade Commander instructed.
“Yes, Brigade Commander.” Ding Wei didn’t ask why and immediately sent someone to assemble the troops.
“Ding Wei, how’s it going? The enemy defenses at Xikou Warehouse strengthened, and you can’t do the task here?” The Brigade Commander asked directly.
Ding Wei wasn’t Li Yunlong. He had reported the Xikou Warehouse plan to the Brigade Commander in advance.
The Brigade Commander wanted Li Yunlong to conduct live-fire training. Why not choose elsewhere but Xikou Warehouse? The reason was here.
“Yes, Brigade Commander. I just received intelligence that the defenses at Xikou Warehouse suddenly strengthened. It’s not suitable to attack Xikou Warehouse again.” Ding Wei nodded, looking suspiciously at the Brigade Commander. “Do you know why?”
“It’s not because Li Yunlong stirred things up for you.” The Brigade Commander glanced at Li Yunlong beside him.
Upon hearing it, Ding Wei couldn’t help turning to ask Li Yunlong, “Li Yunlong, did you cause trouble again?”
Ding Wei was very familiar with his old comrade Li Yunlong. This guy felt uncomfortable if he didn’t stir up trouble every few days.
The reason Ding Wei could come to the New First Regiment and take over ready-made was because Li Yunlong disobeyed the Headquarters leader’s orders at Cangyun Ridge.
Look at that—even daring to disobey Headquarters leader’s orders. Li Yunlong was simply outrageously bold.
