Chapter 86: We Meet Again
The river breeze carried the rustling sound of reeds past his ears, and Su Yaoyang’s knuckles turned slightly white under the cuff of his military uniform.
He narrowed his eyes and saw two figures pushing through waist-high reeds. The dry yellow reed tassels broke off rustling at the newcomers’ waists, bouncing up and falling like startled snakes.
“How come it’s them?”
Su Yaoyang frowned slightly. The newcomers were none other than Military Intelligence Service Nanjing Station Deputy Station Chief Xu Shixiang and Chen Shijie, sent by the Military and Political Affairs Department, who had stormed off in a huff a couple of days ago.
Su Yaoyang stroked Xiao Lu’s beautiful hair and said softly, “Xiao Lu, you go eat first.”
“Mm!” Xiao Lu nodded obediently, glanced at Xu Shixiang and Chen Shijie, and ran off lightly.
Ten steps away, Xu Shixiang suddenly stopped. A cluster of reed tassels brushed over his fat jaw, and he raised his hand to break off the reed stalk.
Chen Shijie, standing beside him, also stopped, looking at Su Yaoyang with a complicated expression, and said, “Commander Su, we meet again.”
“Yeah!”
Su Yaoyang nodded. “I originally thought we’d never have the chance to meet again in this lifetime, but unexpectedly, just a few days later, here we are meeting again.”
Chen Shijie’s face tightened slightly, feeling that the other was mocking him.
Afraid the two would quarrel, Xu Shixiang quickly stepped forward half a step, blocking in front of Chen Shijie with his fat body, his face full of smiles as he said, “Commander Su… congratulations… congratulations.
In the Nanjing battle, the New Security Regiment, under your leadership along with Commander Li and Commander Huang, heavily damaged the Kunizaki Detachment and the 6th Division, showcasing the prestige of our Chinese soldiers.
Chairman Chiang learned of it and praised it greatly, acclaiming you all as pillars of the party and state, and ordering the Military and Political Affairs Department to reward you.”
“Reward?”
Su Yaoyang deliberately raised his voice. “I wonder how Chairman Chiang plans to reward us? By promoting us, or by giving us a large sum of bonus money?”
“This…”
Chen Shijie paused, not knowing how to respond for a moment.
A trace of embarrassment also appeared on Xu Shixiang’s face beside him.
After a long while, Chen Shijie said, “Due to the urgency of time, the Military and Political Affairs Department only sent us a telegram, specially appointing you as Nanjing Security Regiment Commander, granting you the rank of colonel, and awarding 100,000 fabi.”
After speaking, he took a telegram from his briefcase and handed it to Su Yaoyang with both hands. “This is the telegram from Chongqing. Due to the urgency of time, the formal appointment letter and bonus will take some days to arrive.”
Su Yaoyang took the telegram, glanced at it, and burst out laughing. “Not easy. This time it’s finally not some new or provisional establishment, and they even gave 100,000 fabi.”
Chen Shijie frowned slightly. “Commander Su, although I deeply admire your performance and achievements in Nanjing, this is not a reason for you to disdain your superiors.
We’ll let it go this time, but if I see you disrespecting superiors like this again, don’t blame me for reporting it to the higher-ups and getting you disciplined.”
“Whatever.”
Su Yaoyang waved his hand indifferently, as if suddenly thinking of something, and asked aloud, “By the way, since you’ve appointed me as Nanjing Security Regiment Commander, how much pay will be allocated each month? And who do I get weapons and equipment from?”
Chen Shijie shook his head. “No pay, and weapons and equipment are to be procured yourself.
Of course, if you’re dissatisfied with the Military and Political Affairs Department’s orders, they can also incorporate your troops into the regular army establishment, at which point both pay and equipment will be handled by the government.”
“No need… no need…”
Su Yaoyang waved his hands repeatedly. “This is fine as is. Times are tough now, so we won’t trouble the superiors with our small matters.”
Although Su Yaoyang had never led troops before, he still knew some basic knowledge.
As the old saying goes, if you take someone’s bowl of rice, you have to listen to them.
Once you take their salary and have a formal establishment, it means all your actions must follow orders.
As the saying goes, military orders are like mountains. Even if they send you to your death, you have to go without blinking, and violating that means facing a military tribunal or even battlefield execution.
For miscellaneous armies without economic sources, being incorporated by the government into the iron rice bowl is naturally something they eagerly seek, but for Su Yaoyang, who had backing, there was no need.
Old Chiang had a habit of using miscellaneous armies as cannon fodder, and he wasn’t going to plug holes for the central army.
Seeing Su Yaoyang’s eager avoidance, Chen Shijie snorted lightly, as if he had long anticipated this reaction.
“Commander Su, I’ve delivered the reward telegram. Next is to announce the arrangements for your unit.”
“Arrangements?”
Su Yaoyang, Li Gaoyuan, and Huang Guantao exchanged a glance, all seeing the meaningful look in each other’s eyes.
The use of “arrangements” instead of “orders” was enough to show the Chongqing government’s conflicted attitude toward them at this time.
“Alright… go ahead.”
Chen Shijie said gravely, “Considering you’ve just fought fiercely with the Japanese in Nanjing, your troops must have suffered significant casualties and losses, so Minister He has arranged for the Nanjing Security Regiment to go to Xuzhou for rest and reorganization.
During the rest period, you will be under the command of the 5th Theater.”
“Go to Xuzhou?”
Su Yaoyang was slightly stunned. Others might not know, but didn’t he? The Xuzhou Campaign had already begun by now.
In this campaign, the National Army mobilized 600,000 troops including the central army, Guangxi army, Sichuan army, Northwest army, Northeast army, etc., against 240,000 from the Japanese North China Area Army.
Both sides fought for half a year.
If he went there now, he would inevitably be drawn into this campaign. Could his small arms and legs withstand it?
Thinking of this, Su Yaoyang hesitated.
Seeing Su Yaoyang silent, Chen Shijie asked curiously, “Commander Chen, don’t you want to go to Xuzhou for rest?”
“I… alright then.”
Su Yaoyang hesitated but still agreed.
Anyway, the troops had nowhere to go now. Going to Xuzhou would at least allow some rest and reorganization, and a chance to properly sort out the unit.
Moreover, the 5th Theater Commander Li Zongren was known for his fairness. Even if they went to Xuzhou, they wouldn’t have to worry about being treated as pawns or sent to die, which was better than wandering around.
Seeing Su Yaoyang agree, Chen Shijie and Xu Shixiang kept calm faces but inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Shixiang suddenly smiled and said, “Commander Su, Chen Commander and I barely made it out of Nanjing last night. We rushed all the way without even having breakfast.
Now that we’ve finally reached you, you wouldn’t begrudge us even a breakfast, would you?”
“Hahahaha…”
Su Yaoyang burst into laughter and turned to Li Gaoyuan and Huang Guantao. “See… they’re here to find fault.”
Li Gaoyuan also smiled. “You two… although our Security Regiment can’t compare to your central army, we can still afford a meal.
As the saying goes, an unexpected encounter is better than an invitation, so please join us for a bite?”
“Hahaha… then we’ll respectfully accept…”
