Chapter 98: Meeting The Big Shot
Xuzhou Original Prefecture Office（later XZ city center Datong Street area）, due to its location in the core area of Xuzhou city, convenient for commanding and coordinating various troops in combat, so the Fifth War Zone headquarters was set up here.
In front of the original prefecture office with blue bricks and gray tiles, two stone lions had been surrounded by sandbags into bunkers. When Su Yaoyang stepped on the already cracked stone steps into the gate with peeling red lacquer, thinking of soon meeting that famous Guangxi clique boss, he still felt a bit excited in his heart.
More than a dozen guards standing at the door were wearing blue cloth military uniforms, the barrels of their Zhongzheng Type rifles gleaming coldly, bayonets drawing sharp arcs in the sunlight, standing solemnly vigilant at the door watching them, until the staff officer who brought Su Yaoyang gave them the documents for careful inspection, then they let him in.
Soon, Su Yaoyang was brought to a courtyard. Just as he entered the courtyard, he saw in the front hall more than a dozen officers who looked like staff officers busy beyond measure, some making phone calls, some discussing matters, several radio operators busy receiving and sending telegrams, all looking hectic.
The two went straight through the front courtyard to the command room in the back courtyard. Unlike the front courtyard, the command room in the back courtyard was filled with the smell of tobacco, yellowed military maps covering the entire gray wall, a man of medium build with his back to him circling and writing on the map with a red pencil.
“Report to the commander!” Su Yaoyang shouted loudly from the doorway, “Nanjing Security Regiment commander Su Yaoyang reporting for duty as ordered, please instruct me, sir!”
Sunlight slanted through the carved window lattice onto the blue brick floor, the operations map in front of Li Zongren was edged with gold. When he turned around, three general stars immediately caught Su Yaoyang’s eye, a pair of eyes looking at him.
Su Yaoyang’s breathing hitched, the moment those eyes lifted, it was like the cold gleam of a sword leaving its sheath, the “eyes containing thunder” often described by storytellers in teahouses was now embodied on this seemingly honest face before him.
Just as Su Yaoyang’s heart tightened, this commander of over 600,000 troops in the Fifth War Zone suddenly chuckled lightly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out, matching his honest face, instantly turning the previous stern aura into spring water.
“Hahaha… so our hero who greatly defeated the Japanese has arrived!” Li Zongren’s laugh made the atmosphere in the command post much warmer.
Su Yaoyang did not dare to be neglectful and quickly stepped forward: “You overpraise me, sir. This junior is just a student from Rehe Normal School. How dare I receive praise from a senior like you who has dominated the scene for decades.”
“Moreover, a few days ago, it was because this junior failed to arrive in time that Division Commander Wang Mingzhang heroically sacrificed himself, all due to the fault of my unit.”
Although several days had passed, when Division Commander Wang Mingzhang was mentioned, a trace of sadness still flashed in Li Zongren’s eyes.
“Eh… if anyone should feel the most guilty, it should be me. If I could have given Zhong more support or let you set off earlier, he wouldn’t have… alas…”
Seeing Li Zongren’s dejected and sorrowful look, Su Yaoyang comforted: “Sir… the dead are gone. The only thing we can do now is kill more Japanese to avenge Division Commander Wang and the innocent civilians who died.”
“Yes… let’s not talk about this.” Li Zongren, as expected of a boss who had dominated the scene for decades, adjusted his emotions in an instant.
He sized up Su Yaoyang again, looking at his dashing figure in the German-style 1935 field uniform, nodded in satisfaction, and pointed to a chair nearby: “Come… sit…”
After Su Yaoyang sat down, he got straight to the point: “I called you here today, first to see you, the young talent recently famous in Xuzhou, and second because I have some questions to ask.”
Su Yaoyang said solemnly: “Please speak, sir!”
Li Zongren said: “To be honest with you, a few days ago Teng County was surrounded, Zhong and the 122nd Division were bitterly holding on in Teng County, I was also looking everywhere for reinforcements, but I never thought of you and the Nanjing Security Regiment. Because I wasn’t very familiar with you, I actually forgot about you for a moment.
If Chief of Staff Xu Zuyi（ hadn’t mentioned it to me a few days ago）, I wouldn’t even have known there was such a unit in Gaoyou.
It was only after you consecutively wiped out the Japanese cavalry company, tank company, and two artillery battalions that I suddenly realized there was actually such a capable and battle-hardened force hidden in my jurisdiction.”
Hearing Li Zongren describe his unit as capable and battle-hardened, Su Yaoyang quickly said humbly: “You overpraise me, sir. This junior does not deserve it.”
“What’s there to overpraise.” Li Zongren laughed: “We soldiers, if you’re good, you’re good… if not, you’re not. You’ve consecutively destroyed so many Japanese troops, which has already proven your ability.
Since the Chongqing side has placed you under the Fifth War Zone’s jurisdiction, of course I plan to learn more about you.
Now, can you report to me truthfully the number of personnel, organization, and weapons and equipment of your unit.”
“Of course.”
Su Yaoyang said without thinking: “It’s like this: our Security Regiment’s main force consists of six infantry battalions, each infantry battalion has 687 men, equipped with Garand semi-automatic rifles, each squad equipped with two BAR light machine guns, each company equipped with six American M1917 water-cooled machine guns and three M2 60mm mortars.
In addition, our regiment also has an anti-aircraft battalion, a tank company…”
Li Zongren was originally listening with a smile, but his eyes grew wider and wider as he listened.
This guy is simply mad, listen to this… is this even human?
Anti-aircraft battalion, tank company, artillery battalion logistics office, motor transport company, special service company, medical team, all sorts adding up to more than 5,000 men. What kind of Security Regiment is this? This firepower is already equivalent to a Nationalist first-class division… no… even an army?
Being able to show off in front of the surrounding Guangxi clique bosses, Su Yaoyang felt extremely pleased inside, but he also knew that showing off a bit was fine, overdoing it would annoy people.
He then quickly said: “Sir… it is my honor to be summoned by you this time.
Moreover, this junior boldly makes a small request to you.”
“A request?” Li Zongren, shocked, couldn’t help laughing: “You should be laughing that I haven’t shaken down you, this rich local lord, and yet you dare to make a request to me?”
“Hehe…”
Su Yaoyang smiled obsequiously: “No choice, this junior’s foundation is too thin.
This is because my artillery battalion has just been established. Although the equipment is there, it lacks skilled gunners. Today, having the rare opportunity to meet you, I want to ask you for a batch of gunners, hoping you will approve.”
“Gunners?” Who is Li Zongren? Upon hearing Su Yaoyang’s words, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. “Su Yaoyang… tell me the truth, what is the scale of your artillery battalion exactly? How many guns? What caliber?”
Su Yaoyang chuckled, somewhat embarrassed: “Not many… just two artillery companies, just equipped with 24 American M2A1 105mm howitzers.”
Yes, the famous World War II American M2A1 105mm howitzer, which was also a type of artillery that Su Yaoyang could convert after his mental power increased a couple of days ago.
“What…”
