Chapter 28: Li Yunlong Reports, The Deputy Chief of Staff is Stunned

"A mountain king?"

Li Yunlong was slightly taken aback, then chuckled. "Chief, you really shouldn't say that. Being a 'mountain king' is actually quite comfortable."

"If communication weren't so difficult, I would have personally reported the situation here to the Brigade Commander already."

"Now that you're here, it saves me the trouble. Please, Chief, when you go back, tell the brigade headquarters that the New First Regiment's base is in the Black Wind Ridge area, and the unit's development is going reasonably well."

The Deputy Chief of Staff had originally intended to use humor to remind Li Yunlong to mind his boundaries, but he hadn't expected Li Yunlong to use humor to offer an explanation as well. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to report, but that communication was simply too difficult.

"Hahaha..."

"You rascal, you certainly know how to order people around—you've even got me doing your errands."

"Passing on the message is no problem, but you'll have to pay a price."

Li Yunlong’s eyes darted around, and he smiled. "What little scraps I have couldn't possibly catch your eye, Chief. Please, just tell me what you want."

"Hahaha..." The Deputy Chief of Staff, realizing that Li Yunlong was worried about him 'raiding' his supplies, pointed at him and laughed heartily.

"You call these 'scraps'? I saw the scene when you attacked Xijing Town. Your weaponry and equipment are quite extravagant; your firepower is no weaker than that of the little devils."

"It looks like you’ve struck it rich! Tell me, how much did you gain this time?"

Li Yunlong, not realizing he had attacked Xijing Town right under the Deputy Chief of Staff's nose, was momentarily stunned.

"You really are a Chief. You hid yourself so well that my men didn't even notice you. It seems my vigilance is still lacking!"

"Hehe... it wasn't much, just about enough equipment for one battalion."

"By the way, there were some special shells. I couldn't read the 'bird language' on them, but they had skull patterns painted on them. They seem to be poison gas shells. Chief, do you know Japanese?"

Equipment for a battalion? Poison gas shells?

The Deputy Chief of Staff was startled, though he quickly shifted his focus to these special shells.

"Oh?"

"I know a little. Take me to see them; as it happens, I have something I need your help with."

"After you, Chief," Li Yunlong gestured. "I wonder what it is that I can help with?"

The Deputy Chief of Staff glanced at the surrounding soldiers and smiled. "We'll talk about that later. Tell me about the battle first."

Realizing this was a serious matter, Li Yunlong nodded and recounted the ins and outs of the engagement.

Enticing a collaborator? Playing along with the enemy's scheme, using the guise of a regiment to obtain an entry permit, and then hunting down bandits under the pretense of fighting the Eighth Route Army? All to gain the trust of the Japanese and their puppets and break through the town's defensive lines!

After hearing this, the Deputy Chief of Staff couldn't help but give a thumbs up, praising, "Your brain is truly sharp. To think of breaking a city in such a way—you really have a knack for this! Well done!"

"I reckon the New First Regiment is about a thousand men strong now, isn't it?"

Li Yunlong nodded slightly. "Yes, about a thousand. However, the soldiers' combat proficiency still needs improvement. Although we successfully captured Xijing Town, we paid a heavy price in casualties."

The Deputy Chief of Staff sighed softly and consoled him, "Soldiers must pay a price to grow; that is unavoidable. I believe that under your leadership, the New First Regiment will grow quickly."

"By the way, do you know the background of the Black Dragon Society, the largest bandit force in this area?"

The Black Dragon Society?

Li Yunlong was slightly stunned. He nodded and asked, "I know them. Why do you ask?"

"Tell me about them," the Deputy Chief of Staff said, looking pleased.

Li Yunlong, unsure of what was going on, recounted everything he knew about the Black Dragon Society.

"That is the situation with the Black Dragon Society."

After listening, the Deputy Chief of Staff’s face showed visible anger. "These bandits are truly unforgivable. This is a bit of a problem... Li Yunlong, did you just stand by and watch these bandits harm the people?"

A problem?

Li Yunlong was even more confused. "What kind of problem? Chief, don't you know me? How could I possibly tolerate that? Those bandits have already been completely wiped out."

The Deputy Chief of Staff paused in his tracks, then burst into laughter.

"Hehe... that's right. How could I have forgotten that? Now I can rest easy."

Li Yunlong was prone to making mistakes, but his heart was in the right place. He was loyal to the organization and knew how to lead troops in battle; he was a formidable commander. That was why the headquarters valued him. It would be even better if he could make fewer mistakes.

With that thought, the Deputy Chief of Staff asked, "When you took Xijing Town, you didn't wrongly seize any of the people's property, did you?"

Li Yunlong understood the Chief's concern and replied earnestly, "Please rest assured, Chief. I announced the relevant regulations long ago. If anyone dares to do such a thing, I'll be the first to not let them off."

"Good, that's good!" The Deputy Chief of Staff cautioned, "Don't lose the watermelon while picking up the sesame seeds. The people are the foundation of our army..."

Li Yunlong listened quietly to the instruction and promised, "Understood. Please rest assured, Chief, I will keep everyone in line."

With nothing more to say, the Deputy Chief of Staff did not press the matter further. As they talked, they returned to the base and headed straight for another warehouse, as the shells were quite special.

"Regimental Commander!" Zhang Quan saluted and reported, "All the shells have been inventoried. There are 42 in total, along with two launchers."

Li Yunlong nodded slightly. Since it was unclear what kind of poison gas shells they were, he cautioned for safety's sake, "These shells must be guarded strictly. See to it that no accidents occur. Open one of the crates."

"Yes!" Zhang Quan replied loudly.

As the crate was opened, the Deputy Chief of Staff stepped forward to check the information on the shells. He was an educated man who had studied abroad; while not fluent in Japanese, he had learned the language while studying in the Soviet Union. Thus, he could decipher some of the text.

The result of his translation was alarming.

"Li Yunlong, this appears to be mustard gas. You must be extremely careful."

Mustard gas?

Li Yunlong was shocked. He knew of the toxicity of mustard gas. It was a blistering agent; contact resulted in large-scale rotting of the skin. Known as the "King of Chemical Agents," it left victims with festering wounds and no hope of a cure. It was a terrifying weapon.

"Chief, since these poison gas shells are here, I suspect the little devils intend to use them against us. Other units need to be very careful."

The Deputy Chief of Staff nodded gravely. "That is highly likely. When I return, I will issue a warning to everyone to be cautious. This is an urgent matter, so I won't stay much longer. Come here for a moment!"

Li Yunlong nodded and followed the Deputy Chief of Staff to the side. The Deputy Chief of Staff took out a map, pointed to the Huangyadong area, and asked, "Li Yunlong, how familiar are you with this region? Due to the enemy's 'mopping-up' operations, our arsenal needs to be relocated. The purpose of my trip is to find a suitable location."

So that was it!

Li Yunlong remembered, then said, "Chief, if that is what you need, I actually know a place that would be perfect."

Hearing this, the Deputy Chief of Staff's eyes lit up. He had spent a great deal of time searching for a suitable spot.

"Where is it?"

Li Yunlong pointed to a spot on the map and said, "Here!"