Chapter 30: The New Regiment Wins Hearts and Minds; The Deputy Chief of Staff Feels Deeply Gratified! Expanding the Ranks

"Since the New First Regiment arrived, the bandits have been wiped out, and we no longer have to live in fear."

"Exactly. The Eighth Route Army is truly different from other warlords. Not only did they clear out the bandits, but they also helped us common folk resolve many issues..."

"This is the army we should support!"

"Indeed. I’ve already made up my mind—I’m letting my son join the New First Regiment!"

"I was thinking the same thing!"

"You two are too slow. My son already left after leaving me a note."

"Old Liu, that’s not fair! We agreed to go together!"

"That’s right. Besides, going early doesn’t necessarily mean much. True skill is what counts. In the New First Regiment, promotions are based on merit, not seniority..."

"..."

"Have you heard? The New First Regiment took Xijing Town two days ago, and every single Japanese devil was annihilated."

"Really?"

"That’s wonderful! Finally, someone is dealing with those Japanese devils. Heaven has eyes!"

"..."

Just as the villagers were deep in their spirited discussion, the appearance of the Deputy Chief of Staff and his party drew their wariness, and they fell silent.

The Deputy Chief of Staff stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Fellow countrymen, I just heard you mention that the bandits in this area have been cleared out by the New First Regiment. Is this true?"

"It’s true, of course!" A man looked the refined-looking Deputy Chief of Staff up and down, assuming they were just travelers, and said, "You can rest easy; there are no bandits in these parts."

Hearing this, the Deputy Chief of Staff felt quite heartened.

No wonder they hadn't encountered any bandits for so long; it turned out the New First Regiment had already wiped them out. From the conversation just now, it was clear that the New First Regiment was well-regarded by the local people. Li Yunlong had truly done a fine job! No wonder the unit was able to develop so rapidly.

Subsequently, the Deputy Chief of Staff inquired about the conditions of the surrounding roads. After all, if they were to relocate the arsenal, they needed a clear understanding of the terrain. Based on what he learned, if they wanted to move the arsenal here, the roads would certainly need improvement. Fortunately, the New First Regiment had built a good reputation in the area, winning the support of the people, which would provide favorable conditions for their subsequent work.

Once the villagers learned that the Deputy Chief of Staff was with the Eighth Route Army, they treated them with great hospitality. At that moment, the Deputy Chief of Staff became even more convinced of his choice of location for the arsenal.

After gathering the necessary information, the Deputy Chief of Staff did not linger and left the village to return to headquarters.

...

On the other side, at the Japanese Third Regiment Headquarters.

Nobutetsu Sakata looked at the report in his hand with a grim expression and roared, "Baka!"

"We lost nearly two platoons, and you only report this now!"

"Find out exactly who ambushed the Imperial Army and where this unit is!"

"Regimental Commander, the Fifth Battalion is already investigating, but there is no news yet," his adjutant, Taro Urayu, explained.

"According to the soldiers who retreated, this was likely the work of the Eighth Route Army, but..."

Seeing him hesitate, Sakata wore a stern face and said unhappily, "Speak! But what?"

"Hai!" Urayu bowed his head. "There is a point of doubt. This unit had extremely powerful firepower. Based on our understanding of the Eighth Route Army, the 'Muddy Eighth' could never possibly possess such strength. At the time, they even used mortars, and their artillery fire was quite abundant, which caused our troops to suffer heavy losses. I suspect it might be elite troops from the Jin-Sui Army or the Central Army in disguise. However, this is only my speculation and requires further confirmation."

Sakata frowned, pondering Urayu's theory. The Eighth Route Army was called the "Muddy Eighth" precisely because they were poorly equipped, lacked ammunition, and usually resorted to close-quarters combat after a short engagement. It was indeed unlikely they would have such firepower. At this moment, Sakata largely accepted this speculation.

Just then, a report delivered by a communicator provided further support. The post-battle investigation indicated that the battlefield had been struck by 60mm mortars and multiple light and heavy machine-gun positions, with little evidence of close-quarters combat... This series of findings convinced Sakata of Urayu's theory.

"Baka! This is definitely an elite unit of the Nationalist Army. Investigate this immediately. I want to know which unit attacked our Third Regiment."

"Hai!"

...

With the enemy forces in Xijing Town and Huangyadong Town struck, the Japanese and puppet troops were busy reorganizing their strongholds and had no time to control other areas. Under Li Yunlong’s arrangements, each battalion sent teams to various villages to recruit and expand. This increased the strength of the New First Regiment, and their base area expanded as well. Many villages became "outposts" for the New First Regiment to monitor the enemy.

At the Black Wind Ridge base, after Li Yunlong reorganized the troops, he selected the usable captives from the puppet forces after they underwent re-education and integrated them into the battalions. At the same time, with the new recruits, the total strength of the regiment reached 1,800.

Just as Li Yunlong was reviewing the reports from the First and Second Battalions, a system notification sounded.

[Ding! Congratulations, your elite force has reached 1,000 men and two battalion levels. Rewarding two battalions' worth of weapons, equipment, ammunition, and supplies.]

[The rewards have been placed in the system inventory. Please check.]

Li Yunlong was slightly stunned.

Reached 1,000 men?

It seemed this battle had allowed many soldiers to improve and meet the system's "elite force" standard. Of course, the reason they were able to improve so quickly was inseparable from their usual grueling training and the awakening of the unit's spirit.

Not bad, not bad!

As Li Yunlong checked the rewards, he saw they were primarily Type 38 Arisaka and Chiang Kai-shek rifles, a mix of light and heavy machine guns, along with some grenade launchers and mortars. What surprised him most was that the rewards included two Type 92 battalion guns.

That was quite unexpected. Although the Type 92 battalion gun only had a caliber of 70mm, its power could not be underestimated. It was known for being "short and dangerous." Weighing only 0.212 tons, its low weight meant transport requirements were minimal. Without vehicles, it could be towed by untrained livestock or men. It could also be disassembled for transport, lowering the requirements for road conditions to almost nothing. Its total height was only 62 centimeters, including the shield; if the shield were removed, it dropped to about 50 centimeters. This height was comparable to a heavy machine gun, meaning the Type 92 could be easily hidden. Especially in the mountainous terrain of China, as long as it was camouflaged, it was nearly impossible to detect. Its high-explosive shell weighed 3.8 kilograms, making it an excellent weapon for attacking strongholds, blockhouses, and other defensive fortifications.

All in all, it was a truly effective piece of artillery that could accompany an infantry battalion without conditions. It seemed the artillery company's workload had just increased. He had to make Wang Chengzhu and Yang Zhihua step up their artillery training; otherwise, having guns but not being able to use them well would be truly frustrating.

Afterward, Li Yunlong went directly to the artillery company's station to check on their training progress. But the scene before him left him momentarily stunned.