Chapter 41: Li Yunlong’s Tactics—Zhang Dabiao Learns the Hard Way! Battle Achievements Astonish the Deputy Chief of Staff

"We've discovered that the New 1st Regiment has already taken Huangyadong Town and is currently attacking Matian Town and Tongyu Town."

Hearing this, the Deputy Chief of Staff was momentarily stunned, a look of sheer astonishment crossing his face.

"Are you sure there's no mistake?"

"There's no mistake," Chen Tiansheng nodded affirmatively.

"As you requested, I've had people monitoring these small towns for some time now. The comrades of the New 1st Regiment are already in the process of taking over Huangyadong Town."

A great wave of shock washed over the Deputy Chief of Staff.

Due to the relocation of the arsenal, he had deployed personnel to monitor the surrounding areas to prevent the Japanese and their puppet troops from detecting any anomalies.

Naturally, Huangyadong Town was the primary target of surveillance.

It was also one of the objectives he had assigned to the New 1st Regiment.

After all, with the establishment of the arsenal, if the Japanese and puppet forces stationed in this town were not eliminated, they would pose a direct threat to the facility.

They had to be rooted out!

He simply hadn't expected the New 1st Regiment to capture the town so swiftly.

This certainly caught him off guard.

"I see."

"Maintain vigilance!"

"Understood!" Chen Tiansheng responded loudly, then turned and left.

Now that Huangyadong Town was secured, as long as the other two towns were taken as well, the Taihang Mountain base area could be expanded once more.

This would greatly benefit the development of the anti-Japanese cause, as well as the growth of our military forces.

What the Deputy Chief of Staff hadn't anticipated, however, was the formidable combat effectiveness of the New 1st Regiment, enabling them to capture the town with such lightning speed.

This New 1st Regiment was truly extraordinary!

Once the matters regarding the arsenal were settled, he would have to pay a visit to the New 1st Regiment to see how things stood with them.

......

Meanwhile.

Tongyu Town.

As the deadline given by Li Yunlong to the puppet troops expired, the town gates swung open, and the puppet soldiers marched out, escorting a few Japanese devils.

"Don't shoot, we surrender!"

"We're Chinese too, don't shoot!"

"......"

Watching this scene, the smile on Li Yunlong's face deepened.

"Drop your weapons immediately!"

"Zhou Hao, take your men and disarm them!"

"Yes!"

Zhou Hao led his troops forward to search the puppet soldiers and ensure they were not carrying any concealed weapons.

A moment later.

All the puppet soldiers were gathered together.

Li Yunlong swept his gaze over the crowd and said, "You know what's good for you!"

"Now, you have two choices."

"First, enlist and join the New 1st Regiment to fight the Japanese together."

"Second, after working for our army for a period of time, I will give you two silver dollars to go home and honestly live as ordinary citizens."

"I'll give you three minutes to think about it and give me your answer!"

Hearing this, the puppet soldiers fell into silent contemplation.

They had long since heard of the New 1st Regiment's sterling reputation, so those among them who still possessed a shred of patriotic fervor resolutely chose to enlist.

After all, the New 1st Regiment was deeply cherished by the common people.

Moreover, they didn't have much of a choice.

Who knew how long this "working for a period of time" would actually last? If the Eighth Route Army went back on their word, there was nothing they could do about it.

They might as well play the hero for once!

Of course, there were also quite a few cowards who chose the second option.

Li Yunlong glanced at the thirty men who had chosen to join the New 1st Regiment. Sensing their loyalty was reasonably acceptable, he decided to add a layer of insurance.

"Since you've made your choice," he said, "before you officially join the New 1st Regiment, I'd prefer it if these Japanese devils weren't so noisy."

"If you have grievances, settle them; if you have vengeance, exact it."

With that, a bayonet dropped to the ground.

Upon seeing this, the men were slightly startled before instantly grasping his intent.

This was a test of their resolve.

One of them, a fierce look flashing in his eyes, picked up the bayonet and strode toward a Japanese soldier, raising and plunging the blade directly into the devil's thigh.

"Squish!"

"That's for treating us like animals!"

With someone taking the lead, their inner fear of the Japanese devils was greatly diminished. One after another, they stepped forward to pick up bayonets and vent their fury on the Japanese.

"Take that, you dog-eat-dog bastards, for bullying your betters!"

"......"

Soon, the agonizing cries of the Japanese soldiers filled the air, gradually growing fainter until they breathed their last.

Li Yunlong quietly watched the actions of the former puppet soldiers, a trace of gratification warming his heart.

If they lacked even this shred of courage, there would be no point in absorbing them.

The New 1st Regiment had no use for cowards!

"Zhou Hao, from now on, they belong to your command."

"Yes!"

Zhou Hao immediately arranged for the men to be integrated into his ranks.

At that moment, Zhang Dabiao, having rushed over and caught sight of the gruesome remains of the Japanese soldiers, stepped forward to advise, "Regiment Commander, isn't this a bit too cruel?"

"What if the superiors find out we abused prisoners of war...?"

"Hold it right there!" Li Yunlong glared at Zhang Dabiao and snapped, "What does this have to do with us? The puppet soldiers were the ones who dealt with the Japanese devils!"

"Besides, what prisoners of war?"
"How come I didn't see any?"

"Hey, you there, keep a better hold on your bayonet next time. Stop being so careless..."

Zhang Dabiao and the soldier stared at each other in utter bewilderment, looking in astonishment at Li Yunlong, who was already busy issuing other orders.

You could get away with that?

Yet, upon reflection, it seemed entirely true!

These puppet soldiers hadn't officially joined the New 1st Regiment yet when they did the deed, so what did it have to do with the Regiment Commander?

They had learned a new trick!

Li Yunlong instructed a communications soldier to inform Liu Yuan of the battle's progress and assess the situation of the 3rd and 2nd Battalions.

Only then did he turn to Zhang Dabiao and ask, "How is the situation in Matian Town?"

Recovering his wits, Zhang Dabiao reported immediately, "It's been completely secured. Quite a few puppet soldiers mutinied and took out a good number of Japanese troops."

"Our casualties weren't heavy, and we're already clearing the battlefield."

"Good!" Li Yunlong nodded with satisfaction and instructed, "All surrendered puppet soldiers must undergo screening and receive unified political education."

"Understood!"

Naturally, Zhang Dabiao understood Li Yunlong's concerns and gave a resounding guarantee, "I'll keep a tight leash on them."

Li Yunlong gave a slight nod. "Go on then. Hurry up and pacify Matian Town, and reassure the local residents."

"Yes!"

Zhang Dabiao knew this was different from previous engagements; this time, they needed to occupy and govern the town rather than pulling out immediately after a fight.

There were countless matters to attend to.

Therefore, without any further delay, and confirming Li Yunlong was fine, he took his leave.

Li Yunlong also entered Tongyu Town to comfort the residents and manage the town's affairs.

During the 1st Battalion's assault on Huangyadong, Tongyu, and Matian towns, Liu Yuan had led the 3rd Battalion through practical combat training, focusing primarily on minor targets such as Japanese-puppet checkpoints and sentry posts.

What shocked Liu Yuan was that although the 3rd Battalion was composed mostly of fresh recruits, their combat effectiveness was by no means weak.

Especially through continuous combat, the battalion's fighting capacity was steadily improving.

Both the individual proficiency of the soldiers and the unit's tactical execution had advanced, and their coordination grew increasingly seamless.

Just as Liu Yuan was leading the 3rd Battalion in combat against the enemy, a communications soldier ran up to report: "Deputy Regiment Commander, the Regiment Commander has accomplished his objectives! All three towns have been completely captured, and post-war administration is underway. The other two battalions are currently engaged in intercepting enemy reinforcements."

A jolt ran through Liu Yuan's heart.

This was happening much earlier than expected!

Was the New 1st Regiment simply too formidable, or were these Japanese and puppet forces utterly incompetent?

This forced him to accelerate his own clearance operations.

......

Meanwhile.

The 2nd Battalion, led by Shen Quan, was the most idle of the three.

Up to this point, they hadn't encountered any enemy reinforcements, making him suspect whether the enemy had diverted their reinforcements elsewhere, or if the enemy's cries for help had never even managed to get through.

Just as Shen Quan was growing restless, a messenger dispatched by Li Yunlong arrived at the 2nd Battalion's position to brief him on the situation.

"The Regiment Commander has ordered you to prepare. Enemy reinforcements will likely arrive shortly."

All three towns completely captured?

That was fast!

No wonder there hadn't been any Japanese reinforcements; they probably hadn't even had time to send word.

Suppressing his shock, Shen Quan said, "Go back and tell the Regiment Commander that the 2nd Battalion is fully prepared."

"Understood!" The messenger acknowledged, then turned and left.

Shen Quan knew it wouldn't be long before the rest of the Japanese realized something was amiss here.

He immediately renewed his orders, reminding the soldiers of the 2nd Battalion to ready themselves for battle.

......

With the New 1st Regiment successfully completing the capture of the three towns, Li Yunlong ordered the messenger to report the outcome to the Deputy Chief of Staff.

After all, this would facilitate the Deputy Chief of Staff's overall strategic deployment.

In the direction of Yixiantian.

At the Huangyadong Arsenal.

The Deputy Chief of Staff was deep in thought regarding the shifting enemy situation when a messenger appeared at the door, saluted, and announced, "Reporting!"

"Chief, the Regiment Commander sent me to report that Huangyadong Town, Tongyu Town, and Matian Town have been completely captured. The troops are currently handling the aftermath, while the other two battalions are intercepting enemy forces."

"This is what the Regiment Commander asked me to give you."

A single battalion captured three towns in succession?

This...

Suppressing his astonishment, the Deputy Chief of Staff took the handed document, opened it, and was instantly stunned.

So that's how it was~