Chapter 402: Drain the Manpower and Squeeze Them Dry!

"Ah! Are you serious?"

"Commander! Do we really have to give up our identity as a member of the Shanxi Suiyuan Army and join the Central Army of the Chairman?"

Chu Yunfei's self-explosion shocked Fang Ligong, who was traveling with him.

This is not to say that he is very loyal to Yan Laoxi. Being a soldier is nothing more than pursuing power and wealth. It doesn't matter who you work for.

The real reason for his shock is very simple, that is, his own commander with thick eyebrows and big eyes secretly made arrangements to run away, and even his adjutant was kept in the dark.

But it's good to think about it carefully. After all, the Central Army is definitely more promising than the local troops, and there may be opportunities to be promoted several levels in the future.

"Yes, although Chu is only a fifth-term student of Huangpu, he has a good personal relationship with the two commanders Du and Qiu."

"The expeditionary force is now gathering on the DM highway and has not yet officially entered Southeast Asia to fight the enemy. As long as we set off in time, we can catch the last train."

"A real man is born between heaven and earth, how can he not defend his country and make achievements!"

It was not a decision made by Chu Yunfei on impulse to join the senior.

Compared with consolidating the river defense and waiting for the enemy to attack in Zhongtiao Mountain, this Xiliang fierce general is more inclined to take the initiative and fight the devils on the battlefield.

It's a pity that the current Shanxi Suiyuan Army has long been declining, and there is no strength and capital to support his idea.

Therefore, changing the flag and joining a powerful army has become Chu Yunfei's only way out.

Obviously, the expeditionary force that has not yet attacked is the final target he has chosen.

After all, looking at the entire Republic of China, apart from the unscientific Eighth Route Army, only this joint-venture force of the Chinese and Ugly can have advanced weapons and equipment and stable logistical support at the same time.

"Okay, okay! I will follow the regiment commander to the death!"

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"Qian Bojun, don't forget what I just said. When you leave, you can only take one infantry company at most, otherwise even if you run to another war zone, Commander Yan will not let you go."

After repeatedly reminding the precautions and discussing the time for action together, Chu Yunfei began to tidy up his military uniform, already in a posture of leaving.

This scene made Qian Bojun and Zhang Fugui feel relieved at the same time.

It is naturally a good thing to be able to resolve it peacefully. After all, none of them wants to fight with their former superiors.

But at this moment, a signalman broke the harmonious atmosphere in the command room. He stumbled into the house and reported to the officers in front of him:

"Commander! Something bad has happened!"

"Our sentinels found a group of fully armed Eighth Route Army soldiers in the area three kilometers northwest of Huawang Village. The other side did not conceal their whereabouts at all and is now heading straight for the station."

"What!?"

As soon as these words came out, Qian Bojun, who was originally full of confidence and called himself an anti-X master, immediately changed his face.

The Eighth Route Army openly entered Zhongtiao Mountain, which meant that there was a risk of both sides tearing their faces apart. Considering the rumors that have been circulating throughout the province recently, they have a legitimate reason to start a fight.

As the battalion commander of the main regiment of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, he naturally knew how strong the hard power of his allies was.

To put it bluntly, as long as the other side dispatched two senior basic regiments, the 358th Regiment would be in trouble. If there was help from the Air Force, it would not be difficult to wipe them out completely.

"How many people are there?"

In fact, when asking about the basic situation, Qian Bojun had already thought of running away.

After all, the Eighth Route Army can run for more than ten minutes to reach the three-kilometer distance, and it is definitely too late for their own troops to temporarily build positions now. The terrain of Huawang Village is very unfavorable to the defenders, and they will definitely suffer losses if they really fight.

"About 500 people. Judging from their marching formation, it should be the size of a battalion."

After hearing the specific number of people, Qian Bojun's face was slightly better.

The gap between the two sides in firepower is indeed large, but their side has an absolute advantage in manpower. Unless the commander of the Eighth Route Army on the opposite side is a reckless man, it is highly likely that he will not take action easily.

Chu Yunfei was very dissatisfied with the reaction of his subordinates. He glared at Qian and Zhang, and angrily scolded:

"What are you panicking about, you good-for-nothing!"

"If the Eighth Route Army wanted to start a war, they would have sent dive bombers instead of infantry who didn't even hide their whereabouts."

"Pass my order, and tell the brothers to put away all their weapons. With our limited resources, we will definitely not be able to deter others. If a gun goes off, it will give them a reason to send troops."

After arranging a series of back-up plans, Chu Yunfei led the guards to the commanding heights, and then raised the telescope in his hand to observe the approaching Eighth Route Army.

After a while, the Xiliang warrior showed a puzzled expression.

The allies only occupied the north of the village, and arranged a circular defense position 500 meters away from the village entrance. He couldn't guess what they were thinking.

"This style is a bit familiar. It seems that I met an old friend today."

Chu Yunfei was not the kind of waste who ate empty salaries. He saw the reputation of the Eighth Route Army at a glance.

The temporary position was built in a circle with the command post and mortar as the center, and light and heavy machine guns were distributed at the front. There was almost no space between the infantry squads.

Once the battle started, the enemy could meet the enemy in any direction and hold on to the spot to wait for reinforcements.

"Tuanzuo, what do you mean by this group of Eight Route Army soldiers? They buried pots to cook as soon as they built their positions. You can't come all the way here just for a picnic."

Seeing his allies on the opposite side starting to dig holes and set up pots, Fang Ligong's eyes suddenly widened and his face was full of question marks.

While the two were talking, bursts of fragrance hit their faces. Jinsuijun, who had not eaten meat for a long time, began to swallow his saliva, and even the remaining common people in the village poked their heads out.

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On the other side, the position of the 386th Brigade Independent Regiment.

"Captain, do you think our deputy division commander's method is really effective? The 358th Regiment is said to be the main force of the Jinsui Army. Is it possible that they can't even get a meal of meat?"

"Besides, Zhongtiao Mountain is now Yan Laoxi's territory. If we come in directly, we will suffer a lot in terms of public opinion."

As soon as these words came out, Kong Jie suddenly showed contempt. He first knocked the pot of his pipe, and then said unhurriedly:

"What main group?"

"It's already 1942, and no one's main force can even unify the calibers of their weapons. With their current situation, whether they can survive this winter smoothly is a question, let alone such a luxury as eating meat."

"Don't say anything that is not conducive to unity. We are good allies who are here to help friendly forces tide over difficulties."

Yes, the current actions of the independent regiment are part of the infantry experts' plan to disintegrate the Jin clique.

For this showdown between Wutai Mountain compatriots, the deputy division commander's plan was absolutely to the point and fatal. As long as nothing unexpected happens, the master of existentialism will definitely not survive the middle of this year.

First, the infantry experts plan to dismantle the existing 60,000 Shanxi-Sui army forcefully. This step may seem difficult, but as long as you take the right medicine, you can get twice the result with half the effort.

For this reason, the headquarters directly announced the evidence of Egg Dancer's collaboration with the enemy in the province.

Starting from the end of 1940, as the living environment of the Shanxi-Sui Army deteriorated, Yan Laoxi began to repeatedly break through the national bottom line.

From then on, he began to secretly communicate with Yoshio Shinozuka of the First Army, trying to obtain military and economic assistance from the other party.

During the Bai Bishan Conference, the master of existentialism even directly stated his price to the devils.

The above-mentioned things have been recorded by the intelligence agencies of the Eighth Route Army, Guo Preserved and A Chou.

Especially the former. After the 129th Division completely captured the entire Taiyuan City, the soldiers even found part of the list of supplies given to the Jinsui Army by the First Army in the unburned files.

With such irrefutable evidence, it is useless for anyone to defend him.

After choosing his words in his mind, Kong Jie explained to the young soldier who had just entered the army:

"Why do ordinary people join the Shanxi-Sui Army? Isn't it just to drive away the enemy, defend the country, and have a full meal by the way."

"Now that the Japanese have been wiped out by our Eighth Route Army, the existentialist master has been charged with collaborating with the enemy. Not only does he have no food, but he also has to serve the traitors. Who would want to hang out with him?"

"What's more, you know what's going on in the province. You can live a good life as long as you leave the mountains. If you were a fellow villager, would you leave with us?"

What Kong Jie just said is actually the second plan deployed by infantry experts against the Shanxi faction: draining the manpower inside Zhongtiao Mountain.

The so-called draining them dry is naturally not about launching a conscription bill to drain them dry, but to escort the people in the area to take the initiative to get out of the mountains through a long stream of water.

The goal of this stage is to make the masters of existentialism completely lose their rural areas, food and soldiers, so that the Jin Dynasty will never turn over.

However, since ancient times, Chinese people have had a strong attachment to their hometown. Getting the people to voluntarily leave the land where their ancestors have lived for generations seems to be an unachievable task.

but!

Comparing people with others will lead to death, and comparing goods with goods will lead to throwing away.

When Yan Laoxi reversed course in Zhongtiao Mountain and implemented the land system that existed more than a thousand years ago, the Eighth Route Army headquarters had already implemented a policy of rent reduction and interest reduction in 90% of Shanxi Province.

Those cultivated lands with almost no rent gave the people a surplus of food for the first time.

With the growing purchasing power, the market for industrial and handicraft products has also expanded, greatly stimulating the development of urban industry and commerce.

The past scenes of declining industries and economic depression have been swept away, and a new economic cycle has been established between urban and rural areas. This is truly a scene of vitality and all things competing for development.

No matter how much you love your family, you must not be able to reject a world without oppression.

While the two were talking, the first batch of lunch had been successfully cooked. Under the operation of the soldiers in the cooking class, the lunch boxes with two meat and two vegetables were put into bamboo baskets.

Looking at the Jinsui Army soldiers monitoring his side in the distance, Kong Jie smiled slightly and said to the young soldier:

"Go and send a message to the other side."

"Let's just say that I am an old acquaintance with Captain Chu of the 358th Regiment. Let them not be so nervous. They are all people who have fought against Japanese soldiers. There is no need to use swords against each other to make the atmosphere so tense."

"It's a cold day, let's have a hot meal together."

"yes!"

Just as he was about to set off, Kong Jie stopped the little soldier again, then pointed to a basket of lunch boxes and said:

"Take these with you. If there are still people in the village, take them to eat with them. Remember, your tone must be gentle and don't scare them."

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Seeing the soldiers of the Independent Regiment approaching, carrying baskets of lunch boxes filled with delicious food, the position of the 358th Regiment exploded.

The ally didn't even bring weapons, and anyone could see their sincerity.

Moreover, people are made of iron and rice is made of steel. If you don't eat a meal, you will be hungry.

With the idea that the law does not punish the masses, the hungry Jinsui Army left their posts one after another and began to receive lunch under the command of the squad leader of the cooking squad.

"Don't rush! We will have enough today!"

"People who don't like rice can wait a while, millet and egg pancakes will be here soon."

Under the control of several company commanders, nearly a hundred soldiers of the 358th Regiment were like hungry wolves, and they began to attack the two meat and two vegetable dishes in the lunch boxes.

After a delicious meal, both sides gradually became active.

"The Eighth Route Army is really rich. Do you eat like this every day? Even in 1937, we in the Shanxi Suiyuan Army could only eat 4 taels of canned meat and 2 taels of dried vegetables and pickles every day."

"That's it, and we are often deducted."

"If I can eat like this every day, I would be willing to fight the devils with bayonets."

Hearing this, the surrounding Shanxi Suiyuan Army also looked over, and everyone seemed to know the answer. If you can eat every meal, it would be a fairy life.

"Of course, there is no need to lie to you about this."

"If you have a chance to go out, you can find someone on the side of the road to ask. We are a basic regiment, and the regiment headquarters are usually stationed in the village. Food is an open matter."

"In my opinion, you really don't need to join the army. Now that all of Shanxi has been liberated, going home to farm is also a good way to make a living. Work hard for a month, and buying a bicycle during the autumn harvest is not a dream."

When these words came out, the soldiers of the 358th Regiment were stunned. From this tone, it seems that there are troops with better food and military pay in the Eighth Route Army.

This is too happy.

With Chu Yunfei's tacit consent, the relationship between the two sides gradually began to heat up, and finally the soldiers of the two battalions all left their posts.

To put it bluntly, everyone is from Shanxi, and they are family members from the root. The 358th Regiment has not participated in any anti-X action, so there is really no reason to fight.

After the meal, the soldiers of the Independent Regiment continued to prepare lunch for the people of Huawang Village, while Chu Yunfei came to the position of the Independent Regiment.

"Brother Kong, since the Hundred Regiments Campaign, you and I haven't seen each other for more than a year. Thank you for your lunch. On behalf of the brothers of the 358th Regiment, I would like to express my sincere gratitude."

"Hey, it seems that Commander Yan is doomed, and I don't know what will happen to him."

"In three days, I will leave the Shanxi Suiyuan Army. Some of my soldiers want to go home to farm, so please help me, Brother Kong."

"Ah?" (End of this chapter)