Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 17 There must be a brave man under the heavy reward
"Everyone has it!"

"Attention! ... Count off!"

"One, two, three... fifty-six, fifty-seven... one hundred and fifty-six..."

Having changed into a brand-new Type 36 grey-green German Army field uniform, wearing an M35 steel helmet and M40 leather boots, and carrying an M1 Garand rifle, Lu Shaobin strode up to Li Gaoyuan, who was standing with his hands behind his back, snapped to attention, gave a military salute, and shouted:
"Reporting to Commander Li, the garrison at St. Paul's Church should have numbered 159. After deducting the three wounded, 156 are present. Report complete. Please give your instructions!"

Li Gaoyuan returned the salute and said coldly, "At ease!"

"Yes... Everyone, at ease!"

"Wow..."

The soldiers straightened up and looked at the officer with the rank of major, who was also the highest-ranking officer present... Li Gaoyuan.

Li Gaoyuan paused for a moment, intending to say something, but he didn't know where to begin.

As an officer who had just retreated from the front lines, he was all too aware of the current situation.

Although Su Yaoyang helped them equip all the soldiers present with brand-new gear, a mere hundred or so men were far too few for the tens of thousands of Japanese troops who had already stormed into Nanjing.

It's safe to say that once they were discovered by the Japanese army, their fate would almost certainly be certain death. Under such circumstances, any further words would be futile.

These days he has witnessed too much life and death. Even his elite training brigade has lost more than half of its troops. His regiment is now down to only about ten men, and they are in danger of being wiped out at any moment.

In light of this, he was momentarily at a loss for words to say to these soldiers who were almost certainly going to die.

Seeing that Li Gaoyuan remained silent, the soldiers also kept quiet, simply watching him silently, and for a moment the scene fell into complete silence.

Seeing this scene, others remained calm, but our young master Su became somewhat anxious.

He expended a tremendous amount of mental energy and acquired so many weapons and ammunition. Even now, his head is still buzzing and throbbing. Wasn't it all for the sake of gathering an armed force in the shortest possible time to escort his master and servant out of Nanjing?
If your morale collapses before the battle even begins, what's the point of playing?

Having also changed into a Type 36 field gray officer's uniform without rank insignia, wearing an M35 steel helmet and a Thompson submachine gun strapped to his chest, Su Yaoyang quickly walked to Li Gaoyuan's side and whispered in his ear, "Old Li, say something, don't just stand here like a mute."

Li Gaoyuan glared at him, "You make it sound so easy, why don't you say a few words?"

Su Yaoyang curled his lips: "I would like to say it, but I'm just an ordinary citizen. Even if I say it, people have no choice but to listen."

Li Gaoyuan was amused by the amusement. After a quick glance, he actually came up with an idea and shouted it out loud.

"Brothers, let's welcome Commander Su, the advisor of the First Regiment of the First Brigade of the Training Corps, to give us a speech. Let's give him a round of applause!"

"Wow..."

The soldiers below were very respectful. They all knew that the weapons in their hands, the uniforms they wore, and the canned food they ate last night were all given to them by the young officer surnamed Su. Now, after hearing Li Gaoyuan's words, they applauded in a very respectful manner.

"Hey...I...%￥#@..."

Su Yaoyang was amused by Li Gaoyuan's shamelessness; this guy was determined to fleece him.

They even gave him the title of consultant.

Consultant, consultant? A consultant who knows nothing when asked?

Judging from the situation, I have no choice but to say something.

After a quick thought, he finally spoke, "Brothers!"

"Whoosh!" The soldiers reflexively assumed a position of at ease.

"I won't waste any more words. Now let me tell you about the current situation in Nanjing."

Su Yaoyang took a deep breath: "The current situation is that most of Nanjing has fallen into the hands of the Japanese. Commander Tang has also ordered the 36th Division to blockade the riverbank. We have become like children who are neither loved nor cared for by our parents!"

Upon hearing this, all the soldiers' eyes dimmed; after all, no one would be happy to hear that they had become expendable pawns.

At this moment, Su Yaoyang suddenly raised his voice, "Brothers, tell me, do you want to live?"

"Of course! Who wouldn't want that!" someone in the group shouted.

"Do you want to or not? Answer me!" Su Yaoyang continued to ask loudly.

"Yes!" This time, more people answered, and their voices were much louder.

"it is good!"

Su Yaoyang nodded vigorously, "To be honest, I want to live too!"

"But the Japanese won't let us leave so easily, so if we want to survive, we have to be willing to risk our lives."

Su Yaoyang's voice continued to echo in the courtyard.

“Now we are surrounded by Japanese troops everywhere, and it will be no easy task to fight our way out. So I need my brothers to work together and follow orders. Only by working together can we overcome this difficulty.”

Of course, I know some of you will say, "You're talking a good game now, but when the time comes, won't we common soldiers be the ones charging ahead while you follow behind?"

Okay, I admit you have a point, but I can promise you one thing: if any of the brothers here today die in battle, I will send his family a pension of two hundred silver dollars, which is enough for his parents, wife and children to live on for the rest of their lives.

If anyone is injured or disabled, we will not abandon them. Even if someone is missing an arm or a leg, we will still give them 100 silver dollars.

This is my promise to everyone. If I break this promise, any of the brothers here can shoot me in the back, and I will have no complaints!

Su Yaoyang knew that the National Revolutionary Army's recruits at this time were very diverse. Many soldiers joined the army because they could get enough to eat, and many were even conscripts.

It's useless to talk to these soldiers about national sentiment; only the immediate benefits can move them.

At this point, Su Yaoyang's eyes suddenly turned dangerous. "Of course, I, Su, am not afraid to lay out the ugly truth upfront."

If anyone secretly runs off to surrender to the Japanese or even becomes a traitor, don't blame me for being ruthless. I may know you, but the gun in my hand doesn't. If you get shot, don't blame me for being merciless!

Now, does everyone understand?

Seeing the fierce glint in Su Yaoyang's eyes, all the soldiers present understood that this seemingly fair-skinned young man was not trying to scare them, and quickly said in unison, "We understand!"

"it is good!"

Seeing that the defeated soldiers were temporarily subdued, Su Yaoyang nodded in satisfaction: "They say that a generous reward will surely bring forth brave men, so I, Su, will give everyone a reward today... Xu Dapeng, bring the stuff out!"

"Yes!"

Soon, Xu Dapeng and three soldiers from the training team carried out a heavy basket and placed it in front of everyone.

(End of this chapter)