I am an industrial worker during the War of Resistance

Chapter 71 Ma Hongkui's Ambition
"Brothers, those peasants from the east have been driven out of the Hexi Corridor by our Ma family brothers."

However, my cousin Hongjiang and my nephew Qingshan were killed in a trap set by those peasants in Chulechuan at the foot of Daqingshan Mountain.

Of the more than 600 brothers, not a single one escaped.

This blood feud cannot go unavenged.

Previously, we were going to use all our strength to deal with those peasants who entered the Hexi Corridor.

That was a strict order from the bald man, forbidding them from opening up the Hexi Corridor.

Now that they've retreated, we can free up our forces to deal with those guys who've just learned to ride horses on the Chule River to the north.

Although the bald man issued a telegram calling for unity to fight that little devil.

Should we fight the Japanese devils?
We must fight.

But we must avenge the blood feud of our brothers.

Everyone knows what that bald guy is thinking.

He had no choice but to fight the Japanese; otherwise, public opinion would be overwhelming, and he couldn't withstand it.

So no matter if he's just putting on an act or not, he has to put on a certain posture.

Add to that the playboy, the spineless Xiao Liuzi, who was driven to desperation by his subordinates.

There can only be one military coup.

If that bald guy doesn't compromise, he might never be able to leave Chang'an.

But for those peasants, the bald man always said one thing and did another.

It sounds nice to say it now.

But if the opportunity really came, he, the bald guy, would definitely be the first to pounce on them and devour those peasants.

In addition, those peasants discovered a large copper mine in the Daqingshan Mountains.

what is that?
That's money.

Where in the country is copper not in short supply?
They are all preparing for war.

The copper is the bullet; without copper and without bullets, no matter how many guns you have, they're just firewood.

Why did Long Yun of Yunnan dare to call himself the King of Yunnan? Wasn't it because he had access to a large copper mine?

That huge copper mine made Long Yun a fortune every day.

If we were to take over the copper mine in Daqingshan, our territory might expand several times over.

And then there's the former Chulechuan.

That place could be considered a land with abundant water and lush vegetation.

That place was nominally the territory of my only good friend, General Fu.

However, those peasants took advantage of the loopholes in those more remote areas.

They occupied a large area there and gradually established themselves there.

I heard that they are now actually cultivating wasteland there, intending to occupy it permanently.

Where do our soldiers get their food from?
Wasn't it all grown on this Houtao Plain?

Without the grain from the Houtao Plain, what would our tens of thousands of troops eat and drink?

If those peasants were to truly establish themselves in the Chulechuan region and cultivate enough grain to support their army...

That's a major threat to us.

So I made my decision.

We sent out a cavalry brigade of two thousand men.

Under the pretext of eliminating bandits on the grasslands, they drove those peasants all the way to the south bank of the Yellow River.

My brothers cannot have died in vain; I must get my hands on the copper mine in Daqingshan.

The grain grown on the fields of the Chulechuan River must also be used to feed our men and horses.

Do you have any comments?

After Ma Hongkui finished speaking, he looked at his family brothers, who were also his officers, sitting on both sides of the conference table.

"Big brother is right."

We must get our hands on that copper mine.

Having copper mines means having money, and with money, we can have a strong and well-equipped army.

Therefore, we must take over Daqingshan and Xichilechuan.

But brother, I still have to say, isn't sending only two thousand cavalry a bit too few this time?

We must heed the lesson learned from Hongjiang last time.

The speaker was Ma Hongyun, Ma Hongkui's strategist and cousin.

“Hong Yun, it’s not that I don’t want to send more people.”

It's not that I underestimated those peasants. It's just that we suffered heavy losses in the battle in the Hexi Corridor and need to recuperate.

And then there's my good nephew, Ma Bufang, who doesn't seem to respect his uncle much.

If our house is really empty, that kid might come over and cause trouble.

And then there's that bald guy's prized disciple, Hu Zhongnan.

He has tens of thousands of troops stationed in Lanzhou.

If we don't keep an eye on them...

Who knows, he might kick us out of our hometown in the next few days.

Therefore, the fact that we were able to deploy two thousand cavalry this time represents the maximum force we can mobilize right now.

But that's okay.

This is news from our people in northern Shaanxi.

They lured Hong Jiang into an ambush, trapping him in a desperate situation, which led to their complete annihilation.

We will send out two thousand cavalry this time. As long as we are careful and cautious, we will neither divide our forces nor concentrate them.

They were divided into teams of one thousand, maintaining distance and looking out for each other.

It doesn't seem like there's anything seriously wrong.

After listening to Ma Hongkui's explanation, Ma Hongyun nodded and said, "Brother is right."

Imagine those peasants who had barely ridden a horse for more than a few days, when faced with our cavalrymen who had grown up on horseback.

Aside from fleeing at the mere sight of them, I really don't know how they managed to fight our cavalry on the vast grasslands of Chulechuan.

As long as we coordinate our actions, remain cautious, and avoid falling into their traps, we will indeed be fine.

"So, who does the eldest brother plan to send to lead the army in battle?"

Ma Hongkui glanced around at the officers and soldiers on both sides of the conference table.

Faced with this opportunity that would essentially guarantee merit upon their departure, all the officers sat ramrod straight.

Each person stood tall and proud, displaying the spirit and energy to shoulder heavy responsibilities.

After looking around, Ma Hongkui said, "Let Brother Hongshan go. Brother Hongshan is a calm and steady person, and he is never impatient in battle."

His cavalry brigade was conveniently located in the north, making it easy for them to move around.

While our revenge is important, the copper mine in Daqingshan Mountain and the Chule River are even more important.

At this point, Ma Hongkui said to Ma Hongshan, who was sitting second from the right, "Hongshan."

Upon hearing the word "Here," Ma Hongshan immediately stood up at attention, ready to receive the order.

"Hongshan, so you know how important this mission is now, right?"

Whether our Ningma can grow stronger again depends on you.

"Brother, please rest assured, Hongshan will not let you down this time."

We will definitely be able to take over that copper mine and the Chule River.

Drive those peasants to the south bank of the Yellow River.

To avenge the Hongjiang brothers.

Ma Hongkui nodded and said, "Okay, then I wish you great success."

Although your enemy is easily defeated, you should still be careful on this trip.

Don't be greedy for quick success and rush into battle. Bring a few more machine guns and two more cavalry cannons.

Take it one step at a time.

do you understand? "

"Yes, Hongshan promises to hand over the copper mine to my elder brother in a month."

"Okay, then you can go and prepare. Meeting adjourned."

After everyone had left the meeting room one by one, Ma Hongkui said to Ma Hongyun, who was still standing beside him:
“Hong Yun, you’ll have to make a trip to Baldy’s place too.”

His half-brother, Xihou, died of a stroke due to excessive worry and anxiety over the events in Chang'an.

The bald man is going to Fenghua to hold a funeral for his brother.

You can go on my behalf and tell the bald guy about our arrangements.

No matter what kind of bald guy he is, he has to give us some benefits, right?

If you could get more machine guns, mortars, or field guns, that would be a great achievement.

"Yes, elder brother."

I'll make sure the bald guy bleeds a lot, otherwise he'll be letting down the brothers fighting on the front lines.

"Okay, then you should hurry up and go too."

(End of this chapter)