The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

The villagers who were lying in ambush nearby rushed forward, and Takeda Shinichi was tied up with his four hooves tied up and lifted up with a bamboo pole.

His body swayed with the shaking of the bamboo pole, like a pig about to be slaughtered.

"This Japs is short, but I didn't expect him to be so damn heavy." A big man cursed, "The Japs eat so well!"

"Yeah, look at his leather shoes, they're better than the ones we wear during the Chinese New Year, and they even have big iron nails." Another person joked, followed by a burst of laughter.

Shinichi Takeda probably understood that the other party was mocking him, but he was powerless to refute.

His throat was dry from falling and struggling, and his heart was filled with fear, not knowing what his fate would be.

"A second lieutenant ended up like this..." He gritted his teeth and held back from shouting.

He knew that any begging or threats were meaningless at this moment.

-----

As the night fell, a flickering firelight appeared in the clearing in the woods, reflecting the scene of two groups of people, each holding weapons and with swords drawn, on the verge of a tense situation.

The air was filled with tension and heat, as if the slightest disturbance would lead to a conflict.

"Everyone from Baijia Village, this Japanese officer is clearly our prey!" The Mai tribe elder stepped forward, tapping the ground with his cane. Although his tone was slow, it was filled with suppressed anger. "It was us who chased him that led him into your trap. This bounty should be split between us."

His Yunnan accent was halting but resounding. Behind him stood a group of dark and sturdy Mai villagers, holding spears and bows, their faces grim.

The village chief of Baijia Village snorted with disdain and straightened his body. Although his beard was gray, it could not hide the shrewd light in his eyes.

He spoke slowly, his voice as clear and powerful as split bamboo:

"You're joking. Whoever catches the prey gets it. There's no reason to share the bounty. Besides, Marshal Zhang said that hunting deserted Japanese soldiers for bounties is only available to Qian people. Are you Qian people?"

Next to the village chief, a sturdy young villager, carrying a homemade rifle, interrupted with a rough voice:

"That's right, this devil has a saber. He's a high-ranking official. Why can't he exchange it for 50 or 100 dollars? Why should he give you half? You're wearing only tattered animal skins, and you think you're in a position to negotiate?"

As soon as these words came out, the Mai tribe elder's face suddenly changed. He pointed at the Baijia Village chief with a trembling finger, and was so angry that he could hardly speak clearly:

"How...how can this be! My ancestors were chieftains of various tribes personally appointed by Zhuge Wuhou of the Later Han Dynasty! The Zhu Emperor even recognized him, so why don't you?"

Several major rivers in Southeast Asia all originate in the country of Qian, either from the Himalayas, from the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Yunnan Province, or from the Tanggula Mountains in Qinghai Province.

Therefore, the heritage of many indigenous tribes in the north of Pegu can be traced back to the period when Zhuge Liang pacified the southern barbarians. They have been migrating to Southeast Asia along the major rivers for thousands of years.

Even these natives, as long as they have a proper inheritance, will worship the Wuhou Temple. (Not the one in Sichuan Province, which was built by the locals themselves)

As Zhang Chi came up with economic policies on the one hand - if you want to make money you have to be able to speak the language of Qian and identify yourself with Chinese culture; on the other hand he came up with spiritual policies - building Guandi Temple, Wuhou Temple, Mazu Temple, and Dragon Mother Temple.

Many small tribes and villages along the border that already have a certain amount of Qian blood have begun to actively learn the Qian language and Qian culture.

The words of the Mai tribe elder left the Baijia village chief speechless.

After all, the name of Zhuge Wuhou is well-known in Sichuan and Yunnan.

Seeing the villagers on the opposite side retreat, the Mai villagers shouted, raised their sickles and spears, and almost rushed forward.

Although their weapons were simple, they were all strong and sturdy, so the villagers of Baijia Village couldn't help but hesitate.

"Then..." Seeing the smell of gunpowder getting stronger, the village chief of Baijia Village looked at the other side. There were quite a few people. Although sickles and spears were made of wood and stone, not iron, they could still kill people if swung. He had no choice but to compromise and said, "Let's go, let's find the leader of the Anmin Army to judge the matter!"

After this proposal was made, both sides calmed down a little.

The Mai tribe elder snorted coldly and nodded:

"That's exactly what I want! We'll see what Marshal Zhang says then!"

In fact, because Zhang Chi took the initiative to show goodwill and promised to sell them iron products and farm tools such as iron pots, iron hoes, and iron sickles, the elders of the Mai tribe naturally did not dare to really fight with the Qian villagers, so they took the opportunity to back off.

(That’s right, at the time of World War II, the Japanese were the only ones in Asia who could openly supply their farmers with iron farm tools. Whether in the Republic of China or colonies like Sindhu, most farmers were still using wooden and stone tools. A cast iron hoe and shovel were worth a fortune in the countryside.)

The village chief of Baijia Village sneered and muttered in a low voice:

"You barbarians who can't even speak clearly, you want to compete with us? Let's see who Marshal Zhang will side with."

The torches flickered, and both sides carefully maintained their distance, surrounding the tightly tied-up Takeda Shinichi, and walked along the forest path towards the Anmin Army's outpost.

-----

At the same time, as the Eastern Route Army advanced rapidly along the old road of the Burma Road, more and more Japanese soldiers were defeated and fled into the mountains and forests. Lone Japanese soldiers like Takeda Shinichi who were "hunted down by warriors" continued to appear.

Naturally, many conflicts arose in the fight for prey.

And this is exactly what Zhang Chi wants.

After all, since humans entered the tribal era, power has never been in a vacuum. If you don't take the position, someone else will.

Now when the villages and tribes encounter problems, they naturally need a powerful person to "judge the matter" for them. Zhang Chi's Anmin Army has guns and money, so it is naturally the first choice.

Over time, Zhang Chi estimated that the idea of ​​"If you have difficulties, go to the Anmin Army. If you have conflicts, go to the Anmin Army" would be deeply rooted in the local people.

And this is absolutely beneficial to his rule.