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

Major Baiying's expectation finally came true as predicted. Longling was recovered before Christmas, and only Tengchong and Songshan were lost in western Yunnan.

勃固西侧方向，新 1 军与留守密支那的安民军第 5、6 两个师早在12月17日便在食皆省的孟关会师。

At this point, Stevenson's strategic plan has been basically realized. All areas along the highway he planned have been recaptured by the Allies. The stability of the front line is gratifying. It seems that all plans are progressing according to the predetermined trajectory, and everything seems to be going exceptionally smoothly.

"It's like a miracle that everything went smoothly." Stevenson sat in the headquarters tent, looking at the battle report he had just received, with a satisfied smile on his face.

He was so delighted that he personally sent a transport plane before December 24 to airlift the pre-prepared "Christmas special meal" including cola, apple pie, and roast chicken to the poisonous troops, security troops, and expeditionary forces stationed in various places, bringing them this holiday comfort.

Zhang Chi naturally did not want to fall behind. He also felt sorry for his soldiers, knowing that these difficult battles brought them tremendous psychological pressure and physical fatigue.

He personally paid for a large amount of fresh vegetables and meat, and specially invited hundreds of chefs to rush to the security army bases in various places to cook sumptuous meals for them and provide them with a real "festive feast".

In this way, on Christmas Eve, December 24, countless Qian soldiers spent their first "Christmas Eve" in their lives, drinking Coke, holding chicken legs in their hands, and putting various dishes in their lunch boxes.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Inside the bivouac of the 404th Independent Special Operations Battalion, on a reverse slope of a hill outside the Songshan encirclement.

"Oh my god, this Western festival is great, we can eat as much as we want!" A burly sergeant from the north with glasses on his face held a steaming lunch box in his hand and slurped up all the noodles covered with stewed potatoes and chicken.

"Bullshit! Those foreigners saw we won the battle and are looking for an excuse to reward us." Another corporal took a reheated honey roast chicken and tore off a chicken wing. "One roast chicken per squad? Pah, stingy foreigners."

"Our Marshal Zhang is still the best. He has stewed chicken with potatoes, fried fat with chili peppers, stewed eggs with tomatoes, and enough rice and white noodles to fill me up. Burp!" The corporal sucked down all the meat from the whole chicken wing in one breath, and after carefully gnawing off the meat shreds on the bones, he spit out the bones.

"Haha, you're just ungrateful. How many times have you tasted meat in your life before you and Marshal Zhang? You look down on the roast chicken?" The sergeant put down the empty lunch box, took the roast chicken, and tore off a chicken leg.

The sergeant pointed to the hill to the east with a chicken drumstick in his hand and said, "Those brothers in the Nationalist Army might not even eat meat a few times a year. Only after we captured Longling this time can they get some meat to eat."

He pointed at the hilltop to the north with the chicken leg in his hand: "As for those devils, I reckon if we keep fighting they'll end up eating their own people. Comparing yourself to them, you can just be happy."

"Go, get me another bowl of noodles. This time, I want it with tomato and egg stew, and more tomatoes." The sergeant stuffed the empty lunch box into the corporal's arms while gnawing on a chicken leg.

"You are so beautiful, do I have to give you another two taels of Lotus White?" The corporal rolled his eyes at the other person with a bit of mischief in his expression, but still stood up.

"Why, do you still want me to give you some extra lessons in the cultural field? Do you still want to be promoted?" The sergeant looked at the corporal's departing back and grinned with a hint of cunning in his smile.

In order to reduce the illiteracy rate, Zhang Chi not only opened night schools in the army, but also made cultural examinations mandatory. Only those who could read and write more than 350 commonly used characters could be promoted.

Otherwise, no matter how great the soldiers' achievements are, they can only be promoted to military rank. If they want to be promoted to squad leader or platoon leader, they must pass the cultural examination and cannot be illiterate.

Although there are more than 3000 Chinese characters, Zhang Chi only picked out more than 300 commonly used characters. However, for most soldiers, even more than 300 characters would cost them their lives.

As a result, those knowledgeable people in the army became particularly popular. In addition to the collective night classes, as long as you please them, they can get private tutoring.

Intellectuals like the sergeant not only received a bunch of extra cigarettes, tea, and cola when their supplies were distributed every month, but even their underwear and socks were rushed to be washed.

As for promotion to positions above company commander, according to Zhang Chi's requirements, one must first attend military school and undergo systematic training.

The reason why Zhang Chi did this was not only to improve the combat effectiveness of the army, but also for the sake of future rule.

After retiring, these soldiers and officers have a certain level of education and discipline, making them natural potential industrial workers and grassroots nodes.

With them, post-war economic development can enter the fast lane and there will be someone to implement grassroots governance.

-----

Different from the Anmin Army and the Expeditionary Force who were laughing and talking happily in the encirclement.

The remaining Japanese soldiers in Songshan and Tengchong have been completely trapped.

Starting from December 25, after a rest, the two armies, with high spirits, once again launched a joint attack on the trapped Japanese.

"Boom!" With a loud bang, the Japanese command post hidden in the rocks of Songshan trembled. Lieutenant General Honda Masazai knew that it was the enemy's unreasonable giant bomb that was showing its power again.

Judging from the sound just now, Honda Masazai estimated that another huge bomb weighing over a ton (2000 pounds) had penetrated the mountain.

His face was ashen at this moment, not because of the continuous bombing, but because of a telegram he had just received.

"The Bama Valley Water Detachment, which was advancing northward, was besieged by the enemy's superior tank division a few days ago. The entire 5000 soldiers of the detachment have been dispersed and moved back." Honda Masazai looked at the telegram he had just received from the Southern Army Command with a grim face.

"Contact with Major General Tanizuki Kiyoguchi has been lost. I'm afraid he has died in his service to His Majesty."

"It is impossible to break the siege and open up a retreat route. I urge all the soldiers of the Locust Nation to be loyal to their duties and fight to the last moment."

"I wish you all great military fortune, November 27, Showa 18."

Because of the farce of promoting the 56th Division Commander Matsuyama Yuzo to the rank of general ahead of schedule in the hope that he would commit suicide in a dignified manner, but was captured alive by Zhang Chi instead, this time the telegram only told him to hold on to the death, and did not mention anything about posthumously promoting him to one rank in advance.

The few words in the telegram seemed to have sentenced all the devils to death.

After hanging up the telegram, Honda Masazai knew that the last hope had been lost.