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

On the seventh day, the sky was still dark and the night was still shrouding the earth, but the air above the airport had been completely torn apart by a deafening roar.

That was the roar from the 2000-horsepower R-2800 Twin Wasp air-cooled engine.

At one corner of the runway, six 24-meter-long behemoths were lined up. They were C-46 Commando transport planes, their broad wings spread out like rocs, their fuselages appearing particularly majestic under the night sky.

In order to ensure the smooth takeoff of these huge aircraft weighing up to 20 tons when fully loaded, Zhang Chi stayed up all night. He personally directed his soldiers to use a steamroller to open up an additional life passage at the end of the runway under the starlight - a full 100 meters of land was leveled out.

Each plane seemed so heavy that the earth could not bear its weight, yet its 2000-horsepower engine made it as light as a feather. One after another, the C-46s slid down the runway, took off, rose smoothly into the sky, and gradually disappeared into the depths of the night sky.

By comparison, the Zero fighter's Tairong-12 engine produced only 950 horsepower, and the BF-109F's DB601N engine had a mere 1175 horsepower. These once-powerful fighters now seemed dwarfed by these transport behemoths. (A modified R-2800 Twin Wasp was also fitted into the nose of the F4-U Corsair, becoming a legendary aircraft thanks to its immense power.)

The soldiers standing by the runway watched the planes fly away, their tense nerves finally relaxing. Their gazes unconsciously turned to Zhang Chi, their hidden worries gradually fading. They had initially harbored a lingering fear, worried that Zhang Chi would suddenly jump onto a plane at the last moment, fleeing this land about to erupt in flames, abandoning them, their soldiers.

This unease was not unfounded. Since the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, many White Party generals had bravely shared hardships with their men and died alongside them on the battlefield. However, there were also many who abandoned their soldiers in times of crisis and chose to flee alone.

Their betrayal of responsibility left an indelible stain in the long river of history. The soldiers have become accustomed to this cruel reality of human nature, and no one is sure whether Zhang Chi will become a "flying general" like his predecessors.

Now the fact that Zhang Chi was standing there motionless made them feel at ease.

At this moment, the reorganized independent battalion has more than 300 people. Zhang Chi has already made a decision in his heart - these people are the blades in his hands, his reliance for achieving success and fighting against the Japanese. How could he abandon them at this moment?

In the darkness, Zhang Chi smiled crookedly: "Very good, the troublesome Johns are gone, and now this airport is completely owned by Zhang."

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"Hao Xisan, have you learned anything from Dr. Anderson's medical skills?" After seeing off the plane, Zhang Chi walked straight into the field hospital and pulled Hao Xisan over and asked, his tone hurried but with some expectation.

There was silence in the field hospital at this moment.

Zhang Chi had taken the unconscious Lieutenant Colonel You and several other seriously injured soldiers aboard the plane. Now, only a few lightly wounded remained on simple beds. The doctors and nurses who had been busy around had vanished, leaving behind only empty beds and the faint smell of medicine.

He knew this was a responsibility he couldn't shirk. Although he'd only learned the basics under Dr. Anderson, he was already the most knowledgeable doctor in the camp. So he scratched his head, smiled sheepishly, and said, "I've only learned the basics, not much."

Hao Xisan looked up and saw Zhang Chi's serious eyes, and his heart tightened. He scratched his head, smiled sheepishly, and said, "Well, I learned a little bit."

Zhang Chi listened, nodded, and did not blame him.

He patted Hao Xisan's shoulder, his tone conveying a sense of responsibility. "Alright, that's enough for you. From now on, you'll be the director of the independent battalion's clinic, and all medical work will be handed over to you. Pick a few smart soldiers to follow you and teach them some basic knowledge. Doctor Anderson is gone, and the lives of the entire battalion depend on you from now on."

Zhang Chi originally hoped to keep Dr. Anderson, but unfortunately the latter eventually decided to retreat with the Allied forces.

Before leaving, Anderson only left Hao Xisan with a simple battlefield medical notebook, which recorded some methods of treating common battlefield injuries.

Zhang Chi thought to himself, "It would be great if I could have a copy of the Barefoot Doctor's Handbook." Unfortunately, the War Thunder system only had common supplies besides vehicles and weapons, and no such books or materials could be exchanged. He could only rely on the few resources he had and Hao Xisan's efforts to maintain the battalion's medical system.

Just as Zhang Chi was lost in thought, a soldier ran into the field hospital panting, interrupting his thoughts.

"Battalion Commander, Captain Bai wants you to come over. He used the airport radio to connect to the Japanese channel." The soldier was obviously panicked because of the urgent matter.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Chi immediately perked up.

He quickly stepped out of the field hospital and looked up to see Hao Yi and several soldiers with experience in bamboo strips tying steel bars together. They were trying to use the steel bars to build the frame of a cement boat. From a distance, the finished product looked more like an oversized bamboo basket than a boat.

On the other side, several soldiers were pouring cement onto the already tied hull frame.

"Sir, is this thing reliable? Cement is so heavy, it's bound to sink if it hits the water." Unsure, Hao Yi hurried over to ask Zhang Chi in a low voice, his face full of confusion.

Zhang Chi didn't stop walking and quickly replied, "Do you understand the basic principles of buoyancy? If not, go ask Captain Qi. I tell you this thing is much more reliable than a bamboo raft. Just do your best."

What a joke! In Zhang Chi's world, as early as the 80s, coastal fishermen were already using cement fishing boats. A small diesel engine could tow them across the sea to catch fish. They were sturdy and practical. In fact, as early as the 19th century, the Gauls in Europe discovered the feasibility of cement boats. Although cement boats gradually fell into disfavor after steel-hulled ships became mainstream, their speed and ease of construction make them a highly practical option today.

Running all the way, Zhang Chi finally burst into the airport control tower. Atop the tower, the Yagi antenna stood silently, receiving radio waves in the air like a giant ear listening to the secrets of the sky. Within these secrets might lie the enemy's movements, or even a crucial turning point in the battle.

Zhang Chi took the receiver from Bai Minghui and immediately heard a thick Kansai accent in Japanese. The voice was filled with anger and impatience. "Hasn't the Flower Alliance taken B-3 Airport yet? Mikichiro-san, didn't you solemnly promise me that we'd take it today?"

The tone was gloomy and oppressive, obviously a question from a senior military officer.

"It seems like the call has just been made from the other side. From the tone of his voice, it sounds like the commander of the 56th Division, Lieutenant General Matsuyama Yuzo. By the way, where in Fuso is he from? Do you know?" Zhang Chi frowned slightly and asked Bai Minghui beside him in a low voice.

Bai Minghui shook his head. He was a rich kid and his military rank was only lieutenant. How could he know such information?

The voice continued to come from the receiver, this time it was another slightly nervous and timid voice: "Hi, I'm so sorry. We have lost contact with the Acorus Brigade. I don't know if their radio is malfunctioning, or..."

His voice was filled with obvious anxiety, as if he was trying hard to justify his dereliction of duty.

Zhang Chi found this interesting, a smile playing on his lips. The Japanese' seemingly tight military command system was actually rife with errors and confusion. The so-called B-3 Airport was most likely his own. He'd completely wiped out the Japanese at night, and their superiors hadn't even heard of it.

During this period, a high-power field radio station sending messages over long distances not only required the erection of a huge antenna in advance, but also required a hand-cranked generator to charge the radio for a period of time. Therefore, Major Ayame Shin was unable to send out the news of the attack that night.

Of course, the wealthy Bald Eagle solved the power problem of radios and walkie-talkies by simply replacing batteries. They also produced a special radio command vehicle to ensure that large headquarters could communicate while on the move. By the way, during the Liberation War, the commanders of large corps of our army sent telegrams at night because the troops had to move during the day and only when they stopped at night could they set up antennas to send telegrams. This also led to the leaders staying up all night waiting for telegrams during the three major battles.

"Idiot!" Matsuyama Yuzo's voice rang out again, filled with anger. "Where is your regimental headquarters now? Have you sent a messenger to the Ayame Battalion?"

"Hey, a messenger on a bicycle has been sent out. Our unit has just passed through Basijia and is now chasing the enemy's 96th Division into Gaoligong Mountain." The timid voice continued to report, but it obviously still failed to calm Songshan's anger.

"You idiot!" Songshan's voice grew increasingly stern, practically a roar. "Is your radio code book just for cleaning up your mess? Why don't you use place call signs when you're talking?"

"Reporting to the division commander, due to the intense pursuit, our radio code book has not been updated for a long time and has exceeded its usage limit." A shrinking voice filled with helplessness and fear explained their communication failure. (Radio call signs are updated regularly, and manual distribution of the booklets to each unit ensures that even if the enemy captures the code book, it can only be used for a limited time.)

When Zhang Chi heard this, he couldn't help but snort softly, secretly laughing at the fact that these devils could be in such a mess. If he hadn't arranged for people to monitor the enemy's radio communications early on, he probably wouldn't know the enemy's movements now.

During the call, Matsuyama's anger subsided a little, and he asked coldly, "Miyoshiro-san, you inflexible fellow, please tell me, how long will it take you to take over B-3 Airport?"

The other party was obviously hesitant, then responded, "The two squadrons sent to reinforce Major Changpu have already departed. Due to the rising water everywhere, crossing the river will take longer. We expect to launch the attack on B-3 Airfield in three days."

"Very good." Songshan's voice regained its composure. "I'll wait for your victory report at the headquarters."

The call ended, and Zhang Chi silently handed the receiver back to Bai Minghui with a subtle expression on his face.

The good news is that the Japanese reinforcements will not arrive for at least three days, and the bad news is that the 56th Division seems to have set its sights on this airport. It seems that the cement boat must be built as soon as possible and then moved along the river to the mountains.

"You did a great job this time." Zhang Chi turned and patted Bai Minghui on the shoulder, a rare look of approval on his face. "It was indeed a wise decision to give you the high-power radio. Remember, next time you monitor the Japanese channel, notify me immediately."

Bai Minghui smiled with pride. Although he was from a wealthy family, tinkering with radios was his hobby. It was precisely because of this that Zhang Chi decided to assign him to the tower, tasked with monitoring enemy movements. This choice was clearly the right one—Bai Minghui not only successfully intercepted enemy communications but also provided Zhang Chi with crucial intelligence.