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

Not long after, the countdown on Zhang Chi's retina returned to zero. A strange-looking half-track vehicle with a huge turret at the rear rushed out of the rainforest southeast of the village and approached Xinwangping Village.

It crushed deep ruts on the slippery and muddy ground, and the wheels and tracks rolled up mud and dead branches. It was the M15 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun that Zhang Chi bought from the system.

Then two nimble jeeps and two John-made Bedford trucks drove out along the ruts made by the half-track vehicles. At the rear of the convoy was a huge GCMC ten-wheel truck.

At this time, Qi Quan and Bai Minghui had already assembled more than 180 soldiers in the open space in front of the village. These soldiers were lined up in neat rows, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation as they were about to go into battle.

"Report to the Second and Third Companies of the Independent Battalion, assembly is complete. There were supposed to be 207 people, but only 183 actually showed up, with 24 absent due to illness or injury. Report completed!" Qi Quan had just lowered his saluting arm when he saw the approaching vehicle. Startled for a moment, he took a quick step, and pretended to pounce on Zhang Chi.

The soldiers in front of the village also became nervous, almost subconsciously raising their rifles and submachine guns to guard against the unidentified convoy.

A tense atmosphere filled the air, as if a string was about to break. The slightest disturbance would result in gunfire. The air was almost frozen, and almost everyone held their breath.

However, Zhang Chi only smiled slightly, without a trace of nervousness on his face. He waved his hand, signaling everyone to relax: "Don't be nervous. I notified my family before I left and asked them to send a car in advance. I didn't expect it to arrive just now. What a coincidence."

He said it lightly, as if everything was under his control, and the word "what a coincidence" made it seem extremely natural, without any blushing or heart palpitations, as if he had really asked his family for help in advance.

The convoy finally slowly stopped in front of the soldiers. A young man from the Qian country wearing a Zhongshan suit got off the M15 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. He had short hair, a neat look, and no expression on his face.

He trotted up to Zhang Chi and said in a serious tone, "Young Master, the cars your housekeeper asked for have been delivered to you. We will go back now." After he said that, he quickly turned around and jumped onto the last GCMC ten-wheeled truck with several other young men in Zhongshan suits. The car quickly disappeared into the depths of the rainforest, as if it had never appeared.

"These are all my family members." Zhang Chi smiled slightly and pointed at the truck going away. His tone was so relaxed as if this was the most normal thing.

Even after hearing his words, the soldiers of the independent battalion remained stunned, unable to believe their ears. Those menacing vehicles and the tense atmosphere were actually support from Zhang Chi's family. For a moment, everyone felt the situation was becoming unbelievable.

"Okay, stop standing there like idiots. Quickly move the heavy machine guns, mortars and other heavy weapons as well as the shell boxes and bullet boxes into the back of the truck. Time is running out, so hurry up and work." Zhang Chi smiled calmly and shouted to the people in the independent battalion who were shocked once again.

The soldiers finally woke up from their dream and quickly began to move various supplies.

"Xiao Dongbei, your class is responsible for those two jeeps. Can you drive them?"

As elite confidants, Xiao Dongbei's reconnaissance squad naturally received the best treatment. Two Willys Jeeps were allocated to them for transportation, with Xiao Dongbei and another former 200th Division soldier who could drive behind the wheel. (Jeep Reconnaissance Squad GET)

"Raise your hands if you have driving experience."

As soon as Zhang Chi finished speaking, more than ten hands were raised in the queue of the third company.

Only then did Zhang Chi discover that among the remnants of the 200th Mechanized Division brought by Bai Minghui, many of them actually had the skills to drive and repair vehicles.

Soon, the drivers of the four cars were assigned.

Zhang Chi, holding a walkie-talkie, led the idle Sherman tank crew to the M15 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. With a wave of his hand, the assembled team immediately set off and rushed towards the northeast.

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The muddy road after the rain made a sticky sound as the tires rolled over it. The humid air was mixed with the smell of rotting plants. The M15 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, which was modified from an M3 half-track vehicle, traveled on the mountain road, and the engine made a deafening roar.

This track-driven vehicle was perfect for navigating muddy roads during the rainy season. Zhang Chi, sitting in the passenger seat, was constantly swaying with the vehicle's jolts, barely maintaining his balance. Despite this, he kept his gaze fixed on his surroundings, carefully observing them.

"I don't know if those fleeing soldiers ran into the Japanese who were searching for them. I heard from the villagers that there were at least 400 of them. God bless them and make sure they are alive and can be recruited by me." Zhang Chi prayed silently.

Even for those scum deserters who insulted women and deserved to be put to death, Zhang Chi hoped that they would die on the way to the charge with their rifles in hand, rather than being caught by the Japanese and having their hands tied and slaughtered like cattle and sheep.

At this moment, a rustling sound of electricity coming from the walkie-talkie receiver caught Zhang Chi's attention.

"Battalion Commander, are you really the eldest son of the Zhang family - Zhang Chi?" The voice of Bai Minghui, another son of a wealthy family, came from the walkie-talkie. This voice seemed out of place in the solemn atmosphere of the battlefield, with a hint of unexpected ease and ridicule.

Zhang Chi should have reprimanded him for observing battlefield discipline and forbidding casual conversation on the radio. However, his nerves had been stretched to their limits for the past few days, and he just wanted to find someone to chat with and relax. So, he chuckled and replied, "It's me, for sure."

"Haha, I didn't expect that." Bai Minghui's voice was filled with surprise and suspicion. "I originally thought you just shared the same name as the eldest young master of the Zhang family. After all, the rumored you are completely different from who you are now."

Bai Minghui, who also came from a wealthy family in the expeditionary force, naturally paid attention to the gossip about Zhang Chi, the eldest son of the Zhang family.

Rumor has it that this young master, who had made so many bold promises before going to war, was stunned by the Japanese artillery fire on his first battle, trembling like a quail. However, thanks to his family connections, he was able to steadily rise through the ranks. In reality, it's not just the skilled fighters who rise quickly in the military; even those like Zhang Chi's original body, who had no skills at all, who rose quickly, spread quickly.

Of course, what was spread was Zhang Chi's bad reputation, the kind that everyone in the army despised.

"Rumor has it that you're an uneducated, dissolute young man with such poor grades that you barely managed to graduate from the Fifth Branch School. Yet, you're incredibly ambitious, and they've even had your family pay to have you transferred to the front lines as a staff officer in the expeditionary force."

Zhang Chi had already absorbed the original owner's memories, so he naturally knew that what Bai Minghui said was true. The original owner was such a guy with high aspirations but poor skills, and now he had to inherit this bad reputation.

Fortunately, he has successfully changed everyone's impression of him through his own efforts in the ten days since he came here.

"It seems the rumors in the military aren't entirely credible," Bai Minghui continued, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "If I hadn't seen with my own eyes today how you could mobilize so many valuable cars from your home with just a single word, I would have always thought you just happened to have the same name as me."

At the beginning, Bai Minghui had never thought that this Zhang Chi, who dared to lead a tank charge, force Commander John to nod with a gun, and could deliver an exciting speech, would be confronted with the rumored rich young man Zhang Chi.

"Well, actually, that rumor is true." Zhang Chi said this with a bit of embarrassment, "But people always make progress. I don't know when it happened, but there was a point in time when I became completely different from before."

"Hahaha, Captain Bai, I'm here to reinforce the 66th Regiment," Xiao Dongbei's cheerful voice came over the radio. "I assure you that Jun Zuo is the Zhang family's eldest son, absolutely the real thing. But Jun Zuo is truly a completely different person now, completely different from before."

A drop of cold sweat slid down Zhang Chi's forehead. What Hao Yi said unexpectedly hit the nail on the head. He had become a different person.

"How does that saying go? A prodigal son who returns is worth more than gold? Hahaha..." Zhang Chi laughed dryly.

"Battalion Commander, I actually think it's better to use the four words 'a gentleman who changes like a leopard'." The cultured Qi Quan interrupted.

For a moment, the radio was filled with cheerful voices.

Suddenly, Xiao Dongbei, who had been conducting reconnaissance in advance, shouted loudly on the radio, "Boss, something's happening. We've run into one of our own people."

Everyone's nerves tensed. Zhang Chi sat up straight and asked hurriedly, "Are they those fleeing soldiers?"

"It's the 96th Division's internment camp. The situation is a bit complicated. Come and see for yourself."