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

sunset.

Everyone felt their mouths watering as they chewed on the hard Logan sticks made of a mixture of chocolate, various grains, milk powder, sugar, and oil. They had no idea that the American soldiers on the other side of the ocean were criticizing them. They only felt that their bodies gradually gained strength as they ate.

Some soldiers who had suffered from hunger many times could not bear to eat half a Logan Stick directly. Instead, they took small bites and hid the rest close to their bodies.

Those who benefited from Zhang Chi thought:

"Anyway, Zhang Chi is a major, the highest-ranking officer, and he seems quite capable. He not only got a big tank, but also food. We're just a bunch of soldiers, and we don't even know how to get home, so we can only use him as a backbone for now."

Zhang Chi looked at the people who were gradually letting down their guard and contempt for him, and shook his head with a wry smile.

His thousands of words were not worth half a Logan stick.

No matter what, for these soldiers, they will follow whoever gives them food.

Those who had the strength to do so hastily cleaned up the battlefield, collected the weapons and debris from the Japanese corpses, and then worked together to bury the bodies of their fallen comrades.

Zhang Chi took the lead and randomly cut down a tree, cut a piece of wood, and inserted it on the grave mound as their tombstone.

Then he took off his military cap and led everyone to salute and bow to the tombstone, paying tribute to these warriors who shed their souls in foreign lands to defend their country.

Then the intact soldiers and the lightly wounded supported and carried the wounded together, following Zhang Chi's tanks and moving towards the northwest.

In this way, everyone came to the crossroads of fate.

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At this moment, the headquarters of the Fifth Army of the Qianguo Expeditionary Force and the newly formed 22nd Division were advancing towards the Hukawng Valley (Wild Man Mountains).

Led by their commander, they attempted to return to the country via the northwestern border of the Pegu Kingdom. Behind them was a large army of over 10,000 Japanese soldiers who were surrounding them from all directions.

However, the small force led by Zhang Chi, with less than a hundred people, had little appeal to the Japanese army.

This is also one of the reasons why Zhang Chi chose to rest nearby instead of immediately catching up with the army and retreating together.

Another reason is that as a time traveler, Zhang Chi is very clear about the experiences of the main forces that crossed the Savage Mountain.

The dense primeval forests of Savage Mountain and various wild animals carrying deadly viruses form a real green hell.

Ten people go, only one returns; the mountain eats people, and the water also eats people; this is the most true portrayal of the Savage Mountain Road.

If Zhang Chi had not taken action, even if the remnants of the 66th Regiment had escaped the Japanese's pursuit, they would have suffered an even more miserable end when they entered the Wild Man Mountain.

Zhang Chi's crew drove the heavy Sherman M4 tank along the dirt path in the rainforest to the northwest, heading towards the small village marked on the map. (The 30-ton Sherman is the Pacific Tiger King)

Taking advantage of the opportunity during the march, Zhang Chi sat in the tank and checked the selling prices of items in the system.

鹰酱D野战口粮1银狮币10根；一盒6个罐头的C野战口粮也只需要1银狮币。一箱24玻璃瓶装的可口可乐也只需要1银狮币。

谢尔曼坦克主炮需要的75mm高爆弹4银狮币1发，114mm火箭弹3银狮币1发，同轴和车体的M1919A4机枪使用的7.62mm100发弹链，1银狮币1条，其中每发1发曳光弹。

As for fuel, a box of gasoline in a standard round barrel of 100 gallons (378.5 liters) costs 5 Silver Lions.

Various accessories for easily damaged tank parts such as track plates, traction wheels, engines, gearboxes, etc. are also available in the system mall, with prices ranging from dozens to hundreds of yuan.

Zhang Chi would earn 90 silver lion coins for driving a tank to eliminate a Japanese soldier, and would earn more for killing a sergeant, second lieutenant, etc.

In other words, he currently has no worries about food, drink, ammunition, and fuel.

The real threat to him was the heavy enemy troops. He had to lead this small force to rest as soon as possible and try to recruit more defeated soldiers to strengthen himself.

The good news is that as a time traveler, Zhang Chi knew very well how many defeated soldiers were scattered north of Pegu at the end of the first expedition - at least more than 2.

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The low roar of the engine broke the tranquil atmosphere of the tropical rainforest. Dozens of exhausted fleeing soldiers and wounded followed closely behind the tanks. They were ragged and looked tired, but there was still a glimmer of survival in their eyes.

In the distance, the sound of gurgling water could be heard, and the end of the dirt path suddenly opened up.

The dense tropical trees suddenly disappeared.

Ahead, a small village of local Pegu people is nestled beside a quietly flowing river.

The Kingdom of Bago is mountainous, with abundant water resources and rainforests, so many villages are built along rivers, and the one in front of Zhang Chi is no exception.

Zhang Chi stuck his head out of the tank's commander's tower, raised his telescope, and carefully scanned the small village in front of him.

The village is surrounded by dense rainforest and towering tropical trees. The lush green treetops almost cover the sky, leaving only a few gaps on the ground filled with the sunset glow.

In the village, villagers sat in groups of three or four on wooden chairs in front of their thatched houses, chatting and resting, and a few poultry were leisurely pecking at food in the open space outside the village.

"Hmm, there are living people and poultry. It doesn't look like the Japanese have been here..." (If the Japanese invaded the village, the chickens would definitely be gone, among other things.)

Zhang Chi turned around and shouted to the soldiers, led by Xiao Dongbei, who were following the tanks:

"There's a high probability that there aren't any devils, but you still have to remain vigilant."

The huge figure of the Sherman tank suddenly appeared at the entrance of the village, and the clattering sound of the tracks broke the tranquility of the village.

The villagers in the village immediately stopped what they were doing and looked at the uninvited guests at the village entrance in surprise.

The huge steel monster at the entrance of the village formed a sharp contrast with the surrounding rustic thatched houses, like a ferocious beast breaking into a docile flock of sheep, which made the villagers very scared.

Zhang Chi shouted in the fluent English that the system gave him (the little English that Zhang Chi had learned was long forgotten after the college entrance examination):

"Who's the leader? Does anyone here understand English?" (As a John colony, elders like village heads and town heads generally speak John, otherwise they wouldn't even understand how to pay taxes.)

"We are the Qian Kingdom expeditionary force, here to fight the Fuso people. We won't bother you for long. We just need some water, food, and a little time to rest. I'm sorry to bother you."

The tank stopped and the roar of the engine gradually disappeared. The soldiers dragged their tired bodies and walked to the village entrance step by step with difficulty.

They staggered, using branches or broken rifles as crutches, supporting each other and stopped in the open space at the entrance of the village.

Several villagers walked forward cautiously. They looked at the mud-covered warriors and the steel monster in the lead, their faces full of confusion and worry.

An elderly villager took the initiative to speak in halting English:

"Sir, I am the village chief here. This is Ramninta Village. You are welcome to be our guest. I only hope that you will not bring the smoke and flames of war here."

This poor little village only has two gunpowder guns to deal with wild animals. How can he, an old and frail village chief, refuse the demands of these Qian people who are armed with guns and steel monsters?

The village chief turned to a strong middle-aged villager behind him and spoke in Pegu.

"Bota, go to the village well and fetch some water. Don't neglect the guests."

Surprisingly, Zhang Chi, with the support of the system, actually understood this Pegu dialect.

However, Zhang Chi did not show that he understood the other party's language. He always remained extremely vigilant towards these foreigners.

There are many traitors in Pegu who have defected to the Fuso people. Who knows if there are any in this paradise-like village?

You must know that those native accomplices who surrendered to the Japanese helped to hunt down many defeated Qian Kingdom soldiers who had fled into the mountains and forests, causing a large number of casualties to the expeditionary force. Zhang Chi remembered all these things in his mind.

Zhang Chi wiped the dust and sweat off his face and began to purchase Uncle Sam's World War II Type C field rations within the system. There was a lot of this kind of field rations in the glove box at the rear of the Sherman tank under him, for the crew to eat during field combat.

Uncle Sam's armored soldiers entered the Gaul capital on these rations, and used the bitter chocolate and Camel cigarettes in the rations to buy a night of pleasure from those poor Gallic women.

Zhang Chi has not forgotten his promise to everyone, and insisted on treating everyone to a big meal when he arrived in the village.