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

After bidding farewell to Hao Yi and the first battalion, Zhang Chi did not stop for a moment and immediately began to arrange the next task.

Seeing that Bai Minghui happened to pass by, Zhang Chi directly pulled him into the command tent.

The tent had already been decorated with various furniture he had bought from John Airport.

Thanks to Sir Spencer's "gift", he even has a luxurious mahogany desk of his own. Now this bright and beautiful big table is his "battlefield throne".

However, he didn't have time to enjoy it, as he stood in front of the table and began to assign tasks.

"Major Bai, I need you to select the elite from the third battalion to carry out a crucial mission." As the superior, Zhang Chi's words naturally carried an irresistible tone.

Bai Minghui looked at the young commander with a hint of excitement in his eyes.

Being singled out and sent to the front line to carry out a mission was exactly the opportunity he had always dreamed of.

"In Zokabang Village, northwest of us, the Japanese have stationed an archaeological team with over 40 armed soldiers. They're searching the mountains for the ancient Saka temple." Zhang Chi's voice gradually deepened, his tone becoming colder. "When they find the gold, silver, and treasure... you must strike quickly and decisively."

As he spoke, Zhang Chi made a gesture of waving his hand and chopping down.

"I will use this batch of gold to buy more amphibious tanks, aircraft, and combat boats. Whether we can have more weapons to fight the Japanese from now on depends entirely on you."

Zhang Chi was still very confident in Bai Minghui's command ability. He could lead a group of poor soldiers who only had cold weapons to attack the Japanese squadron at night, and there would be no problem in killing more than 40 Japanese in the jungle by outnumbering them.

"I'll reinforce your Third Battalion with all the grenade launchers and light machine guns we captured from the Japanese in the previous battle. Can you complete the mission?"

"Make sure to complete the mission."

Bai Minghui was extremely excited. Didn't he leave his hometown and join the army south just to be able to lead a troop independently to fight the Japanese?

He didn't expect Zhang Chi to help him realize his wish so quickly.

"Go ahead. Oh, and call Major Qi Quan as well."

Zhang Chi was promoted to colonel, and naturally, when one person succeeds, everyone around him will benefit.

He temporarily appointed the three "kings" under his command as majors, and was waiting for the special envoy to arrive to formally confer the titles on them.

Not long after Zhang Chi sat down at his desk, Qi Quan hurried into the tent.

Zhang Chi pressed his hands slightly, indicating that there was no need to be polite and he could sit down directly.

Qi Quan took off his military cap, put his butt on the edge of the chair, and sat upright opposite Zhang Chi's desk.

The clever orderly Xiao Qi brought two cups of hot water to the two of them and then left the tent.

"There is not a single staff officer in my regimental command headquarters. It's very quiet and deserted." Zhang Chi's opening remarks were very direct.

"Mu Sheng, you're an outstanding graduate of the officer intensive training program, and your medals prove it. I need you to help me train a few staff officers. You can pick any educated NCOs in the regiment. In a month, I hope to have at least five staff officers working here."

When Qi Quan heard this request, he looked embarrassed. He was only a second lieutenant after graduating from the Officer Training Corps. The knowledge he learned was mostly about how to command soldiers in combat as a company or platoon leader. He only had a rough understanding of the knowledge required for staff work, let alone teaching others?

Zhang Chi certainly knew that his request was a bit embarrassing, but the identity registers of more than 1000 people, the statistics of logistics materials and the updating of maps, these tedious chores all required experienced clerks and staff to carry out, and the defeated soldiers his independent regiment had now gathered were basically grassroots officers and ordinary soldiers.

So all these things now fell on him and Qi Quan. He started writing various documents and reports as soon as he opened his eyes every day, and he was almost going crazy.

He even suspected that he wrote more words every day now than when he wrote his papers at the end of school.

Zhang Chi rubbed his temples, which were a little sore from overusing his eyes, then took a sip of water and said slowly:

"My requirements are not high. I just want someone who can do the job for me. At least help me with the logistical documents and the map work. Otherwise, I will be exhausted to death."

Qi Quan nodded when he heard this and said, "Do your best to complete the task!"

"Don't worry, you still have other tasks." After saying this, Zhang Chi felt a little embarrassed.

He is just like those private company bosses who should be hanging street lamps. When he catches a capable subordinate, he will give him more responsibilities.

"The surplus grain in Xinwangping Village was previously plundered by He Weimin, and then taken away by the Japanese. Now there are refugees from Zokabang Village, and we have more and more mouths to feed. I need you to mobilize the soldiers and villagers to reclaim wasteland and expand the rice planting area."

Zhang Chi traveled through time and space and read novels, and learned that rice in Southeast Asia can be harvested three times a year. Unexpectedly, when he asked the villagers, he found out that the rice eaten by the residents here is actually mainly from rainy season rice.

Locals sow during the rainy season from May to July and harvest from November to January.

The yields of early rice and winter rice were far inferior to those of rainy season rice. To achieve food self-sufficiency, Zhang Chi had to mobilize soldiers and villagers to cultivate wasteland and plant rainy season rice during the rainy season.

Qi Quan was the only officer under his command who was both civil and military capable, so the task of reclaiming the wasteland had to be handed over to him.

"There's plenty of water nearby, so it's indeed suitable for growing rice. Leave the reclamation to me."

Qi Quan was born into a small landlord family in Chuncheng. He had some understanding of land reclamation through what he had seen and heard.

"Okay, then go ahead and get busy." Zhang Chi waved his hand, looked at Qi Quan's departing back, and thought silently.

Now he is the head of a group. Besides fighting, there are many tedious matters waiting for him to deal with.

His independent regiment also needed more food, weapons and soldiers.

In the distance, the threat of the Japanese still exists.

Zhang Chi stood in the tent, staring at the map on the table, thinking about his next plan.

According to the historical trend, the 55th and 56th Japanese divisions will soon move south and be stationed in Mandalay, Toungoo (Tunggu), and Mawlamyine.

Myitkyina, an important northern node of the Pegu Kingdom, will be taken over by the Japanese 18th Division led by General Tanaka Shinichi, who will be responsible for defending the northern border and controlling the Burma Road leading to the Kingdom of Qian.

Before the end of the rainy season, the Xinwangping Village where he is currently located should still be safe. The Japanese army, lacking inland vessels, will find it difficult to send large forces to encircle his new base.

So during this rainy season, he had to collect as many defeated soldiers as possible and accumulate weapons and ammunition.

When the 18th Division attacks Nantianmen, he will definitely bring the independent regiment to help.

"I don't know how many defeated soldiers Hao Yi can bring back, or how much gold Bai Minghui can bring back."

The task has been assigned and Zhang Chi can only secretly pray for a better harvest.

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly asked the system, "System, how is the price of gold used to purchase pilots and aviators calculated?"

[Tank crew members, regardless of position, receive 1 kg of gold per person. Pilots, regardless of position, receive 10 kg of gold per person.]

Zhang Chi heard the system's answer and nodded, thinking that the system price was not bad. It is said that pilots are more valuable than gold. His pilot only weighed 10 kilograms, which was equivalent to a 2% discount.

And there is no distinction between positions, so when purchasing, he can only exchange for the two technical positions of gunner and pilot, and on the bomber, he can also only exchange for the pilot and navigator.

For the remaining positions with lower technical requirements, you can use your own soldiers to fill them and save some gold.

"What if I recharge the gold into Golden Eagles?" Zhang Chi thought that if he had a lot of gold, he could exchange it for some gold vehicles to further enhance his combat effectiveness.

[Sorry, this system only sells gold vehicle exchange vouchers. Level I-III general gold vehicle exchange vouchers are worth 10 kilograms of gold each and can be redeemed for one gold land, air, or offshore vehicle in the host's unlocked tech tree.]

"What about ocean-going ones?" Zhang Chi asked immediately. He also had a dream of having huge ships and big cannons. If he could get a big ship, he would be able to land on the Japanese homeland with the Allied forces.

[One I-III Ocean-Going Gold Vehicle Exchange Voucher is worth 100 kilograms of gold and can be exchanged for a gold ocean-going vessel in the host's unlocked technology tree.]

"What about those above level III?" Many gold vehicles from the late World War II and post-war periods were at level IV, so Zhang Chi curiously asked why he could only buy level III.

[When the host's troops reach brigade level, they will be eligible to purchase Tier IV vehicles with gold and silver coins]

Brigade level?

Just when Zhang Chi was about to change the name of the independent regiment to the independent brigade to see if he could find a system bug, Xiao Dongbei suddenly lifted the curtain and entered the tent, interrupting his delusion.