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

While the villagers were fetching water, Zhang Chi, like a magician, threw large boxes of C-type rations from the tank through the side door and onto the ground.

Then Zhang Chi jumped out of the Sherman tank, took out the dagger from his waist and cut open the large cardboard box packaging of the Type C rations, revealing Uncle Sam's Type C field rations wrapped in oil paper inside.

This Type C field ration is designed specifically for American soldiers who need to be stationed in trenches for a long time, away from logistics and field kitchens.

Each portion contained six small cans, including three cans of staple food, three cans of side dishes, plus candies, coffee powder, fruit juice powder, bitter chocolate, cigarettes, forks, condoms, tissues and other miscellaneous items.

These foods are enough to provide a US soldier with three meals a day on the battlefield.

Zhang Chi called out "Xiao Dongbei" and asked him to start distributing food to the wounded with the intact soldiers.

"Remember, give this oil-paper-wrapped small box to each person. Give it to the seriously injured first, then to the lightly injured."

After saying that, Zhang Chi waved his hand, and two more crew members came out from the Sherman tank. They were holding M1A1 carbines and took out an M3 submachine gun and handed it to Zhang Chi.

These crew members are all synthetic human pilots produced by the system. They are loyal to Zhang Chi and are Zhang Chi's greatest asset besides tanks to survive in this foreign country.

"I'm supervising you guys, everyone behave properly. If anyone acts recklessly, don't blame me for being rude!"

With that, Zhang Chi pulled the bolt of his submachine gun with a click, then opened the small cover on the M3's ejection port, signaling to Xiao Dongbei and the others that his commander was serious. (The small cover on the M3's ejection port is the safety; closing it disables the gun, and opening it switches it to full-auto mode.)

Zhang Chi still admired the bravery and patriotism of these remnants of the Qian Kingdom Expeditionary Force, but what about their discipline?

Zhang Chi said it’s better not to count on it.

If they hadn't been pointed at them with guns, these thirsty and hungry remnants would have eaten up all the food and water, leaving the wounded with nothing.

Under Zhang Chi's supervision, small cans were distributed one after another to the lightly and seriously wounded soldiers first. After cutting open the tinplate cans with bayonets, everyone began their happy meal time.

After distributing the canned food, Zhang Chi saw that several seriously injured soldiers were so seriously injured that they were completely unable to eat. Even if the soldiers next to them fed the food to their mouths, they did not have the strength to chew. He felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

These are all good men of Qian State who fight for their country. He has to do something for them.

So he went back to the tank and, like a magician, pulled out several glass bottles of Coca-Cola.

"Feed them some sugar water to replenish their nutrition first."

Then Zhang Chi took out a few packs of Camel cigarettes and canned turkey, and found the village chief who was looking at him vigilantly.

The two of them communicated again in English.

The remaining soldiers saw the village chief happily running back to the village with the things Zhang Chi gave him. Then several villagers came to the open space carrying a large clay pot, a handful of rice and firewood.

The villagers lit a fire, poured clean river water into the pot, added rice, and began to cook porridge.

"Brothers, eat slowly. We can't choke if we only eat the dry food, and drink some liquid food to smooth things over."

Everyone present was moved to tears upon hearing these words. In the impoverished and weak Qian Kingdom, these ragtag troops lived on bran and water. Eating so much solid food that they choked was a rare and blissful experience.

After seeing Staff Officer Zhang arrive at the village, he first distributed food to everyone and then cooked porridge for everyone, while he himself hadn't eaten yet. The soldiers gradually became more convinced of Zhang Chi's words "I will take them to survive."

As for Staff Officer Zhang's previous cowardly behavior on the battlefield, if anyone dared to bring it up again, these soldiers who had already returned would probably tear his mouth apart.

Since Zhang Chi treats them well with all his heart, they will naturally protect Zhang Chi with all their heart. People in this era are so simple and honest.

"Oh my god, why is this chicken so tough?" (Canned turkey)

"What's in this noodle soup? It's sweet and sour, and it's delicious." (Canned pasta with tomato sauce)

"You all have meat, but I only have canned beans?" (Canned beans in tomato sauce)

"This white stuff smells bad, but tastes strangely delicious." (Canned cheese)

"These dry steamed bread slices are surprisingly sweet and have a milky aroma." (Biscuit tin)

It was the first time for all the soldiers to eat canned food, and they were excited and curious as they talked to each other.

There were more than a dozen menus for C ration cans, and each of them had different cans of staple food and protein. Some soldiers who had a good relationship with each other began to exchange cans, just to taste more new foods in this era of material scarcity.

Zhang Chi took a bite of the Logan Bar (a combination of unpalatable compressed biscuits and energy bars) from the D rations, and watched everyone eating and drinking with a smile. A strange sense of satisfaction filled his heart.

If he hadn't traveled through time, these poor soldiers might have starved to death in this foreign land.

Zhang Chi took out two packs of Camel cigarettes and distributed them to "Xiao Dongbei" and several other uninjured soldiers as a reward for their compliance with his orders to distribute canned food.

Many defeated soldiers, after being dispersed by the Japanese, lost their discipline and their sense of military honor, and were very likely to become bandits on the spot. Therefore, the first step in Zhang Chi's efforts to gather them together was to re-emphasize military discipline.

The soldiers, led by 'Xiao Dongbei', took the cigarettes and began to smoke and chat around the campfire.

"This staff officer is different now. He finally has the air of a superior. Not only did he get a tank, but he also managed to get canned goods and cigarettes from nowhere."

"This is called battlefield training. After a few battles on the battlefield, even a little boy can become a real man. I think Commander Zhang is like that." The veteran Xiao Dongbei answered in a condescending manner.

"I heard his family has been in business for generations. Do you think someone in his family is doing business here? Doesn't that make him a bit of a local tyrant?"

"Can businessmen get steel chariots? I bet it's not the kind of business we do with foreigners, right?"

"Shut up! They're giving you cigarettes and canned food, and you're still talking about them behind their backs. Do you have any conscience at all?"

-----

At the village gate, villager Pota whispered his doubts to the village chief:

"Didn't the Fuso propaganda team in town say that all the Qian people were defeated and fled in disarray? Why are these Qian people holding weapons and accompanied by roaring steel monsters?"

The village chief was confused as he looked at the soldiers who were eating canned food and drinking porridge and smoking cigarettes after their meals.

In the opinion of the village chief, although almost all of these soldiers were injured, their mental state did not have the panic-stricken feeling of defeated soldiers.

Were the Fuso people, who claimed to be liberators, lying to them? Or was it the young officer from the Qian Kingdom who led the troops that was truly capable?

------

At this moment, the village chief, who thought Zhang Chi was a good leader, ignored the comments of other soldiers and returned to the tank.

Less than a few hours after crossing over, he was in a foreign country in a different time and space. As a former college student, he could only feel safe enough under the protection of the thick armor of the tank.

As for the faint distrust among the soldiers outside the vehicle? As a time traveler, he was confident that these soldiers would eventually believe in him wholeheartedly.