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

Tan Zhijie, who had just arrived on a C47, walked out of the airport, waved goodbye to Zhang Guangsong, the personal secretary of the division commander who was on the same plane, and got into a dilapidated jeep and drove towards the urban area of ​​Chuncheng.

What did Spring City, the rear base of the 42-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, look like?

The first thing that comes into view is a unique mixture of busyness and chaos.

As an important city in the rear area of ​​the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chuncheng at this moment is filled with wartime tension but also reveals a sense of tenacious hope.

The streets are crowded with people.

Tan Zhijie noticed that among the pedestrians there were soldiers in military uniforms as well as refugees in tattered clothes.

Many of the soldiers looked like they had just been retreated from war zones further north, their faces showing obvious fatigue and worry.

In this context of mixed military and civilian population, Chuncheng became particularly noisy.

The hawking sounds, shouting, and the roar of motor vehicle engines are intertwined to form a unique symphony.

The open-top jeep allowed Tan Zhijie to directly smell the smell of burning charcoal and firewood in the air. Many street stalls and simple restaurants were serving rough food.

Due to food shortages, staple food was mixed with wild vegetables, and sometimes even potatoes and sweet potatoes became staple foods.

Tan Zhijie frowned and asked the students around him, "When our expeditionary force first went abroad, weren't there plenty of supplies here? How come it has become like this now?"

The Huangpu classmate next to him, who was serving at the Spring City Garrison Command, replied casually, "Once the Burma Road is cut off, the supply of materials will be insufficient."

"Not to mention that the Japanese have reached the Nu River, and all the refugees from the border have fled into Spring City under the flames of war. Add to that the defeated soldiers retreating from the front lines, and there are hundreds of thousands more mouths to feed, which means the people in the city will have to suffer."

Hearing this, Tan Zhijie's expression darkened and his fists clenched involuntarily.

As a member of the expeditionary force, a soldier who was supposed to defend his country, he knew that the tragic scene he saw was caused by his defeat and the loss of Pegu. Without a doubt, the ragged refugees outside the car were the greatest mockery and irony of him as a soldier.

"By the way, weren't you the deputy regiment commander? Why did you end up working at the Security Command?" Thinking of the unfortunate ending of the Expeditionary Force, Tan Zhijie asked his classmate and former colleague.

"The newly formed 219th Division took the blame and was disbanded. I was also relegated to a small position as deputy director of the shelter. Damn, Spring City is full of wounded and defeated soldiers. Where would I find the space and food to house them all?"

As he spoke, the classmate looked at the colonel rank on Tan Zhijie's shoulder with envy, then looked at his own major rank which was two beans less than his, and said:

"Old Tan, you're so lucky! Everyone thought you fell off the cliff and died."

"I didn't expect to be promoted to Colonel Chief of Staff after being trapped in the Pegu Mountains. This is what they call a blessing in disguise, right? We should have a drink to celebrate our reunion later."

"Deputy Director of the Reception Department?" Tan Zhijie thought of the purpose of his visit. He patted the shoulder of his old classmate and said excitedly, "Please introduce me to your director later. I brought two bottles of brandy. I won't leave until I'm drunk."

As he spoke, Tan Zhijie patted the two large suitcases he was carrying. In order to successfully bribe the relevant personnel and get a large number of veterans that the 212th Division urgently needed, Zhang Chi provided Tan Zhijie with a considerable amount of "operation funds" - paid for by the airdropped supplies from our dear General Stevenson.

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Although the citizens in the city were tightening their belts, as the end point of the Hump Route, the food in the small banquet hall of the Spring City Garrison Command was not bad.

All kinds of fresh chicken, duck, fish, meat and wine were brought to the table like water. While eating these delicious meals, Tan Zhijie had no idea why the shelter lacked food and supplies to accommodate the defeated soldiers and the wounded.

After having a good meal and a drink, Xia Gong, director of the shelter, and Tan Zhijie got down to business.

"Are you willing to sell the Japanese Type 95 light tanks, Type 92 infantry guns, and various light and heavy machine guns and grenade launchers?" Director Xia Gong asked in surprise after looking at the deputy director while holding the list in his hand.

At this time, the main national army was not short of weapons after receiving assistance from the White Eagle Army, but the various weapons and equipment of the devils still had very high prices on the black market. Why?

Smart readers must have thought of the wonderful uses of these weapons.

That’s right, although the battle reports are full of “great victory”, the Ministry of National Defense is not stupid and will still send people to inspect.

With these Japanese weapons and some 'local specialties' prepared for the special envoys, the "great victory" would naturally become a merit, and then they could be promoted smoothly.

Xia Gong, who was well-versed in these 'Nationalist Army tricks', could no longer sit still. He flattered his face and asked directly, "What does Colonel Tan need? Food? Anti-inflammatory drugs? Cash?"

"Our division commander has instructed us to only trade for people. One Japanese Type 2 rifle in exchange for two veterans with at least one year of service. The exchange rates for other weapons will increase accordingly."

"No problem. There's nothing else under my shelter, but there are plenty of soldiers who can carry guns."

"We need not only those who have carried rifles, but also machine gunners, gunners and deputy gunners, veterans who have fired mortars and field artillery, and driven trucks and have special skills. One of these soldiers is worth the price of 3 to 10 ordinary veterans." Tan Zhijie said while the iron was hot.

"Then let's have a pleasant cooperation." Director Xia Gong stretched out his chubby hand and shook hands with Tan Zhijie.

Thinking that he had this "arms" plus the funds left in the small treasury, he could move his position after some operations, and Xia Gong couldn't help but smile.

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On the other hand, Secretary Zhang Guangsong, as Zhang Chi's nephew, found the Zhang's cloth shop in the city and established contact with the domestic branch of the Zhang family.

Through the radio that Zhang Guangsong brought with him, Zhang Chi finally got in touch with his cheap father who was far away in Guangzhou after several twists and turns.

Upon learning that his eldest son had indeed made a name for himself in the army, Zhang Xueyi, his father, immediately took the initiative and used all his family property to support Zhang Chi's career. (If he hadn't used it up, it would have been plundered by gold yuan coupons in a few years.)

So Zhang Guangsong took Zhang Chi's family's money and started working in Chuncheng on his behalf.

He first purchased several wastelands outside the city as temporary shelters for the veterans.

Then he inquired about the news of the Nanyang Overseas Chinese Mechanics Returning to China Service Group.

Since the Yunnan-Burma Highway was cut off, more than 3000 members of the Nanyang Overseas Chinese Mechanic Team lost their jobs. With the abolition of the China-Burma Transport Bureau in August, the First Battalion of the Overseas Chinese Transport Pioneer Team was disbanded.

The inhumane White Party certainly could not be responsible for the demobilization of the mechanics, so they laid off the mechanics and let them find their own way out.

At the same time, Nanyang fell and overseas funding was cut off. The mechanics who were left on the streets had no place to live and became a group of real refugees.

One of Zhang Guangsong's important tasks this time was to rescue Zhang Chi's team of car drivers and maintenance workers from suffering and bring them back to the Pegu base.