I used the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) to fight the Japanese.

The laborers in the other rooms were astonished to see the three men outside kill several Japanese soldiers in a row! Although they didn't kill them with their own hands, it was still a very satisfying thing to see the Japanese soldiers who usually bullied them fall one after another!

"It's Tiger! And that hunter and Jianziwa too!"

"That's a real man! This is what a real man should do! Well done!"

"That was well done! I really want to join them in killing those Japanese devils!"

"What the hell are you going to kill?! Can you even shoot a gun?"

Does a smoking pipe count?

"Get out! You old smoker!"

……

The battle ended quickly. Mancang and his men had already gained the upper hand under the powerful offensive, and the addition of Hu Zi and his two companions put the Japanese in a precarious situation, further accelerating their defeat. Just like last time, they annihilated all the Japanese troops at the iron mine. As for the few puppet soldiers who were in charge of cooking, they were left behind; with so many people suddenly added to the force, someone needed to cook.

"Tiger! Well done!"

"Awesome! Can you teach me how to shoot a gun?"

"When did you learn to shoot? It looks really cool!"

"Yes! How come you've become so amazing in just half a year?"

As soon as the battle ended, people who knew Hu Zi surrounded him, asking him all sorts of questions. Everyone was very curious about how an honest, unassuming commoner could become so incredibly powerful, as if he had been injected with adrenaline.

"Haha, look who those are!" Tiger said, pointing to the group of brothers walking towards them.

"Er Gouzi? Hei Xiaozi? You're the Mo Dao Gang?..." The old men in the mine all recognized Da Zhao and Man Cang, and they quickly recognized them.

"Old smoker, you're still alive? I thought you died at the hands of the Japanese last time!" Da Zhao called out from afar.

"Er Gouzi, now you're not going to be a puppet soldier anymore, but instead fighting the Japanese? Fighting the Japanese is good! Fighting the Japanese is good! This should have been done a long time ago!" The old smoker wasn't angry at all, his eyes shining as he stared at the machine gun in Da Zhao's arms!

“Blackie has changed too! He’s become stronger! More spirited! He’s more like a man than before!” Zhang Guangxin said, looking at Mancang.

"Haha, we're fighting the Japanese! It's great to see everyone still alive and well! To be honest, last time it was our family who fought the Japanese and managed to escape. After we got out, the brothers formed the Mo Dao Regiment to fight the Japanese and traitors. After several battles, we've established a foothold!"

"The reason we're attacking the iron mine again is twofold. First, we know so many brothers are still suffering here, and we want to rescue everyone from this man-eating place. Second, we want to get everyone involved in fighting the Japanese! We'll discuss the specifics back later. Now, everyone help clean up the battlefield and blow up this iron mine! Leaving this thing here is harmful; once it's blown up, the Japanese won't bother with it anymore!"

"This is no place to stay. Tiger, lead everyone to clean up the battlefield. Use your ultimate move to find explosives and blow up the mine! Everyone, move quickly and leave in fifteen minutes!" Mancang ordered.

"Okay!" the two said in unison.

"Good riddance! This place is a den of thieves! If we blow it up, the Japanese can't harm anyone anymore!"

"It should be blown up! Too many people have died at the iron ore mine!"

"Blow it up! I know where the explosives are. If we blow it up, the Japanese won't bother with it anymore!"

Everyone hated this iron mine to the core, and they all became excited when they heard that the iron mine was going to be blown up! If it weren't for the Mo Dao Group coming to rescue them, most of these people would have been worked to death in this iron mine!

With many people, things get done quickly and efficiently. Over three hundred people working together cleaned up the battlefield! They took everything – weapons, food, clothes, supplies, even the shovels and picks they usually use!

Fifteen minutes later, the group left the iron mine with a bountiful harvest. As they walked a long way, a loud "boom" was heard, and the ground shook violently! A section of the mining area behind them collapsed, and high plumes of dust lingered for a long time.

It was noon when everyone returned to Tianma Village. After leading them on a tour of the village, Mancang announced his recruitment policy. Those willing to fight the Japanese with him would stay, while those unwilling would be given travel expenses to go home. However, he explained the rules of the Modao Regiment beforehand, and those who stayed must abide by them.

Lunch was a village feast prepared by the villagers. After the lively meal, everyone stayed behind except for a dozen or so older people who received their travel expenses and went home.

Three hundred and three in total! This is the biggest spoils of this battle!

……

Kobayashi Huai-Jin received the news of the attack on the iron mine at noon. He rushed to the mine without even having lunch, only to find it in complete ruins! The mine pit had been mostly filled with collapsed mountainside, and the small courtyard, freight station, and thatched huts were naturally not spared. The entire hilltop had been reduced to ruins!

"Major Kobayashi, what will happen to our steel mill without the iron ore? This is our most important source of iron, and the other small mines around here simply cannot meet our production needs!" Captain Kato Oka, the garrison commander at the steel mill, said with a worried expression.

"Let's close it for now!" Kobayashi said calmly.

Not long ago, the biochemical base was destroyed, and just after I took office, the iron mine was completely bombed into ruins. The Mo Dao Group really gave me a big gift!

"But... there are still many production tasks that haven't been completed..." Kato Oka asked, puzzled. Their steel mill was a crucial strategic asset for the Empire in Central China; a single shutdown would affect the raw materials needed by many arsenals. The impact would be enormous!

How could he accept that the newly appointed head of Guya County was so casual about shutting it down?

“It’s just a temporary halt to production. Leave a 20-man squad to guard the steel mill, and you take the rest of your men back to the military police headquarters! That’s an order!” Kobayashi said calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“This… Hi!” Kato Oka replied, standing at attention despite not understanding.

"I have a mission these next two days!" Kobayashi explained casually.

“Hi!” Kato Oka responded again.

The task that Kobayashi Kazuhito values ​​so highly must be of paramount importance!

These people did not linger at the iron mine for long; they left some soldiers behind to handle the aftermath before hurriedly returning to the county town.

He did indeed take up his post with a mission. The delays in delivering military rations by Nagano Yokosei had already caused considerable trouble for the battle at the front, much to the dissatisfaction of Colonel Yamazaki! Before taking office, Colonel Yamazaki gave him a secret order: a batch of urgently needed weapons was about to arrive in Tamatsukuni, and he was required to do everything in his power to transport them safely to the front!

With the battle at the front lines at stake, Kobayashi Huai-ren couldn't afford to deal with the Mo Dao Regiment. His most important task at the moment was to quickly take control of the situation and ensure the safe transport of supplies!

The lessons of his predecessor were still fresh in his mind; he couldn't afford to be dragged into the quagmire of suppressing the Mo Dao Group because of an iron mine and a steel plant! Everything had to wait until the transport mission was completed!