Vanguards of the War of Resistance! Let's travel back in time together, classmates!

053 Recruiting Soldiers

Song Dalong was secretly pleased. Shangguan Yun had given him a lot of face, taking charge of military affairs himself and entrusting all the affairs of the stronghold to Song Dalong.

Actually, it's mainly about military matters. Shangguan Yun really couldn't be bothered with the messy affairs in the village. Handing it over to Song Dalong was just going with the flow. Anyway, we'll all be family in the future, so why be so formal?

Everyone was overjoyed. Shangguan Yun glanced at Song Xiaoyun and saw her biting her lip, her face flushed, her head bowed and silent. He then made a decision.

At this moment, Min Wenqian and Zhao Peng, who had almost recovered, stepped forward and said, "Please give us your next instructions, Commander. How should we deploy our troops in the camp and what should we do?"

Shangguan Yun pondered for a moment, then said in a cold voice, "Hmph... The Japanese devils are despicable and shameless, resorting to underhanded tactics. Now, the situation in Wulong Ridge has changed drastically. Many mountain strongholds are already defunct, and the remaining ones are barely surviving and can no longer amount to anything."

According to news coming back from outside these past two days, the Japanese have incorporated the troops from Camel Peak and armed them. They are cooperating with some of the Locust Army to sweep through the mountain strongholds that refuse to submit. The Japanese are reaping the benefits themselves. Their intentions are extremely sinister...

Liu Yong stood up and said, "According to the information my scouts have gathered, the Japanese in Wulongkou originally intended to join forces with the Japanese in Zhuanghe County to wipe us out in one fell swoop, but they suffered a great loss in our Songjiazhai."

Moreover, without opening up this vital passage, the Japanese forces were already stretched thin, so they dared not launch an attack easily. Their main strategy now is to let us fight amongst ourselves so they can reap the benefits…

Shangguan Yun said, "In that case, we can take this opportunity to rest and recuperate, and reorganize our troops. In the near future, many battles await us..." A strange smile then appeared on his lips...

Shangguan Yun continued, "In the previous fierce battle, our unit suffered heavy losses, and our organization was basically disrupted. However, the addition of Company Commander Liu has not only increased our strength but also made us acquire a lot of weapons and equipment."

Therefore, the main tasks of our army at this stage are, firstly, to recuperate and recruit soldiers, and secondly, to reorganize elite troops and sustain the war effort through combat...

At this point, Shangguan Yun's eyes flashed with a cold light, and everyone shuddered, thinking to themselves, "The commander is indeed exuding an aura of dominance..."

"The first step is to recruit soldiers. After the great battle, Songjiazhai has few soldiers left who can fight. We need to send people to issue recruitment notices to all directions..."

All the villagers in the surrounding villages and towns who have been oppressed and harmed by the Japanese devils, as well as the scattered troops from various mountain strongholds, and all the patriotic heroes of the martial arts world, and all the people who have the heart to resist the Japanese, are the targets of my Song Family Village's recruitment and unity efforts.

Anyone who comes here with a skill will be hired according to their abilities. We are not concerned with trivial matters. Except for the most wicked and evil people, our village will accept everyone...

However, this should not be too publicized. All soldiers not on duty in the village, except for a few left to guard the village, should go out and contact other villages and hamlets. Anyone with nowhere to go is welcome in Songjia Village...

Guerrilla leader Liu Yong will oversee all propaganda and liaison work, effective immediately. We will assess the results in two weeks and then reorganize the forces. We must improve our strength as quickly as possible...

Shangguan Yun spoke at length, issuing numerous orders, including those concerning the defense of the mountain stronghold, missing person notices, and recruitment of soldiers.

He also instructed Lao Huang, the logistics officer, to expedite the construction of new houses, barracks, and ancillary facilities, as winter was approaching and there would be many homeless people, refugees, and stragglers. He emphasized that those who came seeking refuge should not be left without a place to stay.

And send Sister Zhu to teach those prisoners a lesson: those who should surrender should surrender, and those who didn't want to stay should get lost, giving them a chance to start over.

Otherwise, all of them would become merit points. Shangguan Yun gritted his teeth and made up his mind: Songjia Village would not support freeloaders.

All tasks are proceeding in an orderly and efficient manner... Apart from the busy work in the village, almost all the officers and soldiers are devoted to recruiting soldiers.

The recruitment slogan was simple: "Food and lodging provided, guns and cannons available, you can fight the Japanese devils."

This is undoubtedly a huge temptation for those who are currently wandering outside.

It's already late October, and winter is just around the corner. The weather outside the Great Wall is already very cold. Frost is just around the corner, and you could freeze to death if you stayed out overnight.

With a place to stay, food to eat, and the opportunity to fight the Japanese invaders, it was practically a paradise on earth! So once the news spread, it spread like wildfire, and refugees from dozens of miles around flocked to Songjia Village.

For a time, Lao Huang, the logistics manager, was extremely busy. Shangguan Yun was very excited and assigned more people to Lao Huang. After settling the newcomers, he asked them to help with the construction. After all, no one's meal comes from thin air, and it's not so easy to eat for free.

Even so, the newly joined villagers were all grateful and full of energy, cutting down trees, building houses, digging soil, repairing roads... the village was suddenly bustling with activity.

In recent days, dozens or even hundreds of people have come to seek refuge every day. Of course, they come from all over the country and all kinds of people, mostly the elderly, the weak, women and children, which has given Shangguan Yun a lot of headaches.

If we only recruit soldiers and don't alleviate poverty, the entire Northeast will fall, and these people will have nowhere to turn. With winter approaching, few will survive.

Therefore, Shangguan Yun ordered that a screening campaign be launched immediately. All the hundreds of refugees who had arrived were kept and scanned one by one. Talented individuals with special attributes were selected, and the strong and healthy were temporarily incorporated into the militia, while the elderly and weak were incorporated into the logistics team.

With the current system upgrade, the scanning is more precise, and it is easy to identify traitors and enemy informants through loyalty points and various comprehensive data.

Shangguan Yun discovered several such cases and had them all secretly disposed of without making a fuss. The enemy was left speechless and had no way to complain.

After nearly half a month of recruiting and training, the guerrillas made great progress. They not only thoroughly investigated the situation within a hundred miles, but also developed informants in many villages, towns, and counties, making their future work much easier.

Displaced people, civilians, and scattered soldiers flocked to join them in large numbers. Reconnaissance captain Yu Chaofeng was reporting the latest news and results of the operation to Shangguan Yun.

"This battle was extremely brutal, and not many forces were able to escape unscathed."

The least affected were the men of Daheishan. It is unknown what force Daheishan received help from, but they were well-equipped and had advanced weapons. When the Japanese launched their attack, a large army suddenly pressed in, and nearly a company of heavy troops broke through the Japanese defenses to rescue their leader, Chen Jinshan, and one of his bodyguards.

Moreover, this bodyguard was also highly skilled in martial arts and risked his life to protect the leader; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hold out until reinforcements arrived.