The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

Director Li of the Political Department of the 19th Division and other accompanying personnel attended the meeting. After the meeting, Mr. Andrew decided to continue his visit to the 19th Division for five more days, and sent his beloved daughter, Miss Denise, back to transport the Mauser pistol to the state capital, and also to pick up Mr. Andrew after his visit.

The above description is in the official language.

The truth is actually this:

After a heated bargaining session (with shouting, glaring, and even table-pounding), Xu Wenqing and the foreigner Andrew finally reached an agreement.

A new German-made Mauser pistol with a caliber of 763 cm and a barrel of 96 cm. One thousand pistols, including the empty wooden handle, 500 bullets per pistol, one spring, one bow spring, and one screw plate, are sold for a net price of one hundred silver dollars each.

The thousand bundles were worth a total of 100,000 silver dollars. They were then converted into gold bars of equal value, which Denise took with her. The Red Army dispatched a platoon of guards disguised as private bodyguards to escort her, while Mr. Andrew remained as a hostage in the 19th Red Army Division.

"Commander, the entire route is fraught with enemy activity. Isn't it very dangerous for the comrades we're escorting?"

Director Li of the Political Department still felt uneasy and thought it was somewhat risky.

Xu Wenqing didn't take it to heart and comforted him:

"Director Li, don't worry. In the White Area, these foreigners are like lords. Nobody dares to mess with them!"

Xu Wenqing led his troops to rest for two days in the Cixi area before embarking on their journey again.

At dawn the following day, the 58th Regiment of the 19th Division of the Red Army captured Pujiang County, annihilating over 400 men from a battalion of the 97th Division of the White Army who hadn't managed to escape, along with over 600 members of the local militia. They then launched a night raid on Yiwu City, and with the cooperation of the guerrillas, wiped out an entire battalion of the newly arrived 73rd Division. Over 200 men were captured. They also met up with Zhong Shitou, the company commander of the division's guard company, and took possession of the 1,000 Mauser pistols and 500,000 rounds of ammunition that had just arrived in Yiwu.

After seeing the returned firearms and ammunition, Xu Wenqing finally took the time to meet with Andrew, the American businessman, under Miss Denise's resentful gaze.

To play the long game, Xu Wenqing warmly embraced Andrew upon their first meeting.

"I'm so sorry I haven't been able to take good care of you because I've been so busy with work. I'll take you home now, and to express my apology, I'd like to give you a special gift!"

Unexpectedly, Andrew was taken aback by Xu Wenqing's excessive enthusiasm. He looked at Xu Wenqing suspiciously and shook his head.

"No! No! I don't need any gifts. Our deal is done now. Just agree to let us leave safely!"

"Mr. Andrew, don't refuse yet, come and take a look first!"

Without saying a word, Xu Wenqing mysteriously handed him a piece of paper with his own sketch of a military oil drum and detailed annotations.

Seeing Andrew's transformation from initial indifference to a growing seriousness in his eyes, Xu Wenqing became certain of his guess: Andrew was undoubtedly a military intelligence agent dispatched by Germany or the United States. Upon meeting him in Cixi, he immediately noticed a distinct military bearing in this foreigner, indicating he had at least served in the military. The rapid-fire pistols he sold were not something a small-time businessman could afford. According to the guard company's report, Andrew had shown a keen interest in military matters during his time with the 19th Red Army Division, frequently inquiring about related issues from the security personnel. Therefore, Xu Wenqing decided to take a risk and bring this man onto his side, preparing for his future plans.

Having made up his mind, Xu Wenqing first offered a sweet treat:

Military oil drums—anyway, these things were invented by the Germans on the eve of World War II. Even if I didn't tell Andrew, the Germans would invent them themselves soon enough. Given the Germans' manufacturing capabilities, it wouldn't be a problem for them to make them. So providing this blueprint is a way of making use of waste.

In my previous life, while browsing the web, I learned that before World War II, the German High Command had formulated a blitzkrieg strategy. However, this strategy presented a problem: the rapid advance of the attacking forces led to logistical difficulties, and the thousands of tanks, armored vehicles, and trucks required vast amounts of gasoline during the fighting. The German High Command foresaw this problem and designed gasoline drums. This ingenious German design is still used in military gasoline drums today, reflecting a design from over sixty years ago. During the successful blitzkrieg across Europe in the early stages of World War II, the design of these gasoline drums was considered a crucial element and was kept strictly secret. When troops were forced to surrender or were captured, they were instructed to destroy their gasoline drums to prevent them from falling into Allied hands. The German concerns were not unfounded; the Allies could use the drums once they obtained them, demonstrating the high level of secrecy surrounding their invention.

"Mr. Andrew, wouldn't this kind of container be very convenient for transporting oil?"

After noticing that the foreigner was just deep in thought with his head down after reading, Xu Wenqing waved to Ma Xiaoer to stand guard outside the door and then broke the silence by asking in a low voice.

Andrew suddenly looked up, staring at Xu Wenqing with a questioning gaze, unable to believe that this item, which could play a significant role in military operations, could have been invented by a bunch of bumpkins from the Red Army who had probably never even seen an armored vehicle or tank.

"Don't doubt the intelligence of the Chinese people. I still have a lot of design blueprints, but unfortunately, the backward industry has limited its birth!"

Xu Wenqing suddenly spoke in fluent English.

Andrew was startled, his face full of surprise, and he stammered:

"General He, how come you can speak English?"

“There’s nothing strange about it. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and only returned to China a few years ago after my parents passed away.”

Xu Wenqing began to lie and deceive the foreigners, using his memories from his previous life to recount place names in Los Angeles and interesting stories about Hollywood.

"This is more than just a gift, isn't it? Please tell me what you want."

Foreigners don't believe that good things like this can fall from the sky.

Xu Wenqing shook his head, muttering to himself: "This design is so simple, anyone can do it. It's worthless now. I have to give it away whether I want to or not." He then said aloud, "..."

"No! No! It's just a small gift, please don't mind this design, I have many more!"

Xu Wenqing was right; Andrew really was a military intelligence agent sent by Germany. When he heard that the other party had a lot of design drawings, his heart was filled with joy. It was truly a blessing from heaven that he had stumbled upon such a treasure, and he had to cherish it.

"General He, we're friends, aren't we? Then please don't refuse my gift!"

Andrew also wanted to hook Xu Wenqing, a big fish, so he put on a righteous and indignant tone and said:

"The optical sights and radio equipment you need will be ready for you within a month."