The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

Comrades in northeastern Hubei have been gathering together these past few days to discuss forming a team, thereby pooling superior forces to quickly establish a foothold in northeastern Hubei and western Anhui.

Whether it's forming guerrilla forces, expanding the Red Army, or expanding the base areas, the bottom line is to fully support the main force of the Red Army in its military operations.

The newly formed 28th Red Army was a young force, having been established for a short time.

After the Fourth Front Army broke through Manchuan Pass, the main force of the Fourth Front Army remaining in the Hubei-Anhui Soviet Area, including the 74th Division, the 2nd Independent Division of Guangshan, and the newly established 75th Division, formed the 25th Army.

After its formation, the 25th Red Army fought for a long time in the Hubei-Henan-Anhui region. Later, following instructions from the Central Committee, it formed the Second Vanguard Detachment for the Northern Expedition against Japan and left the Hubei-Henan-Anhui base area. Since there was a Second Vanguard Detachment, there was naturally a First Vanguard Detachment, which was the original 7th Red Army Corps, later known as the 10th Red Army Corps.

After the 25th Red Army left the Hubei-Henan-Anhui base area, the 28th Red Army was formed for the third time.

Furthermore, local troops and guerrilla units were re-established in various regions. Wang Xiaoming's mission was to organize these guerrilla units.

The Dabie Mountains are particularly damp and cold in winter. The paper windows, riddled with holes, are no match for the ravages of the north. The howling mountain winds whistle through the rooms, taking away the little warmth people have left.

Inside the cave, the meeting participants were still engaged in a lively discussion.

Beneath two thick, sword-like eyebrows were a pair of bright, piercing eyes, and beneath his full lips, one could vaguely discern a resolute character and an unwavering belief in the victory of the revolution. Wang Xiaoming looked down at the teacup before him, now completely dry, and hesitated before warming it with his hand. Instead, he called out to the messenger on guard at the cave entrance to come in and refill it. A series of footsteps sounded, and an unfamiliar Red Army soldier entered. To everyone's surprise, they had never seen this person before.

Although he was wearing a Red Army uniform, he was taller than average, and the clothes didn't fit him well. Could they be the enemy? Just as Wang Xiaoming placed his hand on the pistol at his waist, four or five strangely dressed people rushed in. Their faces were painted in all sorts of colors, making them look like ghosts. What made them gasp was that each of them was carrying a Mauser pistol, and they were all automatic firearms with fire selector switches.

As the border approached Wang Xiaoming, he was already bound to Xue Geming and had no way back. He could only grit his teeth and lower his voice to say:

"Job title and name?"

But what he got in return was Wang Xiaoming's fiery gaze. However, Bianjing was not made of clay. Instead, he met the other party's aura head-on and stared back without flinching.

Wang Xiaoming was so angry, as if a spice bottle had been spilled, that he couldn't even speak. He spat, and a mouthful of thick phlegm landed precisely on the 'enemy's' face.

“I, Wang Xiaoming, am willing to lose my head and shed my blood, but don’t even think about making me betray the revolution.”

To his surprise, this 'enemy' wasn't angry at all. He calmly wiped the filth off his face, and even removed a significant portion of the camouflage paint. His imposing manner weakened considerably; instead, he put away his weapon, saluted Wang Xiaoming, and reported:

"Bian Jing, deputy captain of the first detachment of the first company of the special service brigade of the 19th Division of the Red Tenth Army Corps, salutes the commander."

"Commander, please calm down. I really didn't want to do this. It was our captain who kept saying that we should train more in normal times and that we shouldn't miss any opportunity to improve team cohesion. That's why he forced me to do this..."

Bian glanced sideways and saw Xue Geming about to step one leg across the threshold, so he hesitated and stopped talking.

Startled by these words, Xue Geming lost his footing, stumbled on the threshold, and nearly fell face-first into the mud. His face paled, and he said regretfully:

"Border, you can't just pass the buck like that. I said before that I would take full responsibility, but you can't really shirk all your responsibility. When we get back, the division commander will skin me alive!"

Xue Geming gave a wry smile and ordered the special forces soldiers:

"Put down your weapons, the operation is over."

Then, Xue Geming and his team, with sincere apologies, went to apologize to each of the local comrades attending the meeting. Of course, Wang Xiaoming and his men didn't give them a friendly look. Instead, they kept their guns close at hand, wary of these people of unknown origin. They didn't know how many people were waiting outside the building, which was why they didn't act rashly.

"Commander, we really are the Special Service Brigade of the 19th Division of the 10th Army Corps. Xue Geming, the captain of the first detachment, apologizes to you. Our division commander ordered us to bring a radio from Jiangxi to make contact with your comrades in Hubei, Henan and Anhui. The radio is right outside. You can contact your superiors through the radio. As for whether you trust us, that's up to you."

"Radio station?"

At this point, the leaders attending the meeting were all in a panic. Not to mention the 28th Red Army, even the 25th Red Army didn't have a radio. Once they had a radio, they could contact the main force of the Red Army.

When a brand-new radio was placed on the table, the comrades attending the meeting were overjoyed.

Xue Geming and Bian Bian ordered their men to leave the cave.

Soon, they made contact with the 19th Red Army Division via their own radio. The 19th Red Army Division, which had just crossed the Gan River and was assembling, was in its command post when Xu Wenqing breathed a sigh of relief. They confirmed Xue Geming's identity as part of the liaison unit sent to the 25th Red Army.

Wang Xiaoming and the others were skeptical and could not fully believe that what Xue Geming said was true.

After all the soldiers of a platoon of the Hubei-Northeast Guerrilla Force who had been tied up and had their mouths stuffed with their military caps were untied, Wang Xiaoming and the others were surprised to look at Xue Geming and his men's equipment. Each of them had a pistol, and even more surprisingly, they were also equipped with submachine guns, which were rare even in the Central Army of the White Army, two light machine guns, and strangely shaped rifles. The cloth strips that were tied up tightly indicated that they also had a radio.

How many people are in your unit?

Wang Xiaoming asked curiously. He wasn't a petty person. After the misunderstanding was cleared up and he was able to contact the main force, he felt more affection for this unit than anger at their reckless behavior.

Xue Geming said with difficulty:

"I'm sorry, sir. This is a military secret. Perhaps you could ask our division commander when you have the chance?"

The next day, the sky was overcast; in previous years, the first snow had already fallen long ago. But this year it was unusually late. However, judging by this awful weather, it would snow in a day or two.

Wang Xiaoming only started to rest when it was just dawn, but woke up two hours later. He wasn't sleepy at all; he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Lying there, he could only stare blankly at the drab gray ceiling. The heat in his chest hadn't cooled yet; how could he possibly sleep?