The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

The obese battalion commander squeezed out from behind, panting, and said:

"We're escorting a supply convoy. We were ambushed by the Red Army as soon as we left the city, and they're still chasing us relentlessly. Hurry up and move the roadblocks so we can pass!"

"We are the Taizhou Prefectural Garrison, responsible for maintaining public order!"

Company Commander Wang Jinning said with a smile:

"I don't know you, so I dare not let you into the city now. Please understand."

The security team standing by the bridge all found it strange:

These guys just said they were a supply convoy, how come they've suddenly become the local garrison? One of the soldiers couldn't help but speak up, but the scout from the 57th Regiment next to him saw this and, without saying a word, swung his rifle butt and knocked him unconscious. The other security regiment soldiers quickly lowered their heads obediently.

"We're all on the same side, let us through quickly."

The fat battalion commander was so anxious he was about to jump up and down.

Wang Jinning pointed the muzzle of his gun at his peaked officer's cap and said arrogantly:

"Orders from above: to prevent rioters from entering the city and causing trouble, all soldiers must lay down their weapons and ammunition, form ranks, and then enter the city!"

The chubby battalion commander looked at the dark machine gun muzzle at the bridgehead and heard the approaching sounds of pursuers behind him. He had no choice but to order his soldiers to put down their already few weapons and assemble in the open space.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wang Jinning ordered his soldiers to remove the roadblocks, ran up to the 1st Battalion of the 57th Regiment, and pretended to say:

"I was unaware of your arrival, esteemed officers. I apologize for any offense I may have caused. I will send someone to guide you into the city!"

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the 57th Regiment, without a moment to speak, marched in neat formation, quickening their pace towards the city gate.

The chubby battalion commander, who was arranging his men to line up, saw the soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the 57th Regiment crossing the bridge and entering the city directly. He shouted anxiously:

"Hey you guys! Come and gather here!"

It's no wonder he didn't recognize the Red Army soldiers they'd been running with all the way; the dust and smoke had made them all look like ghosts, each one a mess. Luo Jinsheng impatiently walked over, slapped him hard across the face, and scolded:

"What are you shouting for? Shout again and I'll shoot you on the spot!"

The 3rd Battalion of the 57th Regiment, which was closely following the Zhejiang Army, also arrived at this time. Led by scouts from the reconnaissance battalion who had entered the city ahead of time, they rushed straight into Taizhou without stopping. The enemy, who were standing aside, then realized that the Red Army had already ambushed them in the city. The fat battalion commander stopped grumbling and, knowing that he still couldn't escape, sat down on the ground in dejection.

When Ma Yun, the platoon leader of the security regiment, saw the Red Army charging towards them, his face lit up with excitement. He approached Battalion Commander Luo and asked:

"Sir, are you really the Red Army?"

Luo Jinsheng nodded and said proudly:

"Yes, we are the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army!"

"Can I join you? My family isn't landlords."

Jack Ma asked tentatively.

Luo Jinsheng took a step back, scrutinizing the other person with a stern gaze, unsure of Ma Yun's intentions, and muttered to himself:

"Does he genuinely want to join the Red Army, or is there some ulterior motive?"

"Sir, I really want to join the Red Army!"

Jack Ma hurriedly said:

"I originally wanted to join the Red Army at the beginning of the month, but then I heard that you were defeated and had to retreat."

Why did you join the Red Army?

Sun Daniu chimed in:

"Sir, Platoon Leader Ma was forced into this situation. If he doesn't leave, our regimental commander will drive him to the brink of ruin and death!"

"If you sincerely want to join the Red Army, we welcome you, but..."

Luo Jinsheng pondered for a moment before speaking.

"I truly mean it!"

Jack Ma hurriedly assured him:

"I can show you the way, and I can also help you persuade the security forces you know to put down their guns!"

Luo Jinsheng laughed when he heard this. He hadn't expected to encounter such a good thing. He decided to give it a try, regardless of whether it was true or not, since the Red Army hadn't suffered any losses.

Seeing the other party nod in agreement, Jack Ma clenched his fists tightly to calm his surging emotions, then turned to his row of subordinates and said:

"Brothers, I'm joining the Red Army! Anyone who wants to come with me, step forward!"

Sun Daniu and his companion were the first to stand up, saying:

"I can't live like this anymore, Platoon Leader, I'll go with you!"

Then a dozen or so soldiers came out intermittently, and the rest said embarrassedly:

"Platoon leader, it's not that we don't want to join the Red Army with you, it's just that our families are all local and we'd be a burden!"

"Joining our Red Army is voluntary, and you don't have to join, but you must not do anything immoral in the future!"

Battalion Commander Luo explained.

"sure!"

The prisoners of the security regiment nodded in agreement.

With the propaganda of local figures like Jack Ma, some security guards who were initially firing their guns laid down their weapons and stopped resisting after hearing the guarantee that they would not be killed if they surrendered.

Jack Ma also led a large group of people to shout in unison along the street:

"The Red Army has stormed into the city! They have plenty of machine guns and artillery! Brothers, run!"

Unable to ascertain the enemy's strength, their morale plummeted. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, some abandoned their weapons and fled into civilian houses to hide, while others ran around aimlessly. The bolder ones, seeing the chaos in the city, took advantage of the situation to rush into roadside shops and began burning, killing, and looting. It wasn't until the Red Army imposed martial law on the entire city that they were either killed or captured alive, and only then did order return to the city.

Around noon, the follow-up troops of the 19th Red Army Division arrived in Taizhou Prefecture. The officers and soldiers who went out of the city to greet the division commanders discovered that Division Commander Xu Wenqing was personally driving the first car in the long convoy, waving to the soldiers on the roadside as he drove.

Luo Jinsheng, holding Xu Wenqing who had just jumped out of the car, kept asking:

"Commander, how do you know how to drive a car?"

"Nothing is impossible to a willing mind!"

Xu Wenqing was extremely pleased with himself, his face beaming with joy:

"Your reconnaissance company needs to learn to drive; it will be very useful in completing your mission!"

"But we're uneducated, so we can't learn easily, can we?"

Luo Jinsheng was eager to try, but worried that he wouldn't be able to learn it.

Xu Wenqing curled his lip in disdain:

"What's so hard about learning to drive a beat-up car? This afternoon, we'll have those captured drivers teach you, or we won't let them go!"

After Luo Jinsheng left excitedly, Xu Wenqing instructed the head of the logistics department to seize the time to collect all kinds of enemy supplies, and the 58th Regiment, also known as the Special Service Regiment, continued to capture officials of the White Party government and confiscate their valuables.

As the division headquarters and directly subordinate organs successively entered the Taizhou government compound, which was temporarily serving as the division headquarters, the 19th Red Army Division immediately convened an emergency meeting of its Party Committee. The meeting decided to rest for two days in Lingling, send a reconnaissance battalion to Linhai County to scout out the enemy situation and prepare for the next move of the troops; recruit a group of outstanding cadres and soldiers to join the Party and strengthen the Party organizations of the grassroots companies; during their stay in Taizhou, they planned to carry out revolutionary propaganda in various ways, such as slogans, leaflets, and songs, to awaken the revolutionary consciousness of the masses; send political workers to visit the poor and needy, and publicly try landlords, officials, local tyrants and evil gentry who were extremely indignant to the people; and launch a struggle to overthrow local tyrants and redistribute their wealth.