Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Everyone was very positive.

Many people harbored a blood feud with the Japanese and were waiting for someone to lead them in the fight. Now that Zhou Yuanming was willing to take the lead, everyone was naturally willing. Xia Houwen once again had a high opinion of Zhou Yuanming, who had the support of so many people.

Seeing that everyone was supportive, Zhou Yuanming pulled Xia Houwen over and said, "Let me introduce you all. This is the commander of the Eighth Route Army, Commander Xia Houwen of the New Third Regiment of the Eighth Route Army. He came to us this time to unite everyone to fight the Japanese. I have already promised Commander Xia Houwen that our Lianzhuang Association will be merged into the New Third Regiment and will accept Commander Xia Hou's orders. You may not be familiar with Commander Xia Hou, so let me introduce him to you all. The Eighth Route Army unit that captured Kangzhuang some time ago was led by Commander Xia Hou.

"It turned out to be the commander of the Eighth Route Army."

"President Zhou, we all listen to you."

The Eighth Route Army has recently gained great fame in Chahar.

Everyone has heard of it.

Now the commander of the Eighth Route Army has arrived and wants to lead everyone to fight the Japanese devils, and everyone agrees. One reason is that the Eighth Route Army is now in its heyday, and the other is that they trust Zhou Yuanming. Xia Houwen stepped forward and said: "Thank you all for your trust in our Eighth Route Army and in me. Now I will tell you my idea. I plan to set up a new third regiment in Haituo Village, taking advantage of the current shortage of Japanese troops to seize the pseudo police station. Next, we will sweep the pseudo townships and sub-stations in Longguan, execute traitors, and destroy the Hanhao armed forces. In this way, we can seize weapons and ammunition, obtain logistical supplies, and expand our forces. Only when our forces are expanded and have sufficient combat effectiveness, can we fight the Japanese army face to face."

"The fake police station is nothing more than a running dog of the Japanese. It should have been shut down long ago."

"Yes."

Xiahou Wen was very happy with everyone's attitude.

But Xiahou Wen needed to understand the situation of the local village associations. So he said directly: "Everyone, once you gather your troops, we will fight together. I need to know your actual military strength and weaponry."

"Let me start. The village association I have now has 334 members, 186 rifles, 17 pistols, 7 light machine guns, about 12000 rounds of ammunition, and 87 grenades."

Zhou Yuanming was the first to express his position.

After Zhou Yuanming stepped forward, others followed suit. Tong Xiyue from Dongzhuangzi Village stood up and said, "Our village association currently has 89 members, 27 rifles, 3 pistols, and approximately 870 rounds of ammunition."

Li Changji from Caomiaozi Village stood up and said, "Our village association currently has 126 members, 22 rifles, 8 pistols, and approximately 690 rounds of ammunition."

Chen Sheng from Shipankou Village reported: “Our village association consists of 177 people, with 76 rifles, 2 pistols, and about 1900 rounds of ammunition.

Xu Xiufeng from Changzhuangzi Village reported: "Our village association has 121 people, 34 rifles, 5 pistols, and about 1100 rounds of ammunition."

Zhang Quanyou from Donghongzhan Village said: "Our village association has 68 people, 19 rifles, one pistol, and about 1 rounds of ammunition."

Zhang Yuanzheng from Ganzhuangzi Village said: "Our village association has 96 people, 41 rifles, 4 pistols, and about 820 rounds of ammunition.

Jiao Deyi of Yangjia Village said: "Our village association has 117 people, 24 long guns, 3 pistols, and about 760 rounds of ammunition."

Xia Houwen has been recording.

After everyone finished speaking, Xia Houwen summarized, "Based on what everyone just said, I've sorted it out. That means we have a total of 1128 people, 429 rifles, 47 pistols, seven light machine guns, and approximately 18500 rounds of ammunition. I'll also bring a cavalry battalion and an infantry company. That way we'll have over 1500 people. It doesn't matter if we're short on weapons; we can just snatch them from those puppet police and traitors. But an army needs to fight, and it can't be a disorganized mess. Once everyone brings their troops here, we'll need to reorganize them. What do you all think?"

"Captain Xiahou, don't worry. Everyone's village association has already gathered secretly, not far from Haituo Village."

Xiahou Wen admired Zhou Yuanming more and more.

This person is very efficient. Even if he can't become a military officer in the future, he can still be a political officer. Anyway, judging from the current situation, if I want to gain a foothold here and establish a base here, I must make use of Zhou Yuanming.

“Then let’s first look at the troops and weapons, and then form a new third regiment.

Chapter 151 New Third Regiment

Xiahou Wen's work in Haituo Mountain went very smoothly.

Xiahou Wen must have found the right target. Although the working group sent by the Pingxi detachment was unable to begin its work, they had a good grasp of the situation in the area. The information they provided was very accurate.

Zhou Yuanming has been working hard and waiting for an opportunity.

Therefore, after Xia Houwen came here this time, taking advantage of the Eighth Route Army's great victory, Zhou Yuanming was so active in approaching the Eighth Route Army. Zhou Yuanming had been preparing for this for many years.

He used his prestige to contact the leaders of the surrounding village associations and secretly made preparations for war with the Japanese army.

Now that Zhou Yuanming had chosen to join the Eighth Route Army, the other village leaders were eager to join him. Furthermore, the Japanese army had committed many blood debts in the area in order to seize their weapons. Therefore, the enthusiasm for joining the army was very high.

More than a thousand people were gathered in a short period of time.

The first step went very smoothly. With Zhou Yuanming's cooperation, even the formation of the new third regiment was smoothly implemented.

"I hereby declare the official establishment today of the New Third Regiment of the Eighth Column of the First Division of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region of the Eighth Route Army. I will serve concurrently as the regimental commander and political commissar, and Comrade Zhou Yuanming will serve as the deputy regimental commander. I hereby decide that the New Third Regiment will be composed of two infantry battalions, one cavalry battalion, and one pistol company, for a total strength of 1642 men."

Only three days after Xiahou Wen arrived in Haituo Village, the New Third Regiment was established.

It's going very smoothly.

Or it might seem like it was established hastily and crudely. However, when the Eighth Route Army reorganized new units at that time, the beginning was similar. They would first establish the units, then gradually improve the units' situation and enhance their combat effectiveness.

"Comrade Ma Hongyuan."

"arrive."

"You will be the commander of the new 3rd Regiment Cavalry Battalion."

"Yes."

Ma Hongyuan led his own "Dark Horse Team" to join the New Third Regiment.

I've dealt with people from the Lianzhuang Association before, but the relationship was average. Although Ma Hongyuan is Han Chinese, he grew up on the grassland and has a typical grassland character.

Admire the strong.

Ma Hongyuan was unwilling to be a traitor and was unwilling to be a dog for the Japanese.

So he led a group of people to fight against the Japanese. But although he was a rough man, he knew that his people were no match for the Japanese. So he was willing to find a strong person to rely on and join them in fighting the devils.

The Eighth Route Army has become very famous in Chahar recently, so he contacted the Eighth Route Army.

Besides, Xia Houwen was a man that pleased Ma Hongyuan immensely. He was educated, yet he didn't look down on the roughnecks like Ma Hongyuan, and even treated them like brothers. Since he respected him so much, he was willing to work with Xia Houwen.

Sometimes, for grassroots people like Ma Hongyuan, the personal charm of certain Eighth Route Army cadres can make these people choose to follow you.

However, whether he could continue to stay in the Eighth Route Army and continue the revolution would depend on how he received revolutionary education in the Eighth Route Army.

Some people joined the Eighth Route Army but were ultimately unable to continue in it because they were not accustomed to the discipline and hardships within the Eighth Route Army, including the frequent rectification movements within the Eighth Route Army.

So he chose to leave the Eighth Route Army midway, which was a very common situation during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

"I'm Xiahou Wen, also serving as the commander of the First Battalion. Comrade Zhou Yuanming."

"arrive.

"You will also serve as the commander of the second battalion."

"Yes."

"Comrade Qiao Yongda."

"arrive."

"You will be the commander of the pistol company."

"Yes."

Zhou Yuanming supports Xia Houwen's work, and Xia Houwen also attaches great importance to and respects Zhou Yuanming.

Xia Houwen personally commanded a battalion in the New Third Regiment, incorporating a company he had brought with him. This gave him full control of the battalion. The appointment of Zhou Yuanming as deputy regimental commander, concurrently serving as second battalion commander, was a testament to his high regard for him.

Qiao Yongda, the pistol company commander, was the only officer in Zhou Yuanming's village association who had served in the regular army. Qiao Yongda had previously served in the Northwest Army and had spent many years in this area. He had even participated in the Chahar Anti-Japanese Allied Army.

After the troops were disbanded, he came here and joined the Lianzhuang Association. That's why Xiahou Wen appointed him as the company commander of the pistol company.

On July 1938, 7, the New Third Regiment was successfully established.

But Xia Houwen knew that this was only the initial stage of the reorganization. This unit was still a motley crew. It wasn't that the unit was weak in combat, but rather that it was internally a mess.

Although the Eighth Route Army's reputation and Zhou Yuanming's prestige in the area helped hold these troops together, there were numerous factions within the troops, mainly based on different village associations. With so many people from the same village, it was easy for them to form cliques.

The discipline of the Eighth Route Army was not fully implemented.

Moreover, the reason these people were able to gather together was because they all wanted to fight the Japanese. It was only under this banner that they cooperated together. Many of them did not understand the Eighth Route Army, let alone how strict its discipline would be. But Xia Houwen was not in a hurry.

Because you absolutely can't rush the transformation of a unit. If you rush, unpredictable things might happen. Now that we've made such a good start, there's plenty of time to slowly transform this team.

"In a few days, the puppet county magistrate, Li Deguang, will be celebrating his fiftieth birthday. All the traitors in the city, big and small, will be there to celebrate, and even the Japanese army will send representatives. My idea is to use this opportunity to wipe them out, all the traitors, big and small, in Longguan at once. Therefore, during this troop reorganization, I hope to concentrate the weapons. With the First Battalion, the Pistol Company, and the Cavalry Battalion as the main force, we will launch a surprise attack on Longguan County.

"I support the leader's idea."

Zhou Yuanming stood up to support Xia Houwen.

Those who had some opposing ideas immediately fell silent.

Xia Houwen nodded to Zhou Yuanming.

Although they had discussed it before, Xiahou Wen was still very worried.

After all, these guns were the lifeblood of the Lianzhuang Association. At the time, the Japanese army killed many people but failed to force them to surrender their guns. Now that the New Third Regiment had just been established, Xia Houwen wanted to centralize the guns, and there were bound to be people who disagreed.

But things became much easier when Zhou Yuanming came out to support.

Zhou Yuanming's influence in this area was truly immense. This made Xia Houwen even more determined to bring Zhou Yuanming into the Party. As long as Zhou Yuanming was present, any work would be easily carried out.

In fact, Zhou Yuanming was not worried that Xiahou Wen would take advantage of this opportunity to squeeze them out.

Because Xia Houwen was a foreigner who had just arrived and had no roots, the New Third Regiment, apart from the infantry company brought by Xia Houwen and Ma Hongyuan's "Dark Horse Team", was composed entirely of locals.

It is not the case that one can command a new Third Regiment at will by simply establishing one.

Zhou Yuanming could mobilize the troops with just one word. He was considering whether Xiahou Wen's approach would be effective against the Japanese. Xiahou Wen wanted to concentrate his forces to eliminate the traitors, both large and small, in Longguan, and Zhou Yuanming was very supportive.

"My idea is to use this time to send the pistol company into the city and hide there. When the day comes, the pistol company will attack, control one of the city gates, and then let the first battalion in. As for the second battalion, they will bluff at the other two city gates, forcing the traitors and troops in the city to escape through another gate. The cavalry battalion will ambush on the other side and annihilate these traitors on the spot when they escape."

"I agree with Captain Xiahou's plan. As for getting the pistol company into the city, leave it to me.

"Comrade Zhou Yuanming, do you have a solution?"

"Yes. The president of the Chamber of Commerce in Longguan City did business there in his early years, and my father helped him a lot. And in recent years, we've sold him all our local produce, furs, and other things, and I've maintained a close relationship with him. It was because of him that I was able to connect with Li Deguang. I used the excuse of delivering goods to their family to get the pistol company into the city."

"Won't someone check?"

"No. He's not only the president of the Longguan Chamber of Commerce, but his eldest son is also the commander of the Sixth Division of the Puppet Mongolian Cavalry. His family holds a very high status in this area. His youngest son is currently attending the Xing'an Army Officer School."

“Is he Mongolian?”

Xiahou Wen was very surprised.

The commander of the puppet Mongolian Cavalry Division was already a high-ranking official. Furthermore, his youngest son was enrolled in the Xing'an Army Officer School, a military academy established by the Japanese in Xing'an Province. Xing'an Province was one of the nine provinces in Northeast China, encompassing the later Hulunbuir and Xing'an League areas. This school was specifically designed to train officers for the puppet Mongolian army.

"Yes. His ancestors were Mongolian, but they had always been doing business in the frontier areas. By the time they came to this generation, they were no different from us.

"In other words, their family are out-and-out traitors.

No, it should be said that he was raped."

"Yes. Their family has a monopoly on mountain products, furs, and other goods this generation. They even control the supply of food from outside. They exploit the local hunters, causing great public outrage."

"Okay, then it's decided."