Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

"Gudong gudong Zhang Zihua is really tired.

Because I ran here non-stop.

"Section Chief Zhang, what exactly happened?"

"I am now establishing a base in the Sanggong area, but the situation in the Sanggong area is very bad right now."

Zhang Zihua is now asking for help.

Therefore, he did not hide the situation in Sanggong area at all and gave Wei Hongjun a detailed introduction to the current tense situation. Zhang Zihua was very worried that if he returned too late, the situation there would get out of control.

After hearing Zhang Zihua's words, Wei Hongjun looked serious.

Wei Hongjun hadn't expected such a thing to happen in the Sanggong area. Although the independent detachment wanted to expand northward, it was not familiar with the situation in Huailai. This was because the independent detachment's intelligence department had not yet extended to Huailai.

Now, after listening to Zhang Zihua's words, Wei Hongjun realized that the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee were much faster than the Independent Detachment.

People have already been sent to develop the Huailai Anti-Japanese Base.

Wei Hongjun spread out a map and immediately began studying the terrain. After a long pause, he said, "I'll lead my troops on a forced march now. We should be able to reach the destination in a day and a night. Can you tell me how many men Dong Baji has?"

"Seven hundred men and four light machine guns. This is an armed force supported by local landlords, so they're not short of money. Their weapons and equipment are quite good."

"Four light machine guns?"

"Correct."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

The weapons and equipment are really good. For a village association that is just a local village protection team, it actually has four light machine guns, which is really impressive.

"Are they all Dong Baji's people?"

"Not entirely. Dong Baji's village association is very complex. It's made up of village associations from over fifty surrounding villages, nearly sixty in total. Dong Baji's initial troops were funded by thirty or so rural landlords, numbering around three hundred people. But many of the village associations that joined later were formed by those villages to resist bandits, and they were essentially peasant self-defense forces. This group accounted for around four hundred people, for a total of around eight hundred. Of course, the local armed forces weren't the only ones involved; bandits were also numerous, with various bandit armed forces numbering two to three thousand. It's just that the bandits were poorly armed, so they didn't dare to provoke Dong Baji's village association."

“What’s the mass base like there?”

"So-so. They live in the frontier all year round and don't attach much importance to the country and the nation, nor do they really recognize these things. We have never had any party organization active in this area, so the Eighth Route Army has very little influence. However, because the local people live in the frontier, there are wars all year round and bandits are everywhere. As a result, the local people are tough and have a strong martial spirit. Those rural village associations are all organized by the local people themselves. They used to dare to fight against the bandits with swords and spears, and they were not at all inferior. If the local people were not so tough, they would not be able to survive in this place full of bandits. They are very suitable for joining the army and fighting. The local young and middle-aged people are a very good source of soldiers. If we can educate and organize them well, there will be no problem in expanding the army here."

"You're just too cautious."

Wei Hongjun already had a general understanding of the local situation.

The local landlords were quite powerful, and their location in the frontier region did not impoverish them. On the contrary, their location in the frontier region allowed them to act with impunity and amass considerable wealth. They not only held vast tracts of land, but also engaged in various businesses.

They sold goods from the Central Plains to the grassland tribes, and bought cattle, horses, sheep and various animal furs from the grassland tribes and sold them to the Central Plains cities.

Moreover, they cooperate with local garrisons when doing business.

Therefore the income is high.

So don't underestimate the landlords in Chahar area, they are all rich.

However, it was precisely because of this that the landlords in the Chahar region were strong. However, in a frontier region with strong power and no moral laws to restrain them, the landlords became even more unscrupulous. How could it be possible to develop a base in such a place by recruiting the landlords' armed forces?

How could those landlords, used to running rampant, accept the strict discipline of the Eighth Route Army? The Eighth Route Army's current discipline was so strict it bordered on the ascetic model. How could those landlords accept this?

The Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee's working group placed all their hopes on an armed force like Dong Baji's. How could nothing go wrong?

Wei Hongjun stood up and said, "Come here."

"political commissar."

"Notify all officers above the company level in the Third Battalion to come to me. Send someone to the Special Service Battalion as fast as possible to pass on my order. Have the Special Service Battalion gather with the troops in the Zhuolu area in the north and then move towards Sanggong. I'll give them a day and a half; the troops must catch up."

"Yes."

"And wait for me to write a letter and send it to the commander as quickly as possible.

"Yes."

this is a good chance.

Wei Hongjun has been thinking about how to establish a base in the Chahar area and how to let the independent detachment develop northward.

Although the special forces battalion had opened up a number of rural bases in the north, their scale was still limited. Compared to the Sanggong area that Zhang Zihua mentioned today, it was really too small.

The Sanggong area is large and has a large population.

Village association? Bandits?

Just resolve it as soon as possible. Are we still waiting for these people to become traitors?

As for the fact that the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee had already sent many working groups to this area, Wei Hongjun didn't care. On the contrary, as long as he led his troops to establish a base here, the organizational affiliation of these people might be transferred to the Independent Detachment.

There are a lot of outstanding talents there.

Zhang Zihua, for example, was a regimental-level cadre during the Red Army era. After the July 7 Incident, when the army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army, he initially served as deputy chief of the propaganda department of the independent regiment and is now the head of the organization department of the political department of the Pingxi Detachment. He is a highly versatile cadre, capable of fighting, propaganda, organization, and establishing bases.

At present, there are many cadres in Sanggong area whose qualifications, ranks and abilities are similar to those of Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun.

If they were all recruited, the cadre reserve of the independent detachment would be immediately enriched.

"Chief Zhang, don't worry. I'll lead the troops over right away and we'll disarm Dong Baji."

"Red Army, thank you, thank you so much."

"I'm really angry when you say that. What kind of friendship do we have? Besides, we're both members of the Eighth Route Army. How can I just stand by and do nothing at this moment?"

Soon, all the company-level officers and above from the third battalion came to the meeting room.

Wei Hongjun looked at the cadres of the Third Battalion and said, "The person next to me is Comrade Zhang Zihua, head of the Organization Section of the Political Department of the Pingxi Detachment. He was formerly a cadre of our Independent Division. They are currently establishing a base in the Sanggong area. However, they have recently been in conflict with the local Lianzhuang Association. The Lianzhuang Association is the armed force of local landlords, and they may attack the cadres sent by the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee at any time. So I will lead you to the Sanggong area to disarm this armed force. They have 700 men and four light machine guns. They have been fighting against local bandits for years and are not a mob."

Wei Hongjun drew a circle in the Sanggong area.

Then he said, "The detachment stationed your Third Battalion in Beiling Village with the intention of allowing you to establish a base in the north. Previously, the detachment hadn't decided on a suitable location, but now that Section Chief Zhang is here, I think the Sanggong area is a great fit for your Third Battalion's operations. Now go back, reorganize the troops, and follow me north."

"Yes."

When the Third Battalion went to prepare, Zhang Zihua said to Wei Hongjun: "Red Army, the Sanggong area is an anti-Japanese base area established by the Pingxi Detachment and the Xuanzhuohuai County Working Committee.

"My dear Chief Zhang, the Pingxi Detachment is currently overwhelmed with tasks, so how can we send troops to establish a base here? Establishing a base in a place with such a poor mass base is impossible without the protection of troops. The order given to our independent detachment by the military district and the First Division is to establish a base in Chanan. Tell me, does this place belong to Chanan? As for what you said, leave it to the independent division leadership and the Pingxi Detachment to resolve."

Chapter 107: Marching into the Sanggong Region

Counting above the third battalion of the independent detachment is the county brigade composed of the Songjiazhuang village protection team and the village protection teams of the surrounding rural areas.

When the County Brigade was established, its weapons and equipment were decent. However, due to its origins as a village protection unit, its combat effectiveness was relatively poor, and it was a motley crew. However, after its establishment, the brigade participated in the Yexionggou ambush and the Weicun blocking battle, gradually becoming a major battalion from a scattered group. After the Weicun blocking battle, the Third Battalion suffered heavy losses and received a large number of new recruits.

But compared to the early years, the combat effectiveness has actually improved a lot.

Some people were frightened in the brutal Weicun blocking battle, but many people were also tempered in that battle.

After Wei Hongjun issued the order, the 520-man Third Battalion assembled. Then, Wei Hongjun led the Third Battalion and followed Zhang Zihua toward the Sanggong area. As for Beiling Village, Wang Qiuyun and the others would make their own arrangements.

The problem was communication issues. If communication were easier, Wei Hongjun should have discussed this matter with Wang Qiuyun and the members of the detachment's Party branch. But communication was so poor that a round trip would take hours.

But every minute and every second in Sanggong area is very important.

If I hesitate here for a minute, the Eighth Route Army cadres and local party committee cadres in Sanggong area will be in greater danger.

Besides, this opportunity to advance into the Sanggong area is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will never come back.

So Wei Hongjun simply wrote a letter to Wang Qiuyun, informing him of what had happened. He asked him to come quickly and take charge of Beilingzhuang, while he himself led the troops north. Thanks to Zhang Zihua, the troops did not take a detour. Originally, the troops could have entered Gongshanbao first, but after Zhang Zihua entered the Sanggong area, he received the following news: Dong Baji had led the troops to Sangshanbao. Therefore, the troops bypassed Gongshanbao and headed straight for Sangshanbao.

After a day and night of rushing, they arrived at Sangshan Fort.

"Bang one

"Bang bang—"

When Wei Hongjun led his troops to Sangshan Fort, gunfire rang out.

Zhang Zihua immediately said, "Not good! Dong Baji is besieging the Gongshan National Salvation Association."

Wei Hongjun was also angry.

Damn Dong Baji, how dare you rebel? Even if you were to rebel, couldn't you have done it a day later? Why did you rebel now? If the National Salvation Association cadres were harmed, Wei Hongjun would definitely cut him into pieces.

The cadres of the National Salvation Association are all well-tested cadres of the Eighth Route Army.

The loss of any one of them is a loss for the Eighth Route Army.

So Wei Hongjun immediately called out, "Yu Ping."

"political commissar."

"Did you hear the gunshots?"

"heard it."

"I know the troops are exhausted after a day and night of marching, but time is of the essence. The National Salvation Association cadres are waiting for our rescue. Listen to my orders. Split the troops in two. One part will block the intersection, and the other will attack the rebellious Dong Baji's troops. We must not let them escape, understand?"

"Yes."

Yu Ping saluted.

Then he shouted, "First Company, Second Company, come with me to attack Dong Baji's troops."

"Yes."

"Company Three, block the intersection and don't allow anyone to escape."

"Yes."

Wei Hongjun and Zhang Zihua followed the first and second companies.

Soon we arrived at the location of the gunshots.

Zhang Zihua pointed to a large courtyard and said, "That's where the Sangshan National Salvation Association is located. The cadres there are mainly local cadres sent to the Sanggong area by the Pingxi Prefectural Committee. The troops attacking now are Dong Baji's troops."

Wei Hongjun observed it for a while.

It was discovered that Dong Baji had led approximately 200 men to attack the Sangshan National Salvation Association. The Sangshan National Salvation Association had been resisting, and according to Zhang Zihua, there were probably over 20 members of the association inside. However, their weapons were poor, as the sound of the gunfire indicated. They only had six or seven rifles and five or six pistols. With such limited equipment, how could they possibly fight against Dong Baji's 200-man force? Currently, they were being pinned down by Dong Baji's forces.

It won't take long before Dong Baji will take over this place.

"Yu Ping, how are the preparations going?"

"Commissar, the light machine guns have been set up."

"Alright. The people here are tough and they can't be treated as an ordinary mob. Beat them hard in the first round so they dare not resist. Don't worry about ammunition. After dealing with Dong Baji's village association, they have plenty of ammunition."

"Yes."

It is now almost certain that Dong Baji will be able to besiege the Sangshan National Salvation Association.

So he was very proud.