1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

Amidst heated discussions about “how Shanhaiguan was lost” and “how did the enemy reach Tongzhou again”, the people of Beiping received a piece of new news:

In order to ensure the smooth progress of the new round of referendum and ensure that it complies with the principles of fairness, justice and openness, the 1st Battalion of the 715th Regiment, 358th Brigade, 129th Division of the Five-Star Eastern Republic Army will be stationed in Peiping at the invitation of Yu Xuezhong, Commander of the Pingjin Weicheng Command, Zhou Dawen, Mayor of Peiping, Wu Peifu, Chairman of the Referendum Management Committee and others.

Huh? (Kitten makes face)

Not to mention, although most people understood that this was Marshal Zhang trying to save face and even put the blame on Yu Xuezhong and others, there were still many people who suddenly "suddenly realized":

So that's how it is. No wonder Shanhaiguan let people in!

I told you, it’s not so easy to take down the most important pass in the world.

Then, voices praising Marshal Zhang's "democracy", "bravery" and "magnanimity" quickly rang out.

How many of these are just idiots who really think so, and how many are just people sent or paid by Marshal Zhang to brag about it? That is a secret that cannot be told.

In short, the huge city of Peking has gained a new force that cannot be ignored and which, once it erupts, will definitely be able to subvert the political situation in North China.

Compared to their previous display of arrogance, the First Battalion, upon entering Beiping, was quite low-key. After entering the city in the evening, they hid in the military police camp and never came out again.

It was as if they were really just here to "monitor the referendum", "maintain fairness" and "protect the election and His Majesty's supporters" and had no other purpose at all.

Even so, almost all forces in Peiping became extremely nervous, and spies from all sides gathered near the gendarmerie camp, staring closely at the movements inside.

On the first day after entering the city, no one went out;

The day after entering the city, no one went out;

On the third day after entering the city, about two hundred people finally left the camp in a mighty procession. However, they did not go to the "reunion point" as many people imagined. Instead, they dispersed and headed straight for the surrounding shops and markets!

This scared all the people nearby.

Although I have heard from newspapers and the public that the military discipline of this "Northeast Army" is far superior to that of their "predecessors", without personal experience, who can guarantee it?

The army, the army, which one doesn't kill, burn, and extort the people!?

Seeing several men in military uniforms approaching him, the owner of a restaurant recalled the memories of the military police and the Northeast Army eating and drinking for free, fighting, gambling, whoring, and even drug use and drug trafficking at his place, and quickly greeted them with a smile on his face:

"Comrades, what would you like to eat?

The appearance of these tall, muscular men who looked like big eaters made the boss mentally prepared to bleed heavily.

For example, he would take a copper coin that was painted or even not painted at all and use it as a silver dollar. After eating and taking the money, he would still ask him for "change" or something.

I hope that this "Northeast Army" will be like the Northeast Army, just taking what they can and not easily killing, robbing, kidnapping or extorting.

"Don't call us 'Soldiers', just call us 'Comrades of the People's Army'. From now on, whenever you meet soldiers of our Republic, you can call them that.

The leading officer politely and courteously corrected the boss's words, taught him a completely unfamiliar new term, and while the boss was still pondering, he got straight to the point:

"Boss, we came here to ask you something.

This unusually polite attitude made the boss, who was almost accustomed to being beaten and bullied, feel a little overwhelmed and even began to panic:

“You..you said?

"How much vegetables and meat does your store buy every day? Where do you get the goods from? We would like to get some information on this.

"This...this...that...this small shop...this small shop is not very strong, the profit is very small, and there is not much goods to import..."

The boss, who was meeting the client for the first time and had no idea where the client came from, didn't dare to reveal such "business secrets" and was evasive and refused to give a clear answer.

The officer slapped his head and realized that he was not in the Northeast.

I've gotten so used to being in the "new army" that I've almost forgotten what the "old army" is.

wind.

"This is what I am asking, boss. Our army has a canteen and needs a lot of fruits, vegetables, pork and mutton every day, but we don't know where to buy them. That's why I am asking you this. I hope you can do me a small favor.

Oh, so that's how it is.

The boss breathed a sigh of relief.

"Uh, Jun Ye"

Seeing the officer raised his eyebrows, the boss quickly changed his words and introduced:

"Comrade People's Army, if it's ordinary vegetables, the shop will send employees to the countryside to buy them every three days. If it's fish, meat, melons and fruits, we usually go to Dongdan Vegetable Market to buy them."

"A large iron shed was built there in the sixth year of the Republic of China. Although it's a bit run-down, it's still cleaner than other places, and they sell a lot of foreign goods."

"Bamboo shoots, vegetarian ham, walnuts, licorice olives, half plums, bamboo shoot beans, shiitake mushrooms, ham, quinces, stir-fried red fruits, paste cakes, candied apricots, candied crabapples... whatever you want, we should have it."

“Is it the same with bulk purchases?

"Yes, there are some that specialize in this business, but they usually only supply a few large stores in Beiping City. If the quantity you want is large enough, they should be willing to do business with you.

"Are you familiar with those people?

"I know a few people. If you want to introduce them, I can help make some connections.

"Oh…thank you."

The officer thought for a moment and asked:

"Shopkeeper, what's your name?

"My surname is Li.

"Oh, Mr. Li, we have a business here, I wonder if you are willing to do it.

Seeing that the visitor didn't seem to have any intention of robbing him, and hearing that there was "business", the boss suddenly became more interested and bolder, and spoke more enthusiastically:

"Comrade of the People's Army, please speak?"

"It's about the purchase of vegetables, fish and meat that we were just talking about. You see, we're new here and aren't familiar with anything. If we approach them rashly, we might get scammed. So, we'd like to find a local, trustworthy person to help us..."

The officer explained the "canteen procurement" matter and emphasized:

"Of course, don't worry, we will increase your purchase price by 50% to 10% as your profit and hard work fee according to your needs.

"!!!

The boss was stunned.

Military canteen procurement!

Although I have never done this kind of business before, as a businessman, I know with a little calculation that if I can feed 2000 people, it will be a huge business!

Not to mention a 50% to 10% increase, even if it's half a percentage or even no profit, it's still enough to make a fortune for the person handling it!

Do you really think that if the profit margin is low, you won’t make money?

Money can only be earned by turning it around!

Did the Northeast Army and the Central Army stationed in Peking have such procurement needs before?

Woolen cloth?

Of course there are.

Although the Northeast Army was in a much more difficult situation after losing its hometown compared to its prosperity in the Northeast, it still had no shortage of basic supplies (Chiang was also worried that harsh treatment of the Northeast Army would lead them to surrender to Japan en masse, so he still gave them military pay).

It is impossible to satisfy the appetites of so many soldiers by just eating and drinking for free and looting. If the situation becomes too chaotic and angers the people, Commander Zhang will lose face. Therefore, purchasing food and fodder is the top priority.

However, it is obvious that such a good business will never fall into the hands of a person without any relatives or friends!

Boss Li was very sure that he only had a cousin from another family who was farming in the countryside in Northeast China, and he definitely did not have any relatives who were high-ranking officials.

So, why him?

It can't be a random choice, right?

Boss Li carefully asked his doubts, but got an answer that made him even more confused:

"Why? There's nothing special. I've observed your shop these past two days. It's clean and tidy, and you even give leftovers to beggars... I think you're a trustworthy and kind person, so I chose you. It all depends on whether you're willing to do this."

"Yes! Of course I do!

Boss Li nodded repeatedly.

The military master has said this much, how dare he not give this face?

Moreover, if the other party really came to do business, if he let such a good opportunity go, his eight generations of ancestors in heaven would not forgive him!

Okay, then, five days later, you send 1000 kilograms of rice, 1000 kilograms of millet, 200 kilograms of pork, 200 kilograms of offal, and 200 kilograms of mutton to our military camp... Let's do the first batch and see how it performs..."

This is the deposit. The balance will be settled on the spot after we complete the inspection. If you become more familiar with the work, we can settle it once a week. What do you think?"

"Do you agree to our terms? Okay, here's the preliminary draft of the contract. A contract is a covenant that governs the obligations between us... Please review it and if you think it's okay, we'll sign it."

"Okay, let's get on with other things. By the way, my last name is Liu Jiu. When you deliver something, just ask for Mr. Liu from the cafeteria..."

Boss Li happily sent the soldiers away and returned to the back room. He quickly notified the waiters to start arranging work. After a moment, he called his wife over:

"Send someone to Harbin to look for my second cousin! Ask him how to get an ID card from Northeast China! Even if he can't get one, ask him if he can open a store there!"

"Boss, this..."

"You'll be right if you listen to me! In my entire life, I've never seen a soldier so polite and fair!"

Shopkeeper Li vowed:

"If they can't take over this world, I will write the word 'Li' upside down!

Similar things are happening everywhere.

Some are buying food, some are buying meat and vegetables, some are buying construction materials, and some are hiring skilled workers...

But without exception, these soldiers were extremely generous and rigorous and fair in their work, leaving an extremely shocking and good impression on everyone who came into contact with them.

If it were some people in Jiangxi, Hubei, Anhui, or Shaanxi, they would certainly not be unfamiliar with this, but from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, where had the common people in Peking seen such an army?

After close observation and even in-depth contact, they realized that the rumors that had been widely circulated in the market were actually true!

Northeast China has truly become a "paradise on earth"!

As a result, the reputation of the 129th Division as the "People's Army" spread like wildfire, and along with it, their "Military Discipline Motto" became widely circulated.

Besides the phrase, which has been reported many times in newspapers and repeated by storytellers, and which is said to have come from the Song Dynasty Yue Fei Army: "We would rather die of cold than demolish houses, and we would rather die of hunger than plunder," there are ten other words:

Speak kindly and act fairly!

Hey!

They really did it!

They are truly our Grandpa Yue’s army!

How strange!

How strange!

Because the troops entering the city almost all spoke northern dialect or even Peking dialect, and coupled with the previous propaganda, people did not regard them as enemies and had no ill feelings at all;

This time, the favorable impression soared, and many people ran to the military camps that they had avoided before to watch the excitement.

Then, things that shocked them beyond comprehension happened one after another.

First, the troops would march around the city every morning without fail, their slogans of "1234" and resounding military songs resounding to the heavens.

The bulging chest muscles and strong abdominal muscles under the tight short sleeves made many young girls blush, many young women's eyes shine, and many young men envy them.

Some knowledgeable people know that this is the treatment only the elite among the elite deserve, and the combat effectiveness of this unit is absolutely amazing.

Do you think that the military can train whenever it wants and that anyone can train?

A few decades ago, during the Qing Dynasty, military drills once a week or even once every two weeks were considered a strong army!

This is not only because of the lax military discipline and the lazy nature of those pigtail soldiers who are unwilling to train, but most importantly, training soldiers costs money!

Without delicious food, how can an army be so effective?

Even if it's just a jog, how can soldiers who don't even have enough to eat have the energy to run?

The question is, how many generals have the money and are willing to feed their subordinates meat?

There are few armies in the world, both ancient and modern, that run drills in the morning, go back for breakfast, and then continue with high-intensity training in the morning like the "People's Army"!

The piles of chickens, ducks, fish and meat transported into the military camp not only demonstrated the financial strength of the Northeast, but also the magnanimity and vigor of the leading generals.

Glancing at those crooked-hatted, squinting-eyed soldiers of the Northeast Army, and then looking at these energetic, muscular, and bright-eyed soldiers before me...

If a fight really breaks out, it will be clear who will win and who will lose.

Secondly, after the morning training, the soldiers did not rest or play in the afternoon, but gathered together to do civil engineering work.

Some people built houses, some worked on training grounds, and some even went outside the camp to clean up garbage and sewers, and repair roads and toilets!