Canteen System Assistance Notes

Located north of the border region and south of the Suiyuan section of the Yellow River, this vast region, covering over 8700 square kilometers, is a blend of loess, Gobi desert, and oasis. Climatically, this region exceeds the "nomadic-agricultural boundary" between rainfall levels of 4-60 mm and above, and has historically been primarily populated by herders who sought shelter in the water and pasture. Throughout Chinese history, some powerful feudal dynasties attempted to promote agricultural settlements here, but, except for occasional periods of humid climate, these efforts were generally unsuccessful.

So, King Shakdurjav wasn't kidding. In the vast expanse of the Yili League, there simply weren't 300,000 hectares of land capable of consistently producing grain. Even a professional scraper like Chen Jieshan, skilled at digging deep underground, would struggle to produce food in this materialistic world.

But what does Chen Jieshan care about?

To recruit soldiers, the first thing you need is money and food, followed by guns. In old China, when these three conditions were lacking, food naturally took priority. Conversely, without food, there was no need to even think about conscription. Without soldiers, how could Chiang Kai-shek rebuild an "anti-communist encirclement" in the northern border areas and complete his great cause of suppressing the Communists?

Without troops, how could Fu Yisheng fill the gap left by the Nationalist forces in the Yili League after the February Incident, extend his control south of the Yellow River, and gain more leverage in negotiations with the Eighth Route Army? Without troops, how could Chen Jieshan and He Jizhou stage a comeback, regain control of the military, and act in a manner befitting their status as warlords?

It is absolutely impossible for them to betray their own class - as for the people of the Yi League, it is just a sprinkle of water, a drizzle.

"An order? An official document? Mr. Shah, this is an order!"

As soon as the translator finished his retelling, Chen Jieshan burst into laughter. As soon as he finished speaking, the band of rogue soldiers he had brought in cocked their rifles, churning bullets into their chambers. Several of them pointed their guns at the Shah and his guards, while others kicked over benches, smashed vases, and shouted loudly around corners, shoving and shoving to encourage these plague soldiers. They were clearly well versed in the art of extortion and protection rackets.

"Sir, this is the official document!"

Chen Jieshan repeated his words, emphasizing them. He was intoxicated by this moment of controlling the fate of others, as if the world's center of gravity now belonged to him, and everything was at his mercy. "I'm back, I'm back. The feeling of being in Shanxi Province is back." He took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, and stared at the King of Sand in his armchair, waiting for his response.

"This matter concerns the survival of tens of thousands of people in the Islamic League."

Who would have thought that the King of Sand was not frightened at all. Instead, his tone became much calmer when he said this. "Commander Chen has guns and cannons, and a large army at his disposal. Why don't you do it yourself and requisition the land?" Ha! This old sly fellow.

"To handle matters in the Yi League, it would be better if you, Leader Sha, were to come forward."

Chen Jieshan was confident that he was ruthless in killing people, but the old man in front of him really saw through something. He didn't have enough men, only a borrowed division.

There was also a regiment of deserted soldiers from the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, who were also unfamiliar with the local environment.

Familiar enough. If one wants to requisition land for settlement and food production, it is indeed most convenient to have the assistance of local forces.

He pulled out his pistol and knocked twice on the table with the muzzle of the gun:

"Chairman Sha, let's talk things over. None of my soldiers can read. What if one of them accidentally hurts you? Even if you're not hurt, your son and your family will be in big trouble!"

"Although I'm the leader of the alliance, my opinion doesn't count," the King of Sand continued, his tone calm and composed. "Commander Chen needs a vast area of ​​land, and it involves many matters. The Yi League has many regions, all under the jurisdiction of temples and banner kings. I can't make the final decision on this matter. We need to convene a meeting of the banner chiefs to discuss and decide."

"Then I don't care, Leader Sha, I will reply in seven days."

Seeing that no result could be obtained today, Chen Jieshan could only threaten him and waved his hand, "Go!" A group of humanoid creatures filed out.

"Sir, are we calling it a day today?"

As soon as they walked out of the Tsar's Mansion on Zasak Banner's New Street, the veteran soldier beside Chen Jieshan asked impatiently, "That old man is so nagging, I think his family is quite wealthy..."

"What's the matter? Do you still want to take action today?" Chen Jieshan glanced at them. This group of old Jin soldiers were basically sent over by Fu Yisheng. They were the heads that Fu's army didn't want.

"Without that old man, how much more trouble would we have to go through? You go to Yimeng

Running around catching people?"

"Oh...oh! Sir, you are wise! Sir, you are thoughtful!" "Well, why are you flattering me?"

Chen Jieshan nodded and raised his chin. He instructed, "This old man Taiji will want to hold a meeting with the Banner King later. You must prepare well."

"Okay! No problem!" the veteran soldier agreed immediately. "Sir, what should we prepare?"

"Of course we have to stop this group of banner kings! Ask them if they want to be treated respectably. If they want to be treated respectably, then it's no problem. If they don't want to be treated respectably..." Chen Jieshan chuckled, "Let's treat them respectably." "Ah, then the Eighth Route Army in the south..."

"Don't worry about the Eighth Route Army! We're over 300 miles from here to the Eighth Route Army's border area, and over 500 miles of Gobi Desert away from the nearest Eighth Route Army! By the time they get the news and come over, we'll have already finished! Not to mention, Commander Fu is planning to send the New Third Division to support us. The Eighth Route Army might dare attack us, but they wouldn't dare attack Fu Yisheng's troops!"

Chen Jieshan is full of confidence.

But the "slippery old man" he mentioned was indeed slippery enough. After watching Chen Jieshan and his group walk away, he immediately called his son Eqierhu Yaktu

"Eqierhu Yaktu, take this to Wushi Banner. Let Bazar Buren take you!" The Shah produced a small knife and a piece of paper. He scribbled a simple message on the paper and stamped it with his personal seal. "Go to the Transportation Trading Company! Have them take you to Mr. Cao Kaicheng of the Wushi Working Committee!"

Chapter 387: Expedition? No, Exercise

Since Shah Shakdurjab's son, Eqierhu Yaktu, escaped from Zasak Banner and rode all the way to the Eighth Route Army's transportation and trading company, where he found Cao Kaicheng of the Wushi Working Committee, more details of the Yili League Incident became known to the central government. Chen Jieshan, the newly appointed Commander of the Ning Province Supply District and Chief Security Commander of the Yili League, had coerced the Shah, forcibly expropriated land, engaged in indiscriminate settlement, and detained several banner leaders, using this as a coercive measure to force their cooperation. This was truly infuriating. The Shah brought a personal letter requesting the Eighth Route Army's assistance in resolving the Yili League Incident peacefully.

The obstacle was exactly what Chen Jieshan had anticipated. His small force could easily defeat the Ili League security forces, which had only 400 guns. But facing the Eighth Route Army, even with Fu Zuoyi's support troops, was a pipe dream. However, the Gobi Desert, stretching over 150 kilometers around the Ili League, was a natural barrier that could not be faked.

In winter, the road north of Yulin to Dongsheng was practically a restricted area for traditional armies. A strong wind would whip up dust so thick it obscured the sun; if snow fell, it would become a deadly white-hair gale. Furthermore, aside from a few post stations and road crews, there were no villages or human settlements to support a large army's march.

If they wanted to march, they had to wait until spring, when the weather warmed and everything revived. But even then, the Mongol cavalry couldn't cross the desert to attack Xixia. Instead, they chose to attack from the Helan Mountain foothills, where conditions were better.

Thus, the entire plan formed a complete loop in Chen Jieshan's mind: if the Yi League refused to resist, he could seize land and impose forced labor; if the Yi League resisted, not only would they be defeated, but he could also label them "communist rebels" and allow them to plunder, just as he had done in another historical episode. Meanwhile, the Eighth Route Army could be stopped by the freezing cold, uninhabited, and hundreds of kilometers of Gobi Desert. By the time the Eighth Route Army could march across this restricted area, the masses who dared to resist would have been slain, and the officials who opposed the tyranny would have largely surrendered. Their plan of "anti-communism and extermination of the Mongols" would have been set in stone and difficult to change.

On the other hand, as long as our army can quickly break through this natural barrier, the military strength under Chen Jieshan will be completely insignificant and will be completely unable to stop our attack.

The heavy responsibility of crossing the restricted area for marching and instigating long-distance raids fell on the newly born mobile corps.

What does such an unconventional long-distance march entail?

The Red Army needed clear and scientific strategic guidance, flexible and maneuverable tactical thinking, and a daring fighting style to break through the encirclement and blockade of Chiang Kai-shek and the warlords. It also required meticulous and patient mass work, the "Three Majors and Eight Points" of military discipline, and meticulous logistical planning to win the support and love of the people. Ultimately, with unbreakable will and determination, they overcame unimaginable material scarcity and achieved a miracle in human light infantry long-distance marches.

For a force that has achieved full motorization, there is even more to consider.

"Where are we now?"

"Just past the Gokuusu gas station, ten miles away... 5.7 kilometers." The driver, behind the wheel, glanced at the odometer and replied. "Let me see."

Captain An Guo looked down at the atlas on his lap, found the "Field Refueling Point" marked with a ballpoint pen, and then used a ruler to quickly measure and determine his current position. "It's still about 90 miles to our scheduled campsite tonight. We should be able to arrive on time."

"Well, just don't cause any problems."

Captain An Guojiang sat in the truck, listening to the rustling sound of the tires rolling on the ground. This sound sounded very similar to the clattering footsteps of the troops on a forced march, and it was also very hypnotic.

He took out an oil-paper package from under his seat. The fragrant, greasy and salty aroma inside was baked by the residual heat of the engine and was still warm to the touch. This was prepared and brought to him by the villagers nearby when the troops passed through "Yi Da Ke" this morning. They arrived here before dawn, cooked inside and outside a shabby house, and packed and distributed the food, and served breakfast to the whole regiment.

This "oil-sugar mixture" of oil, salt, and starch, while a calorie bomb for weight gain in later generations, was a precious and dignified delicacy at this time, a hunger-suppressing delicacy. An Guojiang stuffed the still-warm fragrant oil into his mouth, savoring the satisfying taste of fat and carbohydrates to dispel the nascent hunger.

That day, they had already traveled 120 kilometers, a speed unimaginable for fully equipped infantry.

"Not now, Captain, you eat first. I'll just eat more for dinner later..."

The wheels spun, and General An Guo looked ahead. A thin layer of snow still clung to the unchanging Gobi Desert, providing a little stimulation to his nearly fatigued visual nerves. "J210 calling, J211, J212, J213, J214, reporting on the march."

Not long after, the portable radio in Captain An's vehicle began to beep. J1210 was the regimental headquarters' call sign, while J212 was the call sign for the Second Company of the First Regiment of the Second Training Division. The trucks carrying the entire company were barreling across the arid Gobi Desert. The three infantry platoons and a firepower platoon surrounded the company headquarters' three minivans in the center of their formation, advancing at an economical speed of around 50 kilometers per hour.

This is the speed range that's most economical on gas and tires when traveling on dirt roads, but it doesn't represent the "travel speed" of the entire army. The massive fleet of 360 vehicles includes a variety of trucks, including Wuling minivans for transporting non-combat troops, "Bedefords" for carrying infantry and artillery, "Bulldogs" for towing mountain guns, and even "AEC" tank trailers for pulling tanks. This is a painful lesson learned by the Mobile Corps in numerous exercises: whenever combat conditions permit, long-distance advances by tracked vehicles are best handled by wheeled vehicles. Otherwise, after hundreds of kilometers of tracked advance, the tanks will go on strike.

"J212 calling all vehicles in the company, report the situation." After adjusting the frequency band and calling all vehicles in the company, General An Guo was reminded of the two "expeditions" of the mobile corps.

The first such incident occurred in early 40, when the Mobile Corps marched from Dingbian to Lüliang to support local forces in suppressing an "Imperial Army." The troops, still undergoing reorganization, were motorized. As a result, before they had even completed two-thirds of the 400-kilometer journey, the participating troops had essentially degenerated into partially motorized light infantry. Numerous trucks broke down along the way. Aside from a few light trucks and three-wheeled motorcycles in relatively good condition, the rest were unable to cross the river and participate in the battle.

Another time, after the mobile corps was formed, it launched a large-scale exercise from the Wuda area to Qingtongxia in a random attack mode. During the entire 160-kilometer attack advance, even with the experience of the first operation, it was difficult to teach the second

Still, more than half of the division's tanks, over 30% of its Bren armored vehicles, and about a quarter of its trucks had experienced major or minor breakdowns, many of which required repairs by the rescue teams. After the exercise, the small-scale repair teams spent nearly a month repairing and returning all the vehicles, large and small, to their bases.

The price paid for this high cost was the ability for the mobile corps to travel 150 to 250 kilometers per day, and upon reaching the battlefield, deploy at near-full strength, launching fierce assaults. This unparalleled mobility and offensive power truly captivated everyone, including General An Guo, and became addicted.

"J212 reports, everything is normal. The disabled vehicle has returned to the team, and no vehicles have been left behind."

After confirming the status of each vehicle, General An Guo switched back to the radio and reported the current situation to the regimental headquarters. Almost immediately, communications from other companies began to flow in. For a moment, the radio was filled with a variety of Northeastern dialects, Northwestern dialects, and Shanxi accents, making it extremely lively.

"J213 reports, aside from a water tank leak in one vehicle, there are no abnormalities. Emergency treatment has been carried out on the faulty vehicle, and it can continue to operate for the time being." "J214 reports, one of the artillery ammunition trailer hooks is damaged. The ammunition has been transferred, and the trailer is being used for piggyback transport. There is no impact on the march." "J211 reports, everything is normal, no... Bang! Shit! A car has a flat tire!"

The sudden incident left no time for standard military radio jargon. A Northeastern accent's curse words echoed with the sound of a flat tire. Captain An looked up and saw a cloud of dust erupt from the side of a Bedford truck ahead of him. The real explosion, half a second after the radio burst, struck the minivan's window, producing two loud bangs.

"careful!"

The red brake lights of the following vehicle flashed instantly, and General An Guo felt the seatbelt tighten around his shoulders, dragging him backward with all his might. He could only grip the handlebars tightly, tensing his body to resist the overwhelming force of inertia. "Go!"

The driver in the driver's seat was constantly working, stomping on the brakes and rattling the manual gearshift. Fortunately, based on his experience with long-distance hauling on the Northwest Passage, the square-headed Bedford didn't steer blindly. It zigzagged like a drunk, its right rear wheel ripped into strips of rubber, and followed the convoy for a while before swaying out of the convoy and pulling to the side of the road, without disrupting the convoy's progress.

"J211 reporting! One of the right rear tires on our Fire Platoon's No. 4 transport truck has burst! No casualties!"

Thus, along the ancient packhorse trail from Wuda, through Hangjin Banner, and all the way to Ejin Horo Banner, a massive convoy of over 360 vehicles raced along. The convoy raised a cloud of dust, resembling a giant dragon sculpted by the wind and sand. Despite its imposing advance, the convoy's condition was less than perfect. From time to time, some vehicles in the convoy would experience various breakdowns, requiring them to stop for maintenance, return for repairs after evacuating personnel and supplies, or simply break down, awaiting assistance from the repair team.

However, they finally set out from their base in one day, carefully followed the wartime posture, and motorized for 200 kilometers, crossing the Gobi Desert, which was regarded as an insurmountable barrier by the National Army, and arrived at the front line of the National Army's station, the "Taolimin" area.

As the sun set, the Second Training Division of the Eighth Route Army's Mobile Corps, with its back to the sun, deployed its battle formation. Artillerymen set up their positions, while infantrymen coordinated with armored vehicles that had been unloaded from their carriers, preparing to launch an offensive once the enemy's position became clear, aiming to annihilate the portion of the Nationalist Army's New 26th Division entrenched there.

However, things did not go as planned and their wishes were soon dashed.

The division reconnaissance company at the front of the team sent back intelligence that there were indeed many national troops around Tao Limin, but they were not the newly formed 26th Division that was defending here, but the new 3rd Division of Fu Yisheng's army that was sent for "support".

The Kuomintang troops showed no hostility towards the Division Reconnaissance Company, but instead waved their flags and beckoned them over. Upon seeing the soldiers of the Division Reconnaissance Company and confirming their identities, the New Third Division proudly told the Mobile Corps: "Comrades! You're late!"

I'm late. Why am I late?

Chen Jieshan and He Jizhou were already captured by our Division Commander Bai Jinlan and Commander Chen Yunzhang! They detained the Banner King, suppressed the people, looted livestock, and even called on us to help them fight the Communists and exterminate the Mongols. They have committed the heinous crime of rebellion! Our New Third Division has arrived to uphold justice and disarm them all!

Chapter 388: The New Four Anti-Stubborn Campaign is in Progress

(This chapter is omitted)

Chen Jieshan and He Jizhou, who were full of bold words and high spirits, were kidnapped by the New 3rd Division sent by Fu Yisheng to support them, and their troops were also disarmed. After all, this unit was a unit of our army disguised as a national army unit. Although its number was small, its combat effectiveness was very high, and many of its members had developed relations with our party organizations, which was very similar to the 38 episodes in southern Shanxi. Afterwards, the King of Changsha of the Yi League returned to his post, abolished the rebellious order of settlement and reclamation, and pushed the Yi League incident to a peaceful resolution. The tragedy in history where the entire Yi League was massacred by the two divisions of Chen and He, with more than 10,000 people killed, did not happen.

Afterwards, Chen Jieshan and He Jizhou were publicly tried and sentenced by the Eighth Route Army. Because they hadn't yet committed their crimes, they were sentenced to forced labor and imprisonment. This time, these two war criminals, now serving their second terms, no longer had accommodations like the Xijing Guesthouse; they were instead confined to Chang'an Prison.

According to insiders, the latter was in a depressed mood and did not say a word, while the former was very excited and shouted "Fu Yisheng, you are cheating me", "Didn't they say to send people to support us? A group of Communists came" and "I want to live in Gao Guizi's mansion". He also loudly declared that the Eighth Route Army's detention of a local commander was illegal and would be punished.

It's a pity that the main force of the Eighth Route Army, which was hundreds of kilometers away, seemed to have wings and appeared in Ejin Horo Banner, Yili League on the third day. Shancheng Guosu, who had previously acquiesced to Chen Jieshan's trip to Yili League, and Fu Yisheng, who supported his land reclamation, quickly changed their tune and said that they supported the peaceful resolution of the Yili League incident and that the "culprit" should be severely punished.

At this point, the Yili League Incident officially came to an end.

However, if we shift our focus from the border region with a good development momentum to the New Fourth Army in the distance, the situation here may not be as clear as that of the Ikh Ju League.

Here, although fighting against the Japanese invaders and recovering lost territory is the absolute main theme, there are countless complicated relationships mixed in it. It is like a home that has been demolished by a group of huskies, which gives people a headache when they see it.

Historically, compared to the vast base areas of North China, the bases of the New Fourth Army were often scattered and fragmented. They were blocked by enemy and puppet forces along the transportation lines, cut by dense waterways and transportation routes, and mottled by the jagged edges of various armed forces.

In the original time and space, in 1941, the New Fourth Army's Fifth Division, with the best conditions and the strongest military force, faced an enemy force five times its own size, a Nationalist army nearly 20 times its size, and various local independent armed forces of roughly the same size. If all other armed forces were considered enemies, the enemy-to-us ratio would reach a terrifying 1:26. If one were to look at the entire area surrounding the New Fourth Army, this enemy-to-us ratio would be even more terrifying, a level of "hell difficulty."

Among these complex and diverse forces, there were the naturally hostile Japanese invaders; there were the Nationalist troops such as Yu Xiaohou's in southern Shandong, which formed a united front and jointly resisted Japan; there were also the stubborn Nationalist troops such as Han Chuzhen's, which openly resisted Japan but were actually anti-communist; there were local armed forces of the Nationalist government such as Sheng Zijin, which had underground party members of our army stationed there and were willing to fight the war; there was also the "patchwork" Fengxian Anti-Japanese Volunteer Standing Corps, which relied economically on the support of local gentry and politically on the Nationalist government. Its leaders were determined to resist Japan but had the traditional scholar-official idea of ​​"loyalty to the emperor and patriotism", were loyal to Chiang Kai-shek, and at the same time cooperated with our army in operations.

Therefore, when dealing with the diehards, the "slashing with a broadsword, striking with an iron fist" tactics so effective in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and throughout North China were unlikely to be effective against the New Fourth Army in the south and north of the Yangtze River. In this time and space, the situation surrounding the New Fourth Army's various bases remained highly complex, with numerous other intertwined relationships and factors.

The cadres and soldiers of the New Fourth Army had to calm their tempers and exercise patience to discern and untangle this tangled web of relationships, like a ball of yarn. They needed to find ways to penetrate the various forces, balance the demands and interests of each side, unite all that could be united to resolve the principal contradiction of the anti-Japanese war, and concentrate their forces to crush the undeniable reactionaries.

However, compared to the original time and space, the New Fourth Army in this time and space underwent the 1938 "Swords Going South"-style rectification by the Premier, Minister Deng, and Li Zetian. Numerous personnel transfers were made, and many erroneous commands were avoided. Furthermore, with four canteen complexes located in Yingshan, Hubei, Henan, and Anhui, Zishi in northern Jiangsu, Tanggou in Tongling, and Yingshan in Guangshui, its development momentum was quite rapid. This gave the New Fourth Army greater leverage, whether it was uniting the united front or carrying out "physical persuasion" against stubborn puppet troops or even the Japanese army.

They successfully repelled the insidious friction and oppression of Han Chuzhen's troops from the end of 40 to the beginning of 41, which taught them a profound lesson.

They responded to and rescued Sheng Zijin's anti-Japanese armed forces which were ambushed by the reactionaries and saved Mr. Jiang, an underground party member.

They repelled the Japanese army's repeated raids on the bases in northern and central Jiangsu, and successfully opened channels on the Grand Canal and the Pinghan Line to ensure the smooth flow of supplies to the Eighth Route Army in Shandong Province. They even established a small naval force.

Finally, in February 1941, when they received intelligence that Li Changjiang, deputy commander of the Shandong-Jiangsu-Anhui border guerrillas, had abandoned his superior, Li Mingjian, and would soon surrender to Japan in the Taizhou area, reorganizing his 2-strong force into the Wang Puppet regime's First Group Army, many New Fourth Army officers and soldiers felt a sense of jubilation—Ah! Another thoroughly bad guy, someone we could fight with no fear!

"In view of the increasingly fierce fighting between Chiang Kai-shek and the Communists, the anti-Japanese war was doomed to fail, and the result was the sacrifice of the people, who became tools of Chiang Kai-shek and the Communists in their struggle. Therefore, I resolutely left the anti-Japanese camp and joined Chairman Wang's army, dedicating myself to the cause..."

On February 13, 1941, just one hour after Li Changjiang broadcast his stupid surrender telegram, the New Fourth Army's First Division Anti-Rebellion Command read out Chen and Liu's "Order to Suppress the Rebel Li Changjiang", and the First Division Commander Su Zhiyu carried out pre-war mobilization.

Division Commander Su turned on the radio in the conference hall and tuned to the Wang Puppet regime's Nanjing Central Broadcasting Station. The broadcast happened to be broadcasting news about Li Changjiang's troops' "rebellion": "Division Commander Li has returned to the right path, considering the overall situation, and is the first to devote himself to Chairman Wang's cause of peace, anti-communism, and nation-building. This morning, thousands of peace and nation-building flags have been hung in all the villages where Division Commander Li's troops are stationed. The flags flutter in the wind, creating a magnificent sight..."

"Comrades, need I say more?"

Su Zhiyu said in a deep voice, "The enemy themselves have made it clear! The reactionary diehards, no matter how sweet their words are or how well they put on the show, will eventually fall out! ... Li Changjiang is playing both sides, not wanting to anger the people, yet wanting to surrender to Japan and betray the country. This is true self-destruction!"

Chapter 389: Reconnaissance? No, annihilation

(4K5 large chapter)

Jiangyan Town in Tai County, at this time, wasn't yet the Jiangyan District of Hailing City, as it would later become. Instead, it looked more like a large village. Just outside this "village," a group of well-dressed New Fourth Army soldiers were resting near a local's house. "Chen Yongxing! Chen Yongxing!" someone shouted.

Scout Chen Yongxing was lacing up his high-top boots when he heard someone calling him. He looked up. The team leader and a team member approached, one holding a roll of clothes and pants, the other pushing an old-fashioned bicycle. "What the hell?" he said cheerfully. "Those guys are talking now?"

"They should!" the captain said proudly. "The instructor stepped in and couldn't get him out of here—if that little leader wanted to cry out, the instructor would have called a few others to a meeting, deliberately letting them hear."

At this moment, a guerrilla fighter nearby puffed out his cheeks and put on a sinister look: "These prisoners are howling and disobedient, slowing down the team's progress! It's too much trouble to keep them with us, so we might as well shoot them!" He made a gesture with his hand and said, "The Party branch will vote—wow! Those tricksters got screwed, and they were so frightened that they immediately confessed."

"That's great!"

Chen Yongxing's mood improved visibly. He immediately began to take off his gear and holster, threw off the high boots he had just tied on, and changed into the yellow cloth uniform and cloth shoes of the puppet army. To be honest, although the length of this uniform was similar to that of the muscular Chen Yongxing, it was probably because the fabric was too small and it shrank after washing, so he always felt a little restricted when wearing it.

But now, on the battlefield after all, Chen Yongxing could only make do. Soon, a capable scout in three-color fallen leaves camouflage and holding a submachine gun became a puppet army messenger with a box gun and a briefcase on his back.

"Look?"

"You're too stiff! Hunch back a little!" The scout captain patted Chen Yongxing, asked him to bend his back slightly, and handed him the bicycle ridden by the puppet soldier. "The password is Tangtuan-Shaobing. Go alone, be careful, and keep in touch!"

"Hmm." He nodded and put several clips of ammunition into the bag. The orders in the document package had already been removed and copied, and the remaining space was just right for some equipment. Looking at the slightly deflated cowhide bag, which was not yet full, Chen Yongxing thought for a moment.

"Captain, give me another 'stinky feet jar'."

It was under such circumstances that scout Chen Yongxing set out from Jiangyan on his bicycle.

Due to the struggle environment and material resources, the New Fourth Army's process of fielding and regularization was slightly slower than that of the Eighth Route Army in North China, but it also had its own unique characteristics. For example, units such as the 5th and 1st Divisions were able to reform their forces in a manner similar to the Japanese packhorse divisions, forming a division-level field force that used mortars instead of mountain artillery.