xymnovel Chapter 15 has a full squad of 8.
Chapter 15 has a full squad of 8.
"You two continue to keep watch, don't expose yourselves. Also, watch out for any Japanese reinforcements. If they do, go back and report immediately!" Yang Zheng said to Ono and the other two.
Mao Dashuan was injured, so the important task of surveillance and reconnaissance fell to the two of them. Fortunately, Ono was also clever and was able to handle these matters well.
After giving instructions to the two of them, Yang Zheng turned around and went back to Changning Village.
His next task was still very important and he couldn't afford to waste a moment. At the same time, he was thinking that he really needed a few warhorses, at least to make communication much faster.
But a new problem arose: they had horses, but no one in their Eighth Company knew how to ride them; it required skill.
Then we'll see how to recruit Sun Desheng, since Li Yunlong won't have any cavalry for the time being.
With these miscellaneous thoughts swirling in his mind, Yang Zheng and Luo Dashan never stopped walking, practically jogging the whole way.
About three hours later, they finally returned, lightly equipped. The sun was about to set when Chen Xiaoquan and several recruits returned with 25 new recruits.
Upon seeing Yang Zheng, Chen Xiaoquan rushed over and excitedly reported, "Company Commander, we recruited 25 new soldiers today from Lijia Village and Dawangzhuang. If this continues, our Eighth Company will soon be at full strength!"
Yang Zheng smiled mysteriously, but instead of explaining immediately, he said, "Let's go back to camp; there's a surprise."
Luo Dashan and the others who knew the actual situation kept their mouths shut, eager to watch the show unfold.
Chen Xiaoquan was a little puzzled, but it was only right to send the new recruits to the camp, so he immediately called out loudly a few times to let the team catch up.
Soon, this small team of 40 people arrived at the Eighth Company's garrison next to the company headquarters.
Chen Xiaoquan immediately sensed the difference; the number of people seemed to have increased significantly, and many unfamiliar faces appeared.
"Zeng Dahui, gather your men!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Northeast Team One, assemble!!!"
As Zeng Dahui shouted, 35 soldiers from the Northeast Army quickly rushed over from all directions and then lined up in front of Yang Zheng.
"This...this..." Chen Xiaoquan's expression was somewhat blank. He had only been gone for a day, how could he have changed so much?
Northeast Team 1? What's going on??
Countless questions arose in his mind.
Zhao Dahu, who was drawn over by the commotion, looked at Chen Xiaoquan's expression with a smug look on his face.
"Hehe! Confused? These are all soldiers from our Eighth Company, our comrades!"
"Were they sent by the regimental commander to support us?" That was the first thing Chen Xiaoquan thought of.
"Look at them, they're all veterans of the Northeast Army, a total of 36. Do you think our precious regimental commander would send all of these to our Eighth Company at once?" Zhao Dahu patted Chen Xiaoquan on the shoulder and asked smugly.
Chen Xiaoquan was indeed puzzled, but after glancing at the look on Zhao Dahu's face that seemed to be begging for his help, he immediately turned to look at Yang Zheng.
"Company commander, what's this?"
"They are all good men from the Northeast Army, only wanting to fight the Japanese devils. They happened to see our battle the day before yesterday. So they all came here today to fight the Japanese devils with us. From now on, they are our comrades."
Yang Zheng's concise explanation made Chen Xiaoquan suddenly understand. "I see, that's great! With the new recruits I brought in, their Eighth Company is now at full strength, right?"
"That's right," Yang Zheng patted him on the shoulder and then said, "We'll stop recruiting new soldiers for now; we have a mission tomorrow."
Upon hearing Yang Zheng say there was a mission, Chen Xiaoquan and Zhao Dahu both became serious.
"Let's go to the company headquarters and talk. Luo Dashan, Zeng Dahui, you two come along too!"
After giving them some instructions, Yang Zheng immediately led them back to the company headquarters and began making arrangements.
"Tomorrow I plan to put on a show in front of the Japanese, and all the veterans will need to participate. As for the newly recruited soldiers, Zhao Dahu, you stay behind to continue training them, and also oversee the defense of Changning Village!"
Zhao Dahu's face immediately fell. He wanted to refuse, but when he saw Yang Zheng's expression that said, "If you dare to speak, I'll kick you," he gave up and dejectedly agreed.
Then, Luo Dashan eagerly asked, "Company Commander, what exactly should we do?"
"Simple. Just take all the Japanese equipment we've captured these past few days and let's go and show off in front of the Japanese stronghold!" Yang Zheng said with a smile.
Today, there are 69 veterans in the group. Excluding Zhao Dahu and a few veterans who stayed behind to assist him in training, there are still about 60 people.
With 32 Type 38 rifles, 2 light machine guns, and enough ammunition for a small-scale skirmish, Yang Zheng was confident that he could lead these 60 men to a head-on confrontation with a Japanese infantry squad.
Yang Zheng hand-drew a map of the area surrounding the stronghold. Although it was very simple, it was enough for them to get a general idea.
Then, he began to explain his plan to them. This included how to provoke the Japanese soldiers along the perimeter of the stronghold; how to quickly lure the Japanese soldiers to a suitable battlefield and kill them once they were caught off guard; and what to do next if the Japanese soldiers did not fall for his trick.
All the plans are simple and clear, just a general outline, and the specifics will be adjusted according to the actual situation tomorrow.
After hearing Yang Zheng's instructions, Zeng Dahui was the first to laugh. "We definitely came to the right place! Following the Eighth Route Army will surely help us deal with these little devils!"
Luo Dashan patted his ever-present broadsword and said proudly, "Brother, this broadsword of mine already beheaded four Japanese devils the day before yesterday!"
"Brothers, you're incredibly brave! Let's have a contest this time. Is your Northwest Army more powerful, or is our Northeast Army better?"
In his words, Zeng Dahui still showed great affection and pride for the Northeast Army, and he didn't know how the system had managed to do it.
Seeing the two vying for attention, Yang Zheng and Chen Xiaoquan made no attempt to stop them, instead watching with leisurely interest.
This is the military; a competition can be beneficial, and it can actually stimulate the abilities of both sides.
Zhao Dahu looked bitter; he wasn't included this time!
After a short while, Yang Zhengcai stepped forward to interrupt, "Alright, if there's going to be a competition, it's tomorrow. Go back and prepare now!"
"Dahu, I'm leaving you with eight veterans and six rifles. You must guard Changning Village well. If things go wrong, prioritize organizing the villagers to evacuate!"
"Understood, Company Commander, I guarantee I will complete the mission!" Zhao Dahu immediately became serious.
With that, the matter was settled, and the crowd began to disperse.
Chen Xiaoquan went to inspect the weapons and ammunition, while Luo Dashan and Zeng Dahui returned to their respective units, partly to relay the mission and partly to let their soldiers take the time to rest and recharge.
Yang Zheng didn't rush to leave the company headquarters. He walked to the simple hand-drawn map and his gaze fell once again on the black square representing the Japanese stronghold.
His fingers moved slowly along the pre-planned route to lure the enemy and the ambush site, his mind repeatedly rehearsing the various scenarios that might occur tomorrow.