Chapter 4: Leading Troops through Deception
"Where is your hometown, Brother Wang?" Luo Yaoguo asked with a smile, pulling Wang Bao's arm.
Luo Yaoguo's supplementary battalion was stationed at Shazhouba, west of Ruijin County. On August 1, 1922, Luo Yaoguo officially assumed the position of battalion commander, and the official document promoting Wang Bao to the position of deputy battalion commander was reluctantly approved by Huang Dawei. Thus, both brothers took office on the same day, dressed in brand new officer uniforms
What a formidable man! It seems he is the biggest troublemaker among this group; I must first deal with him, and then the troops will be easier to manage. Luo Yaoguo pondered this in his heart and found a way forward. Although Luo Yaoguo was an air force officer in his previous life, he came from a military family and was aware of many of the bad habits associated with commanding troops. If you are not the biggest rogue as a commander, you must ensure to win over the biggest rogue.
Haha, it seems I am the younger brother. My name is Wu Ziliang, courtesy name Zhonglou, a native of Hong Kong, Guangdong, and I am 21 years old this year. Wu Ziliang has a round face and a chubby figure, lacking any military demeanor, but he is very clever.
The company commander treats us as brothers, and naturally, we understand the principles involved. Commander, you can rest assured that the brothers will not make things difficult for you. A tall man with a stern gaze and a full beard stood up to toast on behalf of the troublemakers: "I, Wang Bao, the squad leader of the second platoon of the first company, would like to offer this cup to the commander as a gesture of respect."
Brother, our supplementary battalion is currently lacking a deputy battalion commander. How about having you take on this role?" After finishing the formalities, Luo Yaoguo took Wang Bao's hand and began to assign him a new position. If the company commander were to take this deputy battalion commander position, it would be a promotion in name only, but if the squad leader were to take it, it would be a significant promotion, elevating him by three ranks. It cannot be denied that this is a substantial opportunity.
Wang Maogong, styled Dongcheng, hails from Tongshan, Jiangsu, with his ancestral home near Xuzhou. He is a graduate of the second phase of Baoding's military academy and a trusted confidant of Huang Dawei. Huang Dawei sent him to support Luo Yaoguo. Although Huang Dawei does not hold Luo Yaoguo, the young master, in high regard, he still considers the reputation of Luo Yiqun. If Luo Yaoguo were to face disturbances from troublemakers on his first day in office, it would reflect poorly on him. Therefore, he dispatched his trusted aide Wang Maogong along with a company of armed officers to maintain order. Although Huang Dawei does not hold Luo Yaoguo in high regard, he still considers the reputation of Luo Yiqun. If Luo Yaoguo were to face disturbances from troublemakers on his first day in office, it would reflect poorly on him. Therefore, he dispatched his trusted aide Wang Maogong along with a company of armed officers to maintain order
Today, in the presence of all the brothers at this banquet, the five of us shall become sworn brothers of different surnames! I, Luo Yaoguo, courtesy name Fuwen, am from Meixian, Guangdong, and I am 23 years old. Seeing that the time is ripe, Luo Yaoguo decided to seize the opportunity and proceed with the oath of brotherhood.
Luo Yaoguo waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet and continue listening to the speech: "The enemy is unwilling to wait for death quietly, and we must send them off cleanly and decisively. How do we resolve this contradiction? It can only be solved through strict and diligent training. When we fight the enemy on the battlefield, we are actually comparing whose skills in killing the enemy are more refined; in essence, we are measuring who has trained harder in peacetime. Therefore, starting today, you will have a more rigorous and scientific training plan. I hope you will work hard with me to hone your skills and serve General Sun and Commander Huang faithfully"
Long live General Sun! Down with the imperialist powers! Down with the warlords! As Luo Yaoguo's voice fell, Wang Bao beside him quickly raised his voice to help shout slogans and cheer. The more than thirty hotheads standing on the training ground of the supplementary battalion had now become supporters, leading their soldiers to join Wang Bao in shouting revolutionary slogans
"Brother Wang, come and sit down. We are fated to meet, and today, the two of us shall not rest until we are intoxicated," Luo Yaoguo smiled as he invited the tall man to sit beside him
"Brother Wang! How about we take advantage of the wine's spirit and become sworn brothers in name only?" Luo Yaoguo gave a slight glance to the plump Wu beside him.
"Very well, I am Wang Bao, courtesy name Zhongyi, a native of Tai'an, Shandong. I have several younger brothers who are a few years younger than me. This year, I am already 32 years old, but unfortunately, I have achieved nothing. I have become the elder brother only because a few brothers hold me in esteem."
The veterans from the first route could not handle these dozens of troublemakers, and naturally, Luo Yaoguo did not harbor any illusions. If these troublemakers could be easily swayed with just a few words, then what was the point of Sun Yat-sen later establishing the Whampoa Military Academy? What was the Communist Party even purging? Since everyone relied on persuasion, it fully demonstrated that persuasion was indeed effective, so Luo Yaoguo also decided to resort to persuasion
"I am grateful for the commander's kindness; you may simply call me Wang Bao. The title of 'brother Wang' is something I cannot bear. " Although he said this, Wang Bao's lips involuntarily curled into a smile: "I am from Shandong, and I joined the Ninth Army in Nanjing in the second year of the Xuantong era, having served in the military for over ten years."
The battalion consists of three company commanders, nine platoon leaders, and twenty-seven squad leaders, plus the battalion commander Luo Yaoguo, totaling 40 individuals. They set up four tables in Ruif楼, and Luo Yaoguo paid for the meal. In order to establish authority smoothly upon taking office tomorrow, it is essential to win over these troublemakers now; otherwise, if they band together tomorrow, it will be difficult to control the situation, and the battalion commander's authority will not be established, making it even harder to lead the troops in the future. To ensure a smooth establishment of authority upon taking office tomorrow, it is crucial to appease these troublemakers now; otherwise, if they unite tomorrow, it will be challenging to manage the situation, and the battalion commander's authority will not be established, complicating future troop leadership.
Brothers, the revolution is indeed in a low ebb right now, but please rest assured that with General Sun leading us, and the wise command of General Xu and General Huang, I firmly believe that in the near future we will surely emerge from this low point. Shouldn't our brothers in the supplementary battalion strive to achieve great things during the process of the revolution rising out of this low point? Seeing the atmosphere is good, Luo Yaoguo, filled with confidence, decided to seize the moment and further motivate everyone: "What do we rely on to achieve great things? It is our willingness to endure hardships and our strict training. It is our revolutionary soldiers' courage to sacrifice and fight bravely against the enemy!"
Several individuals were arranged in order of age. Wang Bao, the eldest, is the big brother. The taciturn Li Shun'en ranks second and is the second brother. Luo Yaoguo is the third brother. Gao Shaojie is the fourth brother, and Wu Ziliang, being the youngest, is the fifth brother
What? Upon hearing Luo Yaoguo's words, Wang Bao's slight intoxication instantly vanished without a trace. After serving as a soldier for over ten years, he had only risen to the rank of lieutenant platoon leader. Yet, with just one sentence from Luo Yaoguo, he was suddenly promoted to the position of major deputy battalion commander! Upon receiving this good news, tears welled up in Wang Bao's leopard-like eyes: "Third brother, you, you think so highly of me. From now on, I will follow you, third brother, to help you conquer the world, and I will not hesitate to face any danger!"
Luo Yaoguo clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Great! So it turns out that Brother Wang is a meritorious figure of the revolution! He is a senior of ours! With this alone, how can I bear to call him 'brother'? On behalf of all the brothers in the supplementary battalion, I would like to toast Brother Wang!" Luo Yaoguo grew up listening to stories of the Xinhai Revolution, and he never expected that there would be a senior in his own ranks who had participated in the revolution. How could he not be excited?
I see that the brothers in our supplementary battalion are all brave men, so there is no problem with sacrificing themselves and fighting valiantly against the enemy. However, our skills in killing the enemy still need improvement! There are so many enemies, and they are not willing to let us kill them easily. At this point, all three hundred officers and soldiers of the supplementary battalion were amused, and the atmosphere on site became much more lively.
More than thirty troublemakers looked over and exclaimed, "Oh, this new battalion commander is quite straightforward, not at all putting on airs like foreign students." Naturally, they could not afford to be disrespectful. In fact, at that time in China, diplomas from foreign military academies were highly valued, and generally speaking, diplomas from Europe and America were more prestigious than those from Japan. A Japanese non-commissioned officer's diploma was already a golden signboard, making it easy to secure a position as a battalion officer anywhere. Therefore, officers holding foreign diplomas often looked down on others, with their noses in the air. They would only give a casual glance to graduates from Baoding, while dismissing those from quick training programs at military academies entirely. Huang Dawei was a typical example of this attitude. Now, if a graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point were to invite everyone to dinner with a smile, even the troublemakers would be taken aback.
Practice hard! Fight bravely against the enemy!" Wang Bao's loud voice rang out once again, followed by the shouts of the entire supplementary battalion. It seems that Luo Yaoguo has made a good start in the supplementary battalion
I, Gao Shaojie, courtesy name Wenyang, am from Panyu, Guangdong, and I am 22 years old this year. Although Gao Shaojie appears dull, his mind is as clear as snow.
After securing a position, another deputy battalion commander was dismissed, and the most notorious rogue of the supplementary battalion was thus won over by Luo Yaoguo. A group of young troublemakers also indulged in a feast, and when Luo Yaoguo officially took office the next day, everyone worked hard to support him. The entire supplementary battalion suddenly appeared rejuvenated, displaying a spirited demeanor, which caught the attention of Commander Wang Maogong, who had come to assist with the handover, regarding this lieutenant colonel battalion commander who had returned from studying in the United States with newfound respect
Very good! Wang Bao was somewhat intoxicated, shaking his head repeatedly and continuously saying good.
Brothers, I am your newly appointed battalion commander, Luo Yaoguo. I am honored by Commander Huang's trust to lead the supplementary battalion. From now on, we are all one family! We shall strive together for the Chinese revolution, to realize the ideals of General Sun, to overthrow the warlords, and to defeat the imperialist powers
"Good! A good man!" he praised as Luo Yaoguo raised his cup and drank it all in one go
"Yes, yes, let us all raise a glass to Brother Wang!" The chubby and fair-skinned Second Lieutenant Wu Ziliang was the most astute; with a quick glance, he realized that the newly arrived battalion commander intended to win over this troublesome figure, and thus he was the first to stand up in agreement
As Wu Pangzi took the lead, the officers and squad leaders who had come to drink also stood up one by one to toast Wang Bao. Wang Bao, however, had a remarkable capacity for alcohol; he accepted every toast without refusal, downing thirty-nine cups in one go. Aside from a slight flush on his face, there was no sign of intoxication, though he shouted with delight.
When it comes to flattery, Luo Yaoguo certainly has the means, as he is the nephew of the Chief of Staff. He is not in such a tight financial situation, even though the Northern Expedition Army has not received any pay for a long time. However, Luo Yaoguo can always obtain money from his uncle, which is probably also the reason why Luo Yiqun can hold the position of Chief of Staff. He came to office with military funds.
Brothers, I, Luo, am honored to be appointed as the commander of this supplementary battalion by Commander Huang. However, I am also aware that to truly lead the troops well, I will need the support of all of you. " With that, Luo Yaoguo stood up, cupped his hands in salute to everyone, and then picked up a wine glass: "Here, I raise a glass of water wine to all of you, as a small token of my appreciation. I, Luo Yaoguo, assure you that from now on, what belongs to me will not be lacking for my brothers. Let us drink to that!"
"Yes, indeed! My brothers and I should emulate the brotherhood of the Peach Garden, becoming sworn brothers despite our different surnames, sharing blessings and facing difficulties together." Upon seeing the look from the camp commander, Wu Pangzi quickly began to talk his way out of it.
Li Shun'en was taciturn, having said very few words since the beginning of the banquet. However, given that Gao Shaojie had already made introductions regarding today's matters, he stood up to respond: "I am Li Shun'en, courtesy name Fengming, from Wenchang, Guangdong, and I am 24 years old this year"