Chapter 3, Independent Regiment

"Otherwise, how about this: you come with me to the Independent Regiment to take a look first. If you find it suitable, you can stay; if you do not wish to stay, it would be safer to leave once your injuries have healed," Zhao Gang suggested.

"Not good, we are ambushed, run quickly!" With a whistle, the puppet troops scattered and fled

However, Zhao Gang is, after all, well-educated and possesses good cultivation

"Yes, I am Zhao Gang, the political commissar of the 386th Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army." Zhao Gang glanced at Wei Dayong's standard uniform of the Central Army and continued, "Which unit are you from?"

Zhao Gang said in a deep voice: "I came to the Independent Regiment to fight against the Japanese invaders, not to be a useless burden."

Zhao Gang has not undergone professional sniper training, and compared to Wang Ye, who has received extensive formal sniper training, there is still a significant gap.

During the ambush against the enemy, each person is only allowed to fire three shots

To be more precise, it is not a matter of fighting with bayonets, but rather with broadswords

Xiao Wang, excellent marksmanship

However, this time, Li Yunlong truly misjudged the situation; Zhao Gang has indeed been in battle, and not just a few times.

There is nothing else, just six burn scars on the bald forehead, who else could it be but Monk Wei

Openly violating military discipline by drinking is one thing, but giving him a cold shoulder as soon as we meet, is this an attempt to assert authority? I, Zhao Gang, came to the Independent Regiment to fight against the Japanese invaders, not to endure your displeasure

Mutual learning? Are you suggesting that I should learn to talk from you? What nonsense!

Additionally, there are rubber-soled shoes, cotton overcoats, steel helmets, and water bottles

The encounter with the Yamamoto Special Forces has completely drained the spirit and morale of the Independent Regiment

A good name, and it truly lives up to its reputation, deserving of the four characters "great wisdom and great courage." Zhao Gang nodded and then said, "I wonder what your plans are next"

Zhao Gang then said: "Are you Wei Dayong?"

Xiao Wang and Monk Wei, you may rest here for a while

"You?" Wei Dayong looked at Zhao Gang and the other three with a suspicious gaze and asked, "Eighth Route Army?"

Li Yunlong is actually only 29 years old, which makes him just three years older than Zhao Gang

Yes. Wei Dayong said, "Wei from Wei, Shu, and Wu, great wisdom and great courage."

At that moment, five people were chatting casually while making their way to the Independent Regiment's station. By dusk, they finally arrived at Yang Village

In response to the officer, I am from the 27th Division of the Central Army

At this moment, the enemy troops in front mistakenly believed they were ambushed, and chaos erupted immediately

Around the age of thirty, perhaps the actual age is not even thirty yet

With just one shot, the outcome is immediately clear

When the 129th Division had just entered Shanxi, the entire division had only 55 bayonets, so it was impossible to engage in bayonet combat; they could only rely on their broadswords

Like most people of this era, Wei Dayong possesses a simple concept of gratitude and reciprocity

Li Yunlong raised his eyes and saw a person walking in

Regarding the various units of the 129th Division

Li Yunlong did not even glance sideways, nor did he show any intention of extending his hand for a handshake. Instead, he picked up his wine bowl and took a small sip, then smacked his lips, appearing quite pleased with himself

As soon as the curtain was lifted, a man was seen sitting cross-legged on the kang, sipping a small drink

Zhao Gang naturally hopes that Wei Dayong will join the Independent Regiment

At this moment, Li Yunlong said with a stern face: "Since this is our first meeting, it is better for us to clarify things. The military and political affairs should be separated, each handling their own matters. I will have the final say in military matters, while you will have the final say in matters of daily life. Is that acceptable?"

Zhao Gang replied stiffly, "I am flattered, let us learn from each other."

At this moment, Zhao Gang instructed Xiao Zhang to find Xiao Liu and bring the horse over, while Zhao Gang himself stayed behind with Wang Ye to clean up the battlefield

"Well, that makes sense," Li Yunlong put down his wine bowl and said, "After all, he is a cultured person. It seems that Political Commissar Zhao has fought in quite a few battles. How about giving us a lesson? Let us understand what it means to fight a war?"

After Zhao Gang finished speaking, he walked alone into the main room, and to the left was the commander's office

These white-faced scholars are all worthless, lacking any real ability, and are only good at talking

Wang Ye and Wei Dayong followed Zhao Gang into the regiment headquarters

Many officers at the regimental, brigade, and even division levels are only in their twenties, yet they appear to be in their thirties or forties. This is a result of prolonged hardship in their lives

"Captain Li, I apologize," Zhao Gang said, "I do not drink alcohol"

Wei Dayong said with some difficulty: "But you Eighth Route Army is too rustic, and your equipment is too poor"

The two guards from the Ministry returned on their own

Wei Dayong said with a heavy heart: "During the Battle of Xinkou, I sustained serious injuries. When I woke up, I found myself captured by the enemy. It was only today that I found an opportunity to escape, but halfway through, I encountered this group of enemies again. If it weren't for your timely rescue, Commander Zhao, I fear I would have met my end today."

Wang Ye observed coldly, not uttering a single word.

Li Yunlong then raised his wine bowl and asked Zhao Gang: "Can you drink?"

"It's nothing," Wei Dayong said nonchalantly, "this little injury is nothing to me."

Zhao Gang gathered the seized supplies onto the backs of two warhorses, setting aside one for Wei Dayong to ride.

Guard Xiao Zhang could not help but say: "You are truly ignorant; the political commissar has saved your life, and you do not even consider joining the Independent Regiment to repay this life-saving grace?"

Zhao Gang could not help but praise.

It is evident that the independent regiment has not yet recovered from its previous devastating defeat

Zhao Gang did not continue to fire, nor did he allow Wang Ye and Xiao Zhang to keep shooting, because the enemy troops had already fled far away, and the hit rate for moving targets was too low, which was purely a waste of ammunition. Ammunition is precious, and what the Eighth Route Army lacks the most is weapons and ammunition

Wei Dayong, however, insisted on not riding and insisted on walking alongside Zhao Gang and the others. Zhao Gang, having no choice, could only agree.

The head of the headquarters also does not understand what he is thinking, what is wrong with letting our old Li serve as both the regiment commander and the political commissar? Why must he send a pale-faced scholar to compete with me?

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong became increasingly displeased. Would it kill him not to boast?

If Wei Dayong could be retained, along with Wang Ye, then he would have gained two formidable generals in just one day

On average, each person has less than ten rounds of ammunition

It is the 27th division. Zhao Gang nodded and said, "Hasn't your division already retreated to the Zhongtiao Mountains? Why are you still lingering in the northwest of Shanxi?"

At this moment, Zhao Gang said: "However, it is a distance of at least seven or eight hundred li to Zhongtiao Mountain, and we still need to pass through the area occupied by the Japanese. Your injuries have not yet fully healed, so it is likely to be dangerous."

As the distance closed in, Wang Ye became increasingly certain that this person was Wei Dayong

"You can't drink?" Li Yunlong said disdainfully, "What are you doing in the Independent Regiment if you can't drink?"

This statement clearly carries a sting, mocking Zhao Gang for not having fought in any significant battles

Zhao Gang stood up and, accompanied by Wang Ye and Xiao Zhang, approached Wei Dayong.

Because he knows that Wei Dayong will ultimately join the Independent Regiment

One could see that this person had a fair complexion, and his appearance was quite refined. His gray military uniform was impeccably clean, and especially the white shirt underneath was spotless.

Zhao Gang's complexion is also not good

Zhao Gang furrowed his brow and awkwardly withdrew his hand

Wei Dayong said: "I want to return to the Central Army"

Wei Dayong thought for a moment before nodding and saying, "Alright."

The headquarters of the Independent Regiment is rented in the courtyard of Elder Zhang's house at the village entrance, consisting of two sections and three rooms. The front courtyard serves as the dormitory for the direct troops, while the back courtyard functions as the headquarters of the Independent Regiment and the dormitory for the regiment's officers

This is also the reason why the headquarters appointed Li Yunlong to serve as the commander of the Independent Regiment; only a person with Li Yunlong's fierce and unyielding temperament could possibly reshape the military spirit of the Independent Regiment in a short period of time

At the time of the Huangma Uprising, Li Yunlong was only 16 years old. Due to his young age, proficiency in martial arts, and quick wit, he was retained by the commander of the Red Army as a guard, thus beginning his military career

Damn it, the headquarters has sent another pale-faced scholar over here

It has been observed that the morale of the cadres and soldiers is not very good

Because these veteran Red Army soldiers and old revolutionaries who came over during the Long March generally appear aged

Upon seeing this, Li Yunlong's face immediately fell.

Alas, do not mention it any further

After safely escorting Zhao Gang to Yangcun

Wei Dayong struggled to stand up and saluted the officer again

Wei Dayong just killed four enemies with his bare hands, while Zhao Gang and Wang Ye each shot down one puppet soldier, resulting in a total of four Type 38 rifles, two Jin-made Type 38 rifles, and four bayonets being captured.

After firing three shots, one must rush forward to engage the enemy in a bayonet fight

Have you, a mere scholar, ever been in battle? Do you even know what it means to fight?

"Political Commissar, you are not bad either," Wang Ye said with a chuckle.

Wei Dayong held great respect for his lifesaver

In addition, there are more than 500 rounds of Arisaka rifle ammunition and 6 grenades

Over two hundred men were killed in a single battle, yet not a single enemy was killed

Wang Ye is confident in making a headshot with a single shot

Before studying at the Fourth Phase of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University in Yan'an, Zhao Gang was already a deputy battalion-level officer in the Death Squad of the First Division, having achieved merit multiple times, embodying the ideal of Confucius with a sword at his waist, excelling in both literary and martial pursuits

Hearing the sound of the curtain being lifted, the man also raised his eyes to look over.

At that moment, Zhao Gang saluted Li Yunlong and extended his hand, saying: "Hello, Commander Li, I am your partner Zhao Gang"

Zhao Gang can only ensure the hit rate of the torso

As for the guard Xiao Zhang from the travel department, there is nothing left but envy

It seems that this partner is even more difficult to get along with than he had anticipated

The man is dressed in a worn-out gray military uniform, with the collar covered in dirt, and the white shirt underneath is so dirty that its original color is unrecognizable, having not been washed for at least three months

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhao Gang saved his life