Chapter 8, Cavalry Battalion

"Enough, enough, enough." Li Yunlong's expression fell, "I understand now, let's stop here."

Let me speak plainly: when the time comes, do not set your sights on my several hundred horses

Kong Jiedao: "I have long had someone inquire about this. That person is not a weak scholar who cannot even tie up a chicken. Before going to Yan'an, he was a deputy battalion-level officer in the Death Squad. You should be cautious, my friend."

"On what basis?" Li Yunlong said with a sneer, "Only thinking about beautiful things, who among us is the regiment commander?"

But the problem is that Wang Ye is new here and hasn't even figured out his background; who knows if what he says is true? At the very least, we should ask the headquarters to investigate and verify his details

Therefore, whether in terms of firepower or troop strength, the advantages of the independent regiment are not significant

Rest assured, I am not greedy; I only want my share and will not take more than what is rightfully yours

The number of light machine guns equipped is actually 9, rather than 4

It was not until the sky turned completely dark that the battalion set out again

Is that so? Kong Jie exclaimed with great joy, "It is truly the heavens lending a hand."

This situation was somewhat beyond the expectations of Kong Jie and Li Yunlong

More than 300 people from the entire camp hid in the two small courtyards at the village entrance, prohibited from making noise and wandering outside. Wang Ye speculated that these two households must be the legendary fortress households.

"Very well," Li Yunlong said with a serious expression, "Comrade Kong Jie,"

The Second Battalion is currently undergoing a reduction in personnel, and the emotions of the officers and soldiers are running high. Comrade Kong Jie, the regiment has decided to send you to the Second Battalion to provide on-site guidance. You must ensure that the reduction process is carried out effectively

The comrades in the local area are already waiting

"Do not concern yourself with such trivial matters," Li Yunlong said, "Hurry up and bring back the several hundred horses from Wanjia Town."

With a skilled individual like Wang Ye participating in the operation, the chances of success will only increase!

Kong Jie took a breath and laughed, scolding, "Li Yunlong, oh Li Yunlong, you are taking personal revenge under the guise of official duty, aren't you? After so many years as brothers, do I not know you?"

Most of the time, the Japanese army would strictly control the ammunition of the puppet troops, and only when there were combat operations would the Japanese soldiers responsible for monitoring distribute ammunition to the individual soldiers of the puppet troops

After careful consideration by the Party Committee, it has been decided to assign you an important task

"Alright, I will listen to you," Kong Jie said helplessly. "Old Li, let me take the lead."

Therefore, it is necessary to gather all the skilled members of the team.

As for the other work within the group, you need not worry about it

Li Yunlong instantly transformed into a smiling face and asked, "Do you mean what you say?"

As long as the attacks by the independent regiment possess an element of surprise, the puppet army's cavalry battalion will have no time to receive ammunition, rendering the rifles and machine guns in the hands of the puppet troops mere decorations, hardly better than firewood.

Kong Jie nodded and asked, "Has the ammunition been distributed to the individual soldiers?"

"No," the young man shook his head and said, "Oh, right, there is another situation. Today seems to be the birthday of Wan Shunping, the commander of the pseudo-army cavalry battalion. All the officers above the rank of squad leader in the battalion are drinking at his home"

The organization of the pseudo army cavalry battalion is modeled after that of the Japanese army cavalry regiment, typically comprising two cavalry squadrons along with a machine gun team

What is the problem with not verifying? Could Wang Ye still be a spy for the enemy?

"Hey, Old Li, why are you mistaking good intentions for foolishness?" Kong Jie said angrily, "Using a battalion's worth of troops to launch a surprise attack on Wanjia Town without informing the superiors is no small matter. If anything goes wrong in the process, and the superiors hold you accountable, being dismissed would be the least of your worries. You think I'm trying to steal your thunder?"

Is it true that the machine gun company is actually subordinate to the cavalry battalion of the puppet army in Wanjia Town

This is, after all, a cavalry battalion of the pseudo-army, consisting of nearly 400 men, which is not fewer in strength than a battalion of an independent regiment

If it were not for the fact that Monk Wei's injuries had not fully healed, he would have planned for Monk Wei to participate in this operation in Wanjia Town

Li Yunlong, however, paid no attention and pretended not to see.

"Is it just him?" Li Yunlong said disdainfully, "A mere scholar, daring to provoke me, Old Li?"

"Yes!" Wang Ye saluted with military courtesy and turned to run to the logistics department to collect his weapon

At that moment, Kong Jie signaled to Li Yunlong with a glance

Understood. Xiao Duan nodded and said, "This cavalry regiment in Wanjia Town was rotated in half a month ago, and the entire regiment has about four hundred personnel."

Therefore, Wang Ye cannot possibly be a spy under any circumstances

"Xiao Wang, we are preparing to launch a surprise attack on Wanjia Town," Li Yunlong said as he slapped the map. "You go to the logistics department and ask Lao Gou for a rifle and a pistol, along with fifty rounds of ammunition for each type."

At that moment, Kong Jie turned to Wang Ye and said: "Xiao Wang, take a squad with Secretary Duan to Wan Shunping's house. The remaining pseudo-military officers and a few Japanese soldiers will be left to you."

Kong Jie and Li Yunlong are old comrades-in-arms of many years

Therefore, whether the ammunition has been distributed to the puppet soldiers on an individual basis is of utmost importance

This is also one of the reasons why Li Yunlong is confident in defeating the puppet army's cavalry

You cannot say which day you will be reassigned to a higher position

The several little devils responsible for overseeing the military have also gone.

However, it will not be as easy as Li Yunlong said, merely bringing back a few hundred horses.

There is no need to say, this is Wanjiacun.

Although the lighting is sparse and dim, in this current era, unless one is in a town or even a county seat, there will be absolutely no light at all during the night

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie immediately became displeased and said indignantly: "Look at what you are saying, as brothers in business, any profits should belong to both of us. Even if we were to separate in the future, it should still be divided equally, shouldn't it?"

Kong Jie no longer spoke further; after meeting with the guard and joining Wang Ye, he proceeded to the camp of the First Battalion

Regarding Kong Jie's little thoughts, Li Yunlong is also well aware of them

However, Li Yunlong felt that this was nothing at all

Li Yunlong and Kong Jie spoke very casually, yet they did not neglect the preparation work.

"One hundred rounds is still too few for me," Li Yunlong said. "If it weren't for the thin resources at home, I would have wanted to specially approve two hundred rounds for him! Only with the bullets in Xiao Wang's hands can they achieve their maximum effectiveness"

At this time, the regiment had already received the order from Li Yunlong to reinforce the 1st Battalion with all nine light machine guns, over three hundred well-maintained rifles, and more than three thousand rounds of ammunition available in the entire regiment.

However, the machine gun squads under the Japanese cavalry battalions are typically equipped with four Type 92 heavy machine guns, while the machine gun squads under the puppet army cavalry regiments are usually equipped with four domestically produced copies of Czech light machine guns

Kong Jie directly asked: "Have you figured out the situation of the cavalry battalion?"

After crossing a low ridge, lights suddenly appeared ahead under the pitch-black night sky

The entire camp had a hearty meal and began to march rapidly southeast under the cover of night.

Li Yunlong glared and said: "Kong Erlengzi, we must make this clear. These several hundred horses are not just a bag of cigarettes; anyone can smoke them. Although we are brothers who came up together in the same unit, it is better to settle the accounts first. Let me be clear, you, as the deputy regiment commander, are merely a temporary worker under me."

It is merely a concern that Wang Ye's identity has not yet been verified

There are approximately 360 warhorses

After receiving the order, the comrades in the local area had already thoroughly investigated the situation of the puppet army's cavalry battalion

This time it was a forced march, completing the remaining twenty-odd miles in just two hours

In principle, there is no issue with this arrangement

Upon entering the regiment headquarters and seeing the map on the low table, Wang Ye knew that they were going to attack Wanjia Town

"You rascal, still talking about the party committee," Kong Jie laughed and scolded, "When the political commissar returns, he will definitely hold you accountable"

It has two cavalry companies and an additional machine gun company under its command

As he watched Wang Ye leave, Kong Jie said, "Old Li, you actually allocated one hundred bullets to him?"

The machine gun company is equipped with nine imitation Czech light machine guns

Hello, Xiaoduan

His injury has not yet healed, so he should not participate in the combat operation this time

For the independent regiment, this is essentially a gamble

Li Yunlong certainly knows what Kong Jie is worried about

A young farmer was brought before Kong Jie and said in a low voice, "I am the head of the district committee here, you can just call me Xiao Duan."

You rascal, you always want to monopolize the benefits for yourself.

Let us consider that you and I have said nothing. Next, I will arrange the work for the next phase in my capacity as the leader.

At this moment, the puppet army officers and several Japanese soldiers are drinking merrily.

Kong Jie is certainly not competing with Li Yunlong for credit; he is competing for the horse

Alright, I will no longer concern myself with this transaction; all the benefits will go to you. Is this acceptable now?

Kong Jie said, "But you cannot be too biased; the other soldiers only have five rounds!"

Since Wang Ye is not a spy, why is he unable to participate in the action at Wanjia Town

Saying this, he added: "By the way, don't mention this to Monk Wei"

When Wang Ye took down a whole squad of enemies with just a pair of shorts, he had no idea that Political Commissar Zhao was hiding nearby. Even if he were to perform, who would he be performing for? Moreover, would the enemy be willing to invest such a large amount?

"Enough with the nonsense," Li Yunlong said. "I am now the commander of the Independent Regiment. Since I am the commander, you must listen to me. From now on, this is the rule of our Independent Regiment: those with the ability will eat meat, and those without will not even have soup to drink"

However, Wang Ye also knows that this battle in Wanjia Town will not be lost

Li Yunlong asked Wang Ye to stay behind alone, and Kong Jie immediately understood his intentions; he was preparing to have Wang Ye participate in the military operation in Wanjia Town.

If this battle is lost, it will be a tremendous loss

In summary, the surprise attack in Wanjia Town is crucial for the Independent Regiment; whether the Independent Regiment can turn the tide depends on this operation

Kong Jie said: "A spittle is worth a nail."

The marching speed was not fast; by the time dawn approached, they had covered approximately over 60 miles and arrived at a village, where Kong Jie ordered a rest.