Chapter 27: Raiding the Small Town to Train Soldiers!
After subduing the Iron Bull, Zhang Mingyu said loudly: "Today's training is a 10-kilometer cross-country run!" Zhang Biao came up and said: "Master, it's raining so heavily today, let's not run, let's wait for the rain to stop before running!"
"What the hell do you understand? If we were fighting against the devils, could you tell them 'Today it's raining, let's not fight, and tomorrow after the rain stops, we'll continue?'?" Zhang Mingyu cursed: "Less nonsense, Zhang Biao!"
"Yes!" Zhang Biao stood up straight and said.
"Turn right! Take off! Now Captain Zhang will lead you in a 10-kilometer cross-country run!" Zhang Mingyu shouted.
Zhang Biao let out a loud shout: "Departure!" After finishing, he took the lead and ran. Behind him, more than 3,000 soldiers followed closely, Zhang Biao suddenly moved and shouted loudly: "Brothers, do you still remember the military song that our instructor taught us?" More than 100 old soldiers brought by Zhang Mingyu from Shanxi responded in unison: "Remember"
"Alright! Now I'll start and you brothers all follow along!" Zhang Biao shouted loudly.
"We're all soldiers, what's different about us....."
Over a hundred old soldiers all sang in unison: "We were once soldiers..." Some new recruits who didn't know the song also followed along: "We were once soldiers, what's different? The same...".
This future Iron Troop sang military songs, quickly advancing in the heavy rain. When passing by other troops' barracks, other national army soldiers poked their heads out to watch, and Soldier B said to Soldier A: "Brother, do you know which troop this is? Training on a rainy day, making such a ruckus!"
"I don't know! It was a rainy day and he was howling like a wolf in the rain." said Soldier A.
A veteran sergeant next to them heard their conversation and said, "You two don't understand anything. This troop is a new army recruited by Zhang Mie recently and is being trained now. They are singing the military song taught by General Zhang. If you don't understand, then don't shout there."
Soon Zhang Biao led three thousand new soldiers to start today's devil training with loud shouts. Zhang Mingyu and Zhang Haisheng trained the blocking hand team members, while Wang Tihan trained his cavalry regiment. Wang Tihan led more than 500 horses to gallop horizontally, using straw men for training, which were cut into pieces by the soldiers' sabers. The soldiers carried out various trainings amidst the heavy rain and scorching heat.
The training of the blocking hands is the most arduous, they also learn to camouflage and ambush first, all of which require great patience and perseverance, many warriors lie in the damp dry grass for several hours, when they get up, their frozen hands can't be stretched out.
The warriors adhered to Zhang Mingyu's famous saying that "the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle." They persisted in their hard training. Before long, half a month had passed, and the new recruits gradually shed their original bookish air, especially Zhang Biao's team of new recruits who started learning how to curse with him. At any moment, they would start fighting at the slightest provocation. Looking at the warriors whose skin was noticeably darker than when they first arrived, Zhang Mingyu knew that this unit now only lacked actual combat experience and it was time for them to see some bloodshed.
"Brothers, after more than half a month of training, some of you have made great progress, which makes me very satisfied. I want to tell you that on the battlefield, you cannot be soft-hearted towards the devils. If you don't kill them, they will kill you. To live well, you must first knock down your enemies. Remember, when dealing with devils, you can't treat them like humans, but as ferocious beasts. What should you do to such beasts that threaten your lives at all times?"
Three thousand eight hundred soldiers shouted in unison: "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Zhang Mingyu nodded and said, "Brothers, you are all good. All the brothers of our independent regiment have made it clear today that no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, even if you are about to die the next moment, every one of us must do so; Do not abandon, do not give up. Because we are brothers, we are hands and feet. Those who dare to betray their brothers will be killed! Kill my brother, kill without pardon!"
"Repeat it again!" Zhang Mingyu shouted loudly.
"Whoever betrays and sells out his brothers shall be killed! Whoever dares to kill my brothers, will be killed without pardon!"
"We will never abandon nor forsake! Whoever dares to betray our brothers shall be killed, whoever dares to kill my brothers shall be slaughtered without pardon!" The warriors shouted in unison.
Zhang Mingyu's words deeply shocked their souls, planting a seed of brotherly love deep in their hearts, which began to sprout and spread. No matter how many times these soldiers changed, they would never abandon the idea of not giving up, and it would continue to be passed down. It became the creed of this army, and Zhang Mingyu, as the initiator of this creed, was the soul of this legendary army that was invincible in battle and unbeatable in attack.
The next day, Zhang Mingyu took Ma Liqun and the cavalry reconnaissance company to investigate the enemy situation in Mengcheng. Zhang Mingyu planned to take his new soldiers to attack several Japanese strongholds, let them see blood, and use it as a training exercise.
Zhang Mingyu finally chose two small towns, Caoji and Wangyaozhen, 50 kilometers away from Mengcheng. Caoji Town had a company of devils and a battalion of puppet troops, while Wangyaozhen had a squad of devils and two battalions of puppet troops.
After returning, Zhang Mingyu and Zhang Biao planned to lead a division each to attack the two towns simultaneously. Wang Tiehan led the cavalry regiment to respond to both routes.
That night, after Zhang Mingyu made the plan, he prepared to take down Cao Jizhen in the south and Wang Yaozhen in the west. This time, Zhang Mingyu clearly instructed Zhang Biao to adopt a special forces night raid, open the city gate from the inside, coordinate with the external attacking troops, and launch an attack on the two towns.
Zhang Mingyu handed out the brand new semi-formal rifles to the new recruits, and after everything was ready, Zhang Mingyu sent Li Gang with special forces to raid Cao Jizhen.
More than 60 special forces soldiers were involved in the operation, including Liu Xuefeng, who had just enlisted and was familiar with the local terrain.
As soon as the sky brightened, Li Gang led Liu Xuefeng, who was disguised as a farmer going to market, and more than ten special soldiers disguised as merchants, porters and farmers, towards Caoji Town.
At the gate, the pseudo-military security guards barely searched anything and after being given a few dollars, they entered the city.
The warriors waited until nightfall in the city, cut off the telephone lines, and then took separate actions. Some laid landmines taken from the dung carts at the entrance of the enemy's company, some at the entrance of the puppet army's security team, and some at the entrance of the puppet army's guard team. Some warriors went to eliminate the enemies on the city tower and opened the city gate.
The four pseudo-soldiers guarding the gate tunnel were basically not on guard at all. When Li Gang led two soldiers to sneak over, two pseudo-soldiers were sleeping, and the other two were smoking and chatting.
Two smoking pseudo-soldiers chatting were strangled by two warriors, and the two sleepy pseudo-soldiers were pinched to death one by one by Li Gang. The three easily eliminated the four enemies at the city gate.
Then, two warriors opened the city gate, and Li Gang walked up to the city building, eliminating the two pseudo-army men who were sleeping on the city building. He put down the drawbridge and turned on the searchlight, sending a signal to the warriors who had been hiding outside the city.
Brothers, hold on! I'm about to be exploded by someone! Votes! Click to collect!
