Chapter 25 Recruitment! It's late today! Full update tonight!

  Linhuai Pass (mentioned in the previous chapter as Linfen, now changed) is a small county town with a long history. Because it controls the Huai River crossing, it has become a place that must be fought for by military strategists. At this time, the defense of Linhuai was led by General Zhang Zizhong's 59th Army, one division, while Zhang Mingyu led his independent division to cross the Huai River and head towards Xuzhou. At this time, Zhang Mingyu's independent division had over 800 people, including casualties from the battle at Huishan and surrendered pseudo-soldiers, with more than 600 horses! Under Zhang Mingyu's leadership, the 600 iron cavalry galloped freely towards Xuzhou.

  Zhang Mingyu had a small beauty in his arms, with two clean face boxes on his waist and a harmonica in his mouth. He sat down on the war horse and let it run wildly with four hooves. From afar, he saw the high city wall of Xuzhou. At this time, a pair of soldiers stood from the gate of Xuzhou to two miles outside the city. On the city wall hung a large banner that read: "Sword pointing at the sky, horse neighing loudly, General Mengke returns triumphantly, Japanese invaders dare not look at Xuzhou City!"

  Zhang Mingyu hastily reined in his warhorse, and the galloping warhorses behind him also screeched to a halt! This was Chairman Chiang Kai-shek, clad in a black cloak, leading a group of National Army generals towards Zhang Mingyu. Zhang Mingyu hurriedly dismounted, but Principal Chiang stretched out his hand to stop him, walking up to Zhang Mingyu's horse and grasping the reins, step by step heading towards Xuzhou City. This was when the military band stationed on the outskirts began playing the national anthem!

  Chinese and foreign journalists present at the scene, scrambled to take pictures! A general who can let a head of state personally lead his horse, what an honor it is! Zhang Mingyu was shocked and lost color, knowing that Director Chiang would win people's hearts, but he had never heard of him leading someone's horse before. Zhang Mingyu hastily dismounted and saluted: "Your Excellency's kindness! Mingyu is overwhelmed with gratitude! What virtue or ability does Mingyu have to be treated like this by the Chairman!"

  "Ming Yu! You are a hero of our Chinese nation, the hope for the future of our party and country. You can bear it!" Principal Jiang said with a smile.

  Zhang Mingyu stood upright and said, "Defending the land against the enemy is my bounden duty. Even if I shed every last drop of blood, I will have no regrets! If Nanjing falls, I will die a thousand deaths to atone for my guilt!"

  "Come back soon! In the Battle of Nanjing, you not only had no fault but also achieved merit! I will reward you handsomely!" Chiang said in his thick Zhejiang accent.

  Under the flash of cameras and the military band, Zhang Mingyu was led by Principal Jiang into Xuzhou City hand in hand. All this was seen by two women hiding in the crowd.

  In a private conversation with Principal Chiang, Zhang Mingyu declined the appointment as General proposed by Principal Chiang. The reason was simple and made Principal Chiang very pleased! Zhang Mingyu said to Principal Chiang: "Mingyu doesn't care about being an official or how high-ranking he is, as long as he can kill devils, contribute to the war of resistance, and be loyal to you, whether as a lieutenant general or a general, it's all the same." Zhang Mingyu's demonstration of loyalty made Principal Chiang extremely excited! Such a capable warrior, with both bravery and strategy, and absolutely loyal to himself, could this Zhang Mingyu really be sent by heaven to assist him in completing his great cause? Principal Chiang thought to himself.

  Seeing Principal Chiang smile, Zhang Mingyu put forward several requirements to him. Firstly, he wanted to recruit soldiers because his independent division now had less than a full regiment. Secondly, he wanted equipment and ammunition. The equipment Zhang Mingyu asked for included 100 Mosin-Nagant rifles, 100 Czech-style machine guns, 50 Maxim heavy machine guns, and 2000 standard rifles. The number of bullets was even more numerous.

  For the requirements put forward by Zhang Mingyu, the old man agreed to all of them. Except for the 100 Mosin-Nagant sniper rifles that couldn't be delivered temporarily, the rest of the equipment could be equipped within two days. At this time, it's not just that Zhang Mingyu wanted some guns and ammunition, even if he wanted to form a tank regiment now, I believe the old man would agree with him! Although the National Army basically had no tanks at present, those dozen or so tanks were destroyed by the Japanese anti-tank artillery during the Battle of Nanjing.

  Back from Principal Jiang's place, Zhang Mingyu held in his hand a recruitment order that would be personally signed by him, and hummed the most popular song of the 20th century: "Don't look at me as just a sheep, the cleverness of a sheep is hard to imagine~! Although I'm just a sheep………"

  Actually, when Zhang Mingyu asked the principal to recruit soldiers, the principal directly said, "I can immediately supplement you with a division of troops!" The reason why Zhang Mingyu wanted to recruit soldiers himself was that among the troops supplemented by Principal Jiang, there were fish and dragons mixed together, and the good and evil were not equal. Moreover, they all had strong factional views. What Zhang Mingyu needed was pure and untainted soldiers who had never participated in the military and did not have factional disputes in their minds. To get such soldiers, he could only recruit them himself.

  The next day, the Military Affairs Department brought in the weapons and equipment that Zhang Mingyu wanted. In addition, Principal Chiang also gave Zhang Mingyu ten 20MM anti-tank guns, one hundred mortars of various calibers, and one hundred American-made Thompson submachine guns, all with complete ammunition.

  Zhang Biao and Lai San, Wang Tiehan and others looked at the brand new Czech-style guns, each of them laughing with their mouths wide open. Zhang Biao and Lai San each hugged a brand new Czech-style gun as if they were holding a treasure.

  Zhang Haisheng and Ma Liqun walked up to Zhang Mingyu with a look of grievance on their faces, saying: "Master, didn't you say last time that there were special guns suitable for us with scopes? Why aren't they here?" Zhang Mingyu thought for a moment and said: "The principal promised me, they should arrive soon! Those things have to be imported from the Soviet Union, it takes some time!"

  Zhang Biao and others played with the weapons in their hands and asked: "Master! Now that we have all our equipment, can we recruit soldiers?"

  Zhang Mingyu nodded and said, "En, it's okay. The recruitment work will be fully responsible for you and Tieren. In addition, Tieren, you can select qualified people from the previous applicants to join your special combat team."

  "Yes! We guarantee to complete the task!" Zhang Biao and Wang Tiehan stood at attention and said.

  "Don't look at me as a sheep, I can also beat the gray wolf, don't look at me as a sheep! The cleverness of a sheep is hard to imagine..."

  After Zhang Mingyu left, several people couldn't help but burst out laughing! "Oh my god! What's wrong with our teacher?" Zhang Biao laughed and said.

  The next day, Zhang Biao and Wang Tiehan asked Miss Du Yue to write a few big characters for them, and they started recruiting soldiers in a grand manner. It was said that Zhang Mingyu's troops were recruiting soldiers, and the people and students from nearby Xuzhou all came to join the army. There were old men in their fifties and sixties, as well as young boys of twelve or thirteen years old, who also rushed to join the army.

  Soon Zhang Biao got into an argument with those people, and someone reported it to Zhang Mingyu. From a distance, Zhang Mingyu heard an old man of about fifty or sixty years old saying to Zhang Biao: "What makes you not let me join the army? I want to follow General Zhang to fight against the devils."

  Zhang Biao might have been annoyed and yelled: "I've told you all that you can't join the army! Why won't this old man listen?"

  The two are still quarreling! Zhang Mingyu walked over and said loudly: "Zhang Biao, what are you doing?"

  "Teacher! This old man is being unreasonable!" Zhang Biao saw Zhang Mingyu walking over. Zhang Mingyu took the belt and fiercely whipped Zhang Biao's buttocks, shouting loudly: "Get out of here! Don't make a racket in front of these common people! How can you treat them like this?"

  Some people who came to respond below the platform saw Zhang Mingyu so majestic, and they couldn't help but think: "General Zhang is really fierce! Too cruel!"

  Zhang Mingyu turned his head and smiled at the old man, saying: "Old man, our recruitment age is between 18 and 35 years old. You should stay behind to take care of your family and home. Defending the country is our responsibility as soldiers. You just rest at home and wait for our good news!"

  The old man, with tears streaming down his face, said: "My three sons all went to join the army. The eldest died on the battlefield in Shanxi, and the second and third died on the battlefields of Songhu and Nanjing." As he spoke, the old man couldn't help but burst into tears. What a great father! When the country was in trouble, he sent all three sons to the battlefield. In China, how many people have sent their sons or husbands to join the army, only to receive one or two pieces of clothing in return? Some have even lost contact forever. How many people like this old man have lost their loved ones, their three sons, and will spend the rest of their lives alone? Zhang Mingyu thought of this and knelt down in front of the old man, crying: "From today on, I, Zhang Mingyu, am your son! I will take care of you until the end of my days. Your sons were good men! They fought for the dignity of our nation! Though they died, their honor remains! We will definitely make the Japanese pay for their blood debt! One day, I will also let the Japanese taste the pain of losing loved ones and having their homes destroyed!"

  The old man was so moved that he was already in tears, and at this time, the soldiers behind Zhang Mingyu also knelt down! The old man trembled to help up the kneeling Zhang Mingyu and said: "Good boy! You're really a good boy!"

  The students and ordinary people who came to the rally below were all moved to tears! A student shouted: "Down with Japanese imperialism! Drive out the little devils from China! Return my rivers and mountains! Expel the dwarf pirates! I'd rather die than be a slave to a lost country!"

  "Down with Japanese imperialism! Drive out the little devils from China! Return our rivers and mountains!....." The crowd below all shouted in unison.

  Brothers support! I need support! Today accompanied my wife to go shopping! Didn't have time to update! Please forgive me!