Chapter Eighteen Unexpected

  Faced with the piled-up guns and ammunition, those team leaders who were very good at eating had not a single bit of appetite left. Those who were excited by the high-sounding words had no interest in the old and broken weapons that they did not know when they were produced. Especially those bird guns with long barrels! And the muzzle-loading rifles that were already over 50 years old. Even if it was an old-fashioned Han Yang rifle, a village rain rifle, or a Type 38 rifle, either the rifling had been worn smooth and the bullets flew out floating, or they were severely damaged in the hands of these uneducated militiamen, with different calibers. The Red Army did not have ammunition supplies that matched their rifles!

  However, the high-ranking officials were indeed very interested in them! To know that at the beginning of the war of resistance a few years later, the Eighth Route Army was so lacking in guns and ammunition! So many soldiers were armed with nothing but big knives, long spears, or even just one hand grenade before going into battle. Therefore, if these weapons are kept now, it would be great to leave them for the militia to use in the future!

  As other Red Army soldiers were rummaging through the pile of guns, laughing and crying at the same time, Gaoquan turned his attention to those cannons! Looking at these majestic giants, Gaoquan's blood was boiling with excitement! It's worth noting that many of these cannons were even older than Gaoquan's grandfather! Especially the several Ming-era falconets, Gaoquan began to suspect that these might be the very same ones used by Xiong Tinggui to attack Li Zicheng's war chariots!: "How can this thing have been preserved for so long?" Gaoquan patted those still shiny cannons heavily.

  Not to mention the several big guns, which were made from the loud and clear Wuhan Iron and Steel Factory's seamless steel pipes. Although they were crafted by bird gun craftsmen in the mountains and countryside, just take a look at those sturdy oak handles and you'll know that their craftsmanship is not ordinary. The more I looked at these old antiques, the more I fell in love with them! Moreover, most of these guns weigh over 100 jin (about 50 kg), especially the big guns from Wuhan Iron and Steel Factory, which weigh just over 20 jin (about 10 kg).

  Just as the high-ranking officials were happily sweeping the battlefield, the reconnaissance company placed by the military department about 100 miles behind the troops was constantly falling into trouble. The Kuomintang spared no effort to prevent the Red Twenty-Fifth Army from establishing a base in the Funiu Mountain area, not only dispatching the Third and Fourth Suppression Brigades but also the remnants of the 115th Division, more than half a regiment, with over 10,000 troops, ready to drive out the Twenty-Fifth Army like a rabbit.

  Just as Chiang Kai-shek said: "The bandits cannot be allowed to stop, they will take root if they do! Then the local area will be plagued by bandits!" And the first to bear the pressure is the reconnaissance company that has been wandering in the mountains with the enemy. To avenge their hatred, the remnants of the Nationalist 115th Division have been relentless in their pursuit of the reconnaissance company, which pretended to be the main force of the Red Army. Fortunately, the reconnaissance company was equipped with a large number of short guns, which allowed these guys running around in the dense forest to avoid major losses. However, as the Nationalists continued to recruit local farmers and hunters as guides, the days of the reconnaissance company became increasingly difficult.

  "Are the enemy growing wolf fangs or what!" The reconnaissance company commander, who was squatting by the fire pit roasting the flames, suddenly asked the instructor beside him. "Heh, why are you asking this?" The company instructor smiled and said. Slowly raising his head, the company commander looked at the instructor with a desolate gaze, and bitterly smiled: "If it wasn't like this, how could the enemy's nose be more sensitive than a dog's! Wherever we go, they follow us there! What are they if not dogs!"

  But the instructor couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, watching his elite soldiers fall one by one, or lie in pain on stretchers. "I don't know when we'll be able to catch up with the main force, but judging from the new markers in the woods, it won't be long! This time I'm definitely going to give Gaoquan a good scolding! If he hadn't screwed over the 115th Brigade, they wouldn't have gone mad like this!"

  They heard the complaints and dissatisfaction in the instructor's tone, but Lian Chang didn't say anything. However, the two of them suddenly thought of Du Shu Town at the same time - those miserable Nationalist soldiers! And that Nationalist brigade commander who was captured with a very shameful expression! The two men looked at each other and smiled, staring blankly at the crackling fire. After patting his military coat, the instructor said in a low voice, "You should get some sleep quickly! We'll be moving out in two hours! I'm going to check on the sentry." Then he slowly walked away, crunching through the dry twigs and leaves with a "creaking" sound.

  In the quiet camp, only the crackling of wet firewood under the scorching flames, the damp chill of winter rain and snow, the occasional snoring sounds, and the unusually long sighs remained. The sharp eyes that had always been keen now had crystal-like tears hanging on them, perhaps only those elite warriors hiding in the withered branches and leaves, and their piercing eyes would know...

  The ancestral hall of the Wang family, however, was filled with an unusual sense of oppression. The originally cheerful and affable military commander and political commissar were now sitting on the side, looking somewhat disheartened as they repeatedly savored the slightly bitter tea leaves in the steaming teacups. Deputy Commander Xu looked even more worried, his eyebrows furrowed in silence. The extremely oppressive atmosphere made Gao Quan, who had been allowed to sit in and listen due to the leaders' attention, feel uneasy and restless. "If we can't stay here and develop a base, then let's leave! After all, aren't there still Shaanxi-Gansu and Shaanxi-Henan bases? Why get stuck on one tree?"

  Although it's not pleasant to say this, but as a young squad leader of only 14 or 15 years old, who would have let me attend this meeting if not for the face of the political commissar? Moreover, the development of the base area in Funiu Mountain is an order from the Central Committee! How could the local authorities possibly confront the Central Committee? However, the reality is that without a radio transmitter to contact the Central Committee, the Red 25th Army must face alone the Nationalist Party's pursuit army of over 10,000 troops! Moreover, it's in unfamiliar territory! The bandits are everywhere, and the villages surrounded by stockades are all over the Funiu Mountain area!

  "The enemy is heavily armed and approaching! They are less than a day's journey away from us! We can't afford to waste any more time here! We must make a decision whether to fight or retreat! If we don't, the enemy will catch up with us and we'll be at their mercy! The blood of our many soldiers will have been wasted in vain! In my opinion, we are no match for them now, nor do we have the strength to fight. Rather than being worn down by the enemy here, allowing them to gather heavy troops to annihilate us, wouldn't it be better to go somewhere else to develop? I've heard that the Shaanxi-Henan region has our revolutionary base!" The pale-faced political commissar said stiffly after taking a sip of tea.

  A shocking remark on the stage caused a stir among the crowd below, with many surprised eyes fixed on General Cheng Zihua's face. After all, he was the person sent by the Central Committee to guide the work! If he opposed it, the political commissar's opinion would also be likely to be rebutted. However, everyone in their hearts knew that although the troops had won several victories, the original 3,000-strong force now had only 2,500 people left, with a considerable number of wounded and sick soldiers inside. If the troops continued to waste away like this, the Red Twenty-Fifth Army, which had just regained its prestige, would again face the danger of being defeated and returning to its original state!

  The eager eyes of the crowd made Cheng Junlong also express his agreement with the political commissar's words, and for a moment, the small meeting room was filled with raised hands. Even Gao Quan stood up, raising her small hand high, causing everyone to burst out laughing. Even Xu Deputy Military Commander looked at Gao Quan with a lot of eyes several times.

  However, this time the troops continued to advance, and Gao Quan did not easily let go of those wealthy landlords. In order to raise important revolutionary funds, Gao Quan sent people to their homes to demand money according to their wealth. Even Zhang Jiazhai, which Gao Quan regretted not being able to occupy, received a letter from him, inquiring about the ransom for his son and the soldiers. This was Gao Quan's first time doing this, and he excitedly told the political commissar: "Brazen robbery and kidnapping is much more thrilling than being a night burglar!"

  Zhen was in the Wang family's courtyard, holding a strange brush and excitedly calculating that this time he would earn nearly 100,000 taels of silver. He received several accountants sent by the village with great displeasure. Looking at these haggling, unpleasant misers, Gaoguan took out a pile from his drawer, with ring-adorned fingers stained with blood and flesh (cut off from corpses! How dark is Gaoguan's mind!), and placed them on the table, intimidating the misers with an air of triumph.

  Before afternoon, these households obediently sent over their money and valuables. Especially several young masters came to persuade High Guangquan, even swearing that if he killed those old geezers, they would double the amount of money! Following the principle of not accepting unearned wealth, after collecting the money, High Guangquan released the starving old men back home. Then, amidst the mocking laughter of Political Commissar and Army Commander, he awkwardly settled the accounts with the Financial Director.

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