Chapter Nineteen: Mental Calculation

  Perhaps because Gaoquan had suffered those old wealthy people, so before he could sit happily in the golden mountains and silver seas to count his money, Gaoquan immediately felt the strong resentment of those old wealthy people. The two armies of more than 10,000 people from the Nationalist Party, under the leadership of hunters who were familiar with the Funiu Mountains since childhood and skilled at tracking, tightly bit down on the rear guard of the Red Twenty-Fifth Army.

  Fortunately, the enemy was cautious and did not dare to divide their troops into three routes. If they had, the half-encircled circle would have been even more difficult for us to withstand. It is unknown whether it was due to the rugged terrain of Mount Funiu and the treacherous mountain roads that the remnants of the 115th Division of the 44th Army, who were eager for revenge, had to slow down their pace. Meanwhile, the Red Army soldiers continued to march after changing into one pair of tattered straw sandals after another, without even having a hot meal to eat. As a result, the morale and combat effectiveness of the troops gradually declined unknowingly.

  Moreover, Gaoquan is also having a headache over that pile of trashy treasures. The "Shenwei General Cannon" left behind when his brain was momentarily feverish has caused great suffering for those teenage comrades on the muddy mountain roads. If you add the black gunpowder and iron sand, iron beans and other jars, along with the broken clothes of the guard company now, it's simply a Republic-era beggar king.

  "Deputy company commander, these things on our backs are greatly affecting our marching speed! Although we can still keep up with the main force's pace for now, but if we walk a few hundred miles, we'll all be left far behind! This is not good! These big guys need to be dealt with! Otherwise, how can the troops fight? How can they protect the leader?" The special existence of the guard company, Old Sun, puffed on his pipe while asking Deputy Commander Gao with an expressionless face.

  Gao Quan has also discovered his own mistakes over the past few days. The current Red Twenty-Fifth Army is just like Liu and Deng's army when they first marched into the Dabie Mountains, requiring flexibility, agility, and speed. In order to destroy all those mountain cannons, Liu and Deng's army had to be so fast back then. However, for Gao Quan, who loves firearms so much, it's really hard to give up these "heavy firepower" weapons! After some deliberation, Gao Quan finally made a difficult decision: "Old Sun, we can't waste such good stuff, right?"

  Gao Quan's words had just begun when he suddenly enraged Old Sun so much that his eyes turned white with anger: "You... you... you little brat!"

  "So! I'm going to leave a good impression on those white-skinned dogs, let the Kuomintang help us solve these heavy burdens, and there are so many iron sands and gunpowder. Actually, carrying so many things on the road, I also feel quite tired!" The words behind Gaoquan made Old Sun's eyes turn white with anger, "How can those broken toys be used to fight against the Kuomintang's cannons and machine guns?"

  However, Wu Zhengde agreed with Gao Quan, about the idea of blocking the enemy for a period of time. The enemy had been too rampant recently! The 25th Army, which was galloping in the Dabie Mountains, was still being driven like monkeys by the Nationalist troops in their own familiar mountainous terrain for the first time! Moreover, the increasingly low morale and the growing number of wounded soldiers had also worried him for a long time.

  The two armies of the Nationalist Party, with over 10,000 people, surged into Funiu Mountain, making the already chaotic situation even more turbulent and confusing. The bandits had previously suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the Communist forces in Funiu Mountain, and now they were faced with the Nationalist army's several tens of thousands of troops. The various small-time bandits hid in their own strongholds, not daring to make any rash moves, fearing that if their subordinates made a mistake, it would be a disaster for them. As a result, the small mountain city of Fangcheng County, an important town in Nanyang and Funiu Mountain area, was suddenly packed with people from all sides.

  As a famous squire of Funiu Mountain, Zhang was also heavily affected by the Communist bandits' passage this time. Half of the village guards were lost, as well as 20,000 yuan. Therefore, he specially gathered hundreds of large and small squires from Funiu Mountain to entertain them at Tianyun Pavilion in Fangcheng before the campaign against the bandits, led by Commander-in-Chief Li Zifa (the actual commander-in-chief at that time could not be found).

  At the banquet, facing numerous flatteries, Li Zifeng, who had been exhausted from the long journey, also relaxed his tightly wound nerves: "Don't underestimate these little Communist bandits. With only over three thousand people, they are quite skilled in battle! I think your guards have learned a lesson about their combat power, haven't they?" Li Zifeng smiled at those embarrassed-looking wealthy men, and couldn't help but feel secretly pleased: "Not letting you guys learn a lesson, then intimidating you for a bit! How could you not be willing to pay up?"

  "This Nanyang region has been a place of contention for military strategists since ancient times! Although the Nanyang area is surrounded by mountains and water, adjacent to the Funiu Mountains and the dense Han River area, it seems to be far from the Central Plains. However, following the Han River downstream, one can reach the stronghold of Xiangfan, exit through Fangcheng Road to reach the Central Plains, or take the Sanxia Road to connect with Ruyang Luoyang! With its rich resources, the Communist Party wants to establish a solid base here and confront the central government. It's indeed a good calculation!" Li Zifeng said slowly, his face serious as he drank wine.

  But these words scared the gentry! The Communist bandits just passed by and the land price rose by an inch! If they stay here for a long time, or even establish a solid base, it would be disastrous! By then, their lives and property would be in danger! The crowd was in an uproar, but Zhang Juren watched with a cold smile. Although he had suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Communist bandits, he could see that Li Zifang, who wore the rank of lieutenant general, was not a good person either. "This is indeed 'driving out the tiger from the front door and letting in the wolf from the back door'! This time, if we don't make some big sacrifices, it will be impossible to resolve the situation! Is this year's unlucky star really unfavorable?"

  "General, why didn't your army attack in three routes this time? I suppose our scouts have informed you that the Communist bandits are planning an ambush, but it's unlikely they'll succeed. A two-route pincer movement is like a pair of pliers, driving the bandits out, but there are still gaps between your troops. If we had attacked in three routes, it would be like a comb, thoroughly sweeping the bandits out of Funiu Mountain! I'm just a humble man, but I hope you'll explain this to dispel everyone's doubts." Zhang Juren was dissatisfied with Li Zifan, but he didn't directly confront him. Instead, he used his younger brother as a mouthpiece to mock Li Zifan and express his discontent.

  Looking at the old man beside Zhang Juren, Li Zifa snorted and cast a slightly disdainful glance at the fat-headed and big-eared guy. "You're really something, Zhang Juren! You think you can get away with it just because your brother-in-law is a high-ranking official in the provincial city? Well, let me tell you, this time I won't let you off scot-free!" "Military secrets are not for the likes of you rural bumpkins to know! Besides, as far as I know, there are several suspected communist sympathizers around here. If I were to reveal our military plans, wouldn't that be playing right into the communists' hands?" Li Zifa deliberately glanced at Zhang Juren a few times, making it clear to these cunning old men that the conflict between Zhang Juren and himself was not trivial...

  "I'm not afraid of you telling the Communist bandits, my army of over 5,000 is on its way. If Wu Huanxian and Xu Haifeng have a good appetite, come and bite! I want to see whose teeth are harder, theirs or my bullets!" Li Zifa slammed his cup to the ground, the sharp shards scattering everywhere with a crisp sound. "Dang dang dang" dozens of elite soldiers armed with rifles rushed up the stairs, quickly surrounding Zhang Juren and his younger brothers in the middle. The dark gun barrels made the atmosphere inside freeze!

  After carefully wiping the juice from his mouth with a towel, Li Zifeng looked at Zhang Juren with a thick face and slowly said: "Zhang Lao Ye? Zhang Juren? Comrade Zhang? I really don't know what kind of bear heart and leopard gall you have eaten, actually daring to give more than 200 people's weapons and ammunition, as well as 20,000 yuan to the Communist bandits! I wonder if you are very generous? Or have you become so deeply mired in that communist cause that you can't extricate yourself? Are you now regretting not letting your second son join the Communist bandits? Or do you regret not dividing up your land among those poor Ha Ha people?"

  Zhang Juren looked at Li Zifang, who was eating with a very bad expression, and said coldly: "General Li, if you want to add crimes to me, what's the difficulty in finding words? However, if you want to add crimes to me, it's better to see if you have that strength! Those martial artists who act without measuring their strength often end up in a very miserable situation! Even Wu Peifu, the commander-in-chief of Henan, who has been training troops for many years and has tens of millions of elite soldiers, wasn't he defeated overnight and lost everything?"

  Before he could finish, hundreds of armed men in various uniforms emerged from a corner, confronting Li Zifeng's subordinates. Zhang Juren also pulled out an appointment certificate with the Blue Sky White Sun emblem! The 60-year-old Zhang Juren was unexpectedly appointed as the new Deputy Commander of the Nanyang Security Command Department of the Nanjing National Government and concurrently served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Funiu Mountain Bandit Suppression Headquarters.

  In short, Zhang Juren is now sitting alongside Li Zifa, and as soon as Liu Chairman of Luoyang transports his troops' uniforms, weapons, ammunition, and other supplies, he will be the dominant force!

  There's still one more chapter tonight, going out for dinner, rushing to rank