Chapter Thirty-two: August Radiance

  After the victory in the battle of Yuanjiagoukou, Gao Quan led his troops to win three more battles, greatly boosting the prestige of the Red Army. The morale and popular support that had fallen due to the northward march of the main force of the Red Army and the encirclement by the Kuomintang's heavy troops quickly rose again. As a result, local militia forces dared not come out to operate without the accompaniment of at least one battalion of regular Kuomintang troops.

  The victory of Yuanjiagoukou also brought a large number of local troops, guerrilla units and Red Guards who were scattered everywhere to look for the legendary main force. With an endless supply of soldiers, plus the weapons and ammunition captured last time, the troops quickly grew stronger. Moreover, what made Gao Quan happy was that these soldiers from the Soviet area had some combat experience. As long as they were equipped with veteran soldiers as squad leaders, and new weapons, they would become powerful fighting forces again!

  Moreover, from Gaoquan's perspective, these highly spirited soldiers, after undergoing one or two battles of tempering and certain training, can become a combat backbone force comparable to the reconnaissance team!

  The fiery and energetic training ground made Wei Lao, who had just escaped from a day of hard and tedious work, feel joyful and comforted. He smiled as he watched the young people train, puffing on his pipe in the corner, with the wisps of smoke drifting lazily into the air like his mood.

  "How's that! Wei Lao is still okay, right?" Gao Quan sat down beside Wei Lao as quietly as a cat, and his soft voice startled Wei Lao greatly.

  "Good you little brat! Quieter than a cat! Has your kung fu improved again recently? I thought you were just an eighteen-year-old kid, how could you have such great skills?! Now you're not even trying to hide it!" A month of getting along had made Wei Lao very familiar with the eighteen-year-old team leader beside him. The miraculous rise and deeds of this young man were so astonishing that when they saw the wanted poster with the villainous-looking fugitive on it, the members of the 228th team couldn't help but burst out laughing for a long time!

  Facing the silent and expressionless face of Gaoquan, who was habitually smiling, Wei Lao thought it was just a sign of being mature beyond his years. After glancing at Gaoquan, who was intently staring at the training soldiers, Wei Lao spoke in a very familiar tone about other matters.

  "Gao Heizi, now that our troops are strong and vigorous, shouldn't we expand our organization to division level? Ever since the main force of the Red Army left, our masses and Soviet cadres have been in a state of anxiety, with their hearts hanging in mid-air! If we had a division, even just in name, it would be enough to reassure them! Moreover, this would also make the Nationalist Party fearful of our growing revolutionary forces! In the future, their small-scale troops will be even more afraid to act recklessly!"

  Listening to Wei Lao's inquiring tone, Gao Quan felt uncomfortable in his heart. "Expanding one's own organization to the level of a division is not just about the benefits mentioned by Wei Lao. More importantly, it will attract the attention of the Nationalist Party! A seemingly powerful organization will make the Nationalist Party pay more attention to our small troops, but when the time comes, we will face encirclement and suppression! The Nationalist Party attaches great importance to Xi'an, a strategic location, and will not allow others to sleep soundly by their side. As for the way of the general, it is very particular about hiding in the shadows!"

  However, this extreme practicality, regardless of the surging revolutionary passion, made it difficult for Gaoquan to say anything. So he evaded the question by saying: "Wei Lao, isn't this matter a bit urgent? Let's wait until we merge with the guerrilla troops under E and Shan, and then make another plan! After all, there are still some coordination issues."

  Looking at Wei Lao, who was lowering his head and smoking with a "pa-ta-pa-ta" sound, as if he had something on his mind, Gao Quan continued to strike while the iron was hot: "Now we still haven't received news from our main force, the Red Army. If we were to establish a division-level unit at this time, many things would be unclear in the future! After all, political matters are not easy to discuss, and with so many movements and people falling down, Chairman Zhang's actions during his time in Hubei, Henan, and Anhui still leave many old soldiers and cadres with a lingering fear!"

  Wei Lao nodded slightly in agreement with Gao Quan's opinion. In the past, when he was the secretary of the E Dong Dao Special Committee, many things were still personally experienced by him. However, his heart was increasingly admiring this eighteen-year-old regiment commander, who was neither arrogant nor rash, but instead was practical, serious, meticulous, and cautious in both action and conduct. This was something that even someone of his age could hardly attain!

  Chiang Kai-shek's $10,000 reward is infinitely enticing! Whether it's bandits who have fled to the mountains or leaders of the Red Gun Society, Big Knife Society, or whatever other Jianghu figures, they all eagerly try to get their hands on the head of the great hero! From poisoning to assassination, from machine gun sweeps to close-range dagger killings, from open and fair martial arts competitions to surprise attacks, to disguising themselves as beggars, women, or children.

  Even the tall and mighty, fully armed men in the temporary prison, were tied up with ropes one circle after another, unable to utter a word. Those reconnaissance soldiers were overjoyed! The thrill of fighting against heaven and earth, and against people, was endless! Moreover, they also had the perfect opportunity to test their combat strength, from reconnaissance and sentry duty, to security and defense; from decoys to feigning weakness; from food safety to using anesthesia and smoke bombs. It was a huge exercise for the troops!

  What delighted them even more was that the gangsters brought with them guns and ammunition, their rifles were all brand new German-made Spanish goods! This made them extremely happy! Plus those two light machine guns. "This business is going to make a big profit!" The scouts and guards who also served as security personnel exclaimed excitedly whenever they saw someone.

  What made them even more excited was the sight of Gaoquan's extraordinary skill - Jiuyin Baigujiao! Those broken bodies, wounds that exposed bones. And the precognition and astonishing dodging ability against sneak attacks from the dark. These were truly astonishing to everyone! The gunplay that blew heads off with a single shot made soldiers who had never seen Gaoquan in action before admire him greatly!

  Of course, for "class enemies", except for those who admire the high martial arts and sincerely surrender, and decide to join the Red Army or promise not to be enemies of the Red Army in the future, they will be released one by one. As for other hypocritical guys, the ghost head knife of the Red Army is their final fate!

  In the sweltering heat of August, the cicadas' shrill cries and the frogs' croaks made Gao Duquan feel not only unbearable heat but also a sense of unease. After settling down his long military column, Gao Duquan took several young scouts, wearing tattered clothes and carrying firewood with hidden guns, slowly heading towards the Erhe town in Ningqiang County. The artful and daring Gao Duquan was not afraid of the over 100-strong militia at all; if it weren't for the urgent need to rush on their journey, they might have even gone into Erhe town to repair and inspect the militia's equipment "maintenance conditions".

  Although the troops led by Gao Guanzhong were not yet able to provide a white uniform for each soldier, they were still able to collect enough military uniforms for three or four hundred people. For this reason, those militia forces suffered greatly! Who would have thought that a team of three or four hundred people with brand new military uniforms and equipment, armed with dark blue guns, would be the "street rats" of the Red Army in southern Shaanxi?

  Singing folk songs from southern Shaanxi - "Eighteen Touches", Gao Quan and others were as happy as a group of 17 or 18-year-old mountain kids, after paying an entrance fee of one copper coin, they entered the town of Lianghe happily. The newspapers of the Nationalist Party were Gao Quan's first choice target, from last month to recent days, became the target of collection for Gao Quan and others. As for those militia teams, can people without culture understand the importance of newspapers? Even if they discovered it, didn't Gao Quan and others still have guns in their hands? It wasn't that Gao Quan looked down on them, a group of new recruits who had just picked up rifles, whether they could hit the target at 50 meters was a question worth considering!

  Bandit army's 25th political commissar was shot dead by our country's heroic soldiers in the Jingchuan area! Extremely guilty and heinous...

  The rough lead type has lost all interest in reading on, heart aching. Gaoduan's mind is blank for an instant, just heartache, with a cold and chilly feeling! In the scorching August sun, amidst the short sleeves of summer, a chill rises from the bottom of his heart! Overwhelmed with grief, filled with indignation and sorrow... none of these can describe Gaoduan's emotions at this moment. He collapses softly to the ground, still tightly clutching the newspaper reporting Commissar Wu Huanxian's sacrifice.

  Lying on the bed, Gaoquan thought of that middle-aged man who warmly welcomed him to join the Red Army at a dazed time. The fatherly smile and care had made him spend many happy days, as well as the elder sister's motherly care and love, with a happy smile, shining like the August sun.

  Clenching the rifle with the shell given by the political commissar, it has not been replaced or lost for many years. The shiny barrel was disassembled into parts and wiped clean with a cloth soaked in gun oil countless times...