Chapter 38: The Blade's Edge is Flat and Full of Contentment

  In April, the scorching sun remained, and due to the great sacrifice of the 200th Division in Songkou, it won precious time for the Chinese troops to fully deploy, especially the 66th Army, which had not yet clashed with the Japanese army, was eager to go into battle. Morale was high.

  Song Yu-Hang, the anti-Japanese hero who was blown up to the sky by the National Government, miraculously returned from behind enemy lines! This is a legend in itself! Reporters and comfort delegations swarmed in instantly, and Kasiwa, a small town fifty kilometers away from Mandalay City, suddenly became bustling.

  Song Yu-Hang, who was unwilling to stay in the ward for another second, jumped out of the window with Xu Tu-An to escape and avoid interviews from reporters. An American reporter, who had failed to interview him multiple times, even thought that this famous anti-Japanese general was fabricated by the Nationalist government again.

  Song Yu Hang didn't want to face the so-called news media, now he just wants to visit the officers and soldiers of the 200th Division who broke through the siege first, secondly, after enjoying special care, he directly ignored these rough and clumsy male nurses of the expeditionary force.

  Xu Ti'an was sent to look for Wang Wen, but there was no news. It's said that he might have gone to the new 22nd division? Song Yu Hang couldn't understand why this little girl couldn't let people worry less about her?

  Arriving at the military field hospital outside the town, Song Yu Hang found the officers and men of the 200th Division who were temporarily settled together. The wounded were all right, and many soldiers were still wearing tattered uniforms and bare feet, huddled together in threes and fives, whispering to each other.

  Suddenly, a sharp-eyed soldier spotted Song Yu Hang and shouted: "The acting commander is here! The acting commander is here!"

  The position of acting infantry commander was temporarily assigned to him by Du Yuming after Zheng Tingzhi's death in 1931, and it was also his publicly acknowledged identity in the 200th Division.

  Everyone was in an uproar, the field hospital was like a boiling pot, many wounded soldiers and nurses rushed out of their tents to watch, some keen foreign journalists immediately approached.

  Xiao Guodong pushed through the crowd, and indeed it was Song Yu Hang. He didn't care that Song Yu Hang's arm was still in a sling, he rushed over and started crying, mumbling something incomprehensible.

  Cui Zhijun, who was also carrying a bag on his arm, saw Song Yuhang and was extremely excited. He first saluted him with a military salute, then tightly grasped Song Yuhang's hand.

  Song Yu-Hang keenly discovered that the military uniforms on Cui Zhi-Jun and Xiao Guo-Dong seemed to be the same as those from the ancient times of breaking through the siege. Upon inquiry, it was found out that all the major armies were now deploying. The logistics were extremely busy. The Second Hundred Division's battle with Gu was indeed a severe injury. It could be said that the entire army was annihilated without exaggeration.

  Without a commanding officer, the troops naturally had no one to turn to. The logistics and supplies personnel were bright-eyed. At present, the situation was that these remaining soldiers could not be kept together and would have to be dispersed to various divisions. Issuing them temporary supplies would also be of little use. Therefore, a small area was designated within the field hospital. Only two meals were provided each day.

  "Ah...!" Song Yu Hang's neck suddenly turned red as he swallowed back the dirty words. He threw the armband on his arm to the ground and adjusted his military uniform.

  "Go and get Director Wang Jun for me," Xu shouted. "Tell him the deputy commander of the 200th Division wants to see him!"

  The Director of the Military Supplies Bureau was too busy to attend to this trivial matter. He only sent a lieutenant general assistant to come over. This Lieutenant General Assistant Zhang discovered that the other party was just a mid-ranking military officer, and his nose almost reached the sky. Moreover, he had never heard of a certain Song surname infantry commander in the 200th Division? As for Song Yu Hang's inquiry, it was just one sentence: Is this something you should be asking?

  "Are you speaking officialese?" Song Yu Hang's attitude towards Zhang Assistant was fierce and harsh.

  Song Yuhang suddenly found that more than a dozen foreign journalists were closing in, and hastily asked Xiao Guodong to arrange for someone to pull the journalists away, after all, this was a family scandal.

  Song Yuhang, who had no choice but to rely on his assistant, inadvertently placed his hand on the gun holster at his waist. This move startled Xu Tianan, Cui Zhijun and others standing beside him. Five or six people almost simultaneously rushed over to grab Song Yuhang's handgun, and in the chaos of grabbing and pulling, the gun was actually pulled out, with bullets flying everywhere.

  The muzzle was always pointing in the direction of Assistant Zhang, and Assistant Zhang's pale face had never seen such a scene! A small middle school student, one word not harmonious, pulled out a gun and killed?

  A loud gunshot rang out, and a bullet hit the ground in front of Zhang's assistant. Zhang's assistant instantly sat down on the ground, paralyzed with fear, while Song Yuhang's handgun was also snatched away by Xiao Guodong.

  Song Yuhang, whose arm was aching from the exertion, stretched out his hand and said to Xiao Guodong with a serious face: "Hand over the gun!"

  Zhang thought he had escaped danger and suddenly shook his head violently, like a rattle drum, indicating to Xiao Guodong not to return the gun to Song Yu Hang.

  Xiao Guodong cast a pleading glance at Cui Zhijun, who was standing beside him. Cui Zhijun hesitated for a moment before saying to Song Yuhang, "Don't make things bigger than they need to be. This isn't the ancient front line where we can take temporary extreme measures."

  Song Yuhang glared and said, "What's wrong with the front line? The supplies issued by the military seat are all embezzled and withheld from them. Isn't this a complete reversal of heaven and earth? He's just a small turd lieutenant general, but I'm still the chief of staff of the expeditionary army's military police corps!"

  Director Zhang is now filled with regret! How did he offend this scourge? This guy has been killing people for over a decade! It's said that when there was nothing to eat, they would rip open the bellies of Japanese people and roast them alive, I suppose they've become addicted to killing.

  Director Zhang forced himself to be spirited and didn't care about his official rank, trembling as he said: "Officer Song, this is a misunderstanding, an absolute misunderstanding! Immediately arrange for the brothers to receive supplies and back pay." Song Yuhang nodded heavily in agreement!

  At this time, the reporters outside ignored the soldiers' obstruction and walked closer to find that the young officer inside was actually Song Yuhang, who they had been looking for all along?

  The deputy director of the Military Political Department, Zhu Changjiu, happened to arrive on time. In addition to escorting Song Yu Hang, he announced that a unified press conference would be held tomorrow.

  In the afternoon, someone reported to the Expeditionary Army Headquarters that Song Yuhang had drawn his gun. After Du Yuming inquired about the situation in detail, he said calmly: "It's right to draw a gun, but isn't this also too disheartening for our officers and soldiers? When has my New Fifth Army ever distinguished between insiders and outsiders, or rewarded those who have made contributions?"

  Du Yuming didn't say that the current 200th Division has become a heart disease for him!

  The 200th Division, which suffered a disastrous defeat like Gu, can now be said to have no remnants at all. The division and regimental officers were almost completely lost, and there were only a few battalion-level officers left. Five main force A-type regiments had only over 2,000 lightly wounded soldiers and four companies left behind, not even enough for one regiment's strength. Another defeat was suffered! Morale is naturally low.

  Those who broke out of the siege from Tonggu were even more resentful, complaining a lot about the slow rescue of the Allied forces and friendly troops! Some people even said that this was a repeat of the second 39-year-old Kunlun Pass incident.

  According to Du Yuming's original intention, he wanted to withdraw the 200th Division back home for reorganization and replenishment. However, this plan was shelved at the Military Affairs Department. At present, the Japanese were proclaiming everywhere that they had annihilated China's only mechanized division, the 200th Division. If the 200th Division were to disappear from the Expeditionary Army's roster at this time, it would undoubtedly be a slap in the face for Chongqing, which was still celebrating its great victory.

  Who would be willing to take over this mess? A 'crack' troop that has been battered, five years of painstaking efforts, their beloved will bleed on the battlefield! Du Yuming lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. He had already sent a telegram to the Chongqing side for the second time, asking them to make arrangements for personnel appointments and replenishment of the 200th Division as soon as possible.

  The current 200th Division is really unable to hold on...

  As expected, the 200th Division, which was once a crack unit, has now become a burden to the Military Affairs Department. Before entering Burma, even if they were to transfer a division commander to the 200th Division as a regimental commander, it would be a fierce competition and people would risk their lives for it. The Military Affairs Department issued four consecutive personnel appointments, but three of them were unable to take office due to illness or other reasons, and one person even refused to return to China from the United States.

  Anyone with a discerning eye would know that a crack troop is something that requires money and blood to cultivate, and it can't be cultivated in just five, seven or eight years, let alone without several major battles. The most crucial thing is that the 200th Division needs to regroup and replenish its forces on the Burmese battlefield? This is simply a joke of heavenly proportions! What kind of place is Burma? That's a frontline battlefield! The little devils are bound to win, and being on the battlefield means going into battle. With a bunch of greenhorns who pee their pants at the sound of gunfire? Losing a battle not only ruins one's military future but also brings shame to the country...

  Just as the Military Affairs Department was in a flurry, Song Yuhang, who had been mixed with the Second Hundred Division's garrison all day, became even more anxious. He had sent three telegrams to Soong Tzu-wen, but there was no news from Chongqing at all.