Chapter Ten Emergency Mission

  "Don't worry, sir, we'll turn it into a graveyard for those devils!"

  Cheng Qian led all the entourage to see off the departing generals on the platform. Under the dazzling spotlight of the locomotive, Chen Hao and Xu Liang stood on the flatcar, facing the platform, standing at attention and saluting.

  Enemy 14th Division Headquarters, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Sano Tadayoshi reported to the Division Commander Tōhigashi Yoshito: "The 28th Brigade reported that they dispatched the 50th Infantry Regiment to raid Lanfeng, and at dawn today in the northeast direction of Lanfeng, they encountered Chinese armored forces. The Chinese army's 8 tanks and more than 30 infantrymen attacked our troops, and most of the vanguard unit's infantry company and two cavalry squads from the 18th Cavalry Regiment were killed. The main force of the 50th Regiment was not discovered by the Chinese army, but it failed to launch a surprise attack as planned."

  Tsuchihara walked back and forth in front of the map without saying a word.

  Sano: "Commander, don't you think we should cancel the surprise attack plan?"

  "Oh? Why?"

  "Commander, since they've encountered the enemy, it's likely that the enemy will strengthen their vigilance and send out search parties. If they're discovered, their situation will be very unfavorable."

  "Anything else?"

  "Judging from today's battle performance of the Chinese army, it is greatly different from before."

  "You're referring to the Chinese armored unit? That's their 200th Armored Division, according to our intelligence from Wuhan. Only two battalions have arrived this time. We control the skies, so we don't need to worry about these armored troops."

  "We are facing the newly arrived 28th Army, and judging from the combat situation, their equipment and troop quality are superior to those of ordinary Chinese troops."

  "So, Sano-kun, what's your take on this?"

  "Yes, I think we should attack the left wing of the enemy's main force in the 88th Division's defense zone, meet up with the returning 50th Brigade, and then advance eastward with the entire army. After merging with the 16th Division of the Second Army, we will resume our offensive."

  "Why don't we counterattack Cao County and link up with our First Army in the rear?"

  "The Cao County troops are strong combat units such as the 74th Division of China, if our attack cannot succeed quickly, then the enemy on the southern front may take advantage of this to launch a counterattack, which will put my division in a very unfavorable position."

  "So you think we're at a disadvantage now?"

  "Please forgive me for speaking bluntly, General. Our division is indeed currently in a state of isolation with enemies on three sides."

  "Sano-kun, from a local battlefield situation perspective, your analysis is correct, but from a strategic perspective, it's incorrect."

  "Yes, Instructor Team Leader's training instructions."

  "Since the North China Incident, our First Army has been advancing south along the Pinghan Railway, while the Second Army has been moving forward along the Tianjin-Pukou Railway. Initially, we made rapid progress, far exceeding the speed of the Second Army. However, after we occupied northern Henan, the Chinese blew up the Yellow River Bridge and deployed heavy troops on the opposite bank to defend it, making it impossible for us to advance further. This fifth-largest river in the world cannot be navigated by large-tonnage ships, and our navy is unable to sail upstream. What does this stalemate mean for us?"

  "However, General, we have made significant progress in Shanghai and Nanjing, and our current progress in the Xuzhou area is also satisfactory."

  "Are you satisfied, Sano-kun?"

  "What does the Brigade Commander mean?"

  "Recently, a certain person in China wrote an article analyzing and looking forward to this war called "On Protracted War", which was publicly published in Chinese newspapers. His analysis is indeed incisive and thorough."

  "Even if he has some brilliant insights, but as a leader of **, it is unlikely that the Chinese authorities will adopt them."

  "No, the Chinese authorities seem to have accepted his views at least in part and have roughly summarized a strategy of 'trading space for time, accumulating small victories into a big victory'. If this long-term resistance strategy is allowed to be implemented, the consequences will be extremely severe. Compared with China, although we have a great advantage in war, our resources are limited. Although we occupied resource-rich Manchuria, unfortunately no oil was found there and rubber is not produced either. If the 'China Incident' becomes prolonged, in order to obtain strategic resources to support the war, we may be forced to clash with European and American countries."

  "So you're saying we should fight on multiple fronts?"

  "So, the advantage of the war with China lies in a quick decision. However, the General Headquarters hesitated and could not concentrate its forces, instead adding them gradually. But the Chinese authorities also made a serious strategic mistake."

  "Yes, they shouldn't have concentrated their main forces in Xuzhou area."

  "Sano, you are clever. This goes against their long-term resistance policy. We can take advantage of this opportunity to annihilate their elite troops and then easily capture the Central Plains, advance south along the Ping-Han Railway to take Wuhan, sweep across the southwest, fight a quick battle, and quickly end the 'China Incident'."

  "General, so annihilating the Japanese army in the Xuzhou area and not letting them escape has become the key to solving all problems."

  "However, the Second Army and the Central China Expeditionary Force, although they made a detour from both the south and north to the west of Xuzhou, have not yet been able to close the encirclement circle to the west of Xuzhou. Now the Chinese army has abandoned Xuzhou, their main force is retreating towards the Anhui-Henan border, a considerable number of elite troops equipped with heavy equipment are concentrated along the Longhai Railway in the area of Dangshan, Shangqiu and Minquan, only by quickly occupying Lanfeng can they be intercepted and eliminated, otherwise once they escape, it will have a significant adverse impact on the future war situation."

  "But I don't understand why the 10th Division is still attacking towards Mangshan, since we have already occupied Xuzhou. Attacking Mangshan no longer has any significance of outflanking and encircling. Wouldn't it be more effective if they attacked westward and joined forces with us?"

  "It's probably meant to imply that we're stealing their thunder. Those narrow-minded guys."

  "But for our division to complete the task you mentioned under such unfavorable circumstances, isn't it too difficult? If an accident like Tairenzhuan were to occur, then..."

  "Major General Sano, don't you have confidence in the combat effectiveness of our 14th Division? Although there are many Chinese troops around us, they have many obvious weaknesses. The biggest weakness is their commander-in-chief, Mr. Chiang. He studied at our Japanese military academy, but his military abilities are indeed mediocre. However, he thinks highly of himself and even interferes with the details of battlefield command. As the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu said: 'The ruler's faults in relation to the army are three: Not knowing how to use the troops, yet employing them; not knowing how to bring about a victorious situation, yet taking the field; not knowing how to adapt to changing circumstances, yet engaging in warfare. These are the faults of the ruler.' Isn't Mr. Chiang's behavior a perfect illustration of Sun Tzu's words? Hahaha..."

  "The commander is erudite, I admire him extremely."

  "Moreover, the Chinese army has strong combat effectiveness, but more have weak combat effectiveness and fragile will to fight, and it is easy to collapse at a touch. However, those two armored regiments are not to be underestimated, this team may be led by that madman Qiu. Tell the 50th regiment to show the heroic spirit of the Imperial Japanese Army, which views death as homecoming, use more gasoline to make incendiary bottles and throw them at the rear of the tanks, where they are weak, and also blow up the tank's tracks to make it lose mobility. Once the Chinese tanks are eliminated, the enemy will inevitably be intimidated, and a brilliant victory will beckon us."

  "Yes, General! What time will we launch the attack?"

  "Order the 50th Regiment to hide and wait, sneak attack on Lanfeng County at 3 am tomorrow morning. At 3:15, we will launch a frontal assault, with the main direction of attack being the left wing of the Chinese army. After breaking through, quickly turn around and encircle. Tell the officers and soldiers: The great achievement of defeating the enemy is just around the corner."

  In the pitch-black night, distant artillery fire could be heard from the north. Occasionally, there were a few scattered gunshots at the front line. At Lanfeng North Pass, the drowsy sentry wandered to the end of his life in a daze, and an entire company of the 88th Division was captured while they slept.

  A loud explosion, the north gate of Lanfeng County was blown open, and Japanese troops rushed into the county in the firelight. Gunfire and explosions filled the air, and flames burst out from the rooftops of houses on both sides of the street. The defenders were thrown into chaos. Long Muchan, awakened from his sleep, fled westward in disarray under the protection of his guards. The officers and men of the 88th Division were like headless flies, rushing about wildly, suffering heavy casualties. Lanfeng had fallen!

  Kwei Yung-ching's command post had recently been moved to Ta-wang-chi, southwest of Lanfeng. As he entered the combat headquarters, several staff officers were frantically trying to figure out what was happening on the phone. Suddenly, gunfire and artillery erupted from the front line as the enemy launched a full-scale attack. The Nationalist Army, accustomed to the Japanese launching attacks during the day, was caught off guard. The 88th Division's forward positions were breached first, followed by a wavering of the entire line, with troops retreating in disarray...

  Zhengzhou, the headquarters of the First War Zone, Chairman Chiang had just received the joyful news of "Lanfeng's great victory" and was dreaming of annihilating the Tada Hayao division, turning the tide of battle, and showcasing his brilliant leadership to the world. However, the news of Lanfeng's loss shocked him back to reality. The furious Chairman stared at the enemy situation map for a long time: the Tada Hayao division, which was originally surrounded by our army, had broken through from the front line where our forces were strongest and cut off the Longhai Railway. In the Xuzhou area, some of our troops had retreated to southeastern Henan, but a significant portion of the main force, equipped with heavy equipment, was retreating along the railway in the Shangshui, Shangqiu, and Minquan areas. If these troops, blocked by the enemy east of Lanfeng, abandoned the railway line and retreated southwest, not only would they fail to complete their original plan of heading west to Zhengzhou, transferring to the Pinghan Railway, and quickly reaching the outskirts of Wuhan for reorganization and defense, but they would also suffer unbearable losses in equipment and personnel under enemy pursuit.

  Chiang Kai-shek gritted his teeth: "Order Gui Yongqing to retake Lanfeng within 24 hours, otherwise military law will be enforced! Immediately arrest and send the commander of the 88th Division, Long Muchan, who lost Lanfeng, to the Wuhan Military Court! Order the air force stationed in Luoyang and Zhoukou to provide full cover for the troops concentrated on the Donglaihai Road! Order the railway department to immediately organize personnel and materials to repair the damaged sections of the road by 18:00 tomorrow!" After a pause, he added fiercely: "Prepare a special train, I want to go to Kaifeng to direct the battle in person!" The deputy commander-in-chief of the First War Zone, Liu Xiang, and the chief of staff, Yan Yunpu, were shocked when they heard this, and they hastily tried to dissuade him. However, Chiang shook his head and waved his hand, showing a determined attitude to go. When Commander-in-Chief Cheng Qian of the First War Zone arrived after hearing the news, he advised: "The Chairman is the leader of the country, and his personal safety is related to the national security. How can you take risks lightly? Why should the Chairman be angry with the clown Tōjō Hideki? I will immediately rush to Kaifeng, personally deploy the counterattack, and definitely retake Lanfeng and rescue the surrounded troops. I hope the Chairman will prioritize the overall situation."

  Chiang Kai-shek looked at Cheng Qian for a moment, then slowly said: "Alright, let's do it your way. You are an elder statesman of the party and country, I trust you completely. You must tell Gui Yongqing that no matter what the cost, he must quickly retake Lanfeng, open up the Longhai Railway, otherwise military law will show no mercy."

  "Yes, Chairman!"

  Kaifeng, already in a state of siege by dark clouds, with cannon fire rumbling from the east and enemy planes occasionally harassing the skies. The 4th Security Regiment received orders to prepare to escort the railway repair team to the front line to repair the railway on the day Lanfeng fell. At that time, Kaifeng's military strength was already very weak, and the troops defending the north bank of the Yellow River at Liuyuan Mouth could not be withdrawn, so they had to send the small number of Kaifeng garrison troops to the Lanfeng front line for reinforcements. The original three regiments of Commander Wang had long been deployed to fight in the southwest of Shandong Province. The 4th Security Regiment became the only "main force" that could be mobilized within Kaifeng City at this time. The First War Zone did not have high expectations for this local security force, which had just been formed a few months ago, and their task was simply to wait for the 28th Army to retake Lanfeng, then enter Lanfeng and Neihuangji stations, cover the railway repair personnel repairing the sections destroyed by the enemy, ensure the safe withdrawal of military trains, that is to say, they did not expect them to fight head-on, as long as they could bear the responsibility of guarding the flanks and rear, allowing the Central Army to block the enemy.

  After months of rigorous and arduous military training and patriotic education, the 4th Guards Regiment was like a newly forged sharp sword, in an inconspicuous simple scabbard, unknown to others.

  Chen Hao and Xu Liang received the order, immediately convening a meeting of battalion commanders and above. At the meeting, Xu Liang analyzed the current situation, believing that after the 28th Army's recent defeat, it would take time to regroup and organize troops, and the combat effectiveness of the troops was also questionable. It would be difficult to retake Lanfeng within 24 hours. He warned everyone not to think that this mission was just a simple guard duty, but rather to prepare for decisive battle action to retake Lanfeng and Neihuang Railway Station. Because the troops trapped in the east were really unable to hold on any longer. As long as they could retake the railway station, cover the railway personnel to reconnect the railway, even if Lanfeng had not been retaken, the military train could still break through under the fierce attack of the assault troops!

  "Brothers, tell all the officers and soldiers in the regiment that now is the time for men to kill enemies and report to their country. Whoever is afraid of death and does not dare to go can still speak up now, I, Chen Hao, will not force anyone, but once we reach the battlefield, whoever dares to shrink back will not blame me for being ruthless!"

  "Don't worry, Captain, there's no such scoundrel here."

  "This time, we must show those who look down on our security team a thing or two, especially that 28th Army. You see how arrogant they were when they marched past us, but once they're on the battlefield, I think they'll be just ordinary."

  "Alright, let the First War Zone and those devils get familiar with our 4th Guards Division!"

  After the meeting, everyone returned to their respective units to mobilize and prepare.

  Xu Liang came out of the team department and saw that Battalion Commander Li Weiming was standing at the corner, waving his hand. Xu Liang walked over: "Anything?"

  Li Lianchang looked around and lowered his voice: "Secretary Xu, shall we go over there to talk? I have some thoughts to report."

  Li Weiming is one of the backbone members sent by the Party organization in Zhugou. Xu Liang saw him and asked, "Is it an emergency?"

  "Yes, it's urgent."

  "Alright, let's walk and talk."

  After walking a certain distance, Li Lianzhang looked around and said in a low voice: "Secretary Xu, are we really going to fight for the Nationalist Party?"

  "We go fight the devils, for all Chinese people, how can it be said that we are sacrificing our lives for the Nationalist Party?"

  "Of course I have no qualms about fighting the devils, but this time our goal is to rescue the trapped Nationalist army. Those guys have a deep blood feud with us, think of how many good comrades we lost under their guns and knives. Do you want me to let them and the devilish wolves do whatever they want? We should take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate reactionaries like Chen Hao and Dong Da-hai, and lead our troops behind enemy lines to launch guerrilla warfare and establish a base."

  "Comrade Li Weiming, how can Chen Hao be considered a reactionary military officer?"

  "Whenever he opens his mouth, it's 'Director Chiang', and whenever he closes his mouth, it's 'for the party-state'. What is he if not a reactionary military officer?"

  "It is now a time for the whole nation to unite in resistance against Japan, your opinion does not conform to our party's policy of united front and at this moment, internal strife will harm the overall situation of the war of resistance and damage the interests of the entire country and nation."

  "Comrade Xu, I think you're a bit too right-leaning. We're all old Party members now, and we should always remember that the Party's interests are above everything else. I'm used to wearing the red five-pointed star hat, and in the past, whenever I saw someone wearing a white hat with a blue sky and sun, I'd want to open fire and fight. But now...I just can't understand it!"

  "Comrade Li Weiming, we are making revolution not for personal gain or the interests of our own group, but to create a free, equal and happy communist new world where people are masters of their own destiny! The interests of the people are the interests of our party. At present, the greatest threat to the interests of the Chinese people is Japanese imperialism, so uniting all forces to defeat the ferocious Japanese devils is in the greatest interest of China. Therefore, this time we participate in battle is for the sake of the party's interests, for the lofty communist ideal! Absolutely not for sacrificing ourselves for the Nationalist Party!"

  "But we joined this army for the purpose of developing and expanding our party's strength, and it is not easy to come by an armed force mainly composed of workers and peasants. If we exhaust ourselves, I fear that it will go against the instructions of the party."

  "Revolution will involve sacrifice, our actual actions in the anti-Japanese war to defend the people's interests will awaken and attract more people to stand with us, the source of our strength comes from the support of the masses."

  "Comrade Xu, you know that I'm not a coward who's afraid to fight. It's just that fighting in the Nationalist army feels awkward!"

  "Now, the Party needs you to do this!"

  "Yes! Unconditional obedience!"

  "In the future at an appropriate time, we will still have to pull out our troops and fight directly under the leadership of our party. We must grasp the timing well."

  "That's great, I've been looking forward to this day."

  Li Weiming seemed to be persuaded by Xu Liang, but Xu Liang himself suddenly had an inexplicable feeling of confusion that rose up in his heart.

  Kaifeng Railway Station, the front half of the newly arrived train was filled with steel rails, sleepers, sandbags and other materials on flatcars. Behind the flatcars were several passenger cars and freight cars. At the end, a self-propelled crane car was attached. Li Zhenyuan got off the train, followed by Geng Zhongyue. Railway workers carrying various tools also got off the train to stretch their limbs. The station master of Kaifeng Railway Station hastily greeted Li Zhenyuan: "Director Li, hello!" Li Zhenyuan nodded: "Hello."

  "This is Colonel Chen and Deputy Colonel Xu of the 4th Security Regiment of the Kaifeng Garrison Command."

  Chen and Xu stood at attention and saluted: "Hello, Director Li!" The Kaifeng stationmaster looked at Li Zhenyuan with a nod and a smile, feeling very surprised.

  Geng Zhongyue pulled Xu Liang's hand: "Brother, we meet again, how are you? Are you okay?"

  "Alright, alright! And you, brother? Who would have thought we'd be fighting side by side on the battlefield?"

  "Running into you people to cover for me, I'd say I'm pretty lucky."

  Among the workers, many recognized Zhang Lin with a holster gun, whispering to each other, pointing and nodding, the tense atmosphere eased a lot.

  Outside Lanfeng City, gunfire and explosions accompanied by thick smoke and fierce flames filled the sky.

  Guo Yongqing was furious on the phone at the command center: "What? Been beaten back again?! What are you eating?! Didn't I give you all the artillery under my direct command?! The enemy's firepower is fierce?! Can't you concentrate your firepower to attack their strongpoints?! You must launch a concentrated assault with entire companies and battalions! Have you done that?! There should be a disciplinary squad at the rear! Too many casualties?! Idiot, wait! I'll come to your command post right away! It's getting dark, enemy planes won't come, we must seize the opportunity and retake Lanfeng in one go!"

  Front-line position, 82nd Division Commander Li Liangrong personally gave silver dollars to the officers' dare-to-die corps...

  Kaifeng Railway Station, already in the second half of the night, Lanfeng has been lost for more than 24 hours.

  A convoy of cars drove up to the station, with soldiers jumping down from a truck and lining up on guard. General Cheng Qian, Commander-in-Chief of the First War Zone, stepped out of the second car, his face stern as he walked into the station.

  "Commander Cheng has arrived!"

  Li Zhenyuan, Chen Hao and others who were waiting in the station master's room hurried over to greet him. Cheng Qian nodded at Li Zhenyuan and said to the two young officers who saluted and reported to him: "Go and take a look at your troops."

  The train inside the station has been reorganized, with the locomotive placed in the middle of the train, pushing a dozen flatcars ahead, and the materials on the cars have also been rearranged. Each car has become a mobile bunker made up of rails, sleepers, and sandbags. Light and heavy machine guns and mortars are deployed in an orderly manner. Behind the locomotive are passenger cars and freight cars carrying soldiers and workers. Except for the brothers of the machine gun squad who remain on the train to stand guard, all the other officers, men, and workers are standing beside their respective cars, lined up to receive a sudden inspection by the commander-in-chief of the war zone.

  Cheng Qian secretly praised them: Such a newly formed team, with a variety of weapons, including light and heavy machine guns, mortars, and rare German-style submachine guns and Type 79 rifles, as well as some old-fashioned miscellaneous rifles, and even some who only held long spears or carried large knives on their backs. The formation was neat and tidy, the officers and soldiers were full of energy and morale, with high fighting spirit.

  Cheng Qian walked up to a soldier carrying a large knife and asked: "Why are you only carrying a knife?"

  The soldier patted the hand grenade at his waist: "Report to the superior officer, I still have a hand grenade!"

  "Where is your gun?"

  "Haven't gotten it back from the devils yet!"

  "Huh?"

  "We've been saying all along, as long as we fight a battle, we'll charge forward and chop off the devils' heads, and those Japanese-made Type 92 heavy machine guns will be obediently handed over!"

  "How long have you been a soldier?" "Two months." "Haven't been in battle yet, right?" "No." "Are you afraid?" "Reporting to the officer, I've stopped runaway horses at home and killed mad dogs. These days I train every day, but no one has given me a gun to practice with, so I'm itching to try my knife on some real devils."

  "Good job!" Cheng Qian's originally gloomy face slowly revealed a smile, "What's your name?" "Liu Fen Zhan!" "Who's your company commander?" "Li Wei Ming!"

  Actually, this Liu Zhan originally was called Liu Shit Egg, after joining the army Xu Liang gave him a new name.

  In the commander's room, Cheng Qian, who had regained some confidence, personally assigned tasks to the two security team officers who had surprised him: "The 28th Army's counterattack on Lanfeng is progressing slowly, and the situation of the trapped troops in the eastern line of the 5th War Zone is critical. I have ordered our troops in western Shandong to launch a fierce attack on the enemy's flank. Your team must take over the attacking troops of the 28th Army before 8:00 am and strive to capture Lanfeng Railway Station and Neihuangji Railway Station by 12:00 pm, then cover the railway workers to repair the railway. Currently, one of the 28th Army's attacking regiments has lost its combat effectiveness, and another regiment that took over the attack has also suffered more than half casualties. The enemy troops in the station area are estimated to have suffered significant casualties as well, but they are still struggling desperately. This battle is crucial, so we must be determined to fight to the death, regarding Lanfeng Station as our own grave - if we don't succeed, we'll die trying!"

  "Don't worry, sir, we'll turn it into a graveyard for those devils!"

  "Alright, after success, all meritorious soldiers will be heavily rewarded! What other requests do you have?"

  "Reporting officer, can we get some additional weapons and ammunition?"

  "Time is pressing, so I'll have my bodyguards hand over half of their equipment and ammunition to you for now. After you set off, I'll immediately instruct the logistics department to think of a way to urgently resupply you. Is there anything else?"

  "After dawn, enemy planes may come to bomb, in order to cover the workers to repair the road smoothly, can we return the anti-aircraft machine guns that were withdrawn from the former air defense command?"

  "First take away the anti-aircraft machine guns stationed at Kaifeng Railway Station, and I'll let them bring over the ones defending the provincial government to make up for it! Any other questions?" "No!"

  "I order you to depart by train in 10 minutes, the railway aspect will be led by Deputy Director Geng, and all military and civilian personnel participating in the action will be commanded by Colonel Chen!"

  "Yes!"

  Two high-speed machine guns were quickly loaded onto the train. The officers of the whole regiment were gathered to explain the task of capturing Lanfeng and Neihuang railway stations, Xu Liang made a one-minute pre-war mobilization speech, then divided the tasks, decided that Chen Hao would personally lead the artillery company, Xu Liang would personally lead the regiment's direct unit, after arriving at the front line to observe the situation and then formulate an attack plan. 5 minutes later, everything was ready, all aboard, the direct unit, artillery company and two battalions of the first battalion were on the flatbed car in front of the locomotive, the rest of the troops sat in the carriage and on top of the carriage behind the locomotive.

  Cheng Qian led all the entourage to see off the departing generals on the platform. Under the dazzling spotlight of the locomotive, Chen Hao and Xu Liang stood on the flat car, facing the platform, standing at attention and saluting. Cheng Qian waved his hand and gave the order: "Depart!" The train head let out a long whistle, spewing out large clusters of steam, slowly starting up, and at this time, in the sky that was not visible with stars and moon, a fine rain suddenly started to fall.

  The train slowly moving forward, the lead singer's voice came: "Get up! Prepare - rise!" Immediately, more than 700 officers and soldiers sang in unison "The March of the Volunteers" echoed through the night sky, drowning out the sound of the train and the wind and rain. "Rise! People who do not want to be slaves, let us build our new Great Wall with our flesh and blood..." The train accelerated in the midst of the passionate singing, rushing eastward on the Yu Dong plain on a stormy night, charging towards Lanfeng 40 kilometers away.

  Cheng Qian stood on the platform, watching as the train disappeared into the distance. Originally, he had decided to let the reserve troops of the 4th Guard Regiment attack Lanfeng Station as a last resort in a desperate situation: after all, the best-equipped main force of the National Army, two regiments that had been attacking for over 20 hours, had suffered heavy casualties and failed to capture it. It seemed pointless to replace them with a locally-formed security regiment that had just been established. But when he saw these two young officers full of spirit, after inspecting their troops, he suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in his heart. Listening to the stirring songs, watching the train disappear into the distance, this expectation and hope grew stronger and stronger. "What's going on with this unit? Is it special? Are there any other units like this in my war zone?" He suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to distribute the silver coins he had brought for the troops. "How could this be?" Even the commander-in-chief of the war zone found it strange.