Chapter 27: Chinese People?! (Vote and Collect)

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  On November 8, 1936, the streets of Madrid echoed with the singing of "The Internationale" in French, English and German as the first international brigade to support the Spanish people's anti-fascist struggle arrived in Madrid.

  The volunteer soldiers of the International Brigades signed a pledge when they enlisted, which ended with the following words: "I have come here voluntarily to help in the struggle for the freedom of Spain and of all the world, and I shall give my life if necessary."

  On November 8 at dawn, the Eleventh International Brigade entered Madrid in a compact formation.

  The Madrid Campaign is also known as the Miracle of Madrid, when the Republican government had practically abandoned Madrid and most residents inside the city, whether pro-war or pro-peace, believed that Madrid would eventually be occupied by Franco's troops.

  Moreover, as we saw above, it was less than a month since the Republican government had given the order to form regular troops, and previously the armed groups in Madrid were a motley crew. Therefore, when the residents of Madrid, awakened by the sound of neat military boots, saw such a solemn army marching in neat formation, they thought at first that Franco's forces had entered the city, and panic was about to spread...

  Lenin once said: "Proletarians of all countries, although they may not speak the same language, as long as they can sing the Internationale, they will be able to find comrades anywhere in the world."

  At that time, when the citizens gathered on both sides of the street looked at this strange army with fear, these Latin Americans, Germans, Slavs and Jews marching on the streets of Madrid sang the same melody - the International Song in their respective mother tongues. After a moment of silence, thunderous applause erupted from the balconies on both sides of the street!

  British political commentator F. Pitt-Kethly later wrote: "The thunderous applause that greeted the International Brigade echoed through the packed streets, and they replied in every language of Europe." Perhaps from this moment on, the International Brigades were destined to be recorded in history as a legendary figure.

  But the legend behind was not always romantic, just like five years later Soviet Red Army through Moscow's Red Square, the Eleventh Brigade went directly to the front line through Madrid Street. In the next forty-eight hours, this brigade lost nearly half of its men.

  However, before the arrival of international travelers, a new international hero had arrived in Madrid earlier. He is Sun Xiang! In two weeks of fighting, Sun Xiang successfully completed multiple reconnaissance missions and even coordinated with the base to repel multiple enemy offensives.

  This humble Chinese man quickly won the affection of everyone at the Madrid base, especially after that miraculous bombing raid that took down an entire enemy squadron, which made his reputation in Spain unparalleled for a time.

  The arrival of the International Brigades suddenly tightened the tense atmosphere of combat in Madrid, under which everyone's movements took on a pre-war tension, as if the city had been wound up like a spring, and everything seemed so orderly...

  November 10th was a beautiful day, with warm sunshine and gentle breeze, everything was so good. Sun Xiang and his teammates continued their patrol mission...

  "Control tower calling Matador!... Control tower calling Matador!... Come in, please respond!"

  Turiyaev: "Hello Captain! We are having a pleasant flight."

  "Base: 'Alright, report your current location, over.'"

  Tolstoy: "We are now 20 kilometers northwest of Toledo and moving due north."

  "Alright, gentlemen! You now have a mission. Our troops in the military occupied zone at 40°12'45" north latitude and 3°45' east longitude are being suppressed by the enemy's heavy firepower. Please go and provide support quickly."

  Tuliyafei: "Understood!"

  4 planes immediately adjusted their direction and headed straight for the target. After more than ten minutes of flight, Sun Xiang saw that his own ground army was being suppressed by enemy firepower and could not move. There were large-caliber artillery, heavy machine guns, 2 tanks, and 2 bombers.

  Such a combination in the assault battle against the Republican Army can be said to be invincible, and now it's like two people fighting, one side is pressing the other side to the ground and beating them up, the beaten side has no room for counterattack, can only cover their vital parts with both hands.

  This scene made our "International Little Squadron" extremely angry. The 4 fighter planes charged into the fray without hesitation, and the air battle was a lopsided one with 4 fighters against 2 bombers. The enemy pilots were very obedient and dropped their bombs before turning around and fleeing.

  Four planes didn't chase, immediately attacked the heavy weapons on the ground, and the friendly forces that were quickly suppressed saw the supporting planes and began to organize a counterattack. The weakness of the I-16's firepower was exposed once again, and using the 7.62mm caliber machine guns on the plane to attack the enemy tanks had no effect.

  Four people had to risk being shot down by the enemy's anti-aircraft guns and swept through the enemy's position again and again, fortunately the battle didn't last long, with the help of the planes it only took one round for the Republican Army to take over the position, amidst the cheers of friendly troops the 4 planes began their return journey to refuel and replenish ammunition.

  Before long, the day passed and dinner was a rare stewed potato beef, the French chef of the base did not shout again that he had no materials for him, a fragrant big meal satisfied the appetite of the soldiers in the base.

  The crowd in the cafeteria suddenly increased, but today there were many unfamiliar faces. Everyone was a complete stranger. Looking at these soldiers carrying infantry equipment, the officers and men of the base immediately understood that they were soldiers of the International Brigade. As a result, the two groups of people mixed together, with loud discussions everywhere.

  The influx of fresh blood made the Spanish people realize that they were not fighting alone, and these communist fighters from all over the world showed the world their noble revolutionary passion and super strong combat effectiveness.

  Dinner had a rare beef and Sun Xiang also ate with great joy. Seeing so many supporting staff, Sun Xiang's heart was also very happy.

  After all, history is still developing according to its own course. Some things are not going to be changed by a young and inexperienced person like Sun Xiang, but what if this person becomes a giant in the future? Only God knows...

  At dinner, Sun Xiang saw people of Asian descent. He was very excited, and there were only 3 people on the other side, all very young! But it's clear that these people are Chinese. (PASS: You can tell they're Chinese at a glance)

  "Hello! My name is Sun Xiang. I'm so glad to see fellow Chinese in far-off Spain!"

  A bespectacled man with a scholarly air replied, "Oh! Hello, my name is Yu Hang, this is Liu Xi, and this is Wang Botao. We three are students from Peking University. Are you a military personnel here? Ah? You're the creator of the Madrid Miracle? Steve Sun?" The three of them looked at Sun Xiang's flight suit, which clearly indicated his profession.

  "Right, but please call me Sun Xiang. I'm currently a lieutenant in the US Washington Military District and also a pilot at the Madrid base. I arrived here half a month ago and participated in that battle."

  The three of them were shocked after hearing, and then they had a fervent look in their eyes. The bespectacled young man named Wang Botao stuttered: "Oh... oh... Hello Captain Sun, compared to you, we are really..."

  Xun Xiang immediately interrupted the young man's words: "People all say that meeting old friends in a foreign land is one of life's greatest pleasures, but you're using such formal titles, it's simply not becoming!"

  The young man looked at Sun Xiang with gratitude, and with Sun Xiang's words, the subsequent communication suddenly became simpler. It turned out that they were all dregs of Chinese culture who had caused trouble. Compared to Sun Xiang, the three of them were just ordinary people without any official position. However, a junior officer's military rank during wartime was even more prestigious than a county magistrate, and Sun Xiang's current reputation was renowned throughout Europe.

  Fortunately, the few people who had gradually eliminated their differences soon became familiar with each other. Through the introduction of the three, Sun Xiang knew that the current domestic situation was not good, and in the northern land, it could be said that Japanese ronin and professional soldiers could be seen everywhere, and the purpose of the island nation was already very clear!

  Sun Xiang heard the news and remained silent for a long time, then said to the three of them: "No matter what you think, but I want to say that; judging from various signs now, it is very likely that Little Japan will launch a full-scale invasion war against China within 1 year. I have already made some plans for this. I will end my trip in Spain as soon as possible and then talk to the Americans to see if we can get their help."

  Upon hearing Sun Xiang's words, the three of them exchanged a glance, and then Liu Xi, who was sitting on the far left, spoke up: "Brother Sun, our school currently has a large number of patriotic young people, but they are all struggling to find opportunities to serve the country. The domestic situation is chaotic, and many people can't find a good way forward. Hearing your words, it seems like you have some plans for the domestic situation. May I ask boldly, we all want to help the country, so can we participate in your plan?" After finishing speaking, he looked at Sun Xiang with a serious expression.

  Sun Xiang was overjoyed in his heart, and under the current circumstances, Sun Xiang wasn't even sure if he could return to China before the war and build a base, but the appearance of these three people just solved his urgent need for coal.

  Sun Xiang carefully looked at the three people, Liu Xi's face was very calm, but from his eyes, Sun Xiang saw a fervent look. Yu Hang and Wang Botao directly showed an expectant and slightly bewildered expression! Seeing Sun Xiang staring at them, they immediately puffed out their chests!

  "Now the situation is like this, I have technical strength in my hands and also a part of the funds. I want to convert them into combat power, which requires someone to contact and arrange, and then form our own air force."

  Upon hearing Sun Xiang's words, even Liu Xi, who had been calm all along, couldn't contain his excitement. Liu Xi: "Then what kind of arrangement do you need, Brother Sun? My uncle is a businessman in Shanghai, I can bring in his investment!"

  "Ah! My family also has some property..." "I... I..."

  "Please note! Now I'm not short of money, but what I lack is a place to set up a base in the country. I need someone who can help me build a factory! I've already spoken with my American partner and he'll support me as much as possible, but he can't help with this matter... So, I need someone like that to help me."

  You can see the eager hope in the eyes of the three, which is exactly what Sun Xiang wants. After a few days of contact and discussion, Sun Xiang found that Liu Xi was a good leader, calm and wise, and all three were people with very good family backgrounds, and their good education was reflected on them.

  Yu Hang was born into a merchant family and is good at socializing. Wang Botao, on the other hand, is an out-and-out nationalist fanatic. In the end, Sun Xiang invested $100,000 in these three people. If this doesn't work out, it's just a test of the waters. At worst, Sun Xiang will come and take care of these matters himself in a few months.

  After repeated discussions, the four of them finally decided to build their own base within Sichuan province, but the final location is still pending. Having done all this, the three young men who were originally going to join the international team got on a return bus...