Chapter Twenty Purging the Ranks

  At this time, Zhong Batian had already led four hundred men to quietly surround them. Seeing these defenseless National Army soldiers, Zhong Batian couldn't help but burst out laughing!

  "Hmph! This is simply a gift!" Zhong Ba Tian muttered.

  "Divide into two groups, one hundred people on this side and three hundred people on that side. Must be quick!" Zhong Ba Tian looked at the thirty or so people gathered together to gamble and nearly a hundred people scattered around more than ten large vehicles sleeping on the ground, immediately arranged.

  "Up!" With a single order from Zhong Bao Tian, the 400 men immediately charged towards the two groups of government soldiers. They didn't kill anyone, but instead used clubs to knock them unconscious.

  However, as soon as someone wants to resist with a gun, there will be people who will knock him down.

  Li Jun would never have thought that these bandits were so formidable, with both pistols and clubs. Of his over 130 men, some were knocked unconscious by the clubs, while others lost their lives to their mysterious shooting skills. Seeing the current situation, he almost wet his pants.

  Now Liang Jun is about to regret to death, if he had sent out a sentinel just now, this kind of thing would not have happened! He thought that after a while, he would be beaten by the stick until his head was covered in blood. With a heart full of fear, he touched his own head and immediately pretended to be knocked unconscious, falling to the ground and pretending to be dead.

  "Amitabha! Bodhisattva, protect me! God, save me! Amen!" Liang Jun called out all the gods he knew, but didn't expect to actually summon one.

  Zhong Batian saw that all the National Army soldiers had been knocked unconscious or killed, and immediately began to clean up the battlefield. He had just taken a pistol from Liang Jun's waist when he heard Liang Jun shivering and shouting: "Amen! Buddha, God!" which enraged Zhong Batian, who slapped him in the face.

  "Wah! Ah…… Wuuu……" Then, Liang Jun was immediately slapped awake by Zhong Batian's palm, but he immediately burst into loud wailing, and his voice grew louder and louder, "Great hero, spare my life! I have an 80-year-old mother at home!"

  "Nonsense!" Zhong Batian pulled his ear and said: "You're just over twenty years old! Your mother was sixty when she gave birth to you, ah!"

  "I'm an orphan! An orphan! Really!" Liang Jun immediately stopped crying and swore to the sky: "If I'm telling a lie, let me not die a good death!"

  "Ah!" Zhong Bao Tian stood up, using Liang Jun's gun and pointing it at himself: "Today you will not die a good death!"

  "Ah...... Wuuu! ...... " Liang Jun immediately knelt on the ground, using his fingers to push against the muzzle of Zhong Bao Tian's gun and cried: "Don't! Don't!"

  "Damn it!" Zhong Bao Tian's anger was completely ignited, and his left fist immediately punched towards Liang Jun's head, knocking him out instantly.

  "Report!" A hand came down and said: "All the goods have been loaded onto the truck and taken away, but the comrades on guard said that more than a dozen national soldiers are coming from the front, armed with weapons!

  "Ah!" Zhong Baxian immediately felt at ease and said: "No wonder there were a dozen or so people missing! It turns out they weren't here after all! Quick! Surround them!" Zhong Baxian knew that the top priority now was to disarm all these National Army soldiers in front of him, his own army needed this equipment too much! The commander had thought of such a good plan, if any of them escaped, he wouldn't be able to show his face anymore! At the very least, they must keep all their weapons.

  Na Hezi Qing heard the gunfire from afar, but the shots were sparse, so he thought it was his own men shooting at the enemy. He never expected that over a hundred of his men had already been ambushed by the bandits!

  "Something's wrong!" a soldier cried out: "These gunshots don't sound like our rifles!"

  "Right!" He Ziqing, this rustic fellow, was reminded by his subordinates and immediately felt something was off. He commanded: "Everyone hide! Quickly!"

  Zhong Batian's main force had already left with the big truck, leaving only thirty people by his side. "What to do? A hard attack is definitely not possible, the other side still has a machine gun. I've guaranteed that no one can be lost in this battle!" Thinking of this, Zhong Batian immediately lay down on the grass and crawled forward, then found a large rock as cover.

  After everything was ready, he put his hands together in a trumpet shape around his mouth and shouted loudly: "People up ahead, listen! You are surrounded, immediately lay down your weapons and come out to surrender, otherwise..."

  "Rat-a-tat-tat! …… " A burst of gunfire rang out, and the bullets hit the stone, immediately splashing up a cloud of dust, covering Zhong Batian in a gray head and face.

  "Alright, it seems I have to use my ultimate move!" Zhong Batian muttered under his breath. He immediately took out a hand grenade from his pocket, pulled the pin, and with his left hand quickly threw out a fist-sized stone, shouting: "Look at the grenade!"

  As soon as the grenade was thrown, several soldiers around He Ziqing were frightened and retreated backward, but they were shot dead by the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army soldiers who had found their target.

  "Don't panic, everyone! That's not a hand grenade at all!" He Zi Qing shouted loudly, and in his heart, he was also proud of his own wisdom and bravery. If he had jumped up and run away like them just now, he would definitely have become another corpse!

  Just as He Ziqing was feeling pleased with himself, another black shadow flew out from the same place. "Hmph! Trying to scare people again!" His thoughts had just formed in his mind when he heard a loud explosion on his side!

  Although the grenade didn't hit anyone, He Ziqing already understood that these people had grenades. Looking at their marksmanship, if he didn't surrender, today would be his last day! So, he immediately shouted: "We surrender! We surrender!"

  Zhong Batian didn't want to blow them up, but he really wanted the weapons in their hands! That's why he didn't throw the grenade into their hiding place.

  Zhong Ba Tian proudly held up the newly captured machine gun, whistled and said: "We've struck it rich, brothers! Let's go join Old North Wind!"

  Wang Deqiang, who was sitting in his own small house, was now feeling extremely happy. He was smoking a big cigarette while enjoying the gentle massage from his concubine. Occasionally, he would use his white and fat hands to rub his concubine's body, causing her to let out enticing moans. Life is really enjoyable! Haha! He Ziqing, that little guy, looks like a mule, but unexpectedly, his sister is so charming!

  Zhao Feng received a message saying: The troops have arrived at the foot of the mountain, but they dare not attack rashly. Hmph! This is a case of being all bark and no bite!

  "Colonel! Colonel! Something's gone terribly wrong... an accident has happened..." Personal soldier Hu Gang rushed in without reporting, his forehead covered in sweat.

  At this time, Wang Deqiang's big hand was still on the concubine's breast, he hastily dropped his hand and said: "What's going on so anxiously, I've told you many times, knock on the door, do you understand?"

  Just as he was about to scold this ignorant subordinate again, he suddenly remembered that the young man seemed to have something important to report. So, while gesturing for his concubine to bring over tea to moisten his throat, he said "What is it? Hurry up and speak!"

  "He Ziqing sent a telegram! His troops were looted by bandits and only one radio station was left!" Hu Gang said cautiously.

  "Pffft!"

  The mouthful of tea was immediately spat out by Wang Deqiang, and the little concubine who was giving him a massage was even more splashed in the face.

  "What!" Wang Deqiang was immediately stunned, his head now almost numb!

  "Get out! Get out!" Wang Deqiang immediately waved his hand, ordering the two to leave. He lay on his back on the big bed, secretly pondering in his heart: "That good-for-nothing He Ziqing took nearly half of the men and horses to protect the grain and grass in the rear, and was even equipped with heavy weapons. How could he be defeated by the bandits?! If this is known by the higher-ups, that kid's head won't be spared, and I'll also be implicated! These bandits are really troublesome!

  Right! Wang Deqiang immediately thought of Zhao Xiaofeng and shouted: "Hu Gang! Hu Gang!"

  "Ah!......Oh! Oh!" Hu Gang immediately withdrew his hand from Wang Deqiang's concubine's clothes and moved his mouth away from the concubine's cherry lips, running back in again.

  "What are you panicking about!" Wang Deqiang angrily said: "Immediately go and send a telegram for me! Tell Zhao Feng to lead his men to capture the bandits in one net!"

  "Yes!" Hu Gang wiped a hand of cold sweat, immediately rushed out, but saw that the little concubine was still standing at the door, staring at him with a pair of charming eyes, and then casually grabbed her pointed chest again before running away.

  "Deputy Captain!" Qi Yong held up the telegram: "The captain has given an order, we must attack Kirin Fort immediately, no matter what the cost!"

  "Alright!" Zhao Xiao Feng immediately waved his hand and shouted: "Charge! We must take down this stronghold!"

  In an instant, more than 200 people rushed towards the mountain, but unexpectedly, they didn't encounter any obstacles along the way.

  After entering the mountain stronghold, what was originally a bustling place only had one person tied to a pillar, which was the undercover agent sent by Qi Yong! The entire mountain stronghold, except for him, didn't even leave a single mouse.

  Zi Yong immediately untied this unlucky subordinate and asked: "Where are they?"

  "Already... already gone! They ran away long ago!"

  "Hmph!" Qi Yong coldly snorted and pushed him to the ground, scolding: "Good-for-nothing!"

  "Retreat!" Jin Wenguojun said weakly.

  With that, Zhao Xiaofeng led his troops back to Shancheng Town without firing a single shot.

  Zhao Xiaofeng hadn't even returned to camp when he was summoned directly to the division headquarters.

  Zhao Xiaofeng didn't realize until he entered that the place was already packed with people.

  Yu Zishan, sitting in the middle, asked with a gloomy face: "Deputy Regimental Commander Zhao! Do you know how serious a crime it is to lose so many heavy weapons?"

  "Reporting to the General! I led less than 200 soldiers and destroyed the bandits' lair in one go, without losing any heavy equipment!"

  "Nonsense!" Wang Deqiang stood up and said, "You arranged for soldiers to guard the grain and supplies at the foot of the mountain, but they were stolen by bandits. Isn't this a mistake in your command?"

  "This has nothing to do with me!" Zhao Xiao Feng immediately retorted: "San Lian Lian Chang He Ziqing relied on his sister being your concubine, and in the army he was lawless and formed cliques. Those soldiers who guarded the grain and supplies were all his confidants. On that day, it was because He Ziqing neglected his duties to go whoring in Wohu Village that command was handed over to Squad Leader Liang Jun, but this Liang Jun also gathered people to gamble, not even posting a single sentry, so they were ambushed by the bandits! Can these things be blamed on me?"

  "Ah!..." Wang Deqiang's face immediately turned into a tomato, he never thought that this Zhao Feng would dare to expose his own ugly affairs in public.

  "What!" Yu Zishan slammed his hand on the table in anger and immediately pointed at Wang Deqiang, asking Zhao Xiaofeng, "Is what you said true?"

  "Not a single false word!" Zhao Xiao Feng raised his head and said: "General can call them to confront each other!"

  "Hmm!" Yu Zishan knew that these things couldn't be handled hastily, and immediately brought that Liang Jun up.

  "Ah! Commander! Salute!" Liang Jun immediately put on a mournful face and saluted.

  "Damn it!" Yu Zishan roared, immediately scaring Liang Jun into collapsing to the ground.

  "Get him up!" Yu Zishan shouted at the guards.

  Two guards like wolves and tigers rushed up immediately and lifted Liang Jun up.

  "Speak!" Yu Zishan pointed at him fiercely and shouted: "How did you lose the machine gun?"

  Li Jun glanced at Wang Deqiang, who had already been castrated, and immediately spilled the beans, recounting the entire story from start to finish. In the end, in order to shift the blame onto himself, he even revealed that Zhong Batian had planned to flee to Old North Wind.

  "Bastard!" Yu Zishan immediately ordered:

  Wang Deqiang was dismissed and sent to manage the warehouse, He Ziqing and Liang Jun were all shot, while those soldiers who had been beaten unconscious by the bandits were driven out of the military camp by Yu Zhishan in anger.

  "Hey!" Yu Zishan pointed at Zhao Xiaofeng and said: "You are now acting as the captain, and you must keep a close eye on Lao Beifeng's stronghold. When the opportunity arises, you must go and retrieve our stolen weapons!"

  "Yes!"

  Now Zhao Xiaofeng has officially become the battalion commander, although he only has two companies under his command and the number of people is not enough. With the addition of more than a dozen new recruits, there are now over 200 people in this team, which can be considered as a self-sufficient team.

  Now Zhao Xiaofeng has written a complete set of training programs for his own camp. He wants to train all the soldiers under him into elite troops!

  Qizhong held Zhao Xiaofeng's training plan and said strangely: "Battalion commander! I'm afraid our soldiers can't take it!"

  "No!" Zhao Xiao Feng shook his head and said: "They must follow the training above!"

  "Why is that? Can't we just use our old training methods?" Jin Zhanguo also said.

  "No way!" Zhao Xiao Feng immediately took out a package of silver dollars from the drawer: "From today on, add one more silver dollar to each soldier's monthly pay! Let them intensify their training!"

  "Ah!......" Ji Yong took over the Pacific Ocean, and his heart became more and more suspicious. He stuttered: "Battalion Commander! This is..."

  Zhao Xiaofeng knew that he could not persuade these two, and they in turn could not persuade their subordinates. So he said: "Recently the Japanese have been deploying troops, we must take precautions ahead of time, beware of them suddenly launching a surprise attack!"

  "This can't be!" Qi Yong said: "Even if they want to attack us, there is still the Seventh Brigade in front of us! How could they possibly reach us here?"

  "Yes!" Jin Zhanguo echoed: "You're worrying too much!"

  "No!" Zhao Xiao Feng couldn't tell them about history, so he thought of a plan and said: "Alright! I'll make a bet with you guys!"