Chapter 43: Consultation and Cooperation

  Chen Jifang was not unfamiliar with Zhulon Town. After the battle, this place became a vacuum zone and also a marginal area of the defense zone. As for establishing a democratic government here, Chen Jifang had no bottom line in his heart, so he decided to come and take a look himself.

  Lao Zhong didn't come, there are many things on the ground.

  Chen Jifan heard that Shang Changfu was in Da Guantang Village, and without saying a word, he rushed over on horseback. He still understood Shang Changfu's level - he wasn't afraid to fight and die, but asking him to participate in civil affairs would be like asking Zhang Fei to learn embroidery.

  Just as Chen Jifan arrived, he heard a strange yet familiar voice. The familiarity referred to the tone of speech, which unmistakably belonged to a Communist Party member. Initially, Chen Jifan felt some excitement, after all, this was the first family member he had met in this era. However, as he listened on, his enthusiasm waned, and eventually, he couldn't help but exclaim: "Is this the level of awareness you Communists have?"

  The domestic situation is clear, the great enemy is in front of us, and ethnic contradictions have become the main contradiction. The KMT and the Communist Party have begun to cooperate, so why are these people still obsessed with class struggle? This is an enemy-occupied area, just a few hours' drive from the devils.

  "It's the Regimental Commander! The Regimental Commander has arrived, the Regimental Commander is here to see everyone!" Shang Changfu's guards excitedly shouted out.

  Shang Changfu heard that the official had arrived and didn't dare to continue arguing with the two men in front of him, so he quickly turned around and hurriedly went to greet him.

  "Reporting to Battalion Commander, Company Commander Shang Changfu is executing the mission as ordered, please instruct!" Shang Changfu stood at attention and reported in one breath.

  Chen Jifang nodded at him after returning the gift and then walked straight over to the two New Fourth Army representatives on the opposite side.

  Zhou Ming and Li Haiyun were shocked to see Chen Jifan walking towards them. From the company commander's actions just now, they could tell that the "Eagle" had very strict military discipline and looked like a regular army. The battalion commander in front of him was striding briskly, with piercing eyes and an air of solemnity on his face.

  "Are you sent by the New Fourth Army?" Chen Jifan asked them.

  Zhou Ming did not answer his question directly, but instead asked in return: "What is this officer's name?"

  Chen Jifang didn't answer, but instead turned to the onlookers and said: "Now that our country is in trouble, the devils don't care if you're a landlord or a tenant. They'll kill whoever they want, so we Chinese people must unite. The purpose of establishing our government is to have someone lead everyone to organize together and fight against the devils. Next, we will also negotiate with each village to reduce rent and interest. In short, within the territory controlled by 'Shenying', no villager will be bullied, no villager will go hungry, and no villager will be thrown to those inhuman Japanese devils. So, please villagers actively cooperate with the election, this is a matter that concerns everyone's vital interests, don't be misled by others."

  Zhou Ming and Li Haiyun initially thought the battalion commander's words were reasonable, but the last sentence made them unacceptable. Zhou Ming decided to counterattack: "What this officer said is unreasonable, we are just stating a fact, how can it be said to be deceiving?"

  "What are your names? Why did the New Fourth Army send you here?" Chen Jifan asked, trying to tone down his voice.

  "My name is Zhou Ming, I am the specially appointed secretary of the Communist Party of China Anhui Provincial Committee in Chuzhou. This is my comrade Li Haiyun. We would like to ask your esteemed army: can such an election guarantee the fundamental interests of the majority of the masses?"

  "What do those two think is needed to guarantee the interests of the majority?" Chen Jifang retorted.

  "Mobilize the masses to expose the exploiting nature of the landlord class, redistribute land, and let those who till have their fields and those who dwell have their houses." Zhou Ming's answer was very professional.

  Chen Jifa did not comment on his response. In fact, in the 21st century, the so-called "everyone has their own home" is just a wish, and most people still can't afford to buy a house. Can't mobilize the masses to rob houses and open businesses? Chen Jifa didn't want to engage in such meaningless debates with them again. The predecessor of his own unit was also from a branch of the New Fourth Army, and he still had feelings for the New Fourth Army. Moreover, the New Fourth Army was truly anti-Japanese, and it would be great to cooperate with them.

  Thinking of this, Chen Jifang no longer entangled himself in this issue. He said to the two New Fourth Army representatives: "How can we guarantee the interests of the masses? We can take our time, and it's impossible to solve problems that have been left over for thousands of years with just a few words. Our Chinese 'Divine Eagle' anti-Japanese special operations team is willing to cooperate with all the teams that are truly fighting against Japan, and we will eliminate the invading devils as soon as possible."

  "Excuse me, how should I address this officer?" Zhou Ming saw the other party change the subject and quickly took advantage of the situation to divert attention. After all, he didn't come here to quarrel, but rather to understand the situation with "Divine Eagle".

  "Chen Jifan. The sail of the International Song, the sail of the wind, is currently the commander of China's 'Divine Eagle' Anti-Japanese Special Operations Battalion. If you two don't mind, please follow me to Xiao Wang Zhuang for a chat."

  Xiao Wang Zhuang was the headquarters of the family, and Zhou and Li no longer declined, following Chen Jifan to Xiao Wang Zhuang. Shang Changfu originally wanted to send someone to escort them, but Chen Jifan politely refused.

  "Commander Shang, we are very close to the enemy here, and battles can break out at any time. You must strictly train your troops and not relax for a moment."

  "Don't worry, Captain Shang. I understand."

  In Zhou Ming and Li Haiyun's eyes, Xiao Wang Zhuang and other villages were no different except for being a bit larger. But after they entered, their eyes were opened wide as the whole place was like a military camp with soldiers dressed in camouflage uniforms darting in and out of alleys everywhere. It seemed that discipline was not emphasized at all. Chen Jifan explained with a smile that these soldiers were conducting alley battle drills.

  The deputy battalion commander of the regimental department heard that the guests from the New Fourth Army had arrived, and excitedly sang in the house. Yes, for them, the Communist Party of the New Fourth Army is a relative of this era, and there is no reason not to be happy when they see their relatives return.

  Chen Jifan led the two to sit down in the camp, and everyone first introduced themselves. Zhou Ming and Li Haiyun only then realized that this was actually the headquarters of the "Divine Eagle" unit, and they were just a regiment. A single regiment could eliminate so many devils? The two arrived with some incredulity.

  As the conversation deepened, Zhou and Li gradually understood the origin of this troop and their ideas of winning them over also became stronger. Chen Jifang seemed to see through their inner thoughts and casually said: "Now the main force of the troops are mostly former KMT Central Army elite soldiers, there are still some misunderstandings about your party, my personal opinion is that as long as it's a troop that wholeheartedly resists Japan, we should unite with them. The New Fourth Army has strong combat power and is also very good to the ordinary people, cooperating with the New Fourth Army makes us feel extremely honored."

  As soon as Zhou Ming heard this, he had to put aside the things he was striving for, but he was very curious why this team, which was famous in Anhui Province, only had one regiment. Why didn't they develop the team with great effort? In the New Fourth Army, at least the team already had a division scale. After he asked his questions, Chen Jifan smiled and replied: "Too many people can't be fed, training can't keep up either. The soldiers are not in the majority but in the elite. Taking untrained troops to the battlefield is irresponsible for the lives of the soldiers."

  "We do not quite agree with Commander Chen's view. Who is born to know how to fight? Isn't it learned from war itself? The Japanese devils are getting more and more rampant, the troops must speed up their development in order to form an effective deterrent against the devils. The Nationalist Party is implementing a one-sided anti-war route that relies only on the government and the army, such a policy is doomed to fail, only by mobilizing the masses can we ultimately win the victory of the War of Resistance."

  "Secretary Zhou's words are not wrong, but there are also hot-blooded men in the government army. They, like your party and your army, are willing to sacrifice their lives for the independence and freedom of our nation and ethnicity. Whether it is fighting head-on or fighting behind enemy lines, they are all part of our Chinese nation's resistance against foreign invasion. If we can unite at a time of national crisis, Japan will surely be defeated and China will surely win."

  "Commander Chen's views and those of our Party Central Committee have always been in agreement. Alright, as the representative of the New Fourth Army stationed in Chuzhou, I formally propose cooperation with your army here, I wonder if you two are interested?"

  "All right, but I hope your army will not develop troops within our defensive zone to avoid unnecessary friction and misunderstandings. As for cooperation, what we most hope to get is intelligence about the surrounding Japanese army activities, specifically what are the high-value military targets of the devils, such as supply stations, airports, command centers, etc., if your army has any information in this regard, please notify us promptly."

  Zhou Ming heard that the enemy's tone was very arrogant, these places were not difficult to find, but the key was that they were all heavily guarded by the Japanese army, and it would be extremely risky to launch an attack. It seemed too reckless to rely on just one regiment of the opponent, but since they had proposed it, he couldn't refuse, so he agreed for the time being.

  Zhou Ming agreed to Chen Jifang's terms and proposed exchanging intelligence for weapons in the future.

  Chen Jifan thought to himself, "You're not short of weapons, it's strange. You mobilize thousands of people at a time, but you don't have much combat power, and you consume food. If you can't kill the devils, there's no source of weapons, and if you can't take down strongholds, you won't get material supplies." Chen Jifan thought for a moment and agreed, "It's an exchange, after all, it has to be beneficial for both parties." The New Fourth Army's intelligence system should be very developed, isn't this the kind of scene often shown on TV?

  "By the way, the two battalion commanders, what are your views on the current national war situation?" Zhou Ming asked.

  Chen Jifang thought to himself, "How is it always this sentence?" In Wuhan, as a public figure, he would often be asked this question. If you put it nicely, it's concern for the situation; if you put it badly, it's a manifestation of a nation lacking confidence. If in the 21st century, you casually ask someone if China and Japan were to go to war again, most people would undoubtedly say that China would win. The reason is simple: Japan is too small, and engaging in a long-term war with a large country like China would only end in defeat, it's just a matter of time.

  "This issue is actually very simple, Japan may be strong but it's a small country, while China may be weak but it's a big country. As long as we Chinese people can unite and temporarily put aside the disputes between parties and groups, everyone will resist Japan together, and the demise of little Japan is only a matter of time."

  "Commander Chen's view has also been raised by some people within our party, but the Nationalist Party is losing too quickly now. Some people think that the prospects for China's resistance war are not optimistic. Take Anhui as an example, I believe it won't be long before the Japanese army launches a large-scale attack on the entire province of Anhui and then captures Wuhan, which cannot be defended." Zhou Ming said with some concern.

  Chen Jifan did not expect that this secretary still had some strategic vision, thinking that the ultimate victory of the Communist Party was not accidental, and even a small grassroots cadre like him had such insight, it can be seen that talent is paramount.

  "It doesn't matter whether Wuhan can be defended or not, what's important is the way the government army defends Wuhan. If they still concentrate their troops in a single city like before, it will give the enemy an opportunity to annihilate our living forces. On the other hand, if we use Wuhan as the core and conduct flexible and mobile defense, we can consume the enemy's living forces and make Japan's plan to occupy China in a short period of time go bankrupt. As long as we can drag out the war, Japan will be finished." Chen Jifang continued his analysis.

  "Commander Chen has a very clear understanding of the current situation, and I must say that our generation is not as good. By the way, I've heard that your army is very skilled in applying guerrilla warfare, and has given the devils a lot of headaches. Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but previously I always thought that guerrilla warfare was our party's and our army's strong suit, and that ordinary people, especially the Nationalist Party, looked down on it. Let's take this opportunity to learn from each other."

  Chen Jifan thought that Zhou Shuji was not simple at all, and he didn't let go of any opportunity to learn. However, since he asked, he had to say something, and besides, the Red Army's ability to maneuver with the Nationalist Party for so long under such harsh conditions wasn't accidental either. It was a rare opportunity to learn from his seniors.

  "The guerrilla warfare is not valued in the West, but our ancestors had actually used it in real battles. It was only when we lost to Westerners in modern wars that people thought they were the ones who understood modern warfare and forgot that China is the ancestor of military strategy. Many in the National Army look down on guerrilla warfare, partly because they are deeply influenced by Japan and Germany, but also because you used it against us. In fact, guerrilla warfare is most effective against the enemy. If they occupy 500 villages, one village killing one enemy soldier per day would mean 500 casualties for them daily, which would be significant over a year. The enemy has limited troops and cannot withstand this kind of harassment. Therefore, your army should unhesitatingly conduct guerrilla warfare, which is the best support for the regular battlefield. Of course, the military quality of the troops must be improved, otherwise fighting the enemy will just be empty talk."

  Chen Jifan spoke in one breath, and the two Communist Party members, Zhou Ming and Li Haiyun, were extremely impressed. Zhou Ming couldn't help but compliment him a couple of times, then asked: "So, how will your army develop from now on?" The implication being that neither side can be relied upon, so what will you rely on to survive?

  "We don't know what will happen next, we'll take it one step at a time. But one thing is certain: we'll eat as much as our stomachs can hold and won't make unnecessary sacrifices or intentionally conserve energy. The sooner the devils fail, the less suffering my Chinese nation will endure. At this critical moment of national survival, all Chinese people should remember that the interests of the country and nation come above everything."

  Chen Jifang could only say so much, in the past historical books, the New Fourth Army had never fought a decent battle against the devils, and he had always regretted it. He hoped that his words today would have some effect.

  Zhou and Li didn't ask any more questions, left their contact information and bid farewell. They also expressed a desire to observe the training of the "Divine Eagle", but Chen Jifan politely declined after some thought, as this was a military secret that could not be easily revealed to anyone.

  After the two left, Zhong Dingcheng asked Chen Jifang why he didn't consider joining the New Fourth Army. Chen Jifang said to wait and see, it's not the right time yet.

  Chen Jifang was also very conflicted in his heart. These people were nurtured by the party in the 21st century, and they would go wherever the party told them to without a second word. But now he only thought about how to expand his troops and eliminate the devils as soon as possible, so that his motherland could become strong as soon as possible. Sometimes he also thought that if there hadn't been a civil war, China might have become even stronger.

  But these words can only be thought of in one's heart. Can this small team influence history? No one knows.

  "Right," Zhong Dingcheng interrupted Chen Jifan's distraction, "as of now, the number of village militiamen has exceeded 1,000 people, and it may still increase."

  "So many," Chen Jifang finally understood why the New Fourth Army could develop and grow rapidly in a short period of time behind enemy lines. As long as the people's awareness was awakened, the combined strength would indeed be great. "What is the training situation like for these militia?"

  "It's terrible," Zhong Dingcheng said, "the commanders of each regiment have put their experienced troops in the main force, and can't spare anyone to go to the village. Moreover, the militia is also seriously short of guns and ammunition, and most of them are still carrying big knives and long spears."

  Chen Jifan couldn't help but let out a wry smile. It was as if he had been afraid of this very thing happening, and now it had come to pass. Previously, he had looked down on the big knives and long spears, but now his own side had encountered them as well.

  "It won't do to go on like this, Old Zhong. I think you should personally take charge of the militia work and mobilize people from below when needed. As for firearms, allocate 10 guns per village. Old Zhong, as a former scout, try to select some promising candidates from these people after you go down there. Our special warfare team will still need people in the future."

  "No problem!" Zhong Dingcheng replied readily.