Chapter 48: Accepting Adaptation

  With the addition of over 700 people from Xia Xiande, the "Divine Eagle" now has a record-breaking total strength of over 1,300 people, not counting the militia in the nearby villages of Xiao Wangzhuang. Chen Jifan felt powerful and strong for the first time, and the entire regiment was reorganized into five battalions, with special forces, artillery, assault teams, and other battalions all replenished with new recruits. The remaining weak combatants were transformed into two new recruit battalions and placed outside the city for training.

  The happiest person now is probably Li An Jiu, he's so rich now, 6 Type 92 infantry guns, 12 mortars, and a whole truck of shells. When he was in the National Army before, he never had it this good, but the regiment commander specifically ordered that after replenishing new recruits, they must form combat effectiveness within a short period of time, otherwise, they would be dismissed on the spot. So after entering the city, Li An Jiu didn't do anything else, every day was just pulling his troops to go training in the wilderness.

  The deputy battalion commander took charge of the training, Chen Jifan's job was to wander around in the county town. This was the first time the troops had occupied a county town, and for the "Divine Eagle" who lacked supplies, any county town had great strategic value, let alone this one which might be lost again under the enemy's heavy attack. Chen Jifan had to understand the situation of the county town in a short period of time, especially the industrial situation.

  After several days of adaptation, the city's citizens gradually accepted the "Divine Eagle". School students paraded on the streets every day, organizing various anti-Japanese societies. Chen Jifang didn't care much about this, as public opinion couldn't be violated, and he rarely managed to intervene.

  But there was one thing he had to take care of, and that was that these anti-Japanese organizations actually launched a fundraising campaign and sent the donated money directly to the barracks. This was Chen Jifang's first time accepting donations. In fact, who had more money to spare during those chaotic years? But the people of Quzhou still came up with it, although the amount was not large, only 10,000 silver dollars, but in Chen Jifang's eyes, this was more precious than the 50,000 silver dollars promised by the National Government last time. Chen Jifang did not make any passionate speeches like some heroes, nor did he cut a ribbon or anything else. No, he didn't say anything except one sentence:

  "On behalf of 'Shenying', I promise you that as long as we are here, the books on your desk will definitely be put away. Hope you all work hard and read more books, thank you!"

  Quanjiao is adjacent to Hefei, and the Japanese army must take down Hefei if they want to attack Wuhan. Quanjiao is located between Nanjing and Hefei. Chen Jifang doesn't need to think about it to know that there will be a big battle here sooner or later. What's most worrying now is the combat effectiveness of the troops. Thinking back to the past, when troops would often undergo half a year of intensive training before going into battle, today it seems like an unrealistic fantasy.

  Chen Jifan was thinking, when a guard came to report that a group claiming to be the Anhui Provincial People's Government Comfort Mission had arrived in Quzhou and were currently at the city gate, waiting for instructions from the battalion commander.

  Consolation team? Does the Nationalist Party also have this? Chen Jifan couldn't help but become curious.

  "Bring them to headquarters, go!"

  It just so happened that the representatives of the Third War Zone and the Anhui Provincial Government, as well as the provincial party department, had arrived. The last negotiation had failed, and everyone had not taken it to heart, but unexpectedly, the Military Commission insisted on trying again, so the Third War Zone had to add another 50,000 yuan, making a total of 100,000 silver dollars as the price for renegotiation.

  Still led by Lieutenant Colonel Liu Chunquan, Deputy Director of the previous visit, Commissioner Mei was not seen, and it is estimated that he was withdrawn due to incompatibility with Chen Jifa.

  As the saying goes, "once born, twice cooked", Colonel Liu has been here once and is not so restrained. As soon as he entered the door, he bowed his hands to Chen Jifang who came out to greet him, "Congratulations, Director Chen, congratulations! Your department has won battle after battle, recovering the whole city of Quzhou from the Japanese devils, which makes us admire you!"

  Chen Jifang was already used to such rhetoric, "It's nothing, it's just a matter of course for soldiers to risk their lives. Compared to the numerous National Army soldiers who fought bloody battles on the front lines, this small matter is not worth mentioning. The great victory at Taierzhuang, where the National Army annihilated over 10,000 Japanese bandits, truly showed off the prowess of Chinese soldiers. We haven't even had a chance to congratulate the government yet?"

  After some polite conversation, both sides sat down in the reception room of the camp, and Liu Chunquan introduced his entourage before getting to the point.

  Liu Chunquan took out another piece of paper and began to read it aloud, and the entourage quickly stood up.

  "REPUBLIC OF CHINA CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION COMMENDATION ORDER: To the entire officers and men of China's 'Divine Eagle' Anti-Japanese Special Operations Unit: At this critical moment for the nation's survival, your unit has demonstrated unity and solidarity, upholding the spirit of sacrifice. You have repeatedly launched attacks on the enemy from behind their lines. Now that you have recovered our territory, annihilated the enemy garrison, and greatly boosted national morale in the War of Resistance, we hereby issue this commendation order. Awarding 100,000 yuan, 100 submachine guns, 10 light machine guns, 400,000 rounds of ammunition, 100,000 rounds of machine gun bullets, and 500 boxes of hand grenades. Chen Jifang, Commander of the 'Divine Eagle' Anti-Japanese Special Operations Unit, is promoted to Colonel; Zhong Dingcheng is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. The ranks of other officers and men will be awarded after reporting to the Third War Zone Command."

  Additionally, due to the outstanding contributions of China's "Divine Eagle" anti-Japanese special operations team, the Military Commission decided to confer the designation 'National Revolutionary Army Anhui-East Independent Regiment' under the command of the Third War Zone, with equal rights as other Nationalist troops. Their military pay and ammunition supplies were uniformly allocated by the Third War Zone.

  This order

  Chiang Kai-shek, Chairman of the Military Affairs Commission of the Republic of China

  April 20, 1938

  Chen Jifan saw Liu Shaobo take out the paper and start reading, he knew that he was going to sing an old play again. It seems that this time the government's price is higher, it seems to be determined to win. Directly refusing is impossible, here is backed by Hefei, Anhui Province, where at least two armies are stationed, if things go wrong, there will be no benefit for the troops.

  Chen Jifan put away the commendation letter and was about to make some polite remarks when a middle-aged man stood up from his seat and said: "Director Chen, no, I should call you Colonel Chen. My name is Xiao Ruxuan, and I have been entrusted by the Anhui Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government to come to your department to discuss the establishment of the Anti-Japanese Dynamic Committee in the five counties of central Anhui. The fact that the Military Commission and the Third War Zone attach such importance to this matter is also the hope of the people of central Anhui for resisting Japan. Our superiors would like to ask your department to take the lead in establishing an anti-Japanese mobilization committee in Quanjiao, to mobilize the masses to actively cooperate with the national army in their resistance against Japan. What do you think, Colonel Chen?"

  The Military Commission and the Third War Zone have both come to win him over, which is not unexpected for Chen Jifang. Even bandit forces have been incorporated, let alone the "Divine Eagle" that has been making a name for itself for a long time. After all, although the KMT and CPC are cooperating, the National Government is still on guard against the Communist Party. Any civilian armed force with some influence or scale will be sought to be incorporated by the Military Commission. Anyway, the National Army doesn't want it, and the New Fourth Army is eager to take it over.

  He himself didn't want to accept the KMT's reorganization, thinking that he was also a Liberation Army cadre trained by the party for many years, and now he had crossed over to join the KMT, this turn of events was a bit too much to take in. To put it mildly, this was a dark humor, to put it seriously, there was a suspicion of betraying the party.

  However, the other side's offer was somewhat tempting, especially that $100,000. After the Wuhan trip, "Divine Eagle"'s money started flowing out like water, making Deng Fangxian cry all day long. Half of the Wuhan procurement funds were spent, and the remaining amount has been used as military pay and compensation until now. After the capture of Quzhou, they didn't get much gold or silver coins. Plus, with more troops now, getting money became a top priority.

  There is also the 100th Flower Mechanism, Zhao Jun has complained to himself more than once that his special warfare team is just a patrol team, except for touching the enemy's sentry and burying landmines, it basically cannot achieve the goals set when the special warfare team was established.

  Chen Jifan also scolded Zhao Jun, saying that after being a special forces soldier for so many years, what's the point of not having any weapons? Without guns, you can't fight battles. It's like saying that without Zhang Butcher, you can't eat pork with hair on it... In reality, he was more anxious than anyone else, including Zhong Dingcheng. The current special forces platoon could only be used as scouts, but in fact, a real special forces unit has a killing power that cannot be compared to any regular army unit. Moreover, it should also be able to complete tasks that regular army units cannot accomplish. When Chen Jifan first joined the special forces, he had fantasized that if they had such an elite unit back then, even the enemy's headquarters would not have been a problem.

  In this era, China's 100-flower submachine gun is absolutely a good weapon. As long as it is used properly, within 100 meters, it will be the nightmare of the devils. It is just suitable for special forces. With the submachine gun, the special forces can carry out more arduous tasks.

  Having a number means being legitimate, and it also means that there will be some logistical support. Moreover, the current priority is indeed to expand the troops to cope with the upcoming war. A regiment's number can allow itself to expand to over 2,000 people, and if training keeps up, it may even be possible to deal with a few Japanese regiments.

  Liu Chunquan and Xiao Ruxuan saw Chen Jifan not speaking for half a day, they also felt anxious in their hearts, thinking that it would be like last time, hitting a nail again. One by one, they all lowered their heads to hold the tea bowls and taste the tea.

  "I, on behalf of all the officers and men of the 'Divine Eagle', thank the Chairman, the War Zone Commander and the people of Anhui for their kindness. However, this matter of adaptation still needs to be discussed with the officers and men before a response can be made. If I were to rashly agree now, I fear that it would cause unnecessary trouble and discontent among the soldiers below. So, please, let us first rest in Quanjiao, and after discussing with my brothers under my command, I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer." Chen Jifan tried his best to be polite, lest the other side misunderstand him.

  Liu Shaoying listened and thought he was going to get into trouble, but after careful consideration, he felt there was still hope, so he didn't say anything else and bid farewell first.

  As soon as the representatives left, Chen Jifang ordered the guards to urgently convene a meeting of all officers above the rank of squad leader. The content was naturally to discuss whether to join the National Army sequence.

  The meeting was clearly divided into two factions from the start. One faction, led by Song Guantao, Shang Changfu and Su Jingwei, advocated joining the National Army, reasoning that it would allow them to expand their forces openly and receive government military pay and equipment support. The other faction, led by Luo Yuguang, Hu Yunfeng and Zhao Jun, all of whom came from the 21st century and had no good feelings towards the Kuomintang, having received years of party education, did not advocate joining the New Fourth Army, but never considered joining the National Army.

  Several platoon leaders didn't say much because of their low military rank. Wen Chuanhao was consistently silent. Xia Xiande, although also a platoon leader, remained silent as well since he was new to the group.

  The two sides went back and forth, arguing until their faces were red and their ears were burning, but neither could convince the other.

  Chen Jifang saw this scene and was a bit worried. The troops had been established for so long, always fighting, these officers from the National Army were loyal to the troops, but the troops never had the opportunity to conduct thorough ideological education, it seemed that these guys still had feelings for the National Army.

  Unifying thoughts can wait for now, we still have to face reality. Chen Jifang first asked the introverted Wen Chuanhao, who was always the type that if he didn't speak then it was fine but when he did speak it was shocking, his words were never many but they were effective.

  "Wen Chuanhao thought of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army."

  Chen Jifang immediately understood, his meaning is that the Communist Party can also be reorganized into the combat sequence of the National Revolutionary Army, what's wrong with us, and we can also learn from the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, listen to orders but not to propaganda. As long as personnel power is in our hands, we are not afraid of being annexed.

  Chen Jifan turned around and asked with his eyes the Clock Tower beside him, Old Clock had always been mature and steady, his words should have some representativeness.

  "I agree with Lieutenant Colonel Chang, Captain Su and the others." Zhong Dingcheng paused for a moment.

  Song Guanhu and others heard the deputy camp leader support them, one by one showing a complacent expression on their faces. Song Guanhu even made a face at Hu Yunfeng.

  Zhong Dingcheng continued: "The KMT and the Communist Party fought for so many years, but they were able to unite under one banner to resist Japan. We are just a small unit, and we should actively respond to the government's call to unite and face outward together. However, I want to remind everyone present that accepting reorganization by the National Government is not just about military pay and logistics. If it were, we might as well disband and join other units individually. The purpose of accepting reorganization is to better mobilize all sectors of society and to make contact with foreign aid in the next step. As for combat methods, I think it's still more appropriate for us to operate independently under the command of the war zone. Firstly, we developed in the enemy's rear, which is our area of operation. If we were to be pulled onto the front lines, I'm afraid we would lose everyone in one battle. Therefore, my opinion is: accept reorganization with limitations, maintain our independence, and don't expect too much from military pay and equipment."

  Zhong Dingcheng said so much in one breath, and everyone gradually had no opinion. But Zhao Jun stood up again and asked: "Head, if we join the Nationalist Party, do we still want to use the name 'Shenying'? This is what our brothers have exchanged for with their lives!"

  Su Jingwei took over and said: "Battalion commander, let's just tell them that from now on we'll be called the 'National Revolutionary Army Divine Eagle Independent Regiment'. If there are new numbers in the future, we can call ourselves the 'Divine Eagle' Independent Brigade, Independent Division. The name 'Divine Eagle' will be a nightmare for the devils, and we can't just abandon it."

  Hu Yunfeng added: "Head, if you want to join us, we won't oppose it, but you must add some conditions, you can't just sell yourself cheaply like that."

  Chen Jifan saw that the meeting had reached a consensus, so he made a decision and decided to cooperate with Liu Chunquan and others.

  After the meeting, Chen Jifan kept Hu Yunfeng back and asked: "What are your thoughts on increasing the conditions?"

  Hu Yunfeng said: "Head, we now have rifles, machine guns, submachine guns and even cannons. Compared to many other troops, we should be stronger. But think again, what else are we still lacking?"

  Chen Jifan thought for half a day, suddenly remembering that this kid had been a paratrooper before, and wondered if he was going to ask the National Government for airplanes, which was too far-fetched. Besides, even if they gave him a few planes, where would he put them?

  "We don't have planes, that thing we can't play with for the time being, but the devils have planes, so our opening bid must be several anti-aircraft guns, or at least anti-aircraft machine guns."

  Chen Jifan patted Hu Yunfeng, "You're still more thoughtful. Hmm, and there's the radio station. We'll strive to allocate the radio station to the regiment level, artillery and special warfare troops should all have one."

  "There are also phones, anti-aircraft guns, medicines..." Hu Yunfeng suddenly realized and kept counting.

  "Alright, alright," Chen Jifan hastily interrupted, "you really take Old Jiang for a fool, if you go on like this, you might as well give him the tank."

  After returning to the camp, Chen Jifan and Zhong Dingcheng prepared a detailed written document, ready to haggle with Liu Chunquan and others the next day.