Chapter 5: The Season of Harvest (Part 2)
When the German equipment was arranged, it was already 3 o'clock in the morning when Cheng Jiaji and four others returned to their residence. Yu Juncai reevaluated this military commander who always had a smile on his face and never put on airs after learning that these weapons were bought with money collected by Cheng Jiaji himself. It seemed unbelievable to Yu Juncai that someone would use embezzled funds to buy such a large batch of weapons to fight against the Japanese devils. Although Cheng Jiaji was not a patriot, his boldness and vision were impressive, as he was building a foundation in the military for personal gain. In contrast, those high-ranking officials at the center did not spend their own money to purchase weapons to fight against Japan, but instead took advantage of the country's financial difficulties to accumulate wealth.
He wasn't afraid of Cheng Jiaji's ambition, after all, Yu Juncai himself was not a person who was content with the status quo. If Cheng Jiaji were just an incompetent young master, following him would only lead to a mediocre future, but if Cheng Jiaji truly had great ambitions, then he could hitch a ride on this giant tree that seemed much taller than him and rise to power quickly. For the first time, Yu Juncai felt that Cheng Jiaji might be the stepping stone for his own ascent to the pinnacle of power.
With a mind made up, his face-changing technique was also quite accomplished. Just a few hours ago, he was still chatting with Cheng Jiaqi as an equal, calling him "Old Brother Hao Ran", but now he was addressing him as "Vice-Chairman" and putting on the airs of one of Cheng Jiaqi's old subordinates.
Cheng Jiaji, on the one hand, actively wooed Juncai and even let Yuwen's two battalion commanders come to pick up a portion of the newly arrived military supplies tomorrow. As for the majority of the military supplies, it is naturally better to keep them in Vice-Chairman Cheng's hands first. Juncai, who had not been swayed by either superficial or substantial benefits, tacitly understood that this was Cheng Jiaji's way of showing that revolution does not distinguish between old and new, and that he treated both him and Wen Songyuan, an old comrade-in-arms, equally. Therefore, Juncai flattered Cheng Jiaji even more brazenly, almost to the point of kneeling down to pledge his loyalty.
Cheng Jiaji was also aware that a seasoned commander like Yu Juncai would not be so easily won over. This was reality, not some game of Three Kingdoms, where giving gifts to a general could increase their loyalty. Yu Juncai's behavior today was likely due to his own ambitions and desire to rise through the ranks. Although Cheng understood Yu's intentions, he still planned to accept this opportunistic subordinate, as fame, wealth, and power were things that everyone desired, and Yu Juncai was no exception. With someone of his talent and ambition, as long as he kept a close eye on him, Yu wouldn't be able to cause any trouble in his current position within the 16th Army.
He now lacks experienced generals under his command. Gao Shiying, although also a veteran of many battles, is not a graduate of a regular military academy and has never fought against the Japanese with real swords. Yu Juncai, on the other hand, has both practical experience fighting against the Japanese and a background in a regular military academy. The Central Training Regiment was one of the best in the country at that time, even better than the 88th Division, 36th Division, and 87th Division, which later became famous for their victories on the battlefield against Japan. Moreover, although Yu Juncai's position in the Temporary 174th Brigade is not very high, those who came from the Central Army regard him as their leader. If he can be won over, it will have a significant impact on Cheng Jiaji's standing in the Temporary 174th Brigade.
It's precisely because of this that even though Cheng Jiaji has already guessed that the other party is only relying on him with a mentality of borrowing a ladder to climb up, for now he can only accept this unstable element.
After everyone had talked nonsense and clichés for another half hour, things they themselves wouldn't believe, they finally went back to their own places to sleep.
The second evening after Wu Shouren sent the military supplies, Cheng Jiaji took a walk along the small river at the village entrance with Ma Sanbao and several other bodyguards after dinner. Now his identity is not what it used to be, with a whole reinforced squad of bodyguards under him. As he walked along the riverbank, surrounded by dozens of meters of warning zones, he saw the guards around him being extremely vigilant, as if every blade of grass and tree were Japanese spies. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, wondering when he had ever been so glorious before. His enthusiasm was high, and he wanted to recite a great poem, but unfortunately, Cheng's poetic skills were limited, and some poems were not suitable for recitation. He couldn't possibly come up with a poem like "The Blood of the Nation" by Chairman Mao, let alone explain why he would recite such a poem, which would only lead to him being labeled as a counter-revolutionary.
In the south of the Yangtze River, there are rarely moments with heavy snowfall, but the gloomy and humid cold weather is also unbearable for many people. Cheng Jiaji, who grew up in a warm climate, had already lost his courage after sneezing several times. Just as he was about to retreat back home to sleep, Liu, a tall and thin guard with a somewhat rustic flavor, came running over, saying that the commander-in-chief had summoned Vice Commander to an emergency military meeting.
Cheng Jiaji heard the news and had to give up his plan to go back and rest, bringing those few guards to the village office that served as a temporary brigade headquarters.
The village government office is not far from this place, and ten minutes later, Cheng Jiaji walked into this temporary travel department. As soon as he entered the door, Cheng Jiaji found that today's matter was not small, and all the high-ranking military officers of the 74th Brigade were already waiting for him here.
"Is there something important at the teacher's place?" Cheng Jiaji asked this because if it was a military department with an important order, his own elder sister would not possibly not give him a heads up first.
Chang Jing handed a telegram to Cheng Jiaji with a furrowed brow, which was usually smooth. Cheng Jiaji took the telegram and was stunned after reading it, also understanding why everyone in the room had such a heavy expression.
The telegram's content was not much, only three short lines of less than sixty words, but to Cheng Jiaji it was no less than a thousand words and ten thousand phrases. Holding this piece of paper in his hand, Cheng Jiaji felt it weighed at least a thousand catties.
"Telegram, by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the War Zone, temporarily dispatch a strong unit from the 174th Brigade, led by either the Brigade Commander or Deputy Commander or Chief of Staff, to depart immediately by car to Xuzhou, with a deadline of two days for departure and arrival before March 5. Commander-in-Chief of the 88th Division of the National Revolutionary Army, Jiang Qiancai. February 18, 1938."
"I'll go instead." After reading the telegram from the commander-in-chief that left everyone speechless, Cheng Jiaji unexpectedly spoke up and volunteered to send Sakura North to be the vanguard of the entire army.
