hotmtlnovel Chapter 1118 Ruyi Jin's Re-employment
Chapter 1118 Ruyi Jin's Re-employment
Zhao Gang, being a scholar, looked at the spoils of war and offered a way out, saying:
"Commander Li... you're really something, you've got some serious skills. This operation has been very fruitful."
Li Yunlong was also the type to take advantage of any situation. Seeing that the political commissar had softened his stance, he immediately seized the opportunity and went from anger to laughter.
He began to vividly defend himself, saying how difficult things had been for him, and that his actions had all been "verbally authorized" by the brigade commander in advance, and were absolutely not against the rules.
"Our army's supplies are pitifully small, we're like stepchildren. If we don't find a way to manage them, won't we starve to death? No guns, no cannons, what do we do? We'll just have the enemy make them for us," Li Yunlong laughed.
“That’s the saying. When you’re in dire need, you have to think of ways to change. You can’t just stick to your old ways.” Zhao Gang sighed and said, “Commander Li, I’m not trying to cause trouble, but for such important matters, please let me know next time. I’m a member of the Independent Regiment, after all. It’s like I’m an outsider.”
"No problem, no problem." Li Yunlong laughed heartily, "I was just afraid you wouldn't agree, Political Commissar! Next time, definitely next time!"
After they had talked things out, the two smiled at each other, and the conflict from before vanished. They happily ran off together to count the horses.
In fact, back when Li Yunlong was still the commander of the New First Regiment, he had already considered forming a cavalry unit.
They even had Zhang Huaiyi take the lead in setting up a cavalry training class, but none of the cavalrymen in the training class had horses.
At the time, he thought it would be wonderful if he could get a hundred or so horses in the future.
Unexpectedly, his initial idea was too conservative; today he suddenly owns several hundred horses.
But soon, Li Yunlong became somewhat troubled. He realized that he seemed to be unable to swallow this big piece of meat.
Because there were very few soldiers in the Independent Regiment who could ride horses, it was not an easy task to train so many qualified cavalrymen in a short period of time.
What's worse is that these hundreds of horses have hundreds of hungry mouths that need to be fed fine fodder and beans every day.
It's the dead of winter now, and supplies are scarce. The daily consumption of these hundreds of horses is an astronomical figure. Where does he get so much food?
Are we going to steal hay again?
Just as he was worrying, the brigade headquarters called, and the brigade commander specifically asked to speak with him.
Upon receiving the brigade commander's call, Li Yunlong's heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling welled up inside him.
He reluctantly took the phone, and the brigade commander's voice came through:
"Li Yunlong! Congratulations on your fortune!"
"What kind of fortune are we talking about? We're so poor we're practically begging for food," Li Yunlong complained.
"Hahaha! Stop pretending with me! You think I can hide this from my eyes? Let me tell you, I knew as soon as the gunshots rang out in Wanjia Town. Tell me honestly, how much did you really make this time?"
"Oh, not much, just enough equipment for one cavalry battalion. I'm planning to form a cavalry battalion."
"Look at you, so capable. You think you can make a cavalry battalion out of your regiment? Then should I make a cavalry regiment out of my brigade?"
“Of course, of course. With your reputation as a brigade commander, you wouldn’t be too bad to be assigned a cavalry division,” Li Yunlong said with a smile.
"Stop talking nonsense here. You leave behind a company's worth of horses and equipment, and send the rest to the brigade headquarters." The brigade commander waved his hand, ready to take away three-quarters of Li Yunlong's horses and equipment.
"What are you doing, Brigade Commander? Are you robbing me? No, no, absolutely not! You might as well just shoot me." Li Yunlong was anxious. Handing over so much all at once would be a waste of all his efforts.
"No way?!" The brigade commander laughed. "Alright then, we'll have to have a talk. You moved troops without permission; that's a serious offense, isn't it?"
"Hey! Brigade Commander, you agreed to this operation beforehand, you can't go back on your word!" Li Yunlong's face turned red with anxiety.
"I agreed? Who can prove that to you? Find them!" the brigade commander laughed.
"Brigade Commander, you can't do this! Aren't you cheating? You're treating me like a Japanese soldier!"
"Enough with the nonsense. You have two options: either you send me the horses and equipment, or I'll report this to headquarters and investigate your unauthorized troop movements. Li Yunlong, what do you plan to do?"
"Oh dear... rank really does have an edge, I admit it!" Li Yunlong sighed and said, "Brigade Commander, if you want to rob me, just say so. Why make up these excuses? It's so hurtful. Just ask me directly, do you think I'd refuse?"
"Hahaha, would you give it to me if I didn't make up an excuse? I'm telling you, you're just like those landlords back in the day when they were stingy when they were dividing up the land!" the brigade commander laughed.
"We're just afraid of being poor, aren't we?"
Li Yunlong muttered to himself.
"What are you muttering about, kid? You've never been poor before. By the way, is Lü Ci still with you? Have Lü Ci lead the team and bring all those horses back to me!" the brigade commander said.
"That won't do!"
Li Yunlong's eyes darted around, and another plan came to him: "That kid Lü Ci is so easy for me to use, he's practically my lucky star! He got me hundreds of horses right after he arrived. How about this, Brigade Commander, you... transfer him directly to my Independent Regiment, is that alright?"
"You wish! If he's so capable, and he's transferred to your side, what will happen to me?" the brigade commander retorted immediately.
"Brigade Commander, aren't there plenty of talented people in your area? Why would you care about just one more?"
"Stop talking nonsense! There's absolutely no way I'll transfer Lü Ci to you! Forget about it!"
"Fine, I won't transfer you then! How about... I can borrow you for a while?" Li Yunlong compromised, "I'll borrow you for a year!"
"no!"
"Six months! Six months should be fine, right?" Li Yunlong quickly bargained.
"No way!"
"Three months! Just three months, Brigade Commander. You've taken so many good things from me, you have to give me some compensation, otherwise I, Old Li, will die unjustly."
The brigade commander pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, three months it is."
"Alright, brigade commander, I'll have someone send the equipment over to you later." Having salvaged some of the losses, Li Yunlong happily bid farewell to the brigade commander.
At this moment, Zhang Huaiyi walked in: "Regimental Commander, what did the brigade commander say?"
Li Yunlong's smile vanished instantly.
Zhang Huaiyi frowned and asked, "He was punished for mobilizing troops without authorization?"
“It’s even more painful than being punished!” Li Yunlong said with great distress, “I’ve been busy for half a day, and in the end, I’ve handed over three-quarters of it. It’s heartbreaking.”
"This...is indeed a very sad thing."
Zhang Huaiyi said that he had taken those horses and equipment from Wanjia Town and sent them away before he could even enjoy them. He and Li Yunlong felt the same way.
Then, Zhang Huaiyi changed the subject: "But I took a look and the troupe can't afford to keep that many horses. It's good to send some out so as not to drag people down. Besides, at least you didn't go to the clothing factory this time."
"The brigade commander is willing to let me go to the clothing factory? It's good that I'm going to the clothing factory, then who will steal his horse?"
Li Yunlong muttered something, then sighed, "But you're right, we really can't afford to keep that many horses. Keeping a company's worth is just right. By the way, Huaiyi, didn't we set up a cavalry training class before? How about we restart it?"
Zhang Huaiyi said, "I have to build a reinforced company, investigate those special forces Japanese, and run a cavalry training class. How can I manage all that?"
"Then what should we do? Send Xiao Tian?" Li Yunlong stroked his chin and commented, "Aside from being a bit simple-minded, Xiao Tian is also a very capable fighter."
“Jinzhong is also responsible for reinforcing the company, so he doesn’t have time to train cavalry,” Zhang Huaiyi refused.
"If Xiaotian isn't up to it... how about Lü Ci?" Li Yunlong's eyes darted around. "I spent hundreds of horses to borrow him from the brigade commander for three months! We need to make sure he does his best for our Independent Regiment!"
"You spent hundreds of horses, borrowed them from the brigade commander, just to train cavalry?" Zhang Huaiyi said.
"That's not it, I have my own plans!"
"What do you want to use it for?" Li Yunlong said, "His Ruyi Jin can be used to scout the terrain and can also use his strength to imitate the sound of a person walking, so I plan to have him clear mines."
"Recently, the Japanese have been sweeping across the country and have laid a lot of landmines in some places. It is very difficult for the soldiers to clear the mines, and there are occasional casualties."
"But if it were Lü Ci, he could clear mines for miles in a day. The Japanese would work hard for months, but he could take them out in a day or two."
"I was thinking that after Lü Ci cleared all the landmines within a radius of several dozen kilometers, I could have him come and train our cavalry again."
Upon hearing Li Yunlong's plan, Zhang Huaiyi was stunned: "You're really pushing him to the limit! Even a donkey pulling a millstone isn't used like this!"
"What do you mean by 'using them to the death'?" Li Yunlong laughed. "We traded hundreds of horses; we have to try and recoup our losses, right?"
“I have no objection to letting him clear the landmines,” Zhang Huaiyi said. “He can even scout out the terrain while clearing the landmines, and then draw a map of the terrain. It would be best if he could draw a very detailed battle map, or even make a sand table.”
Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong laughed loudly, "That's a great idea! This way, we'll be much more adept at guerrilla warfare in this area. Huaiyi, if we're talking about cunning, you're the cunning one! This is truly making the best use of resources!"
“But I don’t think it’s suitable for him to train cavalry,” Zhang Huaiyi said.
“Clearing mines and drawing maps shouldn’t take more than three months at most, right?” Li Yunlong said. “Is he not good at riding horses?”
“Hedgehog is very good at riding horses. Back then, he rode his talisman horse and followed my senior brother all over the country,” Zhang Huaiyi said. “What I’m trying to say is that Lü Ci will only stay for three months. You ask him to train cavalry, and he spends three months setting up the framework of this unit. Then he just packs up his pants and leaves, being transferred back to the brigade headquarters. Wouldn’t that mean the soul of this cavalry unit is gone?”
Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong's smile gradually faded. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "In terms of long-term considerations, Huaiyi, you are more thoughtful. A cowardly soldier is a cowardly individual, but a cowardly general leads to a cowardly army. The character of an officer can indeed greatly influence the character of his soldiers."
"Lu Ci was a man of great character, even somewhat ruthless and arrogant. The soldiers he trained would also be quite individualistic. After he left, it would be difficult to find someone to take over."
Zhang Huaiyi nodded and said, "So we need to choose someone who can stay long-term. I do have someone in mind, but you, the commander, will have to go and ask for it."
"Who should we choose?" Li Yunlong said, "As long as they are useful, I, Old Li, will fight the brigade commander to get them."
“You don’t need to fight the brigade commander,” Zhang Huaiyi said. “When I was in charge of the cavalry platoon in the New First Regiment, there was a guy in the platoon named Sun Desheng. Do you remember him? He was the best trainee and had experience as a cavalryman before. I think you should spend some money to transfer him from the New First Regiment and let him run the cavalry company.”
Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong's eyes lit up: "Sun Desheng, I remember him. He used to work in the 69th Army Cavalry Regiment. Later, the commander of the 69th Army became a traitor, so he came to our New First Regiment. Since you think this kid can take on this important task, I'll go and bring him back so he can go back to his old job."
Li Yunlong was a decisive person; once he said he would do something, he immediately went to find his old comrade-in-arms, Ding Wei.
At that moment, inside the headquarters of the new regiment, Ding Wei had just finished a phone conversation with the brigade commander.
The brigade commander issued him equipment.
The 386th Brigade, commanded by the brigade commander, consisted of only five regiments.
Li Yunlong seized a cavalry battalion, which consisted of five companies. He kept the equipment for one company and handed over the equipment for the other four companies.
The cavalry equipment of these four companies was naturally distributed to the other four regiments under the 386th Brigade.
Ding Weigang was overjoyed when he took over the new regiment commander, inheriting a large amount of equipment left by Li Yunlong and also receiving a company of cavalry.
At this moment, he was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), drinking tea and chatting with the deputy commander and political commissar of the new regiment.
Ding Wei laughed loudly, "Hahaha, on my way to the new regiment that day, I encountered that group of puppet army cavalry. They chased me for more than ten miles. I said then that these cavalrymen would be mine sooner or later. See? Sure enough, it hasn't been long, and those horses and equipment are mine now!"
The deputy commander next to him said, "You just got lucky, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse."
“How can this be considered good luck?” Ding Wei laughed. “This is a clever strategy.”
"Where does the wisdom lie?"
Ding Wei put down his teacup and said, "As soon as I arrived at the brigade headquarters, I immediately reported to the brigade commander that a puppet army cavalry battalion had been discovered in Wanjia Town."
"The brigade commander lamented to me at the time, saying that it would be great if we could get those horses and equipment over. Guess what I said?"
"Stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me." The deputy commander had no interest in being his straight man.
Ding Wei laughed and said, "I say, this is simple. Just let Li Yunlong know. With that kid Li Yunlong's dog-like face and his 'biting at the sight of meat' personality, wouldn't he immediately lead his men to snatch it back for him?"
"Upon hearing this, the brigade commander burst into laughter and ordered me to write a letter to Li Yunlong, explaining the address of this group of puppet troops. Then he personally sent people to keep an eye on the Independent Regiment's movements. As soon as Li Yunlong succeeded, he would make his move."
"Unexpectedly, before my letter could even be delivered, Li Yunlong had already succeeded. But the brigade commander was quick to act; as soon as Li Yunlong succeeded, he made his move."
"Li Yunlong is fast, the brigade commander is even faster, it's just that I'm a bit slow at reporting information. I still have to learn from them, hahaha!"
Upon hearing Ding Wei's words, the people in the room burst into laughter.
As they were laughing, a soldier came over to report that Li Yunlong, the commander of the Independent Regiment, had arrived.
The laughter inside stopped.
The political commissar of the new regiment looked at Ding Wei: "Regimental Commander Ding, could it be that your scheme was discovered by Old Li? Has he come to demand an explanation from you?"
Li Yunlong had a poor relationship with several political commissars. Although he had left the New First Regiment, the political commissars of the New First Regiment were still somewhat afraid of him.
"What are you afraid of?" Ding Wei's eyes widened. "You're afraid of Old Li's scoundrel nature, but I'm not. Let me have a go at him."
A short while later, Ding Wei returned with a dark expression.
"How is it?" the political commissar asked.
Ding Wei sighed and said, "I got a few Type 96 light machine guns, but the cavalry company commander I was supposed to hire is gone. After thinking about it carefully, I still feel like I've lost out."
There was no way around it; you can't be too proud to accept favors. After all, the New First Regiment was established by Li Yunlong, so Ding Wei found it difficult to stand up to him.
"Having a few crooked guns is not bad; at least we didn't lose a lot of money," the political commissar comforted him.
"You guys haven't had enough contact with him. What good could the crooked-handled gun that Old Li sent over be? Would he give it away if it wasn't really crooked?" Ding Wei said irritably.
Li Yunlong successfully took Sun Desheng away, and the Independent Regiment's cavalry company was quickly established.
On the other side, Lü Ci, along with several soldiers, began his mine-clearing journey.
His actions were faster than Li Yunlong had imagined; he could not only clear mines, but also dig them out.
With the all-pervasive sound wave detection ability of the Ruyi Jin, he only needs to press his hand on the ground, and he will know exactly where the iron lumps are buried within a radius of several miles.
Then all he had to do was carry a hoe and dig up the landmines.
Ordinary soldiers are extremely careful when digging out landmines.
But Lü Ci's hoeing skills were almost perfected; with one stroke of his hoe, the landmines inside wouldn't even tremble, and he would dig them up directly.
Within a few days, he had cleared all the minefields in the defense zone surrounding the Independent Regiment completely!
Moreover, they were able to make use of waste materials and acquire thousands of landmines.
While Lü Ci was busy clearing mines and laying mines, Zhang Huaiyi and Tian Jinzhong were also actively investigating the whereabouts of that special group of Japanese pirates.
Zhang Huaiyi was very good at concealing his talents.
A person who is good at concealing their talents and knows how to disguise themselves often has a frighteningly strong insight and counter-intelligence ability.
Before long, Zhang Huaiyi found the trail of that special forces unit of Japanese pirates. (End of this chapter)