sbdcsierra Chapter 164 The Situation of the Bandits
Chapter 164 The Situation of the Bandits
After two days of marching, Tang Xiaohu led his troops to Chenjiapuzi and met up with Wu Sheng and his group.
“Chen Shan’s wife, this is Battalion Commander Tang from Chen Shan’s unit,” Wu Sheng introduced.
"I'm sorry we're late," Tang Xiaohu said apologetically to Chen Shan's wife.
"Commander Tang, we are very happy that you could come. If Chen Shan knew that his battalion commander had come to our house in person, he would be happy in the afterlife."
"This is what a battalion commander should do. Now that I'm here, Chen Shan's wife, you can rest assured about your affairs," Tang Xiaohu assured him.
Tang Xiaohu was seething with anger the whole way, wishing he could find the bandits and fight them right away.
"Battalion Commander Tang, this is too much trouble. We are very happy that you could come. Battalion Commander Tang, please come in and sit down. It's cold outside." Chen Shan's wife hurriedly invited Tang Xiaohu, who was standing at the door, to come inside and sit down.
"Chen Shan's wife, I, Tang Xiaohu, have no face to enter the house. I am truly ashamed before Brother Chen Shan. I will come in and apologize in person after I have wiped out these bandits," Tang Xiaohu said solemnly.
"Battalion Commander Tang, there's no need to rush. There's still time to have a bowl of water."
"Don't worry about Chen's wife, just wait for my good news." With that, Tang Xiaohu turned and left.
"Battalion Commander Tang, Battalion Commander Tang!" Chen Shan's wife was about to chase after him when Wu Sheng, who had stayed behind, stopped her.
“Chen’s wife, there’s no need to persuade him. Your words will only make Battalion Commander Tang uncomfortable. Why not let him go and wipe out the bandits first, and wait for him to return?” Wu Sheng advised from the side.
"Brother Wu, I'll follow your arrangements. I'll treat them well when Battalion Commander Tang returns." Chen Shan's wife had no choice but to agree.
Chen Shan's wife could only stand at the door and watch Tang Xiaohu leave from afar.
After Tang Xiaohu left, he immediately led the way east of Chen's shop. Wu Sheng had just told him that Song Ge was waiting for them at Erdaogouzi, 50 li away.
After a long march, Tang Xiaohu finally arrived at Erdaogou at dusk.
"Reporting to the battalion commander, the reconnaissance team leader Song and his men have made contact ahead."
Soldiers from the forward reconnaissance unit returned and reported to Tang Xiaohu.
"Alright, take me there immediately. I need to know the situation of this band of bandits right away."
"Yes."
Then Tang Xiaohu followed the investigators and walked forward.
"Commander Tang, you must be tired from your journey," Song Ge said.
"You guys are the ones who have worked hard. You were all injured and retired, but you still risked your lives to scout out the Japanese army's movements."
"Battalion Commander Tang, we are still part of the militia. After learning about Chen Shan's situation, we will risk our lives to find the location of these bandits."
"How's the situation now?" Tang Xiaohu asked.
"After two days of investigation, we found that the robbers who robbed Chen Shan's family were this gang of bandits entrenched in the front Erdaoliang area. They claimed to be fighting against the Japanese and called themselves the Loyal and Brave National Salvation Corps, but in reality, they were just robbing and plundering."
"However, these bandits, under the banner of resisting Japan, usually held back when they went down the mountain to rob, only taking valuables and not harming people. It was fortunate that they did so, otherwise Chen Shan's family would have been in big trouble."
"Hehehe, I didn't expect bandits to actually cherish their reputation. But Little Knife pulled a butt, I've really opened my eyes."
"How many bandits are there?" Tang Xiaohu then asked.
There are probably more than 500 people.
"Wow, what a boastful tone! More than 500 people and they dare to call themselves a regiment." Tang Xiaohu's first reaction was that these bandits were really bragging.
"Commander Tang, there's another piece of information. According to the locals, Erdaoling was originally just a group of small bandits, but later, they heard that the front lines had been defeated, so many defeated soldiers came here. With nowhere else to go, they went up the mountain to become bandits." Song Ge shared the intelligence he had gathered.
"No wonder bandits cherish their reputation. This is the root of the problem. As the saying goes, soldiers and bandits are inseparable. This is indeed true."
"Commander Tang is right, it's a disgrace to us soldiers."
"Heh, now that we're here, we'd better have a good talk with them." Tang Xiaohu thought coldly.
"What's the terrain like in the mountain stronghold?" Tang Xiaohu then asked.
"The stronghold is located on a mountain, and the road up the mountain is extremely steep, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. According to the local hunters, there is only one road up the mountain, and this road is heavily guarded by bandits. We were afraid of being exposed, so we did not approach to scout, and we do not know the specific firepower configuration," Song Ge reported truthfully.
"Okay, that's good. You've done a great job. Now that your task is complete, leave the rest to me, Tang Xiaohu," Tang Xiaohu said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Yes, Battalion Commander Tang, then I'll leave it to you."
"Okay, you guys go back now, wait for my good news."
"Yes." After saying that, Song Ge left with peace of mind.
"Company Commander, take your men and thoroughly scout out the firepower of these bandits. We'll launch our attack after dark, aiming for a swift victory."
"Yes, battalion commander."
"First platoon, first squad, follow me." The company commander led a squad of soldiers toward Erdaoling.
"The rest of the troops, hide where you are to avoid being discovered by the bandits' scouts," Tang Xiaohu ordered.
"Yes, battalion commander."
By this time, the bandits of Erdaoling had already gathered all the people in their meeting hall.
"Commander, when are those Japanese devils coming? They won't stand us up, will they?" Cao Yingjie asked Bu Ruzhu in front of him.
"What's the rush? Just wait patiently. We're going to join the Imperial Army soon, so watch your mouth and don't call them 'little devils' anymore."
"Commander, do we really have to join the Japanese? We were once part of the Central Army, and if we defect to the Japanese, we'll truly become traitors."
"What else can we do? Ever since we fled back from the Battle of Taiyuan, we have nowhere to go. The main force ran away faster than dogs, leaving us here to eat chaff and wild vegetables. Why should we?"
"Commander, we can join the Wolong Mountain militia. I heard they drove off a whole battalion of Japanese soldiers. We'll definitely be safe if we join them."
"This group of Japanese devils is perfect. Why don't we kill them and use them as a pledge of allegiance to the militia?"
"No, Commander, I heard from my men that a squad went down the mountain and robbed a village, and also stole the villagers' militia soldiers' pensions. If the militia finds out, we'll have a grudge against them."
"Commander, how about I take some men and go personally to return the money, apologize, and resolve this grudge?" Cao Yingjie asked.
"So what if they robbed us? What's the big deal? The brothers on the mountain are starving. What's wrong with stealing a little money? Let them come and fight me if they dare!" Bu Ruzhu said with a look of disdain.
"Hehehe, just listen to their bragging. What kind of fighting power can a militia have? They're not even as good as us. At most, they can only repel a small squad of Japanese soldiers because they have more people. They boast to outsiders that they're a whole squad. They're really good at embellishing their image. They're so hypocritical."
"Also, the Imperial Army is powerful now. What's wrong with us living a life of luxury by following them? You need to be careful and make sure nothing goes wrong," Bu Ruzhu reminded her again.
"But, Commander, then we'll really become traitors!" Cao Yingjie said reluctantly.
“There are plenty of traitors out there, a few more won’t make a difference. At this time, human life is cheaper than grass. Every day we can live is a bonus. Can’t I even enjoy myself a little?”
"Let people insult me, it won't hurt me." Bu Ruzhu said nonchalantly.
"Captain!"
"Alright, Ma Feng, take Battalion Commander Cao back to his room and keep a close eye on him," Bu Ruzhu said to the guards behind her.
"Yes."
"Commander Cao, I'm sorry." Ma Feng stepped forward and threatened him with his gun.
"Hmph, Bu Ruzhu, you'll regret this." With that, Cao Yingjie turned and walked out. Ma Feng followed closely behind, his hand still on his gun.
Bu Ruzhu waited a while longer, and then heard someone report from down the mountain.
"Reporting team leader, five people have come down from the mountain. The leader calls himself Mr. Wild."
"Quickly, invite them in!" Bu Ruzhu said hastily.
"Commander Bu, it's a pleasure to meet you," Nobita said to the middle-aged bald man in front of him.
"Nobi-kun, you must have had a long journey," Bu Ruzhu said from the seat above.
"Thanks to your willingness to join our Imperial Army, this hardship is nothing," Nobita said with a smile.
"Nobi-sama, please have a seat." Bu Ruzhu greeted him warmly.
"Thank you, Commander Bu." With that, Nobi Tai-kun walked ahead without any hesitation.
“We have long admired the Imperial Army. I wonder what Commander Turtle Island thinks of the conditions I proposed?” Bu Ruzhu asked.
"Commander-in-Chief Kamejima has agreed to all of Regiment Commander Bu's conditions. He also asked me to convey to Regiment Commander Bu—no, from now on I should address him as Commander Bu—that he welcomes him to join our Imperial Army," Nobita Tenkun said.
"Hahaha, thank you, Commander Turtle Island!" Bu Ruzhu said with a loud laugh.
"Brothers, from now on we'll live the high life with the Imperial Army!" Bu Ruzhu shouted. The bandits sitting below cheered.
"Commander Bu, when will your unit return to the county town with me?" Nobi-sama asked quietly in the hall.
"How about tomorrow? Tonight I'll treat Nobi-kun to a proper feast, what do you say?"
“Okay, sure.” Nobita readily agreed.
"Someone, bring out the best wine and food we've got in store. We're going to have a good meal tonight," Bu Ruzhu called out.
"Yes, Commander." The person sitting at the back of the table acknowledged the order and left to begin preparations.
"Nobi-sama, please make do with this evening at Erdaoling," Bu Ruzhu continued.
"Commander Bu, you're too kind. As long as we depart tomorrow, this is nothing to complain about."
"That's fine, that's fine."
While Bu Ruzhu was warmly entertaining Nobita, the company commander had already led his men to find out the surrounding situation of this band of bandits.
"Battalion Commander, I'm back," the company commander said as he ran over.
"How is the situation?" Tang Xiaohu asked hurriedly.
"Battalion Commander, we've scouted the perimeter. These guys are definitely from the military; they've set up both overt and covert sentries. If I hadn't been careful, I probably would have been spotted by their covert sentries."
"The defensive setup is basically the same as the regular army formation, and this group is well-equipped with weapons, including a Maxim heavy machine gun and three Czech light machine guns, which they seem to have brought with them when they fled. We can't determine whether the enemy has mortars through reconnaissance of the perimeter," the battalion commander continued.
"If they have heavy machine guns, they'll most likely have mortars too, so we have to be on guard," Tang Xiaohu said.
"By the way, Commander, there's another thing. During our reconnaissance, we discovered that five people went up the mountain to visit us. We don't know who they are," the company commander continued.
"Who would be visiting the bandits at this time? Is it the Eighth Route Army wanting to recruit these bandits? Or is it the Japanese wanting to recruit them? I've never heard of any Nationalist troops here," Tang Xiaohu wondered to himself.
"Call the electrician over here."
"Yes."
A waiter came running over shortly afterward.
"Immediately send a telegram to the regimental commander: Our unit has discovered the bandits who robbed Chen Shan's house; they are the Loyal and Brave Patriotic Army of Erdaoling."
"During their reconnaissance, the scouts discovered a group of mysterious people visiting the bandits at Erdaoling. They asked the regimental commander to inquire whether the Eighth Route Army had sent anyone to the Loyal and Brave National Salvation Corps at Erdaoling."
"Yes."
On the other side, Tang Weiguo received a message from Tang Xiaohu.
"Hmm? These bandits dare to call themselves the Loyal and Brave National Salvation Corps. They're really arrogant."
"Drive out the enemy, come to my office," Tang Weiguo said, picking up the phone on the table.
"Commander, you wanted to see me."
"Okay, contact the Independent Regiment and ask them if any Eighth Route Army unit is heading to Erdaoling to find out where the Loyal and Brave Patriotic Corps is."
"Yes." After saying that, Li Qukou left.
After a while, Li Qukou returned to Tang Weiguo's office.
"Commander, the Independent Regiment replied that they have no troops operating around Erdaoling. The closest unit to Erdaoling is their own Independent Regiment, and they have not sent anyone to the Loyal and Patriotic Corps at Erdaoling."
"Alright, since that's the case, they're most likely Japanese devils. Hehehe, I didn't expect these bandits to want to be traitors. We can't let them get away with this."
"Alright, you go ahead and get busy with driving out the enemy."
"Yes." After saying that, Li Qukou left.
"Hello, Li Qin, come to my office immediately," Tang Weiguo said, picking up the phone again.
Li Qin arrived shortly afterward.
"Captain."
"Yes, immediately send a telegram to Tang Xiaohu, saying that according to intelligence, the person visiting the Loyal and Brave Patriotic Corps at Erdaoling is most likely a Japanese soldier, and that he must not let a single Japanese soldier escape."
"Yes."
"Battalion Commander, Regimental Commander's urgent telegram!" The telegraph operator ran over and handed the telegram to Tang Xiaohu.
"Hmm, most likely the Japanese? Damn it, these guys really deserve to die, actually thinking of defecting to the Japanese, I'll go to hell." Tang Xiaohu cursed after seeing the contents of the telegram.
"Communicator, get the company commander and the others over here."
"Yes."
"Is the battalion commander about to issue the mission?" several company commanders came over and asked.
"Yes, we just received intelligence from the regimental commander that the bandits visiting Erdaoling are most likely Japanese, so we must not let this group of bandits go under any circumstances."
"Damn it, he actually wants to be a traitor! Battalion Commander, just tell me how to fight him." The company commander asked directly.
"This band of bandits is mostly composed of defeated soldiers, and their fighting strength is not weak, so we cannot attack them by force."
"Company Commander, take your men and clear out their sentry posts for me."
"First artillery company commander, then you lead the artillery to precisely eliminate their firing positions."
"Once the strongpoints are cleared, the first and second companies, you two, charge straight into the bandits' lair."
"Did you all understand?"
"Yes, battalion commander."
"Organize the troops to rest and regroup first, and launch the attack at midnight."
"Yes."