novelAbuy Chapter 44 A Treasure Trove Was Discovered
Chapter 44 A Treasure Trove Was Discovered
When Yang Zheng arrived at the camp gate and saw the dark, solemn, and spirited veterans, along with their several magnificent warhorses, he couldn't help but admire the system's excellent "packaging."
Anyone who sees this setup would believe that a determined, defeated army has come to surrender.
With the cooperation of Chen Xiaoquan and others, Yang, just like before, began a serious and meticulous process of questioning, screening, and registration.
Each person's unit number, experience, and special skills were recorded in detail.
The result was flawless. These people seemed to be veterans of China who had fought bloody battles on various battlefields and finally gathered here. They had a deep-seated hatred for the Japanese invaders and were full of longing for the Eighth Company of the Eighth Route Army, which was capable of winning battles.
As the screening process progressed, Chen Xiaoquan, Zhao Dahu, and others went from shock to doubt, then to surprise, and finally to ecstasy!
"Company Commander! It's all true! There are more than a dozen from the Northwest Army's Big Sword Brigade! There are also seven or eight from the Jin-Sui Army's artillery! And cavalry, machine gunners... My God, we've struck gold!" Zhao Dahu leaned close to Yang Zheng, his voice trembling with excitement.
Chen Xiaoquan's face was also flushed. He tried hard to suppress his ecstatic heart and said, "Company Commander, as long as these people are reorganized and given guns, they will immediately become a highly effective fighting force!"
With our existing core members, our Eighth Company is now... now probably stronger than some main force battalions!
Luo Dashan, Zeng Dahui, and others also gathered around, their faces beaming with unbelievable excitement.
The sudden addition of over a hundred experienced veterans—those in command knew all too well what that meant!
Yang Zheng looked at his subordinates' surprised and delighted expressions, feeling both amused and satisfied.
He clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention, then walked up to the group of new soldiers and said loudly:
"Comrades! After our initial understanding, we believe you are truly brave men who have come to fight the Japanese invaders!"
I, Yang Zheng, company commander of the 8th Company, New 1st Regiment, 386th Brigade, 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, on behalf of the entire company, welcome you! From today onwards, we are comrades-in-arms, fighting the Japanese invaders together, sharing life and death!
"Long live the Eighth Route Army! Fight the Japanese to the end!" The newly arrived soldiers responded enthusiastically, and many of the men had tears in their eyes.
For these defeated soldiers, finding a team that could truly fight the enemy and serve their country was a new beginning.
"Chen Xiaoquan, Zhao Dahu, Luo Dashan, Zeng Dahui, Liu Tiegang!" Yang Zheng called out.
"Here!" they all replied in unison.
"Help the new comrades settle in, assign them temporary barracks, and distribute basic necessities! Cooks, prepare extra meals! This noon, let's welcome our new comrades!"
"yes!"
The commotion at the barracks also attracted the attention of the villagers, who were overjoyed to learn that nearly 100 more people had joined the Eighth Route Army.
For them, the strengthening of the Eighth Company meant that their Changning Village would be safer.
"Company Commander Yang, the previous batch of uniforms has been washed and the damaged ones have been mended. I will arrange for them to be dyed immediately so that the new heroes will have good uniforms to wear."
Zhou Dachui, leaning on his crutch, was so excited that his face turned red as he shouted loudly at Yang Zheng.
Yang Zheng didn't stand on ceremony and laughed heartily in response, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Grandpa Zhou!"
"Of course, of course."
On the other side, Zhao Dahu was busy, but the smile on his face never faded. He ran into Chen Xiaoquan, who was also extremely busy, and shouted loudly, "Old Chen, at this rate, I think we can train a reinforced battalion of soldiers in less than three months."
Haha, the regimental commander said that if I bring back a battalion, the company commander will be promoted to battalion commander. Do you think I can be promoted to company commander then?
From now on, call me—Company Commander Zhao!!!
"I'll tell you to get lost, Zhao," Chen Xiaoquan cursed at him irritably, then burst into laughter. His expression turned serious as he said, "Hurry up, the company commander said we're going to a meeting at the company headquarters in an hour. The unit is going to be reorganized."
"Alright!!"
An hour later, a company-level meeting was held.
The small room was packed with people. Platoon leaders Chen Xiaoquan and Zhao Dahu, as well as the wounded Mao Dashuan and Li Dachui, were all present, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.
Yang Zheng stood in front of a simple wooden table, a hand-drawn draft of the plan spread out in front of him, and scanned it with keen eyes.
"Comrades, everyone's here. Enough with the small talk, our Eighth Company is now strong and well-equipped. It's time to reorganize and form an even stronger fist to fight the Japanese devils better!" Yang Zheng got straight to the point, tapping his finger on the table. "Now, I'll announce the reorganization plan."
"First platoon, second platoon, third platoon, the platoon leader remains the same, the unit is expanded to 50 people, and those who are not in the required number will be selected from the newly arrived comrades to make up the gap."
You select the squad leader and deputy squad leader, then submit them to me for approval! Equipment: 42 Type 38 rifles and 3 Type 96 light machine guns per platoon.
"Yes, Company Commander!" Chen Xiaoquan and the others stood up and responded loudly.
"Fire support platoon, platoon leader Luo Dashan, the unit has been expanded to 40 people, equipped with 9 grenade launchers, 1 heavy machine gun! And 20 rifles for self-defense!"
The personnel consisted mainly of the original core members and the newly arrived artillerymen and heavy machine gunners.
"I'm giving you only one task: when needed, smash the Japanese devils' turtle shells and crush them so they can't even lift their heads!"
"Hahaha! Company Commander, you can rest assured! With these guys, no matter how many Japanese devils come, I'll drive them all back!" Luo Dashan rubbed his hands excitedly.
Chen Xiaoquan and the others looked at him with envy and jealousy.
Although they didn't have many dedicated grenades for grenade launchers, they could use the Japanese melon grenades as a substitute, which could be very useful in critical moments. They wanted them too! They were thinking of trying to negotiate with the company commander, but now there's no hope!
If Yang Zheng knew what they were thinking, he would definitely comfort them, saying that once they got their hands on real cannons, these grenade launchers would be distributed.
"Mao Dashuan, the rest of the reconnaissance squad are out on missions. Take those seven cavalrymen back and have a good talk with them!"
"Yes, Company Commander!" Mao Dashuan's face was flushed, and he stood up abruptly, saluting! Even though the wound on his leg was bleeding again, he still smiled as brightly as a flower.
"Furthermore, I have decided to establish a railway track detachment, led by Liu Tiegang!"
Liu Tiegang stood up: "Present!"
"I'll give you twenty men. Select some experienced and reliable soldiers from each platoon. You can temporarily hire reliable villagers during the operation."
The equipment consisted of twenty Type 38 rifles, two Type 96 light machine guns, and a full complement of crowbars, saws, sledgehammers, and mule carts.
Your mission is simple: under the cover of the troops, dismantle the railway tracks for us! Turn the steel rails on the Japanese railway into good steel for our blacksmith shop!
This is a matter of utmost importance, concerning whether we can manufacture our own bullets and weapons. We must be extremely careful and ensure the mission is completed successfully!
"Yes, sir! We'll definitely get the steel back!" Liu Tiegang nodded steadily, already planning how to proceed.
"Comrade Wang Wenhan, the technical advisor directly under the company headquarters, is in charge of bullet research and development and production. All necessary supplies shall be given priority!"
The blacksmith shop, run by Master Li Dachui, fully cooperates with Foreman Wang, repairing weapons and forging tools. The cooks, medics, and others each perform their assigned duties.
Yang Zheng finished announcing everything in one breath, then looked around at everyone: "The organizational structure is set for now. The specific personnel lists for each platoon will be drafted by the platoon leaders after the meeting, based on the actual situation, and submitted to me for approval."
Weapons and ammunition will be allocated and coordinated by Chen Xiaoquan after the meeting, ensuring that everyone's talents are fully utilized and resources are used to their best advantage!
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison, each one eager to get started.
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