Chapter 49: The Prisoner of War Camp

Li Yunlong cracked a smile, wearing an expression of understanding, and spoke in a very open and candid tone, “Ah, brothers, I completely understand your thoughts.”

Then, Li Yunlong furrowed his brows. “However… from what I’ve recently learned, it seems your 38th Army has crossed the Yellow River and entered northern Henan!”

“You five have to cross half of Shanxi Province, passing through multiple enemy-occupied zones along the way. The risk is too great!”

Hearing Li Yunlong’s words, Huang Tianning hesitated deep down. It was indeed difficult for them to reorganize; there were too many unpredictable factors.

But Old Liu and the others behind him exchanged glances, their thoughts stirring. The reason they had been reluctant to join the Eighth Route Army before was because of their poor weaponry and equipment, wasn’t it?

Looking now at this officer’s troops, they were quite well-equipped! Even among their own Nationalist forces, such units were rare.

After all, they were all fighting the Japanese invaders—what difference did it make where they fought?

With that in mind, Old Liu quietly poked Huang Tianning’s back. Huang Tianning turned to look, and upon meeting Old Liu’s gaze, immediately understood their thoughts.

Before he could speak, Xiao Yi suddenly asked from behind, “If I join you, will I get that machine gun?!”

Hearing Xiao Yi’s question, Li Yunlong knew the matter was settled and immediately beamed with joy. “Haha, you’re the machine gunner from earlier, right? Don’t worry, as long as you join our unit, that machine gun is yours, and you’ll have plenty of ammo!”

Huang Tianning quickly pulled Xiao Yi aside. “Sorry, officer, this kid is a bit stubborn, we…”

Li Yunlong waved his hand and declared it a settled matter. “Hehe, it’s fine. I, Li Yunlong, welcome all of you to join!”

Before Huang Tianning could say more, he looked at Li Yunlong in astonishment. “Officer, you’re Li Yunlong?! The same Colonel Li Yunlong who killed Sakata?!”

Li Yunlong chuckled, “What, don’t I look like him?”

Upon learning Li Yunlong’s identity, Huang Tianning and the others were overjoyed, their doubts completely dispelled.

“Since Colonel Li personally invited us, we definitely accept. We’ll join the Eighth Route Army!”

“Hey! Didn’t expect our Old Li’s name to carry so much weight,” Li Yunlong didn’t expect that his reputation was more persuasive than any argument. Now he truly tasted the benefits of fame.

“We heard of Colonel Li’s name even back in the prisoner-of-war camp—killing Sakata, crushing Sakata’s regiment!”

Li Yunlong summoned Zhang Dabiao. “Second company commander, they’ll be assigned to your company. Go back and get them some new uniforms.”

Soon, after cleaning up the battlefield, Li Yunlong and his men escorted the puppet soldiers back to the edge of a small dirt road by the woods.

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Receiving notification, Liu Bo led his team out of the woods. “Reporting to the battalion commander, all is normal!”

“Good, form up and set out. Continue advancing toward Guo Wang Village.”

Li Yunlong ordered Liu Bo and Zhang Dabiao to organize the troops and set off, then cast a deep look at the dejected puppet soldiers.

Huang Tianning and the four others, now dressed in military uniforms, followed the ranks, marveling at the soldiers’ weapons and the unopened crates of arms.

They had thought Colonel Li’s unit was already well-equipped, but now realized their previous assumptions were shallow. Now, they truly had nothing to worry about.

As dusk fell, under the glow of the setting sun, Li Yunlong and the soldiers of the temporary 7th Battalion arrived at Guo Wang Village.

After coordinating with the villagers, the temporary 7th Battalion took up quarters in the village.

In a dilapidated courtyard, soldiers took turns eating their meals, and a dim oil lamp flickered inside.

Li Yunlong pulled out a map and began studying it under the faint firelight.

“Huzi, go call the first and second company commanders, and bring Huang Tianning here too,” Li Yunlong called loudly without looking up.

Outside, Huzi was eating cornbread but promptly set his bowl down and ran to notify the two company commanders.

Soon, Zhang Dabiao and two others arrived before Li Yunlong.

“Reporting!” they said in unison.

When Huang Tianning arrived last and gave his report, Li Yunlong looked up. “All here?”

He then appraised Huang Tianning. “Hehe, Sergeant Huang looks good, much better in this uniform.”

By now, Huang Tianning had donned the Eighth Route Army uniform and had been issued a Colt pistol and an M3 submachine gun, assigned as acting platoon leader of the temporary 5th platoon in the second company.

Huang Tianning smiled sincerely. “Thank you for your kindness, officer!”

Li Yunlong waved it off. “Enough of that—our Eighth Route Army doesn’t do formalities. Now that you’re in new clothes, don’t go down the old path. My unit is recruiting soldiers and officers. Work hard and get rid of that ‘acting’ title!”

Then, shifting topics, Li Yunlong looked at Zhang Dabiao and Liu Bo. “The situation has changed. I have a new idea.”

“Our unit wants to develop quickly. We have no shortage of weapons, but what we lack are seasoned veterans and junior officers. These two are the bottleneck slowing our expansion!”

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“And now this opportunity comes knocking—if we don’t take it, I’ll feel like I’m losing out badly!”

From the start, Zhang Dabiao knew exactly what Li Yunlong was thinking: he had his sights set on the prisoners of war in the camp.

Liu Bo also roughly guessed Li Yunlong’s plan and had even connected it with the puppet soldiers they were escorting.

Li Yunlong looked toward Huang Tianning and nodded toward Zhang Dabiao and Liu Bo. “You two tell them about the POW situation.”

Huang Tianning nodded. “We were originally in a POW camp in central Shanxi with about two thousand people, mostly captured during the Battle of Taiyuan—some from the Battle of Niangziguan, others from the Battle of Xinkou. Most were Nationalist soldiers, with a small number from the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.”

“A while ago, for unknown reasons, the Japanese suddenly moved over two hundred of us near Jiaoxiu. We took the chance to escape along the way, but I don’t know the exact location of the new camp.”

Li Yunlong took up the thread, pointing to a spot on the map. “I just got intelligence from those puppet soldiers. The camp is here!”

Zhang Dabiao and the others looked down. “Liu Wang Temple?”

Li Yunlong nodded. “Exactly. It used to be a temple but was converted by the Japanese into a concentration camp, guarded by over a hundred Japanese soldiers—mostly garrison troops.”

Zhang Dabiao offered his suggestion. “Commander, we can use those puppet soldiers to sneak close to the camp, preferably at dusk, then launch a surprise attack. One charge should break us in!”

“Those garrison troops are much weaker than infantry regiments. Plus, we now have rocket launchers. The fight should be over in half an hour!”

Liu Bo did not fully agree with Zhang Dabiao’s plan and instead scrutinized the map. “Old Zhang, we might not have half an hour!”

Li Yunlong looked appreciatively at Liu Bo. “The first company commander is right. The real difficulty isn’t the camp’s guards but this.”

He pointed to a small county town not far from Liu Wang Temple on the map.

“Wuyin County, just ten li away from Liu Wang Temple, is garrisoned by a battalion of the Japanese 4th Mixed Brigade.”

“If the gunfire starts here, the Japanese there can send reinforcements in less than twenty minutes.”

Hearing Li Yunlong’s intelligence, Zhang Dabiao and Liu Bo furrowed their brows deeply—it wasn’t going to be an easy fight.