Chapter 27: Commander Long Is Plotting Mischief Again

Long Wencheng thought this was a stroke of luck. These hundred-plus men were mostly young and fit, and having spent their lives hunting in the mountains, their marksmanship would likely be exceptional.

He welcomed them warmly, though he took the time to explain the Red Army’s discipline and their current precarious situation. He told them he would not force them to join if they could not accept these terms.

Baobao pounded his chest with a resounding thud and spoke with great conviction: "We Miao people have never feared hardship, Commander Long. We are with you all the way."

After processing their registration, Long Wencheng organized Baobao’s group into an independent sniper company. Their marksmanship was innate; from birth, these people had handled firearms, and their years of hunting ensured that even with lead balls from flintlocks or matchlocks, they maintained an impressive hit rate.

During a practice session at the range, after a brief period of adjusting to the Hanyang rifles, Baobao was able to hit bricks thrown into the air in rapid succession. The other men from the Basha Miao village were equally skilled—all of them were marksmen.

Beyond their shooting, these villagers were incredibly adept at navigating the mountains, moving across precipitous cliffs as if walking on level ground. Baobao, in particular, was more agile than an ape, scaling near-vertical cliffs to reach the summit with startling speed. Long Wencheng could not help but marvel, thinking that if Baobao were born in a later era, he would surely be sponsored by Red Bull for free-solo climbing.

Meanwhile, Bai Jiasheng of Kaili had been spreading rumors, hoping to intimidate these "Red bandits" into retreating from Jianhe and Taijiang. To his surprise, the Red Army showed no signs of leaving. Realizing that a confrontation was inevitable—especially after hearing that the Red Army was recruiting and growing in strength—Bai Jiasheng led his three thousand troops toward Taijiang.

Long Wencheng had already deployed Lin Tong’s cavalry reconnaissance company to keep a close watch on the Fifth Brigade’s movements. Upon hearing they were to fight Bai Jiasheng, the Miao leader Baobao’s eyes turned bloodshot.

"Fight! Bai Jiasheng, bad man! Evil!" He practically gnashed his teeth as he spoke; it was clear that Bai Jiasheng had oppressed them in the past. Long Wencheng later learned that Bai Jiasheng had massacred their entire village, forcing the survivors to hide in the deep mountains and wage guerrilla warfare.

Long Wencheng realized this was a perfect opportunity for the Miao people to fully integrate into the Red Army. "Don't worry, Baobao. We will not let these evil men get away with it." He patted his shoulder, calming the man while his gaze fixed on the map.

Despite having a force of motley recruits, Long Wencheng faced his own dilemmas.

"We only have about five hundred men who can actually fight. The rest are raw recruits who just learned how to handle a rifle a few days ago; it would be a miracle if they didn't wet their pants on the battlefield," Yang Gang noted first. "So, we have to rely on our five hundred core troops."

Long Wencheng looked at Baobao and said, "The hundred-plus Miao in the sniper company are skilled hands, and since they've fought these warlords before, they can be considered seasoned soldiers."

"That makes six hundred, but it’s still a tough fight," Qi Delong said, chewing on a small twig. "If you ask me, even if the enemy is incompetent, we’re likely looking at two or three hundred casualties."

The group did not doubt they could defeat the local security brigade; the challenge was how to minimize their own losses. They had many hard battles ahead, and in the foreseeable future, they were unlikely to find enough time to rest and reorganize.

"I have an idea," Long Wencheng said, looking at the map.

"What is the plan?" Everyone turned their attention to him.

Wen Song took a drag of his cigarette and muttered, "He’s brewing up trouble again... This Commander Long is full of tricks."

The next morning, the people of Taijiang and Jianhe were surprised to find that the Red Army, which had been stationed there, had vanished overnight as if they had never arrived.

Bai Jiasheng’s security brigade had informants in Taijiang and Jianhe, and someone immediately rode off to report the situation.

"What? They all ran off overnight?" Bai Jiasheng thought he had misheard.

"Yes, they all left overnight. Not a single person remains," the scout confirmed. To be certain, he had ridden around the county town to verify the absence of the Red Army before coming to report.

Bai Jiasheng’s troops were less than thirty miles from Taijiang, a distance they could cover in an afternoon. He assumed that when he had spread his threats, the Red Army realized he was serious and fled in fear.

He scoffed with disdain, thinking, "They hyped these Red bandits up like heavenly soldiers, but to me, they’re nothing but a bunch of cowardly dogs."

With a scornful laugh, he ordered his troops to advance. His adjutant looked puzzled—if the Red bandits had already run away, why bother going to Taijiang and Jianhe?

Bai Jiasheng flashed a cryptic smile. "Why? To uphold justice, of course. I need to show the poor who the real master of this land is, so they don't think they can challenge me just because some Red bandits showed up." His eyes flashed with cruelty. It was clear the local villagers were about to suffer; Bai Jiasheng intended to make an example of them.

As his security brigade continued toward Taijiang, Long Wencheng was leading his men toward Bai Jiasheng’s lair in Kaili. Long Wencheng had taken a different route, departing in the middle of the night and hiding in the mountains. Only after confirming that Bai Jiasheng’s troops were approaching Taijiang did he launch a forced march toward Kaili.

His vanguard consisted of three hundred veteran soldiers from the First and Second Battalions, along with the mountain-savvy Miao sniper company. Their 37mm artillery piece was dismantled and transported on horseback. Traveling light with only two days of rations, they pushed forward at maximum speed.

By noon, the task force of over four hundred men arrived on the outskirts of Kaili. Bai Jiasheng had left only two infantry companies to guard the base, and they consisted mostly of old and weak soldiers with no combat effectiveness. Upon seeing the force approaching, they scattered like birds, their talent for fleeing being their only notable skill.

Baobao led the way, surrounding Bai Jiasheng’s mansion. A few dozen guards tried to put up a fight, but once the 37mm cannon was assembled and fired a single shell that shattered the main gate, their meager loyalty to Bai Jiasheng vanished. They immediately raised a white flag in surrender.