Chapter 33: Antibiotics, Cigarette Rolling Machines, and an Encounter with Enemy Cavalry

It was a pity that this man had not yet managed to hoard and sell drugs for a profit before he was finished off by Long Wencheng. Naturally, the stockpile he had secretly accumulated fell into Long Wencheng’s hands.

After several fierce battles, Long Wencheng’s unit had suffered many casualties. With over a hundred wounded and sick soldiers, the daily consumption of medical supplies was enormous, especially anti-inflammatory drugs like sulfonamides and various hemostatics. The supplies seized from Bai Jiasheng were significant; while they could not sustain the troops throughout the entire Long March, they would greatly reduce the mortality rate among the wounded.

Once the medical supplies were secured, Long Wencheng instructed Lin Tong and the others to arrange carts for the cigarette-rolling machines, generators, gasoline, and the radio set. Lin Tong and his men were puzzled; they didn't even know what the cigarette-rolling machines were for, and they were bulky and heavy. Why must they be taken? However, as it was the commander’s order, there was no need to ask questions—only to execute it.

They remained in Kaili for a few more days, primarily to procure necessary supplies, recruit new soldiers, and incidentally clear out the local tyrants and evil gentry in the surrounding areas. Simultaneously, Long Wencheng dispatched Yang Gang to scout the situation on the road, particularly toward Zunyi, to check for any large-scale enemy troop movements.

Another important task was conducting military training for the new recruits. Baptized by the recent battles, these recruits were growing quickly; many had at least learned to adapt to the horror and bloodshed of the battlefield. What followed was the honing of combat skills and the accumulation of combat experience. Naturally, those who performed poorly required additional, intensive coaching.

Recruitment also made progress. By raising the entry requirements, the number of recruits decreased, but the quality improved significantly. The five hundred newly inducted soldiers were either physically robust young men or veterans who had served before and knew how to handle a rifle. Even as veterans, they required training, as most had previously fought under warlords; their discipline and organization were poor, and their military proficiency was not up to standard, leaving much to be corrected.

As for the captives from the 5th Security Brigade, Long Wencheng did not forget them. Instead of incorporating them, he handed them over to the local people of Kaili for judgment. As a result, Bai San and the other lackeys of Bai Jiasheng, who had committed far too many atrocities, were denounced by the local populace and ultimately faced a firing squad.

After a week in Kaili, Yang Gang, who had gone ahead to scout, returned. "It is confirmed. The Central Column is in Zunyi," Yang Gang stated with certainty. "Moreover, other than some local security regiments, there are no 'White Bandit' troops from the Central Army on the road. It is relatively safe."

Long Wencheng had been resting in this region for half a month. His unit had expanded to about 3,500 men, and many new recruits had gained basic combat capability. The force was at its peak. Considering the timeline, it was time to begin the Four Crossings of the Chishui River. Leading his troops to fight in the Chishui area would inevitably distract a significant portion of the enemy forces, shielding the Central Column’s westward advance.

With this in mind, Long Wencheng decisively issued his orders: "We depart tomorrow morning to find the Central Column." He paused, then added, "No, we leave at four in the morning. If we leave at daybreak, I fear the people of Kaili won't let us go."

"Understood!"

At four o'clock the next morning, the column continued westward toward Zunyi in search of the Central Column. The mountain roads were rugged; after two days of marching, they had completely left the Kaili region.

By now, the Nationalist government’s encirclement was being deployed, aiming to completely blockade the Red Army forces in the Zunyi area. According to Long Wencheng’s memory, the Nationalist forces mobilized—including the Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, Central, Hunan, Guangxi, and Guangdong armies—totaled over 400,000 men.

Of course, these troops had to be categorized. Some could fight, others could not; some would fight you regardless of where you were, while others, as long as you were not on their turf, couldn't be bothered. For example, the Guangxi and Guangdong armies were currently gathered at the border of Guangxi and Guizhou, but as long as they didn't cross into Guangxi, these two forces had no interest in continuing to fight the Red Army. Even "Old Dog" Lei of the 189th Regiment had only pursued Long Wencheng’s forces because of his desperate desire to avenge his brother, ignoring his superiors' orders.

The Guizhou army was local but ineffective; they were among the "can't fight" category. If you were indecisive, fighting them was the right move. The Sichuan army was capable; you shouldn't provoke them lightly, or you would certainly suffer. The Yunnan army was equipped with French-made weapons; their combat effectiveness wasn't bad, but they had little desire to fight the Red Army. The Central Army was there to suppress the Red Army, but not only for that; they also intended to use the opportunity to pacify the entire Southwest, eliminate the local warlords, and bring them under the command of the Nationalist government.

In short, while the encirclement forces appeared formidable, they were not a monolith; they were constantly engaged in internal friction and power struggles. The local troops’ attitude was: as long as you don't enter my territory, I'll pretend I don't see you. The Central Army, meanwhile, hoped that the local warlords and the Red Army would exhaust each other, allowing them to reap the benefits and pacify the Southwest in the process.

Therefore, to break through the encirclement of 400,000 troops, the most important thing was to fully exploit the infighting between these warlords and the Central Army. Of course, that was something for the higher-ups to consider. What Long Wencheng needed to do was fight every battle well and, while ensuring his main force did not suffer heavy losses, distract as many enemy troops as possible for the Central Column.

At noon that day, the column, which had been marching all morning, began to rest after lunch. Long Wencheng had just dozed off when the sound of gunfire broke out. It made him jolt upright, as the sound indicated the fighting was very close.

"What's the situation?" Long Wencheng looked at Yang Gang.

"I don't know."

"Old Lin, take your men and verify the situation!" he shouted, only to realize Lin Tong was not there.

Within minutes, the sound of hoofbeats approached, and Lin Tong returned with several cavalrymen. "Commander, there's trouble. We've discovered an enemy cavalry unit on the flank."

"Cavalry? How many?" Long Wencheng asked.

"At least a hundred. A full cavalry company," Lin Tong reported. "They are right behind us."

Long Wencheng’s expression darkened. "Old Qi, take your men to the high ground ahead and set up a defense. Capture a few alive."

"Understood, Commander! Leave it to me."

With that, Qi Delong led the soldiers of the First Battalion, sprinting toward a piece of high ground to the front-flank. By the time they seized the heights, Long Wencheng had already led his remaining soldiers into concealment. Before long, the sound of gunfire erupted, accompanied by the neighing of warhorses. The enemy cavalry company, lured by Lin Tong’s cavalry, walked straight into the Red 18th Regiment’s line of fire.