Chapter 68: Complete Annihilation of the 49th Division and Capture of Vast Supplies

Divisional Commander Wu Chengren roared furiously:
"Damn it, you aren't leaving this old man a way out, are you? Then let's all die together! Brothers, follow me and charge out! Whoever breaks through will be rewarded with ten silver dollars per man!"

Had they encountered any other Red Army blocking force, Wu Chengren and his troops might indeed have had a slim chance of breaking through with that desperate, do-or-die determination.

Unfortunately for them, the force they ran into was the Red Army's strongest vanguard division—the 1st Red Division—which had gloriously seized the Luding Bridge, launched a surprise attack on Xichang City, captured Guiyang on a rainy night, forcibly occupied Anshunchang, and crossed the snow-covered mountains and marshes as if walking on flat ground!

The battle raged for an entire night, with flare guns firing almost continuously to illuminate the valley.

The ammunition carried by the 1st Red Division was poured out that night as if it cost nothing, all to inflict the maximum possible casualties on the enemy forces.

When daylight broke, Bao Bao's sniper battalion went to work, specifically singling out the surviving enemies for elimination.

Gunshots and screams echoed endlessly through the valley. Every single bullet claimed an enemy's life.

Large-scale charges practically ceased. The 49th Division fell into total despair and began raising white flags to surrender.

As for Liang Yingkui's forces stationed at Lazikou, they had no intention whatsoever of coming to the rescue of the 49th Division.

After all, the Red Army's next objective was precisely Lazikou. If a portion of his brigade's forces were to be detached and transferred away, the chances of holding Lazikou would be slim to none.

Therefore, the reinforcements Wu Chengren had been counting on had never existed from the very beginning.

By the afternoon, massive quantities of captured supplies were being transported by the 1st Red Division using mules and flatbed carts to the Central Column headquarters in Baozuo.

Gazing at the hundreds of flatbed carts piled high with supplies like mountains, the passing troops all stood at attention and watched with deep respect.

"Good grief, the 1st Red Division really something else! Capturing this much weaponry and supplies all at once."

"Earlier, our own troops' food rations were supplemented thanks to the generosity of the 1st Red Division."

"That's right! They are exceptional fighters. From crossing the Xiangjiang River until now, they haven't lost a single battle."

"Are they really that miraculous?"

Some soldiers from the Fourth Front Army, unfamiliar with Long Wencheng and his 1st Red Division, couldn't help but ask for details.

"You bet they are!"

The soldiers of the First Red Division eagerly chimed in, recounting the legendary exploits of Long Wencheng and the 1st Red Division one by one.

In truth, this was only a portion of the total spoils. Some supplies had been kept by Long Wencheng's 1st Red Division as a "private collection," while others had yet to be transported over.

The leaders at the headquarters were currently standing at the doorway, watching the endless dragon-like transport convoy approach with radiant smiles on their faces.

"Ah, well, I told you so! Leaving Long Wencheng in charge of defending Black Snake Valley was definitely the right call."

Commander Zhu laughed heartily.

Marshal Xu, who hadn't previously witnessed Long Wencheng's prowess firsthand, was finally getting a taste of it.

"Formidable, truly formidable! In a single day and night, they completely annihilated an entire enemy division. This is a fierce, wolf-like army—a victorious army!"

Marshal Xu couldn't help but praise them, gaining a renewed appreciation for this young Red Army divisional commander.

He had often heard others singing his praises until they practically turned into flowery poetry; now he could see the man genuinely possessed extraordinary talent. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been consistently assigned to lead the vanguard.

While other vanguard units grew smaller and poorer the more they fought, Long Wencheng's troops grew larger and richer with every battle.

As the baggage trains successively entered the warehouses, Long Wencheng arrived before the headquarters leaders to report.

"Chiefs, the supplies have been delivered. There's another batch behind, estimated to arrive tomorrow morning," Long Wencheng said after saluting.

"Good, very good! How many supplies were captured this time?" Commander-in-Chief De asked, holding a cigarette between his fingers.

"Not much, not much. Around a million rounds of ammunition, twenty thousand hand grenades, three hundred thousand catties of grain, plus light and heavy machine guns..."

Long Wencheng rattled off the captured supplies in one breath.

General Zhou calculated silently on the side before finally concluding:

"Good. This is enough to sustain us for another half month. Our next step is to capture Lazikou as quickly as possible and open the passage to the Shaanxi-Gansu region."

"Let's go inside to talk."

Commander-in-Chief De extinguished his cigarette.

Everyone turned and walked into the house. Seeing Long Wencheng still standing at the doorway, they called out to him:

"Comrade Wencheng, come on in together! Our table of rice can't possibly be served without you as the main dish."

Only then did Long Wencheng let out a sheepish grin and follow them inside.

"Based on currently intercepted intelligence, the enemy has Liang Yingkui's brigade at Lazikou, numbering around four thousand men.

Furthermore, the local chieftain Yang Jiqing commands over a thousand rifles. All of these forces are arrayed to block our advance," Commander-in-Chief De said, pointing to the map.

Commander Zhu, standing nearby, flicked the ash from his cigarette.

"The numbers aren't massive, but Lazikou is a natural stronghold—one man can hold the pass against ten thousand.

Yang Jiqing, being a local chieftain familiar with the terrain, keeps harassing us and cutting off our rear lines. That makes him quite a tricky problem."

"I will lead the vanguard army to take Lazikou first and open the passage for the main force," Long Wencheng immediately declared.

As for the local chieftain Yang Jiqing, Long Wencheng was entirely unconcerned.

Historically, Yang Jiqing was a chieftain sympathetic to the Communists. He was very open-minded, deeply agreed with the Red Army's platform, and upon receiving telegrams from the Nationalist forces, not only refused to attack the Red Army but even provided three hundred thousand catties of wheat to support them.

Not stopping there, Yang Jiqing also dispatched personnel to help the Red Army build bridges and repair roads so they could reach Lazikou swiftly.

"Good! That is precisely the invincible spirit and attitude we need," Marshal Xu praised. He hadn't had many opportunities to commend Long Wencheng before, and now he finally had a chance to express his praise and admiration.

Commander-in-Chief De looked at Long Wencheng with concern and said:

"Comrade Wencheng, your troops have been fighting back-to-back battles, and their consumption must be substantial. Tell us whatever you need, and we will do our best to resolve it for you."

Upon hearing this, Long Wencheng gave a light cough and said:

"Supplies and equipment won't be necessary; what I have on hand is barely enough.

It's just that our personnel losses are quite heavy, and the upcoming battle at Lazikou will be another tough fight. Could headquarters transfer a thousand replacement troops to my unit?"

Currently, Long Wencheng's 1st Division had around sixty-five hundred men, having suffered over five hundred casualties during the process of blocking Wu Chengren's 49th Division.

This was inevitable; after all, there had been over five thousand enemy troops charging crazily and continuously in an attempt to escape, and the opposing firepower was not weak either. Thus, some losses for the 1st Red Division were unavoidable.

However, as soon as these words were spoken, expressions of difficulty appeared on the faces of several leaders.

The reason was simple: the First Front Army was already short on troops. Forget a thousand replacements; even five hundred could not be spared.

Just at that moment, Marshal Xu of the Fourth Front Army slammed his hand onto the table.

"I know you're in a tight spot. These one thousand soldiers—the Fourth Red Front Army will cover them all. No, I'll give you fifteen hundred men!"

"Oh? Really? Then I am truly grateful to Marshal Xu!" Long Wencheng said with a face full of pleasant surprise.