Chapter 18: Zhou Weiguo’s Revenge! The New First Regiment Takes Control of Jin-Sui Town
Just after Li Yunlong’s bullet tore through Jin Weiwen’s arm, Zhou Weiguo stepped into the dining hall.
“Jin Weiwen, you’ve been searching for me relentlessly lately!” Zhou Weiguo spoke in fluent Japanese with a deep voice. “Now that I’m right before you, surprised?”
As a gifted scholar, Zhou Weiguo had specifically studied Japanese, so this was no surprise.
Seeing Zhou Weiguo suddenly appear, Jin Weiwen’s eyes widened in shock.
He glanced between Li Yunlong and Zhou Weiguo, his brow furrowed tightly.
“Who would have thought this was your scheme, Zhou Weiguo!” Jin Weiwen hissed through clenched teeth. “I sent so many men to besiege Qingfeng Village, yet you survived. You’ve got some tough luck!”
Jin Weiwen knew he wouldn’t live through this, so he didn’t bother begging for mercy.
He understood that pleading now would be useless and would only bring shame to the empire.
Li Yunlong raised an eyebrow at Zhou Weiguo and said, “I’ll leave this guy to you.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Zhou Weiguo’s eyes lit up as he immediately drew his pistol and pressed it to Jin Weiwen’s temple.
“Jin Weiwen, today I avenge my comrades and countrymen. You can die now.”
“And those little devils you brought along will die too!”
Hearing Zhou Weiguo’s words, Jin Weiwen’s gaze hardened, about to retort fiercely.
But Zhou Weiguo gave him no chance to speak.
Bang—
With the crisp sound of the trigger, Jin Weiwen was shot dead on the spot, his eyes wide open in death.
...
Inside the puppet army’s camp, Zhang Dabiao, Shen Quan, and Wang Baohuai led a group of soldiers in shooting the already poisoned enemy troops.
Rat-tat-tat—
Ratat-tat-tat—
It was a one-sided massacre.
Bullets flew continuously, and soldiers fell one after another, dead beyond revival.
Though Li Yunlong and his group had little time to find a lethal poison, the toxin still caused severe abdominal pain and total paralysis, rendering the enemy utterly powerless.
Moreover, these enemy soldiers had left their guns on the rack outside the mess hall.
Now completely defenseless, they were slaughtered mercilessly by the soldiers of the New First Regiment.
Rat-tat-tat—
Ratat-tat-tat—
Blood splattered from the enemy bodies as they danced the dance of death, collapsing one after another.
The soldiers of the New First Regiment reveled in their triumph.
Within less than an hour, over five hundred enemy soldiers were wiped out.
Without even a command from Li Yunlong, the New First Regiment soldiers eagerly began cleaning up the battlefield.
After all, the enemy had brought plenty of weapons and equipment this time.
Meanwhile, Li Yunlong and Zhou Weiguo had long since left the dining hall, gathering with the senior officers of the New First Regiment.
Although Zhou Weiguo was not yet the regiment commander, his abilities were widely recognized, and he belonged to no particular battalion.
It was simply that Li Yunlong had not yet had time to reorganize the New First Regiment.
Everyone gathered together.
Zhou Weiguo sincerely expressed his gratitude to Li Yunlong.
“Commander, thank you for helping us finally avenge Jin Weiwen.”
“If not for your plan, given Jin Weiwen’s cautious nature, we wouldn’t know how long it would take to kill him.”
Jin Weiwen was indeed cautious, always traveling with a large force.
But this time, he met Li Yunlong, a master manipulator, and let his guard down completely.
Without Li Yunlong’s arrangement, killing Weiwen would have been nearly impossible.
With Zhou Weiguo’s current strength, it might have cost him his life.
Li Yunlong patted Zhou Weiguo on the shoulder and smiled, “No need to be so polite.”
“Now that you’ve joined our New First Regiment, we’re all one family.”
“With a chance and a grudge, we must help you avenge your loss.”
Then Li Yunlong’s gaze swept over everyone present, and he spoke solemnly:
“Everyone, we have taken down the puppet army camp and eliminated the enemy soldiers Jin Weiwen brought.”
“Soon, the enemy will surely learn of our existence.”
“So we must grow quickly!”
“Our first priority is to take control of Jinshui Town and make it the base for our New First Regiment.”
Everyone listened intently, nodding seriously.
They knew Li Yunlong was getting down to business.
He then looked at Zhang Dabiao and gave orders:
“Zhang Dabiao, take a battalion and officially take control of all of Jinshui Town.”
“Gather intelligence on the town’s situation.”
“Also, establish defensive positions and trenches centered on Jinshui Town to strengthen our defense capabilities.”
“Yes, sir!” Zhang Dabiao acknowledged.
“Zhou Weiguo,” Li Yunlong turned to him.
“Here!” Zhou Weiguo responded respectfully.
“You’re in charge of investigating the town’s industrial and commercial development.”
“Although it’s probably not much, we need to understand and utilize it.”
“Understood,” Zhou Weiguo replied.
Li Yunlong then looked at Shen Quan.
“Shen Quan, lead your men to investigate all the landlords in town.”
“Gather details on their land holdings, residences, and conduct.”
“The more detailed the intel, the better. I have big plans for this information.”
“Yes!” Shen Quan answered firmly.
Finally, Li Yunlong addressed Wang Baohuai.
“Wang Baohuai, you’ll manage the headquarters here.”
“Take charge of guarding this camp.”
“From today on, this is our regiment headquarters. You’re fully responsible for its security and protection.”
“Yes, sir!” Wang Baohuai acknowledged.
After Li Yunlong finished issuing orders, everyone immediately sprang into action.
Zhang Dabiao led a battalion to swiftly take over all the entrances and exits of Jinshui Town.
He also arranged for men to broadcast messages in the streets.
On one main street, a young soldier loudly proclaimed:
“Fellow villagers of Jinshui Town, the puppet army that oppressed you is no more. Our Eighth Route Army’s New First Regiment now officially governs Jinshui Town.”
“Starting today, we will reduce taxes and abolish all entry fees and other oppressive regulations.”
...
The townsfolk cheered joyfully.
They had suffered under the puppet army’s oppression for so long and now finally saw the dawn of liberation.
...
Meanwhile, Zhou Weiguo and his team conducted thorough surveys of the town’s factories.
True to his reputation as a gifted scholar, Zhou Weiguo compiled detailed reports on these industrial sites.
...
Shen Quan investigated all the landlords in Jinshui Town.
One could not help but notice how well the landlords lived—each grand estate was a mansion, with many wives and concubines.
At first, Shen Quan felt a twinge of helplessness, but as his investigation deepened, he grew furious.
These landlords were utterly corrupt and unworthy of their station.
...
Three days later.
Jinshui Town was fully under the control of the New First Regiment.
Zhang Dabiao came to the regiment headquarters to report to Li Yunlong.
“Commander, we have complete control over Jinshui Town,” Zhang Dabiao reported in a clear voice.
“We have constructed the necessary defensive lines.”
He then detailed the recent work: building trenches, troop deployments, and the surrounding enemy situation.
“Well done,” Li Yunlong nodded approvingly. “Taking full control of Jinshui Town is no longer a problem for us.”
Zhang Dabiao’s eyes caught the radio set on the table, which had been seized from the puppet army.
After a moment’s thought, Zhang Dabiao asked Li Yunlong, “Commander, now that we have a radio, should we contact headquarters?”
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