Chapter 27: The Ambush on the Convoy Meets Kong Jie I

An opportunity! The moment Captain Wang finished speaking, this thought flashed through Zhang Yun's mind. He had not expected his unit to encounter such a tactical opening before even reaching Heshun County.

In his past life, Zhang Yun had only heard that the 105th Regiment had ventured too deep with overextended supply lines. He had never imagined the sheer scale of labor and sacrifice demanded from the local military and civilians to exploit this vulnerability.

Currently, thanks to the desperate efforts of the local guerrilla forces, the Japanese mule and horse transport convoy was temporarily stalled on the nearby Pingliao Highway. This was undoubtedly a golden opportunity to ambush the enemy.

The tactical situation was clear: the Japanese convoy, likely consisting of transport units from Yangquan, Xiyang, or the 105th Regiment itself, numbered about 120 men, supplemented by over 200 puppet troops. While the Japanese transport troops remained formidable combatants, their combination with the puppet forces made them a significant threat. Even a full battalion of the regular Eighth Route Army would likely suffer heavy casualties in such an ambush. Furthermore, Heshun County was nearby and hosted a reinforced Japanese company; if they discovered the convoy was under attack, they would almost certainly dispatch reinforcements.

While it was far from a perfect moment, Zhang Yun felt immense confidence. Though the Japanese were wary of nearby guerrillas, they would never expect to encounter a regular unit like his, armed with such overwhelming firepower. Despite having only 300 men, they carried 10 machine guns, 3 mortars, and over 600 shells. This sheer firepower was enough to cure any "Bushido" fanaticism. Should they run low on ammunition, he would simply "requisition" more; he was determined to ensure his troops had enough shells and bullets to teach the Japanese a proper lesson.

Zhang Yun immediately asked Captain Wang for the exact coordinates of the convoy. It turned out that the captain and his men had indeed stalled the enemy at a narrow point on the Pingliao Highway. However, the location was flanked by sheer cliffs, making it difficult to climb and poor for an ambush, nor could his troops deploy under the enemy's watchful eyes.

He traced the map, scanning southward along the Pingliao Highway. About eight kilometers from the county seat, he identified a suitable position. The slopes on either side were not overly precipitous but offered enough gradient to deploy his troops while preventing the enemy from easily scaling the heights. More importantly, the terrain extended into the deep mountains, allowing him to establish defensive positions to block enemy reinforcements while simultaneously striking the convoy.

"Captain Wang, what is this bend called?" Zhang Yun asked, pointing to his improvised map.

"That's called Lijiawan. There's a village nearby named Li Village."

"Good. Captain Wang, do you know the fastest mountain path to Lijiawan? We will head there and intercept the Japanese." Zhang Yun made up his mind.

"That's not far from the county seat," Captain Wang hesitated. "The Japanese in Heshun might send reinforcements, and very few of my men have guns."

"Haha, Captain Wang, with our recruit platoon here, there's no need for your men to risk their lives in the blocking force. You just wait to haul back the spoils of war!" Liu Changqing, who had been listening nearby, couldn't help but laugh at the captain's concern. "Our Platoon Leader Zhang is a master of strategy. Our recruit platoon’s combat effectiveness is truly formidable!"

Though Captain Wang was puzzled, he was heartened by their confidence. "Very well, I will lead my team to join you at Lijiawan. I have over a hundred men with me, and four rifles."

Captain Wang signaled a young man holding a spear to run to the village, and shortly after, over a hundred militia members appeared. They wore headscarves or traditional caps and plain civilian clothes, armed with an assortment of weapons: broadswords, spears, hunting forks, and homemade muskets. Only three or four carried old Hanyang-made rifles.

Zhang Yun watched silently without comment. Soon, the 300-man recruit platoon merged with the 100-plus militia and moved rapidly toward Lijiawan. To increase their speed, the militia took over the shells and grain bags from the soldiers' backs, as they were already accustomed to trekking over rugged mountain paths with heavy loads.

In less than an hour, they had covered six or seven kilometers of mountain terrain, then took a shortcut from the hills onto the Pingliao Highway. Their destination, Lijiawan, lay directly before them. Just as the map showed, the road—barely ten meters wide—was flanked by steep hills that extended into transverse ridges facing the highway.

This terrain was perfect: they could use the slopes parallel to the road for the ambush, while simultaneously utilizing the cross-ridges to establish a defensive line against the county.

"First Platoon, take the east side; Second Platoon, take the west side. Mortar squad, set up to the rear on the west side. Old Zhang, take the reconnaissance team and push toward the county to watch for enemy scouts and provide early warning of reinforcements. Old Hu, remember to send a group to protect the mortar squad." Considering the speed of the transport convoy, Zhang Yun began issuing orders immediately.

Just as Old Zhang and his three men moved forward, an alert flashed on Zhang Yun’s "Looting Bonus System" map. He opened it to see hundreds of light green dots appearing on the slopes near Lijiawan.

What?!

It turned out that a friendly unit had arrived first, occupying the very positions Zhang Yun had intended to use!

At that moment, Old Zhang’s keen combat instincts also sensed something amiss. He signaled a warning with his right hand and gestured downward. The soldiers of the recruit company were startled; the veterans quickly dove for cover and readied their weapons, while the recruits, panicked at first, were urged by the veterans to find shelter.

The local militiamen, confused, stood looking around until some followed suit and dropped to the ground. Seeing Zhang Yun standing still, Vice Platoon Leader Liu Changqing, who had already drawn his pistol and dived to the ground, stood back up to shield him.

"Don't be nervous," Zhang Yun said softly. "They should be friendly troops." Even so, he did not order his men to stand up; with the situation unclear, caution was better.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the slope ahead: "Is that Captain Wang?"

Captain Wang recognized the voice immediately and slapped his thigh. "Oh, it's Captain Tian of the Heshun Guerrilla First Company!" He loudly shouted a response.

The two men hurried toward each other, and soon, laughter echoed through the air. Several men in military uniforms began to stand up on the slope and walk down. The recruits let out a collective sigh of relief, though they maintained their defensive posture until Zhang Yun gave the order and the scouts signaled the all-clear.

As the uniformed men approached, Zhang Yun looked closer and became increasingly familiar with the figure. It was none other than Commander Kong Jie!