Chapter 33: Too Much Spoils Bring Trouble

As Zhang Yun inspected the various components lying beneath the Japanese artillery piece, a signalman nearby asked curiously, "Platoon Leader, what is this thing? It looks a bit like a cannon barrel."

Zhang Yun laughed heartily, patted the main barrel on the ground, and said to the young soldier, "You’re right, this is a cannon. It’s a Japanese Type 92 battalion gun. Once these parts are assembled, it will be the first barrel-artillery piece in our platoon."

He then shouted to Old Hu, the leader of the 2nd Squad, who was busy gathering up Japanese rifles: "Old Hu, Old Hu! Stop messing with those beat-up Japanese rifles and hurry up and organize the men to carry these parts back. This is our infantry gun!"

Old Hu was in the middle of stripping a pair of binoculars off a fallen Japanese squad leader. Upon hearing the platoon leader’s call, the rifles and binoculars in his hands suddenly seemed less appealing. He hung the binoculars around his neck, handed the rifles to a nearby soldier, and walked over, looking cautiously at the parts on the ground. "Platoon Leader, is this really our cannon? It’s still in pieces—do we have anyone in the platoon who knows how to put it together?"

"Old Hu, you’re underestimating our artillery squad," Zhang Yun explained happily, feeling lucky. He didn't care much about this single infantry gun—with his loot-bonus system, more guns were only a matter of time—but professional artillerymen like Wang Dachuan were rare, and he had managed to secure three of them at once. He couldn't help but feel pleased with his fortune.

In most cases, skilled mortar gunners can be "fed" into existence through practice; if a soldier has some talent and fires enough rounds, they eventually become accurate. The Eighth Route Army, the Central Army, and various other domestic forces all had such mortar experts. However, professional gunners for howitzers, cannons, and other large-caliber artillery were much harder to come by. Particularly with long-range weapons, one must precisely calculate ballistic trajectories, wind resistance, wind direction, and other variables to adjust the various parameters.

One could say that artillerymen like Wang Dachuan were each a rare talent.

Although the Yanan headquarters had established an artillery school as early as 1938, it still relied primarily on mortars and small-caliber guns for training, producing mostly light-artillery gunners. It wasn't until the War of Liberation, when large numbers of Nationalist artillerymen defected and joined the ranks, that the army finally possessed a significant pool of artillery talent.

After a while, the men gathered the captured supplies: over forty Type 38 rifles, two "Nambu" light machine guns, more than five thousand rounds of ammunition, ninety hand grenades, one infantry gun with over twenty shells, and various other miscellaneous items.

While the haul didn't look massive, it was by no means small. One must remember that the recruit platoon consisted of fewer than seventy men, and they were already carrying heavy loads of machine guns and other gear. Fortunately, Captain Wang and his dozen men had arrived to assist; otherwise, transporting the captured infantry gun and supplies alone would have been a headache.

Soon, Zhang Yun and his team packed up the loot and marched back to the recruit platoon's temporary encampment. This site was simply a spot identified by Deputy Platoon Leader Liu Changqing, located on a mountain near the Pingliao Road. It was relatively concealed yet connected to local mountain paths, providing a place for the other soldiers to rest.

Liu Changqing remained as reliable as ever. He had kept the unit on alert, while the local militiamen helped prepare lunch for the recruits. The fragrance of horse meat and flatbread wafted through the mountain forest.

When Zhang Yun’s group returned, the soldiers and militiamen crowded around to admire the new spoils. It had become common knowledge that whenever Platoon Leader Zhang took action, loot was everywhere. By leading them to consecutive victories—each time wiping out significant enemy forces while suffering minimal losses and securing vast amounts of supplies—Zhang’s brilliant tactical command and ability to capture equipment had earned him immense prestige among the men.

As the soldiers happily tallied the supplies and the militiamen eagerly helped out, the atmosphere was one of jubilation.

Deputy Platoon Leader Liu Changqing, however, looked worried. He approached Zhang Yun with his small notebook. "Platoon Leader, we’ve captured too much. Transport is a major problem." He proceeded to list the items that needed moving.

The first haul had been substantial, including large quantities of shells, firearms, and grain. Even after the Independent Regiment took their half, and most of the grain and horse meat was shared with the local militia and villagers, the remaining amount was still significant. This second haul, while smaller, included the infantry gun, which added a heavy burden.

"Excluding our own weapons, we have over 180 rifles, 12 pistols, 60,000 rounds of ammunition, 200 infantry gun shells, and over 900 mortar shells (including what we brought previously), plus the infantry gun itself. The weight far exceeds what our platoon can carry," Liu Changqing summarized. "Fortunately, you arranged to give the mountain gun shells to the Independent Regiment ahead of time, or we would be in even deeper trouble. We’re two counties away from the main force of the 386th Brigade; we don't have the time to transport this to the brigade or regimental headquarters."

"Exactly," 1st Squad Leader Dabao added from the side. "I was thrilled seeing all the loot earlier, but now that I realize we have to carry all this while continuing to fight, I’m worried. This load will severely impact our mobility."

Listening to their reports, Zhang Yun didn't speak immediately. He stood on a rock, watching the militiamen who were helping the soldiers cook and organize. In his mind, he pictured the images from the memorial halls of his past life—ordinary people charging at invaders with nothing but broadswords and spears. These local militiamen might, before long, become regular soldiers of the Eighth Route Army or martyrs on the anti-Japanese battlefield.

Although the militia organization in Xiaowang Village was still in its infancy and desperately lacked weapons and ammunition, Zhang Yun and his men had been well-cared for by the Heshun militia during their stay. As someone equipped with a loot-bonus system, Zhang knew he would never lack supplies in the future.

"As for supplies, the Japanese have plenty. If we’re short on anything, I’ll just go capture more," Zhang Yun thought, deciding not to be stingy.

"Deputy Platoon Leader, arrange for the recruits to pick out the best gear from the haul, and leave the replaced rifles and matching ammunition for Captain Wang and his men. That will solve the weight issue regarding the rifles," Zhang Yun said with a smile. "Of course, we can't give them this equipment for free. We will look for combat opportunities around Heshun County, and I will have Captain Wang organize a 400-man transport team from the local militia to carry our grain and shells. That will ensure our mobility."

"That’s a lot of rifles—it would be great if we could keep them for our own militia," Dabao said, feeling a bit reluctant.

"The Platoon Leader is right. We intend to ambush larger enemy forces later, so we must maintain mobility, or the Japanese will catch up and we’ll suffer heavy losses!" Liu Changqing, though also hesitant, possessed the necessary strategic perspective. "We are all Party and Eighth Route Army troops; it makes no difference who has the equipment. But our recruit platoon has a low organizational status, and the local militia is the best force to coordinate with us. We especially need a baggage train to handle all these shells!"

Zhang Yun immediately found Captain Wang and presented the plan.

Captain Wang felt as if a giant pie had fallen from the sky. With this many rifles and rounds of ammunition, the Heshun militia would truly be armed and would no longer have to rely on small, insignificant skirmishes. He gripped Zhang Yun’s hand firmly and said happily, "Thank you so much to the recruit platoon and our main forces! Don't worry, I will organize the transport team tonight, and we will follow you to fight the Japanese over the next few days."

"We are all Eighth Route Army troops; there is no need for thanks. If anything, we should be thanking you for all your help over the coming days!"

Zhang Yun offered words of comfort and encouragement to Captain Wang and his men.

As the soldiers finished picking their new weapons, Liu Changqing tallied 182 rifles, 12 "Nambu" pistols, and over 40,000 rounds of rifle and pistol ammunition, all of which were handed over to Captain Wang. The militiamen erupted in joyful cheers.