Chapter 35: A Brief Respite and Plans for the County Seat

On the Pingliao Highway, the soldiers of the Independent Regiment were happily cleaning up the battlefield.

Due to the intensity of the artillery fire, much of the enemy’s equipment had been destroyed by shrapnel or blown apart by shockwaves. Less than half of the gear remained intact and usable. However, the soldiers were not picky; they collected damaged rifles, uniforms, and ammunition pouches, hoping they could be repaired and put to use later. Battalion Commander Shen Quan personally led his men through the ruins, searching for ammunition and grenades buried under the debris and dust. From time to time, cheers erupted as someone made a surprising discovery.

Zhang Yun’s Looting Bonus System had already updated. A quick glance showed over 30 rifles, one light machine gun, half a heavy machine gun, 1.5 grenade launchers, over 5,000 rounds of ammunition, and various other supplies.

As expected, most of the enemies had perished under the artillery fire of the Recruit Platoon. According to the system’s rules, the supplies belonging to these Japanese soldiers were automatically added to the looting inventory, resulting in another small windfall.

The unclaimed equipment in the loot storage now included 0.5 infantry guns, over 300 rifles, three light machine guns, one heavy machine gun, 5.5 grenade launchers, over 90,000 rounds of ammunition, 400 mortar shells, and 180 mountain and infantry gun shells. Additionally, there were over 170 tons of grain, 60 tons of meat, 50 kilograms of gold, nearly a ton of silver dollars, over 400 bolts of cloth, and more than 120 pieces of mechanical equipment.

There was so much waiting to be processed, but Zhang Yun was not satisfied. He was about to secure an even greater haul—more grain, money, equipment, and textiles than he had originally planned. He had spotted an even better tactical opportunity.

However, Zhang Yun did not rush. It was only the 19th, the very first day the Recruit Platoon had left their base. In a single day, they had marched for half a day, ambushed a transport convoy, intercepted an enemy detachment, and finally joined forces with the Independent Regiment to annihilate a large enemy reinforcement group. The continuous marching and frequent combat had left the recruits exhausted. He had to let them rest first to achieve greater results.

After returning to the temporary camp, Zhang Yun directed Team Leader Wang to have the militia prepare dinner for the soldiers and the transport team, and to settle them in the lee of the hillside as soon as possible.

"Team Leader Wang, bring out the flour and mule meat we captured earlier. Let’s give the soldiers and the transport crew a proper meal. Only when they are well-fed will we have the strength to capture more."

Zhang Yun was never stingy with the soldiers' rations, nor did he begrudge the ammunition they expended. He did his best to ensure their logistics were secure, knowing that the stronger his soldiers became, the more he would gain from his system.

Team Leader Wang nodded happily. Although the militia had received a portion of the flour and meat that afternoon, the chronic scarcity of supplies had conditioned these former farmers to be frugal and hoard everything. They had sent their shares home to serve as the only fine grain and meat their families would have for weeks or months to come. Seeing Zhang Yun willing to use his own share to feed everyone, the team leader and his men were delighted. They handpicked the best cooks and set to work preparing a hearty dinner.

As darkness fell, the temporary camp glowed with the light of many campfires. Men gathered firewood from the surrounding hills and borrowed iron pots from local villagers. Large chunks of mule meat were dropped into boiling water, and dough cakes were pressed onto the sides of the stoves. Soon, the scent of meat and baked dough wafted across the slope, making the soldiers and militiamen salivate.

Once the meal was ready, the soldiers and guerrillas sat together, munching on meat and bread, enjoying themselves immensely.

Deputy Platoon Leader Liu Changqing arrived at the temporary command post with a mess tin heaped with meat and two cakes. "Platoon Leader, have something to eat. Stop staring at that map."

Zhang Yun laughed, "I almost forgot to eat. Changqing, that’s quite a helping of meat. The stewed mule meat smells good. Have the soldiers and the guerrillas all been fed?"

"Everyone has. Those guerrillas have bottomless stomachs—they can finish a cake in a few bites, and some can eat ten at once. But the villagers are very considerate of our soldiers and left most of the meat for them." Liu Changqing set down the mess tin, sat on a nearby ammunition crate, and handed Zhang Yun a pair of chopsticks. "Eat while it’s hot."

Zhang Yun didn't stand on ceremony and began to eat. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "Where are Commander Kong and his men eating?"

"Haha, he took advantage of us this afternoon, so he was too embarrassed to come over. I saw them set up camp on the back hill, less than a kilometer away. They’re probably eating now, too," Liu Changqing replied with a hint of disdain.

Although Kong was a regimental commander and Liu was only a deputy platoon leader, the recent string of victories under Zhang Yun had broadened Liu’s horizons. While the Independent Regiment’s defensive action that afternoon had been decent, it paled in comparison to the tactical proficiency and artillery coordination of the Recruit Platoon.

Over the past month of intensive training, the veterans of the Recruit Platoon had significantly improved their tactics and coordination, beginning to display the prowess of the light infantry that would define the final stages of the Liberation War. But that wasn't why Liu disliked the commander; he simply felt that Kong had taken advantage of their efforts, as the Independent Regiment had kept all the loot from the afternoon’s battlefield. It wasn't much, but it included a heavy machine gun, two light machine guns, and dozens of rifles. Kong Jie and Shen Quan had been beaming when their men recovered the heavy machine gun from the ruins.

"The Independent Regiment is a newly formed unit with many recruits and weak firepower; they’re doing their best. The brigade hasn't given them much support, so Commander Kong has to be calculating to develop his regiment. You shouldn't say things like that anymore," Zhang Yun said while eating.

"In a moment, have the three squad leaders arrange for the soldiers to sleep, then go personally invite Commander Kong Jie over. Tell him we have a major tactical opportunity to discuss."

"Yes." Liu Changqing’s reply was always reliable and concise.

After finishing his meal, Liu went out to deploy the men for rest, while Zhang Yun continued to sketch on a rough map. It was a detailed map of Heshun County. He was cross-referencing it with the map in his mind, meticulously outlining the city moat, the gates, and the main streets. Most surprisingly, he had marked the current Japanese barracks and gathering points, even noting the approximate number of enemy troops.

In the system’s map, six red dots moved in pairs throughout Heshun County. Before joining the Independent Regiment to annihilate the reinforcements, Zhang Yun had sent six scouts, including Old Zhang, into the city in disguise. His orders were simple: scout the walls, main roads, and enemy positions, then hide and wait for the main force to attack.

With the aid of the system’s map and the scouts' reports, Zhang Yun knew the city walls, the barracks locations, and exactly where the Japanese were sleeping.

Heshun County was not small, and its wall spanned several kilometers. Due to lack of maintenance, the wall was riddled with holes and cracks, making it easy to climb. Zhang Yun could send troops to scale the walls, seize the gates, and strike the barracks and armory.

This tactic wouldn't work near major cities, where Japanese reinforcements could arrive quickly, or in the later stages of the war, when the Japanese employed large numbers of puppet troops to guard every county seat. But Heshun was different. The Japanese 105th Regiment had occupied the town, but the main force had since moved on to capture Liaoxian, leaving only a skeleton garrison. Furthermore, the Japanese had not brought puppet troops for this nine-pronged offensive.

Zhang Yun and his men had already eliminated over 150 Japanese soldiers that day. A standard Japanese company consisted of 184 men, or at most 200 with reinforcements. There weren't many left. In fact, based on the scouts' reports, there were fewer than 100 Japanese remaining, concentrated at two gates, the headquarters, the barracks, and the armory.

The system map only displayed enemies within 200 meters of his scouts, but because the Japanese numbers were so low, their defenses were full of holes. Old Zhang and his men were already positioned on the rooftops surrounding the barracks. Zhang Yun counted them silently: a dozen at each of the two gates, about 60 at the barracks, and none elsewhere. With fewer than 100 men defending such a large town, the doors were wide open.