Chapter 14: I'll Give You a Chance

Chapter 14: Giving You a Chance

“No, huh? Then we need to have a serious talk. You deployed troops without authorization—that’s a serious offense. If I report this...” the brigade commander began.

“Commander, you agreed to it! Don’t deny it now,” Li Yunlong snapped, his temper flaring.

“Who can prove it? Who can prove it!” The commander glared, outright denying the claim.

Faced with the commander’s stubborn attitude, Li Yunlong was at a loss. Before, the commander had smiled and congratulated him, leaving some room for negotiation. But now, the commander was all business, which was a real headache.

“Good day, Commander,” Wu Ze approached and greeted him.

Seeing one of the famed Huangpu Three Heroes, who should have been a scholarly general but now looked like a street rogue, Wu Ze suppressed a smile.

Li Yunlong was a scoundrel, and if the commander wanted to deal with him, he had to use scoundrel methods.

“Li Yunlong, who is this?” the commander asked, looking at Wu Ze.

“He’s a new recruit just enlisted into my First Regiment,” Li Yunlong replied casually, signaling to Wu Ze.

Having no other way to deal with the commander, Li Yunlong pinned his last hope on Wu Ze.

“Commander, the regiment commander once told me a story. He said you told it to him yourself,” Wu Ze said, looking at the commander.

“What story?” the commander asked suspiciously.

“Once there was a hunter who found a little bear in the forest. He took the bear home and raised it. When the bear grew up, it became the hunter’s great helper, catching many prey so the hunter no longer had to hunt himself, living a comfortable life. But one day, a merchant came, wanting to buy bear paws. Tempted by the high price, the hunter cut off the bear’s paws and sold them. Without its claws, the bear could no longer help catch prey, and the hunter soon exhausted his resources and had to start over...” Wu Ze trailed off.

The commander interrupted, “When did I ever tell Li Yunlong that story?”

Inside, he cursed silently: Damn you, Li Yunlong! You deliberately got someone to tell me that story to mock me for confiscating your Italian cannon, implying I was short-sighted and sold the bear’s paws.

Hearing Wu Ze’s story, the commander’s expression grew uneasy, but he secretly felt amused. He hadn’t expected Wu Ze to be so eloquent.

Li Yunlong immediately added fuel to the fire. “Commander, I remember you telling me that story. You have a poor memory; think carefully again.”

“Li Yunlong, don’t try to feed me nonsense!” The commander spat out angrily.

---

“Commander, the regiment commander seized so many weapons relying on just one Italian cannon. If that cannon stays with him, it’s like having a hen that lays golden eggs,” Wu Ze said to the commander.

“Li Yunlong, are you really shameless enough to have someone praise you to your face?” The commander couldn’t refute Wu Ze’s words, so he just glared at Li Yunlong.

“Commander, this young man is right,” Li Yunlong quickly agreed. “Look, just after getting the Italian cannon, I captured all these weapons and ammunition. That’s a fact.”

“You’re so full of yourself,” the commander stared at Li Yunlong. “If you’re so capable, fine, I’ll give you a chance.”

The commander realized it wouldn’t be fair to just take the cannon away from Li Yunlong outright. After all, the cannon was still technically part of the 386th Brigade, assigned to the First Regiment.

“What chance?” Li Yunlong asked immediately, sensing the commander’s concession.

“How many shells do you have left for the Italian cannon?” the commander asked.

“Twenty-seven,” Li Yunlong replied.

“Oh, you’ve got quite a few shells left,” the commander was surprised. “There’s a fortified village called Xiao Lizhuang, south of Little Lizhuang. I’ll give you half a month to take it. You may only use five shells from the Italian cannon—no more!”

“What? Commander, you want me to attack that fortified village?” Li Yunlong’s face fell.

That village was defended by 800 enemies, mostly die-hard collaborators. Though there were no Japanese soldiers inside, there were over forty bunkers. Psychological warfare wouldn’t work on them.

Using the Italian cannon to assault it was a tough task, and five shells weren’t nearly enough.

Seeing Li Yunlong’s long face, the commander glared, “What’s wrong? Weren’t you just bragging about your cannon laying golden eggs? Now you’re chicken?”

“Commander, if the regiment commander takes that fortified village within half a month, does the Italian cannon stay with us? And does half of the captured weapons and equipment not have to be handed over to the brigade headquarters?” Wu Ze asked.

“That’s right. If Li Yunlong takes the village, the Italian cannon stays with the First Regiment, and the weapons don’t have to be turned in to brigade headquarters,” the commander nodded.

He knew the village was tough to take, but if captured, they’d gain a batch of supplies and equipment.

With fewer men but more guns, the First Regiment would be well-armed. If Li Yunlong had excessive ammunition, he could hand some over without complaint.

Most importantly, the Eighth Route Army was short on food.

This fortified village grew a large batch of potatoes, nearing harvest.

Taking the village and seizing the potatoes would provide a crucial food supply for the troops.

---

Actually, the mission to take that fortified village had just been assigned by the deputy commander to the brigade commander.

The commander had been pondering this—without heavy weapons, attacking the village was extremely difficult.

So when he heard Li Yunlong had an Italian cannon, he was as happy as if it were New Year.

With the Italian cannon, the chances of taking the village increased greatly.

Since Li Yunlong came along, he might as well let him try.

Li Yunlong was crafty in battle; he might surprise everyone again.

If Li Yunlong succeeded, the deputy commander wouldn’t dare take the cannon away.

From then on, it would be the 386th Brigade’s cannon.

If Li Yunlong ever acted up, they could find a chance to retrieve the cannon later.

Of course, if Li Yunlong couldn’t take the village with five shells, the commander would have to take the cannon back and do it himself.

“All right, Commander, it’s settled then,” Li Yunlong agreed immediately.

If he couldn’t take the village, no matter—he could still use these resources to multiply his gains over the next half month.

“Fine, Li Yunlong, I’ll be waiting for your good news,” the commander said, accepting the cigarette from Li Yunlong.

Li Yunlong quickly lit it for him.

The commander asked again, “You didn’t shortchange me, right? Are you really down to twenty-seven shells for the Italian cannon?”

Cannons and shells were scarce for the Eighth Route Army.

“Commander, you saw it yourself. The weapons and ammo just arrived and haven’t even been stored yet. If you don’t believe me, you can inspect them yourself. If the count’s off, you can take the cannon away immediately—I won’t complain,” Li Yunlong said proudly.

“Looks like you’re not trying to trick me,” the commander waved his hand. “I won’t check the numbers now. Just submit a detailed list of the captured weapons and ammunition. I have to report it anyway.”

“All right, I’ll have Zhong Zhicheng compile the list quickly and hand it to you as soon as it’s ready,” Li Yunlong nodded.

(End of chapter)