Chapter 36: Kong Jie Plays Tai Chi

Chapter 36: Kong Jie Plays Tai Chi

Upon hearing this, the Brigade Commander could barely resist the urge to kick Kong Jie. He cursed, "Kong Jie, say that to me one more time, and see if I don't strip you of your rank!"

Faced with the Brigade Commander's threat, Kong Jie remained as stubborn as a mule: "Brigade Commander, this batch of weapons and ammunition was borrowed from Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment; it wasn't looted directly from Qiujiazhuang. You have to be reasonable, sir. If you take these weapons away now, Li Yunlong will come back to my Independent Regiment asking for them, and my regiment will have suffered a huge loss for no reason..."

"You’re complaining about a loss? Do you really not believe I’ll relieve you of your command?" The Brigade Commander’s spit landed squarely on Kong Jie's face.

He had come to the Independent Regiment prepared for a struggle. He knew that talking to a blockhead like Kong Jie wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't expected it to be this difficult. Kong Jie stubbornly refused to admit that the weapons came from Qiujiazhuang, insisting instead that they were borrowed from Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment. By involving Li Yunlong, the weapons were now tied up in two separate accounts, allowing Kong Jie to possess the loot from Qiujiazhuang while claiming absolutely no direct connection to the village itself.

Kong Jie, who used to be thick-headed, had suddenly become quite shrewd—he was practically turning into a second Li Yunlong.

"Brigade Commander, these weapons and ammunition were borrowed from Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment," Kong Jie insisted, refusing to budge. "Unless you can go to Li Yunlong and retrieve the loan receipt, they stay here."

"You’re telling me to go get a receipt? I think you really don't want to be a regimental commander anymore today." The Brigade Commander sat down, determined not to leave without the weapons.

Xing Zhiguo, the Deputy Commander of the Independent Regiment, was a sharp man and immediately saw what was happening. The Brigade Commander didn't truly want the weapons; he was there to give Commander Kong Jie some guidance. Otherwise, he would have handled this strictly by the book instead of sitting down.

Xing Zhiguo quickly interjected, "Brigade Commander, Hirata Ichiro is about to launch a sweep against the New First Regiment. As their allies, if our Independent Regiment is poorly equipped, we won't be able to provide proper support. How about we keep these weapons here for now? Once we help the New First Regiment through this crisis, we can discuss the matter again. What do you think?"

"Kong Jie, look at that—look at your deputy. He’s much more reasonable than you are." The Brigade Commander took the opportunity to back down. In truth, he hadn't intended to force Kong Jie to hand over the supplies. He knew Kong Jie was pigheaded and would argue to the death, but he hadn't expected the man to be so persistent.

Yet, "Blockhead" Kong continued, "These weapons were borrowed from Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment. Even after we help them through the crisis, without a note from Li Yunlong, no one is getting their hands on this gear."

"You—you wretch, Kong Jie, I..." The Brigade Commander’s anger flared up again.

"Brigade Commander, please, don't be angry, don't be angry," Xing Zhiguo quickly pacified him. "Think of the bigger picture, sir."

With that, Xing Zhiguo nudged Kong Jie and signaled him with his eyes. Only then did Kong Jie add, "Brigade Commander, I’m a victim in this too. But I do understand the bigger picture. If Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment is in danger, the Independent Regiment will certainly not sit idly by."

"Kong Jie, you and Li Yunlong came from the same class; you know him better than I do. That kid’s ability to stir up trouble is no joke," the Brigade Commander said solemnly. "When Hirata Ichiro’s encirclement force arrives, you must prepare for the worst. If anything goes wrong—especially if that kid Li Yunlong decides to act on his own—report it to me immediately."

"Brigade Commander, I am the Commander of the Independent Regiment, not the New First Regiment. If Li Yunlong moves his troops, I..." Kong Jie began, but the Brigade Commander cut him off.

"If this anti-encirclement operation goes south, I don't care if you borrowed those weapons from Li Yunlong or stole them from Qiujiazhuang—they will no longer belong to the Independent Regiment!"

"Brigade Commander, I promise I will keep a close eye on Li Yunlong," Kong Jie replied.

"I don't want any verbal promises; I only want results!" With that, the Brigade Commander stood up and walked away.

"Brigade Commander, have a potato before you go!" Kong Jie called out.

"Not hungry! I'm already full from the anger you've given me!" the Brigade Commander replied without looking back.

"We made it through that one." Watching the Brigade Commander leave, Kong Jie exhaled in relief, then muttered, "Taking advantage of that kid Li Yunlong is a real pain in the neck. That was my first time clashing head-on with the Brigade Commander; my legs were actually shaking."

"Commander, your attitude toward the Brigade Commander just now was truly..." Xing Zhiguo started to say.

"You don't understand our Brigade Commander," Kong Jie replied. If he had softened his stance, the Independent Regiment would likely have been left with only one mortar by the time the Brigade left. "Pass the order: once everyone has finished their potatoes, get back to drilling and prepare for combat."

"Yes, sir."

—

"Brigade Commander, did Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment really take Qiujiazhuang?" As soon as the Brigade Commander returned to headquarters, 772nd Regiment Commander Cheng "The Blind" immediately asked.

Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment had acquired mountain guns, which had put immense pressure on Cheng. Before he could find a way to distinguish himself, Li Yunlong had gone and taken Qiujiazhuang. If this continued, his 772nd Regiment would be forever overshadowed by Li Yunlong.

The Brigade Commander, having been played by Li Yunlong and then nearly driven mad by Kong Jie, was still fuming. Facing Cheng’s inquiry, he snapped, "Commander Cheng, look at Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment—they took Qiujiazhuang in five days! You need to show some initiative. Your 772nd is a regular, state-funded unit, and yet you're being outdone by a new, unofficial regiment. I’m embarrassed for you."

Cheng’s head spun. So Li Yunlong really had taken it? How on earth did he manage that? Even though the Brigade had granted him five Italian artillery shells, Qiujiazhuang had over forty or fifty bunkers!

Seeing Cheng’s stunned expression, the Brigade Commander added, "Kong Jie’s Independent Regiment now has two mortars, while your 772nd only has one. What’s the matter? Planning to stay at the bottom of the 386th Brigade forever?"

"What? Brigade Commander, what did you say? Kong Jie of the Independent Regiment distinguished himself? He got two mortars?" Cheng blinked, unable to believe it. Since when were mortars so easy to capture? He didn't mean to look down on the Independent Regiment, but their total firepower barely equaled one of his battalions. And now, even "Blockhead" Kong had two mortars? How could this be?

"Brigade Commander, you're not joking, are you? The Independent Regiment really has two mortars?" Cheng asked suspiciously. "How did Kong Jie get them?"

"Never mind how he got them. If he can secure two mortars, that’s talent." The Brigade Commander glared. Even if Kong Jie had ridden on Li Yunlong’s coattails, knowing how to do that was a skill in itself. Why wasn't Commander Cheng riding those same coattails?

The Brigade Commander added, "And the Independent Regiment has over fifty mortar shells. Your 772nd only has three—you don't even have a fraction of theirs. So, Commander Cheng, you really need to step it up. The 772nd is the pride of my 386th Brigade. If you don't hurry and surpass the New First and Independent Regiments, then at future meetings, given the tempers of Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, even if you try to find a hole in the ground to hide in, they won't give you the chance."

"Brigade Commander, I, I, I..." Cheng felt completely stifled.

"That's enough, I won't waste any more time with you. Since Qiujiazhuang is taken, I’m heading to headquarters to report." Having delivered his lecture, the Brigade Commander didn't care about Cheng’s emotional state. He gathered his documents and left immediately for headquarters.

"Damn it, I can't go on like this." Watching the Brigade Commander depart, Cheng clenched his fists. It seemed he had to find a way to score a victory, and fast.