Chapter 38: Has Li Yunlong Caused Trouble Again?

"Go ahead, I'm listening," the Deputy Commander-in-Chief nodded.

"Actually, the credit for taking Qiujiazhuang this time belongs to Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment," the Brigade Commander said.

"Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment?" The Deputy Commander-in-Chief looked at the Brigade Commander skeptically. "Don't tell me that Li Yunlong and his New First Regiment took Qiujiazhuang all by themselves, and that your 772nd and 771st Regiments of the 386th Brigade didn't take part?"

"You know that Li Yunlong previously captured an Italian cannon. The kid is undisciplined; I’ve criticized and educated him many times, but he just won’t change. I admit that my own oversight played a role in this, and I take responsibility," the Brigade Commander said. "My 386th Brigade was assigned the mission to take Qiujiazhuang. That Italian cannon is a powerful weapon for breaking through fortifications. If I had ordered Li Yunlong to turn it over directly, he would have surely dug his heels in. So, I figured I’d take the opportunity to dump the tough problem of Qiujiazhuang on him, giving him half a month and five shells to take the village. As it turned out, in just five days, Li Yunlong captured Qiujiazhuang without using a single Italian shell..."

Before the Brigade Commander could finish, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief interrupted in surprise: "Old Chen, don't joke with me. Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment took Qiujiazhuang without using a single Italian shell?"

If it had been the Deputy Commander-in-Chief himself tasked with taking Qiujiazhuang, he would have had a headache even with siege weapons. The idea that Li Yunlong had taken the village—which was fortified with forty or fifty pillboxes—without using any such weapons sounded almost mystical.

"Li Yunlong found a weakness in Qiu Dabazhao..." The Brigade Commander then explained how the New First Regiment had dug a grave to frame Qiu Dabazhao for hoarding medical supplies.

Of course, the Brigade Commander didn't say much about Wu Ze. His main goal was to keep the Italian cannon, so it was best to attribute all the credit to Li Yunlong.

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief laughed: "Li Yunlong, that kid, he really has a way, damn it."

The Chief of Staff chimed in: "Li Yunlong always has some creative thinking at critical moments. Since Old Chen wanted to take his Italian cannon away, he got desperate enough to come up with this ingenious idea."

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief looked at the Brigade Commander: "Since the Italian cannon was captured by Li Yunlong, it should technically be turned over. But since Li Yunlong’s operation against Qiujiazhuang was well-executed, I think we should leave the cannon with your 129th Division."

The reason the Deputy Commander-in-Chief didn't say to leave it directly with Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment, but rather with the 129th Division, was to avoid interfering directly in the division's internal affairs; he would let them decide what to do with the piece.

"Thank you, Deputy Commander-in-Chief." Upon hearing the official word, the Brigade Commander thanked him immediately.

"Old Chen, you could have just reported these matters over the phone; there was no need to run all the way to headquarters," the Chief of Staff said, eyeing the Brigade Commander suspiciously. "Don't tell me Li Yunlong has stirred up more trouble?"

Li Yunlong’s name was well-known at headquarters; his achievements and his messes were about equal in number. Every time he accomplished something, before anyone could catch their breath, he would inevitably be causing trouble. Since the 386th Brigade Commander had come to report in person, it was obvious: Li Yunlong must have caused a scene again.

"Don't tell me he kept the weapons and ammunition captured from the puppet troops at Qiujiazhuang and refuses to turn them over?" the Deputy Commander-in-Chief asked directly. "I understood him keeping the weapons from Xiaolizhuang and Xiaowangzhuang because his New First Regiment was short on gear, and he armed them through his own efforts—I have no complaints about that, and I won't confiscate those. But his regiment is now well-supplied. If he’s withholding the Qiujiazhuang weapons, then we do this by the book: not only will the Qiujiazhuang haul be confiscated, but the weapons from Xiaowangzhuang and Xiaolizhuang will have to be turned in as well, and the Italian cannon will be brought to headquarters."

Although the Brigade Commander had anticipated this, he still felt incredibly nervous hearing it.

He braced himself and said: "Li Yunlong wouldn't dare hoard this batch of weapons; I would have dealt with him myself first. The main thing is that Ichiro Hirata is already mobilizing troops to encircle Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment. While they are well-armed, their combat effectiveness hasn't reached its peak yet, so they will inevitably need help from the Independent Regiment. And the Independent Regiment is short on weapons..."

Before the Brigade Commander finished, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief interrupted: "So Li Yunlong took it upon himself to give the Qiujiazhuang weapons to the Independent Regiment?"

"If he had done that on his own, I would have stripped him of his rank!" The Brigade Commander had already consulted with the Division Commander; he had to take the fall for Li Yunlong, otherwise, Li would surely be disciplined. With the New First Regiment facing a new crisis, it wasn't the time to replace him, so the Brigade Commander took the heat. "I decided to temporarily allocate those weapons to the Independent Regiment. Once they help the New First Regiment survive this crisis, the weapons will be turned over."

"Are you sure you made that decision, and that Li Yunlong didn't do it behind your back?" the Deputy Commander-in-Chief asked skeptically.

"I’m still trying to find ways to get that Italian cannon to my brigade headquarters; I’d be delighted if that kid made a mistake," the Brigade Commander feigned.

"Fine, fine. Let the weapons from Qiujiazhuang stay with the Independent Regiment for now," the Deputy Commander-in-Chief nodded. "Once the Independent Regiment helps the New First Regiment through this current crisis, they can keep half of the weapons."

"Yes, sir." The Brigade Commander was overjoyed.

It seemed the hurdle had been cleared; the Italian cannon could stay, and half the weapons from Qiujiazhuang were secured. Once the crisis was resolved, he would have Kong Jie hand over half the supplies, and have Li Yunlong handle the rest—that certainly wouldn't be a problem.

"Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Chief of Staff, an intelligence officer just delivered an urgent report." At that moment, someone hurried over and handed them a telegram.

"Let me see." The Deputy Commander-in-Chief took the telegram, read it, and then looked at the Brigade Commander with a solemn expression.

"Deputy Commander-in-Chief, what is it?" The Brigade Commander felt a shiver down his spine under the Deputy Commander-in-Chief's gaze.

"That kid Li Yunlong has stirred up quite a mess this time. Take a look." The Deputy Commander-in-Chief handed him the telegram.

Li Yunlong had caused trouble again?

Seeing the look on the Deputy Commander-in-Chief’s face, the Brigade Commander’s mind went blank. He had just covered for Li Yunlong and cleaned up his mess. Before he could even catch his breath, had that bastard caused another disaster? And this time, it was serious enough to alarm the intelligence unit and leave the Deputy Commander-in-Chief looking grave.

The Brigade Commander’s hands trembled as he took the telegram, cursing inwardly: "Damn you, Li Yunlong! Having a subordinate like you is truly the worst luck of my life!"