Chapter 6: The Brigade Commander's Fury

Chapter 6: The Brigade Commander’s Fury

The regimental officers hesitated. "Battalion Commander Zhang, attacking Xiaowang Village is no laughing matter. At the very least, you should notify Deputy Regimental Commander Zhong..."

"The regimental commander’s orders were urgent. If I go to notify Deputy Commander Zhong, the back-and-forth will delay military intelligence and ruin the commander's grand plan. Will you take responsibility for that?" Zhang Dabiao demanded again.

The officers wavered. "Notifying Deputy Commander Zhong, it wouldn't..."

Zhang Dabiao stopped wasting time. With a wave of his hand, he roared, "Men of the New First Regiment, move out immediately! If any son of a bitch is slow, don't blame me for taking my whip to him."

Under Zhang Dabiao’s urging, the soldiers of the New First Regiment set off at once. Seeing they couldn't stop him, the officers scrambled to find Zhong Zhicheng.

When Deputy Regimental Commander Zhong Zhicheng heard the report, he was stunned. "Are you sure you aren't joking? Li Yunlong ordered Zhang Dabiao to take all eight hundred men of the New First Regiment to Xiaowang Village to launch an attack?"

"Deputy Commander, it’s the absolute truth. The eight hundred men have already been marched off by Zhang Dabiao," the officers confirmed, nodding.

"That Li Yunlong! He has no sense of organization or discipline! A military operation of this scale, involving the entire regiment, and he didn't even notify me? I'm certain the Brigade Commander doesn't know either!" Furious, Zhong Zhicheng rushed toward the New First Regiment’s base.

Upon arriving, seeing the empty barracks, he nearly lost his footing. He had been sent by the Brigade Commander specifically to act as Deputy Commander and keep an eye on Li Yunlong, to ensure the man didn't stir up too much trouble. He had assumed that since Li Yunlong was away at Brigade Headquarters begging for rifles, nothing would go wrong, which is why he had stepped out to handle a long-overdue personal matter. Who could have guessed that even while away, Li Yunlong could still cause such a disaster? Ordering an attack on Xiaowang Village was like throwing eggs against a stone.

"Quick! Go after Zhang Dabiao! You must intercept him. I will report the situation to the Brigade Commander and then follow you," Zhong ordered his men.

"Deputy Commander, Zhang Dabiao only follows the Regiment Commander. He won't listen to anyone else's orders. We won't be able to stop him," the officers replied.

"Just go!" Zhong barked.

"Very well." The officers dashed off. Zhong grabbed the field telephone, his hand trembling as he held the receiver.

***

At the 386th Brigade Headquarters, Li Yunlong had just had a row with "Blind" Cheng, and the Brigade Commander had chased him out. Cheng remained at headquarters, reporting on the progress of the 772nd Regiment.

Once the report was finished, Cheng began eyeing Li Yunlong’s artilleryman, Wang Chengzhu. "Brigade Commander, look, I’ve captured a mortar but have no one to man it. Li Yunlong’s New First Regiment has an artilleryman named Wang Chengzhu. Why don't you issue an order to transfer him to my 772nd Regiment..."

Before Cheng could finish, the telephone on the desk rang.

The Brigade Commander picked up the receiver. "This is the 386th Brigade..."

He didn't even get to finish his introduction before the frantic voice of Zhong Zhicheng erupted from the other end: "Brigade Commander, it’s a disaster! A total disaster! Li Yunlong has taken the entire New First Regiment and marched them out! He’s going to attack Xiaowang Village..."

"What? What did you say? Say that again!" The Brigade Commander thought his ears were playing tricks on him. Li Yunlong had come to the headquarters begging for guns, and when he was denied, he was granted operational autonomy instead. By his calculations, the man should still be on his way back. How could he start trouble while still on the road?

After listening to Zhong’s explanation, the Brigade Commander slammed his fist onto the table, roaring, "That bastard Li Yunlong! He demanded autonomy from me just so he could turn around and march the entire regiment to attack Xiaowang Village? He’s trying to tear the sky down!"

Suppressing his rage, he bellowed into the phone, "Zhong Zhicheng, transmit my order immediately: tell Li Yunlong to bring those troops back at once!"

"Yes, Brigade Commander!" Zhong hung up and dashed out.

The Brigade Commander paced the room, his agitation palpable. "That scoundrel Li Yunlong! He asked for autonomy just to pull this stunt on me."

"Blind" Cheng stood by, terrified. He had been mocking Li Yunlong earlier, goading him by saying that capturing a single mortar from a pillbox was nothing, and that he, Cheng, could take a stronghold anytime. He had dismissed Li Yunlong’s retort as empty bragging. He never imagined that the madman would actually go through with it, marching an untrained regiment against Xiaowang Village. If Li Yunlong got his men slaughtered, headquarters would hold Cheng partially responsible.

"B-Brigade Commander..." Cheng stammered.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" the Brigade Commander glared at him.

Li Yunlong had no radio or telephone; orders could not be transmitted directly. The nearest unit was Kong Jie’s Independent Regiment, but they were too far away to intercept. The Brigade Commander could only hope Zhong could stop that stubborn mule. If the New First Regiment were wiped out, he would be implicated too. He deeply regretted giving Li Yunlong that autonomy.

"I... I..." Cheng dared not meet the Brigade Commander’s eyes.

Realizing something, the Brigade Commander barked, "Why were you and Li Yunlong arguing?"

Cheng confessed everything.

"You idiot! I was wondering why Li Yunlong would suddenly cause such a mess; it was you goading him!" The Brigade Commander, in a fury, grabbed his leather belt. "Why did you have to provoke him? You know what kind of man he is—he can’t handle being needled!"

"Brigade Commander, I was wrong! I won't do it again, I promise! Please, don't hit me!" Cheng cowered in fear.

"You better not do it again, or I’ll beat you to death!" The Brigade Commander’s rage reached its boiling point.