Chapter 13: The Wager, Taking a Puppet Army Camp with Twenty Men

When Li Yunlong saw the man before him clearly, the corners of his mouth curled upward.

The man fighting the puppet soldiers was none other than Zhang Dabiao, a warrior known for his habit of tossing his cap when battle commenced!

This was a fierce tiger of a soldier!

Li Yunlong cupped his hands in greeting and stepped forward. "A fine display of skill, brother!"

"My thanks for your assistance," Zhang Dabiao replied, returning the gesture. "My name is Zhang Dabiao, a soldier."

"Our unit was the one at the Lugou Bridge in Beiping, crossing swords with the Japanese devils."

"May I ask where you hail from, brother?"

Li Yunlong nodded slightly, showing his approval.

"No wonder your skills are so sharp; you took out those puppet soldiers in just a few moves. I am impressed."

"I am Li Yunlong, Commander of the New First Regiment of the 386th Brigade, 129th Division of the 18th Group Army."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao cupped his hands again. "So you are from the Eighth Route Army. I have long heard that the Eighth Route Army does not hold back against the Japanese; today, I have seen it for myself."

"Thank you for your help."

Li Yunlong waved his hand and asked, "Since you are a soldier, how did you end up in such a state?"

"Ah, don't mention it," Zhang Dabiao explained with a sigh. "During the Battle of Nanyuan, I was wounded. After I recovered, I tried to find my unit, but I couldn't track them down no matter how hard I tried."

"You’re too stubborn, brother. It doesn't matter where you are as long as you're fighting the Japanese," Li Yunlong invited. "If you don't mind, why not join me and fight with the Eighth Route Army?"

"What do you say?"

Zhang Dabiao couldn't help but smile slightly. "You Eighth Route Army folks certainly don't hold back against the Japanese, but your equipment is too poor—worse even than our Northwestern Army."

"I think, if one wants to fight the Japanese, it has to be the Central Army. They have better pay and superior gear."

Li Yunlong realized exactly what was going on. Only one explanation fit someone so knowledgeable about these details.

"It seems you are an officer."

"To be frank, I am a First Lieutenant and Deputy Company Commander!" Zhang Dabiao said, a hint of pride in his voice.

Li Yunlong observed this and laughed. "True, what you say is a fact."

"However, poor equipment does not mean one cannot fight the Japanese!"

"How about this? Shall we make a wager?"

Zhang Dabiao asked with curiosity, "Let's hear it."

Li Yunlong pointed toward the small town in the distance. "There is a battalion of puppet soldiers there. I have only twenty men. If I can disarm this entire battalion, do you think it's possible?"

"Unlikely," Zhang Dabiao shook his head slightly.

"Very well, let that be the stake," Li Yunlong said loudly. "If I win, you join me in the Eighth Route Army."

"If I lose, I will give you twenty silver dollars."

"How about it? Do you dare to accept?"

Zhang Dabiao was taken aback for a moment, then agreed crisply.

"Fine!"

"I accept!"

"A gentleman’s word is his bond!" Li Yunlong laughed heartily and immediately issued the order: "Comrades, let us go and pay a visit to this puppet battalion commander."

"Yes!"

Wang Gensheng escorted the captured puppet soldier as they walked toward the town.

Zhang Dabiao was filled with curiosity, wanting to see how they intended to take down an entire puppet battalion.

After all, he couldn't find his own main force, and if this New First Regiment could pull this off, joining them wouldn't be a bad idea.

He stepped forward and said, "Brother, give me a weapon; I’ll go and help."

Li Yunlong glanced at Zhang Dabiao and gave an order to Huzi.

"Give him my Mauser!"

Huzi was momentarily stunned, then replied, "Yes!"

Zhang Dabiao took the pistol, feeling a flicker of surprise.

The "mirror-finish box cannon" was a coveted title for the Mauser C96. It was the sidearm of choice for many officers.

Li Yunlong was actually giving it to him?

This made Zhang Dabiao feel valued, and his favor toward Li grew significantly.

After expressing his thanks, he followed along.

...

Inside the town.

In a room, a gramophone was playing music.

The puppet battalion commander lay on a sofa, listening to the song in a relaxed and leisurely manner.

Ever since he became a puppet battalion commander, his days had been quite comfortable, living off the fat of the land.

The only annoyance was that the Japanese treated them like cannon fodder, forcing him to act subserviently in their presence.

Sometimes the common people would secretly curse them as traitors.

However, compared to fighting on the front lines, he was a coward who feared death, so he didn't care about that.

Just as the commander was listening to the music, the door was kicked open.

"Who the hell is looking for... death?"

Before he could finish, Zhang Dabiao and the others rushed in, pistols pressed against his forehead.

This sight immediately broke him into a cold sweat.

He begged for mercy, "Good heroes, spare my life!"

Li Yunlong walked in, glanced at the commander, and went straight to the point. "I am Li Yunlong of the Eighth Route Army's New First Regiment. Let's get acquainted."

Seeing this, the commander immediately wilted.

The Eighth Route Army held a significant amount of terror for puppet soldiers like them.

After all, the Eighth Route Army operated behind enemy lines and posed a direct threat to them.

A much greater threat, in fact, than the Central Army or the Jin-Sui Army.

"So it’s the Eighth Route Army..."

"We are all Chinese; we can talk things over. Please don't kill me; I was forced into this."

Hearing this, Zhang Dabiao grew angry and slapped him across the face.

"Smack!"

"With that spineless attitude, you still call yourself Chinese? I should put a bullet in your dog head!"

The puppet commander nodded and bowed repeatedly, covering his face as he explained, "Brother, I'm just trying to make a living, just trying to get by..."

"You've 'gotten by' quite well," Li Yunlong said coldly. "It’s not enough that you act as a traitor yourself, you dragged an entire battalion of brothers down with you."

The puppet commander looked at the murderous Li Yunlong and quickly explained.

"The officer is right to lecture me..."

"Actually, none of us are truly willing to give our lives for the Japanese!"

"Heaven is my witness!"

"Every time we fight, we fire into the sky, just fooling the Japanese..."

Li Yunlong had already learned about this situation through captured puppet soldiers before arriving and had conducted some investigations.

He knew that most puppet soldiers were forced into their positions, having followed their superiors when they surrendered; the rank-and-file soldiers had no choice.

The strategy of the Eighth Route Army for such soldiers was to win them over.

After all, the army operated behind enemy lines and would inevitably need to use puppet troops at times.

Of course, those who had committed heinous crimes were to be executed without exception.

This served to both intimidate the puppet forces and weaken the power of the Japanese and their collaborators.

"Enough!"

"I don't have time for your nonsense. Report your battalion's headcount and equipment, by type and quantity."

"Reporting to the officer, including myself, there are 415 men in the battalion, divided into three companies, one battalion headquarters, and one security platoon."

"As for weapons: 381 rifles, 6 heavy machine guns, 18 light machine guns, and... and pistols..."

Hearing these numbers, Li Yunlong’s eyes lit up. He interrupted, "That's enough. Notify every company to gather at the battalion gate with all their weapons."

"Do you understand?"

"Understood completely!" the puppet commander nodded repeatedly.

"I will notify them immediately!"

Zhang Dabiao and a soldier escorted the commander out.

Under Li Yunlong's deployment, Wang Xikui, Wang Gensheng, and the others took up positions. If these puppet soldiers showed any sign of defiance, they would be killed on the spot.

This was also a precaution to be well-prepared for a breakout if necessary.

After all, they were currently deep inside enemy territory.

Following the commander's orders, the companies arrived at the gate with their weapons a short while later.

The commander, being "sensible," ordered: "Attention all, put down your weapons!"

The puppet soldiers were startled, but they set down their weapons in confusion.

At that moment, the New First Regiment soldiers emerged, occupying all the high ground and passageways.

If the puppet soldiers made any suspicious moves, they would be spotted immediately.

The puppet soldiers became agitated, but dared not act.

After all, several machine guns were set up, their barrels aimed directly at them.

At this point, the puppet commander said respectfully, "Now, may we invite the Eighth Route Army officer to speak."