Chapter 1038
The Ultimate Fateful Showdown on the Huaihai Battlefield!
Garrison Command.
Xu Baichuan stared blankly at the telegram sent by the "friendly forces."
How come I didn't know I needed to break through?
How come I didn't know that I was hiding armored units to launch a surprise attack?
Zheng Yingqi then praised:
"Brother Yunfei, you've got a pretty good plan! Join forces to attack the Second Division, force our army to come to its aid, then feign an attack and use the opportunity to break out! That's quite a clever scheme!"
Zhao Gang glared at Zheng Yingqi with annoyance.
You call me Brother Yunfei so naturally, do you secretly call Lao Li Brother Yunlong?
Xu Baichuan suppressed his unease and asked Zhao Gang, "Old Zhao, what do you think we should say?"
"Say yes!" Zhao Gang smiled rather slyly.
"Since Commander Chu is plotting against the Second Division, we should definitely help them out!"
Xu Baichuan smiled and said, "Then I'll 'help out'!"
I just wonder if Chu Yunfei will be furious if the garrison doesn't budge at all.
Seeing that the two had made a decision, Zheng Yingqi suddenly said, "Political Commissar, General Xu!"
"There shouldn't be any more trouble here—then Monk and I can rejoin the team!"
"When we broke out of the Central Plains, I took my reconnaissance company and raided the 358th Regiment. My regimental commander complained that I hadn't taken enough and nagged me for a long time. This time, I have to get involved no matter what."
Xu Baichuan nodded: "I have no objection. What do you think, Lao Zhao?"
Zhao Gang thought for a moment and agreed: "Then you go—Old Li is still hung up on Chu Yunfei. I'm afraid he'll act rashly if he runs into his old nemesis. You can keep an eye on him if you go."
Zheng Yingqi was overjoyed. He jumped up to express his gratitude and then ran outside, shouting at the top of his lungs as he ran:
"Monk, stop eating your buns! Pack your things! Let's get back to the group!"
……
Second Division.
Division Headquarters.
During the operational meeting, Li Yunlong brought up both old and new grudges:
"It's finally time to get revenge!"
During the breakout from the Central Plains, Chu Yunfei was the one who blocked me the most! That little bastard Zheng Yingqi finally managed to assemble the 358th Regiment, but in a quick attack and retreat, he wiped out a company. I still get furious thinking about it!
"Oh, right, and there was before—my brother Yunfei saw that fortunes change, and this time it's my turn to stop him. Relying on his many American cannons, he blew my ears off for days. This time, I'm going to take it all back, with interest!"
The officers and soldiers attending the meeting couldn't help but chuckle as they watched their own division commander "bragging."
Rumor has it that their division commander had to throw a tantrum at headquarters to get the mission to lead the attack on Chu Division. Now, seeing how petty their division commander is, there's no doubt that this rumor is not unfounded!
Li Yunlong was unaware of what his commanders and soldiers were thinking. After his "taunts," he immediately switched to command mode:
"Chu Yunfei's methods of leading troops are still commendable - I have been observing the situation of Chu's division for some time, and apart from that garrison, Chu's division has the fewest deserters."
"In tomorrow's main attack, all units must not underestimate the Chu Division as if it were a pushover like the 13th Army Corps next door! We must treat this battle with utmost caution—also, the Independent Regiment will not participate in the main attack tomorrow!"
The regimental commander, who had taken over the heavy responsibility of the Independent Regiment from Li Yunlong, widened his eyes and immediately exploded:
"Commander, what kind of logic is this?"
Li Yunlong glared at him: "I'm right! Can't you see there's a garrison unit trapped next door? Although friendly forces have surrounded them, this garrison unit, which is nominally a second-line force, has had almost zero desertions during their entrapment—military discipline and combat effectiveness are linked. With such discipline, how could their combat capability be poor?"
"I don't want this force to suddenly appear and stab me in the backside at such a crucial moment in our battle against the Chu army!"
The commander of the independent regiment muttered, "We shouldn't be the reserve team."
Li Yunlong scoffed, "Then I'll be in the reserve force?"
"Stop your damn nonsense! Launch the main attack on Chu Division tomorrow. If the garrison gets in our way, I'll show you what I'm made of—and you lot, don't laugh! Tomorrow's the main attack. Without the Independent Regiment, let's see if the Second Division can still fight!"
Seeing that they were about to get themselves into trouble, the other regimental commanders quickly controlled their facial expressions.
"Deputy Division Commander Xing, you will be in charge of command tomorrow."
Deputy Division Commander Xing was taken aback: "Commander, what about you?"
"Tomorrow, I'll teach Chu Yunfei what special operations are all about—with that brat Zheng Yingqi out of the way, I, as the division commander, will reluctantly take charge myself!"
Everyone was shocked. What kind of logic is it for a commander to personally take the stage?
Li Yunlong knew these people would definitely object, so he preemptively silenced them:
"Shut up, all of you—if we want to take down the Chu Division in one fell swoop, who knows how long it will take if we just fight head-on! We can't have our allies already gnawed the bones off the ground while our Second Division is still dawdling like a bunch of women, can we?"
"If we don't use some underhanded tricks on Chu Yunfei, how can we possibly take down Master Chu so easily?"
These words silenced the dissenting voices—with their most capable independent regiment as a reserve, they were confident they would win by relying on the remaining regiments to take on the Chu Division, but they also knew it would not be an easy victory.
If friendly forces have to intervene to help, where will the Second Division put its face?
Using the most elite reconnaissance company to launch a surprise attack is the best way to resolve a battle.
……
Dawn on September 8th.
All units of our army are in position and are ready to launch a general offensive against the enemy's 2nd Army Corps.
At the Second Division's position, Li Yunlong led his reconnaissance company, sharpening their knives and waiting to set off—as soon as the general offensive began, the reconnaissance company would cut into the chaotic battlefield and then infiltrate the Chu Division's headquarters.
This was a decapitation strike, and also a grand gift that Li Yunlong prepared for his old friend.
20 minutes before the start of the final offensive.
Li Yunlong, who was sharpening his sword, saw Duan Peng, the acting company commander of the reconnaissance company, rushing in.
"Commander, good news! Good news!"
Li Yunlong glanced at Duan Peng sideways and asked irritably, "Did Commander Chu surrender?"
Duan Peng chuckled awkwardly: "Of course not—guess who's here!"
The next second, two figures turned into the trench.
Upon seeing these two familiar figures, Li Yunlong's eyes widened in surprise:
"Zheng Yingqi! Monk!"
The two shouted in unison, "Commander!"
After shouting, the two men rushed towards Li Yunlong, colliding with him as he approached. Li Yunlong, losing his composure, embraced his two beloved generals.
"Hahaha, you two lads, you've come just in time! Damn, just in time! You're here when we're feasting on meat, you must have a dog's nose—wait, how come you've gotten so skinny?"
Only then did Li Yunlong notice how incredibly haggard the two men looked, and he immediately flew into a rage:
"What kind of look is Old Zhao doing on you two? Did he send you to a famine relief team?"
The monk looked aggrieved. "Commander, you're absolutely right. I really have been in the famine squad lately!"
Zheng Yingqi smiled and whispered in Li Yunlong's ear:
"We've been stuck in the encirclement for a while now, going hungry nine meals a day for three days straight. We're really a famine squad!"
Staying within the encirclement?
Li Yunlong was stunned. My soldiers were sent to help, but they ended up helping the Kuomintang?!
"Commander, I heard you've designated the Independent Regiment as a reserve force? Is that to guard against the garrison? You should go to headquarters immediately and settle accounts with Commander Chu this time; we don't need to keep a reserve force!"
Those who came out from inside the encirclement still say they don't need reserves?
Li Yunlong gave Zheng Yingqi a strange look, and after receiving a nod from Zheng Yingqi, he immediately understood the reason. He chuckled to himself:
Old Zhao, you've done a fantastic job as a political officer!
"Duan Peng! Go to the division headquarters yourself and tell Deputy Division Commander Xing to stop keeping the reserves and send them all in! Send them all in! I want Chu Yunfei to know how powerful his Brother Yunlong is!"
Zheng Yingqi deliberately widened his eyes: "Commander, I'm already here, and you still want to usurp my command?!"
"Tamper? You're a real talent!" Li Yunlong kicked Zheng Yingqi without hesitation: "You said you wanted to settle the debt, so I have to meet the creditor in person, right?"
Zheng Yingqi chuckled and said, "See? Our commander is on the same wavelength as me!"
He knew that given Li Yunlong's personality, he would never give up the last chance to personally meet his "old friend".
"Monk, be a good bodyguard! If anything happens to the division commander, you'll see how I deal with you—reconnaissance company, all platoon leaders, report to me immediately!"
……
Our army once again launched a barrage of artillery fire, with cannons of all calibers sending shells to the Nationalist army's positions.
Chu Shi.
Chu Yunfei looked at the battlefield shrouded in smoke, his expression grim.
Too fast, really too fast.
In just three years, no, to be precise, only two and a half years, the Communist army, which once only had rifles, developed such a powerful artillery delivery capability.
too fast!
He couldn't help but ask himself:
What kind of battle has been fought in the past two and a half years?
We fought the Japanese for eight years. Although we suffered humiliations such as the great defeat in Henan, Hunan and Guangxi, we were ultimately an agricultural country that withstood the onslaught of Japan, an industrial nation, and finally forced the Japanese devils to surrender.
Two and a half years ago, the National Revolutionary Army had the support of American allies and a steady stream of American weapons.
Two and a half years later, the Nationalist army suffered defeat after defeat, losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers, while the Communist army, which had once relied on millet and rifles, was now able to unleash massive artillery barrages time and time again.
How exactly was this battle fought?
Amidst Chu Yunfei's burning resentment, our artillery ceased its bombardment. The moment the bombardment stopped, the attack began!
Chu Yunfei observed the battlefield through his binoculars and soon couldn't help but gasp. He murmured:
"Brother Yunlong, you hold a deep grudge against me. The entire Second Division is coming at you without holding back!"
"Tell all units to abandon their positions in an orderly manner according to the established plan! Lure the isolated Communist forces into the encirclement! Notify the reserves to launch an immediate attack upon receiving orders! Lock the Communist forces into the pre-set positions!"
After Chu Yunfei gave the order, his eyes were filled with anticipation.
With the Second Division launching such a relentless attack, what could Li Yunlong possibly do to save the day when the garrison suddenly retaliated?
Brother Yunlong, Brother Yunlong, if you don't have any troops to save the day, then... you really will have to pay back the debt with interest!
……
The Second Division's offensive was more ferocious than Chu Yunfei had imagined.
Although he had planned to lure the enemy deep into his territory from the beginning, the speed at which the Chu army's position collapsed still far exceeded expectations.
Time passed slowly, and all the positions that were to be abandoned had changed hands. Even some positions that were not originally planned to be abandoned were captured by the Second Division.
Although it differed slightly from expectations, there is no doubt that the entire Second Division's forces have now fallen into Chu Yunfei's trap.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Chu Yunfei finally gave the order:
"Order the reserves to encircle them!"
"Tell the garrison that our unit has already taken action and is now waiting for them to enter and deliver a fatal blow!"
Chu Yunfei's plan was actually very simple:
By luring the Second Division into the predetermined encirclement, under normal circumstances, the Chu army, with only one division, would be engaging in such a trap of luring the enemy deep into its territory—a classic case of a snake swallowing another snake.
Without external intervention, it will ultimately be a tough battle, a contest of wills.
In the current battlefield, Chu's strategy is putting himself in a deadly situation—surrounded by our troops, he has seemingly surrounded the Second Division, but in reality, he has placed himself under the guns of our forces. With just a slight push from our troops, Chu's division will be finished!
However, Chu Yunfei's trump card was the trapped garrison troops—he believed that the garrison troops, with their armored forces, could easily break through the weak encirclement after our army launched a general offensive and redeployed its encircling forces.
In this way, it was not the Chu Division against the Second Division at all, but the Chu Division plus the garrison army surrounding and annihilating the Second Division.
Once the battle situation turns out this way, our army will inevitably have to provide emergency relief, but emergency relief will disrupt our army's existing general offensive order—and this is the opportunity that Chu Yunfei has been waiting for.
As long as our army's general offensive order is disrupted, the Chu Division and the garrison troops can break out together.
Our army is launching a general offensive. Once his Chu division breaks out together with the garrison, should our army abandon the general offensive and send troops to pursue them, or continue the general offensive?
No matter what choice you make, the passive situation will be broken!
Overall, Chu Yunfei's plan seems very attractive, but the core of this plan is:
Can the garrison break through?
Chu Yunfei thought it was possible—during the period of being trapped, the number of deserters in his Chu Division was higher than that of the garrison, which showed the strict military discipline of the garrison.
How could a unit with strict military discipline possibly be weak in combat?
This is the core consideration behind his decision to make this plan!
……
Li Yunlong led his men to lie in ambush on a position. Through binoculars, he observed the battlefield not far away and clicked his tongue, saying, "Tsk tsk, that kid Chu Yunfei has quite the appetite!"
"They actually want to swallow my Second Division whole—aren't they afraid of breaking their teeth?" The monk said anxiously, "Commander, stop tsk-tsk, our Second Division's escape route has been cut off!"
"What's the panic?" Li Yunlong glared at Wei Heshang: "My second master isn't made of dough. Do you think Chu Yunfei can take him down just because he cuts off our retreat? He can dream on!"
During the breakout from the Central Plains, the 358th Regiment, together with several other regiments of the Jin-Sui Army, failed to wipe out my Independent Regiment. My reconnaissance company casually raided one of the 358th Regiment's companies, and then the entire regiment left triumphantly. Now you think you can just block up my Second Division and devour it?
Seeing that his leader wasn't in a hurry, the monk felt relieved and casually took out a steamed bun and swallowed it in three bites.
Li Yunlong said disdainfully, "You monk Wei, you look like a starving ghost."
The monk mumbled, "Commander, if you go hungry for a month, you'll end up like me."
Li Yunlong laughed heartily: "Yes, if I were to starve for a month, I'd be just like you—Brother Yunfei, Brother Yunfei, Master Chu, who's been starving for a month, is about to break his teeth!"
At this moment, Zheng Yingqi, dressed in Kuomintang military attire, crouched down and quickly approached:
"Commander, we've investigated thoroughly! We've investigated Brother Yunfei's division headquarters!"
Li Yunlong was overjoyed: "Let's change clothes! Let's be Nationalists for once—and go settle accounts with our brother Yunfei!"
……
Chu Shi.
Chu Yunfei's expression was ashen.
"Has the garrison made any move yet?"
The chief of staff said fearfully, "Commander, the garrison troops haven't broken through the encirclement yet."
Chu Yunfei's gaze sharpened slightly; hadn't he broken through yet?
"Why haven't they broken through yet? Are the armored units in the garrison just for show? Telegraph General Xu that our troops are about to lose control of the Second Division. Please, for the sake of the Party and the country, order the garrison to speed up their breakout. They must rescue the Second Division before it breaks through our encirclement!"
Although Chu Yunfei's face did not show any signs of panic, he was actually extremely uneasy inside.
The reserve force had locked down the Second Division, but was attacked from both sides by the Second Division. The position was already teetering on the brink of collapse, and the situation in front was not much better. There were urgent calls for help everywhere.
But he had already committed all the available manpower, leaving only a group of civilian staff from the division headquarters.
If the garrison does not join the battle, the Chu army... the Chu army will inevitably be breached by the second army.
Then everything will be over!
The only hope now lies with the garrison.
……
A Nationalist army troop was stealthily moving around the position when suddenly a messenger appeared.
Upon seeing this company-sized friendly force, the messenger was overjoyed:
"Great! I'm a messenger from the 3rd Regiment of the Chu Division. You all need to come with me to the 3rd Regiment's position immediately! We're about to lose it!"
"If we don't leave now, the Communist army will breach our position!"
At this moment, a senior major in his thirties or forties stepped forward:
"Your Chu Master is too incompetent, isn't he? You think you can devour my Second Master in one go?"
The messenger was bewildered. "Wait, what are you talking about?"
But the next second, two burly men suddenly appeared and took control of the bewildered messenger.
Without interrogation, the bound messenger was left aside, but a series of chilling words reached his ears:
"Commander, ahead is Brother Yunfei's division headquarters—it seems Brother Yunfei has poured all his resources into the battlefield; there are hardly any soldiers carrying rifles in the entire division headquarters."
"What the hell are you standing there for? Hurry up and go see our Brother Yunfei!"
Under the horrified gaze of the messenger, this "National Army" marched towards the Chu Division headquarters.
……
Chu Shi Shi Department.
The chief of staff held a telegram and felt dizzy.
He staggered up to Chu Yunfei:
"Commander! We've been tricked! We've been tricked!"
"The garrison has run away! They've run away! They broke through the encirclement long ago, but instead of joining us, they abandoned us and ran off!"
Chu Yunfei was stunned. He snatched the telegram and saw that it read:
We are surrounded and trapped, the tide has turned, and it is beyond human control. You know that my unit was originally a second-line defense force, with no will to fight to the death, nor the power to reverse the situation. Today, my unit is taking advantage of the situation to break out and withdraw first. This is not out of betrayal, but rather a desperate attempt to protect ourselves.
In chaotic times, when disaster strikes, everyone acts according to their own plans. I hope Brother Yunfei will not blame Baichuan for his coldness. With artillery fire now at our throats and the battle situation dire, we must not engage in a protracted, deadly struggle. Brother, you should decisively abandon the enemy lines, seek an opening to break out, and preserve your strength. Nanjing is not far away. If we are fortunate, Baichuan will await your return in Nanjing.
—Respectfully submitted by your younger brother, Xu Baichuan.
Translated, this telegram means:
Brother Yunfei, thank you for creating this opportunity for me. I've already led my troops away. It's not that I'm not loyal, it's just that my unit is a bunch of noobs and we're really not good at fighting.
As for you, forget about eating meat and drinking soup. Just run away and we'll meet again in Nanjing.
To put it more bluntly:
Brother, I'm running first, don't linger, run too!
After reading it, Chu Yunfei almost fainted as his vision went black.
He never imagined that Xu Baichuan, whom he thought highly of, would betray his Master Chu—they say it's better to die for your friend than for yourself, but this is just too much!
He believed it, completely believed it, and never considered the possibility that the garrison had remained inactive from beginning to end.
because……
This was indeed a common practice within the Nationalist Army.
Suppressing his earth-shattering rage, Chu Yunfei gave the order:
"Order all units to immediately abandon the battle, and each unit... to break out when the opportunity arises!"
It's hopeless, there's no way to save it!
Master Chu is now deeply entangled in a fierce battle with Master Er, who, already trapped, has now turned the tables on Master Chu and is trying to break through...
Chu Yunfei knew it was impossible.
But we'll see how many we can run!
The chief of staff nodded in grief and indignation, and was about to give the order when a burst of gunfire erupted outside.
what happened!
The chief of staff was shocked.
Chu Yunfei's vision went black, and four large characters appeared in his mind:
Decapitation strike!
He shoved aside the guards who were trying to protect him, rushed to the command center, and pulled back the curtain. The scene that met his eyes made his blood boil:
A Nationalist army unit was rapidly advancing. Their tactics were skillful and their coordination was excellent. The few guards around the division headquarters were shot dead as soon as they showed their faces.
Chu Yunfei immediately realized which unit it was:
"The reconnaissance company of the Independent Regiment!"
He took a deep breath, turned and went back to the command post. After a pause, he spoke in a heavy voice:
"You...surrender!"
After uttering these weighty words, he casually pulled out his sidearm and pointed it at his forehead, but when he pulled the trigger, he lowered his arm holding the gun.
He is not afraid of death.
But before he died, he wanted to see that "old friend".
The soldiers of Chu Shi were actually very tough—normally, they would never have given up their pride in the face of Chu Yunfei's "surrender."
At this moment, no one in the division uttered a sound in response to Chu Yunfei's words, but they all silently put down their work.
A few dozen seconds later, soldiers carrying submachine guns rushed into the division headquarters, fired shots into the air, and shouted:
"Don't move!"
"Surrender and you will not be killed!"
"The People's Liberation Army treats prisoners of war well!"
Chu Yunfei watched these soldiers, who wore Nationalist army uniforms but possessed an aura completely different from that of the Nationalist army, without making any move, until a figure stood in front of him.
Facing his old friend again, for some reason, he, who usually spoke without hesitation, unexpectedly stammered:
"Brother Yunlong."
Li Yunlong stood before Chu Yunfei, but without the arrogance of a victor; he simply remained as he had been many years ago:
"Brother Yunfei, it's been a long time!"
Chu Yunfei forced an awkward smile, then sighed and said:
"You win."
"I……"
"We lost."
Li Yunlong asked, "Brother Yunfei, do you think it's not a fault of our fighting spirit?"
Chu Yunfei did not answer, but his mind was filled with the scene he had envisioned:
If the garrison hadn't escaped, shouldn't I be standing in front of Li Yunlong right now and asking him if he thinks this is a crime not committed in battle?
Li Yunlong seemed to have seen through Chu Yunfei's thoughts, and he said something meaningful:
"You didn't lose because of tactics, you lost because of..."
"Faced with the overwhelming trend of the people."
Chu Yunfei smiled. Can the victor speak freely?
Having seen his old friend, he felt no regrets. With a relieved smile, he called out:
"Brother Yunlong!"
The next second, Chu Yunfei reached for the sidearm at his waist—he knew he couldn't draw his own gun.
However, instead of the crackling of gunfire, a pair of hands, like vises, gripped his arms tightly, rendering him unable to move.
A wronged voice rang out:
"Commander Chu, our regimental commander said we need to be wary of this move of yours..."
……
The battlefield of Zhaozhuang.
The encirclement of the Chu Division was already on the verge of collapse under the attack of the Second Division. When the news came that the division headquarters had been annihilated and the entire army was allowed to surrender, the Chu Division soldiers who had been fighting fiercely lost all will to resist.
Almost instantly, the entire Chu army's defenses collapsed completely, like an avalanche or a breached dam.
In any other place, routed soldiers could flee for their lives, but here was a battlefield with no way to retreat. After the battle line collapsed instantly, the Chu army soldiers only had one path to take:
Surrender and you will not be killed!
……
After the battle, Li Yunlong stood on a high ground, watching squads of prisoners from the Chu Division being escorted away by soldiers from the Second Division, and suddenly smiled brightly.
"Commander, what are you laughing at?"
Faced with his trusted subordinate's teasing, Li Yunlong didn't hesitate to kick him:
"Damn it, you've gotten used to being a KMT soldier, haven't you?"
Zheng Yingqi nimbly dodged:
"I can't get used to it! I really can't get used to it!"
Li Yunlong burst into laughter:
"You little rascal, you're just spouting nonsense—"
After laughing, Li Yunlong suddenly said in a serious tone:
"In the past, I would drool over the equipment of the 358th Regiment."
During the breakout from the Central Plains, we were bombarded again and again by Brother Yunfei's artillery fire. Feeling frustrated, I thought to myself, when can we be as wealthy and powerful as Brother Yunfei?
But in the blink of an eye, just over two years later, Brother Yunfei's Chu Division was completely annihilated by our Second Division.
"So this is what they call being rich and powerful!"
"So now, I'm interested in Americans—I've heard that someone as wealthy as Master Chu is like a tenant farmer meeting a rich landlord compared to an American."
"Hey kid, when do you think we'll be as rich and powerful as the Americans?"
Faced with his commander's expectations, Zheng Yingqi, unusually serious, paused for a moment before saying:
"That day will come."
"only……"
"It will take three or four generations of us to work our hardest to catch up."
He gazed into the distance, then slowly said:
"But sooner or later, we'll become hawkish." (End of Chapter)