Eighth Route Army Headquarters, Daxiawan.
The Commander looked sternly at his subordinates, his voice resonating with power: "What kind of 'main force' regiment is this? Rubbish. It’s a batch of soft dough. This was pig-headed command—a whole regiment couldn't even stop a small Japanese detachment. A regimental commander like that is only fit to feed livestock. Go and strip him of his command immediately."
A soldier promptly acknowledged the order and left. The atmosphere in the conference room turned heavy.
"Actually, Kong Jie fought quite well," Staff Officer Zhao ventured, trying to smooth things over. "They had anticipated that a group of Japanese might attempt to raid the Headquarters. They set up an ambush and held off the enemy’s main force of over a hundred soldiers. It was only a small splinter group that managed to infiltrate through the gap between the Independent Regiment and the New 1st Regiment’s lines."
"That makes it even more inexcusable," the Commander countered. "If they had intelligence, why didn't they report it to Headquarters? Why didn't they sound the alarm? No matter how well you execute a tactic, a strategic failure cannot be salvaged by tactical victories."
The Commander continued, "We need someone else to reorganize the Independent Regiment. We cannot let it collapse like this."
The Division Commander nodded in agreement. "True. To manage troops, one must first select the right commander."
The Commander asked immediately, "Where is Li Yunlong? Where is he?"
Another soldier reported quickly, "Reporting! The disciplinary action against Li Yunlong has not yet been lifted. He is still serving as the factory manager at the border region clothing factory."
The Commander gave a decisive order: "Go tell him to stop playing with embroidery needles and quit acting like a fool. He is to report to the Independent Regiment as regimental commander at once."
***
Soon after, the order from Headquarters reached the Independent Regiment: "Order: Due to poor defensive performance leading to a raid on Headquarters and near-catastrophic losses, Independent Regiment Commander Kong Jie is to be relieved of his duties effective immediately, pending reassignment."
"What? A raid on Headquarters? How could this happen? We drove the Japanese back!" Li Yunlong exclaimed, shocked. "What’s the situation?"
"A small group of Japanese, less than ten men, snuck into the Headquarters," the messenger said bitterly. "The guard company was caught off guard and fought in a panic; they suffered over thirty casualties before finally repelling the attack."
*Headquarters raided? How could this happen?* Wang Diren felt bewildered. *Did history change drastically? Or is the momentum of history still so powerful that Kong Jie gets canned regardless? Is there a blind spot in my own thinking?*
Perhaps in history, the Independent Regiment suffered heavy losses but frightened the enemy into calling off the assault, whereas here, he had won a lucky victory, but the Japanese weren't willing to admit defeat, leading to this variable. *Regardless, I should have warned Headquarters. I was too careless.*
The Headquarters guard company was an elite unit—the predecessor to the Central Guard Regiment—and the birthplace of many famous generals. If they had suffered heavy losses because of him, he would never be able to forgive himself.
"Oh, right, Commander Li is here, too," the messenger suddenly noticed. "There is a second order: Li Yunlong is appointed as the acting regimental commander of the Independent Regiment, effective immediately."
Li Yunlong was stunned. A moment ago, he had been shamelessly begging Kong Jie to take him in, even as a platoon leader, and now he was a regimental commander again.
Kong Jie looked bitter. "Brother Wang, you see how it is. It’s not that I want to welch on our deal, but my word carries no weight anymore. The man in charge is right there."
Li Yunlong was already hunched over, talking on the telephone. He was bent so low he was practically touching his heels. "Brigade Commander, this bunch of Japanese is very unusual. For Kong Jie to hold them off like that was no easy feat."
The Brigade Commander glanced at the Commander, who was studying a map, and raised his voice slightly. "Listen, Li Yunlong, pick a better time to plead for mercy, will you? Headquarters was just raided, and the Commander is furious. I wouldn't dare open my mouth—how much face do you think I have?"
The Commander, looking at the map, rubbed his eyes. The Brigade Commander caught the gesture and understood: the Commander still had a soft spot for Li Yunlong. There was hope for Kong Jie yet.
"You want to keep Kong Jie as a deputy commander? I know the Independent Regiment needs one, but I think—" Before he could finish, the Commander interrupted: "Tell Li Yunlong to mind his own business. Tell him if he can't carry the weight in the Independent Regiment, he can head right back to the clothing factory and keep embroidering."
The Brigade Commander and Li Yunlong were putting on a performance that actually made the Commander chuckle. *Are they trying to talk to me, or are they forgetting I’m even here?*
"Commander," the Brigade Commander said, "Li Yunlong asks... how is your mood?"
The Commander thought about how Li Yunlong spoke—why was he suddenly so out of breath? He had been so furious at the time that he hadn't even checked who the commander was before issuing the order. Now that he knew it was Kong Jie, he felt a twinge of regret. He knew Kong Jie well. If Kong Jie stayed on to support Li Yunlong, it would be beneficial for the work. They were old comrades who had eaten out of the same pot back in the day; there was no need to worry about friction. The Commander nodded.
"Tell Li Yunlong I approve his request. But mark my words: if the Independent Regiment fails under his command, I’ll unscrew Li Yunlong’s head and use it as a chamber pot."
Outside, Li Yunlong’s voice rang out from a distance: "Old Kong! Old Kong!"
*Bang!* The door was kicked open by Li Yunlong.
"Old Kong, look at my memory. I forgot to tell you—I asked the Commander when I arrived, and you’re to stay on as deputy commander of the Independent Regiment to make amends for your failures."
Kong Jie was a tough man. Hearing this, he knew Li Yunlong must have pleaded his case to the Commander. Although they were old friends, Kong Jie was stubborn; once his temper flared, no one could talk him down.
"Li Yunlong, I know you put in a good word for me, but I, Kong Jie, never owe favors. Today, I’ll chop off two fingers for you, and we’ll call it even. Watch."
As soon as he spoke, he placed two fingers on the kang table, ready to strike with a blade. Li Yunlong quickly pulled him away.
"What do I want your fingers for? Save your money instead." Li Yunlong changed his tone. "Good grief, Kong Jie, you're such a blockhead. Enough is enough. I know you’re upset about losing your command, but I’m even more upset. My New 1st Regiment was much stronger than your Independent Regiment, and in the end, it all went to that kid Ding Wei. What’s in a title? When things get tough, we’ll just consult each other."
Wang Diren, tired of their bickering, stepped in. "There’s a matter right now for you two to consult on. What about the payment for the equipment?"
The two stared at each other. Finally, Li Yunlong spoke.
"How much? I don't have much. The Independent Regiment is a far cry from my New 1st Regiment. Money is needed everywhere."
Wang Diren slowly held up one finger. "One gold tooth for twenty directional mines, one gold tooth for one hundred night-vision goggles, and one gold tooth for one hundred crossbows. Three gold teeth total. You won't find a better bargain, and you won't get cheated."
"I thought it was one gold tooth for the whole lot, and you’re charging one for each? Those toy mines of yours are fakes! If you’d replaced the sand with real explosives, I might grit my teeth and agree," Li Yunlong haggled.
"Is my life worth nothing? If I blow myself up, I’ll have money to earn but no life to spend it!" Wang Diren feigned anger.
"That's still too expensive!" Li Yunlong was always looking to squeeze out an extra advantage.
"Fine, then no money. All the spoils of war go to me," Wang Diren decided; he had to play hardball.
"Don't do that!" Li Yunlong panicked. After all, there were eighty Japanese corpses outside.