"Damn it, this is a disaster."
Li Yunlong was acting up again.
"I wasted my time as the head of the clothing factory. I originally intended to bring out two hundred sets of new uniforms, but it’s all your fault for coaxing me here. What a huge loss."
"Look at how small-minded you are. Robbing your own people—what kind of skill is that? If you want to rob someone, rob the Japanese, or rob me, for that matter," Wang Diren said dismissively.
"That makes sense, you are the enemy, after all," Li Yunlong said, feeling quite smug.
"This time I brought a thousand sets of camouflage uniforms for migrant workers. Do you want them? Like the one I’m wearing. Even Wang Xikui, with his sharp eyes, barely managed to spot me," Wang Diren said, cutting to the chase.
"I believe that. Wang Xikui is a sharpshooter and an expert at hiding; his eyes are lethal," Li Yunlong said, feeling proud, still unaware that his entire Independent Regiment had been snatched away by Ding Wei.
"But such men are rare. If your soldiers wear these, they can lie down in the grass or under the bushes—wouldn't that make them invisible?"
Camouflage, a design widely used in the military, aims to hide and confuse the enemy by mimicking the colors and patterns of the environment. In China, the development of camouflage uniforms has gone through many stages, from "Five-Leaf" to "Starry Sky," witnessing the evolution of military concealment technology. Wang Diren was brimming with confidence.
"Good stuff, really good stuff," Li Yunlong said, nearly drooling.
"The key is that they are dirt-resistant, durable, and comfortable. Look at yourself—how filthy are your clothes?"
"How much? If it’s too expensive, I won’t take them."
"One gold tooth for one hundred sets. It’s practically a steal."
"Then if I buy a thousand sets at once, you should give me one set for free, right?"
"Giving you a set is no problem. Even if you hadn't asked, I would have given you one."
"So that’s one thousand sets for nine gold teeth, right?" Li Yunlong was indeed cunning.
"I said I would give you a set of clothes, not a gold tooth. That’s a huge difference."
"I don't care about that. You said giving me a set was no problem, so that’s how I’m taking it."
"Fine. How about this: I’ll give everyone a sewing kit. Make sure you sew on the Eighth Route Army armbands, or the brother units might mistake you for the Japanese and open fire. You’d be crying then. This is a life-saving favor. A tiny sewing kit is a revolutionary heirloom."
"A needle and thread don't cost much. You sure know how to count pennies."
After some bargaining, Li Yunlong almost roped him into a trap, but of course, in the end, he didn't gain much of an advantage.
The migrant worker camouflage uniforms were soon distributed. Everyone swapped on their Eighth Route Army armbands, grinning from ear to ear.
Just as everyone was rejoicing over their new uniforms, the Brigade Commander arrived.
Watching all of this, the Brigade Commander suspected that Old Li had once again used his "extraordinary methods."
But he wondered, when did the clothing factory start making uniforms in this style? He had no idea.
The Brigade Commander shook his head, but could only smile and sigh:
"You, Li Yunlong, you really have a way. But with new clothes on, don't you dare walk the old path!"
The Brigade Commander’s words were clearly pointed.
He continued:
"Know shame and then be brave. I’m counting on all of you!"
His words were earnest, serving as both a message to Old Li and an expectation for the entire Independent Regiment.
As the Brigade Commander prepared to leave, Kong Jie solemnly offered a bowl of wine. The Brigade Commander suddenly turned back and said with an ambiguous smile:
"Then I shall drink your Independent Regiment's victory wine in advance. Watch me!"
After downing it in one gulp, the Brigade Commander burst into laughter, and the atmosphere suddenly became relaxed.
"Damn it, how is this wine?" the Brigade Commander asked in surprise.
At this moment, Kong Jie stepped forward:
"Brigade Commander, is water something to be drunk at a time like this?"
The Brigade Commander replied heartily:
"Very well, then I invite the new commander, Comrade Li Yunlong, to give us some instructions!"
As soon as Old Kong finished speaking, all eyes were fixed on Li Yunlong.
Li Yunlong walked forward, scanned the crowd, and joked:
"Why do you all look like nervous new bridegrooms?"
The soldiers smiled knowingly, and the atmosphere grew even more harmonious.
Just then, a soldier couldn't help but voice the question in his heart:
"Commander Li, I heard the Commander at Headquarters called us 'dough-balls.' Is that true?"
Another soldier chimed in, "This time we won a great battle, even if we suspect we fell into an enemy trap. Why are we dough-balls? We’ve won so many battles..."
Li Yunlong was silent for a moment, then said seriously:
"It is true. The Commander did say that. If he says we are dough-balls, there is nothing to say. We are responsible for protecting Headquarters, and we did let Headquarters come under attack."
His words felt like a heavy hammer striking everyone’s heart.
But immediately after, Old Li’s voice rose a notch:
"I like wolves. Wolves are fierce and cunning. Especially a pack of wolves—even a tiger would be three parts afraid of them. A wolf travels a thousand miles for meat; a dog travels a thousand miles for dung. From this day on, I, Li Yunlong, will let the Japanese know that when they run into our Independent Regiment, they are running into a pack of wild wolves—a pack of howling wild wolves!"
"In the eyes of our wolves, any opponent that challenges us is just a piece of meat in our mouths! We are the Wild Wolf Regiment. We eat the Japanese's flesh and chew up their bones! Wolves travel a thousand miles for meat, dogs travel a thousand miles for dung. When will our Wild Wolf Regiment improve our standard of living? When we run into the Japanese!"
"Remember this: history is written by the victors. We may be dough-balls today, but tomorrow we can become tempered steel! As long as we are united and push forward, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome!"
"United as one!"
"Push forward!"
Inspired by Li Yunlong’s passion, the soldiers waved their fists and cheered, and the atmosphere of the Independent Regiment reached a climax.
And so, with the help of the new uniforms, the morale of the Independent Regiment was greatly boosted.
"One thousand sets of uniforms aren't even enough. Giving them to one and not the other makes the soldiers fight over them. We're still recruiting these days, so it’s even less. What other good stuff do you have? Bring it all out," Li Yunlong thought it was quite a bargain.
"And yet you keep bargaining with me. There’s a lot of good stuff I didn't dare to prepare. Next time, just tell them these are combat training uniforms—shortened to 'training uniforms'—worn only by front-line combat troops," Wang Diren said, too lazy to call his bluff.
"No more bargaining, no more. Whatever you say goes, right? Isn't this just because we've been poor for too long?"
Li Yunlong rubbed his hands. Northwest Shanxi was truly cold, and the weather was getting even chillier.
"I also prepared military green quilts this time—the soldiers' warm guardian. It's cold, and the nights in Northwest Shanxi are no place for a human to be. I brought one along, fortunately, it’s quite light. Give it a try."
Wang Diren pretended to pull a military green quilt from his carrying case.
"Good, this is good stuff. It’s more comfortable than hugging a wife."
Li Yunlong couldn't put it down.
"You old bachelor, have you ever hugged a wife? Always dreaming of a good thing," Wang Diren said, snatching the quilt back.
"With a quilt like this, who would bother hugging a wife?"
Li Yunlong laughed heartily.