"Soldier, wait a moment!"
Just as Hu Youming was about to leave, three old men approached him from the crowd. They looked scruffy, and the oldest among them had hair that had already turned grey.
"Soldier, if we join you, we really won't just be cannon fodder, will we?"
The three men were clearly led by the grey-haired elder.
"That's right, soldier. Judging by your accent, you're from Sichuan, aren't you?" the other two men asked in unison.
Hu Youming was a bit surprised; after all, most of the Sichuanese troops arriving on the Songhu Battlefield were from the 20th Army.
"Are you from the 20th Army?" Hu Youming asked, testing the waters, as a Sichuanese accent is unmistakable.
"Soldier, to be honest with you, we were originally merchants from Sichuan. Now that our country is in danger, all the men in our families have enlisted!" the eldest man replied, looking at Hu Youming with burning eyes. "Soldier, we were soldiers under Commander Ye of the 160th Division. Later, the three of us were wounded, and two of our younger brothers are still on the front lines."
Hearing this, Hu Youming understood. These three old men wanted to join their unit.
Hu Youming’s previously tense expression softened considerably now that he knew they wanted to join. "Our battalion commander said that if you want to join, just head outside."
"Old man, I advise you not to go," a few people who valued their lives immediately piped up from the crowd to dissuade them. "You'll just end up as cannon fodder, and you won't even have a place to cry when it happens."
The crowd continued to whisper. Hu Youming did not refute them, instead speaking sincerely to the three old men about the pros and cons. "Old-timer, when it comes to being cannon fodder, we ourselves are the remnants of the 20th Army. You know what the status of us Sichuanese is. The decision is yours."
What those timid people had said was not entirely wrong. Compared to elite divisions, the Great Qian Government's attitude toward miscellaneous units was worlds apart.
"What? Men from the 20th Army are actually following an officer from the 88th Division?"
The speaker had intended no harm, but the listeners were stirred. With the crowd being so noisy, the news that Hu Youming came from the 20th Army left everyone unsettled. It was truly a stone that stirred up a thousand waves.
"Soldier, we have decided to sign up!" the three men said in unison. Hu Youming nodded and told them to head outside.
The people gathered at the hospital couldn't help but feel stirred as they watched them walk toward the exit.
"Damn it! If an old man can go to the front to kill the enemy, the worst that can happen is that I’ll be a hero again eighteen years from now!"
Once confidence and passion were ignited, the resolve in people’s hearts could no longer be suppressed. In just a few minutes, nearly eighty people out of the three or four hundred gathered had left. Those who remained hung their heads, no longer uttering a single word of discouragement. When there were many people, they could stir up trouble and use numbers to justify staying behind, but now, no one dared to speak up. Valuing one's life wasn't wrong, but to stop others from fighting was a grave mistake.
Lin Feng had been sitting in front of the hospital square for a while, his eyes fixed firmly on the main gate. On the surface, he appeared indifferent, but inside, his heart was in turmoil. Lin Feng firmly believed that the passion of the men of Great Qian would never be extinguished.
Yet, after waiting for a long time, he still didn't see anyone walk out the gate.
"Officer, I heard you are recruiting soldiers for the front line. May I join?"
The voice did not come from the gate, but from the small house where the wounded were stationed. A white figure approached, steps steady.
"Doctor Pan, why are you here? Leave the matters of the front line to us!" Lin Feng stood up. Although this man held no military rank, Lin Feng regarded him with the utmost respect.
"Old Zhang and the others are at the hospital. I was never a military doctor to begin with, just someone who spent a few years studying abroad. When the fate of the nation is at stake, every citizen has a responsibility! How can you refuse my request to join?!"
The man took off his white coat. With black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, he looked exceptionally sharp.
"Doctor Pan, are you really planning to join the army? The battlefield is not like a hospital." Lin Feng’s first reaction was to advise him not to make such a decision lightly. The Songhu Battlefield was filled with endless crises; a doctor’s main battlefield was the operating table, not trenches and artillery fire.
Doctor Pan did not speak, but he stared at Lin Feng with a sharp, piercing gaze. According to the hospital nurses, this man had studied in Germany, specializing in chemistry, and had also learned basic medicine during his time there. After the Battle of Shanghai broke out, he learned that the field hospital was in a desperate situation and immediately joined in.
"Major, surely you know that there are no jokes in the military! I am clear about my own choices!" Doctor Pan finally gave Lin Feng a firm answer after a long moment of contemplation.
"Good! Since you have decided, I will not refuse! From now on, we are comrades fighting the Japanese devils together!" Lin Feng was not one to dither. Since the man was determined to join, there was no reason to refuse, especially since he was a versatile talent.
"Yes! Private Pan Shun reporting to the Major!"
Lin Feng returned the salute with great solemnity. The addition of this man would surely save countless soldiers' lives in the future! There were many Nationalist army units, but versatile talents were rare. To be recognized by such a man among so many troops, Lin Feng considered this a great honor.
Still, the same principle applied: as long as one was truly committed to fighting the Japanese, they were the best of comrades. Lin Feng clearly felt that honest, passionate heart, willing to sacrifice its life for the country!
"Battalion Commander, a lot of people are coming. You should get ready!"
At the same time, at the hospital gate, Hu Youming hurried toward Lin Feng with quick, light steps. In the blink of an eye, the gate, which had been desolate and ignored, changed. Following Hu Youming, people began to walk out quickly, one after another. They might have been young, or they might have been grey-haired, but without exception, their steps were firm—that was the courage that did not fear death!
"Old Hu, start calling them in! Quickly!" Lin Feng patted Hu Youming on the shoulder and walked toward the crowd.
"First Company! Assemble!"
Hu Youming immediately issued the command. A makeshift company of nearly seventy men quickly formed up. As they gathered in the center of the square, they were able to see the uniqueness of Lin Feng’s unit firsthand.
"My goodness, they’re all carrying Type 38 rifles!"
"Hey, don't just say that—there aren't even enough men for a full company, and yet they have three Type 11 Light Machine Guns!"
"Damn, elites truly are elites, but I’ve never heard of the 88th Division being equipped with Japanese weapons!"
The men stood scattered, pointing and whispering, all commenting on the unit. But each comment revealed their shock at Lin Feng’s troop.
"Attention everyone, form up in order!" Lin Feng stepped into the crowd and shouted, silencing the whispering. Hearing Lin Feng’s order, even the new recruits knew it was time to move.