Bright Sword: Iron Will 17

Chapter 17: [Developing the Army] National Policy Tree

January 21, 2025

Chapter 17: [Developing the Army] National Policy Tree

Besides seeing the news of his promotion in the newspaper, Wang Feng also noticed another piece of information: “[Yan Laosi weeps as he sacrifices his beloved general.]” (Yan Laosi, a derogatory term for a corrupt official, sheds tears while scapegoating a loyal subordinate.)

Seeing the headline, Wang Feng was shocked. Sure enough. In the end, to shirk responsibility, Yan Laosi pushed all the blame for the fall of Tianzhen onto Li Fuying. (Tianzhen is a place name; Li Fuying is a fictional general.)

He’s still a warlord at heart.

Chu Yunfei, noticing Wang Feng’s expression, stepped forward to comfort him, “Brother Wang, please accept my condolences.”

“A soldier should be prepared to shed blood on the battlefield. General Li’s death in the fall of Tianzhen is so unclear… Alas.”

Wang Feng waved his hand, casually saying a few words to deflect the conversation, “Brother Yunfei, it’s alright. With the nation in crisis, we must prioritize the overall war effort.”

He had only met Li Fuying a few times, exchanging barely a couple of sentences. He couldn’t express how sad he felt, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of “the sorrow of the rabbit, seeing the fox caught” (兔死狐悲 – an idiom expressing empathy for someone in danger, fearing a similar fate). This time it was Li Fuying, next time it might be someone else, and the time after that, it might be himself.

Chu Yunfei personally brought a cup of hot water and placed it in front of Wang Feng, pulling up a stool to sit beside him.

“Brother Wang, you led your troops out today, which should be a joyous occasion, but have you sent a telegram to Commander Yan?” After saying this, he suddenly realized he might have spoken inappropriately: “Forgive my impertinence, Chu, but your current troops…”

Wang Feng took a sip of hot water, lost in thought. He understood Chu Yunfei’s implication.

The remnants of the 61st Army had been transferred to the rear, leaving only the 414th Regiment as the sole surviving unit on the front lines, receiving no effective command. It was impossible to expect the Second War Zone Headquarters General Staff, a group of lieutenant generals and generals, to personally micro-manage a single infantry regiment. A change in organization was inevitable.

Wang Feng turned his head, “Thank you for reminding me, Brother Yunfei. Early this morning, I had a communications officer send a telegram to Commander Yan. I expect a response soon.”

Chu Yunfei nodded, “Brother Wang, the situation at the front is tense. The defense here can be handled by my 358th Regiment. Please retreat to the rear quickly.”

Hearing this, Wang Feng no longer hesitated. After days of intense fighting, the 414th Regiment had suffered heavy losses and couldn’t be of much help on the main battlefield. Moreover, this was Chu Yunfei’s territory, and staying here would create the impression of overstepping boundaries. While their ranks differed by only one level, there was a world of difference between them.

Lingqiu County.

At dusk, the remnants of the 414th Regiment, carrying their spoils of war, slowly entered the city. Wang Feng walked at the front, looking up at the desolate scene. Most of the shops along the street had their doors and windows shut. The once bustling market was now eerily quiet. Upon learning that the 5th Division was approaching, the townspeople had abandoned their homes and fled to Pingxing Pass to escape the war.

Originally, three units guarded Lingqiu and Guangling: the 15th Army, the 17th Army, and Chu Yunfei’s 73rd Division. However, the Japanese offensive was too fierce, and after several days of tenacious defense, all three units retreated to Pingxing Pass, leaving Chu Yunfei’s 358th Regiment to serve as the rearguard, buying time for the construction of defensive fortifications.

On the straight street leading into the city, a unit marched toward the 414th Regiment. This unit didn’t look like a regular army. They didn’t wear Shanxi Defense Army uniforms; their clothing was a motley collection of long robes, jackets, and coarse cloth, a hodgepodge of attire. The rifles they carried were old and worn, hardly distinguishable from firewood.

Upon meeting, a burly man stepped out from the crowd, standing tall and saluting loudly, “Commander!” “I am Kong Zhiyong, the commander of the Lingqiu County Civilian Corps!”

Wang Feng looked Kong Zhiyong up and down; his physique was comparable to Zhang Hu’s (Zhang Hu is a fictional character). Chu Yunfei had specifically told him about this civilian corps, which he had mobilized. While not part of the Shanxi Defense Army’s operational sequence, if the Japanese really attacked Lingqiu City, they could be used as a reserve force; give them a gun and they could fight on the city walls. He never expected Chu Yunfei to be so well-versed in the principles of People’s War.

Kong Zhiyong’s face was serious, “Commander, Commander Chu has already informed me. The tents are ready. This way, please.”

Wang Feng’s eyes showed appreciation, “You’ve served in the military before?”

Kong Zhiyong nodded, “I previously served as a company commander in a local militia. After the unit disbanded, I returned to farming.”

Wang Feng suddenly understood. To put it mildly, Yan Laosi was a great enthusiast of “social groups.” In his more than ten years in power, the number of local militias in Shanxi was countless.

“Commander, please rest for a while.”

After completing the reception task, Kong Zhiyong didn’t linger, leading his men back to their quarters.

Inside the room, Wang Feng sat alone on a chair, his gaze sweeping across the room. The environment was quite good; it had obviously been cleaned beforehand.

He heard shouts and cries of battle. Wang Feng became curious. This place was separated from the Lingqiu County Civilian Corps’ quarters by only a wall. The soldiers of the 414th Regiment had not yet begun training. So this sound must be coming from the neighboring quarters. Unexpectedly, the small county civilian corps had been well-trained by Kong Zhiyong. With careful cultivation, he might become a capable general.

With nothing else to do, Wang Feng focused his attention on the system panel in his mind. Since being upgraded to level 2, the maximum value of the progress bar had increased several times. Days of continuous combat had only raised it to about one-third. However, Wang Feng was surprised to find that the branch options on the National Policy Tree seemed to be unlockable.

After unlocking the initial national policy, “[Gunshots on Panshan]” (Panshan is a place name; the policy likely refers to a battle there), the three branches below were: [Develop the Army], [Develop the Navy], [Develop the Air Force].

Currently, only the [Develop the Army] option was highlighted on the system panel.

Direct unlock!

[Develop the Army]

[Our current army is very weak, but in the future, ground combat will still be the core of battles. Developing army units is a crucial key to our path to a strong army!]

[Unlock condition: Awarded a senior army rank.]

[Effect of choosing this national policy: Obtain a complete manual of army tactical doctrines, unlock subsequent national policy trees.]

For a moment, Wang Feng felt a surge of knowledge flood his mind. Infantry-artillery coordination, infantry-tank coordination, infantry-infantry coordination, tactical interleaving… wide-depth doctrine, high-speed mobile theory… There was much knowledge he hadn’t learned at the Whampoa Military Academy.

After a moment of blank stare, Wang Feng’s consciousness gradually cleared. After unlocking the [Develop the Army] national policy, countless branches appeared below. He quickly scanned them: [Develop Mountain Infantry], [Develop Mechanized Infantry], [Develop Armored Forces]… These all required level 3 to unlock, each with different standards.

After understanding everything, Wang Feng glanced at the options for the other two branches of service. They all required senior ranks in their respective services.

After reading, a black line appeared on Wang Feng’s head. Who could possibly obtain senior ranks in the army, navy, and air force simultaneously? A three-service general?

Chapter 18 has been blocked; I’m unsure when it will be released. Relevant content is available in “Works Related.”

(End of Chapter)

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