Bright Sword: Iron Will 51

Chapter 51: Integrating Troops, Unifying Morale [Requesting a Follow-Up Read!]

Wang Feng surveyed the group of Central Army soldiers before him. They looked like they had just come off a battlefield; their uniforms were disheveled, the yellowish-brown fabric tattered and worn. Some had bandages on their arms, with blood seeping through.

But this wasn’t a reason to loot supplies.

Wang Feng’s voice was icy, “What’s going on?”

Zhao Fangyuan stepped forward, quickly replying, “Commander, this group of Central Army soldiers, without saying a word, tried to take the weapons and equipment allocated to us by our superiors.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the Central Army soldiers on the opposite side started clamoring, “We need these weapons to fight the Japanese!”

“That’s right, ever since we entered Shanxi, we haven’t had enough guns or ammunition!”

“Not to mention, even our rations were cut. The Japanese are about to attack; what’s wrong with asking for some supplies…?”

Wang Feng frowned, coldly snorting, “Silence!”

His voice wasn’t loud, but the imposing aura honed on the battlefield and the bearing of a superior officer suppressed everyone.

Everyone present fell silent.

The Central Army soldiers looked at Wang Feng’s insignia, fear in their eyes. They swallowed nervously.

Even though they didn’t belong to the same faction, the shining general’s star on the insignia was enough to overwhelm them.

Wang Feng continued to question, “Which unit are you from, and who is your military commander?”

The Central Army soldiers looked at each other, and finally a lieutenant stepped forward from the crowd.

“Commander, we are the second battalion of the 62nd Regiment, 21st Division. We just retreated from the Tuanchengkou battleground.”

“Both the battalion commander and deputy battalion commander are dead, and the communication radio was destroyed by Japanese artillery fire…”

“Commander, I’ve heard of you. We are all troops fighting the Japanese. Please, have mercy! Give us a few thousand rounds of ammunition.”

“We don’t need much, just enough to fight the Japanese!”

Wang Feng’s brow gradually relaxed, “The 17th Army…”

“Gao Guizi’s troops?”

“The retreat order from the Sixth Group Army has been issued. Why didn’t you retreat?”

The lieutenant looked troubled, pouring out his woes, “Commander, our regiment held the line, but the Japanese firepower was too fierce, and the troops were scattered.”

“There was really nothing we could do. Before he died, the battalion commander specifically instructed us to assemble in Daying Town and await the regiment’s deployment.”

“Otherwise, it would be considered defiance on the battlefield…”

“Yes, Commander, please, have mercy! The Japanese are about to attack!”

The others on the opposite side pleaded, their voices rising louder and louder.

Wang Feng found himself in a difficult position, secretly pondering how to handle the situation.

He knew Gao Guizi, and the Provisional First Brigade and the 17th Army had fought side-by-side in the same trenches.

The 17th Army was a Shaanxi army, and these soldiers were staunch Shaanxi men.

Faced with a formidable enemy, they not only didn’t flee, but resolutely carried out their commander’s dying orders.

Zhao Fangyuan, thoughtfully, whispered in Wang Feng’s ear, “Commander, when we retreated, we seemed to have encountered the 62nd Regiment they mentioned.”

“The main force has already retreated. If I’m not mistaken… they should have been abandoned.”

Wang Feng suddenly understood.

Abandoned?

So that’s it.

This wasn’t unusual.

In the battle of Tuanchengkou, the 17th Army was completely shattered. It would take some time to gather the stragglers.

Daying Town might become the front line at any moment. The military commanders of various units, too busy gathering their fleeing troops, were in a rush to retreat, and missing soldiers were simply listed as dead.

They could even embezzle more pension money…

Zhao Fangyuan’s voice was low, but the two sides were close, and the Central Army soldiers heard clearly.

The crowd immediately stirred.

“This…”

“Is it true?”

“Commander…”

Wang Feng: “How many men do you have left?”

Lieutenant: “Reporting, Commander, my unit has 285 remaining soldiers and 120 wounded.”

“We have very little ammunition left, some soldiers don’t even have guns.”

Wang Feng thought for a moment, “I’m sure you know the situation now. The main force of the 62nd Regiment has retreated to the rear, and your names are already on the casualty list. I will request permission from the war zone headquarters to incorporate you into our unit.”

The lieutenant hesitated, looking back at his soldiers.

He was the highest-ranking officer left in this unit.

Whether or not to join the Provisional First Brigade was simply a matter of the lieutenant nodding his head.

The Central Army soldiers looked at each other, their expressions hesitant.

Then they looked to the lieutenant for an answer.

Seeing their indecision, Wang Feng gave them an injection of confidence, “Under the instructions of the Group Army Headquarters, our unit has the authority to incorporate fleeing troops along the way.”

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, pretending to take out a document.

Seeing this, the lieutenant immediately said, “Commander, we will follow you from now on!”

In the era of warlord conflicts, changing units was commonplace, especially now that all factions had ostensibly formed a united front; it made no difference who they fought for.

Wang Feng’s lips curled into a smile, “Good, after we defeat the Japanese, I’ll take you home!”

Seeing their future secured, the newly incorporated soldiers looked at each other, their anxiety finally subsiding. They murmured softly, “After the war is over, we can go home.”

“Home! After the war is over, we’ll go home!”

“Home!”

Wang Feng gestured to the rear, “Tell the logistics unit to start a fire and cook immediately. After this meal, we’ll immediately move to the rear.”

“Yes!”

Life was hard for the common people during wartime; many joined the army simply because they couldn’t get enough to eat.

In this situation, there was no need for empty promises to boost morale.

A decent meal and advance payment of a month’s salary were far more effective than a thousand slogans.

An hour later, a rich aroma filled the entire drill ground.

The food was simple; on the battlefield, everyone ate from the same big pot. It wasn’t a restaurant, and the cooks were soldiers, their cooking skills were amateurish.

To save time, the cooking was very basic.

It was basically a stew; anything edible was thrown into the pot.

The soldiers sat on the ground in the drill ground. With so many extra soldiers, the Provisional First Brigade didn’t have enough bowls, so five or six people had to share.

“Save some for me!”

“Eat less! Have some shame!”

“No…I just took a sip!”

The soldiers jostled for the vegetable soup, the scene chaotic.

Wang Feng sat among them, holding a bowl; his food was the same as the ordinary soldiers’.

“Commander, is our unit’s food this good?”

“I’ve been a soldier for years, cavalry, infantry, all kinds of soldiers, and I’ve never eaten anything this good!”

“There’s a meaty smell in this soup…”

The newly incorporated soldiers sincerely exclaimed.

Clutching their newly received pay, and smelling the fragrant food, the previously unfamiliar soldiers chatted with each other.

Morale was slowly being unified.

(End of Chapter)

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