Spy Shadow: Command & Conquer

Chapter 1949, A Proclamation Sent to the Central Plains

night.

rain.

The sweltering weather brought torrential rain.

There was no wind. Only torrential rain. The ground was flooded, the water reaching above knee-deep, like a vast ocean.

"Tattoo..."

"Crash..."

"Tattoo..."

The rapid hoofbeats splashed up a lot of water.

Hundreds of Nationalist cavalrymen, wearing raincoats, galloped towards Anqing.

They were the elite of the independent cavalry brigade directly under the command of the General Headquarters.

The brigade commander is Chang Yi, a colonel.

Yellow dot.

Secret members of the Red Party.

He received Zhang Yong's order to come to Anqing.

They dared not delay. They hurried on their way despite the rain, fearing they might miss the golden opportunity to fight for Luzhou.

"Ugh……"

"My memory is terrible..."

Zhang Yong stood by the window, watching the torrential rain outside.

The entire city of Anqing was shrouded in heavy rain. However, the flooding was not too severe because of its proximity to the Yangtze River.

As torrential rains continue along both banks of the Yangtze River, the water level continues to rise. It is now less than one meter below the warning level and could exceed it at any moment.

Is this information important? Of course it is.

Severe weather can make marching and fighting extremely difficult.

Roads and bridges could be destroyed.

A river that could originally be forded on foot may become a treacherous chasm due to raging floods.

In China today, most rivers have very few bridges. Even those that exist are mostly pontoon bridges or wooden bridges.

Clearly, these bridges would be quickly washed away by the raging floodwaters.

Therefore, most rivers become obstacles, making it difficult for large groups to cross them.

But it doesn't matter.

Severe weather affects both sides equally.

Or rather, it had a greater impact on the Japanese invaders.

Because the Japanese invaders needed to take a longer route.

"They're coming."

"So fast."

Zhang Yong silently withdrew his gaze.

Several yellow dots appear at the edge of the radar map. There are also a large number of blue dots.

Blue dot. Without a doubt, it was Inspector Zhang Yong's troops. They were moving very quickly; it was the cavalry brigade that had rushed here.

Unfortunately.

Zhang Yong had almost forgotten about this unit.

An independent cavalry brigade directly under the command of the General Staff. A heroic unit. An elite cavalry force.

Its predecessor was a cavalry unit of the Shaanxi Army. It performed outstandingly in the Battle of Xuzhou and was awarded a special honorary designation by the General Headquarters.

However, the battlefield range used by cavalry brigades is limited.

He had previously been transferred to fight in northern Jiangxi. However, the mountainous terrain there made it impossible for him to maneuver effectively.

Later, Liu Zhi discussed with the Fifth War Zone and transferred the cavalry brigade to the Fifth War Zone.

The eastern part of the Fifth War Zone, including the Huainan and Xuzhou areas, is mostly plains and open fields, vast and boundless. This is ideal for mobile cavalry warfare.

Unfortunately, their record was mediocre.

Cavalry battles require various intelligence support.

With Zhang Yong by their side, it would be like adding wings to a tiger, increasing their combat power tenfold.

However, it's not very effective if you're fighting alone.

The Japanese also had cavalry units in Xuzhou and Huainan. The two sides clashed, and the battle was essentially even.

Fortunately, after being "reminded" by the Fifth War Zone, Zhang Yong finally remembered this unit.

It's like a pillow being delivered to someone who's sleepy.

He had been worried about how he would move quickly!

If it's a three-wheeled motorcycle, it's obviously not very practical during the rainy season. Besides, there aren't that many people who know how to drive a three-wheeled motorcycle.

As for trucks, that goes without saying. There are very few people who can drive them.

The entire Fifth War Zone couldn't muster many.

The more advanced the technical branch of service, the scarcer it is in the Fifth Theater Command.

As a local warlord, the resources he could control were certainly no match for those of the bald man.

It's quite remarkable that the Fifth Theater Command could manage those hundreds of trucks.

Now that's great, we have our own cavalry brigade!
You can definitely carry it with you.

When there's nothing else to do, he acts as his own bodyguard.

If anything happens, just lead them out on a long-distance raid.

The most important point is—

A proclamation was sent to the Central Plains.

I!
Zhang Yong!

coming!

Welcome to the battle!

See or leave!

Either you die, or I perish.

Between me, Zhang Yong, and the Japanese invaders, only one can live!
"Tattoo..."

"Crash..."

"Tattoo..."

The cavalry finally entered Anqing despite the rain.

They arrived in a grand procession in front of Zhang Yong's command post.

The group hurriedly dismounted and entered the command post. They were all soaked to the bone.

The raincoat that had been taken off was still dripping water heavily.

Zhang Yong welcomed them out from inside.

"Commissioner!"

Everyone quickly stood at attention and saluted.

Zhang Yong raised his hand in return. He then carefully observed everyone.

It's alright. Nothing's missing an arm or a leg.

Brigade Commander Chang Yi still appears quite composed. He lacks ambition but is more than capable of maintaining the status quo.

Objectively speaking, Chang Yi wasn't really good at fighting. He was more like a political officer, capable of building up the troops.

After the original brigade commander Yang Kang was killed, Chang Yi was not actually the best candidate to succeed him.

However, there were no other options at the time. They had to choose the best among the worst.

In fact, both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party have very few outstanding military cadres.

To put it bluntly, there are very few people who are capable of winning battles.

What was Li Yunlong's greatest skill? It was his ability to fight and win battles.

Therefore, even if mistakes are made, as long as they are not serious matters of principle, superiors can be lenient.

Why don't you try someone else?

Kong Jie was right. That one instance of disobeying orders on the battlefield was enough to warrant being executed eight times over.

Do you really think military orders are a joke?
"come in!"

"Yes!"

A group of people entered.

Zhang Yong had already prepared a meal for them.

Everything was piping hot. There was meat too. It was all seized from the Japanese invaders.

The benefit of winning a battle is that you get spoils.

No matter how many, they are all there are.

Some were seized in Anqing.

The Japanese invaders captured some more cargo ships.

The cargo ship belonging to the Japanese Black Dragon Society contained many treasures.

There were hundreds of cans of the finest beef alone. Zhang Yong was overjoyed.

He's now so eager to plan that whenever he has free time, he specifically targets and attacks the Japanese invaders' supply points.

Fortunately, part of the air force command map is displayed.

They raided the Japanese army's logistics. They took all the good stuff, and burned the rest.

It would be even more perfect if there were Red Party guerrillas nearby.

They simply asked the Red Party guerrillas for help to take everything, leaving not a single thing behind.

"eat first."

"Yes!"

Everyone was indeed starving.

Coming here in the heavy rain was certainly a very arduous journey.

However, when the Commissioner came to the Fifth War Zone and summoned them, they were so excited that they forgot all their fatigue.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they sat up straight and waited for instructions.

"Prepare for war."

"It may be a long, continuous battle."

"From the Yellow River in the north to the Yangtze River in the south, from the sea in the east to the Pinghan Railway in the west, all of these are our battlefields."

Zhang Yong got straight to the point.

Suddenly, I remembered something else.

He also has a unit stationed in Yangzhou.

That was the 184th Division of the Yunnan Army.

It's called a division, but it's actually an army. It has three brigades and nine regiments.

Ugh……

My damn memory.

At such a young age, it's astonishing that so many military units are not remembered.

However, for the time being, the 184th Division is not needed.

"Commissioner, just give the order! Tell us where to attack and we'll attack."

"Yes! Commissioner, just give the order!"

All the officers stood up.

As it turns out, fighting alongside the Commissioner was the easiest and most enjoyable experience.

Just focus on fighting. Don't worry about anything else.

The Commissioner is aware of the movements of the Japanese invaders.

"it is good!"

Zhang Yong didn't stand on ceremony either.

Assign combat missions.

two.

The first was a propaganda station. It sent out proclamations to the Central Plains.

Their responsibility was to post the prepared slogans in prominent locations throughout the Central Plains, ensuring everyone knew about them.

I, Zhang Yong, am going to fight the Japanese invaders in Luzhou.

The fighting could be very intense.

It could take a long time.

Everyone is very welcome to come and help out.

You can come to Luzhou to help me directly, or you can assist me from behind the scenes.

They could launch a frontal attack on the Japanese invaders, or raid their supply lines. They could also conduct covert operations.

After you're done, you can come to me, Zhang Yong, for reimbursement of all ammunition costs.

There are also rewards based on the number of enemies killed.

You might acquire some really good weapons. This will definitely boost your troops' combat effectiveness to a whole new level.

Do you want the Italian cannon?
Do you want a howitzer?

There are.

"Anyone willing to kill the Japanese invaders is welcome to come!"

"Welcome to Luzhou to find me, Zhang Yong!"

what?
Could it be that puppet troops have infiltrated?

Or were they Japanese invaders in disguise?
what!
Laugh to death!

It all depends on who's stubborn enough.

If the Japanese and their puppet regime dared to impersonate anti-Japanese forces and come in, Zhang Yong would laugh himself to death.

Stealing something while it's convenient. Catching a turtle in a jar. Offering oneself up for execution.

in fact……

rest assured.

The people have sharp eyes.

Which armed forces were fighting against the Japanese? Which were just loafing around? Which were harming the people?

The Red Party has all the records. They've kept them all in their little notebooks, keeping them crystal clear.

Therefore, this matter must be entrusted to—

"Chang Yi!"

"To!"

"You're in charge of this!"

"Yes!"

"It must be spread to the greatest extent possible."

"Yes!"

"Anyone willing to kill the Japanese invaders is welcome to come empty-handed!"

"clear."

Chang Yi stated that he was committed to completing the mission.

When it comes to fighting, he was indeed lacking in ability. However, he was very happy to do propaganda.

Moreover, many of our party's guerrilla units have already settled in the Central Plains region.

There were also regular troops of the New Fourth Army in Jiangbei.

This is a perfect opportunity to expand our base behind enemy lines. With the Japanese diverting troops to fight in Luzhou and Zhangyong, other areas will be left vulnerable. This provides a good chance to eliminate the local reactionary forces.

"Leave one regiment for me, take the rest of the troops with you."

"Yes."

A cavalry regiment, actually not many people. About six hundred men.

The entire independent cavalry brigade has only about two thousand men. This is already a very large organization.

It should be noted that the maintenance cost of cavalry is more than ten times that of infantry!

Warhorses and the like are actually very precious.

Zhang Yong planned to head west to deal with the remaining Japanese troops in Taihu, Susong, Huangmei and other places.

Infantry is too slow. They can't keep up. But cavalry can.

Before heading to Luzhou, I cleaned up the surrounding area. It was like tidying up my rear.

At the same time, it is also a way of spreading the word.

I,
Zhang Yong,

coming!

See you in Luzhou!
"Somebody come!"

"To!"

"Are the signs ready?"

"Reporting to the Specialist, over a thousand copies have been prepared."

"Hand them all over to the cavalry brigade to take away."

"Yes!"

The staff officers of the 31st Army have been extremely busy these past two days.

Everyone who could write calligraphy was arrested and put in charge of writing slogans. The commissioner needed them.

The slogan was simple, just a few sentences—

I, Zhang Yong, am waiting for you in Luzhou.

What elite troops? I, Zhang Yong, specialize in taking down elite troops. Anyone disagree, come and fight!
These were all Zhang Yong's own ideas.

I don't have much talent, and I can't think of any particularly challenging slogans.

Later, they simply let the staff officers do as they pleased. Write whatever you want. The more exciting, the better.

In short, the main theme is arrogance and looking down on everyone.

Ideally, we should infuriate the Japanese invaders to the point of rage. Ideally, we should concentrate all our forces to attack Zhang Yong.

I've never been afraid!

The slogans used for promotion focused on one main point: coming to Luzhou has its benefits.

There might be nothing else. But there will definitely be enough ammunition.

Each person must have at least five base numbers.

According to the current standards of the National Revolutionary Army, the standard load of a bolt-action rifle is 120 rounds. Five standard loads would be 600 rounds.

If one's body isn't strong enough, it's very difficult for one person to carry away five rounds of bullets.

Not to mention hand grenades and artillery shells. A five-unit load of hand grenades is twenty-five.

The heavy rain gradually stopped the next morning.

After a series of torrential rains, the sky cleared up without a single cloud, as if it meant that good weather would follow.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the next few days will likely be sunny and clear.

Both sides in a war can unleash their full fighting potential, unhindered by any natural factors.

If the battle is lost, there will be no excuse. The only option left is seppuku (ritual suicide).

"Tattoo..."

The main force of the independent cavalry brigade also arrived one after another.

Take a short rest. Then set off immediately.

"Goodbye!"

Zhang Yong and Chang Yi parted ways.

Chang Yi led the main force of the cavalry brigade eastward.

The team will split into many groups and head towards different areas.

They put up slogans as they traveled.

Announce it widely.

These days, local armed forces basically don't have radios.

Even a county-level security force didn't have a radio. Therefore, plaintext telegrams were useless.

Ultimately, we must rely on the oldest methods: written and oral.

That's exactly what the Red Party excels at.

"Tattoo..."

Zhang Yong led a cavalry regiment westward.

First, we arrived in Taihu County and immediately launched an attack.

"idiot……"

"withstand!"

The remaining Japanese troops inside were terrified.

To everyone's surprise, the Nationalist army actually fought back. Chaos ensued.

The remaining Japanese troops inside the city numbered less than four hundred. There were also several hundred puppet troops, attempting a last-ditch resistance.

After the battle began, nearby guerrillas also came to help.

They were a Red Party guerrilla force. There weren't many of them, only about a hundred.

"boom……"

Mortars bombarded the city walls.

At the same time, they bombarded the areas with the densest red dots.

After half an hour of continuous bombing, the Japanese and their puppet forces were almost completely wiped out.

"idiot……"

"That's too brutal..."

A Japanese lieutenant wailed in despair before his death.

Although it was an 81mm mortar, it couldn't withstand the relentless bombardment!
More than a dozen mortars fired continuously, with a full two hundred shells falling every minute.

They fired for a full thirty minutes, which is thousands of shots!

Too cruel...

"on!"

The Red Party guerrillas were the first to charge forward.

Subsequently, the cavalrymen, acting as infantry, also charged into the city.

Subsequent battles were sporadic and isolated.

Zhang Yong, carrying a Garand semi-automatic rifle, shot down the hidden Japanese invaders one by one.

The war ended quickly.

The task of cleaning up the battlefield was assigned to the Red Party guerrillas.

Then they started putting up slogans.

Cover all the conspicuous areas with the stickers. Make sure the Japanese invaders can see them.

"report!"

"Commissioner, we've captured five Japanese prisoners!"

"Bring it up."

"Yes."

Soon, five Japanese prisoners were brought up.

They were very lucky this time. They got a chance to live. Slogans were posted on their front and back. Then they were chased away.

Go back and tell your boss right away that I, Zhang Yong, have arrived.

Those who are not convinced should come out and fight.

"go!"

Zhang Yong waved his hand.

Leading his cavalry brigade, they marched towards their next target.

The next one is Susong.

Following the same pattern blindly. As always.

First, bombard them.

The shelling continued relentlessly.

They kept firing shells into the city.

Point to where you don't understand...

No, it means wherever there's a red dot, that's where it will explode.

With radar maps to guide them, the Japanese invaders had no way to hide.

ten minutes……

twenty minutes……

thirty minutes……

Strictly follow the operating procedures.

If we say we'll blast it for a full thirty minutes, then not a minute less.

result……

The vast majority of the defending troops were killed in the bombing.

A dozen or so remained, also buried in the ruins.

then……

The nearby Red Party guerrillas took the lead.

They were responsible for entering the city to search for any remaining Japanese troops. All the spoils of war were then theirs.

Then, without a sound, more ammunition appeared on the battlefield.

"go!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Yong led the team to set off.

Let's move on to the next one.

Arrive in Huangmei...

Then we arrived at the riverbank.

They opened fire on Jiujiang on the south bank.

The rocket launcher used was, of course, a 107mm rocket launcher.

"Choo Choo Choo……"

A piercing whistling sound instantly tore through the air, tearing the earth apart.

A dazzling array of flames rained down on Jiujiang on the opposite bank, specifically targeting areas with many red dots (indicating high fire resistance).

"Boom boom boom..."

Rockets rained down on the docks of Jiujiang.

Caught off guard, two of the Japanese transport ships were sunk in an instant. The river surface was a scene of utter devastation.

The Japanese troops at the dock were also in a state of chaos.

They were originally meant to be loaded onto a ship for transport. But now, they've scattered and fled.

Even the most fearless Japanese invaders weren't foolish enough to try and withstand large-caliber artillery shells. And the shells were still coming in dense clusters.

"Boom boom boom..."

The overwhelming artillery fire swept everything away.

Everywhere there was a red dot was covered by rockets.

This wave of gains has been incredibly fruitful.

The Japanese invaders in Jiujiang never expected that they would be bombarded from across the river.

Even more unexpectedly, it was Zhang Yong himself who came to the other side of the river.

Jiujiang, located in the rear, was almost completely unprepared.

In addition to personnel, there were also a large amount of military supplies at the dock.

"Rumble..."

An extremely exaggerated explosion.

That was caused by the Japanese invaders' ammunition exploding.

"idiot!"