Under One Person: One Person Goes

Chapter 410 Veteran
The Battle of Songhu, the Jinshanwei area southwest of Shanghai.

This was the site of a large-scale landing of the invading Japanese troops heading south, and it was also the most important defensive position of the National Army in the Battle of Shanghai.

However, with the breakthrough of the defense line, the national army could only gradually retreat towards the urban area, handing over this strategic location to the enemy. The harassment in the battlefield behind enemy lines did not successfully stop the Japanese invaders from moving southward. Although there were differences in the landing time, a sufficient number of Japanese invaders had landed at Jinshanwei, and after lining up their troops, they headed towards the urban area.

For the people living in the Jinshanwei area where the Japanese troops landed, their lives were not much better.

As we all know, wherever the invaders go, they bring only killing and destruction, and the Jinshanwei area is no exception.

Because of its geographical location, this place is a key military fortress and coastal defense location. With Jinshanwei as its center, it is surrounded by fishing villages, agricultural villages and Acropolis villages, inhabited by family members of the garrison or people working in related service industries.

However, with the fall of Jinshanwei area and the withdrawal of the National Army, the people living there were exposed to the slaughter of the Japanese invaders.

It’s not that the people don’t know how to run, but in this kind of world, they don’t know where to run. It’s easier for those whose family members serve in the military, at least they can run away with the national army.

But most of the military dependents’ relatives were just serving as small soldiers in the National Army, trying to make a living. In such an inevitable defeat, they might not even survive, so how could they have the time to inform their families to run away with them? They could only hope that the Japanese invaders would be merciful and not vent their anger on these civilians.

For the Japanese invaders, killing a Chinese civilian was no different from killing a Chinese soldier. They were both military merits anyway, so they wanted to do so. It was not until a transfer order from the highest commander of the military, Matsui Iwane, came that they were forced to put down their butcher knives and instead drove the remaining civilians into a village or town and gathered them together like cattle.

Afterwards, they surrounded the people in three layers inside and outside, not allowing anyone to escape.

The common people naturally did not know why the Japanese invaders stopped killing, but the blood that had not yet dried on their faces made them understand that no matter what the other side wanted to do by leaving them alive, it would not be a good thing.

But they could do nothing but comfort the children around them with clumsy lies and wait for death to come.

The Japanese invaders who had landed but had not yet launched a general attack were also waiting on guard for a group of guys in ordinary clothes to appear with their highest commander.

"Are the remaining Chinese people here?"

"Hi! Commander Matsui, all the Chinese people in the Jinshanwei area are here."

"Very good. The military will not forget your contribution. I know you are waiting for a victory to be promoted. I will not let the emperor's warriors down. But now, continue to execute my orders and do not allow any Chinese civilian to escape from your custody."

"Hi!"

"Then gentlemen, it's your turn to show off your skills."

After sending his subordinates away, Matsui Iwane also looked at the groups of aliens who came with him. These were all Chinese aliens who had already surrendered to the enemy after being infiltrated by the Japanese invaders in recent years. Among them were the so-called righteous ones, the Quanxing ones, and the evil ones that were not within the scope of the Quanxing. Of course, there were also aliens from their native Japan.

We spent such a huge amount of money to transport them here from the capital under the noses of the righteous forces in a secret way, not just to let them follow the crowd and cheer.

"Don't worry, Commander Matsui. I will show you that our Yiguandao's reputation of inciting people is not in vain."

A Taoist who looked like an immortal stepped forward, bowed, and led his people into the town which was crowded with countless people. The Shintoist who came with Matsui Iwane naturally followed as well, just in case.

The old Japanese soldier, Iwane Matsui, was resting and eating in the camp outside the town, listening to the noise coming from the town.

There was noise and commotion at the beginning, mixed with shouting and cursing in Mandarin and Japanese, and obscure chanting. It was not until a day and a night had passed that things died down and silence could be heard.

When everything was over, these people walked out of the town. Each of them looked emaciated and obviously exhausted.

The Taoist who had led the way in earlier also bowed to Matsui Iwane.

"Captain Matsui, they have all drunk the magic water. All you need to do is shake the bell to activate the magic charms in their bodies, and they will be able to be used by you, Commander Matsui."

"Mr. Bai, thank you for your hard work. I will send a message to His Excellency in the temple and ask him to cooperate with you to make your Yiguandao the largest religion in North China."

"Thank you very much, Commander Matsui."

"Then I hope Mr. Bai will take more effort to drive these refugees to where they should go. As for here, let the warriors of the empire end this battle."

The old Japanese soldier Matsui Iwane also drew his general's sword and walked to the reviewing stand that had been set up outside the camp to brainwash the Japanese soldiers who could not wait to go to the battlefield.

The Japanese soldiers in the camp became excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood after hearing the words of the old devil Matsui Iwane, and shouted slogans such as "Long live the Emperor".

And the people in the town who were forced to drink the talisman water, at this time, under the ringing of bells by the Taoist of I-Kuan Tao and a group of disciples, walked out of the town one after another like corpses being driven, like a group of zombies, slowly walking towards the direction of Jinling City under the control of these I-Kuan Tao disciples.

At the same time, in the concession, Wang Yi and Liu Wei also waited for Lao Guo and Zhou Weiguo, who had made great contributions on the battlefield and were promoted to lead the Jinling Training Corps to cover the retreat of the National Army.

Meeting again, both sides were filled with emotion.

"Boss Wang, I never thought we would meet again, but we came here at your invitation to share bad news, not good news. The Battle of Songhu is imminent, and as you are a thorn in the eyes of the Japanese, it is better for you to make plans early."

"I appreciate your kindness. Actually, I came to you to share my bad news with you. Songhu is about to fall, and you and I both know the next target of the Japanese invaders. You are both knowledgeable about military affairs and should know more about the situation in Nanjing City than a layman like me."

Guo Rugui and Zhou Weiguo were speechless. They had brought troops here from Nanjing. As Jiang's disciples, they knew that the Ministry of National Defense had already made preparations to evacuate Nanjing City. However, everyone in the government knew about it, except the people in the city.

Their superiors also specifically ordered them to keep the secret at all costs. If it was leaked in advance and caused unrest, they would be subject to military law.

With such a hat on their shoulders, even if they are disciples of the emperor, nothing good will come of it.

Now hearing Wang Yi asking them this question, it felt like a mockery to them.

But Wang Yi did not invite the two of them here to interrogate their inner thoughts. Just when Wang Yi was about to discuss his plan with them, a man rushed in with a piece of Yin-Yang paper painted by the Wang family's god in his hand.

"Boss, there's a letter from the circle in the capital!"

Liu Wei stepped forward to take it, and after a quick glance, his expression was also grim. After asking someone to leave, he handed the Yin-Yang paper in his hand to Wang Yi for review.

"Were you tricked? It seems like they are really scheming. Let's get straight to the point, you two. If Jinling City is destroyed, will you leave or stay?"

"We are soldiers. It is our destiny to die on the battlefield. Can we abandon the lives of millions of civilians in the city? Moreover, if we cover the retreat of the large army properly, even if Nanjing is captured, the Japanese invaders may not be able to take over the entire city."

The idea was good and the reasons were sufficient, but the reality was that the defeat in the Battle of Shanghai crippled the organization of too many Nationalist troops, and the remaining Nationalist soldiers had basically lost their will to fight.

Faced with the Japanese pursuit, it was common to see a platoon of Japanese soldiers chasing a company or even a regiment of defeated Nationalist soldiers running around everywhere.

"We are very grateful to you two for your awareness. However, I have a question for you two. How many people are here from your Jinling Training Corps?"

"About 8000 people."

"Then I would like to ask you two, covering the large army's retreat from the Songhu battlefield is not an easy task. Even if it can be succeeded, how many people can the troops you two lead bring back to Nanjing City?" Lao Guo and Zhou Weiguo opened their mouths to speak, but did not know where to start.

Both of them were withdrawn from the Battle of Shanghai, so they naturally knew that their Jinling Training Corps was the ace among the main forces of the National Army, with a complete organization and excellent equipment. However, the Japanese army had many troops like theirs, and they were better equipped with firepower and more complete arms.

Even if they could withdraw from the Battle of Shanghai, if they could bring back more than half of the troops, it would be considered a good leadership for the two of them, not to mention that they would have to defend Nanjing later.

"It seems that you two are also aware of this problem. How many people to bring back is one problem, and how many people can be added from the reserve team after bringing them back is even more of a problem. As far as I know, your team is composed of the best people selected from the Central Army Academy. They have never been used as soldiers for consumption, right?"

"Boss Wang is well-informed, but the war has come to this point and the Tax Police Corps has been dispatched. How can we be spared?"

Old Guo gave a bitter smile and understood the crux of the problem.

"This is why I asked you two to come. You are short of people. You are short of soldiers who can help you fight and cover the retreat of the large army. It is best if they are veterans."

"Yes, but where can we find so many veterans to mobilize for us at this time? The veterans who can fight are either lying on the battlefield or scattered. We have no choice but to go ahead."

"That's not the case, Brigade Commander Guo. We still have veterans. It depends on whether you two dare to use them."

"Where do the soldiers come from?"

"Just come with us."

Old Guo naturally did not expect that Wang Yi actually had a group of veterans who could be mobilized, and from Wang Yi's words, the number of these veterans was quite large. His eyes suddenly widened.

As for whether such a group of veterans would exceed the establishment of the teaching corps and arouse the fear of their superiors, what a joke! His superiors are so happy at the moment that they don't even have time to think that he wants to seize power. After all, it is hard to say how many veterans can be brought back after winning this battle.

However, Wang Yi kept the secret and left the Mainland Hotel together with Liu Wei, Lao Guo and Zhou Weiguo.

We drove to the wharf managed by the East China Branch of Sitong Company in the concession.

As the vehicles stopped in front of the dock, the dock workers who had already been gathered together and were affiliated with the East China Branch of Sitong Company were also gathered together.

Lao Guo and Zhou Weiguo also understood why Wang Yi said that he would have a group of veterans on his hands.

Because the dock workers in front of them were not as pale and skinny as the stereotyped. On the contrary, each of them was very healthy. Not only that, but when they saw Wang Yi and his team coming, they gathered together spontaneously and lined up to wait without any foreman shouting at them.

Just from the degree of organization and the health of each individual, Lao Guo and Zhou Weiguo could tell that this was an army, and an army that was more capable than many Nationalist troops in terms of spirit and energy. That kind of spirit and energy was rare even among those ace armies.

But then there comes a question: where did Wang Yi get such an army? How did he train them?
"Don't look at me like that, I'm just an outsider. I don't have that ability. I've already said that the veterans do have it. It depends on whether you dare to use it and whether you can persuade them."

"May I ask, Boss Wang, who are these people?"

Lao Guo already had some guesses in his mind, but he still wanted to confirm it from Wang Yi.

On the contrary, Zhou Weiguo was confused. After all, he came from a strong family background and was sent to Germany for further studies after being admitted to the Central Military Academy. He had no idea what the Kuomintang had done in the Soviet area back then. Even if he had heard something, he thought it was just rumors and not credible. In other words, he was protected too well.

"In 1935, I went to the Soviet area, which is Ganzhou, and negotiated a deal with General He who was stationed there. I paid five silver dollars, one to buy people, two to open up the upper level, and two to bribe the lower level. A total of 400,000 so-called red bandits, soldiers and civilians, entered through him.

Excluding those who ran away on the way and those who died on the way, we can share the profits. There are still more than 20,000 people at my dock, all of whom have fought with your army on the battlefield. We provide them with three meals a day and occasionally pay them some wages. What do you think, Brigade Commander Guo, Regiment Commander Zhou, do you think these people are suitable for you?"

"Four hundred thousand people? There are only twenty thousand here? Boss Wang, you are losing money on this business."

"Their legs are on their bodies, what can I do? If they want to continue to serve as soldiers for the Red Bandits, how can I stop them? Besides, I didn't expect to make money when I did this business. I just thought that the war had been won, so why should the people be blamed? It's just a good deed."

Hearing Wang Yi say this, Lao Guo's heart began to beat fast. He was a little unsure about Wang Yi's character.

Among the 400,000 people who were able to escape, only more than 20,000 are left here to work for you, and each of them is provided with three meals a day and accommodation. No one would believe you if you said you didn't know where they ran to, or you said you were helping them escape. Among the remaining people, there must be many of your own people hiding in there to cooperate with Wang Yi's work.

Otherwise, Guo Rugui would be the first one who didn't believe in this organization because there were no comrades of his own in it.

"Soldiers, I've shown you that whether you can get them to follow you and help the National Government fight the Japanese depends on your own ability. To be honest, they hate you more than they hate the Japanese. As for guns and ammunition, if you can collect them, I can help you solve this problem."

"Brigade Commander, should we ask for instructions from Division Commander Gui? These are all red..."

Zhou Weiguo hurriedly told Lao Guo quietly, but he did not say the word "red bandits" in the end, because he could see the hatred in the eyes of these dock workers when they looked at his military uniform, which made him doubt the authenticity of the label "red bandits" given by the Kuomintang government.

There is no hatred without reason in this world, and Zhou Weiguo began to think about how much truth and falsehood there were in the rumors he heard when he was studying at the Central Military Academy.

Old Guo waved his hand, indicating that Zhou Weiguo did not need to say anything more, and looked at Wang Yi.

"Boss Wang, is it worth it?"

"Once Songhu falls, the Japanese will certainly not let go of my branch in the concession because of their greed. The one in Beijing has already been occupied. This is a matter of time. Rather than letting them be implicated by me, it is better to send them all away now. No matter how much I hate you, we are still one family, Chinese. The Japanese are the problem that the Chinese have to face now.

If they can kill the Japanese on the battlefield, it will be worth the money I spent to save their lives. It depends on whether you, Brigade Commander Guo, have the courage to take on this responsibility. "

"You, Wang Yi, have such a broad mind. How can I, Guo, be a mean person? Zhou Weiguo."

"To!"

"You go back first and explain the situation here to Commander Gui. If the higher-ups blame us in the future, I, Guo Rugui, will take the full responsibility."

"But···"

"Excuting an order!"

"Yes!"

"Boss Wang, can you let me stay here and talk to them?"

"Of course, we can talk as long as we want, but don't talk until Songhu falls."

"Haha, Boss Wang underestimates me."

"Then let me underestimate you for once. Lao Liu, you stay here and watch. I'll go and send Captain Zhou back."

Leaving Liu Wei and Lao Guo at the dock, Wang Yi drove away with Zhou Weiguo. As for the outcome, it was not his concern.

(End of this chapter)