Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 439 I'm not bragging, the 74th Division is invincible!
Just as Zhang Zhonglin was looking smug, the phone rang.

Li Yunliang walked quickly to the table and picked up the microphone.

"Headquarters of the 74th Division"

As soon as the call connected, Xie Xu, the commander of the 170th Regiment, shouted from the other end.

"Hey! Headquarters! Headquarters! We can't hold out much longer! Requesting reinforcements! Requesting reinforcements!"

Although the G army's mountain guns and heavy mortars ceased firing, the assault troops' own small-caliber mortars never stopped.

Xie Xu, who was crouching in the bunker making a phone call, had his helmet blown askew.

"Commander Xie! You must hold on! Don't be afraid, it's just a feint attack by the G army!"

Without a second thought, Li Yunliang, who answered the phone, replied immediately.

Upon hearing Li Yunliang's words, Xie Xu nearly went crazy. Were all those heavy artillery shells fake?
Or were those soldiers who were blown to pieces fake?
"The G army's firepower is extremely strong! They have a lot of automatic weapons! We've encountered the main force of the G army! It's definitely the main force of the G army!"

Li Yunliang's voice was about to crack from shouting.

"What? A large number of automatic weapons? The main force of the G army?" Li Yunliang was a little confused.

Wasn't it said that the G army would break out from the north gate?

"It's definitely the main force of the G army! We can't hold on any longer!"

Hearing Xie Xu's screams, he glanced again at the continuous shelling from the direction of the East Gate.

Zhang Zhonglin was also somewhat intimidated by the firepower of the assault battalion.

However, after hesitating for a moment, Zhang Zhonglin decided not to move the ambush at the north gate.

"This must be a feint by the G army. The main force should not move. Let the 170th Regiment continue to hold the line."

"However, the artillery regiment can provide them with some fire support!" Zhang Zhonglin ordered.

"Yes!" Li Yunliang immediately told Xie Xu about Zhang Zhonglin's decision.

Faced with this situation, Xie Xu was at a loss.

After hanging up the phone, Xie Xu grabbed the submachine gun next to him and shouted:

"Brothers! Our commander has always treated us well! Now it's time for us to repay him!"

"Everyone! Follow me!"

"kill!".
Inside Andong City, Chen Chengxing was slightly disappointed as he looked at the report sent back by the reconnaissance company.

“Zhang Zhonglin is really able to sit still; he can remain unmoved by this.”

He was fully prepared, and observation posts had already been densely deployed in the northeast direction of Andong City.

As soon as the 74th Division passes through here, the artillery regiment will teach them a lesson.

Then the cavalry regiment will lead the charge and give them another blow.

Only after the 74th Division is driven back can the Second Force retreat easily.

However, Zhang Zhonglin's inaction rendered Chen Chengxing's plans useless.

"Forget it, let's not wait any longer!" Chen Chengxing ordered.
"Xu Wu, relay my order: Team 1, immediately leave the city and clear a retreat route to the east!"

"Then establish a defensive line to the north to cover the withdrawal of the main force!"

Since Zhang Zhonglin didn't fall for it, then we'll just have to settle this later.

"yes!".
Faced with the fierce attack from the assault battalion, the 170th Regiment's position was already somewhat shaky.

Once a large group of soldiers pressed forward, they were even less able to hold them off.

Just ten minutes later, the entire 170th Regiment collapsed.

As the 170th Regiment collapsed and retreated, the headquarters of the 74th Division immediately received the report.

"Commander, something terrible has happened!" Li Yunliang ran over, covered in sweat.

"Report from the 170th Regiment: Their position has been captured by the G Army! Moreover, the G Army has also constructed a defensive line towards Majia Village to the north!"

“Ma Family Village?” Zhang Zhonglin immediately looked at the map.

Upon seeing the location of Majia Village, Zhang Zhonglin immediately realized what was happening.

"We've fallen for Chen Chengxing's trick! The G Army is trying to break out from the east gate!"

Although Zhang Zhonglin didn't understand why Chen Chengxing had to commit troops in two separate trips to break through the encirclement.

However, the deployment of troops by the G army in Majia Village effectively blocked the pursuit route of his 74th Division.

If Chen Chengxing hadn't wanted to break out from this side, he wouldn't have wasted his troops here.

"Commander! Send out an armored battalion immediately, we can still catch up!" Li Yunliang said urgently.

Zhang Zhonglin was somewhat tempted, but after thinking it over, he ultimately gave up.

"Forget it, as long as we take down Anton, we'll have accomplished a great feat. There's no need to take any risks."

Even if the 74th Division pursues now, it will only engage in firefights with the rearguard of the G Army at Majia Village.

It is impossible to catch up with Chen Chengxing's main force in a short period of time.

Moreover, according to the Ministry of National Defense's plan, the Guo army will continue to encircle Shandong, and he will encounter Chen Chengxing again sooner or later.

"Pass on my order: have the 58th Brigade enter the city to clean up."

"Yes!"

"Yunliang, tell Lu Xing to keep a close eye on his men. Don't let them go in and act like the Japanese. We'll talk about everything after things have stabilized."

"Don't worry, Commander. The 58th Brigade is your old unit. They know your temperament."

"Well, let's go."

Zhang Zhonglin nodded, then picked up the wine glass on the table and drank the liquor inside in one gulp.

After confirming that there were no problems in Andong, Zhang Zhonglin ordered his troops to move into Andong for rest and reorganization.

In this direct confrontation with Chen Chengxing's troops, both sides suffered considerable casualties.

However, while the troops could rest, Zhang Zhonglin had no time to rest.

The next morning, he immediately rushed to Pengcheng.

He had already received orders that Chang Ruiyuan would personally award him the medal. The armored vehicle sped along, and it wasn't until 3 p.m. that Zhang Zhonglin's car stopped in front of the Pengcheng Pacification Headquarters.

As soon as Zhang Zhonglin got out of the car and entered the gate, he saw Chang Ruiyuan standing there.

"Reporting to the Chairman, Zhang Zhonglin, commander of the 74th Reorganized Division, has arrived." Zhang Zhonglin immediately stepped forward and saluted.

Looking at his beloved general, Chang Ruiyuan smiled and said:
“All the military and political dignitaries come to see me in cars and jeeps, but you are different from them; you came in an armored vehicle.”

“Chairman, I really like this American armored vehicle.” Zhang Zhonglin also laughed.

“Sitting on it, I can command the entire division.”

This armored vehicle is a command vehicle and is equipped with a high-powered radio.

Zhang Zhonglin could use this radio to directly contact every infantry battalion of the 74th Division.

"In the midst of gunfire on the battlefield, having an extra layer of protection is always a good thing," Chang Ruiyuan nodded.

Once everyone returned inside, Chang Ruiyuan took the Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun from the servant and pinned it to Zhang Zhonglin's chest.

This time, Zhang Zhonglin did not refuse, but accepted it without any qualms.

Upon seeing the medal presentation completed, the crowd around applauded.

"Commander Zhang's 74th Division, I'm not bragging, is invincible!"

"Ten 74th Divisions would be enough to unify the whole country!"

Chang Ruiyuan stood in front of the conference table, exuding an air of commanding authority.

The reorganization of the 74th Division really brought him honor.

However, while Chang Ruiyuan spoke with great authority, the many generals below each had their own thoughts.

After everyone was seated, Xue Xiaosong smiled and said:

"Commander Zhang, your capture of Andong, a key transportation route in Jiangsu, is extremely beneficial to our army's next move."

"You can't keep your winning secret to yourself."

Xue Xiaosong had already seen the expressions on the faces of Tang Keqin and the others beside him; he was trying to give Zhang Zhonglin a way out.

Zhang Zhonglin naturally understood what was going on, but he didn't pay attention to the expressions on Tang Keqin's and the others' faces.

"I remember when I was at the Whampoa Military Academy, I often listened to the principal's speeches."

"The most valuable spirit of a soldier is that he will either succeed or die trying."

"Our entire 74th Division, relying on this very principle taught by our principal back then, left ourselves no way out and took Andong City with a do-or-die spirit!"

Hearing Zhang Zhonglin attribute all the credit to himself, Chang Ruiyuan's face lit up with a smile, and he clapped his hands involuntarily.

Even though the other KMT officers nearby felt like they'd eaten shit, they had no choice but to applaud along.

The meeting room erupted in applause.

After a while, as the applause subsided, Chang Ruiyuan spoke again:

"Since the full-scale offensive began in June, our army has successively occupied several liberated areas of the G army."

“In East China, only Lunan still has the main force of the G Army.” Chang Ruiyuan got up and went to the map.

"Since the War of Resistance against Japan, Shandong has always been the base of the Communist Army. Fighting here, the Communist Army has a natural advantage in terms of popular support."

"Moreover, Shandong's complex terrain is more suitable for the G Army's guerrilla warfare."

"Therefore, I judge that the G army will definitely defend Shandong to the death!"

"Now that we've determined the G Army's plans, let's attack where they must defend! We'll completely annihilate them in southern Shandong!"

Chang Ruiyuan's idea was simple: either wipe out the G army along the Longhai Railway.

Either drive the G army to the north side of the Longhai Railway, and then fight a decisive battle in southern Shandong.

Everyone naturally praised Chang Ruiyuan's instructions.

After the meeting ended and everyone went outside, Li Yaozong, the commander of the 83rd Division, couldn't hold back any longer.

"Hmph! How arrogant and shameless!"

"And what's with this talk about the Whampoa spirit? Which class of Whampoa they're from? The fourth! I, from the third class, haven't even said a word yet!"

Tang Keqin, who was standing to the side, laughed and said, "Brother Yaozong, this is what they call the younger generation surpassing the older generation."

"I refuse to accept this!" Li Yaozong roared.

He was Zhang Zhonglin's direct superior back then.

When the 74th Division was formed, Li Yaozong was full of ambition and believed that he was the only one who could be the commander of the 74th Division. However, he ended up becoming the commander of the 83rd Division.

The 74th Reorganized Division was the ace of ace, but what about the 83rd Division? The two were simply incomparable!
"Look at the pretentious act he was putting on just now!"

"Isn't she just trying every possible way to please the old man?"

"Pah! Disgusting!" Li Yaozong said disdainfully.

Everyone says you, Zhang Zhonglin, have ambitions that reach the heavens, and you certainly do!

“Zhang Zhonglin’s skill is beyond our reach,” Tang Keqin said.

Not everyone can flatter well; they might end up making a fool of themselves.

"Hmph! Zhang Zhonglin is so powerful, the old man only needs him. What use are the rest of us?"

Li Yaozong felt somewhat aggrieved.

Tang Keqin laughed and said, "You know perfectly well that the old man saved Zhang Zhonglin's life. How could Zhang Zhonglin not repay him with his own life?"

“I just can’t stand his arrogant and domineering attitude,” Li Yaozong said.

"It's one thing for him to climb over my head, but I'm afraid it's you, Brother Keqin, the corps commander."

“Hey, Brother Yaozong, one should be magnanimous. Zhang Zhonglin is also doing his part for the Party and the country.”

At this time, Zhang Zhonglin did not pose a threat to Tang Keqin's position.

On the contrary, the 74th Reorganized Division, which belonged to his First Army Corps, was naturally better the stronger it was.

However, Tang Keqin never imagined that he would soon become that petty person.

(End of this chapter)