Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 184, Section 183: The Red Army's Ambush and the Airdrop Support from the General Manager of Taishan Airlines
Upon noticing the anomaly, Shunzi immediately informed Fang Shouxin.

The two returned to the cliff edge and used binoculars to observe.

Based on this alone, it's impossible to determine the other party's origin.

They agreed to get closer to observe.

Then, the rest of the group went down the mountain path.

When they reached the mountainside, more than 500 meters from the foot of the mountain, Fang Shouxin stopped and signaled to the five security team members and Shunzi not to go any further.

He whispered, "Let's find a secluded place to observe."

Immediately, the seven of them crept into the nearby grove of trees, preparing to find a suitable vantage point to observe the battle.

This is a fir forest. Because it rained last night, there is still some mist in the forest.

After the rain, a very delicious mushroom called pine mushroom grows in the fir forest. It is very tasty when stir-fried with cured meat and chili peppers.

The children of the Phoenix Pine Army knew about this good stuff. One of the security team soldiers saw a large matsutake mushroom and couldn't resist bending down to pick it.

As soon as he brought his hand closer, he realized something was wrong; there were several pairs of eyes watching him.

Before he could even cry out, he was pinned to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, a group of people emerged from the quiet grove and surrounded Fang Shouxin and his group.

These men wore homespun military uniforms, with bullet belts and rifles hanging from their bodies. Their only distinguishing feature was a piece of cloth sewn onto their left chest.

The text above faintly shows the words "Red Third Army" and other similar terms.

Fang Shouxin quickly shouted, "Don't make a move! We are from the Taishan Aviation Security Brigade, not a local military organization."

A man in military uniform wearing glasses spoke up.

"Put your guns on the ground first. We won't disarm you, but you need to ensure your safety before you leave."

Fang Shouxin nodded: "Shunzi, tell them to put down their guns and place them on the ground."

After they voluntarily disarmed, the group sent special personnel to guard them, explaining, "We have another big battle to fight; we'll talk about you after that."

It turns out that the battle Shunzi had witnessed was actually a tactical maneuver to lure the enemy into a trap.

A dozen or so Red Army soldiers feigned an escape with superb acting skills, actually to lure the enemy into an ambush.

The dozens of pursuers behind them were not their target; this ambush was meant to deal with even more enemies.

Fang Shouxin and Shunzi, who were unarmed, watched the whole scene unfold.

The dozen or so Red Third Army soldiers lured the enemy into the valley below the mountain with intermittent fighting.

Enemy reinforcements had arrived, more than two hundred men running across the cobblestones of the riverbank, seemingly intent on annihilating this small group of Red Army soldiers.

Unfortunately, they didn't expect that this was a trap prepared for them.

A volley of gunfire came down from the mountainside, and immediately more than a dozen people fell on the riverbank.

The enemy force of over two hundred men was thrown into chaos, raising their guns and firing wildly.

At this moment, the officer with the eye gave the order: "First team, load ammunition, fix bayonets, and the buglers follow. Second team, provide covering fire."

Nearly half of the soldiers stood up and skillfully removed loose 7.92mm bullets from their ammunition belts.

Load the bullets and attach the bayonet.

Under the cover of the second team's fire, they reached a small hill in the valley and fired bullets from the reeds by the river.

The extremely accurate shooting at such close range caused another batch of enemies in the valley to fall, losing all will to resist.

At this time.

A short soldier stood tall and proud, raised his trombone with one hand, and blew it out with all his might.

The bugle call seemed to possess a special magic, and the officers and soldiers rushed toward the river in unison.

Its momentum was unstoppable.

The enemy turned and fled, some even throwing their spears onto the riverbank because they found their weapons in the way.

The ambush battle was over.

The soldiers of the Third Red Army began cleaning up the battlefield.

All kinds of weapons were gathered up, along with ammunition and other supplies.

As for the prisoners, they will be given some education before being released.

Shunzi asked curiously, "Why did you let them go? Wouldn't it have been better to recruit them?"

The officer handed over his work to others and came over to talk to Fang Shun and Fang Shouxin.

"Hello, my name is Shu Zhitao. I am a commander sent by the Third Red Army to the old revolutionary base area of ​​western Hunan. You said it was Taishan Airport, which, according to my directions, is located in Longzhai Village, Wanping, right?"

Fang Shouxin nodded. "Yes, we've been aware of the recent fighting in the Longshan area, so we came here specifically to take a look. We're a commercial organization, and we have no malicious intent."

Shunzi still hadn't forgotten his question: "Sir, why don't you recruit them? Aren't all the stories about leading troops into battle like that?"

Shu Zhitao replied frankly, "We also accept prisoners, but the situation is different now. The base area is under pressure. Our Second Red Army Corps has been reorganized into the Third Red Army, and the remaining troops are required to be mainly elite soldiers. There is no time to train prisoners."

In one sentence, he captured the dire situation: a legion had been reduced to a single army, with at least two-thirds of its personnel lost.

Even so, these people remained highly motivated.

Fang Shouxin couldn't help but admire this kind of soldier, one he had never seen before.

No, he had seen it before. It was when the Boxer Rebellion was first established, when everyone was shouting to eliminate the Qing and destroy the foreigners, that they had such spirit.

Banishing the thought, Fang Shouxin remembered the general manager's instructions and said, "My son and I greatly admire the Red Army's actions and would like to lend you a hand."

"Thank you, we welcome help from all sectors of the country, but the situation is critical right now. We may have to move to another location at any time, so please don't let this affect you and your son." Shu Zhitao politely declined. Given the current situation, the troops could leave at any moment, and even if the other side prepared supplies, they wouldn't be able to go and receive them.

Fang Shouxin glanced around: "Let's talk in private, just the two of us."

Shu Zhitao nodded and led Fang Shouxin to a secluded spot.

"You say it."

"When I say I'm helping the Red Army, I mean more than just a little. Haven't you considered what kind of company we are?"

"Taishan Airlines."

"Yes, we are an airline and can airdrop supplies to you."

"You?" Shu Zhitao looked incredulous. "You can command Taishan Airlines?"

“I have connections in this area. I can find planes and pilots for airdrops. You just need to tell me what you want, the airdrop location and time, and use torches at night as a guide, and I can deliver the supplies on time.”

Fang Shouxin took the blame, saying he was willing to be the one in charge of bringing the case to justice if it came to light. After all, in this day and age, every Chinese person had heard Chiang Kai-shek's famous saying, "Better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free."

Upon hearing Fang Shouxin's words, Shu Zhitao was immediately tempted.

The Third Red Army is now in a critical situation, surrounded by enemies on all sides, including the Kuomintang army, local warlords, and armed militias of landlords.

Outsiders don't know how he got through it, but he was well aware of the many difficulties he faced.

That would be wonderful if a major business were willing to airdrop supplies to aid the Third Red Army.

But he couldn't make a decision on this matter; he had to report it to his superiors.

But now, the military radio we brought is malfunctioning and we can't report anything.

Thinking of this, Shu Zhitao said helplessly, "That would be great. But I can't make a decision." "If you can't make a decision, then send a telegram to your superior," Shunzi asked, puzzled.

Shu Zhitao scratched his head: "Well, the telegraph machine is malfunctioning and hasn't been fixed yet."

"Use ours." Fang Shouxin pointed to the basket placed next to the guns, where a hand-cranked radio transmitter was located.

"You even carry a telegraph machine when you go out?" Shu Zhitao was surprised. If the other party hadn't been so open, he would have even suspected that they might be Kuomintang spies.

He then went over to check and found a hand-cranked telegraph machine, which was much more advanced and compact than his own.

Subsequently, under Fang Shouxin's tutelage, the communications officer of this small unit learned how to use it with great enthusiasm.

After Fang Shouxin and the others left, the communications officer sent a telegram.

Shu Zhitao pondered as he drafted the content of the telegram.

[Our unit encountered an enemy encirclement and suppression operation within Longshan County. We lured the enemy into a valley, defeated them, seized supplies to replenish our provisions, and captured over thirty prisoners, all of whom were educated and released.]

This is the official report of the battle results; more will follow.

[Another military intelligence report. Our unit has encountered visitors claiming to be employees of Taishan Airlines. They say the general manager sympathizes with the Red Army's plight and is willing to airdrop supplies to support the Third Red Army. However, they require the recipient to specify what they want, the airdrop location, and the time of night, and to light torches at the drop point at night as a signal. He will then deliver the supplies on time.]

After rambling on for a while, using language not typical of military reports, Shu Zhitao wondered how his superiors would respond after seeing the telegram.

He waited, and an hour later, the telegram returned.

In addition to guidelines on subsequent combat strategies, there was also information about airdrops.

[If the Taishan Aviation incident is true, it will be of great help to us; if it is false, it could very well expose our military movements. Therefore, we need to be cautious at this time. I hereby order you to take full responsibility for this matter and maintain daily telegram communication to report the situation.]

[Furthermore, given the current situation, Fang Shouxin, the administrative manager of Taishan Airlines, is willing to provide us with financial assistance. This must be kept confidential; at this time, only you and the military should know, and it must not be disclosed to outsiders.]

As he read the telegram, Shu Zhitao's brows furrowed deeply.

Taking full responsibility means deciding for yourself the contents of the supplies to be received, the airdrop location, the airdrop time, and all other matters, including the nighttime torch signal.

This way, the movement of the main force can be concealed. If it is true, those supplies can also be transferred to the main force in smaller quantities.

If it's fake, this test will reveal the truth.

Thinking about this, he knew what to do.

He stood up and warmly welcomed Fang Shouxin and his companions. "You've come all this way, you must be tired. Let's talk after we finish eating."

After moving to another location in the mountains, the soldiers cooked their meals after the battle.

The concept of "burying the pot to cook" is a military wisdom passed down from ancient China.

"Burying the pot" refers to digging a pit and burying the pot to prevent the flames from being directly exposed to the ground, reducing the risk of being discovered by the enemy, and helping to maintain the stability of the fire. "Making rice" refers to using such a simple stove to cook rice or other foods.

These soldiers and officers ate the same food: brown rice and sweet potatoes.

The water from the stream at the foot of the mountain, soaked in brown rice, along with some dried sweet potatoes and salt, made up tonight's dinner.

Seeing them eating such simple food, Fang Shun took out Taishan Airlines' special supply materials for Xiangxi Airport: British Navy fish and chips cans.

"Commander Shu, how can you fight with this? Add some of this."

Shu Zhitao took the can, adjusted his glasses with his right hand, and exclaimed in surprise, "It's in English, this is a foreign product."

“Yes, it’s canned rations from the British Navy, brought over by the General Manager from the Calcutta naval base,” Fang Shun explained proudly.

Shu Zhitao was wary. He carefully read the spelling, and the English he had learned in school came in handy. The words "British Royal Navy" and the image of fried fish made him relax. There was no need to go through such a roundabout way to use poison. He could just find canned food from the British Navy to poison it.

He chuckled and held up the can: "Brothers, this is the rations for foreign soldiers. Let's have a taste today."

Military canned goods of that era did not have pull tabs. He used a sharp knife to cut an opening at the edge of the can, pried open the broken metal sheet, and revealed the golden-yellow, greasy fried fish inside.

The soldiers couldn't help but swallow hard when they smelled the oil.

But they didn't move around recklessly; unfamiliar food was something they had to be wary of during the war.

Therefore, even though Shu Zhitao, the commander of this unit, no longer had any doubts, the others still exercised restraint.

Fang Shouxin was impressed by the Red Army's strong will, so he had Shunzi and the five security guards each open a can and take a bite in front of everyone.

This made the soldiers lower their guard, and they poured the greasy fried fish into the uncooked porridge.

This meal was incredibly delicious for them.

After the meal, everyone gradually warmed up to each other, and the five sons of the Red Army gathered with the soldiers of the Third Red Army for a chat.

Shu Zhitao and Fang Shouxin were on one side, while Fang Wen was on the other.

The airdrop issue hasn't even been discussed yet; Shu Zhitao himself hasn't made up his mind.

Shunzi was good at defusing the atmosphere. He asked curiously, "Commander Shu, everyone says the Red Army is very powerful. Is your Third Red Army powerful?"

"I'm not an officer, just call me Brother Shu. You asked if our Third Red Army is powerful? I can tell you for sure, our Third Red Army is the strongest." Shu Zhitao spoke confidently, with a strong sense of self-assurance for his troops.

This piqued Fang Shouxin's interest, and both father and son wanted to know if he was just exaggerating.

Faced with the father and son's questions, Shu Zhitao took a sip of hot water.

"Putting everything else aside, let's just talk about the battles our Third Red Army fought last November and December. Do you have a map?"

“Yes.” Shunzi took out the map she had brought.

Shu Zhitao recounted the experiences of the Third Red Army over the past three months.

The fourth round of encirclement and suppression began in early November last year.

The Third Red Army set off from Dahong Mountain in Suizhou, Hubei, crossed the Tongbai Mountain and entered Henan, where it was besieged by the army and local militia along the way.

They then crossed Jingziguan Pass and traveled to Danfeng County before arriving in Shaanxi.

Then they traveled from Zhulin Pass to Yunxi County in Hubei Province, and from Mancheng Pass into Xunyang in southern Shaanxi Province. They then went south to Zhuxi County and Wuxi County, crossed the Yangtze River, and captured Hefeng County and Sangzhi County.

This battle was fought amidst constant enemy pursuit and interception along the way, covering a distance of 7000 li and taking 3 months.

Fang Shouxin was extremely shocked, but Fang Shun expressed disbelief.

Even if the local people along the way supported the Third Red Army, physical fitness was a major problem.

Fang Shun analyzed, "It's about 70 li a day, which is impossible. I saw William training the security team, and they can only march 10 li in an hour. Running 70 li a day is too much for them."

Fang Shouxin said, "The main problem was that my feet couldn't take it. When I was young, I ran like that once, and by the end of the day, both my legs were swollen. If my master hadn't used medicinal wine to apply heat, I wouldn't have been able to get out of bed the next day."

Shu Zhitao lifted his leg, revealing the leg wrappings on his calf.

"We need this. Without leg wraps, my legs will definitely swell up."

Fang Shun suggested an idea: "Even if you have leg wraps, it won't work. Our security team also has leg wraps. How about we make a bet? Each side sends one person to have a race against time. If you win, you get all the canned food. If we win, we get the airdrop done as quickly as possible, okay?"

This was clearly meant as a joke, and Shu Zhitao smiled and agreed: "Alright, I'll make it clear beforehand, all my soldiers can run, no need to choose, you can pick any one of them."

Although it was just for fun, Fang Shun was still a little unconvinced, so he discussed it with the five security guards.

"Can you handle a forced march, including those who can climb mountains?"

"Of course, we people from the mountains of western Hunan climb mountains every day, how could we not outrun them? And leg wrapping isn't something only they know how to do, William taught us too."

The security guards showed off their leg wraps, wanting to prove their strength after training.

Therefore, they selected the security guard with the best physical fitness to participate in the competition.

After the security guard chose his opponent, Shu Zhitao announced, "See that mountain over there? Climb up the ravine, run to the top, and come back. Whoever comes back first wins. No detours, we're watching with binoculars."

(End of this chapter)