Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Changjin Lake, a Hundred Battles, a Hundred Victories

Chapter 165 What's your name? Zheng Yaoxian!
"Oh really? Something that could alarm Commander Yan must be no small matter," Chen Ming replied casually.

Upon hearing Chen Ming's words, Commander Yang, standing beside him, gave Chen Ming a deep look, his eyes filled with resentment.

Last time I gave him the title, "Colonel Chen, I've heard so much about you!"

When Chen Ming arrived at Kenanpo, two people warmly greeted him.

One of the men, dressed in military uniform, wearing glasses and sporting a distinctive mustache, was Commander Yan; the other was Commander Yang, an old acquaintance of Chen Ming.

When Chen Ming saw the two approaching, he gave them a polite salute.

After all, the Eighth Route Army was still nominally under the Second War Zone, and its nominal commander was still there.

"Commander Yan, you flatter me. I was just dabbling in this."

"How can you call it a small skirmish? Colonel Chen fought a brilliant battle this time, annihilating an entire Japanese regiment and capturing their regimental flag. This is the first time such a feat has been achieved."

Everyone carries a sedan chair, and Commander Yan is naturally generous with his praises, which require no effort from the speaker.

The continuous stream of praise almost made people think that Chen Ming was a military genius descended to earth, as if the Japanese would be wiped out in the blink of an eye.

Chen Ming maintained a polite facade, simply responding with a smile.

"Colonel Chen has become famous internationally this time. He captured the Japanese's most advanced aircraft, which even alarmed the Americans. My trip to Chongqing was also because of you."

Commander Yan continued.

After Chen Ming delivered a batch of medical supplies, the Jin-Sui Army quickly found itself in a situation of extreme shortage of medical supplies.

This made Commander Yang feel several times that Chen Ming was setting him up, somehow obtaining information that the Japanese were going to increase their blockade of the transport lines, which is why he asked him for a batch of medical supplies before the Japanese tightened their blockade.

But upon closer reflection, it seemed unlikely. Chen Ming was merely the commander of a detachment in the Eighth Route Army; no matter how you looked at it, it was impossible for him to have received the news earlier than their Second War Zone Command.

It's impossible for Chen Ming to be some kind of demigod who can predict the Japanese army's future actions and prepare in advance.

So, Commander Yang could only comfort himself with the excuse that it was a coincidence, but he couldn't help but feel heartbroken every time he thought about the batch of medical supplies that Chen Ming had tricked him out of.

When Commander Yan heard Chen Ming's words, he simply smiled and brushed it off with the excuse of military secrecy.

He was still trying to win over Chen Ming, so how could he expose the weakness of the Jin-Sui Army?

As they chatted, the conversation turned to Chen Ming's independent detachment.

"Colonel Chen, I heard you're having a hard time with the Eighth Route Army. The drought is so severe now, and your Eighth Route Army isn't even getting enough to eat. Commander Yan is very distressed."

“How can such an outstanding talent be affected by these logistical difficulties? You should leave your mark on a larger platform and on this land.”

"Commander Yan has always been eager to recruit talented people. As long as you are willing to come, Commander Yan is willing to give you the position of army commander, provide you with weapons, ammunition, food and logistics support, and also equip you with an artillery regiment, so that you can fight the Japanese without any worries and defend your homeland."

Commander Yang spoke, revealing his purpose.

Chen Ming was taken aback upon hearing this.

Seriously? So direct, they're just going straight to the point without any pretense.

The two had only met for a dozen minutes before they were already trying to win each other over. Shouldn't there have been a period of contact first, so Chen Ming could have taken the opportunity to swindle some supplies?

Chen Ming knew that given his current situation, both sides would want to win him over.

Chen Ming had already made a mental preparation for coming to Kenanpo, planning to first swindle money from the Jin-Sui Army.

Unexpectedly, Commander Yang didn't even bother to dig a hole before trying to catch fish; he just bent down and dug with a hoe.

But before we try to win people over, shouldn't we investigate Chen Ming's background first?

Our army is always overstaffed. For example, the 129th Division of our army has more than 100,000 people.

The Jin-Sui Army currently has a total strength of 120,000, comprising three army groups, seven infantry corps, one cavalry corps, and a total of 21 infantry divisions and three cavalry divisions.

This organizational structure reveals that each infantry division of the Jin-Sui Army had an average strength of only four thousand men, and due to the "integration of soldiers and farmers" policy, they forcibly conscripted able-bodied men, resulting in relatively weak combat effectiveness.

Such a division, let alone the three main battalions of the independent detachment, could easily overwhelm even an ordinary battalion.

Even the most elite main force battalion of the independent detachment, now He Jianxin's unit of the Sixth Infantry and Second Artillery, can now go toe-to-toe with an entire army of the Jin-Sui Army.

In this situation, Commander Yang is using an entire army and an artillery regiment to win over Chen Ming. Who does he think he is?

It's like you have a job that pays 100,000 a month, and then someone comes up to you and says, "Work with me, and I guarantee you'll earn over 10,000 a month."

"Thank you for your kind offer, Commander Yang. I am just a small detachment commander, not even officially appointed. I am really not up to the responsibility of a division commander," Chen Ming politely declined.

“You can take it on, you can take it on. If you can’t take it on, then no one can,” Commander Yang said.

"I'll think about it some more." Chen Ming appeared somewhat tempted.

"Yes, as long as you are willing to come, the Jin-Sui Army will always keep its doors open to you."

Not long after, Chen Ming and Commander Yan boarded the plane, while Commander Yang stayed behind.

After the plane took off, one of the men next to Commander Yang asked in confusion:
"Sir, do you really want to win over this Eighth Route Army soldier, Chen Ming?"

Upon hearing the adjutant's question, Commander Yang smiled: "The Eighth Route Army is the hardest to win over, especially since Chen Ming is deeply trusted and valued by the Eighth Route Army. It's impossible for us to win him over."

"Don't be fooled by his seemingly excited demeanor just now; we all know it was just a facade of politeness."

"Then you return it?"

"It's just a matter of talking; you don't have to actually do anything," Commander Yang said with a smile.

Politics is never straightforward.

Airplanes in this era were very noisy. As soon as you boarded the plane, you were enveloped by a huge roar, and you had to shout to hear anything clearly.

The aircraft was swaying and wobbling, offering no comfort whatsoever, far inferior to modern civil aviation, and giving the impression that it could crash at any moment.

Therefore, Chen Ming secretly decided that unless there was a major advancement in aircraft technology, he would never fly again unless absolutely necessary.

Too guilty!

Fortunately, there were no unexpected incidents along the way, and the plane landed smoothly at the airport in the mountain city.

Inside the airport, as soon as Chen Ming got off the plane, flashes of light hit his face.

A large group of people gathered around; they appeared to be reporters.

The personal agent who accompanied Chen Ming this time, along with an elite member of the special operations team, immediately blocked Chen Ming's path.

In the event of any unforeseen circumstances, they would immediately be willing to use their own bodies as bullets for Chen Ming.

Chen Ming frowned. Had his and Commander Yan's itinerary been exposed so easily?
What exactly is Chongqing up to? With its intelligence system that's practically been infiltrated, aren't they afraid of Japanese spies infiltrating their ranks among the reporters?
Fortunately, Shancheng also knew the importance of Chen Ming's group this time. Many of these reporters were foreign journalists, as well as some of Shancheng's veteran reporters.

Chen Ming did not see any red markers indicating enemies on the map, which eased his anxiety slightly.

However, the situation outside the airport was not optimistic. More than a hundred people with bright red markings appeared around the airport, and these were probably Japanese spies.

"It seems the Japanese have really gone all out this time, sending so many spies to deal with me. If all these hundred-plus people are wiped out, how many more can the Japanese use?" Chen Ming thought to himself.

This was the Japanese devils' only chance to assassinate Chen Ming. If they missed it, once Chen Ming returned to his base, the Japanese devils would never have another chance.

The Japanese were well aware that the Independent Detachment was like an impenetrable wall. They sent hundreds of men to infiltrate the Independent Detachment, but not a single one of them managed to send back any messages.

Among these hundreds of people were many with impeccable records, veteran spies who had been lurking for over a decade, but none of them made any difference.

The independent detachment was like a bottomless black hole, mercilessly swallowing up no matter how many people were sent. Little did they know, Chen Ming had a cheat that allowed him to distinguish friend from foe. No matter how well they hid, they were nowhere to be found in front of this cheat, like a flash of light in the night, which Chen Ming could spot at a glance.

This is why neither the mountain city, the Jin-Sui Army, nor the Japanese knew anything about the Independent Detachment.

The location of the troops, their numbers, equipment, and personnel were all readily available to Chen Ming, who used this intelligence advantage to win one victory after another.

Therefore, the Japanese hated Chen Ming to the core. This time, they even mobilized half of their core forces, intending to keep Chen Ming in the mountain city forever and then frame the city for the crime.

After spending half an hour at the airport dealing with the reporters, Chen Ming successfully met up with his comrades who were there to meet him.

This is a comrade from the Shancheng office, a comrade that Chen Ming can completely trust.

After leaving the airport, Chen Ming got into a car.

Meanwhile, inside a teahouse.

After Chen Ming's car drove out of the airport, a man gave the order to take action.

This man is none other than the famous Boss Dai.

His order was not directed at Chen Ming, but rather to use Chen Ming as bait to target Japanese spies.

The Japanese hated Chen Ming to the core, and they would do everything in their power to assassinate him. Boss Dai also wanted to take this opportunity to strike at the Japanese spies in the mountain city.

However, Boss Dai did not relax his protection of Chen Ming in the slightest.

After all, this negotiation was initiated by the Americans, and the captain is a respectable person. If something were to happen to Chen Ming at this time, wouldn't that be a slap in the face for him and make him lose face in the international community?

Chen Ming is clearly less important than the captain's international reputation.

Besides, the battalion commander wanted to win over Chen Ming. If he was assassinated by the Japanese before he even met him, Boss Dai would be in big trouble.

Therefore, Chen Ming was in a specially made bulletproof car, and there were three other identical cars providing cover from three directions.

The route was meticulously planned, with a large number of agents and troops protecting Chen Ming along the way, striving to ensure his safety at all costs.

About ten minutes later, the car drove to a street lined with guards and some pedestrians with shifty eyes.

"Boss, how did you make these wontons? You put so much salt in them, they're going to kill me!"

A customer looked at the wonton stall owner with dissatisfaction, saying, "With such poor skills, why is he running a wonton stall? He'll starve to death sooner or later."

"Sorry, sir, this bowl of wontons is free. I'll make you another one," the stall owner said with a forced smile.

"That's more like it. Hurry up, I'm in a rush."

"Yes, yes, it will be ready soon."

The stall owner continued making wontons, but he was still distracted, his eyes constantly glancing at a certain spot.

After waiting for a few minutes, a car drove into his view.

"Is it ready yet? I'm in a hurry." The customer, who had been waiting for a long time, shouted at the stall owner in dissatisfaction.

However, when he looked at the stall owner, he saw a scene that shocked him and made his face turn pale with horror.

The stall owner, who had been cooking wontons, suddenly pulled out a pistol from somewhere and pointed it directly at the customers.

The diner immediately knelt down: "Sir, please have mercy! I was just teasing you a bit, and you pulled a gun on me? Was it really necessary?"

The stall owner ignored the kneeling customer, walked past him, and rushed straight to the car, firing three shots.

"Bang bang bang!"

The driver died at the scene.

Immediately afterwards, more than a dozen gunmen appeared from other directions and rushed towards the car, firing their guns continuously at the driver and the back seat.

The car driver was riddled with bullets.

In addition, some gunmen were seen harassing the city's security personnel in the distance.

Once the car came to a complete stop, the Japanese agents rushed forward, opened the back seat to confirm the target's identity, and saw a person wearing the same style of clothes as Chen Ming and with a similar build, but this person was not Chen Ming.

The person wearing the same clothes as Chen Ming, including the driver, had a faint smile on his lips even after dying from being shot more than twenty times.

"Baka! This isn't the target! Retreat!"

"Oh!"

The car suddenly exploded, killing five or six Japanese spies around it, while the rest were injured or knocked unconscious.

Immediately afterwards, more than thirty people appeared, subdued all the wounded Japanese spies, broke their arms and legs, dislocated their jaws, and checked the poison in their mouths.

Similar situations occurred in the other two directions, in addition to this one.

The Japanese spies were either killed or captured, and the entire army was almost wiped out.

"Do you really think my Military Intelligence Bureau is full of holes? I wouldn't know if there were rats in there?" Boss Dai said with a smile as he listened to his subordinates' report.

This time, taking advantage of the Japanese soldiers' eagerness to assassinate Chen Ming, he set up an inescapable trap.

Even if the Japanese soldiers knew it was a trap, and even if they could assassinate Chen Ming, they still couldn't escape, so they had to jump into the trap.

This was their only chance; if they missed it, countless Japanese soldiers would lose their lives on the battlefield.

At this moment, the bulletproof car Chen Ming was riding in leisurely drove out of the airport, with a team of fully armed soldiers guarding both sides of the car.

Looking at the scene outside, Chen Ming smiled calmly.

The Japanese spy system has been severely damaged this time and will not recover in a short period of time.

The situation developed in this way, which was within Chen Ming's expectations.

Mountain City is Boss Dai's territory. If even he can't protect it, then Boss Dai wouldn't be Boss Dai.

This is also one of the important reasons why Chen Ming dared to come to the mountain city this time. He might be detained, but he would never die at the hands of the Japanese.

As for the possibility of being detained, they could seize the opportunity presented by the Allied forces' urgent need for captured Japanese aircraft and resolve the issue through negotiations with Allied representatives.

The battalion commander may not care about Chen Ming, but he cannot ignore the Allied representative; he still wants to secure Allied assistance.

After all, although Chen Ming was a capable fighter, there were many other capable generals in the Eighth Route Army. Even if Chen Ming was gone, another Zhang Ming or Li Ming might emerge in a while.

So this trip to the mountain city, though seemingly fraught with danger and risk, was actually not very dangerous.

Otherwise, even if Chen Ming were willing to go to Shancheng, headquarters wouldn't allow him to come.

After the car arrived at the hotel, Chen Ming got out of the car under the protection of many soldiers.

The leading officer walked up to Chen Ming: "Colonel Chen, we've arrived at the hotel. Please feel free to ask if you need anything. We will protect your safety during this time."

Chen Ming glanced at the Nationalist officer and noticed that he was wearing a green badge, indicating that he was one of his comrades.

"Yes, thank you. What's your name?" Chen Ming asked.

"Zheng Yaoxian!"

P.S.: I'm thinking of writing about building a gun next. Do you readers have any recommendations?
(End of this chapter)