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

Chapter 175 Puppet Army: No one can judge me, not even God.
In harming their own compatriots, the puppet troops and traitors were even worse than the Japanese devils.

The Japanese invaders would implement the inhumane "Three Alls Policy" in the areas where our army operated.

However, in the occupied areas, in order to maintain their rule, the Japanese would at least maintain a facade of friendliness, and would pretend to give candy to children during festivals.

It's like a hungry wolf in sheep's clothing.

But the puppet troops and traitors are different. This group of people directly revealed their claws and teeth, and made no attempt to hide their evil intentions towards the people!
The Eighth Route Army's principle was "never to abandon the offensive because of threats, and never to sacrifice the masses."

Chen Ming will not compromise with such people who aid and abet evil, and will never let them go.

"The entire sniper brigade is to be deployed immediately, awaiting orders to snipe the puppet troops at any time."

"The special operations team soldiers changed into the uniforms of the puppet army, waited for an opportunity to infiltrate the puppet army's ranks, and sought an opportunity to stop the enemy from blowing up the mine and rescue the miners at all costs."

"At the same time, send a telegram to Li Yousheng, instructing him to immediately hand over command to the deputy commander of the Third Battalion and assemble at the command post. It's extremely urgent."

Faced with a situation concerning the lives of more than two thousand miners, Chen Ming bypassed He Jianxin and began to take emergency command.

He Jianxin was, after all, a military officer and had no experience in handling such emergencies.

After Chen Ming took over command and issued orders, the troops immediately sprang into action.

The sharpshooter squad took over the firing positions on the high ground and began aiming at the puppet troops outside the mine.

Some of the special operations team members changed into the uniforms of the puppet army, painted their faces to cover their features, and infiltrated towards the puppet army's location.

Infiltration operations are a specialty of the special operations brigade soldiers.

Meanwhile, the soldiers outside the mine were also in a standoff with the puppet troops, trying to buy time.

The puppet army commander didn't care about the Eighth Route Army's delaying tactics.

With Japanese reinforcements on their way and over two thousand miners held hostage, he wasn't in a hurry at all.

The Eighth Route Army should be the ones in a hurry.

Fifteen minutes later, Li Yousheng arrived, his forehead bleeding and his body covered in dirt and mud.

"Reporting! Li Yousheng, the captain of the Third Battalion, is reporting for duty!" Li Yousheng saluted, panting heavily.

Seeing Li Yousheng's disheveled state, Chen Ming asked, "Did something happen on the way?"

"Report, to speed things up, I came in a Japanese sidecar (a three-wheeled vehicle). The Japanese vehicle was in bad shape and overturned into a ditch on the way, so I ran here," Li Yousheng replied.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work. The situation is urgent, which is why I transferred you directly from the front lines."

“The puppet troops have now taken 2,300 miners hostage, intending to use them to threaten us. I need you to persuade the stubborn puppet troops to surrender,” Chen Ming said.

Li Yousheng has a special background; he was a former puppet soldier who surrendered and rose step by step to his current position, making him a very good example.

His identity often played a more effective role in persuading the puppet troops to surrender.

After all, no matter how much you talk about treating prisoners well, it's not as convincing as a regimental commander who came from a puppet army background.

Upon hearing Chen Ming's words, Li Yousheng immediately understood what Chen Ming meant.

So that's what happened. No wonder Chen Ming directly ordered him to hand over command to the deputy battalion commander during the battle and transfer him from the front lines to this location.

When it comes to persuading puppet troops to surrender, no one in the Independent Detachment is more suitable than him.

"I guarantee I will complete the mission!" Li Yousheng said solemnly.

All units were in position. Chen Ming personally went outside the mine to observe the map in his mind and issue instructions to the troops at any time.

"Sharpshooter squad reporting the situation."

"Li Yong of the Sharpshooter Battalion reports: Our entire Sharpshooter Battalion is now in position, targeting all officers of platoon rank and above, and ready to fire at any time."

Li Yong reported via walkie-talkie.

"Alright, await orders, follow my instructions, and be ready to shoot and kill the leading puppet troops at any time," Chen Ming said.

Now the puppet army commander has gathered more than 500 puppet soldiers. Even if the sharpshooter squad is confident enough to kill him, they cannot guarantee that the other puppet soldiers will not fight to the death.

Now all we have to do is wait for Li Yousheng and the special operations team to take action.

After arriving at the front, Li Yousheng found a megaphone and shouted loudly.

“My name is Li Yousheng. I am a battalion commander in the Eighth Route Army. You may not know what a battalion commander is. It’s about the same as your regimental commander.”

"I am now the commander of a battalion in the main force of the Independent Detachment, with more than 2,000 men under my command. Each man has a rifle, more than 20 machine guns, and eight mortars."

"Of course, I'm not saying this to show off."

"Do you know what my identity used to be? You might not believe it, but I used to be a puppet soldier, and I was a platoon leader."

"Later I was captured by the Eighth Route Army. The Eighth Route Army treated prisoners of war well. They not only did not kill or beat me, but also gave me a chance to reform myself."

"Those who want to continue serving in the army can join the troops to fight the Japanese after being reviewed. For those who want to go home, the Eighth Route Army will also give them three silver dollars as travel expenses."

"In my platoon of 27, 13 men went home with silver dollars, but I knew nothing but being a soldier, so I chose to continue fighting the Japanese."

"After making meritorious contributions, he was promoted step by step and is now the commander of a regiment with more than two thousand men."

“When I was a puppet soldier, my parents were gossiped about by relatives. They couldn’t even be included in the family genealogy, and they couldn’t even be buried in the ancestral grave.”

"After joining the Eighth Route Army and becoming a combat hero, my parents had absolute authority over the relatives. Even if I were to die one day, my name would be on the first page of the family genealogy, and I would be the first to eat the incense stick during ancestral worship."

"What I'm saying is to tell you that the Eighth Route Army only punishes the ringleaders, and will not hold the ordinary soldiers who are coerced accountable. As long as you surrender, you can save your lives."

"Whether you continue to join the army to fight the Japanese or take the travel expenses home, it's fine."

"Now that all the Japanese soldiers in the mining area are dead, there's no need for us brothers to risk our lives for them anymore. It's not worth it."

“We are compatriots, the Japanese are invaders. How can we help outsiders fight our own people?”

Li Yousheng used his own example to persuade the puppet troops inside to surrender.

To prove that he was indeed a puppet soldier, he also mentioned the unit number of his former Nationalist army and some details of his time as a puppet soldier.

Li Yousheng's words shook the resolve of the puppet troops who were stubbornly resisting inside.

They were misled by the regimental commander, battalion commander, and company commander, who said that if they were captured by the Eighth Route Army, they would never be let go of these traitors who had betrayed the country.

In order to survive, they followed the fake army commander and took the miners hostage in an attempt to find a way out.

But now, hearing Li Yousheng say that as long as they surrender, they can save their lives and even get travel expenses to go home, the puppet soldiers' original determination to fight to the death has wavered.

They realized that it seemed the Eighth Route Army wouldn't spare the officers; they were just common soldiers, and there was no need for them to die with their superiors.

The officers are the ones who drink, eat meat, make money, and support their concubines; they do all the dirty and hard work. Why should we die with them?

Several soldiers from the special operations brigade who had infiltrated the puppet army also chimed in:

“What this Eighth Route Army soldier said is right. My relative who was a puppet soldier in Guoxian County said that he made several silver dollars a month by taking the Eighth Route Army’s travel expenses when he was captured.”

"Yes, my hometown is in Henan. My cousin, who joined the army with me, was separated from us by the Japanese and we became puppet soldiers. Now my cousin has gone back home to farm."

“I know that Li Yousheng. I’ve read about him in the newspaper. He was indeed a puppet soldier before.”

The words spoken by the special operations soldiers acting as "shills" in the team further shook the resolve of the puppet troops.

When the puppet army commander saw his soldiers wavering, he immediately sensed something was wrong.

These soldiers are all he has to rely on. If he loses his soldiers, he's nothing.

A few people could easily take him down.

"Brothers, don't listen to the Eighth Route Army's lies. They just want us to lay down our weapons so they can kill us all."

“We have hostages now, so the Eighth Route Army won’t dare to do anything to us. As long as we survive, we can still drink and eat meat in other places.”

The fake legion commander immediately shouted.

However, his words did not resonate with the puppet army soldiers.

He had been a regimental commander for too long, had become detached from the lives of the lower-level puppet army soldiers, and had forgotten what they truly needed.

Drinking alcohol and eating meat were privileges enjoyed only by officers of the puppet army. The lower-ranking puppet soldiers did not live well either, and sometimes they would go hungry.

Telling the puppet army soldiers that they can drink alcohol and eat meat is like a boss telling factory workers that as long as they work for him, they too can drive luxury cars and marry rich and beautiful women.

But what the workers really need is to support their families; they can't accept this empty promise.

This is the consequence of being detached from the grassroots for too long; one can't even bewitch people anymore.

Seeing that his words had no effect, the fake legion commander panicked and shouted loudly outside:

"I need to speak with your commander. I'm only giving you ten minutes. If I don't see him by then, I'll detonate the bomb and kill all the miners in the mine."

The fake legion commander threatened them with a detonator.

Seeing that the fake army commander was already furious, Chen Ming prepared to go and confront him, but He Jianxin stopped him.

"Let me go. I'm the commander this time. I'll take responsibility for whatever happens."

Chen Ming waved his hand, ignoring him.

"Captain, let me go. This involves the lives of more than two thousand miners. If anything happens, the Independent Detachment can do without me, He Jianxin, but it can't do without you." He Jianxin sincerely stopped Chen Ming.

If Chen Ming were to handle the situation, and something unexpected happened, or if the puppet troops suddenly went berserk and blew up the mine, resulting in the deaths of more than two thousand miners, he would face severe punishment.

A suspension is the least of their worries; more serious cases could involve dismissal and investigation.

Moreover, this battle was indeed commanded by He Jianxin. He did not make any prior predictions about the actions of the Japanese and puppet troops, which gave the puppet troops the opportunity to take more than 2,000 miners hostage.

No matter what, he should be the one to take responsibility.

"Get out of the way. Our Independent Detachment is a big family. As the head of the family, I should take responsibility for anything that happens," Chen Ming said without room for argument.

"Captain!" He Jianxin was so anxious that tears were about to fall.

"Guards, restrain him!" Chen Ming ordered.

Chen Ming walked out of the command room and went to the front line.

"I am Chen Ming, the commander-in-chief of the Independent Detachment!"

"Listen up, you puppet troops inside! You've been surrounded by the main force of my Independent Detachment. Don't expect any reinforcements from the Japanese in Datong."

"The number of Japanese soldiers who died at the hands of my Independent Detachment could pile up into a mountain. As for those Japanese soldiers in Datong, once we leave the city, I really don't take them seriously."

"Just recently, the Independent Detachment wiped out an entire Japanese regiment, even capturing their regimental flag!"

"Now you only have one choice: surrender. Don't follow your commander down this dark path." "Only that way can you save your lives. Otherwise, once I launch a general offensive, I can wipe you all out in a few minutes."

"Our Independent Detachment will not compromise because of threats. You should think carefully about whether you want to die with your commander or surrender and continue to live."

Chen Ming's words carried an unquestionable tone.

Among the puppet troops, the soldiers of the special operations brigade also spoke up.

“I know this Chen Ming. The Japanese are terrified of him now. He has seized a large area of ​​land from the Japanese, and the Japanese are all hiding in Datong because of him.”

"That's right. The Japanese even gave him a nickname, something like 'Tiger of North China.' To the Japanese, Chen Ming was a man-eating tiger, extremely powerful."

“I know that. I heard from a fellow villager that Chen Ming has a nickname among the Eighth Route Army: ‘Chen the Ten Thousand,’ meaning that he alone is worth 100,000 troops. Our small group is definitely no match for him.”

"I'm surrendering. I really don't dare to fight Chen Ming. I want to live. I want to go home and see my mother."

"."

Under the combined pressure and persuasion of Li Yousheng and Chen Ming, and with the encouragement of spies within the puppet army, many puppet soldiers have begun to lay down their weapons and cease resistance.

People have a herd mentality. After the first "cop" laid down his weapon, more and more puppet troops laid down their weapons and chose to surrender.

The puppet army commander and several puppet officers panicked when they saw that most of their "subordinates" had surrendered.

He took the detonator and walked straight out of the mine, yelling at Chen Ming:
"Chen Ming, I'll f*** you!"

When Chen Ming saw that the puppet army had collapsed and only a few puppet soldiers who were stubbornly resisting and determined to go all the way down the road, along with some puppet army officers, he realized that the time had come.

"Do it!"

A signal flare was launched into the sky!

"Bang bang bang!"

"Da-da-da, da-da!"

The moment they received the order, more than a hundred sharpshooters simultaneously opened fire on their targets.

Each puppet army officer had to face the fire of at least three soldiers.

In particular, the puppet army commander who was the evil leader dared to insult their beloved commander, and he deserved to die.

He was hit by more than thirty bullets, and his head was so badly damaged that he was unrecognizable.

Those puppet troops who stubbornly resisted did not fare well either, and most of them were killed by the sharpshooter squad.

Only a small number of those who were not within the firing angle or were among the surrendered puppet troops escaped the attack.

At the same time, the special operations team soldiers hidden among the puppet troops also began to launch an attack.

He pulled out his concealed submachine gun and opened fire on the puppet troops who had not yet surrendered.

Several of them leaped forward and snatched the detonator from the fallen puppet army commander to prevent some of the puppet troops who were still putting up a fight from going down with them.

"Don't move! Cover your heads and crouch down, or we'll shoot you!"

The special operations team soldiers, armed with submachine guns, shouted loudly, using language to pressure the puppet troops.

In less than twenty seconds, the whole situation became clear.

The puppet commander's attempt to take hostages and negotiate with the independent detachment was thwarted, and the miners' crisis in the mine was averted.

"Report to headquarters, all the puppet troops who put up a stubborn resistance have been killed."

"Report to command, the detonator has been captured by our team, and the situation is now under control."

After hearing the reports from the Special Operations Brigade and the Sharpshooter Brigade, everyone at the forward command post breathed a sigh of relief, their hearts finally at ease.

"Great job! You've done a fantastic job!"

"The hostages have finally been rescued!"

"."

In front of the mine, Chen Ming kept observing the situation through the map. Seeing that the plan was going smoothly and the crisis was over, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Immediately disarm the bombs, evacuate the surrendered puppet troops, and rescue the miners in the mine!"

"At the same time, all units guarding against the Japanese should give them a good beating if the Japanese dare to send reinforcements!"

Chen Ming calmly issued the order.

"Yes!"

The messenger immediately relayed Chen Ming's order.

After eliminating the Japanese and puppet troops in the mining area, the next step was to relocate a large number of miners.

If we were attacked by the Japanese at this time, we would likely suffer heavy losses.

Fortunately, it was still dark, so the Japanese planes couldn't get through and it would be difficult for them to pose an effective threat to the Independent Detachment and the miners.

The only thing to worry about is the Japanese ground reinforcements.

However, Chen Ming's worries were unfounded.

When contact was lost in the mining area, the Japanese troops in Datong had already assembled, but were immediately ordered to stop sending reinforcements.

Originally, Noon Saburo planned to use the Japanese and puppet troops in the mining area, along with the troops from the Datong direction, to encircle the Independent Detachment from both sides, forcing it to retreat.

But now that the mining area has been taken over, the Independent Detachment has freed up its resources, and the troops in Datong are unlikely to pose a threat to the main force of the Independent Detachment.

If we were to reinforce a mine that has already been lost, even if we arrived at the mine, the Independent Detachment could use the fortifications within the mine to hold off the Japanese troops in Datong.

Alternatively, they could ambush and contain the enemy midway, while the main force bypasses the reinforcements and attacks Datong directly.

At that time, not only will the mining area be lost, but Datong may also be lost.

Noon Saburo dared not gamble anymore; if he lost, he would have to commit seppuku in advance to atone for his sins.

Within the mining area, the relocation of miners is proceeding rapidly.

It's already 5 a.m., and it will be dawn in two hours. They don't have much time left.

As soon as it gets light, the Japanese planes can take off. With such a dense crowd, the Japanese planes can easily cause a lot of casualties.

The miners, who had been living in fear in the mine, were rescued and found the mine filled with the corpses of Japanese soldiers and Eighth Route Army soldiers everywhere.

"Fellow villagers, you have suffered. Our troops have come to rescue you. The Japanese devils will no longer be able to bully you."

“My suffering brothers, follow me, I will take you home.”

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

The miners saw that the entire mining area was filled with soldiers dressed in Eighth Route Army uniforms, while the fallen were the puppet troops and Japanese soldiers who usually bullied them.

Many miners burst into tears.

For too long, they have been bullied for too long. Today, those who have been bullying them have finally been defeated by their own army.

They were saved; they were finally free, no longer forced to dig coal in the dark, sunless mines, constantly facing the threat of whipping and death.

"Thank you, thank you all, thank you."

The mining area was covered in blood on the faces and bodies of many soldiers. Ordinary people would have avoided it, but these miners found it particularly endearing.

Even though these warriors looked like demons who had just emerged from hell, carrying a murderous aura, they were not afraid.

Because this is their own army, an army belonging to the people!
Some of the miners saw the captured puppet soldiers and rushed towards them like madmen, venting their anger on them with their hands, feet, teeth, and every part of their bodies they could use.

"Fellow villagers, these are prisoners of war, you can't beat them! We have to wait until after the trial to deal with them!" the soldiers shouted.

However, the miners, who had long been oppressed and persecuted, could no longer listen to reason. They now had only one thought in their minds—revenge!
The number of miners was so large that the soldiers, after such a long period of intense fighting, were almost at their physical limit and were unable to defend themselves for a time.

After all, you can't just shoot or punch your own compatriots, can you?

So the soldiers could only shout, "Be careful, don't kill them. Keep them alive for a public trial so that more of our compatriots will know about their crimes."

Fortunately, there were some rational people among the miners who shouted, "Brothers, we can't make things difficult for the Eighth Route Army brothers who rescued us. Let's only fight those who bullied us, not kill them all."

Upon witnessing this situation at the forward command post, the officers of the independent detachment immediately inquired of Chen Ming:

"What should we do now?"

"Immediately mobilize troops from the periphery, evacuate the masses, and rescue the puppet army prisoners," Chen Ming said.

It typically takes several minutes of continuous beatings by non-professionals to cause death.

Miners, due to long hours of labor and insufficient food, are physically weak and require even longer to recover.

It takes about three minutes for the outer perimeter troops to be brought in.

Three minutes was enough time for the miners to vent their frustrations while ensuring the survival rate of these puppet army prisoners.

“Hey fellow countryman, you can’t fight this guy. He’s one of our own, a member of the Eighth Route Army. He just dressed up as a puppet soldier to save you.”

Some miners who couldn't squeeze in saw the special forces soldiers resting in their puppet army uniforms. They thought they were all puppet soldiers, and even though they had never seen them before, it didn't matter who they fought.

As a result, the special operations team soldiers who were resting suffered an undeserved misfortune and were punched several times.

"Squad leader, I'm suffering so much!"

The soldier who had been punched complained to his squad leader that he couldn't fight back against the miners.

"It's alright, it's alright. When we get back, I'll have the battalion commander prepare your meals for the next few days according to the standards for wounded soldiers," the special operations battalion squad leader comforted him, covering his mouth.

"Take off that dog skin now, or you'll get beaten up again."

The miners, realizing they had punched the wrong person, were shocked to discover that the man they had just slapped was actually a member of the Eighth Route Army who had rescued them.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were a member of the Eighth Route Army." The miners who had attacked him apologized repeatedly, feeling extremely regretful.

"If you're not comfortable, just hit me back, and I won't say a word."

Seeing the miners sincerely apologizing, and even two of them starting to slap themselves, the special forces soldier who had been beaten spoke up.

"It's alright, fellow villager, you have a strong grip, you're good for being a soldier."

"Yes, I want to join the Eighth Route Army too, to fight the Japanese devils and traitors!"

P.S.: I'm so sleepy today, I'll post some drafts from my backlog first. Sigh, I don't have many drafts left, I can't keep fishing every day.

(End of this chapter)