The War of Resistance: From Overseas Chinese Mechanics to King of Nanyang

"Sir, is it really necessary to feed us so much?" Cheng Zhixin looked at the stewed meat in the pot, swallowing hard but still feeling a little embarrassed.

As a captain and company commander, the food was naturally not bad, but it was still a bit difficult to eat meat in large quantities.

On the surface, the food standards of the Central Army were quite high, with rice, noodles, and meat provided every day. However, this was not the case at all; the actual standards were far lower, and many soldiers even ate moldy brown rice.

Meat was virtually nonexistent; it was normal for soldiers to go months without any meat, and even basic oil and salt were scarce.

Officers fared slightly better, receiving rice, meat, and vegetables, but that didn't mean they could eat as much as they wanted; the portions were always very small.

Insufficient food supplies led to low morale and physical exhaustion, which naturally affected the combat effectiveness of the troops.

Seeing so much meat, Cheng Zhixin was very envious, but he also knew that one is bound to be subservient to those who have taken advantage of them, and that the other party must have some purpose in providing such good food for no reason.

"This is just a standard meal for my troops," Huang Zurong said casually, glancing at it.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhixin didn't believe a word of it. Ordinary standard meals?

What are you bragging about?

Do you really think I don't know the food standards of those ragtag troops?

If the Central Army's exploitation was relatively serious, then the situation of other miscellaneous troops was simply appalling. It is said that some of these miscellaneous troops ate banana leaves and various tree bark to fill their stomachs.

The opposing militia was not even a proper ragtag army; they considered it a blessing if they could get meat.

Is it always like this?

They must have gathered supplies after entering Nankan Town, and then used them to reward the soldiers; they just happened to be there at a good time.

This won Cheng Zhixin's favor. He would never have been so generous as to share so much meat with complete strangers.

But he soon discovered a strange phenomenon. Normally, eating meat is like celebrating the New Year in the army, especially since the other side was a local militia, where eating meat was a luxury.

He found that the enemy soldiers were unmoved and showed no signs of excitement.

Is the meat fake?

wrong!

The aroma of meat in the air told him, based on his experience, that it was definitely real, especially since many of the fleeing soldiers behind him were drooling.

Could it really be true?

At this moment, Cheng Zhixin recalled Huang Zurong's words from before. He had thought the other party was bragging, but now he realized it was probably true.

Looking at the bowl full of meat, Cheng Zhixin was momentarily dazed. Who exactly was the Central Army?

Why do I feel like I'm the one in the ragtag army?

Actually, there's nothing wrong with that. Although they belonged to the Central Army, they had the worst food, with insufficient staple food, the lowest quality, no side dishes, and canned food was a luxury. If they hadn't met Huang Zurong, many of them would probably have died of hunger on the way back.

"It smells so good!" A defeated soldier stuffed a piece of fatty meat into his mouth, grimacing from the heat, but he couldn't bear to spit it out.

"tasty."

Such remarks rose and fell, and many militia soldiers smiled knowingly at the sight, because they remembered that they had been just like that a few months ago, when they saw meat and wanted to eat it all in one bite.

"Want to eat meat every day from now on?" Cheng Zhixin asked, head down, as he ate meat with gusto. He heard a voice beside him.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhixin gave a wry smile. He knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch. However, he didn't say anything and continued to eat heartily. No matter what kind of conspiracy or trickery there was, he would have to wait until he was full before talking about it.

This frustrated Huang Zurong; he was completely unresponsive.

Or is it that their loyalty is that high?

That shouldn't be happening!

He had just taken some time to specifically check the information and learned about the newly formed 28th Division. In theory, they should be easy to fool.

"Commander, quite a few defeated soldiers have agreed to temporarily join us." At this moment, Du Fan brought good news: about forty or fifty defeated soldiers had been persuaded to join them.

Huang Zurong was not surprised by this. After all, a military unit with meat in three meals a day and military pay was a rare treasure. Anyone who wasn't a fool would choose to join.

But Huang Zurong's goal was not just these defeated soldiers; he had a bigger goal, but to achieve it, he needed the help of these officers.

Cheng Zhixin, who was licking the bottom of his bowl, trembled slightly upon hearing this, but quickly recovered, because he knew that if he were also an ordinary defeated soldier, he would definitely choose to join as well.

However, he was an officer and a member of the Revival Society, making his identity complicated.

"How does it taste?" Huang Zurong leaned over again and asked with a smile.

"Yes, it's the best meal I've had since I came to Myanmar," Cheng Zhixin replied truthfully.

Because they were part of the reserve force, they initially brought their own food, and later the British army provided it. However, less than two days later, the Japanese army suddenly attacked Lashio, which meant they didn't get any good food, and the food provided by the British army was also very mediocre.

"So? Are you interested in my previous suggestion?" Huang Zurong nodded, clearly satisfied with the other party's answer.

"What suggestion?" Cheng Zhixin continued to pretend to be deaf and dumb, only to see Huang Zurong's cold eyes. Helpless, he could only sigh.

"Sir, are you aware of the situation of the newly formed 28th Division?"

"Isn't it just a reorganized special operations team? It mainly focuses on political training, am I right?" Huang Zurong nodded.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhixin was taken aback. He hadn't expected the other party to know so much. He had originally thought that he would just give the other party a little advice out of gratitude for the meal, since not just any army could be recruited. Since that was the case, he decided not to beat around the bush and to be direct.

"Sir, recruiting us would cause a major incident. The Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) will definitely not let this go easily. You are a good commander, there's really no need for this."

Hearing this, Huang Zurong looked at the other party with some surprise. He originally thought the other party was just an arrogant and domineering officer, but he didn't expect him to be so capable. It was indeed a bit unexpected.

"Sir, you don't need to look at me like that. Isn't it normal for the Central Army to look down on local ragtag armies? Besides, I'm from the Fuxing Society, so it's normal for me to be arrogant and domineering." Cheng Zhixin saw the meaning in the other party's eyes and said self-deprecatingly.

"So this is a kind of disguise? To make yourself look less vulnerable?" Huang Zurong suddenly said.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhixin fell silent. Was he right?

It seems to have some merit, doesn't it?

After all, if you're honest and docile, you'll definitely get bullied. Only if you're assertive will others not dare to bully you so recklessly.

I never expected that the other party would see through me so easily.