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

"Commander, it's a real pity that the Japanese 56th Regiment escaped."

Huang Zhiwen led the ambush troops back to the regimental headquarters, his voice filled with frustration.

On the mountain roads outside Lashio, only a few burning trucks and scattered corpses remained; the main force of the Japanese army had long since disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

Huang Zurong remained calm, as if he had expected this. The Japanese army wasn't stupid; after a series of attacks were repelled, they must have become suspicious, and retreat was inevitable. Especially since the remaining Japanese troops in the city had also abandoned the city and fled, the remaining Japanese troops, unless they were fools, would definitely retreat first.

"Let them go if they've run away. We've already made a profit by taking Lashio."

According to the count by the 200th Division, more than 1,000 Japanese soldiers were killed in the 56th Division headquarters, and the remaining troops, including the division commander, broke out under cover of night.

It must be admitted that the Japanese army's decisiveness in the critical moment was admirable.

"It's a pity we couldn't capture the Japanese division commander alive." Gao Jiren, deputy commander of the 200th Division, shook his head with a regretful expression.

"As long as the Japanese devils are still alive, they'll have plenty of opportunities in the future." Huang Zurong shook his head, then walked to the map. "The key right now is how to defend Lashio."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jiren fell silent. Lashio was the throat of the Burma Road, and there were two Japanese regiments to the north, so the Japanese would never give up easily.

"What are your thoughts?" Gao Jiren asked in return.

"Three things," Huang Zurong held up three fingers. "First, send out scouts ten kilometers outward to closely monitor the Japanese army's movements and provide early warnings. Second, conduct door-to-door screening of the Burmese in the city, and take control of all suspicious individuals, sending them to build fortifications. Third, reorganize the troops, gather the defeated soldiers, and recruit new soldiers, mainly local Chinese, to expand our strength."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jiren had no objection to the first two conditions, but he had some reservations about the last one. However, considering the current situation, he didn't say anything.

"Okay, we'll do it your way. As for recruiting Chinese, we'll put them in your unit. We have strict requirements for recruiting soldiers."

"OK."

"Wait a minute." Just as Gao Jiren was about to leave, Huang Zurong suddenly called out to him, "How about this, I'll personally handle the second matter."

Gao Jiren was stunned for a moment, then he understood.

The issue of Burmese spies is indeed sensitive; mishandling it could trigger popular uprisings, so caution is necessary.

Since Huang Zurong is of Chinese descent, having him handle the matter shouldn't cause too much trouble.

A feeling of being moved immediately welled up in my heart.

Soon, Huang Zurong convened a meeting of officers of company rank and above to plan the search and capture operation.

"The matter is simple: before the Japanese retreated, they left behind a large number of informants in the city. These informants were responsible for gathering intelligence on our army and coordinating with the Japanese from within and without when they counterattacked." Huang Zurong pointed to several areas on the map. "Focus your search on these three areas: the slums in the north of the city, the market in the south, and the Burmese-populated area in the west."

He paused for a moment: "Pay attention to the methods. Don't kill innocent people indiscriminately. Arrest those with solid evidence on the spot. Arrest those who are suspicious but not certain either. It's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. And remember, never cause panic."

"clear!"

Huang Zurong was too lazy to do any identification; he figured that if someone was arrested, there would definitely be no innocent people involved.

The search operation officially began shortly afterward.

Huang Zurong personally led the team to the slums in the north of the city, which was the most chaotic place in Lashio. There were shantytowns everywhere and narrow alleys like a maze, making it easy to hide a few people.

"Search every house, don't miss a single person," Huang Zurong ordered.

The soldiers broke down the door and ransacked the room.

They searched every corner – under the bed, inside the closet, on the ceiling.

The Burmese people stood trembling to the side, not daring to make a sound.

In a dilapidated thatched hut, the soldiers found a Japanese military radio.

"Reporting to the commander, communication equipment has been discovered!"

Huang Zurong walked over quickly. It was a small military radio hidden in a secret compartment under the floor, with several intelligence drafts written in Burmese next to it.

"Bring this guy over here," he said, pointing at the homeowner.

He was a Burmese man in his thirties with a full beard and shifty eyes.

"What is this?" Huang Zurong pointed at the radio.

"I...I don't know...a stranger left this here yesterday..." the man stammered.

Huang Zurong sneered: "A stranger? Would he just leave something so important here with you?"

The man lowered his head, not daring to answer.

"Take him back and interrogate him separately," Huang Zurong gestured.

He knew that a major city like Lashio could not possibly be without Burmese spies.

And this person in front of me is just the beginning; there must be many more to come.

We must find all these Burmese spies as soon as possible, otherwise they could pose a deadly threat.

Half an hour later, the interrogation quickly yielded results—the other party was indeed a spy left by the Japanese army, specifically responsible for collecting military intelligence.

Huang Zurong would not be lenient with such a person and ordered him to be dragged out and publicly executed, with the aim of making an example of him.

Meanwhile, a large-scale manhunt continues within the city.

In the market south of the city, the soldiers discovered a secret liaison point for the Japanese army.

On the surface, this place is a general store, but in reality, it is a hub for Burmese spies.

After the shop owner was arrested, he revealed the entire spy network in the city.

Following this lead, they arrested more than 30 Burmese spies, including some important local figures and even some who knew overseas Chinese.

This chilled Huang Zurong to the bone, but he could understand it; there are always some scoundrels.

However, while arresting spies, Huang Zurong did not forget to appease the docile Burmese people, and even specially allocated some food and medicine to distribute to the poor people in the city.

This tactic proved effective very quickly.

The attitude of the Burmese people towards the expeditionary force has undergone a subtle change, gradually shifting from initial fear and hostility to acceptance and cooperation.

Some even volunteered to provide intelligence, some helped build fortifications, and some even voluntarily joined Huang Zurong's troops.

In just one day, the Burmese spy network in the city was basically destroyed.

This relieved Huang Zurong. At least the internal problems were solved, and he no longer had to worry about being stabbed in the back while the front lines were fighting well.

Before Huang Zurong could even feel happy, Gao Jiren came again, bringing with him very bad news.

"You've used up about two-thirds of your ammunition?" Huang Zurong asked in surprise, looking at the other person.

"Yes, if the Japanese launch another large-scale offensive, we might not have enough ammunition."

Huang Zurong fell silent; this was indeed a serious problem.

Without ammunition, even the most fortified position cannot be held.

He has to find a way to solve this.

"Leave the weapons problem to me." Huang Zurong remembered that there was a division's worth of weapons hidden in a cave outside Lashio City, and now was the time to dig them out.