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

"Losses?" Upon hearing this, Stilwell laughed in anger and raised his voice, "Are your losses more severe than those of the Expeditionary Force? The troops in Lashio now number only 10,000, yet they have held off an entire Japanese division. Moreover, the Japanese aircraft have been routed by the Flying Tigers. In comparison, the British retreat..."

"Enough." Wavell interrupted him, his face turning grim. "General Stilwell, please watch your words. The British are conducting a strategic retreat, not a flight."

"Retreat?" Stilwell sneered. "Don't you know how Lashio fell? That's called a retreat? Wasn't it a rout?"

"Besides, it's not just a bunch of defeated soldiers holding Lashio now; the main Japanese force has probably already pursued them all the way to Imphal, at which point they'll directly threaten India. What will you use to defend it then?"

Wavell remained silent for a moment, then his expression turned grim.

He knew Stilwell was right.

If it weren't for the defeated soldiers occupying Lashio, the Japanese army would have relentlessly pursued the British army after they retreated to India, and the Indian defenses would indeed have been threatened.

"General," Stilwell continued, "now is not the time to dwell on personal grudges. The Battle of Lashio is crucial to the overall Allied deployment in Burma. If Lashio falls, we will have to wait at least a year before we can launch a counterattack, which is not good for the situation, especially in North Africa and Europe."

Wavell pondered for a long time, then finally sighed: "Alright, I can send two squadrons of Hurricane fighters to support Lashio, but that's my limit."

Stilwell nodded: "That's enough. Two squadrons of Hurricane fighters, plus the Flying Tigers' P-40s, give us at least forty aircraft to contend with the Japanese."

He extended his hand: "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Admiral Wavell."

Wavell hesitated for a moment, then grasped Stilwell's hand: "I hope your judgment is correct, General Stilwell."

"Of course, my judgment has never been wrong," Stilwell said with absolute confidence.

Mountain city, operations hall.

The bald man sat at his desk, holding a newly delivered intelligence report, his brow furrowed.

His eyes darted across the paper, every word making him uneasy.

"Chairman," He Jingzhi said as he entered, "this is the latest intelligence regarding the situation at Lashio."

The bald man placed the intelligence report on the table, his voice low and menacing: "The American Flying Tigers defeated Japanese aircraft over Lashio?"

"Yes, Chairman." He Jingzhi reported, "According to intelligence, the Flying Tigers dispatched two squadrons of P-40 fighters, which shot down twelve Japanese fighters in the air battle and destroyed the Japanese defensive positions on the outskirts of Lashio. Now the Allied forces have seized air superiority over Lashio."

The bald man remained silent for a moment, wanting to utter a curse, but ultimately held back. After all, the overall impact of this battle was quite significant, and if he objected, wouldn't that give the Luo people leverage?

So, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask, "How are Huang Zurong's troops performing?"

"Chairman," He Jingzhi continued, "Huang Zurong's troops have also performed exceptionally well in ground combat. Utilizing the air support of the Flying Tigers, they successfully repelled numerous Japanese attacks. Currently, the defenses of Lashio remain solid."

The bald man stood up, walked to the map, and pointed heavily at Lashio: "Jingzhi, think about it, why would a security regiment commander who came from a Nanyang Overseas Chinese mechanic background receive such high regard from the American military?"

He Jingzhi thought for a moment: "Chairman, this might be because Huang Zurong is cooperating directly with Stilwell without our approval. Stilwell may want to use Huang Zurong to build his own power base on the Burma battlefield."

"Not only that," the bald man sneered. "If Huang Zurong can really hold Lashio, his prestige on the Burmese battlefield will soar. Then, Stilwell can use Huang Zurong to gain greater influence on the Burmese front."

He turned to He Jingzhi: "This is something we absolutely cannot allow. The power to control the narrative on the Burmese battlefield must be in our hands."

"Chairman, what should we do now?" He Jingzhi asked.

The bald man pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Have Du Yuming send a telegram to Dai Anlan, instructing him to closely monitor Huang Zurong's every move, and to take immediate action if Huang Zurong makes any unusual activity."

"Understood, Chairman."

"And another thing," the bald man continued, "we'll send liaison officers from the Military Intelligence Bureau to Lashio, ostensibly to provide support, but in reality to monitor him. We'll tell Huang Zurong that if he's willing to pledge allegiance, we can give him a higher rank and more positions."

He Jingzhi nodded: "Understood, I'll make the arrangements right away."

The bald man sat back down in his chair, a calculating glint in his eyes.

He knew that Huang Zurong had become the focus of contention among various forces.

The Americans are trying to win him over, Stilwell is using him, and Baldy must not let him slip out of his control.

"Huang Zurong," the bald man muttered to himself, "how did you, a man from Nanyang, manage to do that?"

Lashio Temporary Command Post.

Huang Zurong stood in the command post, listening to Lin Yi's report on the latest situation, his brows furrowed.

"Commander," Lin Yi reported, "according to Allied intelligence reports, the Japanese are mobilizing more warplanes, which are expected to arrive over Lashio soon."

Huang Zurong nodded: "What did Stilwell say?"

"General Stilwell has agreed to send more aircraft to support the effort," Lin Yi continued. "He is currently discussing with the British Commander-in-Chief, General Wavell, hoping that the British will also send aircraft."

"The British army?" Huang Zurong sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Would Wavell agree? The British and Stilwell don't get along."

"This time is different." Lin Yi smiled and shook his head. "The telegram says General Stilwell personally went to New Delhi to negotiate. According to the head of the telegram, Wavell has agreed to send two squadrons of Hurricane fighters to support Lashio."

Huang Zurong was taken aback: "Stilwell went to negotiate in person? It seems he really values ​​us. I thought he was just using us as pawns."

"Yes, Commander." Lin Yi nodded. "Besides, Shancheng is also paying close attention to us, and has even promised us higher ranks and more supplies."

Huang Zurong walked to the map and drew a circle around Lashio with his finger: "Ayi, think about it, how many people are watching us right now?"

What does that have to do with anything?

Lin Yi looked at the other person with some confusion, but still spoke.

"Stilwell, Wavell, Yamashiro... and the Japanese army."

"That's right." Huang Zurong turned around and looked at Lin Yi. "We've become the focus of contention among various forces. The American army wants to use us, the British army has to support us, Yamashiro wants to control us, and the Japanese want to eliminate us."

He gave a wry smile: "Ayi, how do you feel about our situation?"

"But didn't you say that although our situation is dangerous, it is also full of opportunities? If we can hold Lashio, we can take the initiative in this game; but if we lose it, we will be abandoned by everyone." Lin Yi pondered for a moment and repeated Huang Zurong's words verbatim.

"Haha, that's right. So we must defend Lashio, no matter what the cost, we must defend Lashio." Huang Zurong laughed. He really didn't expect the other party to respond like that. It was indeed beyond his expectations.

"By the way, is there any news from the 200th Division?" Huang Zurong suddenly asked.

"No," Lin Yi replied truthfully, though puzzled.

"No? That shouldn't be the case." Upon hearing this, Huang Zurong paused for a moment, but still nodded. Then he looked in the direction of the 200th Division and murmured.

"I hope you can make the right choice."

…………

200th Division temporary position

General Dai Anlan stood by the trench, looking at his subordinates who were reinforcing the defense line in the distance. His eyes were filled with complex emotions. After resting for the past few days, his wounds had healed a lot. In particular, the special medicines had helped him get through the critical period of infection. With sufficient nutrition, his wounds were healing very quickly, and he was already able to move around more.

"Commander," Gao Jiren said, walking up behind him, "according to the telegram from Shancheng, the Chairman has instructed us to closely monitor Huang Zurong's every move."

Dai Anlan nodded: "I know, the Chairman is worried that Huang Zurong might be making some unusual moves."

"Commander, do you think Huang Zurong will make any unusual moves?" Gao Jiren thought for a moment and then asked the question on his mind.

Dai Anlan pondered for a moment: "It's hard to say. I can't see through Huang Zurong. On the one hand, he accepts Stilwell's support, but on the other hand, he hasn't completely sided with the US military. He is still in contact with the mountain city side, but he doesn't accept the mountain city's direct command."

"She's a very complex person, and it's difficult for me to understand her."

As he spoke, he walked to the edge of the trench, sat down, lit a cigarette, and his eyes became deep amidst the swirling smoke.

"Commander, what are you thinking about?" Gao Jiren asked, puzzled.

Dai Anlan exhaled a smoke ring: "I'm wondering if there will ever be a day when I have to order the annihilation of Shancheng."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jiren fell silent; this was exactly what they feared most.

After all, the other party saved them from danger, and they certainly couldn't do something like that again.

"Commander..." Gao Jiren was about to say something when he saw Dai Anlan wave his hand.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't do such a thing. After all, he's my savior; how could I turn against him?"

"And wouldn't this just make the Allies look ridiculous?"

"Moreover, Huang Zurong's name has now become the focus of contention among various forces, and Stilwell is giving him his full support."

"If something happens to him, we'll be the ones who suffer."

"Commander, why don't we take the 200th Division back?" Gao Jiren suddenly suggested.

To everyone's surprise, Dai Anlan shook her head and rejected his suggestion.

"It's too late to say this now, and the Yamashiro side won't agree either. We're already tied to this chariot, so we can only grit our teeth and move forward."

"Since we're here, we can still get some credit for the mountain town's efforts. But if we leave, we won't get any credit at all. And if Lashio is lost, do you think Stilwell will try to pin the blame on us?"

"I always felt that this kid had been scheming from the very beginning." After saying that, Dai Anlan sighed.

"Never mind, none of that matters anymore."

After saying that, he stood up and patted the dirt off his clothes: "At least for now, the defense line of Lashio is still very solid. As long as Lashio is held, the Burma Road will not be completely cut off, and our supply line can still be guaranteed to a certain extent. As for how much, that depends on how the mountain city negotiates. What we need to do now is to hold this place and give them more bargaining chips."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jiren nodded: "Yes, Commander, at least for now, we still have a lot of support."