Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

"How many meals are enough for the little bit that your Second Division keeps for yourselves?"

"Reporting to the commander, the division commander said it's enough for several meals."

Zhao Wenlong's voice carried a hint of amusement.

"The Second Division doesn't lack these things; headquarters needs them more."

The deputy commander's gaze fell on the window in the distance.

He remained silent for a long while before speaking again.

The voice was a few decibels lower than before.

"After you go back, please pass on a message to your commander."

Zhao Wenlong straightened his back, waiting for him to continue.

"Just tell them that headquarters thanks him."

"Even after the Second Division became an independent unit, it still thought about the headquarters and its brother units."

"Headquarters appreciates this gesture."

Zhao Wenlong stood at attention and saluted.

"Don't worry, sir, I will definitely deliver your message."

The deputy commander waved his hand, indicating that he could sit down.

Zhao Wenlong sat down in the chair at the table, his back still ramrod straight.

Commander Liu spoke at this moment, his tone carrying the joy that only an elder would show when looking at a younger person.

"Zhao Wenlong, how's your Second Division doing in northwestern Shanxi?"

"How fast is the troop expansion?"

"quick."

Zhao Wenlong nodded, his tone filled with undisguised pride.

"Three regiments were sent out to recruit soldiers, and more than 4,000 people were recruited in just over 20 days."

"The entire division now has over seven thousand men."

Commander Liu's hand paused slightly.

Then the curve of his lips widened even further.

"Seven thousand people?"

"yes!"

Zhao Wenlong answered very decisively.

"The division commander said that each regiment should continue to recruit, recruiting as many as possible, the more the better."

Upon hearing this, the deputy commander-in-chief exchanged a glance with the deputy chief of staff.

The deputy chief of staff pushed up his glasses and said with a smile.

"Boss, this kid is more troublesome than we expected."

The deputy commander's lips curled slightly, but he didn't reply.

He steered the conversation back to the main topic.

"Commander Zhao, after your Second New Division arrived in northwestern Shanxi, did you make contact with the local guerrillas?"

"We've made contact."

Zhao Wenlong answered.

"When the reconnaissance team was operating in northwestern Shanxi, they encountered several guerrilla groups, none of which were large in scale."

"The division commander has already sent someone to contact their leader, and the follow-up arrangements are still being discussed."

The deputy commander nodded.

"This matter needs to be addressed promptly."

His tone remained calm, but carried an unwavering certainty.

"The situation in northwestern Shanxi is more complicated than in southeastern Shanxi. If the local armed forces are not integrated, they cannot form a cohesive force."

"Go back and tell your division commander that headquarters' intention is to integrate what can be integrated, and to establish cooperative relationships for what cannot be integrated."

"In short, we must unite the anti-Japanese forces in northwestern Shanxi into one."

Zhao Wenlong carefully memorized all these words.

"Don't worry, sir, I will definitely relay the information to the division commander exactly as it is."

The deputy commander nodded and did not continue the topic.

His gaze returned to Zhao Wenlong's face, and his tone was more amiable than before.

"Xiao Zhao, you must have had a long journey."

"I'll stay at headquarters tonight and go back tomorrow."

Zhao Wenlong stood up, stood at attention, and saluted.

"Thank you, sir."

The deputy commander waved his hand.

"Go ahead, have the guard company help you unload the supplies, and get some rest."

Zhao Wenlong turned around and strode out of the house.

In the courtyard, Zhao Dabao had already started unloading the goods with the soldiers of the guard company.

Pork, bags of flour, and lard were unloaded from the mule cart and moved into the warehouse.

Zhao Wenlong stood by and watched for a while, then went over and offered a helping hand.

As he carried a bag of flour into the warehouse.

I heard two guards whispering behind me.

"I've never seen so much white flour in my entire life."

"There's so much pork and lard."

"The new Second Division is really extravagant."

"I heard that their division commander specially ordered it to be sent, saying that it's almost Chinese New Year and he wanted us to have a good meal."

Zhao Wenlong listened to those words and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

He put the flour bag away, turned around and walked out of the warehouse, then picked up another bag.

More than half an hour later.

All materials have been unloaded and stored.

Zhao Wenlong clapped the flour off his hands and walked toward his company of soldiers.

In the courtyard, the deputy commander-in-chief stood at the entrance of the main house.

The political commissar came out of the room and stood next to him.

"Boss, this Zhao Wenlong has some of Zhou Tianyang's traits when it comes to leading troops."

The deputy commander did not turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the distance.

"A strong general has no weak soldiers under his command!"

He only said these six words.

Then he turned around and went back into the house.

Early the next morning.

Zhao Wenlong then led the soldiers of the company on their journey home.

It would take about two days to travel from the Eighth Route Army's forward command post to Heiyun Village and back along the same route.

Zhao Wenlong calculated the time.

If nothing unexpected happens on the road, we should be able to return to the village before noon the day after tomorrow.

Before setting off, the deputy commander-in-chief instructed the guard company to give each soldier in the first company an extra two kilograms of dry rations.

Zhao Wenlong declined twice, but the deputy commander-in-chief shut him down with a single sentence.

"Take this, eat it on the way."

"You've come to deliver supplies to headquarters. If I let you go hungry, people will laugh at me."

Zhao Wenlong chuckled, then, without further hesitation, led his team on the road.

The soldiers of the first company drove the empty mule carts with much lighter steps than when they came.

The mule carts were loaded with supplies when they arrived, so they moved slowly.

On the way back, the wagons were empty and lightly loaded, the mules moved faster, and the soldiers' pace quickened as well.

We crossed three mountain ridges and waded through two small rivers.

On the first day, we walked nearly sixty miles.

It was evening.

Zhao Wenlong looked at the sky and the terrain along the way.

We stopped in a sheltered mountain hollow.

"Let's rest here tonight, and tomorrow we'll work harder to get back before dark!"

The soldiers responded and found places to rest.

Zhao Wenlong squatted on a rock, chewing on dry rations, his gaze fixed on the gradually darkening mountain shadows in the distance.

He was thinking about what the deputy commander-in-chief had said.

They integrated the anti-Japanese forces in northwestern Shanxi and united the guerrillas into one force.

This is no small task; I need to report back to my superiors properly when I get back.

After daybreak, the group continued their journey.

The next afternoon, when the outline of Black Cloud Village appeared on the distant mountainside.

Zhao Wenlong unconsciously quickened his pace.

The sentry at the gate recognized him from afar and called out into the village.

"Commander Zhao is back!"

Zhao Wenlong led the soldiers of the first company through the village gate and had them put the mule carts away properly.

He strode towards the division headquarters hall.

Zhou Tianyang was sitting at the table with a detailed map of northwestern Shanxi spread out in front of him.

"Commander, I'm back."

Zhao Wenlong stood at attention and reported upon entering.

Zhou Tianyang looked up, put down his pencil, and leaned back in his chair.

"Was the journey smooth?"

"smoothly."

"The 386th Brigade has received all the supplies."

"It's the same at headquarters."

Zhao Wenlong recounted the situation along the way in detail.

Zhou Tianyang listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

After Zhao Wenlong finished speaking, he asked a question.

"What else did the deputy commander say?"

Zhao Wenlong relayed the deputy commander-in-chief's instructions on integrating the Jin-Sui guerrilla forces in detail.

Zhou Tianyang listened in silence for a moment, then nodded.

"I've put Deng Chen in charge of this matter. He's already made contact with several guerrilla groups, but we haven't reached an agreement yet."

"I'll take charge of this personally after some time has passed."

He paused, looking at Zhao Wenlong.

"You've worked hard, go back and rest now."

Zhao Wenlong responded and turned to walk out of the hall.

The next few days.

Everything at Black Cloud Village is proceeding as usual.

The new recruits, wearing their newly issued uniforms, sweated profusely on the training field every day.

The effects of the body-strengthening liquid are beginning to appear.

Those new recruits who were out of breath after running a few laps when they first arrived can now complete a five-kilometer armed cross-country run without even breaking a sweat.

During shooting training, the stability of the gun holding position has also improved significantly, and the hit rate is getting higher and higher every day.

Meanwhile, on Tian Guoqiang's side, the recruit training for the artillery regiment was also progressing steadily.

The forty newly arrived mortars were assigned to the 1st and 2nd Artillery Regiments, and the gunners spent every day on the front lines.

Practice the entire process of aiming, loading, and firing repeatedly.

Everything is proceeding according to plan.