Fengshan General Offensive (Part 1)
The weather in the mountains is unpredictable. A sudden downpour soaked the mountains, leaving the official road full of puddles and potholes.
The green convoy struggled forward through the mud, and following the long ruts, one could see soldiers and conscripted laborers slowly moving along both sides in raincoats.
Fortunately, the rain came and went quickly. The golden sunlight broke through the misty clouds, announcing that the rain had stopped and the sky was clear. However, the main road was still wet, and a truck was stuck in the middle of the road, unable to move forward or backward.
The officer in charge of the transport immediately called on the soldiers to push the truck. Under the command of a platoon leader, more than a dozen soldiers and laborers worked together and finally managed to push the truck out of the pit. However, everyone was so exhausted that they collapsed on the ground. No one cared whether the ground was dry or not, since they were all soaked.
After the malfunction was resolved, the convoy was finally able to continue. At the rear of the convoy was Gao Junxiao's vehicle, who was responsible for bringing up the rear.
Gao Junxiao glanced anxiously at his watch. His guide, Li Qiu, said helplessly that they might not be able to reach the target location on time. The weather in the mountains was just so unpredictable, but it would definitely be sunny later.
Gao Junxiao expressed his understanding of the situation. He had often encountered heavy rain in the mountains of Southwest China before. The most serious problem now was the gradually rising temperature, coupled with the difficult roads, which greatly depleted the soldiers' physical strength. In order to avoid non-combat casualties, he ordered them to rest on the spot and wait for the road to dry a bit before continuing the march.
Under the officer's command, the convoy parked orderly in the shade by the roadside. Tall shrubs stood beside the mountain road, blocking out the sun, like silent and solemn guards in a palace. Dense figures could be seen moving about in the thicket, but then the silence returned, with only the clear chirping of birds coming and going.
While everyone was resting, Gao Junxiao asked Li Qiao to lead him to a high place to survey the terrain. The official road they were currently traveling on was the only way to the heart of the Central Plains, a place known for its rampant bandits. At this moment, apart from wild animals, probably only their bandit-suppression team would dare to travel on the official road.
Through the telescope, Gao Junxiao could see that the surrounding area was a typical mountainous landscape, with most of the mountaintops being dome-shaped. The only high mountain, shaped like a phoenix spreading its wings, was the main mountain of Fengshan, and also today's target. However, to reach the main mountain, they first needed to occupy the high ground where the "tail feathers" were located.
A sharp "whoosh" sound pierced the sky, followed by a burst of gunfire. Gao and Li immediately realized that there was an ambush.
They immediately ran down the high ground, sparks flying along the official road, and people were constantly being knocked to the ground by bullets. The attackers screamed and kept rushing out of the dense forest on both sides. The forest was vast, and it was unknown how many more attackers were joining the battle.
The biggest fear during an enemy attack is that the troops will be scattered. Gao Junxiao immediately found the nearest radio operator and learned from him that Commander Qin was in command and that there were always people on guard during the rest period, so the troops had not been scattered and the Second Company was still launching a counterattack.
Gao Junxiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. He silently took off his wet white gloves and ordered Wang Weitao's special agent company to circle around to the rear of the bandits and "herd the ducks" into the Second Company's firing range.
The anti-bandit team's initial attack was unsuccessful, but due to proper command, they suffered no major losses. Gao Junxiao believed that this raid was merely an advance detachment of bandits sent to probe the strength of the main anti-bandit force.
It's likely that the leaders of Fengshan are sitting in their village, drinking spring water and listening to folk songs, calmly creating trouble for the bandit suppression team.
After asking around for so long, Xiao Mao has learned a little about the past and future of the leaders of Fengshan.
Gao Junxiao heard from Xiao Mao that Qiao Jie was originally an ordinary farm girl with some beauty. It was rumored that she was kidnapped by an old bandit on her wedding day and made into a bandit's wife. But the truth was that Qiao Jie did not want to be an ordinary farm woman and live a tragic life, so she voluntarily went up the mountain to become a bandit's wife.
Qiao Jie was a typical femme fatale. She killed people without batting an eye, regardless of age, gender, or even infants. Her ruthlessness was such that even the old bandits were impressed. In just a few years, she transformed a band of roving bandits into one of the largest bandit groups in Xuzhou. After the old bandit passed away, she successfully became the leader.
But since it was a woman in charge, there were still some people in the village who were not convinced. For example, Xiao Shenliu, the leader of the White Tiger Hall, was the adopted son of an old bandit. He never gave his stepmother a good look, probably because he thought his stepmother had taken his position as the leader.
Old Hai, the leader of the Azure Dragon Hall, was originally dissatisfied, but he died suddenly in his prime. The death of the Azure Dragon Hall was suspicious, and rumors spread in the village that Sister Qiao killed Old Hai in order to place her own people in the village.
At that time, the old bandit was still alive, but he was powerless to pursue the matter. The scales of power had long since tipped in favor of Qiao Jie, and he was just a stepping stone for her.
After the Azure Dragon Hall changed its leader, the actual master also changed to Sister Qiao. In addition, the Vermilion Bird Hall's "Iron Rooster" is a well-known opportunist who can be easily bribed. The Black Tortoise Hall has few people, and their leader, Chu Shi, likes to follow the crowd and has a low profile.
Gao Junxiao was certain that as long as there were internal conflicts within the mountain stronghold, they would have an opportunity to exploit the situation.
The first task he assigned to Xiao Mao was to divide the forces within the mountain stronghold. First, he had to drive away Qiao Jie's husband, Wu Yulou. Xiao Mao did this very well, because Xiao Mao saw Wu Yulou having an affair with another woman.
Haha, even if nothing's wrong, he can make it seem like something's wrong. Wu Yulou is probably sulking in Wudong Mountain right now.
Then the kitten started causing trouble in front of Xiao Shen Liu every day. When it got into trouble, it would go to Qiao Jie to complain first. Before long, Xiao Shen Liu declared that he would start his own business and become irreconcilable with Qiao Jie.
His second task was to sideline Qiao Jie's loyal follower Gou Sheng and elect the neutral Xuanwu Hall Master Chu Shi as "Marshal," but Xiao Mao has made no progress on this task so far.
As the only female bandit leader in the area, Qiao Jie's management skills and economic strength once even surpassed those of Mangshan. Otherwise, why would Liu Shengqi have been willing to give power to a woman?
Faced with such a formidable opponent, Gao Junxiao certainly dared not be careless. When women get ruthless, they can be far more vicious than men.
Of course, whichever bandit becomes the marshal, the bandit suppression team can wipe them out completely; it's just that Fengshan will be a bit more troublesome. We'll ask Xiao Mao about the progress of the change of commander after he goes down the mountain.
Gunfire continued incessantly, followed by a huge explosion. Xu Xun took off his hat, shook off the fallen rocks, and then respectfully entered the temporary command post, which was bustling with activity.
"Report, Hill 315 has been captured in one fell swoop." The operator, wearing headphones, reported the results expressionlessly; the first tail feather had been successfully taken.
Gao Junxiao was not blinded by the temporary victory. He leaned over the map and issued an order: "Call the Second Company and tell them to take Hill 515 within 40 minutes."
"Report, the 2nd Company commander says they encountered fierce resistance on Hill 515 and suffered heavy casualties. Requesting support," the operator continued to report.
"If any company doesn't suffer too many casualties, we'll just transfer another platoon at most. Let their company commander decide for himself." Commander Qin spoke with his hands on his hips, leaving no room for negotiation. Qin Qu was known for his iron-fisted nature, readily resorting to the whip, and extremely strict in managing his subordinates.
Watching the operators nervously issuing instructions to companies at all levels, Xu Xun finally found a moment of free time to salute the two officers. At his call, the little cat who had returned to the unit outside cautiously entered and saluted, but he was carrying a little boy of about five years old on his back.
"Oh, the kitten is back. Have you finished the task I gave you?" Gao Junxiao ignored the child and asked directly.
“It’s done, Inspector Gao. I have something important to report.” The kitten put down the child and said, “I just learned from the bandits that they have a secret weapon that can fight us to the death.”
"Nonsense! What do we care about their weapons? What trouble can those bandits cause?" Commander Qin was indeed confident in his rebuttal. After all, the government troops had undergone formal military training, and their firearms were all high-quality products issued by the Ordnance Department. Therefore, as long as they seriously suppressed the bandits, they could generally gain the upper hand.
For bandits, unless they are completely surrounded and have to fight, they generally take advantage of their familiarity with the terrain to avoid major or hard-fought battles.
Gao Junxiao changed the subject without changing his expression: "What's wrong with this child?"
"Report! The female bandit bought a whole cartload of children from the kidnappers. This child is the one we kept; the rest were returned to the kidnappers," the kitten recounted vividly.
"What does she want a child for?" Gao Junxiao found the blind spot in her words.
"That female bandit couldn't have children herself, so she wanted to adopt a child to experience being a mother. I don't really understand women's thoughts. Anyway, she's bought several children already. The other children all look strange and dull, but this boy is very clever," the kitten explained, wiping the sweat from her face.
“We’re at war, we don’t have time to look after the children. I’ll have the guards take the kids to a nearby village later,” Commander Qin said, frowning.
"Let's do it this way. Little Cat, you should rest for a while too. Don't rush back to the team," Gao Junxiao agreed.
"Report: The kidnappers who brought the child and delivered the goods were also carrying five cartloads of weapons, each as long as a coffin lid. However, they were all standard rifles and ammunition; no new weapons were found. I request to go back up the mountain to investigate again," Xiao Mao said, standing up straight, a stark contrast to her usual timid demeanor.
"Officer Xu, what do you think?" Gao Junxiao suddenly asked Xu Xun, who was slacking off and daydreaming.
"Did you two hear the explosions of grenades outside? They're using weapons captured from bandits right now, aren't they different from what we usually train with?" Xu Xun asked rhetorically.
"It's different. The grenade was thrown with the power of an anti-aircraft gun. When I first heard that, I thought you had brought cannons, Zexiu," Commander Qin replied seriously.
"I suspect that the bandits collaborated with others to modify their weapons and increase the amount of gunpowder. This was discovered several years ago in Xuzhou. In Huangkou Township, northwest of the city, there was a gentry named Shao who purchased several small machine tools and hired more than 20 workers to process guns and bullets for the bandits." It must be said that Xu Xun has a great deal of knowledge.
“Gunpowder can’t just be added on a whim; it has scientific proportions and quantities. But the things we see are so well-made, does that mean they have a master craftsman guiding them?” Gao Junxiao’s statement was agreed upon by everyone present.
“I don’t think Gou Xiaomao needs to go back. The real threat is still the weapons workshop. If we want to cut off the bandits’ weapons supply, we need to call our guide Li Qiao first and ask him where the weapons are coming from. That kid definitely knows.” Xu Xun stated the situation with a serious expression.
Gao Junxiao didn't respond. If Li Qiu wanted to talk, he would have already done so. Everyone covets weapons, so it's understandable that Li Qiu would keep them to himself. That's why Li Qiu had used the bandit suppression team to intercept some weapons and hadn't pursued the matter further.
Xu Xun then suggested using unconventional methods, forcing them to reveal the truth.
This proposal was met with fierce opposition from Commander Qin, who stated that the grain hadn't even been milled yet, and they were already trying to kill the donkey; who would dare to be a guide for their bandit-suppression team in the future? A good reputation is earned; otherwise, what's the difference between a revolutionary army and an old warlord?
However, if the hidden dangers are not eliminated, the results of the current battle could be reduced to ashes in a matter of minutes. Xu Xun felt that the militia was just a militia, at most a reserve force, and should not have stored a large number of weapons. Handing them over to the national treasury was the right way.
Commander Qin angrily berated Xu Xun for being a bookworm. He explained that the rules of the underworld dictate that whoever finds something keeps it; otherwise, it's considered double-crossing. Furthermore, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. The members of the militia are all locals; if you don't get along with other militias, you won't have to bother with Liu Shengqi later.
It was the sweltering heat of midsummer, and when the tinderbox touched the dry woodpile, sparks flew everywhere, and the weeds underfoot seemed to burst into flames.
The already cramped temporary command post became even more stuffy. The two, engrossed in their argument, failed to notice Gao Junxiao's increasingly somber expression and his clenched, white knuckles.
"Bang!" Gao Junxiao slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Enough! We're still in the middle of a battle, and the brothers on the front lines are fighting desperately! You two should have some water to calm down."
The two men, who were on the verge of exchanging blows, immediately fell silent. The little cat beside them didn't dare to breathe. Who would have thought that the usually mild-mannered Inspector Gao could be so frightening when he got angry, his eyes looking like he wanted to devour someone?
Under the scorching sun, Gao Junxiao pulled Xu Xun to a secluded spot in the woods, and after a moment of silence, asked, "When you contacted Liu Shengqi before, did you know that they had an arms factory behind them?"
“I know, didn’t I tell you before? Most of the money he split with the chief of staff came from the proceeds of selling stolen weapons on the black market,” Xu Xun replied frankly.
"Do you know who's providing the technology for the bandits' arsenal?" Gao Junxiao carefully observed Xu Xun's expression.
"This... I really don't know. Inspector Gao, I've told you everything I know. I'm only in charge of the proceeds from the disposal of stolen goods. The other chiefs of staff don't let me get involved at all." Xu Xun's face was contorted with bitterness.
It seemed he truly didn't know. Gao Junxiao gritted his teeth and said, "Then let me tell you, the bandits are backed by Japanese technology."
Xu Xun's face immediately darkened. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word. Only the cicadas chirping in the trees were incredibly annoying.
"They not only wreak havoc on the local area, but they are also a group of traitors," Gao Junxiao accused sternly, his hands behind his back.
Before Xu Xun could react, the kitten under the nearby tree went berserk again, crying out to the little boy, "Tell me, where is the little girl who wove grasshoppers for you? Tell me!"
The little boy was so frightened that he started crying loudly, and their conversation was also affected by the crying. Gao Junxiao had to step in, order the kitten to shut up, and then hugged the boy and comforted him.
"Supervisor Gao, he might have seen my sister. I want to know where Xiaoying is, please tell me. Ugh~ please..." Little Cat knelt at Gao Junxiao's feet, tears streaming down her face.
Under Gao Junxiao's gentle questioning, the little boy said haltingly, "Xiaoying... Sister Xiaoying... was taken away by a big white fly... to... to the road."
What is "Malu Da"? Everyone present, except Gao Junxiao, was completely clueless.
Only Gao Junxiao knew that "Maluda" was the Japanese word for raw wood, which meant consumables. He figured that the little cat's sister was probably in grave danger, and how was he supposed to tell the little cat this conclusion?
Just as Gao Junxiao was having a hard time, Xu Xun, who was standing next to him, said to the kitten with a solemn expression, "Your sister may no longer be alive. Don't make things difficult for the child. He just escaped death."
Gao Junxiao knew that Xu Xun didn't understand Japanese, but he was so smart that he could guess something from the white headed fly.
Ah—the kitten suddenly howled in utter grief, its eyes brimming with tears of despair. Even the toughest man would feel a pang of heartache upon hearing it.
Don't advise others to do good if you haven't experienced their suffering. Gao Junxiao suggested that the kitten take the children to a nearby village to rest, and Fengshan would not shortchange him, this great contributor, with a single penny of his bonus.
"What's the use of money? I want my younger brother and sister." The kitten's hoarse voice was filled with helplessness.
“Don’t you have a younger brother named Xiaocao? Inspector Gao helped you get your indenture back. You should raise him well,” Xu Xun said, glancing at Gao Junxiao.
Mentioning Xiaocao, Gou Xiaomao's eyes regained some light. He wiped away his tears with his sleeve and kowtowed heavily to Gao Junxiao: "From now on, Xiaomao's life is entirely in the hands of Inspector Gao. I can do any dirty or hard work."
"Alright, you can take the child to the village later." Gao Junxiao was holding the child and it was inconvenient for him to help the kitten.
After this incident, the kitten took the children to the village, while Xu Xun confessed to Gao Junxiao with a face full of guilt: "So the embezzled money I took was so dirty, Inspector Gao, I will donate this money to charity as soon as I get back."
"It's up to you, but I hope that if you go into politics in the future, you must maintain your bottom line. For example, you can't be a traitor." Gao Junxiao coldly glanced at Xu Xun.
“Supervisor Gao, you won’t believe me no matter what I say now. Anyway, the ledger is in your hands. If I, Xu, ever do anything to betray the country, you can release the ledger and ruin my reputation, making me despised by my lover and family.” Xu Xun pressed Gao Junxiao’s scrutiny directly, his eyes revealing a young man’s rekindled fighting spirit.
"Yes, I believe you. I'll go talk to Li Qiao about the arsenal. As long as the target feels pain when you throw a rock, you don't necessarily have to do it yourself." After Gao Junxiao finished speaking, he went to find Li Qiao. As for what the two of them talked about while their arms were around each other, only heaven, earth, and the two of them knew.
Finally, the two seemed to have reached some kind of deal. Gao Junxiao assured his colleagues in command that they could focus on attacking the mountain, and that the militia would handle the matter of the secret weapons. Thus, both Commander Qin and Xu Xun were convinced.
"Send a telegram to all companies, begin the general offensive!" Gao Junxiao gave the order, and the telephone operators got busy again.
Beep beep beep beep—
The distant, resounding bugle call signaled the official start of the general offensive at Fengshan.
On the hillside diagonally opposite the bandit suppression team's command post, Wang Renyong, He Qingcheng, and Uncle Hao each took out their wristwatches and pocket watches and checked the time one last time.
Their goal was to find the secret weapons workshop, seize the base, and confiscate the weapons cache and paper documents.
According to known intelligence, this secret base has three office buildings, which Wang Renyong has labeled as Buildings 1-3. Except for Building 2, which has four floors above ground and two floors below ground, the rest are two-story bungalows.
The server room they need to destroy is on the second basement level of Building 2. The backup generator is on the first basement level, and he and Cai Tou are in charge of it. Uncle Hao needs to buy them as much time as possible and tie down some of their manpower.
As for Qingcheng, she was in charge of the outer perimeter of the base, waiting for the right moment to lead the guerrillas to attack the base from both inside and outside. But when the right moment was needed would test Qingcheng's on-the-spot reaction. If it was too early, it would alert the enemy; if it was too late, the comrades in the base would be in mortal danger.
Just as Wang Renyong was about to continue giving instructions, a sudden, earth-shattering tremor made Qingcheng gasp and stumble to the ground. She cursed Gao Junxiao in her mind, thinking, "Damn it, couldn't he have waited until she got to the position before detonating?"
Wang Renyong patted her on the shoulder to encourage her. It was normal for Qingcheng to be a guerrilla captain for the first time and, being a young woman, to feel a little uncomfortable on the battlefield.
That's why he grouped Hu Yukun and Qingcheng, two intellectuals and guerrillas, together, hoping they could help each other with both their intellectual and physical abilities and overcome psychological barriers. What they were doing was unprecedented, and he didn't want anyone to imitate it in the future.
Finally, Wang Renyong raised his hand and said loudly, "Just go! You can do it! You won't be the first or the last to make a revolution! The more difficult it is, the more we should do it. Let's see who has the last laugh."
Wang Renyong's encouraging words echoed in Qingcheng's mind, but they still couldn't ease her tense nerves. Qingcheng shook her dazed head. She now knew that the rejuvenation of China could not rely on dreams alone; we had to resort to blood and iron.
The entire militia had made thorough preparations for today. With concerted efforts, nothing is insurmountable; with collective wisdom, nothing is impossible.
Whether it's "strength" or "wisdom," only by accumulating them can great things be accomplished. The two teams parted ways in the forest, each carrying their own mission.
Before long, a caravan of mules appeared on the winding mountain road. Outsiders could only see that the carts were huge and covered with red cloth. The caravan, half-concealed, was more likely to arouse curiosity.
The guards outside the base quickly spotted the strange convoy. One guard, gun at the ready, menacingly stopped the convoy in broken Chinese: "You, stop! What are you doing?"
The old driver at the front of the cart waved his pipe, and the carts behind him stopped. The driver was none other than Uncle Hao. He jumped off the cart, bowed to the two guards, and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Delivering goods."
Delivery? The driver in front of him was wearing a gray short jacket, with gray hair and a face full of deep wrinkles. He was clearly an ordinary old farmer. The guard was not convinced and wanted to drive him away. Uncle Hao was not in a hurry and "swish" pulled out a letter of introduction, which was the one that Gao Qiao had written to the old cart wheel.
Upon seeing Takahashi's seal and autograph, the two guards immediately softened their attitude and ran to the guard post to call for instructions. Uncle Hao simply sat back on the carriage, lit his tobacco, and looked calm and composed, even humming a mountain tune to the sound of gunfire in the wind.
The off-key humming and the buzzing and swirling mosquitoes and flies weave together the sweltering heat of summer.
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