Chapter 53: Calligraphic Works from the Big Shots, Jackpot!

The convoy came to a halt. The moment Lin Ran pushed open the car door, Li Yunlong’s signature booming voice rang out, making ears buzz:
"Hahaha! Brother Lin! I've missed you to death!"

Lin Ran smiled and walked forward, shaking hands firmly with him: "Commander Li, congratulations on the grand victory! I heard you captured a major city without shedding a drop of blood? Impressive!"

Along the way, Lin Ran had learned more detailed information about this battle.
The headquarters had actually taken his plan a step further and added a strategy to encircle enemy points and ambush incoming reinforcements.
No wonder they managed to wipe out so many Japanese troops; it was truly admirable!
Furthermore, the Japanese troops defending the city had ultimately surrendered voluntarily. Hearing this, Lin Ran felt immensely gratified.
These beasts were finally getting a taste of their own medicine!

Li Yunlong laughed heartily: "This is all thanks to the weapons you sent, Brother Lin! In all my years, I've never fought such a satisfying battle!"
Then, he asked impatiently, "Tell me, Brother Lin, what good stuff have you brought our old Li this time?"

Lin Ran smiled: "I didn't bring many things this time, mainly because I wasn't sure what you needed right now, so I just brought a little over a hundred anti-aircraft guns..."

"What?"
Before Lin Ran could finish, Li Yunlong was stunned.
"Brother Lin, you truly are the timely rain for us Eighth Route Army! The headquarters just sent a telegram urging me to ask if you could procure any anti-air firepower."

Lin Ran looked at Li Yunlong: "I didn't expect Commander Li to even know the term 'timely rain'."
Li Yunlong chuckled sheepishly: "What do I know? I just heard it from our Political Commissar Zhao. He said Brother Lin is our timely rain!"

Then Li Yunlong turned around and shouted to the communications soldier: "Quick, wire the headquarters back! Tell them Mr. Lin has brought over a hundred anti-aircraft guns!"
Just as the communications soldier was about to send the telegram, Lin Ran raised a hand to stop him:
"Wait a minute!"

Li Yunlong and the communications soldier looked at Lin Ran simultaneously.
Lin Ran smiled and said, "Ask the headquarters if anyone knows how to fly a plane. If there are any, please make sure... to send a few over."

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Yunlong's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Brother Lin, you... you can even get airplanes?"
Lin Ran pointed toward the rear of the convoy: "Well, they're all parked back there."

The convoy was too long, and coupled with the pitch-black night, Li Yunlong's attention had been entirely captured by the anti-aircraft guns in the front.
Hearing this now, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning, let out a loud shout, and bolted toward the rear!

Lin Ran smiled and shook his head, following after him.
When Li Yunlong ran to the middle section of the convoy and saw those ten gleaming, polished monsters, he turned completely petrified.
Not just one!
A full ten of them!
Silvery and shining, with sleek lines, they exuded a mechanical aesthetic far beyond their era!

Yet the next second, Li Yunlong noticed something amiss: these planes didn't have any propellers.
"B-Brother Lin, are these... are these planes broken?"
Lin Ran caught up, panting heavily. With over a hundred vehicles stretching nearly two kilometers long, he was exhausted.
"Cough... cough... Commander Li, wh... what do you mean?"

Li Yunlong pointed at the J-5 fighter jets and asked, "Brother Lin, how come these planes don't have propellers?"
Lin Ran smiled: "Commander Li, these are called jet aircraft. They don't need propellers."
"Jet aircraft?"
Li Yunlong learned yet another new term.
"Brother Lin, tell us quickly, how do these things compare to the little Japanese planes?" That was what he cared about most.

Recalling the specifications he had looked up earlier, Lin Ran replied, "Their flight speed is roughly double that of the Japanese planes, and their maximum altitude is also much higher than theirs!"
"What?!!!"
Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong felt his scalp tingle instantly!
"Faster and higher than the Japanese planes? Doesn't that mean we can strike whenever we want and leave whenever we please?"
"Exactly!" Lin Ran nodded with a smile.
Using jet aircraft to fight propeller planes was a pure, dimensional reduction strike.

Looking at those ten silver, glittering giants, Li Yunlong grew more excited by the second, practically drooling!
He also knew that once they secured the base area, the Japanese planes would likely come to harass them from time to time.
But with over a hundred anti-aircraft guns, plus these ten higher and faster planes, hehe...

Li Yunlong chuckled, then turned to the communications soldier: "What the hell are you standing around for? Hurry up and wire the headquarters!"
"Yes!"
Coming to his senses, the communications soldier immediately began writing the telegram.
Meanwhile, Li Yunlong threw an arm around Lin Ran's shoulder, acting exceedingly affectionate: "Brother Lin, let's go! Let's head into the city quickly. This time, I’ve prepared a surprise for you too!"

...

The Eighth Route Army Headquarters.
The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
The Japanese planes could arrive at any moment; this was a sword hanging over their heads.
The senior leaders paced back and forth, trying to devise a way to break the deadlock.

"Report! Urgent telegram from Li Yunlong's unit!" the communications staff officer announced, barely containing his excitement.
"Mr. Lin has arrived in the city! He is accompanied by over a hundred anti-aircraft guns and ten advanced jet fighters! Furthermore, Mr. Lin requests: Headquarters must dispatch pilots to support immediately!"

As the communications staff officer finished, the headquarters fell into absolute silence.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Everyone stopped what they were doing, their brains temporarily overloaded.
Over a hundred anti-aircraft guns?
Ten advanced fighters?
And they needed pilots?
Did they mishear?

After a long while, the crowd finally recovered.
"Cough, cough," the Deputy Commander cleared his throat. "This Mr. Lin always makes grand gestures!"
"Indeed!" The Chief of Staff nodded. "I truly don't know how to thank him anymore!"

The Division Commander smiled: "I heard old Chen say last time that Mr. Lin loves calligraphy, and asked him to request a few pieces of fine calligraphy from us."
The Deputy Commander waved a hand dismissively: "What's that? Everyone write a piece for me later, and send them all to Mr. Lin!"
Then he added: "How can our calligraphy count as true masterpieces... Quickly transmit the news back to the rear base!"

With that, the Deputy Commander looked around at the others: "Whoever has people under their command who know how to fly, don't hold back. Send them over to Li Yunlong immediately."
The Division Commander frowned and thought for a moment: "I do have a few under my command, but I can't reach them on such short notice."
The others chimed in: "That's right, the troops are all busy recovering county towns right now, utterly unreachable."

The Deputy Commander's brow furrowed instantly.
The man had delivered airplanes right to their doorstep, yet they didn't even have a single person who knew how to fly them. What kind of situation was this!

At that moment, a young staff officer in the corner suddenly stood up, his face flushed red: "Report, I know how!"
Swish!
Every gaze in the room instantly focused on him!

The Deputy Commander was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing: "Right, right, right! How could we forget about this kid?"
He continued, "Staff Officer Wang, you will depart immediately and head to the city at top speed! Once you arrive, obey all instructions from Mr. Lin!"
"Yes! Guarantee completion of the mission!" Staff Officer Wang's voice trembled with excitement as he puffed out his chest and saluted.
He had originally graduated from an air force academy, but because the Eighth Route Army lacked airplanes, he had ended up serving as a staff officer at headquarters.

The Deputy Commander called out to him again: "Wait, on your way, take the 'calligraphy' from us old fellows as well!"
At these words, the senior leaders all chuckled.
"Hahahaha..."
The atmosphere in the command room instantly relaxed.
Then, the leaders began to pick up their writing brushes one by one...