Chapter 25: Reporting Through the Ranks

The next day, Li Yunlong and Xu Gaoxiang had not yet shaken off their hangovers. The soldiers of the New First Regiment were still savoring the taste of the meat from the day before, their faces glowing with contentment.

"Brother Zhuzi, this is the first time I've ever eaten pork this fatty!" the soldier said, quickly wiping the corner of his mouth.

"Look at you, greedy as a pig. Learn from Xiao Lei! Don't just think about eating; hurry up and give me a hand!"

In a small courtyard, Wang Chengzhu and the aforementioned Xiao Lei were meticulously maintaining an M2 81mm mortar. As the prized assets of the New First Regiment, the mortar squad had benefited from Wang Chengzhu’s favor the previous day, receiving not only an extra portion of pork but also two cups of sweet potato liquor, a reward from the regimental commander himself.

The gluttonous soldier took the mortar base plate and began to wipe it down carefully. "Brother Zhuzi, we only have a few shells left. Do you think there will be more? This thing is way more powerful than our old cannons!"

Wang Chengzhu thought of Xu Gaoxiang. "With our regimental commander here, there will surely be more! Besides, didn't you hear that unusual gunfire from the east side of the village yesterday? Maybe our commander can get his hands on more of these, too!"

The news that the regiment had acquired new weapons had already spread throughout the New First Regiment. Soldiers from every battalion and company were convinced that they would be the ones to receive them, each arguing their case with fervor.

The greedy soldier’s eyes lit up. "Brother Zhuzi, does that mean I might get a mortar too and become a gunner?"

Wang Chengzhu glanced at him sideways. "With your skills? You’d better stick to tending that old cannon! If we get new ones, Xiao Lei will be the gunner."

Xiao Lei gave an honest, bashful smile. "Hehe, it’s all thanks to Brother Zhuzi’s teaching."

The greedy soldier muttered under his breath, "Can I even compare to Brother Lei? Brother Lei can carry the mortar and the shells all by himself and run twenty miles in one breath!"

Wang Chengzhu smacked him on the backside. "Too much talk! Get back to learning and practicing!"

Elsewhere, while the soldiers were busy debating, Li Yunlong walked out of the regimental headquarters, shaking off his grogginess. "Hey, you, from the communication squad—come here!"

The squad members immediately ran out and lined up.

"This must be delivered to the brigade headquarters immediately!" Li Yunlong selected a soldier and handed him a document bag containing a tattered regimental flag and the award applications for the First Battalion and Wang Chengzhu.

"Yes, Commander! Mission guaranteed!" The soldier turned and hurried toward the brigade headquarters.

"Next, notify all battalions and companies to assemble on the training ground. Be quick about it!" Li Yunlong was decisive; he was determined to establish a reinforced firepower company. He planned to let them master these weapons while waiting for the next shipment from Xu Gaoxiang. Once the whole regiment was re-equipped, he would disperse the veterans of the reinforced company among the new recruits, quickly building combat effectiveness.

Just then, Xu Gaoxiang stepped out, stretching his back. Li Yunlong approached him with a grin. "Hehe, Brother Xu, I need another favor from you. We’re all rough men here, barely literate—I’m even doubling as the political commissar. I was hoping you could explain to the men how to operate and maintain these weapons and what they need to watch out for."

Xu Gaoxiang was more than happy to oblige. "Haha, no problem! I’ll try my hand at being a teacher!"

Li Yunlong led Xu Gaoxiang to the training ground, where many soldiers were already lining up in formation.

While Li Yunlong and Xu Gaoxiang waited for the assembly, the communication soldier arrived at the brigade headquarters. After passing through several levels of security, the document bag reached the hands of Chief of Staff Li.

Chief of Staff Li shook his head with a chuckle. "This Li Yunlong, he’s thick-skinned enough to actually ask for awards? But... what else is in here? Why is it so thick?" He weighed the bag, curious.

He opened it and scanned the two award applications—the first for the First Battalion and Wang Chengzhu. When he saw the contents of the second sheet, his grip tightened. He held it closer, reading it intently. After finishing, he eagerly pulled the remaining item from the bag.

When the tattered Japanese regimental flag unfolded, the Chief of Staff could no longer contain his excitement. "Good! Excellent!"

His shout surprised the rest of the headquarters staff. Without another word, he grabbed the flag and hurried toward the Brigade Commander’s office. "Old Chen, great news! This is a huge victory!"

The Brigade Commander heard him from a distance and adjusted his glasses. "Sounds like Old Li. What’s all this excitement about?" He stepped out into the courtyard. "Old Li, did you eat honey or something? Why so happy?"

Chief of Staff Li looked up, laughing. "Hahaha, better than that! Look at this!"

The Brigade Commander took the tattered flag, examined it closely, and looked up in shock. "What? This is... this is Sakata’s regimental flag?!"

Upon confirmation, the Brigade Commander was overjoyed. "Hahahaha! Good for you, Li Yunlong, hiding such a surprise from me! No wonder the brat didn't say a word—he wasn't worried about punishment because he had this waiting!"

The Brigade Commander knew Li Yunlong all too well. "If we report this for a commendation, that brat will be floating in the clouds, and then he’ll go and cause some other massive trouble!"

The Chief of Staff shook his head. "So, shall we report it?"

"Report it? Of course! Why wouldn't we report such a glorious victory? Let the people of the whole country know that the Eighth Route Army isn't made of mud and that the Japanese devils won't be arrogant for long! Don't worry, with me here, Li Yunlong won't get out of hand. I’ll give him the nerve to try disobeying my orders!" the Brigade Commander said with confidence.

Soon, the tattered flag, along with the joint signatures of the brigade leadership, was sent to the headquarters.

That day, looking at the flag on the table, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief and the Deputy Chief of Staff burst into laughter. "Hahaha, that kid Li Yunlong always manages to give you an unexpected surprise!"

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief made the final decision. "Good, send it to Yan'an immediately and have the newspaper prepare for a full-scale report!"

Seeing the Deputy Commander-in-Chief in such high spirits, the Deputy Chief of Staff probed, "Sir, what about Li Yunlong’s punishment?"

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief chuckled and waved his hand. "Ha, that Li Yunlong! He probably calculated that handing this over would balance his merits and faults. Hmph, he’s dreaming! Merit is merit, and fault is fault. He’ll be rewarded for his achievement, but he won't escape punishment for his insubordination!"

He stood with his hands behind his back. "The boy can fight, but he's a troublemaker. If we don't teach him a lesson, he’s bound to cause a catastrophe! But let’s wait and see what Yan'an decides for his commendation."