Chapter Sixteen: The Harvest of the Enigmatic Dragon

July 31, 1938, Old Jun Temple

After Gu Yufei was pushed out by Wang Yue, Milong hurried back. This guy, now holding the rank of second lieutenant and platoon leader, was in charge of all the “business” for the independent detachment. Otherwise, how else could he support so many troops?

But Wang Yue never expected that Milong would manage to bring back two brand-new Brandt M1935 mortars. These artillery pieces were indeed superior in performance, but there were very few domestically produced ones. After such a long war, many had been lost, so where could he have gotten new ones? Yet Milong not only brought them back but also managed to procure 128 shells.

“Are these all original shells?” Wang Yue couldn’t help but marvel as he looked at the neatly stacked ammunition boxes in front of him. Jinling used to manufacture such shells, but domestically produced ones were simply packed in wooden boxes. Imported shells, however, were different. The outer layer was a wooden box; inside were two tightly sealed tin containers. Each container held eight sturdy cardboard tubes, and inside each tube was a shell. They were ready to use once the primer and fuse were installed.

“Of course. The lead seals on the ammo boxes are still intact. Xie Baoqing from Heiyun Village bought them from defeated bandits hoping to use them to defend the village. But later, he realized they didn’t know how to operate them, so he decided to sell the two mortars to trade for weapons he could actually use,” Milong said proudly, pointing to the sealed boxes.

“By the way, how on earth did you manage to trade for these treasures?” Wang Yue examined the mortars closely. They were indeed brand new. Of the two boxes, one’s seal was intact, while the other had been opened. Yet, the celluloid on the firing pin hadn’t been removed, showing the bandits didn’t know the firing pin had to be installed with a screwdriver onto the mortar’s striker. The carrying cases, maintenance oil, soft cloth, brushes, sights, spare firing pins—everything was there.

“I traded the Saint-Étienne 1907 heavy machine gun that the 17th Division’s guard company used to have, along with four ammo belts. For those shells, I picked out ten ‘big-eye’ boxes that weren’t in the best condition. And the bandits even gave me a Browning M1900 pistol as a return gift,” Milong took a sleek Browning M1900 from his pocket and showed it off in front of Wang Yue.

“That’s confiscated. I’ll have He Da cook you a few meat dishes later,” Wang Yue said, eyeing Milong as he took the pistol. This guy was really resourceful—he even managed to trade away that awful Saint-Étienne 1907, considered the worst heavy machine gun ever made. Even Li Yunlong didn’t want it.

“Please, Commander, can I at least keep it for a couple of days?” Milong pleaded reluctantly.

“Quit whining. Seriously though, there’s only about fifteen thousand jin of millet left in the mountains—won’t last a month. We have to find a way to buy more grain quickly, or we’re going to starve,” Wang Yue said solemnly. The grain that refreshed daily in the storage was always put back for emergencies; normal consumption had to be handled as much as possible on their own.

“The devils are going crazy, imposing a strict blockade on the mountain areas. Grain prices have shot up by twenty percent in just a week, and supplies are scarce. It’s a tough situation,” Milong said with a troubled look. For months, they had been wandering around Heyuan County and the surrounding areas, trading arms for grain, but they had disrupted the market. In his opinion, it was better to find another place for such transactions.

“How many men does Xie Baoqing have now?” Wang Yue nodded thoughtfully. The Japanese blockade of the mountains was clearly more effective than launching a direct attack. If they didn’t want to starve, they had to act—either leave Heyuan County or seek a decisive battle with the Japanese.

“Commander, he has over six hundred bandits. Even the Japanese dare not provoke them lightly,” Milong’s heart tightened upon hearing Wang Yue’s words. Although Heiyun Village’s terrain was not as treacherous as Old Jun Temple, the sheer number of men and arms, along with the sturdy fortifications in the mountains, made it a tough nut to crack.

“What are you thinking? Xie Baoqing isn’t my target. My idea is, since those guys don’t know how to use the mortars, why don’t we sell them the mortars along with artillery support?” Wang Yue wasn’t sentimental; he had no intention of preemptively dealing with the Mountain Cats. Instead, he wanted to strengthen Heiyun Village’s firepower. After all, they would be fighting the Japanese for the next few years.

“What! No way, Commander. These mortars are heavy as hell. To get these two and the shells back, I nearly killed two donkeys. How could I possibly haul them back up?” Milong exploded. The terrain around Heiyun Village was a nightmare both for hauling supplies up and bringing them down.

“You coward. Aren’t there any prisoners in the coal mines behind the mountain who know how to use grenade launchers?” When Wang Yue used his soul-searching ability to screen prisoners, he found quite a few problematic elements. These men deserved to die, yet they were also victims of harsh circumstances. In these times, how many could truly live as they wished? So, they were locked in the small coal mines at the back of the mountain. They mined coal by day and turned it into coke by night to supply Du Gui’s armory repair shop—an act of atonement. According to later conventions, these men would be classified as labor reform prisoners. Gu Yufei had even set up a temporary military tribunal to interrogate them.

“There is one, but he killed an officer when he deserted,” Milong was unsure. “You’re ruthless, Commander. Now you want to show mercy? As your top bodyguard, this is tough for me.”

“They’re all old brothers from the Northeast Army. It’s already a miracle they’re alive. You get in touch with him and have him go undercover with Xie Baoqing. Have Gu Yufei issue a partial amnesty to temporarily pardon his crimes. How to proceed from there, let her discuss with Xu Zhongyi,” Wang Yue smiled. Strengthening Xie Baoqing’s forces would make the Japanese even more miserable.

“Commander, how about selling one Taisho Year 10 grenade launcher for ten thousand jin of millet? Both for sale?” Milong counted on his fingers. One jin of millet was about eight fen in silver currency. The grenade launcher alone wasn’t worth much, but with artillery support, it was a different story.

“Be generous. Two Taisho Year 10 grenade launchers, forty 91 model hand grenades, ten ‘big-eye’ boxes, fifty Yanling sabers—all for twenty thousand jin of millet. Don’t be too harsh, or there won’t be any more business later. Oh, and give that brother a thousand military notes too,” Wang Yue thought for a moment and instructed. The grenade launchers were complicated to manufacture but not expensive in cost. The real price lay in the ammunition. Pricing them too high wasn’t wise. The ultimate goal was to empower Xie Baoqing to trouble the Japanese more.

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