You were tasked with guarding the Sihang Warehouse, and you brought out a Tiger tank?

"Buzz... Cousin, cousin, please respond!"

Over the radio, Zhao Yushu's voice was unusually excited, making Lin Feng think that his cousin had gotten married and had just entered the bridal chamber.

He put down the map, grabbed the microphone, and said irritably, "This is Lin Feng. Spit it out. Have some Japanese soldiers gone to the county town?"

"It's not the Japanese, it's money! The soldiers are getting their pay!"

Zhao Yushu shouted over the radio:

"The Jiangfang Command informed us that the Ministry of Military Affairs had specially approved the payment of our military pay, which was in cash plus legal tender. It was in the county government's warehouse in the county town, and we were told to send a cart to pick it up."

"Military pay?"

Lin Feng paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at the sun outside the tent.

Didn't they come out from the west?

It should be noted that since the Battle of Shanghai began, the military pay of various units has never been normal.

Those who receive 70% of the pay are the most loyal and elite troops; those from non-elite units who receive 30% of the pay still have to kowtow to their superiors.

As for his new designation, the Provisional 8th Army, it has only ever been a name since its establishment; he hasn't seen a single penny of it.

"How many have you sent?" Lin Feng asked, trying to calm himself down.

"Full amount! The full amount! It's like the sun rose in the west!"

Zhao Yushu's voice was trembling; he was clearly dazzled by the sum of the military pay.

"The number of personnel issued was based on the two divisions and one brigade of our Provisional 8th Army, totaling 28,000 men."

One-third of them were found in silver dollars, and two-thirds were issued as legal tender.

The total salary is 350,000.

The cost of staple and non-staple foods is 200,000 yuan.

Even the thousands of mules and horses in our artillery regiment and transport battalion were not forgotten by the higher-ups, who specially approved 50,000 yuan for horse feed.

There are also 50,000 yuan in office and miscellaneous expenses.

"A total of 650,000, 650,000 silver dollars and legal tender, my cousin."

Lin Feng was silent for two seconds, then sneered.

The little schemes of those men up there are all too easy to see through.

"Ha, this isn't military pay, it's a last meal before someone's execution!"

They are usually very stingy, practically squeezing oil out of a rock. Even a ragtag army would have to beg and plead for a little bit of mobilization funds.

Suddenly becoming generous?

That's because the situation had deteriorated to the extreme.

The 700,000 troops that once gathered in Shanghai have now basically all collapsed.

In Nanjing, those high-ranking officials and dignitaries had even packed up their valuables for the relocation of the capital, and some had even bought river-view apartments in the mountain city.

The troops still retreating on the road have received only one order—to retreat to Nanjing.

Jiang Yin, as the key to the Yangtze River and the gate to Nanjing, was the last decent line of defense.

This money was meant to keep the troops still in Jiangyin firmly in place, buying time for the bigwigs to escape.

"Cousin, then let's..."

"Take it, why not take it? It's a coward not to take free money."

Lin Feng spoke loudly into the microphone:

"Yushu, I'll send you a company with trucks to bring the money back. Tell the brothers that this is what we deserve."

Even if it's our last meal before we're executed, we should at least have something with meat!

After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng silently did some mental calculations.

According to the current standards of the National Revolutionary Army, his nominal monthly salary as a lieutenant general was 500 yuan.

Including miscellaneous job allowances and special office expenses, if one doesn't exploit soldiers or engage in corruption, one's legal income is approximately 1600 yuan per month.

This sum of money would be equivalent to 40 to 80 yuan in today's world. In Shanghai or Nanjing today, this amount of money would be enough to buy half a small courtyard house or support a large family of fifty people to live a life of luxury.

But in Lin Feng's eyes, who possessed the system...

"1600 legal tender? That's only enough to buy a dozen or so 150mm heavy howitzer shells in the system just to hear the sound."

Lin Feng curled his lip, looking disgusted.

However, the total of 650,000 is still quite considerable.

You should know that the friendly forces next door, the brothers of the 112th Division of the Northeast Army, have been like motherless children since the Young Marshal was detained. They are lucky if they can get 80% of their pay, and they are still exploited by their superiors at every level. When the ordinary soldiers get their hands on four or five yuan a month, they should be burning incense in gratitude.

As for the Guizhou soldiers who wore straw sandals and carried two guns, they were in a terrible state, often carrying worthless homemade currency and even having to beg along the way to make a living.

Thinking of this, Lin Feng shook the phone and called Lin Peiji, who was still in charge of logistics in the county town:

"Pass down the order!"

"After this military pay was brought back, it was immediately recorded. The silver dollars were kept, and the difference was made up with the legal tender I had saved up and the legal tender I had collected from the Ma family. The full amount was then distributed."

Our Provisional 8th Army doesn't engage in empty talk or cheating.

Privates received 7 yuan a month, and second lieutenants received 33 yuan a month, not a penny less, all of it was distributed.

"It gives everyone peace of mind to fight the Japanese with money in their pockets."

The previously lifeless atmosphere at the garrisons of the Provisional 50th and 51st Divisions was completely shattered by shouts of "Money's out!"

The sound was more melodious than firecrackers during the New Year, and more pleasant than the voices of prostitutes.

"We've made it! We've really made it! It's all brand new bills."

An old soldier with a full beard had tears in his eyes. He had served in the army for eight years, moving between three different military posts. His superiors always got the meat while he only got the soup. If he received 60% of his salary, that was considered a stroke of good luck. Most of the time, he received "dirt money" that he could never spend.

A greenhorn who had just enlisted, whose unit had been scattered and who had recently been incorporated into the Provisional 8th Army, stared blankly at the legal tender in his hand and stammered:

"Uncle, this...this is all we get? No need to pay 'tribute' to the company commander? No need to deduct from our food allowance? No need to deduct from our shoe and sock allowance?"

"What a load of crap!"

The seasoned veteran slapped the hothead on the back of the head and laughed as he scolded:

"You're just naive. Who's our army commander now? It's Commander Lin Feng. He's a great hero who even captured the Japanese regimental flag. Do you think he'd stoop to our pittance?"

"I heard from the veterans of the First Honor Brigade that Commander Lin has given the order: anyone who dares to lay a hand on him will be chopped off and fed to the dogs! A company commander? He wouldn't dare to detain someone even if you gave him three times the courage."

Not far away, several defeated soldiers from the Sichuan Army sat together, clutching money in their hands, weeping uncontrollably.

"Damn it, if he had met an officer like Commander Lin earlier, Erwazi wouldn't have been beaten to death for fighting over half a spoiled bun..."

A dark-skinned, thin man wiped away his tears and carefully hid the Chinese currency close to his body.

"I won't spend this money; I'll keep it. If I die, I'll have someone send it back to my hometown for my blind mother... Just say it's the reward from Commander Lin for risking my life, enough for her to live on in her old age."

"Yes, that's what benevolence and righteousness are."

Another soldier, his eyes red, roared:

"Those officers used to call us brothers when we charged into battle, but when it came time to pay our wages, they treated us like beggars."

Only Commander Lin treated us like human beings.

"This life now belongs to Commander Lin. If those Japanese devils want to cross the Yangtze River, they'll have to step over my dead body first."

In this era of competing to be the worst, an officer who doesn't exploit his soldiers, pays them in full, and even provides them with enough food is a living bodhisattva, a second parent, and a god to whom one would lay down their heart.

Once they received the money, most of these soldiers who risked their lives wouldn't save it.

Who knows if I'll survive until tomorrow?

"Drink today, for tomorrow we die" is the philosophy of survival on the battlefield.

Countless officers and soldiers took turns requesting leave to go out.

For a time, a bizarre and abnormal prosperity emerged in the market towns on the outskirts of Jiangyin County.

Shops that had closed due to the war reopened one after another, and even farmers from the surrounding countryside came carrying their goods.

"Roast chicken! Freshly roasted chicken! Two for one yuan."

"Fine wine! Aged Shaoxing wine! Would you like a bowl to warm yourself up, sir?"

"Cigarettes! Hademen, Lao Dao brand, you name it!"

The streets were packed with soldiers, waving banknotes, eating meat, and drinking wine.

There was no forced buying or selling, and no oppression of the people.

Because Zhao Yushu was leading the military police on patrols in the streets, and the soldiers had money to spare, they could afford to pay high prices, and were even more generous than usual.

Although the merchants were afraid of war, they couldn't stop smiling when they saw the piles of money.

This may be the last glimmer of light for this ancient city before its destruction.

……

Huashan Command Center.

Standing on high ground, Lin Feng listened to the noise and cheers coming from the distant town and looked at the young and vibrant faces around the bonfires, feeling a mix of emotions.

"One round of military pay bought the loyalty of over 20,000 lives. It was worth it."