Bright Sword: Starting from Obtaining the Equipment Slot

In the main hall of Black Cloud Village, Wei Dayong sat in Xie Baoqing's former armchair, with a map in front of him.

Wang Xiao, Hou Yue, and Zhou Huaiyuan stood below, waiting for Wei Dayong to make a decision.

"What do you think of that convoy?"

Wang Xiao was the first to speak: "Battalion Commander, these are Jin-Sui Army's things, it's not a bad thing to take them."

Hou Yue hesitated: "Deputy Battalion Commander Wang, yes, but many of our brothers are from the Jin-Sui Army. If we rob our friendly forces' supplies, some people might feel uncomfortable."

Zhou Huaiyuan nodded: "Battalion Commander, although the Jin-Sui Army isn't very good, they are still friendly forces. Won't it cause trouble if we rob them like this?"

Wei Dayong did not answer immediately. He knew that the others were unaware that Qian Bojun and Zhang Fugui would surrender to the Japanese in the future, and their concerns were normal.

But he couldn't talk about the future; he could only persuade them with other reasons.

"How many battles do you think the Jin-Sui Army has fought over the years?" Wei Dayong asked slowly.

The three looked at each other, wondering why Wei Dayong had asked this.

"I served in the Central Army and have met many brothers in the Jin-Sui Army." Wei Dayong stood up, walked to the window, and said, "To put it bluntly, how many members of the Jin-Sui Army, from top to bottom, were truly committed to resisting the Japanese?"

"Officers embezzle pay and sell off supplies, while soldiers are starving and cold. Can such an army win battles?"

A complex expression flashed across Hou Yue's face. As a former Kuomintang soldier, he had a deep understanding of these matters.

"The battalion commander is right," Hou Yue sighed. "Back when I was in the Central Army, half of my monthly pay was withheld, and the company commander even forced us to rob the people of their grain."

Zhou Huaiyuan nodded in agreement: "I've heard that local officers may have gone even further. Some officers in the Jin-Sui Army even did business with the Japanese and made a fortune from the national crisis."

Wei Dayong seized the opportunity and said, "What use are these supplies in Qian Bojun's hands? They'll just be resold by him or sent to the Japanese."

"But in our hands, every bullet can hit the Japanese devils, and every grain of rice can feed our soldiers and keep them fighting."

He turned to the three men and said, "Tell me, is this deal worth doing?"

Wang Xiao was the first to speak up: "The battalion commander is right! It's worth it!"

Hou Yue clenched his fist: "Battalion Commander, I'll listen to you!"

Zhou Huaiyuan hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "Battalion Commander, I understand."

"Okay." Wei Dayong returned to his seat. "Old Wu will work with Wang Xiao to clear out the stronghold and settle the soldiers in their lodgings."

"Company Commander Zhou, Company Commander Hou, you two come with me to discuss tomorrow's ambush plan."

That afternoon, Wang Xiao led Lao Wu and the soldiers of the First Company to begin clearing the mountain stronghold.

Wei Dayong, along with Zhou Huaiyuan and the others, searched around the village.

When Wei Dayong reached the edge of a cliff in Houzhai, he stopped.

He activated his ability to see in all directions.

The terrain within a five-kilometer radius was clearly presented in his mind.

Besides copying existing buildings, he also noticed some unusual things.

Below the mountain, there appears to be a man-made passage that winds its way into the mountainside.

"There's something here." Wei Dayong opened his eyes and pointed to the bottom of the cliff.

Zhou Huaiyuan and Hou Yue looked in the direction he pointed and saw only rocks and weeds.

"Commander, is there anything here?" Hou Yue asked.

"A hidden military tunnel," Wei Dayong said confidently. "It was dug by the ancients, and it's quite large."

He had the soldiers move some stones, revealing the entrance to the cave.

Wei Dayong lit a torch and led the way inside.

The passageway is wide, more than two meters wide, and high enough for a person to walk upright.

After walking about fifty meters, the passage suddenly opened up and turned into a huge space.

The interior is a maze of interconnected passages with several branching points leading in different directions.

"Huh? Is this really true?" Hou Yue couldn't help but exclaimed, "How many people can tolerate this magnanimity?"

Wei Dayong estimated: "Two or three thousand people is no problem, and there is still a lot of room for expansion."

He turned to Zhou Huaiyuan and said, "Take some men and clean this place up. From now on, it will be our secret base."

Zhou Huaiyuan nodded and immediately arranged for soldiers to go in and clean up.

Wei Dayong returned to Qianzhai and found Wang Xiao.

"Company Commander Wang, how's the plan for the mountain stronghold coming along?" Wei Dayong asked.

Wang Xiao handed over a rough plan: "Battalion Commander, I've roughly planned it out. The front village will be used as a training ground, the middle village as barracks, and the rear village as a warehouse."

"Also," Wang Xiao pointed to a spot on the sketch, "there's a courtyard here, clean and well-ventilated. I'd like to designate it as a hospital, specifically for the wounded."

Wei Dayong looked at it and nodded in satisfaction: "Do it your way. The hospital needs to be well-equipped, and the wounded and sick can't be treated poorly."

"Yes!" Wang Xiao saluted and turned to make the arrangements.

Wei Dayong returned to his room and called Zhou Huaiyuan and Hou Yue over.

"Tomorrow's ambush will proceed as previously agreed. You two will lead the Second and Third Companies into battle, and I will personally command them," Wei Dayong said.

"Yes!" the two answered in unison.

"There's one more thing." Wei Dayong took out a piece of paper from the drawer, on which some slang and code words were written. "These were obtained from the prisoners. Make sure all the soldiers below memorize them."

"We must impersonate the bandits of Qingfeng Village and not give ourselves away in the slightest."

Zhou Huaiyuan took the note and read its contents: "Battalion Commander, what's the background of Qingfeng Village?"

"There's another gang of bandits nearby, even more ruthless than Black Cloud Stronghold, who do all sorts of evil," Wei Dayong said. "They've always been at odds with Black Cloud Stronghold, so it's a good opportunity to frame them."

"Understood." The two nodded.

Silent all night.

Early the next morning, Wei Dayong led the Second and Third Companies to quietly leave the mountain stronghold and head to the designated ambush location.

The road was lined with dense woods, perfect for an ambush.

The soldiers dispersed and hid, waiting for the convoy to arrive.

Around 10 a.m., the sound of horses' hooves and wheels could be heard in the distance.

One after another, large trucks came into view, a total of twenty-five, each covered with a tarpaulin.

The escorting soldiers numbered over a hundred and appeared quite relaxed; some were dozing off on the carts, while others smoked as they walked.

Wei Dayong sneered.

The Jin-Sui Army's style was just as he remembered. These soldiers weren't there to fight; they were there for a stroll.

He raised his hand, signaling the soldiers to prepare.

Once the convoy entered the ambush zone, Wei Dayong gave the order: "Fire!"

Gunfire erupted instantly, and a hail of bullets flew toward the convoy.

The escorting soldiers were caught off guard and fell one after another.

"Enemy attack! Enemy presence!"

Wei Dayong led his soldiers out, firing and shouting, "This road is mine, these trees are mine! If you want to pass, leave your toll!"

The battle was swift; in less than ten minutes, the escorting soldiers were completely routed.

Wei Dayong spotted a man in an officer's uniform trying to escape in the crowd.

"Grab him!" Wei Dayong shouted.

Several soldiers rushed forward and quickly pinned the man to the ground.

Wei Dayong walked over and looked at the person.

"Who are you?" Wei Dayong asked.

The man raised his head and begged for mercy repeatedly: "I...I am Zhang Fugui, the deputy battalion commander of the First Battalion. Heroes, I can pay the ransom..."

"Zhang Fugui?" Wei Dayong looked him up and down.

This person is Zhang Fugui, who will surrender to the Japanese along with Qian Bojun in the future.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Wei Dayong's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

Now is not the time to kill him; keeping him alive will allow him to play a greater role.

"Did Qian Bojun send you to escort supplies?" Wei Dayong asked.

"Yes...it was Battalion Commander Qian who sent me." Zhang Fugui nodded repeatedly.

Wei Dayong remained silent for a moment, then suddenly waved his hand: "Let them go. I'm quite familiar with Battalion Commander Qian, so I'll spare your lives this time!"

"Third leader?" The soldier next to him was taken aback.

"Tell him to go back and tell Qian Bojun," Wei Dayong said, staring at Zhang Fugui, "that this batch of supplies is Qian Bojun repaying a favor to Qingfeng Village!"

Zhang Fugui was stunned for a moment, then nodded repeatedly: "So it was...it was the brothers from Qingfeng Village in person...I'll remember that..."

Wei Dayong had his ropes untied, patted his face, and said, "Everyone except the coachman, get out of here."

Zhang Fugui breathed a sigh of relief and, with the remaining thirty-odd men, scrambled away without looking back.

Hou Yue walked over, somewhat puzzled: "Battalion Commander, why were you liberated?"

"Keeping him around is useful," Wei Dayong said. "If we let him take the message back, Qian Bojun will only cause trouble for Qingfeng Village, and won't suspect us."

Hou Yue suddenly realized, and gave a thumbs up: "The battalion commander is really capable!"

Wei Dayong didn't speak, he just stared in the direction Zhang Fugui had disappeared.

He knew that sooner or later, he would meet Zhang Fugui again.

At that point, it's hard to say whether or not he'll be allowed to live.

After the battle, the soldiers began to take stock of the supplies.

The canvas of the wagon was lifted, revealing that it was filled with food, ammunition, and various supplies.

"Battalion Commander, inventory complete!" Zhou Huaiyuan ran over to report. "There are approximately 500 shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain, enough weapons and ammunition to equip a reinforced company, plus two Shanxi-made 75mm mortars and two hundred artillery shells!"

Wei Dayong looked at the supplies and a smile appeared on his face.

"Load the supplies onto the trucks and transport them back to the mountain stronghold!" Wei Dayong ordered.

The large wagons that the caravan brought came in handy, and the grooms and horses also became spoils of war.

The soldiers happily loaded the supplies onto the truck and headed towards the mountain village.

It was already evening when we returned to the mountain village.

Wang Xiao led a company of soldiers to greet them at the village gate. Seeing so many supplies, they were all very excited.

"Brothers, you've worked hard!" Wang Xiao shouted.

"It's not hard work!" the soldiers responded in unison.

Wei Dayong got out of the car and looked at the lively scene, feeling very happy.

Just then, a figure walked over.

It is Zhou Wenxu.

There was no smile on his face, but rather a troubled expression, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Staff Officer Zhou, is something the matter?" Wei Dayong noticed his expression.

Zhou Wenxu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Battalion Commander, I have a personal matter to ask of you... It's a bit tricky."