Bright Sword: Starting from Obtaining the Equipment Slot

Li Yunlong was about to turn around and distribute the weapons when he heard this and stopped in his tracks.

"Comrades from Yan'an?" Li Yunlong paused for a moment, then a look of doubt crossed his face. "Let's go see them!"

He strode toward the direction the soldier pointed, and Wei Dayong and Kong Jie followed.

In the distance, a tall, middle-aged man stood leading a magnificent, crimson warhorse. The horse was well-fed and strong, with a glossy coat, clearly no ordinary horse.

The newcomer was dressed in Eighth Route Army uniform, but the hem was neat and the collar was buttoned up, which was quite different from ordinary soldiers, exuding an air of sophistication and pomp.

"Old Chen!" Li Yunlong's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward. "What brings you here?"

The man greeted Li Yunlong with a smile and patted the horse's neck.

This horse, named Red Fox, was his beloved mount.

"I was ordered to set off from Yan'an to Huaiyin to carry out work behind enemy lines," he explained. "Hu Zongnan's blockade line blocked the eastward route, so I had no choice but to detour north, passing through the Jin-Sui Army's controlled area. I made a special trip to see you, my old comrade-in-arms, as I passed through northwestern Shanxi."

His gaze swept around, and when he saw the weapons and ammunition scattered on the ground, his eyes lit up instantly. He strode over to a Type 92 heavy machine gun, reached out and touched the barrel, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Old Li, how much of a fortune have you made?" He turned to look at Li Yunlong. "So many weapons, and artillery..."

Li Yunlong patted the heavy machine gun triumphantly: "Old Chen, look! We've raided the entire Sakata Regiment's stash!"

The man stared at the mountain of weapons, his mouth practically watering. He leaned close to Li Yunlong and whispered, "Everyone gets a share! Li Yunlong, you can't keep it all to yourself!"

Li Yunlong glared at him: "Get lost! This was divided among the three of us, it's not your turn!"

He muttered resentfully, "Then I'll trade you something better, okay?"

Wei Dayong stood to the side, looking at the newcomer, seemingly calm, but in reality, his heart was in turmoil.

This person is actually Chen Dalei! One of the main characters in the TV series "My Brother is Called Shunliu"!

Wei Dayong instantly realized that the world he was in was not simply a parallel world to "Bright Sword", but a comprehensive world of film and television.

He couldn't help but think of the sharpshooter from the TV series, Shunliu, also known as Chen Erlei. Since Chen Dalei was here, Shunliu would appear sooner or later.

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Wei Dayong's eyes as he decided to find a way to trap Chen Dalei.

He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, putting on a righteous and chivalrous air: "Brother Chen, it's our first meeting. Here are five rifles and five hundred rounds of ammunition as a small gift."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie refused to comply.

"Brother Wei, what are you doing?" Li Yunlong frowned. "We traded people for our weapons!"

Kong Jie nodded in agreement: "Yes, Brother Wei, this is no small sum."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dalei's eyes lit up even more. He looked at Wei Dayong: "Then I'll trade people! How many do you want?"

Wei Dayong smiled and said, "Not many, just like Commander Li, one person will suffice."

Chen Dalei was overjoyed and patted his chest, saying, "This time, there are sixteen of us going south. Anyone but myself can go!"

He was certain that this was his first meeting with Wei Dayong, and that the latter couldn't possibly know who was the best in his team.

Wei Dayong looked at Chen Dalei and said, word by word, "Then I'll borrow your brother."

Chen Dalei was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "I don't have a younger brother at all! Is this deal done in one go?"

Wei Dayong feigned generosity and said, "Brother Chen, I will choose a time to settle the bet. If you don't have a brother by then, the deal will be complete. But if you do have a brother, and I ask you for him, you must release him unconditionally."

Chen Dalei found Wei Dayong's serious expression amusing. He was certain he didn't have a younger brother and wouldn't be at a disadvantage, so he readily agreed, "Okay! Let's draw up a contract to avoid future disputes!"

Chen Dalei took out a piece of paper from his pocket, wrote down a note, and promised that if he had a younger brother in the future, Wei Dayong could borrow him unconditionally.

He asked Li Yunlong and Kong Jie to be witnesses, and the two of them signed the document without much thought.

Chen Dalei handed the receipt to Wei Dayong, who carefully put it away.

Shunliu, your older brother is going to be replaced. From now on, you'll be called Chen Eryong!

Wei Dayong carefully put away the document and looked up at the mountain of weapons piled up in front of him.

Next came the division of spoils.

The soldiers of the assault battalion neatly categorized and piled up their weapons and ammunition, putting Japanese weapons in one pile, Jin-Sui Army weapons in another, and heavy weapons such as artillery in a separate pile.

Wei Dayong walked to the pile of weapons, pointed to the Japanese weapons, and said, "I want all of these. The artillery is mine too. Standardizing the weapons will make resupply easier."

Li Yunlong and Kong Jie exchanged a glance. Their gazes lingered on the cannon for a few seconds before shifting away.

Li Yunlong swallowed hard: "Fine, you take the cannon. We'll split the rest between our two families."

Kong Jie nodded: "Yes, that's fair."

Although they coveted the artillery, they were also aware of their own troops' situation. The Eighth Route Army's logistics were already difficult; artillery was useless without shells. Moreover, having so many rifles and machine guns was already enough to upgrade their troops' weaponry.

In the end, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie each received weapons and ammunition for about 700 people, including some Japanese rifles and most of the weapons of the Jin-Sui Army.

The soldiers excitedly carried their weapons, their faces beaming with smiles.

After the spoils were divided, to prevent any unforeseen complications, the group quickly split up and left the battlefield.

Chen Dalei received five rifles and five hundred rounds of ammunition, plus a promise to provide them to Chen Erlei in the future. Satisfied, he followed Li Yunlong to the New First Regiment's garrison.

Along the way, he kept pestering Li Yunlong: "Old Li, you see, I just arrived in Huaiyin and we're short-handed right now. Could you send me some more men?"

Li Yunlong waved his hand: "Get lost! I don't even have enough for myself!"

"If we're short-handed, I'd accept some weapons and ammunition!"

"Get lost! Nobody's ever been able to get anything out of me, Old Li!"

The two chatted and laughed as they walked toward the New First Regiment's encampment.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfei led the soldiers of the 358th Regiment back to Daguzhen with more than 1000 Japanese corpses.

Upon returning to his post, Fang Ligong immediately got to work.

In the temporary command post in Daguzhen, he was hunched over the table, writing furiously. His hands were trembling, not from the cold, but from excitement.

"Good news! The 358th Regiment of the Command has encountered the main force of the Japanese Sakata Regiment in Luye County. After a day of fierce fighting, the officers and soldiers fought bravely and relentlessly, ultimately defeating the enemy's advance with their own flesh and blood, annihilating more than 1,200 enemy soldiers and capturing countless light and heavy weapons..."

Fang Ligong muttered to himself as he wrote.

After finishing writing, he carefully folded the telegram and handed it to the communications soldier: "Quickly, send it to the Second War Zone Headquarters immediately. Also, send a copy to Commander Yan."

The communications soldier took the telegram, saluted, and ran out.

Fang Ligong stood there, watching the communications soldier's retreating figure, and let out a long sigh.

The news reached the Second War Zone Command late at night.

In the operations room, several staff officers were on duty. When they saw the report of victory, they were all stunned.

"Over 1,200 men?" A staff officer rubbed his eyes. "You didn't see wrong, did you? A whole regiment annihilated over 1,200 Japanese soldiers?"

"It's definitely fake!" another staff officer shook his head. "How many men are in the 358th Regiment? Could they possibly annihilate a Japanese battalion without taking a detour? Impossible!"

They couldn't believe it and immediately called Dagu Town to verify.

On the other end of the phone, Chu Yunfei answered personally. His voice was calm: "That's right, 1,200 Japanese soldiers' corpses are laid out in the open space of Dagu Town. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to see them anytime."

After hanging up the phone, the staff officers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Although he was completely skeptical, he still quickly reported it to his superiors.

Of course, I was more or less hoping to see them make a fool of themselves.

Upon learning the news, Yan Xishan, commander of the Second War Zone, convened a meeting overnight.

"Investigate! Send men to investigate! Investigate thoroughly!" Yan Xishan slammed his fist on the table. "If it's true, this will be a great achievement! If it's false, punish him severely! In my opinion, Yunfei has been corrupted by his subordinates; he's nothing like me!"

That night, the exploration team, led by Chen Changjie, rushed to Dagu Town.

The next afternoon, the exploration team arrived at Dagu Town.

When they saw the densely packed Japanese corpses on the open ground, they were all stunned.

Chen Changjie crouched down and carefully examined several corpses. He touched the wounds on the bodies and then carefully examined the groin and toes.

"It's true." Chen Changjie stood up, his voice trembling slightly. "They were indeed Japanese soldiers, and the time of their death was no more than two days ago."

He turned to his accompanying staff officer and said, "Report back immediately! It's true! A great victory! An unprecedented victory! Our Jin-Sui Army has risen to prominence!"

The reconnaissance team returned to the theater command that same day.

This completely threw the Second War Zone into chaos.

Yan Xishan's hands trembled with excitement as he read Chen Changjie's report. He immediately ordered: "Reward! Reward him handsomely! Publicize him widely!"

Our Second War Zone is also a force to be reckoned with. I want to see who dares to say our Second War Zone is a bunch of idiots! Besides, whatever Chu Yunfei wants, we'll give him/her!

I've said it from the very beginning: Chu Yunfei is practically a carbon copy of me!

At the same time, he sent the good news to Chongqing.

This good news was like a bomb, causing an uproar among the top echelons of the Nationalist government.

Chiang Kai-shek held the victory report and read it over and over again. He handed it to He Jingzhi beside him: "Jingzhi, take a look."

After reading it, He Jingzhi frowned: "Principal, could this... be fake?"

Chiang Kai-shek didn't speak. He picked up the phone and dialed the Military Intelligence Bureau.

Soon, intelligence from the Military Intelligence Bureau, which had infiltrated the Japanese army, confirmed the authenticity of the victory at Luye.

Chiang Kai-shek slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and exclaimed excitedly, "Great! Excellent!"

He walked to the window, gazing at the scenery outside with a deep look in his eyes.

A moment later, he turned to He Jingzhi and said firmly, "Jingzhi, immediately notify the propaganda department to spread the word with all their might! Let the whole nation know that our National Army soldiers are fighting valiantly on the front lines, defending the dignity of our nation with their own flesh and blood!"

"Not only must the people of the whole country know, but the people of the world must know!" Chiang Kai-shek emphasized, "Let those foreigners who look down on China see that we Chinese are not to be bullied! The army under the leadership of our Nationalist government is capable of fighting! It is capable of defeating the Japanese invaders!"

"The great victory at Luye should be used as a model for our army's resistance against Japan and should be widely publicized!" Chiang Kai-shek waved his sleeve, "so that the entire nation's military and civilians will take this as an example, fight bravely against the enemy, and recover lost territory!"

He Jingzhi nodded quickly: "Yes, Principal!"

The Nationalist government's propaganda machine sprang into action. Newspapers and radio stations alike reported the news of Luye's great victory.

"The 358th Regiment of the Jin-Sui Army annihilated over 1,200 Japanese soldiers within the territory of Luye County, achieving a great victory in Luye!"

"This battle was a resounding success, far surpassing the victory at Pingxingguan!"

"The National Revolutionary Army soldiers, brave and fearless, inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese army!"

In no time, news of Lu Ye's great victory spread like wildfire throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River.

Chu Yunfei's 358th Regiment also became the focus of everyone's attention.

However, while the whole country was celebrating Lu Ye's great victory, some people had different thoughts.

Qian Bojun, the battalion commander of the 1st Battalion of the 358th Regiment, sat in his tent, holding a wine glass in his hand, but did not drink a drop.

His face looked terrible.

The victory at Luye made Chu Yunfei an instant celebrity. The entire 358th Regiment cheered for this triumph.

But Qian Bojun couldn't be happy.

He recalled the ferocity of the Japanese soldiers on the battlefield. Those Japanese soldiers were well-trained, accurate marksmen, and had excellent tactical coordination.

Despite having a numerical advantage, the 358th Regiment was forced into a series of defeats. Had it not been for Wei Dayong's ambush, the 358th Regiment would likely have been completely annihilated.

The Japanese army was too powerful.

Qian Bojun picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. The wine only added to his sorrow.

Chu Yunfei's reputation soared, and some of his plans completely failed.

A dangerous thought quietly took root in his mind.

Meanwhile, at the new regiment's garrison.

Li Yunlong sat in the courtyard, holding a tree branch in his hand, drawing something on the ground.

His brows were furrowed, and he was lost in thought.

Earthworks, grenades, crossfire...

Wei Dayong's ambush plan kept replaying in his mind.

Thousands of grenades were thrown simultaneously, covering the entire highway. The scene was truly awe-inspiring.

Li Yunlong threw away the tree branch, stood up, and dusted himself off.

We need to think about this tactic carefully. Who knows, it might come in handy later.

Meanwhile, the remnants of the Sakata Regiment were hastily retreating eastward.

Sakata Nobutetsu sat astride his horse, his face ashen. He glanced back in the direction of Luye Prefecture, a flicker of fear in his eyes.

His regiment suffered heavy losses. Although it will be resupplied and its personnel restored, its combat strength will definitely be greatly reduced.

As it turned out, his concerns were not unfounded, and this heavy blow laid the groundwork for Li Yunlong's later ability to break through the enemy lines head-on in the Battle of Cangyunling.

Japanese North China Area Army Headquarters.

Commander Terauchi Hisashi's face darkened horribly when he looked at the battle report in his hand.

"Baka!" He slammed his fist on the table. "The Sakata Regiment actually had over a thousand men wiped out by a Chinese army?"

The staff officers around him all lowered their heads and dared not speak.

Terauchi Hisaichi stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

"Pass on my order: mobilize a division to launch a retaliatory sweep against Luye Prefecture!"

A staff officer cautiously said, "Commander, it's winter now, and the cold makes marching inconvenient..."

Terauchi Hisaichi stopped and gave him a cold look.

The staff officer immediately lowered his head.

"Then let's postpone it until after spring," Terauchi Hisaichi said in a deep voice. "Three months from now, we must make sure that Luye Prefecture disappears from the map!"

The news quickly spread through various channels, hanging like a sword over everyone's head.

Meanwhile, Wei Dayong had already led his men back to Black Cloud Village, finished counting the captured weapons and ammunition, and was planning his next move.

He knew that the Japanese retaliation after the spring would be a tough battle.

But he was not afraid.

Right now, he has a happy problem: he has too many weapons and ammunition.

You can't spend it all, you simply can't spend it all!

So, the question is, if we want to expand the army, where will the people come from?

And my mighty and unparalleled second brother, I miss you so much!