Bright Sword: Starting from Obtaining the Equipment Slot

Wei Dayong stood in the council hall of Black Cloud Village, his eyes scanning the map on the wall.

Four hundred-odd men—at most, that's the size of a reinforced battalion. That number is enough to defend Black Cloud Village, but it's far from sufficient to take them out of the mountains and fight the Japanese head-on.

"Battalion Commander, you've been staring at the map for ages." Wang Xiao walked in carrying a bowl of hot water and placed it on the table in front of Wei Dayong. "Are you thinking about expanding the army?"

Wei Dayong nodded, tapping his finger on the map: "Have you figured out the surrounding situation?"

"I've figured it out." Wang Xiao walked to the map and pointed to several locations. "These are several bandit strongholds in the area, with about three or four hundred people in total. There's a group of puppet troops at this location, about two hundred people. There are also some scattered Nationalist soldiers to the east, totaling about a hundred people."

"Anything else?" Wei Dayong asked.

"And then there are the villagers in each village. If we were to recruit soldiers, we could recruit some, but they would all be greenhorns who have never fought in a war," Wang Xiao replied.

Wei Dayong remained silent for a moment, then turned to Hou Yue and Zhou Wenxu: "You two, what are your thoughts?"

Hou Yue thought for a moment and said, "I think the fastest way is to recruit bandits. They have a lot of people and they know the terrain well. We can bring them in and use them immediately."

"They can be used, but these people are too undisciplined." Zhou Wenxu shook his head. "Last time, as soon as the people from Qingfeng Village came in, some of them clashed with the villagers down the mountain. If we recruit more bandits, we simply can't manage them with our limited manpower."

Wei Dayong sighed, "Old Zhou is right. Bandits are fast, but they have endless consequences. What about the puppet troops?"

"Puppet troops?" Hou Yue frowned. "Although puppet troops are trained and have weapons, can we trust them? What if they turn on us one day and stab us in the back? That would be a huge problem."

"What about the scattered Nationalist soldiers?" Wei Dayong asked again.

"The Nationalist Army stragglers are reliable; they've fought in battle and know discipline, but their numbers are too few," Zhou Wenxu shrugged. "A little over a hundred is a drop in the ocean. Besides, finding them will be a hassle!"

"Are we recruiting ordinary people?" Wei Dayong asked Wang Xiao.

"Recruiting civilians takes time and training; it will take at least three months before they can be deployed to the battlefield," Wang Xiao said with a wry smile. "But the Japanese army will be coming to sweep through the country in three months. Can we afford to wait that long?"

Silence fell over the council chamber.

There are four options, each with a fatal flaw.

Wei Dayong leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. Having been in this world for so long, this was the first time he felt something was amiss.

If only he could have someone who understands strategy to give him some advice.

"Forget it, let's not think about it for now." Wei Dayong stood up. "The most important thing right now is to train the existing troops well. It doesn't matter if there are few people, as long as everyone is elite, we can still win battles."

"Yes!" Wang Xiao, Hou Yue, and Zhou Wenxu responded in unison.

Over the next two days, the training ground on the back mountain of Black Cloud Village became lively.

Wei Dayong personally led the soldiers in training, paying close attention to every aspect, from shooting posture to tactical coordination and physical training.

The soldiers trained very hard, and no one complained. The victory in the Battle of Luye gave them hope and made them realize that only by honing their skills could they survive on the battlefield.

"Fight to the death! To save our nation from peril! Save our nation! Save our nation!! Save our nation!!!"

During training breaks, the soldiers shouted slogans in unison, their voices deafening.

On the morning of the third day, the sound of horses' hooves came from the gate of Black Cloud Village.

A communications soldier dressed in the uniform of the Jin-Sui Army rode up to the gate of the stockade, dismounted, and saluted the guards: "Excuse me, is Chief Wei here?"

The soldiers immediately reported the incident.

Wei Dayong was instructing soldiers on shooting practice at the training ground when he heard the news, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"The Jin-Sui Army?" He put down his gun and said to Wang Xiao, "Let's go take a look."

The two arrived at the entrance of the village and saw the communications soldier standing there, holding a letter in his hand.

"Chief Wei?" The communications soldier smiled when he saw Wei Dayong. "Commander Chu asked me to bring you a letter, requesting that you come to Daguzhen again to discuss important matters."

Wei Dayong took the letter, opened it, and read it. The letter was simple; it invited him to Daguzhen to discuss the receipt of supplies.

"Commander Chu just received an award, so he's bound to keep his promise," Wang Xiao whispered from the side.

Wei Dayong nodded and said to the communications soldier, "Go back and tell Commander Chu that I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir!" The communications soldier saluted, mounted his horse, and rode away.

Early the next morning, Wei Dayong, along with Wang Xiao and several guards, rode to Dagu Town.

Daguzhen was much more lively than when Wei Dayong last visited. The streets were filled with Jin-Sui Army soldiers in brand-new uniforms, their faces beaming with pride.

News of the great victory at Luye has spread throughout the entire northwestern Shanxi region.

When Wei Dayong and his group arrived at the 358th Regiment headquarters, Chu Yunfei was already waiting at the door.

"Boss Wei, you've finally arrived!" Chu Yunfei greeted Wei Dayong with a warm smile and strode forward. "You must be tired from your journey!"

"Commander Chu, you're too kind," Wei Dayong said, cupping his hands in greeting. "May I ask what brings you here, Commander Chu?"

"Let's go inside and talk," Chu Yunfei said, pulling Wei Dayong's hand as they entered the command post.

Inside the command post, Fang Ligong was organizing documents. Seeing Wei Dayong enter, he looked up and gave him a polite smile: "Hello, Boss Wei."

"Chief of Staff Fang." Wei Dayong nodded.

Chu Yunfei pulled Wei Dayong to sit down at the table, then took out a list from the drawer and pushed it in front of Wei Dayong.

"Chief Wei, take a look at this," Chu Yunfei said. "The Second War Zone has gone all out this time, replenishing our 358th Regiment with 3,000 soldiers, 2,000 of whom are experienced veterans and 1,000 are new recruits who have undergone two months of military training. There is also a large amount of weaponry and equipment, including rifles, machine guns, and artillery.

Wei Dayong picked up the list and glanced at it, his eyes lighting up slightly. Three thousand people—that was no small number.

"According to our previous agreement, we need to split the superior's rewards 50/50. But it seems difficult to do so clearly right now. So, I've decided to give you all of my personal rewards," Chu Yunfei continued. "In addition, I'll try to find a way to replenish your weapons and ammunition."

He paused, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face: "However, because weapons and ammunition must be prioritized for the troops, they can only be given to you in batches..."

Wei Dayong put down the list and looked at Chu Yunfei.

Although Chu Yunfei appeared enthusiastic on the surface, a glint of calculation lurked deep in his eyes. This old fox definitely has his own plans.

Wei Dayong sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm.

Upon seeing the list of supplies, he immediately thought of the best way to solve his current predicament!

"Commander Chu, since we don't have enough weapons and ammunition, how about we try a different approach?" Wei Dayong suddenly said.

Chu Yunfei was taken aback: "Oh? How do I change it?"

"I don't need that many weapons and ammunition." Wei Dayong looked into Chu Yunfei's eyes and said, word by word, "Just give me eight hundred reinforcements, along with their weapons and equipment."

"What?" Chu Yunfei thought he had misheard. "You want eight hundred reinforcements? That's impossible!"

"Commander Chu, don't be so quick to refuse. If it really comes down to it, we can give them all to the new recruits!"

Wei Dayong smiled. "Think about it, what are eight hundred new recruits to you? The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and with a powerful backer, you can replenish as many as you want!"

Chu Yunfei fell silent.

He looked at Wei Dayong, his mind racing.

Eight hundred new recruits is indeed nothing. The 358th Regiment now has nearly seven thousand men, so eight hundred is just a drop in the ocean. Moreover, the higher-ups are now very responsive to the 358th Regiment's requests, so replenishing its ranks is indeed easy.

But what if these 800 new recruits join the enemy forces...?

Chu Yunfei's eyes narrowed slightly. Black Cloud Stronghold was said to have only four hundred people. If you add eight hundred new recruits, that's twelve hundred people, roughly the size of a regiment.

Wei Dayong is a man of great character; he's worth winning over.

Why not... take this opportunity to send some trusted confidants to infiltrate these eight hundred new recruits and plant them in Black Cloud Stronghold? Then, these confidants can act as my eyes and ears, keeping track of Wei Dayong's movements at any time.

They could even take the opportunity to infiltrate, control, or even swallow up the other party!

Thinking about this, Chu Yunfei's heart was moved.

But he didn't agree immediately. Instead, he turned to Fang Ligong and asked, "Chief of Staff Fang, what do you think?"

Fang Ligong had already seen through Chu Yunfei's thoughts. He cleared his throat and said, "Commander, I think Chief Wei's suggestion is worth considering."

"Oh? Tell me about it." Chu Yunfei pretended to be curious.

"The 358th Regiment is now highly valued by the higher-ups, and they get whatever they need, so replenishing their ranks is very easy," Fang Ligong said. "Eight hundred new recruits are much more valuable than sending out a large number of weapons."

He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was already quite clear.

Chu Yunfei nodded, as if he had thought of something, and then looked up at Wei Dayong: "Okay! Let's do as Boss Wei says!"

However, I have one more condition, which I hope Chief Wei will agree to; otherwise, this matter will most likely not be accomplished.

"Conditions? Tell me!" Wei Dayong was taken aback.

"To encourage the soldiers to join your stronghold, I suggest that Black Cloud Stronghold openly declare itself as accepting the leadership of the 358th Regiment, and... let's call it the Independent Brigade of the 358th Regiment, what do you think?"

Wei Dayong instantly understood Chu Yunfei's intention, so he deliberately confirmed, "Just on the surface?"

"Yes, only on the surface. In reality, Black Cloud Stronghold is not under our control at all. This way, we can at least give an explanation to our superiors and the soldiers below!"

"If you agree, eight hundred new recruits, equipped with weapons and gear, will be traded at the entrance to Black Cloud Village in one day!"

"Great!" Wei Dayong stood up, extended his hand, and said, "Commander Chu, it's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Chu Yunfei also stood up and shook Wei Dayong's hand: "Boss Wei... no, Captain Wei, it's a pleasure working with you!"

The next morning, Chu Yunfei personally led a group to deliver the eight hundred soldiers, along with their weapons and ammunition.

Wei Dayong and his assault battalion soldiers were already waiting at the entrance to Black Cloud Village.

It's unclear what kind of spell Chu Yunfei cast on them, but these warriors who wanted to join Black Cloud Stronghold seemed to have no aversion to the trip.

They stood in neat rows, their eyes filled with envy as they looked at the assault battalion soldiers' excellent equipment and high morale.

"Captain Wei, the man has been brought." Chu Yunfei jumped off his horse and pointed to the new recruits behind him. "The weapons and equipment are also on the carriages behind."

Wei Dayong nodded and told Wang Xiao and Hou Yue to count the number of people and weapons.

"Eight hundred new recruits, seven hundred rifles, eighteen light machine guns, four heavy machine guns, two hundred thousand rounds of ammunition, and two thousand hand grenades. In addition, there are one hundred thousand silver dollars!" Wang Xiao reported to Wei Dayong after completing the inventory.

Wei Dayong nodded in satisfaction. This equipment was enough to arm these eight hundred new recruits.

"Commander Chu, thank you for your hard work." Wei Dayong stepped forward and shook hands with Chu Yunfei.

"Captain Wei, you're too kind. We're practically 'one of us,' so let's keep in touch!" Chu Yunfei smiled, mounted his horse, and said, "I'm busy with official duties, so I'll be going now. Let's get together another day."

"Alright, Commander Chu, take care." Wei Dayong waved goodbye.

Chu Yunfei led his guard platoon and turned to leave.

Wei Dayong watched Chu Yunfei's figure disappear at the end of the mountain road, a slight smile playing on his lips.

This deal is a sure thing!

Five thousand silver dollars turned into one hundred thousand, and in return, a fully equipped assault regiment was acquired. It was absolutely worth it!

He turned his head and looked at the more than a thousand soldiers in front of him, his heart filled with emotion.

From just one person to 1,200 people, he only took less than a month.

"Battalion Commander, the new recruits need to be reorganized. What do you think we should do?" Zhou Wenxu asked as he walked over.

"Okay." Wei Dayong thought for a moment, "First, organize the new recruits into six companies, under the command of Wang Xiao, Hou Yue, and Zhou Huaiyuan respectively. Settle them down today, and start training tomorrow."

"Yes!" Zhou Wenxu replied.

Wei Dayong led his soldiers back to Black Cloud Village in a grand procession.

After returning to Black Cloud Village, Wei Dayong found a quiet corner, closed his eyes, and checked his equipment inventory in his mind.

The assault battalion now has 1,200 men, reaching the size of a regiment. Based on previous experience, the equipment slots should have changed.

Sure enough, the slot on the left foot was no longer pure gray, but it didn't light up either; it just turned into a hazy silver-white, as if waiting for something.

Wei Dayong had a vague idea. Once the required number of personnel was reached, the equipment slots wouldn't be activated immediately. They would only change from grayed out to pending activation after the personnel were reorganized into a formal organizational structure.

However, even if it becomes a pending activation state, you still need to find the corresponding equipment to activate the skill.

He currently only has two pieces of equipment: the Suihou Pearl and the Gilded Gourd. He doesn't know where the third piece of equipment is.

Never mind, no rush.

******

Chu Yunfei, leading his guard platoon, was marching along the mountain road toward Dagu Town.

He was in a good mood, humming a little tune and chatting with the people around him from time to time.

"Commander, this deal was really worthwhile," said Zhou Ming, the platoon leader of the guard platoon, with a smile. "Eight hundred new recruits were exchanged for a much stronger 358th Regiment, and they even got to show off to the higher-ups. It was absolutely worth it!"

"Hehe, not only that. There are some things I can't reveal," Chu Yunfei smiled mysteriously, "we can also take this opportunity..."

Before he could finish speaking, a gunshot rang out!

boom!

A bullet was fired from a distant hillside and struck Chu Yunfei squarely in the chest!

Chu Yunfei's body suddenly stiffened.

He looked down at the blood gushing from his chest, an expression of disbelief on his face.

Chu Yunfei swayed, and then slowly fell off the horse…