Bright Sword: Starting from Obtaining the Equipment Slot

Everyone was looking at him.

"Now that we've left the Japanese POW camp, it's up to you whether you stay or leave."

Wei Dayong said, "If you want to go home, if you want to go back to your original unit, I won't stop you. You can stand up now, walk to the left, and go your separate ways once you leave the mountains."

A commotion broke out in the crowd, and some people began to whisper among themselves.

"But there's one thing I have to say upfront," Wei Dayong raised his voice, "Before you leave, leave behind all your food and water. I can't let you leave empty-handed, but I also can't let those who stay go hungry."

After he finished speaking, he waited quietly.

About a minute later, a man in his early thirties walked out of the crowd.

"I'm sorry, Brother Wei." He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wei Dayong, bowed his head and said, "I still have my old mother back home."

She wouldn't let me come when I was in the army, and it's been over two years since I've been back. I don't even know if she's still alive... I want to go back and see her.

Wei Dayong nodded: "Go ahead, have a safe journey."

The man placed the half-bag of dry rations he was carrying on the ground, bowed deeply to Wei Dayong again, and turned to walk out of the valley from the left.

After the first one, dozens more people stepped forward.

Some people said they wanted to go home, some said they wanted to return to the Nationalist army, and some said they wanted to find the Eighth Route Army.

Everyone had a valid reason, and Wei Dayong didn't stop them.

About ten minutes later, everyone who wanted to leave had left.

Wei Dayong counted the remaining people: 126.

Among these people were soldiers from the Jin-Sui Army, soldiers from the Central Army, and even several wearing Eighth Route Army uniforms.

Wang Xiao remained standing beside him, without moving an inch from beginning to end.

"Why aren't you leaving?" Wei Dayong asked him.

Wang Xiao grinned: "My whole family was killed by the Japanese. Who would I go back to see? Staying here to fight the Japanese is more practical than anything else."

At this moment, a person dressed in an Eighth Route Army uniform stepped out from the crowd.

The man looked to be in his early thirties, of medium height, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He hadn't shaved his beard for several days, but he spoke with a strong voice.

"Brother Wei, my name is Zhou Huaiyuan, and I am a squad leader in the 2nd New Regiment of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army." After introducing himself, he said directly, "We discussed it and decided that before we find the main force of our army, we will follow you to fight the Japanese."

Several other Eighth Route Army soldiers echoed this sentiment, nodding to Wei Dayong in agreement.

Wei Dayong glanced around at the people who remained and had a plan in mind.

"Alright, since you're willing to stay and fight the Japanese with me, let's set some rules."

He straightened up and said, "From now on, I don't care which unit you were in before, what your rank was, or what your position was. Now there is only one leader—that is me, Wei Dayong. From now on, our team will be called the Jinxi Anti-Japanese National Salvation Independent Company, and I will be the first company commander."

No one raised any objections.

These people crawled out of piles of dead bodies.

They all witnessed Wei Dayong kill two Japanese special agents with his bare hands, and they also heard that he single-handedly wiped out an entire ten-man special agent squad. Based on this ability alone, he is qualified to be the company commander.

Moreover, he saved everyone's lives.

"Wang Xiao," Wei Dayong called out.

"Here!" Wang Xiao straightened his back instinctively.

"From now on, you are the deputy company commander of the independent company and the platoon leader of the first platoon."

"Yes!" Wang Xiao replied loudly.

"Zhou Huaiyuan," Wei Dayong called out again.

"Here!" Zhou Huaiyuan stepped forward in response.

"You used to be the squad leader, now you're the second platoon leader. The independent company will be temporarily divided into three platoons. You and Wang Xiao will divide the men into platoons, each with thirty to forty men. Report back to me when you've done."

"Yes!" Zhou Huaiyuan answered crisply and decisively.

As it was getting dark, Wang Xiao and Zhou Huaiyuan had divided everyone up.

There were three platoons, each with thirty or forty men. Although the number of men was not large, they were all tough guys who had survived from the Japanese POW camps.

These hundred-plus people were his first team in this era.

He did consider joining the Eighth Route Army.

After much deliberation, I decided to try it out on my own for a while first.

Even bandits have to go through a blood oath!

Moreover, he was planning to strive for the rank of general when the medals were awarded, and now that he's gone, his qualifications are far from sufficient!

Wei Dayong instructed Wang Xiao and Zhou Huaiyuan to gather everyone together and form a circle.

"From today onwards, each of you must remember three things."

Everyone was looking at him.

"First of all, our Independent Company doesn't tolerate idlers. Those who charge ahead in battle get the lion's share. Those who hide in the back won't even get a sip of soup."

"Secondly, all weapons, ammunition, and supplies seized must be handed over to the state for unified distribution. Anyone who hoards them will be executed."

"Thirdly, the Japanese devils are enemies, and even more so, beasts. Without my order, no prisoners will be taken. Do you all understand?"

"Understood!" The voices of more than a hundred people echoed through the valley.

Wei Dayong looked at these faces and nodded in satisfaction.

That evening, Wei Dayong led more than ten soldiers to the place where he hid his weapons and brought everything back.

Wei Dayong took stock of the supplies.

The number is not a problem.

He first kept a set of combat clothes for himself, changed into them, fastened his belt and weapon belt, and filled his ammunition bag to the brim.

This special forces combat uniform was much more comfortable to wear than his old tattered military uniform. The fabric was sturdy, and it had many pockets, just the right size for carrying magazines.

He stood up and stretched. His clothes didn't fit him very well, but thankfully it didn't affect his movements.

Wei Dayong instructed Wang Xiao to gather everyone together and distribute the weapons.

Wang Xiao took a combat uniform from Wei Dayong, touched the fabric, picked it up and held it up in front of him, then grinned.

"The Japanese soldiers' uniforms are made of really good material; they're much sturdier than the uniforms we wore before. And they look intimidating!"

He quickly put on his combat uniform, tightened his belt, and picked up a submachine gun from the ground.

He grabbed four magazines in one go, filling the magazine pouch on his belt to the brim, and also tucked two grenades behind his waist.

After finishing, he patted his gear and puffed out his chest at Wei Dayong: "Company Commander, how's my outfit?"

Looking at his smug expression, Wei Dayong inexplicably thought of Wang Yousheng and looked him up and down: "That's about right. But don't get cocky, or you'll get a beating!"

He instructed Wang Xiao to distribute the equipment to the soldiers in his platoon.

Zhou Huaiyuan's eyes lit up when he saw the pile of Mauser pistols.

"Company commander, give me one of these guns!"

He walked over, picked up a Mauser pistol, examined it from all angles, then pulled out the magazine to check the bullets inside, and nodded in satisfaction.

"This gun is good; it's great for close combat." Zhou Huaiyuan tucked the Mauser pistol into his waistband and took three matching magazines from the ammunition pile.

The only light machine gun, after being questioned, was handed over by Wei Dayong to an old machine gunner in the platoon. This man's surname was Ma, and his name was Ma Fenghuai. He used to be a machine gunner in the Central Army and had fought in many battles for several years. He was very experienced.

Old Ma saw the machine gun as if it were a family member. He took it and hugged it tightly, repeatedly saying, "What a good gun!"

With weapons in hand, confidence is there, and the team's morale is completely different.

Wei Dayong stood at the front of the line, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone.

"Many of our brothers don't have weapons yet. Our next goal is simple."

Find a nearby Japanese or puppet regime stronghold, capture it, replenish supplies, and seize more weapons along the way.

And let's teach those little devils a lesson: who truly owns this land!

He took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and suddenly raised his right hand, shouting to the entire team:

"Let's fight to the death!"

The next second, the entire valley exploded like a lit firecracker—

More than a hundred throats erupted in a deafening response almost simultaneously:

"To save the nation from peril!"

The soldiers raised their guns and clenched their fists, their eyes burning with the same resolute light.

Wei Dayong shouted again with all his might:

"Save the nation!"

"Save us!!"

"Save us!!!"

Immediately afterwards, as if they had rehearsed this a thousand times, everyone roared in unison, each shout louder than the last:

"Save the nation!"

"Save us!!!"

"Save us!!!!!"