Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

The Fifth War Zone Headquarters was filled with brilliant generals.

Those who could sit at the table were at least army-level commanders or division commanders of the Central Army. Zhao Yunwen barely met the requirements, but Li Delin arranged a seat for him very close to the front, and the others seemed to have no objections.

Zhao Yunwen was no longer the same person he was before; he had a reputation and was the chief strategist of the Central Army, which had more than 20,000 men. His role model was Guan Yudong, the commander of the 52nd Army, whom he had studied with in the first class.

The two were seated close together, with Zhao Yunwen in front.

The main force of the Fifth War Zone consisted of local miscellaneous troops, with only the 20th Army Corps and the 107th Division being direct descendants of the Central Army. The army and division commanders were classmates from the same class, so it was inevitable that they would become close to each other.

As the saying goes, a person's reputation precedes them, and Zhao Yunwen quickly became the focus of attention. Not only did his classmates from the first class, such as Guan Yudong and Wang Zhonglian, take the initiative to greet him, but Zhang Jinzhen, the commander of the 59th Army, Sun Lianzhong, the commander-in-chief of the Second Army Group, and Pang Bingxun, the commander of the Third Army Corps, also came over to express their gratitude.

These local military leaders value strength above all else. The 107th Division's strength, as demonstrated in the Battle of Taierzhuang, was so formidable that even the army group commander dared not underestimate it, and even the usually arrogant Tang Enbo turned his attention to winning them over.

As always, Zhao Yunwen kept a low profile, concealing his brilliance and acting as a junior, taking the opportunity to sell his spoils of war to the bigwigs of the Northwest Army.

In China, weapons are never hard to sell. As long as they are standard-issue weapons, they command a premium. Even if artillery is sold for double the market price, there are still people scrambling to buy it.

In a short time, Zhao Yunwen sold six 75mm Japanese howitzers, twelve infantry guns, more than 5,000 rifles and pistols, along with their ammunition and a quantity of anti-inflammatory drugs, making a profit of nearly 1 million silver dollars and clearing out his inventory.

Wang Zhonglian, commander of the 85th Army, said enviously:

"Brother Yunwen is truly a man of great wealth, as good as ever in business. Unlike me, who only knows how to fight and is penniless."

Zhao Yunwen grinned and said:

"I was merely exchanging information with my superiors; it's nothing serious. Brother Zhonglian has always been a direct subordinate of the Central Army, with his expenses provided by the National Government. He doesn't have to worry about anything himself. It's you who should be envious of me."

Zhao Yunwen was unaware of Wang Zhonglian's intentions, so he could only laugh it off. Although the 107th Division was well-equipped, there wasn't much that Wang Zhonglian would be satisfied with. The 85th Army, on the other hand, was a direct descendant of the Central Army and lacked nothing.

Wang Zhonglian really took a liking to Zhao Yunwen's things, and seeing that the other party wasn't responding, he had no choice but to take the initiative and say:

"To be honest, Brother Yunwen, there are hundreds of wounded soldiers in the army, and we are facing a severe shortage of medicine. I've heard that you can obtain some anti-inflammatory drugs; could you perhaps lend some to us?"

Zhao Yunwen smiled knowingly. So he was after the medicine. This was a valuable commodity, no less so than weapons, and extremely rare. Wang Zhonglian had no shortage of equipment, but the medicine in Zhao Yunwen's hands had piqued the interest of not only him but also Tang Enbo.

"I do have some; I can spare some for you."

Zhao Yunwen didn't have the same influence as Bo Wangzhonglian, but his words were rather vague, and he still needed to see the other party's sincerity. He wasn't worried about selling the medicine.

Wang Zhonglian immediately started complaining about being poor, clearly trying to take advantage of others. Discounts are acceptable between classmates, but even close brothers should keep clear accounts.

Being astute and perceptive, Wang Zhonglian proactively asked:

"What's the price range?"

Zhao Yunwen immediately quoted a price, which was 10% cheaper than the price sold to the Northwest Army. This 10% discount was a "friendship price," and it was 20% lower than the market price.

Zhao Yunwen sold it to the Northwest Army bigwigs at a 10% discount, and Wang Zhonglian, having a closer relationship with him, conceded even more.

Wang Zhonglian did the math in his mind and realized that this deal was incredibly profitable. If he sold it on the black market, its value would double, or even more.

"Thank you, Brother Yunwen. I need 500 boxes, do you have any?"

Zhao Yunwen nodded and said:

"Come to Yixian another day, and you should be able to squeeze out 500 boxes. We're brothers, so let's keep clear accounts. I only accept silver dollars or gold."

Wang Zhonglian understood immediately; nobody wanted legal tender, so he readily replied:

"You have to buy me a drink when you go to Yixian!"

Zhao Yunwen laughed and said:

"Of course, there's plenty of wine."

Guan Yudong interjected:

"Brother Yunwen, this is too much! You invited Brother Zhonglian for drinks but didn't even think to invite me along."

"Brother Yudong, you're too kind. I'm just afraid I won't be able to invite someone as busy as you. Come join us, there's plenty of wine."

Tang Enbo snorted coldly, looking down on them. These three guys didn't even invite him when they were drinking.

Zhao Yunwen knew that Commander Tang was not after a drink, but most likely after medicine, which was extremely profitable.

During Commander Tang's garrisoning in the Central Plains, the land was scraped so badly that people were filled with resentment. Tang, one of the "Four Pests" (referring to the four plagues of floods, droughts, and locusts), was indeed a pest.

Zhao Yunwen then extended a warm invitation to Commander Tang, who feigned reluctance several times before reluctantly agreeing, as a gesture of respect to Commander Zhao.

"Commander Li has arrived!"

With a shout, Li Delin made a dazzling entrance, and everyone stood up in unison. After the Battle of Taierzhuang, Commander Li's prestige in the Fifth War Zone soared, and no one dared to be a troublemaker.

Li Delin, still sporting his signature smile, greeted everyone and sat down in the center.

Chief of Staff Xu Yanmou loudly ordered:

"sit!"

The group sat down in unison, their movements clean and efficient, displaying the discipline of the military.

Next, a meeting was held to plan the Battle of Pengcheng, chaired by Xu Yanmou. First, the enemy situation was reported, and then the headquarters' plans were read out:

"The overall strategy is to rely on the mountainous and river network areas of southern Shandong, northern Jiangsu, and northern Anhui for zoned defense, to delay the Japanese encirclement, and to hold the Jinpu and Longhai railway hubs. The total force is about 60 people, and they are deployed in three major defense zones."

I. The Lunan Defense Zone, including the northeast and due north of Pengcheng, and the line from Taierzhuang to Yixian, is the core main battleground.

Sun Lianzhong's 2nd Army Group held firm at Taierzhuang and along the Grand Canal, directly blocking the southward advance of the Japanese 10th Division. Tang Enbo's 20th Army Corps was stationed around Lanling and Xiangcheng, serving as a mobile assault force to flank the Japanese. Pang Bingxun and Zhang Zizhong's troops defended Linyi and Tancheng, blocking the westward advance of the Japanese 5th Division and covering the right flank of the southern Shandong defense line. Zhao Yunwen's 107th Division defended Yixian and the western mountainous area, blocking the enemy's southward advance along the Jinpu Railway.

II. The defense zone in northern Jiangsu and northern Anhui, including the south and southeast of Pengcheng and the southern section of the Jinpu Railway, was responsible for blocking the northward advance of the Japanese army in central China. Yu Xuezhong, Liao Lei, and other troops were stationed along the Huai River, Bengbu, and Suxian, relying on the natural barrier of the Huai River to delay the advance of the Japanese army on the southern route and guard the southern gateway of Pengcheng.

III. The Longhai Railway and the western defense zone, including west and northwest of Xuzhou, are to prevent the Japanese army from making a western flanking maneuver and to ensure rear communication. All units are to be deployed along the Longhai Railway (Xuzhou-Dangshan-Shangqiu) to control the eastern Henan passage and prevent the Japanese army from cutting off their westward retreat. Local security forces and guerrilla units are to be ordered to harass and disrupt transportation lines behind enemy lines in western Shandong and northern Jiangsu.

The troop deployment of the Fifth War Zone remained largely unchanged. Li Delin then delivered a speech:

"The 10th and 5th Divisions have suffered heavy losses and will not be able to recover in a short time. The Military Commission has ordered our troops to take advantage of the victory and launch a counterattack in southern Shandong. What do you all think? Speak freely!"

The Military Commission's opinion was exactly what Chiang Kai-shek was thinking. Everyone understood the implication. Tang Enbo was the first to express his agreement and proposed that the 59th Army should carry out this task.

It both flattered Chiang Kai-shek and avoided sending troops himself, killing two birds with one stone.

The victory at Taierzhuang greatly boosted the morale of the Chinese people, and the military leaders were also filled with confidence and eager to try their luck. Everyone was getting carried away, and Li Delin was no exception.

Zhao Yunwen chose to remain silent because he knew that the counter-offensive had failed before it even began, and the command would soon realize the Japanese's attempt to encircle them on a large scale.

Those in the know understand: the larger the meeting, the less substantive the content. Zhao Yunwen was just there to clock in. It was all just a formality, and so were the others. While Zhao Yunwen was lost in thought, Li Delin began to count down:

"Commander Zhao, in your opinion, what are the chances of a successful counterattack on southern Shandong?"