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

After the Gui Army division commander stormed off, Lu Ping approached him curiously and asked:

"Commander-in-Chief, there's something I don't understand. We can just hand over the position to them, so why do we have to see Commander Liao?"

Forgive my bluntness, but the principal has always been wary of the Guangxi clique, and Commander Liao is a key general under Delin Gong of the Guangxi clique. If you meet with him now, I worry it will displease those above, which would be counterproductive. Besides, what's so special about meeting Commander Liao?"

Lu Ping was Zhao Yunwen's most trusted old brother. When Zhao Yunwen was a battalion commander in the Central Army, Lu Ping was a company commander.

Zhao Yunwen was dismissed from his position as commander of the Central Army Corps and demoted to the Security Regiment. Lu Ping, who was already the commander of the main force battalion, also resigned from his important post and came to the Security Regiment, which had no more than 300 soldiers, to serve as its chief of staff. He was a true loyalist.

Zhao Yunwen spoke much more casually in his presence, grinning as he said:

"We have so many spoils of war, we need to find someone to take them. Besides Commander Liao of the Guangxi Clique, I can't think of anyone else who could come up with so many silver dollars."

Lupin suddenly realized:

"The commander-in-chief has a long-term vision. Commander Liao doesn't lack equipment, but he needs battle merits."

These Japanese weapons, with a little packaging, could be considered genuine battle achievements. And the Japanese uniforms, backpacks, and helmets—selling them all would be at least a major victory.

The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

Zhao Yunwen had another purpose, but I won't go into it.

A person's name is like a tree's shadow. Although Zhao Yunwen was only a minor general, Liao Lei decided after a moment's thought to meet this most sought-after figure on the Shanghai battlefield.

Liao Lei is a veteran of the military. He rose to prominence in Tang Mengxiao's Hunan Army and later joined the Guangxi Clique. He is currently the commander-in-chief of the 21st Army Group and a famous general in the War of Resistance against Japan.

Zhao Yunwen straightened his body and gave a standard military salute, keeping his posture very low.

Liao Lei simply smiled faintly, accepting Zhao Yunwen's respect, before saying:

"Commander Zhao did a great job at Dachang! He used a regiment to hold off the Sixth Brigade and severely damaged it, thus demonstrating the might of our country and our army."

You're very good; the younger generation is truly formidable!

Liao Lei had reason to be proud. When the Northern Expedition began, he was appointed Major General and Deputy Division Commander and Regiment Commander of the Fourth Division of the Eighth Army. At that time, Zhao Yunwen was only a Deputy Battalion Commander, far inferior to him.

Seniority matters in the military. Zhao Yunwen didn't find anything wrong with Liao Lei's condescending praise; after all, Liao Lei was now the commander of an army group and a second-level general.

"Commander Liao, you flatter me. This is what I should do."

Liao Lei didn't have time to waste with a major general's ramblings, so after a few polite words, he got straight to the point:

"Why does General Zhao insist on seeing me?"

Zhao Yunwen didn't actually like dealing with these military leaders; they were all cunning old foxes who would devour people without spitting out the bones. If it weren't for the tens of thousands of Guangxi soldiers, he wouldn't have come to serve as their subordinate.

"Commander Liao, you know what kind of force the Security Corps is. Although we won the Battle of Dachang, we suffered heavy casualties and losses."

The brothers need food and drink, and the wounded brothers need medical treatment. I am truly helpless without food, so I have to think of another way.

We just happened to capture a batch of Japanese weapons, including more than a dozen artillery pieces, and we were planning to exchange them for some money for emergency use. I wonder if the commander would be interested?

Liao Lei initially thought Zhao Yunwen was asking him for alms, and considering that the Security Corps had handed over the position to the Guangxi Army intact, he didn't mind giving Zhao Yunwen a small reward.

Now he realized that the kid had come to sell his spoils.

He initially looked down on the Japanese equipment, assuming they had at most a few hundred guns. He didn't believe a word of the newspaper reports boasting of killing thousands of enemy soldiers and capturing countless spoils.

Are you kidding me? Do you really think the Japanese soldiers are made of paper, or that the security forces are all heavenly warriors?

Although he had never actually fought the Japanese, he couldn't believe it even with a grain of salt.

Upon hearing that there were more than a dozen cannons, he was instantly moved. These were no ordinary spoils of war; even he would be tempted by them.

"General Zhao, is this true? Do you not speak falsehoods in the army?"

"Commander, how could I dare to spout nonsense in front of you?"

Liao Lei pressed on, asking:

"How many bullets are there in total?"

"More than a dozen cannons, 2 guns, hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, and a certain amount of military supplies."

I'm used to hardship; I even took off my Japanese uniform to sell it for whatever I could.

Liao Lei couldn't sit still any longer. He hadn't expected that what the newspapers were boasting about was actually true!

A dozen cannons and two thousand guns can't be faked!

Liao Lei's gaze towards Zhao Yunwen changed, and he even subconsciously adjusted his posture. The military is a place where strength matters, and Zhao Yunwen can now speak to him on equal terms.

"Name your price!"

Liao Lei made no attempt to hide his interest in the spoils. He believed that Zhao Yunwen wouldn't dare to ask for an exorbitant price, and if the price was right, he wouldn't mind buying them.

"20% off! All the bullets are yours too."

Zhao Yunwen stated his target price; among all the local bigwigs, the Guangxi clique was the least short of money.

"That's too high. These are all junk. I can only give you a 40% discount at most."

Zhao Yunwen demanded an exorbitant price, but Liao Lei immediately bargained down; neither of the military leaders were pushovers.

"Commander Liao, these are all active-duty Japanese equipment, at least 90% new. I wouldn't dare bring out damaged junk to embarrass myself."

"A 30% discount is the best I can offer. I'm counting on this money to pay pensions to the fallen brothers."

Liao Lei paused for a moment before saying:

"For the sake of the brothers who sacrificed their lives for the country, I can accept it at a 30% discount, but give me the tattered clothes and other items that were taken from the Japanese soldiers as a bonus."

Zhao Yunwen grinned and said:

"Commander Liao, the Japanese soldiers' gear is not cheap, especially their helmets and tactical backpacks. I would rather pay 60% off the guns and ammunition separately than accept this offer."

"I'd better go find the Hunan Army instead of pretending I didn't come!"

Liao Lei quickly said:

"You little brat, you're slapping me in the face! 20% off, plus the Japanese soldier's entire outfit, I'll take it all."

"make a deal!"

Zhao Yunwen gave Liao Lei face; he wasn't there just to sell spoils of war—that was just a pretext.

The Japanese army's active-duty equipment is not hard to sell, especially since it includes cannons that are embargoed by the great powers. Zhao Yunwen's move is more about flexing his muscles and demonstrating his strength.

In this deal, Zhao Yunwen gave Liao Lei at least 20% of the profits.

Liao Lei was a seasoned veteran; he knew better than anyone the value of a dozen or so cannons. Even in China, money couldn't guarantee you could buy them; the black market price would be at least 30%.

Liao Lei's smile broadened considerably, and he showed no sign of rushing the guests away, speaking in a friendly tone:

"General Zhao, you are a nationally renowned anti-Japanese general who fought fiercely against the Japanese invaders. You must have accumulated a lot of experience. Could you share some with me?"

It must be said that these military leaders are all shrewd and capable. The 21st Army Group is about to engage in a decisive battle with the Japanese. The Guangxi Army is completely clueless about the Japanese's combat capabilities. Zhao Yunwen has rich combat experience and can make up for this shortcoming.

This was precisely Zhao Yunwen's true purpose for this trip; he was just waiting for Liao Lei to make the suggestion, since things that were too easy to get would never turn out well.

He wanted Liao Lei to see the results of the Security Corps' battles so that his words would carry weight; otherwise, how could a second-level general possibly pay attention to a mere major general?

Zhao Yunwen did not hesitate at all, and recounted without reservation the characteristics of the Japanese tactics that he and later military enthusiasts had summarized.

As Liao Lei's understanding of the Japanese army's combat capabilities deepened, his expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice:

"General Zhao's experience is invaluable, saving the people of Guangxi from much bloodshed. I, Liao, am deeply grateful."

Zhao Yunwen quickly stood up and said:

"Commander Liao, you're too kind. It's all I should do."

"General Zhao, I have a request. Your Security Corps doesn't have any new combat missions for the time being, so why don't you rest and reorganize behind Dachang and use it as a reserve force for the 21st Group Army?"

I was just thinking of asking you to serve as a senior advisor at headquarters for a while. The 21st Army Group will provide the supplies for the troops during that time. Is that alright?