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

"Commander, the battle results are in—more than 1,100 Japanese soldiers were killed, and three Type 92 infantry guns, more than 800 rifles and pistols, and a certain amount of ammunition and supplies were captured."

Chief of Staff Lu Ping, unable to hide his excitement, handed the battle report to Zhao Yunwen, who merely nodded slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Report to Commander Chen that our unit has suffered heavy casualties and is temporarily unable to return to its original position. We plan to remain in the rear to harass the Japanese supply lines. We also request that you grant us the authority to gather the routed soldiers as you see fit."

"Commander-in-Chief, your insight is brilliant!" Lu Ping's eyes lit up. "Commander Chen couldn't provide us with supplies or manpower anyway, so he'll surely pass it on to the Military Commission. At that time, we'll not only get official authorization, but we might even be able to secure a formal position!"

Zhao Yunwen waved his hand, his tone resolute: "The organizational structure doesn't matter. We're used to freedom. The title of Security Corps is enough. What I need is the official status to gather the defeated soldiers."

He abruptly changed the subject, his expression turning serious:

"The Japanese have suffered a great loss and will surely retaliate with a large force. Pass down the order: take all the spoils of war and have the main force immediately withdraw from the city and railway lines, disperse and hide in regiments. Once the main Japanese force leaves Kunshan, we will seize the opportunity to harass their supply lines and support the front-line operations."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Yunwen suddenly remembered something—counting the time, the defense of Sihang Warehouse had ended, and Xie Jinyuan and others were detained after retreating into the British Concession, their situation was precarious.

He knew that for the next four years, the isolated battalion would be placed under house arrest by the concession authorities, and once the Japanese took over the concession, these soldiers would become prisoners of war; Deputy Regiment Commander Xie was killed by a traitor, and the rest were sent to various places to do hard labor, most of whom were tortured to death. Only about a hundred people would live to see victory.

He absolutely would not allow such a tragedy to happen.

Zhao Yunwen immediately summoned Xiao Jianyun, the reconnaissance company commander, whispered instructions in his ear, and concluded with a deep voice:

"You will personally lead a platoon to complete this task, infiltrating the concession in plainclothes. You can impersonate Green Gang thugs or Japanese soldiers. The Zhao family's influence in the concession will provide you with weapons and supplies. You will be at the command of the Zhao family leader. Be prepared for both scenarios. I'm only giving you ten days."

"Take advantage of the current chaos and ransom people with money if possible; if the British are unreasonable, then use force to attack. Remember, when you make your move, be sure to pretend to be Japanese soldiers, find a few Japanese corpses beforehand, and dump them at the scene after you get them—stir up trouble and make the concession authorities and the Japanese suspicious of each other."

Xiao Jianyun nodded repeatedly, his heart filled with admiration for Zhao Yunwen. This method of using someone else to do the dirty work and framing someone was far more ingenious than forcing his way in. He had already made up his mind that there was no need to spend the money.

Xiao Jianyun immediately left the command post and selected more than 30 elite soldiers from the entire company to secretly infiltrate the British concession. At this time, Shanghai was already in chaos, with Japanese troops and defeated soldiers scattered everywhere. The small team of more than 30 men was like fish entering the sea, and they reached the boundary of the concession without any hindrance.

Before entering the area, everyone changed into the outfits of Green Gang thugs: tight-fitting black leather shorts, top hats, and wide leather belts with brass buckles. Each of them had two exaggerated Mauser pistols stuck in their waistbands, and their eyes were filled with a fierce and ruthless aura.

Xiao Jianyun even wore sunglasses and a thick gold ring on his hand, looking exactly like a local thug leader in the foreign concession.

The group acted arrogantly, pretending to collect protection money along the street. They swaggered all the way to the front of Zhao's Foreign Firm, where they shouted that they wanted to see the manager. When they saw him, they threw out a coded message: "Imperial Jade Liquor".

The other party replied, "One hundred and eighty per cup."

"You little bastard, are you robbing me?! What kind of wine costs 180 a glass?" Xiao Jianyun deliberately raised his voice, waving his hand, "The brothers didn't bring any cash today, put it on the tab!"

After saying that, he led the group straight into the gate, as casually as if he were strolling through his own yard, which made the passers-by on the street gasp and whisper among themselves.

"The Zhao family is likely to suffer a huge financial loss this time!"

"They're all vampires who eat flesh and spit out the bones!"

"Keep your voice down! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

"Should we call the police?"

"Forget it! The police wouldn't dare mess with this bunch of thugs. Let's go, let's stay away, we can't afford to mess with them!"

After a few words of discussion, the crowd dispersed—in this British concession, "gangsters" were king.

Xiao Jianyun successfully made contact with the person in charge designated by Zhao Yunwen. The action team temporarily hid inside the foreign firm, and Zhao Yunwu, the manager of the firm and Zhao Yunwen's younger brother, took the lead in trying to get people out through diplomatic channels.

To bolster his confidence, Zhao Yunwu first paid a visit to William Thompson, the American consul in the International Settlement. Thompson had long-standing business dealings with the Zhao Group and, after receiving a generous gift from Zhao Yunwu, personally took him to the British Consulate, where they met with British Consul Charles Hill.

Hill was already aware of the Zhao family's reputation, and after accepting the generous gift, he put on the airs of an Anglo-Saxon gentleman, his tone arrogant yet helpless:

"Mr. Zhao, I regret to inform you that I cannot assist you. This matter involves Anglo-Japanese relations, and I have no authority to handle it."

He paused, his words dripping with perfunctory replies: "The isolated battalion is free within the concession. The British Empire will guarantee the safety of Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan and others. The Japanese have no say in the affairs of the British Empire."

Zhao Yunwu sneered inwardly—he had heard his elder brother say that it was clearly the Japanese consul who was forcing Hill to resign, but Hill was using "Anglo-Japanese relations" as a pretext to both gain benefits and avoid offending either side, typical British behavior.

He didn't press the matter, and with a smile, said:

"Since Consul Hill has his difficulties, then let's drop this matter. I only ask that the concession authorities take good care of the soldiers of the isolated battalion, and that all expenses be borne by the Zhao family, so that I can give an explanation to the country."

Seeing Zhao Yunwu's "sensible" attitude, and with Thompson present, Hill managed a rare forced smile and replied with a laugh, "That's easy. The British Empire is a civilized nation, and Lieutenant Colonel Xie and his party are guests of the concession. We will certainly treat them with courtesy."

Zhao Yunwu felt nauseous. After exchanging a few polite words, he turned and left. Hill didn't take the matter to heart, simply assuming that the Zhao family had spent money to buy peace of mind.

Upon returning to the trading company, Zhao Yunwu unleashed his pent-up anger, completely abandoning any hope of dealing with these foreign devils: "If words fail, then force will do! The entire task of rescuing the isolated battalion will be entrusted to Company Commander Xiao, and the Zhao family trading company will provide full intelligence and material support!"

After saying that, he told Xiao Jianyun all the details about where the isolated army was being held, but Xiao Jianyun shook his head—information passed on by others is never as reliable as seeing it with one's own eyes.

The next morning, Xiao Jianyun, along with two capable team members, still disguised as local thugs, swaggered to the vicinity of Jiaozhou Park in the International Settlement—the detention center of the Lone Army Camp was located on an open space on the north side of the park.

Just then, the isolated battalion had finished its flag-raising ceremony and was lined up for morning exercises. Their slogans were loud and their steps were neat. The soldiers stood up straight, showing no signs of the dejection that comes with being detained. This sight stirred a surge of emotion in Xiao Jianyun's heart.

Under the guise of strolling around, he thoroughly examined the detention area: covering an area of ​​about forty acres, it was originally a garbage dump and low-lying wasteland, uneven, with sewage flowing everywhere and garbage scattered all over the place; it was surrounded by a rectangular, fully enclosed enclosure, about 250 meters long from east to west and about 120 meters wide from north to south; there was not a single formal building in the area, but all the soldiers built their own reed mat sheds, with straw roofs that could barely keep out the wind and rain.

Back at the trading company, Xiao Jianyun immediately gathered the core members of the action team, spread out a simple sketch, and analyzed the enemy situation in a deep voice:

"The foreign devils erected a double-layered barbed wire fence around the detention area, which was likely electrified at night. The inner layer was about 2.2 meters high, with a dense diamond mesh and two meters between stakes; the outer layer was about 2.5 meters high, with barbed wire and a Y-shaped overturned top. There was a 1.5-meter-wide isolation strip between the inner and outer fences, and the ground was paved with gravel, which made it very easy to make noise when stepped on."

"The only gate was located in the center of the east side, about four meters wide. It was reinforced with iron and wooden doors and barbed wire, and had double locks. It was jointly managed by the International Merchant Guild and White Russian mercenaries. There were a total of about sixty to eighty guards. The officers were mostly from England, Portugal, and Italy. They worked in three shifts, 24 hours a day, with twenty-four to thirty people on each shift. Guard towers and patrol teams were deployed in layers of defense."

As he explained, everyone had a clear understanding of the defensive layout. Squad leader Liu Wei was the first to slam his fist on the table, his tone resolute:

"These foreign devils' defenses are fine against ordinary troops, but in the eyes of our reconnaissance company, they're nothing but paper! Company commander, just tell us how to fight, and the brothers will follow your orders!"

The others echoed his sentiments. The thirty-odd men were all seasoned veterans who didn't take the international merchant group and the White Russian mercenaries seriously at all.

Seeing the high morale, Xiao Jianyun nodded slightly, then changed the subject, revealing the key point: "A direct assault would easily result in heavy losses; it's best to coordinate an attack from within and without. I need someone to infiltrate beforehand to make contact with Deputy Regiment Commander Xie, finalize the reception signal and withdrawal route. Who's willing to go?"