Chapter 1436: Linking Up with the Allied Forces

William told the foreigners about the options Wang Yan had provided; to prevent their ignorant arrogance, he even thoughtfully educated them on Wang Yan's ferocity over the past less-than-half-year period, as far as he knew.

Actually, it was nothing more than Wang Yan leading fewer than seven hundred men to the airport, annihilating a Japanese battalion, then failing to cross the river with his team, wandering around this area, and expanding his force to nearly four thousand.

All of this seemed incredibly impressive given that Wang Yan had originally been merely a second lieutenant and platoon leader; if they knew about the even more significant things Wang Yan had accomplished, they would probably be jaw-dropped one by one.

The foreigners stirred up a commotion for a while, from which two men emerged and approached Wang Yan to introduce themselves.

One was John, a British infantry regiment commander, and the other was Thompson, an Allied affairs officer sent by the Americans.

Undoubtedly, being chosen to converse with Wang Yan at this moment indicated that these two men held the highest status and position among these several hundred foreigners.

The two politely accepted the Japanese cigarettes Wang Yan handed over; Thompson took a deep drag, exhaled the smoke with enjoyment, and said, "Although I am still very comfortable at this very moment, I must say that Japanese monkey cigarettes taste truly terrible."

"I understand your intention to liven up the atmosphere and bridge the distance, Thompson; as far as I know, you also refer to us Chinese as 'Chinese monkeys.' Your remark is not funny; please state your choice directly."

"Apologies, Wang, but I must clarify one point: I have absolutely never said 'Chinese monkeys,'" Thompson said with a completely serious expression.

"Really? I don't believe it."

Wang Yan shook his head. "However, whether it's true or false doesn't really matter; I have always called you 'foreign devils.' Perhaps our difference is that I always speak directly, unlike you, who only dare to spout nonsense in front of the weak. Enough; time is pressing, further talk is useless, state your choice."

Thompson's face showed some embarrassment, but he displayed nothing more; even if given eight times his courage, he would not dare to spout nonsense again.

As the saying goes, seize the initiative first; the arrogance of the foreign devils is in their bones, and so is their tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong, especially for those foreign devils holding relatively high status.

Therefore, just as during the initial meeting with William, one must first let them know I am not someone to be trifled with before relatively peaceful contact and communication can occur; now, dealing with these two foreigners of higher status is the same—they must be made to understand their own weakness.

John smiled and said, "Wang, do not be so cold and rigid; we are allies, we are brothers; we share a blood feud with the Japanese, yet there is no conflict whatsoever between us."

Seeing Wang Yan looking at him with cold eyes as an overwhelming sense of oppression descended, John quickly waved his hands. "Alright, alright, let us discuss the main matter. Wang, we should not have only two choices; perhaps there could be a third option."

Wang Yan nodded noncommittally. "Go on."

"You send us back to our territory, and we will provide you with more and better weapons and equipment. Wang, William just recounted your story; undoubtedly, you are a wise commander. Under your leadership, your forces have grown increasingly strong; you actually inflicted such heavy casualties on those damn Japanese with so few troops.

I believe that with more and better weapons and more manpower, you will surely be able to kill even more Japanese; victory will ultimately belong to us."

Wang Yan shook his head. "John, do you know where your territory is? Do you know where your troops are located?"

"We have telegraph operators here who can operate radio stations; you surely have a radio station, right, Wang? In that case, we can establish contact with the Allied forces. Perhaps we can formulate a plan, utilizing your element of surprise to launch a pincer attack and deliver a severe blow to those damn Japanese."

"For that to happen, you must first move with the troop column. Go, each of you take a rifle, and leave this place immediately."

"Wang, we have been hungry for a long time; we need to eat some food first," Thompson interjected.

Wang Yan actually laughed; he stood up, patted Thompson on the shoulder, and said, "Very well, Thompson, I will have someone leave a rifle for you and leave your food here; finish eating before you leave."

"Wang, please do not be like this; after all, he is an Allied official and not very sensitive to battlefield conditions," John said, still looking out for his fellow Allied foreigner.

Wang Yan waved his hand. "Call your telegraph operator over and have him contact your troops."

"Alright, coming right up," John replied, dragging the foolish Thompson away; shortly after, he returned with a young, handsome foreigner.

Compared to the portly, balding John and Thompson, this young man looked quite presentable.

Wang Yan personally led him to open the radio station; this was captured from the Takeuchi Regiment, capable of communication over a thousand kilometers, making it a relatively good piece of equipment.

Speaking of which, the greatest threat in this drama was the Takeuchi Regiment, yet Wang Yan had casually eliminated them, turning them into experience babies without specific details, providing radio stations, medicine, food, and many weapons and ammunition.

However, even though Wang Yan obtained the radio station, it was useless; he could only blindly search within the world of radio waves, unable to precisely locate any specific faction. Nor could he continuously transmit calls, as he had no way of determining who would respond; if he happened to connect with the little Japanese, wouldn't that be disastrous?

Therefore, now that a telegraph operator had arrived, through this operator he could at least establish contact with the Allied forces.

This marked that he had opened up a regional network and was no longer fighting as an isolated force deep behind enemy lines; with a faction to coordinate with, he could also negotiate with the Allies to obtain aid in weapons, ammunition, medicine, and food.

In reality, his current situation was not good; although he did not lack weapons and ammunition, food was relatively scarce. Local production had been destroyed, and the consumption of his nearly four thousand subordinates, combined with daily high-intensity marching, resulted in much greater expenditure; moreover, they were not fighting every day, nor did every battle yield abundant spoils.

It could be said that by now, his subordinates were all fighting on empty stomachs.

Thus, while Wang Yan was here contacting the Allies through the telegraph operator and asking about Allied communication methods, the foreigners outside started making a commotion again.

Wang Yan frowned and looked over. "What is going on?"

Fan La came trotting over hurriedly. "We are distributing guns and food, but these foreign masters are complaining that there is too little to eat."

"Fan La, you damn battalion commander with seven hundred brothers under your command, can't you maintain even this little bit of order? Whoever shouts the loudest, hit them; damn it, our own brothers aren't even full, yet they are being picky? Go, beat them! Beat them hard!"

"Orders received!" Fan La responded crisply, then ran over excitedly, took a running start, leaped, and delivered a massive flying kick that sent a screaming foreigner flying.

The soldiers nearby holding guns to maintain order were equally decisive, immediately chambering rounds in their rifles; in an instant, the foreigners fell silent, obediently receiving their weapons and simple rations.

After waiting another ten-plus minutes, the telegraph operator successfully contacted the Allied forces, reported Wang Yan's situation, and achieved a detailed communication on one side.

Their location was in western Burma, one hundred and fifty kilometers southwest of Wang Yan's unit; they sent a telegram stating that a large group of Japanese troops was besieging them there, hoping he would go and launch a surprise attack. There was no preset target; attacking anyone would suffice, the goal being to relieve some pressure on the Allied forces, buy time for maneuvering, and gain a moment to catch their breath.

Everyone had been driven all the way by the Japanese, including the earlier Chinese Expeditionary Force; all were beaten out, some returning to Yunnan, others going to India, or more accurately, 'British India,' where the Allied headquarters was established.

Currently, the only organized Chinese army unit still operating within Burma was Wang Yan's force.

After reviewing the map and synthesizing intelligence obtained from the Allied side, Wang Yan led the Sichuan Army Regiment away from this concentration camp, taking a circuitous route toward the Allied position.

Including the foreigners, a marching column of over four thousand people was different from the previous one or two thousand, especially within a war zone; naturally, they could not simply march in a single file line.

Nearly three thousand men were dispersed in platoon-sized units, with platoons between companies providing mutual support; companies, battalions, and the main force of over one thousand men directly led by Wang Yan all provided mutual support, covering an area of several square kilometers, while elite scouts were deployed over ten kilometers out.

At roughly fixed intervals, every position had to report the situation to the level above, eventually summarizing everything to Wang Yan; he operated like a precise machine, continuously issuing targeted deployments to the various troop segments.

The primary reason was that Wang Yan had no grasp of the battlefield situation, essentially being completely blind; therefore, he needed to expand the troop's contact surface as much as possible, spreading out to detect the enemy first.

Once the enemy was detected, things became relatively simple: roughly ascertain the enemy's situation and the surrounding conditions, comprehensively evaluate this small sector of the battlefield, and judge the enemy's possible locations, directions from which reinforcements might arrive, and potential troop strength.

Of course, this was not judged out of thin air; he possessed a terrain map of Burma captured from the Japanese. Regarding mountains and geography, the little Japanese had already surveyed many areas before fighting, then supplemented and perfected the maps after the battles.

Combined with Wang Yan's rich experience, this allowed him to charge in and out seven times on the rapidly changing battlefield...

Thus, they safely completed more than half the journey; however, in reality, while they avoided Japanese troops along the way and the straight-line distance was indeed half the journey, the detours they took altogether probably exceeded two hundred kilometers.

In the past, any Japanese troops discovered along the route would definitely have been wiped out cleanly; however, now, in order to establish contact with the foreigners, they had to conceal their tracks, take circuitous routes, and avoid premature detection by the Japanese.

"Report to Commander Wang, seven kilometers due west, we have discovered a little Japanese outpost; it appears to be a warehouse. It is quite large, guarded by several hundred men."

Wang Yan checked the sky, then took out the map; after a brief moment of thought, he beckoned a messenger. "First Battalion (Long Wenzhang), go north and set an ambush in this mountain hollow; Second Battalion (Fan La) and Third Battalion (A Yi), go south where there is a main road, advance two kilometers to intercept; tell them to retreat if things go south, do not be stubborn. The rest, march another two kilometers, eat and rest; we will launch the attack in five hours."

"Yes!"

Several messengers responded, then ran off hurriedly to deliver the orders, all in pairs.

"Wang, are we going to war?" John came closer.

"A Japanese army depot has been spotted ahead. The battle begins in five hours; you will also join the fight then. Make your preparations."

"Of course, combat is a soldier's duty; we will not shirk it. Furthermore, we will charge with bravery," John declared with solemn oath.

Wang Yan glanced at him. These foreign devils had lost all their arrogance; every one of them looked utterly wretched. Underfed, sleep-deprived, and forced to march long distances daily, rising at dawn only to walk again, they were already completely exhausted.

"Charging is the preferred option only when necessary. If not required, it is better to fight slowly. However, if you wish to die, I will not stop you."

"Wang, we are your soldiers now; we will all obey your commands."

"Very good." Wang Yan nodded with satisfaction and patted his shoulder. "I hope you demonstrate the combat professionalism expected of soldiers."

"Certainly, Wang. We are all warriors, qualified warriors."

Seeing Wang Yan smile without speaking, John said, "Wang, should we not contact that side? Inform them to prepare, as we are about to commence our attack."

"Are you certain you mean informing the Allied forces, and not the Japanese army? Regarding our previous engagement, it remains unclear whether our communications were secure. As for the specific time and location of the attack, how could we possibly reveal such details to them? Moreover, we are still twenty kilometers away from that position. Even if the fighting here triggers a response from the Japanese troops over there, it will take time for them to react."

"Therefore, John, set your mind at ease and do not rush. It will not be too late to inform them after we have finished fighting. In fact, even if we do not tell them, once we engage here, if the commander over there is competent, they will find an opportunity to launch their own offensive."

"John, you know far too little about us; we have never fought together before. Once you have joined us in a few battles, you will understand. From today onward, I guarantee you will have a fight every single day."

John remained silent, for he did not know what to say. He admitted that Wang Yan was indeed formidable, having led a force of over four thousand men across more than two hundred kilometers without detection by the Japanese army. He had also observed the strict discipline and immediate obedience within Wang Yan's troops, but beyond that, he could discern nothing else.

Including the command and deployment during the march, he could sense that Wang Yan must be highly capable; otherwise, they would not have remained undetected. Yet he knew nothing more, simply because he could not understand the language. The only person he could converse with, Wang Yan, clearly would not have the patience to explain such matters to him...

Thus, faced with Wang Yan's solemn oaths and confident, powerful words, he could only smile and nod, thinking, 'Everything you say is correct.'

Wang Yan chuckled, unconcerned whether these foreign devils were merely echoing his words; after all, the facts would teach them everything.

Soon, having covered two kilometers, the group ate, drank, and rested. They then traversed the final five kilometers of mountainous terrain, hid themselves in the surrounding area to make their arrangements, caught their breath, and upon reaching the scheduled time, immediately launched their assault.

"Where is Krupp?"

"Here, here, Lord Wang!" A very fat man stepped forward.

"Begin with a round of mortar bombardment."

"Yes!" Krupp responded, hurriedly running back to manage several dozen mortars, ordering adjustments to their angles and preparing to load ammunition.

"Fire!"

At his shout, the soldiers released their grip, allowing the shells to slide down the barrels. Struck by the firing pins, the shells burst from the muzzles with a 'thump-thump-thump,' soaring into the sky and heading straight for the depot.

In an instant, explosions erupted with a 'boom-boom-boom.'

The battle had begun...

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