Chapter 1447: Secret Talk

The Allied forces had already recaptured Lashio.

It was a city that the Burma Road passed through, less than 200 kilometers from the border, and could be considered a gateway city. During the first expedition in 1942, this place had been an important base for the Expeditionary Force. Even at the beginning of the war, the Baldy and his wife personally visited this place to offer condolences.

On this day, Lashio was lively again. All kinds of big shots appeared at the airport near Lashio, and even Wang Yan had arrived.

After recapturing Lashio, Wang Yan's station was in Nandu, not far from Lashio. This place was not far from Mandalay either. He was reorganizing and not participating in the war, but he was not completely letting the Japanese army act recklessly. His purpose in stationing in Nandu was precisely to contain part of the Japanese army's strength.

As long as Wang Yan didn't move, that part of the Japanese army didn't dare to move. If they dared to transfer away, Wang Yan would lead his troops south, and Mandalay would be within reach.

And once Mandalay fell, the Japanese army would be completely driven to southern Burma, and at that time, the Japanese army might as well withdraw...

Wang Yan was in military uniform, wearing a greatcoat. Even though there were general stars on his collar, he couldn't be compared to the people present.

He stood straight with his hands behind his back, unlike others who were surrounded by supporters.

There was no one around him, with the closest person at least two meters away, and no one joked with him. Even Liu Zhu Jun, Luo Youlun, and Sun Zhongneng were quite a distance from him, staying with Chen De, Stilwell, and others over there.

Don't blame others; blame Wang Yan for revealing his ambition so clearly. They couldn't control him, and at the same time, they had to rely on Wang Yan to devise strategies, so they simply kept some distance.

Of course, this was only at this time; they always had to put on a show.

In fact, Wang Yan was quite well-connected. Not everyone who dominated the war in Burma was against him.

Wang Yan lit a cigarette with nothing to do and smoked it on his own.

Before he finished the cigarette, a humming sound finally came from the sky. An airplane passed through the clouds and slid to the airport.

Soldiers lined up in two rows, and everyone walked closer to meet the plane.

The ground crew connected the gangway, the cabin door opened, and a bald man in military uniform wearing a woolen greatcoat walked out first. Behind him was his wife in a black greatcoat, followed by some guards, secretaries, and other personnel.

Chen De went up to meet them first, followed by a large group of people, all with eager faces, as if welcoming their sun. The personnel who had long been prepared to take pictures squeezed in and took pictures with flashing lights.

Of course, there was no place for Wang Yan at this time. He just watched silently from behind. During this time, the eyes of the Baldy and others often cast over, as if identifying...

After everyone had met each other and communicated with the foreigners, the Baldy immediately walked over with his wife.

"Wang Yan, I've seen your name many times in the war reports. Seeing you today, you really have the demeanor of a Confucian general from the past."

The Baldy smiled warmly, and his opening was very respectful, fully demonstrating his importance. Little did he know that Wang Yan was distracted and thinking about "I don't understand"...

"Chairman, you are too kind. I am just a lucky common soldier; how can I be a Confucian general?" Wang Yan laughed. "I have also been fighting in the Nationalist Army for more than ten years. I didn't expect that one day I would be able to see the Chairman. It's like looking up and seeing the North Star. How fortunate, how fortunate."

"Still calling yourself a common soldier? You speak like an article." The wife smiled kindly, not looking like someone who was extravagant and wasteful at all.

Wang Yan smiled and nodded: "Greetings, Madam."

The Baldy waved his hand and said: "Alright, don't be polite. Walk with us and see the heroic posture of my Expeditionary Force."

"That is truly a scene of all things competing and full of vitality." Wang Yan still couldn't hold it back...

"This sentence shows that you haven't read many books. How can you use it here?" The wife shook her head and laughed.

The War of Resistance Against Japan was really not easy. The damage to the Chinese people was really too great, and the change to China was also too great...

The two didn't understand Wang Yan's bad taste, just shook their heads with amusement...

Wang Yan served on one side of the wife, Chen De followed on one side of the Baldy, and everyone left the airport with laughter.

On the road outside the airport, there stood a pile of soldiers who had been arranged in advance to be reviewed by the Baldy. Among the thousands of people, not one was Wang Yan's soldier.

The Baldy smiled and waved to the soldiers, occasionally stopping to shake hands with them, and together with his wife, helped the soldiers straighten their clothes and said a few words of encouragement.

Whenever this happened, the soldiers who were treated so favorably felt a sense of inexplicable glory.

Still the same sentence: as long as the leader is willing to put down his posture, the people being led will increase their loyalty and trust a lot. The Baldy and his wife naturally understood this truth very well, and they also offered condolences quite often.

It was just that the internal situation was dirty, there were too many factions, and it couldn't be integrated. They mixed the feudal master thinking of the old society as innovation, combined with the bureaucratic capitalism of the West as progress, the whole system was corrupted, and the three big mountains had never been moved away cleanly.

After reviewing the troops like this, everyone arrived in Lashio city. The Baldy and his wife really risked arrows and stones to visit the front line.

After arriving, they didn't rest. The Baldy directly negotiated some issues with the foreigners, and then learned about the war situation in Burma with Chen De and a group of staff officers. The great military strategist also guided some front-line deployments...

After all this, in the gap before eating, the Baldy called Wang Yan for a secret talk. Only the two of them were there, wanting to say some heartfelt words to be written in the diary.

The Baldy looked at Wang Yan, who was sitting there drinking tea and smoking, looking very comfortable, and said: "I know you have resentment against the Party and the State."

"Chairman, you are exaggerating. I have said more than once that no matter what, we are killing little devils. There will always be people to be cannon fodder, and there will always be people to die. I have no worries, there is nothing I cannot die for."

"Good." The Baldy nodded and asked again: "Since you have no resentment, why are you in Burma? You reorganized the army three times, leaving the Japanese alone and missing the opportunity for battle, watching the great situation being buried. Explain to me, why?"

"Chairman, I am a straight talker. If I say something wrong, don't hold it against me."

"Speak!"

"Don't give me a cold face. What I have today is earned by my own ability, killed by my brothers on the battlefield, not given to me by your charity."

As soon as Wang Yan opened his mouth, the Baldy's face turned blue and his head was full of black lines. "I have no resentment, but that doesn't mean I trust anyone. Not to mention how many times I was sold when I was a common soldier in the country before, just in Burma, since you want to use me, since you gave me troops, what is the point of sending a Luo Youlun?"

"Earlier, when Luo Zhuoying was here to recruit, I compared myself to the Water Margin. I don't know if the Chairman knows about this. Since participating in the war in Burma, there have been many constraints. Even today, it is not that all units are working together; everyone has their own thoughts."

"I cannot hand over my life to others and let others decide my life and death based on their conscience. This is the truth, right?"

The Baldy stared at Wang Yan, wanting to scold him, but then thought of Wang Yan's rebellious nature. It would be easy to scold him back, but if he got angry and killed him directly, it wouldn't be worth it.

He breathed repeatedly to calm his mood and said, "You have reorganized almost enough. What else do you want to do? Put your conditions on the table, don't just quit at every turn."

Wang Yan shook his head: "I am really reorganizing. If the Chairman hadn't made this trip, I would have taken action in less than ten days. But since the Chairman has spoken, if I don't speak, it seems I am sorry for you. Send me some more troops, and let the foreigners send the weapons and equipment."

The Baldy was so angry he laughed: "Wang Yan, you have really made up your mind not to go back?"

"From the moment I was recruited, it was destined that I couldn't go back. Officials are not good things. I can't fight them; I only know how to kill. They stab me with soft knives, and I return them with bullets. Who can tolerate me? Won't I have to run away when the time comes? Maybe the brothers won't be willing to follow me anymore. This is the truth, right?"

The Baldy didn't respond to whether it was the truth. Could it not be?

Right now, they still need the unruly Wang Yan for the war, but if he returned to the country, thousands of years of political struggle methods were there, and all kinds of pits and harms were there. His subordinates would be divided, and Wang Yan's own life would really be hard to guarantee.

Or if he could guarantee it, he would lose his power. Power is poison. Having tasted the taste of giving orders, how could he be willing to retire? If he was unwilling and had no power, he would live his whole life in this kind of "loss."

"You have to know, Burma is a colony of the British!" The Baldy said this, considering it a reminder to Wang Yan.

"A bunch of chickens and dogs!" Wang Yan replied simply and directly.

The Baldy was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized. Wang Yan was stating a fact. Otherwise, why would he run over personally? Wasn't it to let Wang Yan send troops as soon as possible...

"Take action as soon as possible." The Baldy had nothing more to say. Wang Yan's attitude had already been made clear; it was not something that could be moved by words, and it wasn't worth fighting, so there was nothing to say, and looking at him made him angry.

On this day, Wang Yan participated in the welcome banquet, ate and drank his fill, and then left. He was out of place with the atmosphere here.

Early the next morning, the Baldy left with his wife...

It can be said that this time the Baldy came out personally just to chat with Wang Yan and see what Wang Yan meant...

During the reorganization process, Wang Yan offended a huge number of people, but so what?

The Burmese battlefield was changed because of him. Although he didn't recapture the Burma Road, he did get the road in part of northern Burma. In this way, after transferring from India, even if the distance was a bit far and the difficulty was a bit high, it was still possible to let the supplies from outside be sent in continuously.

As long as the transportation route was transferred, for the receiving place at the terminal, it wouldn't feel too slow. After all, things were always being transported, and at the terminal, it was always receiving things. The difficulty was all on the way of transportation, all here at the Expeditionary Force.

In general, although Wang Yan was a dog thief who stole power, the result was good.

And the situation on the battlefield was indeed quite good. Even if Wang Yan reorganized here, the Allied forces still listened to Wang Yan's "suggested command." If they listened, they could stabilize the situation, not be beaten by the Japanese army until they couldn't find north, and not bury the great situation.

Fighting until now, the Japanese army's strength was still slightly ahead, but in the overall strategic situation, the Japanese army was in a defensive position.

It was just that Wang Yan reorganized here and didn't participate in the war, which gave the Japanese army a breather. And during this period, they increased troops once again, transferring some troops from China, Southeast Asia, and the main island to reinforce.

They had to increase troops; Burma couldn't be held. When they received the intelligence and learned that Wang Yan was making trouble and quitting again, no one knew how relaxed the little Japanese here were, and all the informed people subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

According to the intelligence Wang Yan received, the Japanese army was already discussing withdrawing from Burma, but they discussed it and didn't get any results.

Wang Yan knew very well why. The reason was actually very simple: the little Japanese had too many sunk costs in Burma. In the nearly two years until now, they had thrown in more than 100,000 troops, didn't get much resources, didn't completely achieve the goal of cutting off the supply route to China, and the casualties were quite heavy.

However, to say that the defeat was already obvious was not entirely true. The overall situation was defensive, but there was no major rout.

This was the result of Wang Yan's intentional suppression. Until now, he hadn't tried his best to fight the little Japanese in Burma; he was just intentionally creating this feeling, giving the little Japanese a hope that it would be fine if they used a little more effort. However, no matter how hard they tried, it was useless, and half of their bodies were trapped in the mud.

This situation was undoubtedly the most favorable.

Not only did he recapture the transportation route and not cut off the domestic supplies, but he also let the Japanese army invest heavy troops here, contain their strength, and then affect the overall layout of the little Japanese. At the same time, Wang Yan was constantly improving his status in this process and getting benefits. Didn't you see that he was already the big boss of the New First Army?

Placed in the entire Nationalist Party, according to actual power and importance, he was also a player within the top 200.

And all this took less than two years.

No wonder they say heroes come from troubled times...

The troops were reorganized, and after adapting to each other, it was 1944.

Wang Yan finally didn't wait until after the New Year to take action again, because the Japanese reinforcements had arrived again, and the Allied forces were unable to resist again.

Even if he devised strategies, the gap in absolute strength was there, and it couldn't be easily smoothed out.

But he sent troops, and it was smoothed out...

So in the spring of 1944, the Allied forces and the Japanese army broke out in a big battle again. The intensity of the war was pulled to the highest level, no longer repeating the previous small fights.

The airplanes that had stopped for a long time appeared frequently again: reconnaissance planes, fighter planes, and bombers, using the Allied forces' lack of air power to expand their advantages.

The tanks and artillery on the ground also rumbled out. However, in this regard, the Allied forces still had something, with several armored brigades fighting against the Japanese army.

It wouldn't let flesh and blood collide with the steel torrent.

In fact, what Wang Yan had always told his brothers was not to fight tanks. This was not the country where every inch of land was an inch of blood; there was no need to fight tanks with flesh and blood.

On the other hand, it was also because of the terrain. There were many mountains and forests in Burma, and it was not a plain where they couldn't run away, which was not conducive to the performance of tanks. So if they encountered tanks, they would run for their lives. If they drilled into the forest, that was their own territory. The little Japanese tanks lost their function. As long as they dared to chase into the forest, it would definitely be a heavy loss.

The difference this time was that the Japanese army retreated and occupied the cities on the plains. They wanted to fight out, couldn't beat them, and retreated back. The Allied forces couldn't always hide in the mountains and not go out, so they had to fight soldier against soldier and general against general.

Both sides generally unfolded fierce confrontations around the Mandalay area.

The entire occupied area was divided into two parts. The northern and western regions of Mandalay were almost under the control of the Allied forces, while the eastern and southern regions were Japanese-occupied areas. In addition, in the northeastern region of Mandalay, that is, the Nantianguan side, both sides were currently fighting, and no winner had been decided.

They had already fought out before. Yu Xiaoqing's troops had crossed the Nu River and started to go south. Later, because of the Japanese reinforcements, Yu Xiaoqing was beaten back.

After Wang Yan was promoted and came out of the mountains again, Yu Xiaoqing fought out again. And after Wang Yan reorganized again, the Japanese army had reinforcements, and Yu Xiaoqing went back again...

Now Wang Yan sent troops again, and it is estimated that it won't be long before Yu Xiaoqing can cross the river and go south again...

Do what you should do at what time. Do what you should do in what status.

This time Wang Yan sent troops, and he didn't just simply fight the little Japanese anymore. Because it was already 1944, the little Japanese were already grasshoppers after autumn and couldn't jump for two years.

At this point, Wang Yan naturally had to plan for himself and for his brothers.

The little Japanese were good at talking nonsense. The excuse for invading Burma was to help the Burmese people get rid of the British colonial rule and become a part of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. At the beginning, the Burmese people, or the rulers of Burma, really believed it.

However, over the past two years, there was no need to publicize the little Japanese's conduct. In all the places occupied by the Japanese army, the Burmese people had already learned their lesson, and there were many blood feuds, so naturally, the anti-Japanese sentiment rose.

Of course, this was only the Burmese people at the bottom. The rulers at the top, all kinds of puppet troops, merchants who defected, etc., they actually knew it early on, but they also believed it!

Did they really believe it? Of course not. It was for their own good.

Either driving the tiger to swallow the wolf, or making a fortune themselves, all kinds of thoughts were endless.

But no matter what, the Burmese people at the bottom had had enough.

This time, Wang Yan started to take the initiative to go to the villages and towns in Burma along the way, directly cleaning up the local hooligans and big families, and recruiting local natives to join the army. He had already started to infiltrate Burma. When the war was over, these natives would return home, and it would be another situation...

In short, Wang Yan didn't deceive the Baldy; he really wanted to continue fighting...

?? Daily thanks to the great brothers who tipped, voted for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and read silently!

? (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1448 =====