Chapter 76: Republic of China: Starting from Whampoa Phase One Chapter 76 Training Supplementary Regiment

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

"Song Xilian? He had military achievements during the Eastern Expedition too, so he's feasible, but he's a company commander in the Second Regiment of the First Division," Liu Zhi asked.

"I get along well with him, and besides, Song deserves a promotion. I doubt there's anyone in the military that Officer Liu can't get?"

"Haha, if that's the case, I'll ask Commander He Yingqin myself. You must train them well and earn more glory during the Northern Expedition!"

"By the way, where is my regiment's station now?"

"Our Second Division's station is now at Huade, and your Supplementary Regiment is there too. Go there first. I'll get your people for you soon."

"Yes! I'll immediately go to Huade to take up my post as Supplementary Regiment Commander!"

Lv Muzhi left the office and could already feel that the Whampoa Military Academy wasn't as lively as before. Clearly, some people had already left the academy.

After leaving the school gate, he saw his Special Service Company Commander Zhang Fei waiting for him: "Regiment Commander!"

Zhang Fei waved his hand and went up to Lv Muzhi.

"You're finally back! As soon as I heard you returned to the academy, I rushed over to pick you up! The academy has changed while you were gone!" Zhang Fei said with wide eyes.

Lv Muzhi made a hushing gesture. "This doesn't concern you. Let's go to the regiment headquarters first."

"Oh, alright. I've already hired a steamboat."

Lv Muzhi boarded the boat, then looked back at the somewhat quiet school gate and asked, "Zhang Fei, how about I recommend you to study at Whampoa Military Academy? Are you willing?"

Zhang Fei was clearly delighted. "You recommended me to join the Qingtian Faction last year, and now you want to send me to military academy. That's indeed good, but the Supplementary Regiment was just established and is short-handed right now. I definitely can't leave you!"

"Good! Having you say that is enough. Don't worry, everything that should be there will be there!"

At Huade Camp, soldiers of the Second Division Supplementary Regiment were training. Du Yuming and Guan Linzhen were drilling the new recruits.

"Muzi, no, Regiment Commander, you're finally back!" Guan Linzhen was clearly happy. These past few days, the two battalion commanders had been busy registering the new recruits, and it had worn them out.

Lv Muzhi picked up the troop organization table to look at it and frowned. "Only three infantry battalions? What about the direct units?"

"Ah, what else? Isn't there still a Special Service Company?" Du Yuming pointed to the Special Service Company Commander Zhang Fei on the side. "Isn't that your direct unit?"

"Regiment Commander, you wouldn't want a Machine Gun Company, Artillery Company, Reconnaissance Platoon, Engineer Battalion, or anything like that, would you?" Guan Linzhen asked.

"Yeah, Supplementary Regiment, Supplementary Regiment—it's just for training new recruits to supplement other troops," Zhang Fei also said on the side.

"Setting that aside, there should be Maxim Machine Guns, and there should be an Engineer Battalion too. Bridging over water will still be needed."

Du Yuming and Guan Linzhen exchanged a glance, and Du Yuming stepped forward and said, "Muzi, although this Supplementary Regiment isn't a Combat Regiment, your colonel rank is real. You and I both understand—you won't stay in this position for long before being transferred elsewhere. Don't make things difficult for yourself."

"That won't do. If we really fight, who cares whether you're a Supplementary Regiment or a Combat Regiment? Do you remember the Third Division in the Hua Yang Battle? One of their supplementary regiments was beaten by the rebel forces with heavy casualties. If we don't put some effort into this, we'll be the ones to suffer later. You don't need to worry about this; I'll handle the negotiations."

After Lv Muzhi finished speaking, he took out a booklet from his bag.

"What is this?"

"It's a training syllabus I wrote when I was at home. Train according to this. I don't require anything else, but the four major skills—shooting, bayonet fighting, earthworks, and hand grenade throwing—must all be passed, and physical fitness cannot be neglected."

Du Yuming and Guan Linzhen were flipping through the syllabus when Lv Muzhi asked again, "Among our platoon-level officers, how many are Whampoa graduates?"

"No need to worry about that. Over eighty percent of platoon leaders are graduates of Whampoa's Second and Third Phases. Company commanders include some First Phase graduates, as well as other grassroots officers with combat experience who were promoted up." Du Yuming answered quickly.

Lv Muzhi breathed a sigh of relief. Although his superior Liu Zhi hadn't given him any good equipment, at least the personnel arrangements were finally not makeshift.

With experts like Du Yuming and Guan Linzhen holding down the fort, he didn't need to worry too much about any unexpected situations.

"Setting everything else aside, first test their physical fitness. Infantry that can't run can't fight."

"All results must be registered. For unqualified soldiers, squad and platoon leaders must supervise and give extra training. Pay attention to methods—excessive corporal punishment is not allowed."

Du Yuming and the others nodded in agreement and began arranging matters one by one.

Until afternoon, a figure appeared outside the Supplementary Regiment's camp. Lv Muzhi stood with his hands on his hips, observing the troops conducting physical fitness tests.

"Reporting to Regiment Commander Lv, Supplementary Regiment Third Battalion Major Battalion Commander Song Xilian reporting for duty."

Lv Muzhi watched Song Xilian salute listlessly, then directly pulled him into the regiment headquarters office.

Song Xilian plopped down onto a chair, covered his face with both hands, and rubbed hard. "Brother Muzi! You were gone for a month at home, and Whampoa and the First Army... everything has changed!"

Lv Muzhi nodded without speaking.

"Cross-faction elements have been purged. In the First Army and Whampoa Military Academy, anyone who joined the Worker-Peasant Faction either voluntarily withdrew or was purged from the army and the academy! Jiang Xiangyun, Chen Geng, and many others have all left the First Army!"

"So you voluntarily withdrew from the Worker-Peasant Faction?" Lv Muzhi asked.

Song Xilian felt even worse. His big brother Chen Geng had left the First Army and Whampoa, while he himself had stayed behind. "Brother Muzi, you say... was it right or wrong for me to withdraw from the Worker-Peasant Faction and stay in the First Army?"

"When Chen Geng left, he wanted to take me with him, but I... I refused him. You say, does he think I'm greedy for the First Army's rank and position?"

Lv Muzhi sighed and asked, "Where did all the people who left go?"

"Jiang Xiangyun went to the Northern Expedition Headquarters to be a secretary; the Principal couldn't keep him. Chen Geng also left; I heard he might go abroad to study. And Brother Zhilong... he was stripped of all his positions at the Naval Bureau and transferred to be a director at some theater troupe, focusing entirely on revolutionary propaganda!"

Li Zhilong went to the theater troupe, temporarily had his wings clipped. Perhaps after some maneuvering later, he could at least save his life and start over.

"Xilian, some things are best understood in your heart. Think about why you came to Whampoa Military Academy in the first place. Set aside those identities and be a pure soldier. The warlords are still here, and the Northern Expedition is imminent. You take your gun and go kill. I still have a battalion of new recruits that need you to lead."

After Lv Muzhi finished speaking, he took out the training syllabus he had compiled from the drawer again and handed it to Song Xilian.

Song Xilian hesitated for a moment, then accepted the booklet, saluted, turned, and left the regiment headquarters.