Chapter 400: Parting Gift

The river wind brushes the face, and the reeds sway lightly.

Jiang Anguo orders people to bring three bamboo chairs and a low wooden table, placing them on a high slope by the water.

On the table there is no delicacy, only a few simple dishes: a plate of salted peanuts, a dish of twice‑cooked pork, and a bowl of spicy edamame.

All are Sichuan‑Hubei flavors, home‑style fare on the battlefield.

The three sit down, and a faint, desolate aura reminiscent of Cao and Liu brewing wine in their youth arises, except there are no dragons here, only tiger generals.

Xu Guozhang lifts the coarse porcelain bowl, bloodshot in his eyes, and asks the weighty question: "Brother, tell me… can we win?"

Hu Lian says nothing, only gazes silently at Jiang Anguo, his eyes also holding countless words.

Jiang Anguo understands that his question is not about Zhi River, not about Jingzhou, nor even about Wuhan.

He asks about the war that has weighed on the hearts of forty million compatriots for years, whether a total victory can drive the invaders completely out of Huaxia's mountains and rivers.

The river rushes onward, as if holding its breath, waiting for an answer.

Jiang Anguo slowly rises, steps behind Xu Guozhang, presses both heavy hands onto his broad shoulders, and in a low, iron‑forged voice says: "Brother Xu, we will definitely win."

He pauses, each word etched like stone: "Victory will ultimately belong to us!"

Xu Guozhang's eyes redden slightly, then he looks to the sky and laughs loudly: "Got it! Got it! That's more like it!"

He grabs the large bamboo‑fermented liquor bottle at his feet, pulls the cork, and hands it to Jiang Anguo: "Come, brother, take a sip! To the future sure‑victory battle!"

Jiang Anguo does not refuse, takes the bottle, and tilts his head to gulp it down.

The strong liquor burns like fire, rushing straight into his throat and lungs.

In fact, Jiang Anguo does not know how to drink; on the Myanmar battlefield, the most he drinks is cola.

But a man, when the moment calls for it, will drink the liquor.

"Cough, cough!" he chokes, bending over, tears welling up.

Xu Guozhang and Hu Lian, seeing this, are first stunned, then burst into loud laughter.

Hu Lian slaps his thigh: "A dignified Major General commander, brought down by a single sip!"

Xu Guozhang laughs, leaning forward and backward: "Hahaha, so you also have moments of fear!"

Jiang Anguo wipes the tears from his eyes, not angry, but joins the laughter.

The laughter shakes the willow leaves on the riverbank, startling a few rows of white egrets.

In this moment, they are neither generals nor Commander; no bond is deeper than having walked together through the flames of war!

By the Yangtze River, with a bowl of rough liquor, they gamble a nation's tomorrow.

Hu Lian and Xu Guozhang do not know that everything Jiang Anguo said is true, except…

After a long while, the laughter gradually subsides.

Jiang Anguo looks toward the setting sun in the western sky, and softly says: "When we win, we'll still be here drinking. If you don't drink this bamboo‑fermented liquor, I, Jiang Anguo, will treat you both to the seawater of Tokyo Bay."

Xu Guozhang raises his bottle and clinks it: "It's a promise!"

Hu Lian also lifts his bowl: "It's a promise!"

Xu Guozhang takes it seriously, and Hu Lian does too!

The river roars!

Carrying the oath!

Heading east.

Jiang Anguo slips away without bidding farewell to Xu Guozhang and Hu Lian; just before leaving, he has the chief of staff Yan Xing, who is to carry out "Plan R," deliver two letters he has handwritten.

He also has Yan Xing provide the final armament to the 150th Division and the 11th Division.

He sends Jiang Anguo's parting 'big gift package'.

In fact, the 150th Division no longer needs armament; during the crossing of the river and the Battle of Xiaoting, it had already completed a round of weapons replacement, equipping the troops with many MG42 General Machine Guns.

Of course, Brother Xu is meticulous; even the Czech‑type light machine guns that were replaced were kept.

In Jingmen and Jingzhou, Jiang Anguo has already supplied the 150th Division of Brother Xu with combat ammunition; this time he only adds an artillery battalion, the Little Devil's 94‑type mountain guns, twelve pieces in total.

Whether Brother Xu will form an artillery battalion or an artillery regiment depends on Xu Guozhang himself.

For Hu Lian's 11th Division, Jiang Anguo actually supplied weaponry for two brigades; the crucial point is that Hu Lian had not made a decision then, and of the four brigades' forces, only the 33rd and 34th Brigades were dispatched to Dianjun Mountain.

Thus, at that time Jiang Anguo only provided those two brigades with weapons and ammunition.

Now that Jiang Anguo has left, he has also completed the equipment for those two brigades and delivered it into Hu Lian's hands.

"Chief of Staff Yan, what is this?" Hu Lian asks, looking at the documents handed over, which list the names and quantities of the weapons.

Yan Xing's face shows no expression, and he says: "Chief Hu, our General said this is the weapons for the remaining two brigades. Of course, the many weapons in Yichang should be enough for your division."

It should be known that after the Japanese 13th Division in Yichang was annihilated, all captured weapons were handed to the 11th Division, and some were sent to Xu Guozhang's side.

Xu Guozhang also lacks no weapons; Xiaoting and the Japanese 13th Mixed Brigade are enough to replenish the 150th Division.

However, the Little Devil's Type 38 rifle uses 6.8 mm ammunition, whereas both the standard Chinese and Hanyang rifles use 7.92 mm rounds.

Thus it is not very interchangeable.

All the equipment Jiang Anguo gave to Hu Lian and Xu Guozhang are German Mauser rifles, standardizing the unit's caliber.

As for heavy weapons, Jiang Anguo also arranged Maxim Heavy Machine Guns for the 150th and 11th Divisions.

In fact, Jiang Anguo's troops have no heavy weapons; if there are any, they are tanks and mortars.

His forces mainly rely on the MG42 General Machine Guns in the infantry squads, forming effective firepower against the enemy.

The prerequisite is sufficient logistical supply.

Jiang Anguo's mobile depot moves with the troops in combat.

Otherwise, the MG42 is useful but unaffordable to sustain, perhaps far less practical than the Czech type.

Given domestic unit supply, no unit can afford MG42 ammunition; a single shipment amounts to only a few hundred rounds.

"Alas, you truly must thank Jiang Anguo on my behalf," Hu Lian says earnestly.

It was also because I was too cautious at the time.

Hu Lian looked at the eight 105mm German-made howitzers above, and felt a flood of emotions.

There were also the thirty‑six 75mm Type 94 mountain guns; if that firepower were placed in his 11th Division, not to mention the Little Devil's elite division, even the Little Devil's Class A Division, he would still dare to tangle with it.

The artillery gap between the 150th Division and the 11th Division was huge, and Jiang Anguo also considered the practical situation, fearing that Old Xu could not hold it.

Jiang Anguo basically armed the 11th Division to the teeth.

Yan Xing stood up and said slowly, "Both division commanders, my superior's wish is that from now on, wherever you are stationed, you should build an airfield at the first opportunity. The requirement is modest: construct a runway 1,200 to 1,500 meters long, enough for transport aircraft to take off and land."

"Under any circumstances, if the two division commanders need assistance, the air force of my st Division can provide help at any time."

Xu Guozhang nodded. Although he envied Hu Lian for receiving more weapons and equipment, he also knew that his 150th Division was perpetually poor; even if you equipped howitzers, there weren't enough artillerymen to use them.