Chapter 473: Smoke over the Golden Triangle (Part 5)

William piloted a long-range aircraft, circled the battlefield sky once, and after confirming no targets were missed.

Via radio William reported to Lin Yi: "Commander Lin, the Da Qili battlefield is confirmed; the Thai Army is attacking the 93rd Division's Reinforced Camp. I have led my squadron to launch an attack, destroyed a Thai Army artillery position, heavily damaged the elephant unit, the Thai Army's offensive momentum has been curbed, and the Reinforced Camp's pressure has eased."

The Thai Army's attack was somewhat chaotic, and the unit's organization had already become disorderly.

Therefore, mounting a counterattack in a short time was indeed difficult.

At this moment, Lin Yi sat inside the command post, staring intently at the telegram machine, his heart full of anxiety.

When he heard William's report, his lingering worry finally eased, and a faint grateful smile appeared on his face: "Well done, William! Keep holding the sky over the battlefield, cover the 93rd Division's operations, and closely monitor the Thai Army's subsequent movements; if reinforcements appear, report immediately, and I will promptly coordinate other units for support."

Lin Yi also did not expect that this escort mission would happen to let William's Ghost Battalion discover the Thai Army attacking the Expeditionary Force's Da Qili positions.

At the moment of William's report, he had already ordered the Ghost Second Squadron from Lashu to take off.

It was also a clear day; otherwise taking off and landing aircraft would be difficult.

"Understood, Commander Lin!"

William replied, then immediately piloted his aircraft to launch another attack on the Thai Army on the ground.

Twelve P‑38 Lightnings swooped over the battlefield like twelve fierce male eagles, continuously pouring fire.

The Thai Army's casualties grew ever heavier, more soldiers fled, and the once vigorous offensive turned into a chaotic rout.

William watched the defeated Thai troops on the ground, his eyes showing no trace of pity.

He knew this was a clash of justice versus evil; the Thai Army, allied with the Japanese Army, aided tyranny, invaded foreign lands, and harmed innocent civilians, and thus deserved punishment.

He steered his aircraft, continued firing bullets, sending every stubborn Thai soldier to a dead end.

On a distant mountain road, Regiment Commander Cao Zhengde of the 273rd Regiment led his entire regiment, racing to reinforce Da Qili.

When they saw the P‑38 Lightnings in the sky and heard explosions and gunfire from the battlefield, they quickened their pace.

Cao Zhengde looked up at the aircraft, admiration filling his eyes: "Those are our fighters! Looks like the commander has sent reinforcements; brothers, push harder, we'll soon link up with the Reinforced Camp and completely drive back the Thai devils!"

Cao Zhengde thought they were support fighters dispatched by the Expeditionary Force Headquarters, but in fact they were combat aircraft sent from Lashu, Jiang Anguo's own logistics base.

In the battlefield sky, the roar of the P‑38 Lightning's engines still thundered through the clouds; its silver‑gray skin, blackened by smoke, could not dull its edge.

William piloted the long-range aircraft, his gaze fixed firmly on the ground, continuing the attack mission.

William was waiting for his Second Squadron; in fact his aircraft had already emptied its ammunition.

Nevertheless, the Expeditionary Force's fighters swept overhead; even without firing bullets, they posed a huge threat to the Thai Army, which retreated to a safe zone and dared not attack again.

The soldiers of the 93rd Division's Reinforced Camp gained precious rest time; under the command of Camp Commander Li Tiezhu, they quickly gathered comrades' bodies and cleared all usable weapons and equipment from the battlefield.

The 273rd Regiment, Cao Zhengde's unit, had already entered Da Qili's positions, taking over part of the defensive line.

Thus, Li Tiezhu's Reinforced Camp now had a chance to catch its breath.

However, to defeat the Thai Army, a single regiment under Cao Zhengde was insufficient in manpower.

Yet Cao Zhengde was quite confident about holding Da Qili.

"Old Cao, you finally arrived," Camp Commander Li Tiezhu said, pulling out a pack of camel cigarettes and handing one to Cao Zhengde.

"I almost thought I wouldn't see you, Old Li," Cao Zhengde replied, and, without hesitation, lit one for Li Tiezhu first, then lit one for himself.

Li Tiezhu grinned, "If it weren't for Regiment Commander Jiang's fire support, I, Li Tiezhu, would have been left here today. I didn't expect the Thai devils to attack so fiercely!"

Regiment Commander Jiang, that is Jiang Anguo.

"Indeed, before the battle Regiment Commander Jiang supplied many good things—mortars, light machine guns—he didn't hold back stuffing your camp," Cao Zhengde said.

Lv Guoquan also considered that Li Tiezhu's Reinforced Camp, being closest to the Thai border and thus the most dangerous spot, received many Mauser rifles, 60 mm and 80 mm mortars.

Otherwise, with the Thai launch of three infantry divisions and one cavalry division today, Li Tiezhu's camp would have been repelled long ago.

There was no time to smoke here.

Lv Guoquan's available forces were also limited; he could not place all troops on the Da Qili front, his focus remained on defending Jingdong.

Da Qili is mainly a plain; the Thai and Myanmar forces are divided by the Luo River, making this a vast plain where both sides line up, and victory depends entirely on who has more numbers.

The river also blocks the Thai Army; otherwise, a single encounter could see the Thai forces already occupying Da Qili.

In Lashu's command center, Lin Yi still held his post, monitoring Da Qili's battlefield developments while continuing to analyze the Thai Army's telegrams for any additional reinforcement units.

He knew the fight was not over; although the Thai Army had been routed, they might not give up easily, and the Japanese Army could reinforce at any moment. He must be fully prepared, ensuring the safety of the Jingdong direction and stabilizing the Expeditionary Force's situation in eastern Myanmar.

Lin Yi had already sent the Da Qili direction and the Thai Army's attack on the 93rd Division to the Division Commander in Mandalay.

Inside Mandalay's temporary conference hall, the atmosphere was solemn yet lively.

Jiang Anguo, Chen Jiageng, and several overseas Chinese representatives and military leaders sat together, discussing various matters following the founding of the Nanko Democratic Federal Republic.

It must be said that Chen Jiageng's influence in Nanyang was indeed great; notable overseas Chinese such as Hou Xifan, Fu Zhifeng, Wang Zhaosong, Chen Qingjia, Chen Fangming, and others arrived in Mandalay by various means.

At this time, Nanko had just declared its establishment, having only erected a simple state framework; its forces consisted solely of the unit Jiang Anguo handed over, the Overseas Chinese Infantry Regiment commanded by Song Mengqin, whose foundations were still shallow and all matters awaited development.

Chen Jiageng, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, his expression solemn yet unable to hide his sense of mission, held a draft of the early state plan and said slowly: "Anguo, comrades, Nanko has just been founded; the most urgent task now is to perfect the governmental structure, delineate administrative regions, and pacify the overseas Chinese and local populace within the realm."

"I plan to establish a temporary capital in Mandalay, with three departments—Civil Affairs, Military, and Finance—each responsible for local governance, army building, and resource allocation. Do you think this is feasible?"

From his wording one can see Chen Jiageng's reliance on Jiang Anguo.

In a wartime system, too many departments are unnecessary; the more there are, the harder they are to manage.

Moreover, the current Nanyang Democratic Federal Republic consists almost entirely of leaders, with virtually no subordinate staff.