Liu Ming was originally just a low-ranking deputy battalion commander. The Battle of Songhu was so brutal that his soldiers were wasted one after another, and all his officers died on the battlefield.
He was promoted by the line of fire to become the deputy commander of the 174th Division's supplementary regiment, assuming the authority of the acting regimental commander. Soon after he was happy, he encountered a major rout. He escaped death several times during the retreat and almost met the King of Hell.
Although his life was saved, countless brothers were killed along the way, and he saw too many life and death situations. The cruel war made him give up the idea of ​​promotion and wealth, and only wanted to survive.
But what he didn't expect was that as soon as he broke out of the siege and returned to the area controlled by the National Army, General Liu Xing of the Jiangfang Army Group asked to see him by name, which caught him off guard.
Although he is the deputy commander of the supplementary regiment and is already an unreachable commander in the eyes of ordinary soldiers, facing the powerful commander of the Jiangfang Group Army, he, the deputy commander of the supplementary regiment, is really not in the spotlight.
The commander of the Jiangfang Group Army wanted to see him in person, which made him excited and uneasy at the same time. What was exciting was that he could be personally received by the general, and he might be able to rise to great heights.
But he also had his own concerns. Now that the troops were in disarray, and he was leading people to break out from the occupied area, it would be troublesome if he was mistaken for a deserter or a spy.
Liu Ming was very uneasy. Along the way, he asked the 667th regiment's guard platoon leader who was escorting him, but he didn't get any useful answers. There was only one sentence. They were only ordered to escort him to the headquarters. As for what they were going to do, it was unknown.
.
The area between Huashan and Jiangyin has been penetrated by many small Japanese troops. They exchanged fire with the Japanese several times along the way. However, with the protection of the guard platoon, Liu Ming finally arrived at the headquarters of the Jiangfang Group Army without any danger.
The Jiangyin Fortress was well-positioned. Along the way, Liu Ming saw countless trench fortresses made of reinforced concrete and countless barbed wire fences.
Although the cannons roared and the Japanese attacked fiercely, Liu Ming felt inexplicably calm. With so many strong positions, he expected that the Japanese would not be able to attack them.
Seeing the strong positions of Jiangyin Fortress, the anti-aircraft machine guns and cannons, Liu Ming thought of the Battle of Shanghai half a month ago, and his face became sad.
If there were trenches made of cement and steel bars in Shanghai at that time, and there were so many machine guns and cannons, I am afraid that his brothers would not have died without even leaving their bodies. Thinking of this, his heart was as heavy as a stone, and he couldn't help it.
I had no intention of looking at the scenery on the roadside, so I was taken directly to the headquarters of the Jiangfang Group Army.
The headquarters of the Jiang Defense Group Army was set up in the fortress for safety reasons, because the Japanese fleet was swimming on the nearby river, and the frequent bombardment of naval guns and aircraft in the sky made Jiangyin County unsafe.
The anxious Liu Ming did not wait long. As footsteps came from outside the door, a middle-aged general wearing a Nizi coat quickly strode into the room surrounded by several lieutenants.
Liu Ming was immediately frightened when he saw that he was very popular and had three stars on his collar badge. Although he was lying on a stretcher, he wanted to struggle to get up and salute.
"Liu Ming, deputy commander of the 174th Division's Supplementary Regiment, has met Chief Liu!"
Commander Liu Xing saw Liu Ming lying on a stretcher covered in blood, but he did not cry out in pain. He secretly said that he was a tough-minded man. He stopped and solemnly raised his hand to return the salute.
Seeing the dignified lieutenant general and the commander with the rank of general returning the gift, Liu Ming was flattered and at the same time thought that those dead brothers would never come back. His nose felt sore and tears flashed in his eyes.
"Don't cry! As a soldier, how can you shed tears easily!" Liu Xing shouted in a low voice with a straight face.
Liu Ming held back the tears that were about to roll out of his eyes, making Commander Liu Xing nod with satisfaction.
"I know you fought miserably in Shanghai and hundreds of thousands of our brothers are dead, but as soldiers of the party and the state, as long as we are alive and have breath left, we will never give in easily! We will never kowtow and shed tears! We must
If we continue to fight against Japan, we will not perish as a nation!"
Commander Liu Xing's face was serious, and his words were like hammers, which were etched in the heart of regimental deputy Liu Ming.
"Yes!" Liu Ming took a deep breath and felt that there was an extra strength in his body.
Liu Xing found a chair by himself and sat across from Liu Ming.
"You were injured, how do you feel now?" Liu Xing unexpectedly did not ask about the battle situation, but first became concerned about Liu Ming's injury.
Although Liu Ming grimaced in pain, he endured the pain and said, "Sir Liu, my injury is not a problem. It will heal soon, and I can still fight the Japanese."
Commander Liu Xing patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him: "Our officers suffered a great loss in the First World War in Shanghai, and officers with combat experience are even more scarce. I hope you can recover from your injuries and return to the team as soon as possible."
"I will definitely take good care of my injuries and try to return to the team as soon as possible to fight against the Japs!"
"Yes." Liu Xing nodded, quickly changed the subject, and began to praise Liu Ming: "You were able to break out from the enemy's heavy siege this time. You did a good job as the deputy commander of the regiment..."
Hearing the praise from Commander Liu Xing, regimental deputy Liu Ming scratched his head in embarrassment: "Sir Liu, to be honest, it was not me who led the team to gather the defeated brothers and break out of the encirclement, but someone else."
"Oh? Is this happening? But how did I hear that the highest-ranking commander who led the team to break out was you." Liu Xing asked with confusion on his face.
Liu Ming said sternly: "Sir Liu, I am indeed the highest-ranking member of the breakout team, but because I was injured and unable to command, the person responsible for the actual command is one of my subordinates, the battalion commander Yang Ling."
Seeing that Liu Ming didn't look like he was telling lies, Liu Xing immediately became interested in Yang Ling. He was able to lead nearly a thousand people as a battalion commander to successfully break out of the enemy's heavy pursuit and siege. This guy was not easy. He couldn't wait.
Want to see him.
"Where is Battalion Commander Yang at this moment?" Liu Xing asked.
Liu Ming, the regimental deputy, said with a sad face: "When we broke out last night, some of our brothers were surrounded by Japanese soldiers. He took people back to rescue him, but then there was no news. I'm afraid he has died for his country now..."
Thinking of Yang Ling dying in battle, Liu Ming felt very uncomfortable. If it weren't for Yang Ling, he would have been handed over to the Japanese a long time ago. But now that he was alive, Yang Ling's life and death were unknown, and he felt very guilty.
After hearing this, Commander Liu Xing shook his head regretfully: "What a pity..."
Being able to successfully break out of an encirclement and command while being chased and intercepted by the Japanese soldiers must not be simple. If you train a little, you will definitely be a pillar of talent. Unfortunately, it is too late now.
However, the death of a battalion commander was only a pity for Liu Xing, who held a high position, and was far from being taken seriously.
Since Yang Ling died for his country, the task of boosting the morale of the army had to fall on commander Liu Ming. He then asked them about the details of their breakout in order to grasp the enemy's situation.
But when he heard that Liu Ming and the others had captured a Japanese regiment in Suzhou during their breakout, wiped out a Japanese cavalry squadron on the way back, and killed a Japanese major with a cavalry gun, etc., he couldn't sit still.
"Immediately send someone to find out the true situation and request the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics to cooperate if necessary."
Liu Xing is very excited now. If what Liu Ming and others say is true, as long as it is published in the newspaper, the public opinion will greatly improve the morale of the Chinese military.
The thought of a lone army trapped behind enemy lines fighting for hundreds of miles, not only fighting to the death, but also wiping out many enemies, is like a shot in the arm for the Chinese army, which is currently experiencing continuous defeats! It will give them great encouragement.