looked at Ma Chunsheng, who frowned more and more after receiving the telegram. After Liu Changshun and Wang Xiaoming glanced at each other, they knew that the telegram from the headquarters might not be too optimistic. When Ma Chunsheng, who had finished reading the telegram, wanted to hand over the telegram in his hand to Liu Changshun and continue to circulate it, Liu Changshun shook his head and did not answer.

From Ma Chunsheng's expression after receiving the telegram, Liu Changshun, who had already judged that the result of the headquarters' reply was not optimistic, looked at Ma Chunsheng and said: "Old Ma, is it that the headquarters still disagrees with my opinion and insists that our whole regiment stay in Xingshan Fortress and wait for the arrival of the first regiment?" ”

Ma Chunsheng put down the telegram in his hand and did not answer Liu Changshun, but after pondering for a while, he said to Liu Changshun and Wang Xiaoming beside him: "Send a telegram to the commander again and stick to our decision." The commander Tiangao Emperor is far away, and he doesn't know much about the shape of this side. We're on the front line, and as long as it's right, we have to stick to our plan. ”

"There are not many enemies in Luobei now. But once the news got out that we had taken the Heungsan Fortress, it was easy for the Japanese to judge our next move. And once our strategic attempt is exposed, then the Japanese army will quickly transfer reinforcements from Fujin, Tongjiang, Suibin, and even Heihe as quickly as possible. Even if the Fourth Division is still concentrated in Jiamusi, in the Heihe area, there is still a First Division of the Japanese Army. ”

"The Japanese army built a large number of interconnected defense roads in the so-called northern border counties, which had the advantage of mechanization. And we relied on two legs, and all the roads we walked were mountainous, and the speed was simply incomparable. If we delay for a day, by the time we reach the territory of Luobei, perhaps the Japanese reinforcements will arrive in front of us. ”

"For such a large project as the construction of Xingshan Fortress, the Japanese army will not ignore it. Once the Heungsan Fortress loses contact, the Japanese army will definitely find an anomaly here. It's not too far from Jiamusi, and judging from the consistent reaction of the Japanese army, its reinforcements should be very fast. That's why the commander asked us all to stay in the Xingshan area and wait for the arrival of a regiment. ”

"The commander's concerns are not superfluous and realistic. However, at present, the commanders, who can only rely on maps to direct operations, have not taken into account the geographical situation in this area. ”

"From the point of view of the location here, the north of the position mountain area is a rolling primeval forest, and the south is the endless swamp depression in the north of the Songhua River.

"The Japanese can use the terrain here to block the enemy from the north, and we can also use the terrain here to stop the Japanese from the south. However, for the sake of strategic needs and the restrictions of the terrain, the highway built by the Japanese army from Jiamusi to Luobei and Suibin can only pass from here. ”

"As long as we leave some of our troops, jam the Guanmenzuizi Pass, and use the mines we carry from our own arsenal, even if the Japanese army comes with a wing, it will not be a problem to stop them for two to three days. Unless they flank, detour through the primeval forest. ”

"And the number of Japanese puppet troops in the direction of Luobei in the north itself is not large, and if our main force takes the opportunity to attack, it has no possibility of reinforcing Xingshan at all. That's why I think that we can leave a capable force and use the fortifications that the Japanese have already constructed to stop the reinforcements here. ”

"What's more, in terms of its size, it is difficult to say that the Xingshan Fortress will be under the command of the Fourth Division. The fortress was large enough to accommodate a brigade or even more Japanese troops. I estimate that it is highly likely that this place will fall under the direct jurisdiction of the Kwantung Army Command. ”

"Its liaison with the Kwantung Army Command will not necessarily take place every day. According to what I know about the Japanese army, it should be done once every two to three days. Even if Jiamusi's Fourth Division received the information that there was a change in the Xingshan fortress and came back in a circle after consulting the Kwantung Army Headquarters, it should be at least two days later. ”

"The Fourth Division has no jurisdiction over the Xingshan Fortress, but the counties of Luobei, Suibin, Tongjiang, and Fujin in the north are all within his defense zone. Once they judge our strategic intentions, they can completely ask the Kwantung Army Headquarters to dispose of the Xingshan fortress and at the same time transfer troops to besiege our troops heading north. ”

"So I think that we must go north as much as possible, and we must rush to the fourth division to react, and the main force is still concentrated in Jiamusi, and has not returned to the shape of their respective stations, and quickly seize the line of Luobei and Foshan. Although Guanmenzuizi Mountain can contain the nearest and most convenient route from Luobei to Jiamusi, the Japanese army can mobilize garrisons in Fujin, Suibin, Tongjiang and other places in the east for reinforcements. ”

Speaking of this, Ma Chunsheng gritted his teeth and took out a pen, drafted another telegram, handed it to the operator, and said: "Send a telegram to the headquarters again, just say that we adhere to our point of view." We must react to the Japanese army and seize Luobei and Foshan, otherwise it will be difficult for us to open the passage to the north. ”

Just when the telegraph operator took the telegram drafted by Ma Chunsheng, looked at the stubborn new chief of staff with some strange looks, and turned around to send the telegram, Wang Xiaoming took the telegram, and after a quick glance, signed his name again. Liu Changshun didn't even look at it, so he signed it without hesitation.

After signing the letter, Liu Changshun said to the operator: "When you translate the telegram, you should try to soften your tone, but the chief of staff's intention must be clearly expressed. If you don't understand, I'll punish you. ”

When the telegraph operator heard Liu Changshun's request, he smiled bitterly, but he didn't say anything, turned around and went to send a telegram. After the operator left, Liu Changshun picked up the telegram sent by the headquarters and read it carefully, and after pondering for a while, he slapped his thigh fiercely and said: "Lao Wang, Lao Ma, the commander and the chief of staff mean that they are worried that our defensive forces are insufficient and will be turned by the Japanese army. ”

"In this way, many of the laborers we have just rescued are soldiers who have been captured in the Kannai. Although the body is a little weaker, the basic military elements are still there. After you have eaten enough, it is still okay to fight and block. We now have a lot of captured ready-made weapons and ammunition on hand, and we can send them to them and temporarily organize them into several companies. ”

"These people have suffered no less from the little devils, and I don't think they have hated the devils now. When it comes to fighting, there will be absolutely no ambiguity. What's more, the commander ordered us to attack Xingshan Street, a place full of coal mines, and this huge fortress that the devils are building, I'm afraid the reason is not all for what the order says.

"At least half of the reason is for these laborers who can be used as supplementary soldiers. We gave them weapons and put them into the troops, but we just advanced what the commander wanted to do. In this way, it will be possible to adapt them to our troops in advance, and it will also be possible to increase the strength of the troops after the main forces have left. ”

"You also saw that person just now, it was my old company commander, a veteran who participated in the Long March. The military is absolutely first-class, if it weren't for the fact that when the devils were sweeping, in order to protect and cover their people from slaughter after being wounded, they exchanged themselves for the lives of the common people, and they would definitely not have been captured. ”

He and the more than 100 people in gray military uniforms who were rescued by Lao Wang from the prisoner of war camp on Xingshan Street and next to the puppet Manchurian police station were all prisoners of the 18th Group Army and the New Fourth Army, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with these people. My old company commander knew that he would never defect. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent here to do hard labor. ”

"We can have people immediately identify the number of prisoners of war among the laborers, and then draw some capable personnel from them to form some temporary companies, and draw a group of deputy company commanders from our troops to cooperate with the remaining battalion to serve as guards."

Regarding Liu Changshun's mention, after Wang Xiaoming and Ma Chunsheng glanced at each other, they both saw the joy in each other's eyes. Liu Changshun's attention is indeed good, that is, it solves the problem of insufficient strength of the left-behind troops after the main force leaves. And it is possible not to delay the actions of the main forces.

Since Liu Changshun's mention of yì has been unanimously recognized by everyone, several people have not dragged their feet in the slightest. After rushing back to Xingshan Fortress, Wang Xiaoming immediately organized political workers to screen the laborers. It's just that the number of laborers is too huge, and more than 20,000 people have been rescued from the Xingshan fortress construction site alone, not counting the more than 10,000 people rescued from the coal mines around Xingshan Street.

In the case that it was impossible to screen all the laborers in a short period of time, Wang Xiaoming was in a hurry and focused on the laborers rescued in the Xingshan Fortress. Because their files are very complete, especially for those special workers who were born as prisoners of war in special custody, the files are extremely complete. It's easy to identify.

Subject to the number of weapons seized, there is no need to screen too much. More than 300 rifles were seized at the Xingshan fortress construction site, plus more than 100 rifles seized by Wang Xiaoming at Xingshan Street, and more than 400 of these weapons were enough.

Just as the screening was finished and weapons had begun to be issued to the prisoners of war who had completed the screening, the third telegram from headquarters had arrived. This time, the telegram from Headquarters was extremely strongly worded, and there was hardly any room for negotiation. From the tone of the telegram, Liu Changshun and several people could see at a glance that this telegram was definitely drafted by Yang Zhen himself.

Putting down the telegram in his hand, Ma Chunsheng, who was stubborn, was also unequivocal, picked up the pen and drafted the third telegram. Compared with the previous two relatively brief telegrams, Ma Chunsheng's telegram this time was very protracted. Not only did he once again state his reasons for this, but he also reported the solution to the shortage of troops left behind.

After reading the telegram drafted by Ma Chunsheng, Wang Xiaoming signed the telegram, handed the telegram to Liu Changshun and said with a wry smile: "I said Lao Ma, your tone this time is a bit excessive. I am afraid that this telegram was sent out not to dissipate the anger of the commander, but to add fuel to the fire. Counting this time, this is the third time we have disobeyed. ”

Regarding Wang Xiaoming's worries, Liu Changshun sneered and said: "I said Lao Wang, what do you have to worry about?" If the commander does not have this kind of grace, he will be in a pot of porridge first according to this complex ingredient in our troops, let alone winning the battle. ”

"Tell me about our troops, there are former prisoners of war in the national army, and they are not from a faction. What is divided into the Sichuan Army, the Gui Army, and the Northwest Army, a lot of mess. There are even people who look at each other unpleasantly in the prisoner of war camps. ”

"Those who are from the Anti-Japanese Federation are not in the army. There is also the Eighteenth Army, which is not yet a division. You said that according to the complexity of our troops, we can pinch together so many people who fought me and I beat you and killed you in the past few years, and create a freak with strong combat power like us, do you say that the commander's mind can be small? ”

Although he was a little worried about the consequences of sending this telegram, Wang Xiaoming still agreed with Liu Changshun's words. The commander is indeed very broad-minded. Although he joined the unit after accompanying the commander-in-chief to the secret camp of the old black top, he also admired the commander quite a lot.

In addition to being able to fight, the most admirable thing about the commander is the word "gong". Whether he promoted cadres or used cadres, he never used the distance of origin as the criterion for judging cadres. Except for political work cadres due to their particularity, the promotion criteria for the rest of the cadres are very simple: if you have the ability, you will be promoted, and if you are not capable, you should not occupy the pit and not.

If nothing else, on this alone, there is no one in the army who is not convinced. This can be done precisely because the commander has the mind to accept all rivers. Without such a bearing, it is difficult to build such a messy group of people into a fairly effective force just by fighting.