novelSusiti Chapter 103 Double Victory Report Camp
Chapter 103 Double Victory Report Camp
Chapter 103 Double Victory Report Camp
It was nearly dusk at the Free Army camp.
The afterglow of the setting sun pierced through the dense treetops, casting dappled, shimmering shadows on the ground.
Zhang Xiuwu, accompanied by two guards, patrolled the camp's wooden fence until he confirmed that there was nothing unusual inside or outside before turning and walking towards the stone house.
Upon entering the office in the front hall of the stone house, he closed the wooden door behind him.
The dim kerosene lamp flame flickered slightly, casting an orange glow on his face, making the two scars that stretched from behind his ears to the corners of his mouth appear particularly grotesque in the light and shadow.
Zhang Xiuwu pulled over a wooden chair and sat down, gazing at the flickering lights, a sense of disorientation washing over him.
Not long ago, he was just a wild boy in the countryside of Luzon who spent his days catching fish and shrimp.
But now, at only seventeen years old, he has become the battalion commander of the Chinese Free Army, commanding nearly four hundred soldiers!
Such a situation is probably not even the Champion Hou that Mr. Wu often mentions.
But the thought of Mr. Wu made Zhang Xiuwu's brows furrow deeply.
Every time the old man brought up this topic, he would sneer sarcastically, "The Marquis of Champion went to war at the age of seventeen, slaying generals and capturing flags, earning his title of 'Land of the Wolf' through genuine military achievements!' You, on the other hand, are young and already reaping the rewards of your labor, climbing up the ranks through connections. What kind of skill is that?"
"Pah! That old man is just jealous! Pure nonsense!"
Zhang Xiuwu felt a sharp pang of anger in his heart, his eyes involuntarily glancing towards the inner room.
That was Chen Feng's bedroom, where more than 800 kilograms of gold were hidden!
If he wasn't deeply trusted and utterly loyal, why would the general entrust him with such an important task?
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside, and a guard burst through the door, shouting, "Commander! The general is back!"
Zhang Xiuwu's eyes lit up instantly, all his previous distracting thoughts vanished, and he stood up abruptly, quickly heading towards the door to greet them.
As soon as Chen Feng saw him, he asked directly, "Has there been any news from Wang Liang?"
"not yet!"
Zhang Xiuwu quickly stopped and stepped aside to make way. "However, according to the message he sent back before he set off, his scheduled return time is today! I had Chu Xiongxing personally lead men to Guiyan Beach to meet him early this morning, there won't be any problems!"
Chen Feng nodded slightly, strode into the stone house, waved for Qian Biao and Pang Li to go back to rest, and then casually asked, "When did those battalion commanders lead their troops out?"
Zhang Xiuwu clenched his fist, his voice tinged with excitement: "They set off at three in the afternoon. Tian Gang is probably already leading his men, engaging those ignorant locals!"
At this time, the camp was located in a mountain hollow four miles to the north.
The last rays of the setting sun were completely blocked by the steep mountain walls, and the valley was shrouded in darkness. Only in the village of the Igorots did a few dozen wooden houses emit faint light.
Tian Gang, riding a black horse, stood on the high ground at the entrance of the mountain pass. He brandished his revolver and said in a deep voice, "Attention everyone! Third Company, flank from the left; Second Company, outflank from the right; First Company, follow me and break through head-on! Remember: Do not set fires!"
"yes!"
The Free Army fighters responded in hushed tones.
After the order was given, the soldiers of the Third Company immediately crouched down and quickly maneuvered to the left using the shadows of the hillside; the Second Company sneaked along the edge of the valley, their footsteps so light they were almost inaudible, and soon occupied the advantageous terrain on the west side; Tian Gang personally led the First Company, carrying rifles, and approached the entrance to the valley step by step.
The Igorots in the camp eventually noticed the unusual activity.
A dark-skinned indigenous chieftain, shirtless and covered in red and white paint, carrying a rusty Springfield 1863 rifle on his shoulder, suddenly fired a shrill alarm!
Immediately afterwards, dozens of indigenous people poured out.
Half of the people were carrying primitive bows and arrows, while the other half were carrying the same type of rifle, only the gun barrels were covered in rust, and many of them didn't even have gunpowder pegs in their hands.
"put!"
At Tian Gang's command, the soldiers of the company formed three firing ranks, with the first rank firing first.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A hail of bullets rained down like a storm, and the first few natives fell straight to the ground before they could even scream.
Upon seeing this, the indigenous chieftain's eyes flashed with fear, but he still roared with red eyes and pulled the trigger hard!
"Bang!"
The bullet grazed the tree trunk beside them, sending up a spray of wood chips, but didn't even touch the hem of the Free Army soldier's clothes.
The natives behind him also pulled the triggers, bullets flew everywhere, some hitting the ground, some grazing the mountain wall, but not a single one hit the target!
"A bunch of useless trash!"
Tian Gang sneered, raised his hand, aimed, and fired—all in one fluid motion!
"Pfft!"
The bullet struck the indigenous chief's right arm with pinpoint accuracy!
The leader let out a shrill scream, and the rifle in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter. He clutched his bleeding wound and staggered backward, and the natives' charge came to an abrupt halt!
"Those who don't want to die, lay down your weapons and surrender!" Tian Gang shouted in the indigenous language he had only learned a few days ago.
The natives paused for a moment, clearly understanding what he meant.
Seeing their leader wounded and lying on the ground, and realizing their own shooting was like child's play, they immediately fell into chaos.
Some people turned and ran towards the thatched huts to protect their families; some frantically fiddled with their rifles, forgetting even how to load them; and a few young natives, their eyes red with anger, wanted to raise their guns to fight back, but were held back by their elders!
"Three-person team, two-person team, close the net!"
Tian Gang's voice rang out again, like a death knell!
The soldiers of the Third Company fired from their high vantage point, their bullets landing precisely at the feet of the natives who were trying to resist.
The Second Company blocked all escape routes, shouting in unison to the fleeing natives, "Surrender and you will not be killed!"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the soldiers launched a charge. Their gleaming bayonets flashed coldly in the dim light, but they only targeted those who stubbornly resisted!
A sixteen or seventeen-year-old indigenous boy, trembling, raised his rifle and aimed it at the charging soldiers, but he was so nervous that he forgot to pull the trigger!
The soldier's eyes turned cold. Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his rifle and, taking advantage of the momentum of his charge, thrust it forward!
"puff!"
The bayonet pierced straight through the boy's chest!
The feud between the indigenous people and the Chinese has been intertwined for hundreds of years, and has long become an intractable knot that can never be untied.
Within half an hour, the sounds of fighting and screams in the mountain valley completely fell silent.
The guard ran quickly to Tian Gang, stood at attention, and reported the battle results: "Battalion Commander, in this battle, only two of our soldiers accidentally twisted their ankles, and no one was killed! A total of 18 enemy soldiers were killed and 93 were captured."
Upon hearing the sound, Tian Gang turned his head and glanced at the group of prisoners surrounded by soldiers.
Inside were strong, muscular men, women holding children, and elderly people with hunched backs.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, a hint of intense killing intent passing through them, but it vanished in an instant. He then gave a deep order, deliberately switching to the indigenous language he had only recently learned, speaking each word clearly: "All able-bodied prisoners, escort them all back to the camp, keep them under good guard, and keep them to work! The old, weak, women, and children... stay here and let them continue their lives."
These words, when they reached the ears of those trembling young men, were undoubtedly a reassuring pill.
The guard had clearly received secret orders to immediately drive everyone away after the able-bodied men had left. Upon hearing this, he replied in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Battalion Commander, I know what to tell the brothers!"
Tian Gang nodded in satisfaction. Zi Guang glanced at the indigenous corpses scattered on the ground again, his eyes showing no emotion, as if the corpses lying at his feet were not human lives, but roadside weeds.
He immediately raised his eyes, his voice cold and hard as iron, and ordered again: "Leave two squads to escort the prisoners. Tie them together with ropes, and keep a close eye on them. If anyone dares to resist or try to escape, shoot them on sight! No need to ask for permission!"
"yes!"
"Leave two more squads to clean up the battlefield, collect all the native corpses, dig a deep pit outside the ravine, burn them first, then bury them! Then bring all the spoils back to camp! The general specifically instructed that the weather is hot and humid, and the corpses are prone to rotting and causing an epidemic, so they must be disposed of thoroughly and no hidden dangers can be left!"
"clear!"
As orders were issued, Tian Gang stopped and led the remaining soldiers toward another, smaller indigenous village a mile ahead.
Meanwhile, in the stone house at the Free Army camp.
Chen Feng was looking down at a simple map, pointing to the location of the northern route, and said to Zhang Xiuwu, "Tian Gang is a reliable fighter; we're sure to win this battle. Arrange for someone to meet the prisoners at the crossroads and deliver the battle report over as well."
Zhang Xiuwu quickly replied, "Yes, General! I'll arrange it right away!"
He turned to leave, but a thought suddenly struck him. He stopped, mustered his courage, and said, "General, next time there's a combat mission, could I be sent on it? I want to earn merit and don't want people to say I only got promoted through connections!"
Chen Feng looked up at him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, then a smile spread across his face: "Alright. Aquinado suffered a loss, and he's very likely to retaliate. You'll have plenty of battles to fight."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiuwu's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded emphatically, "Thank you, General! I'll remember that!"
He turned and strode out of the stone house. Just as he reached the door, he bumped into a travel-worn figure.
Chen Feng looked up and saw Wang Liang walking quickly to the door of the stone house. His face showed the fatigue of his journey, and there were beads of sweat on his forehead, but he could not hide his excitement.
He shouted, "General! The immigrants at Guiyan Beach have been settled! There are over 1200 immigrants from the five merchant ships, of whom about 1000 are able-bodied! The elderly, women, and children have been put into temporary tents, and hot porridge and clean water have been distributed. Everyone is grateful for the General's kindness! Should we proceed with the original plan and have them come to the camp early tomorrow morning?"
1000 young adults?
A surge of wild joy flashed in Chen Feng's eyes, and his heart skipped a beat!
This is almost double what he expected!
With this labor force, the construction speed of the camp can be doubled, the reclamation of farmland can be expanded, and the expansion of the factory is just around the corner!
The foundation of the Chinese Free Army is now firmly established!
He nodded immediately and said in a deep voice, "Proceed according to the original plan! Tell Chu Xiongxing to escort the immigrants over in batches after dawn tomorrow, and to increase the number of sentries along the way to ensure safety. The natives have just been wiped out, and there may still be some who have escaped. In addition, have the kitchen prepare enough food and salted vegetables overnight. The immigrants have traveled a long way, and they need to be given a good meal when they arrive at the camp."
"clear!"
Wang Liang nodded emphatically and added, "General! There's more good news! Among these immigrants, there are quite a few skilled individuals! There are plenty of blacksmiths, carpenters, and shipbuilders! There are also several accountants who are proficient in arithmetic! They are all willing to serve you, General, and would like to ask how they should be assigned?"
After a moment's thought, Chen Feng immediately ordered, "Hand over all the craftsmen to Peter! Let him coordinate their assignments to the repair shop, the farm implement workshop, and the soon-to-be-established bicycle factory! The accountant will be transferred to the logistics department to assist with inventorying supplies and registering the population!"
He paused, then emphasized, "Tell them for me that in our Free Army, there is no distinction between high and low, noble and lowly, no hierarchy! As long as you work hard, everyone will have food to eat, land to cultivate, and wages to earn! I, Chen Feng, will never mistreat anyone willing to put in the effort!"
"Yes! I'll go back and inform everyone right away!"
Wang Liang readily agreed, then turned and walked out of the house. "I'll lead the fleet to Cavite tonight! After loading the goods, we'll rush back to the Qing court and bring over the next batch of immigrants!"
Chen Feng stared at his retreating figure and shouted, "You've worked hard these past few days! Remember, we, the Free Army, will never mistreat anyone who has rendered meritorious service!"
"Don't worry, General! I'm full of energy and not tired at all!"
Wang Liang kept walking and shouted without turning his head, but after taking two steps, he suddenly stopped.
As if remembering something, he turned and strode back, pulling a small booklet wrapped in oilcloth from his robes. He respectfully presented it with both hands, saying, "By the way, General! This is all the accounts for this voyage. Every single income and expenditure is recorded clearly. Please take a look!"
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