Li Yunlong, his heart brimming with joy, stroked the Type 92 infantry gun, unable to put it down, completely oblivious to the scorching barrel.
From today onwards, his New First Regiment would be among those with artillery!
With these two Type 92 infantry guns, who cared about the two small steel cannons that the brigade commander had robbed them of before?
What?
He had agreed with Kong Jie to take one each?
That was out of the question. Anything that ended up in his hands, old Li, wouldn't be given back.
Old Li was basking in his happiness when he noticed Kong Jie walking towards him from a distance. He quickly called Zhang Da Biao and ordered a platoon to drag the Type 92 infantry guns away to hide them.
"Li Yunlong, where are my Type 92 infantry guns?"
Shortly after, Kong Jie arrived in front of Li Yunlong and got straight to the point.
"What Type 92 infantry guns? I haven't seen any. Maybe a group of Japanese soldiers took them while retreating,"
Li Yunlong looked at the sky, feigning ignorance, shamelessly playing dumb.
"Li Yunlong, don't think I, old Kong, am blind. I saw your New First Regiment men dragging those two guns away from afar. You're being a real jerk. Didn't we agree to split all the spoils equally?"
"What agreement? Yours is mine! Besides, those two guns were captured by my New First Regiment first. What does it have to do with you, Kong Er Lengzi's Independent Regiment?
Let me tell you, Kong Er Lengzi, I can share half of the rifles, grenades, and light and heavy machine guns with you, since we're comrades from the same battalion.
But these Type 92 infantry guns are mine. The brigade commander has an artillery company. My New First Regiment will have an artillery platoon for fun!"
Seeing that his feigning ignorance didn't work on Kong Jie, Li Yunlong decided to blatantly take them.
What was rightfully Kong Jie's share of the spoils became, in Li Yunlong's words, something he was graciously giving to Kong Jie as a comrade.
His shameless act made Kong Jie want to beat him with a shoehorn. He was calculating how to get Li Yunlong to return the Type 92 infantry gun that was rightfully his.
...........................
"Commander, there's a call from the brigade commander. He specifically requested you to answer it!"
As Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, these old comrades, were scheming and trying to snatch the Type 92 infantry guns, a communications soldier arrived in front of Li Yunlong and saluted.
"Strange. What does the brigade commander want from old Li?"
Li Yunlong muttered, giving Zhang Da Biao, who had already hidden the guns, a wink. He instructed Zhang Da Biao to watch Kong Jie and prevent him from finding the two Type 92 infantry guns.
After receiving Zhang Da Biao's understanding nod, he followed the communications soldier back to the command post on the top of Zhai Jiu Ao Mountain and picked up the phone: "Hello, brigade commander. This is Li Yunlong!"
"Li Yunlong, congratulations, you've struck it rich!"
"Rich? How am I rich?
Brigade commander, you don't know, to fight this ambush, my New First Regiment has put all our resources in. I'm only relying on these spoils to replenish our supplies. How can I be rich!"
Hearing these familiar words, Li Yunlong felt a sense of foreboding. He quickly started complaining about the difficulties of the New First Regiment to Xiao Yun, fearing that Xiao Yun would rob him again.
"Alright, I know you. This time, keep the rifles, light and heavy machine guns, and everything else.
Those two companies of Japanese soldiers carried two Type 92 infantry guns, right?
Send those two Type 92 infantry guns and their ammunition to me here at Niu Jiao Peak. If you're short even by a single bullet, I'll give you a good thrashing!"
"Don't, brigade commander. There aren't two Type 92 infantry guns. There's only one. The other one is with Kong Er Lengzi!"
Li Yunlong suddenly remembered Kong Jie and wanted to use this method to keep one of the infantry guns. He didn't want Xiao Yun to take them all.
As for how Kong Er Lengzi's cannon ended up in his, Li Yunlong's, New First Regiment?
It was because Kong Jie saw that the New First Regiment was struggling and, out of kindness for an old comrade, gifted it to him.
It's safe to say that Li Yunlong's plan was quite audacious, even daring to push his calculations onto Kong Jie's face.
However, Xiao Yun wasn't buying it: "Don't give me any nonsense. I don't care if it's yours, Li Yunlong, or Kong Jie's. I want both infantry guns!"
Li Yunlong's escape route was completely cut off by Xiao Yun. He could only say with a bitter face: "Higher officials suppress lower officials. Brigade commander, I'll send them to you right away!"
"Li Yunlong, don't whine to me here. Let me tell you, get your troops in order right now. The 399th Brigade has more operations coming up. If you fight well, I'll give you some good stuff!"
"Brigade commander, I thank you. I owe you a big one, brigade commander!"
Li Yunlong, who received Xiao Yun's promise, instantly transformed from a gloomy face to a beaming one, his smile reaching his ears.
Holding the phone receiver in both hands, he nodded and bowed, regardless of whether Xiao Yun was in front of him.
There was no longer any trace of the tough image that the fighters of the New First Regiment saw, the one who would give even the King of Heaven a slap.
At Niu Jiao Peak's command post, Xiao Yun hung up the phone, and a pleasant sound echoed in his mind.