"Alright, alright, let's get down to business.
Xiao Qin, how many personnel and weapons and equipment did you bring?"
"Regimental Commander, including myself, there were originally eighty-six people I brought this time.
It's just that on the way, we ran into some wounded soldiers who were coming to rejoin the unit.
So I brought them along."
Listening to Li Yunlong's inquiry, Qin Yangming did not conceal anything.
Instead, he honestly told Li Yunlong about the situation of his troops and the quantity of weapons and equipment he brought.
The other three people present were also shocked internally.
"My goodness, Regimental Commander Cheng is really generous,
giving away so many weapons and equipment just like that."
"When did the 772nd Regiment's equipment get so good?
Wasn't that guy at the brigade headquarters crying poverty every day?"
"Blind Cheng is a good fellow, I'll have to call him to thank him later.
If I, Old Li, get the chance, I must treat him to a drink."
Before Li Yunlong could speak, Zhang Dabiao said to Qin Yangming.
"Xiao Qin, you come to my First Battalion.
Coincidentally, there's still a deputy battalion commander position vacant in my First Battalion.
The unit you brought will directly become our First Battalion's First Company, and you will concurrently serve as the Company Commander."
Zhong Zhicheng nodded upon hearing Zhang Dabiao's statement.
"Regimental Commander, I think it's fine.
Given Xiao Qin's qualifications, being a deputy battalion commander is also acceptable.
Moreover, we discussed last night that we need to improve the combat effectiveness of the First Battalion first.
The unit Xiao Qin brought joining the First Battalion is enough to bolster it."
Li Yunlong listened to their discussion and then looked at Qin Yangming.
"Xiao Qin, what are your thoughts?"
Qin Yangming shook his head.
"I don't have any thoughts, I will obey all organizational arrangements."
"See, Zhang Dabiao, look at his awareness.
Learn from him more in the future, don't always try to hoard good things for yourself."
Li Yunlong thought for a moment and then said to Qin Yangming.
"Xiao Qin, I want to detach your heavy weapons squad.
Combined with the extra grenade launchers you brought, it will form a regiment-direct subordinate machine gun and artillery platoon."
"In addition, all the extra weapons and equipment you brought will be given to Zhang Dabiao.
Let him use them to replace the weapons and equipment of the current First Battalion."
"I will be taking two squads, your third and fourth squads, from the unit you brought to form the backbone for establishing the Second Battalion.
The remaining soldiers will still be entirely yours.
You will serve as the Company Commander of the regiment-direct subordinate Vanguard Company."
"How about it?
Do you have any objections? If you do, speak up.
I know you must be unhappy about having a large portion of your forces withdrawn.
If it were me, Old Li, I would have been cursing by now.
But there's nothing I, Old Li, can do; the foundation of the New First Regiment is simply too poor."
It wasn't just Li Yunlong looking at Qin Yangming.
Even Zhong Zhicheng and Zhang Dabiao were looking at him.
After all, what Li Yunlong was doing was a bit unfair.
It was understandable to take away the extra equipment he brought and distribute it.
It was also excusable to take away his heavy weapons, personnel and all.
But now he was also taking away two out of the remaining four infantry squads he had.
Honestly, it would be good enough if he didn't curse.
After all, the unit he brought was clearly organized and ready for immediate use.
Especially since they were originally from a main force regiment and now a core regiment.
And he was still taking away two-thirds of their strength.
Now, the two of them were genuinely afraid that Qin Yangming would slam the table and request to return to the 772nd Regiment.
Listening to Li Yunlong's words, Qin Yangming didn't show much reaction.
When he received the order, he had already anticipated the result of his unit being split up.
The establishment and weaponry of his unit were simply too advanced for the Eighth Route Army.
Anyone would want to disperse his unit to strengthen other units.
"Regimental Commander, I have no objections to your arrangements.
I only have one request: I want to keep the mortar crew member from the heavy weapons squad."
Li Yunlong nodded.
"No problem, let alone the gunner.
I'll also let you keep the heavy machine gun primary gunner.
And those three squad leaders too."
The reason Qin Yangming wanted to keep that gunner was simple.
It was because that gunner was a product of the system.
After Qin Yangming personally killed thirty Japanese devils.
The system rewarded him with a thirty-kill gift package.
Among the rewards were this gunner and a mortar.
The system naturally wouldn't create a person out of thin air.
Instead, one night, a guy in puppet troops uniform led a horse carrying a mortar and sneaked into Duanjia'ao.
He said he had heard of Qin Yangming's reputation.
He no longer wanted to be a traitor, so he came to defect to Qin Yangming.
And this guy was the gunner and mortar the system had given him.
It had to be said, products from the system were top-notch.
This gunner could use the mortar to fire shells directly into the blockhouse through its firing port.
Qin Yangming naturally wanted to keep such a talent.
He didn't know how long it would take for the system to give him another special talent like this.
As for the heavy machine gun primary gunner.
That was a captured puppet troops heavy machine gunner, not essential.
For Li Yunlong, he had gunners and squad leaders.
He just lacked personnel and equipment.
If Qin Yangming wanted to keep them, then let him keep them.
Seeing that Qin Yangming had no objections, the others breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Yunlong happily called for Huzi and told the cookhouse squad to prepare a good meal for them that evening.
Since they had all experienced the Long March, they had common ground to talk about.
While chatting about their experiences during the Long March, they also discussed future development.
"Heh heh, you probably don't know yet, I went to see the Brigade Commander yesterday to ask for equipment.
The Brigade Commander didn't give me any, but he granted me the right to operate independently.
I already have an idea for our future development."
"If we lack weapons and equipment, then we'll go find the Japanese devils and the traitors; they have them."
"Zhang Dabiao, I've given you so much equipment this time, and it's not for free.
You must earn it back from the Japanese devils, with interest."
"Regimental Commander, don't worry, I guarantee I'll earn back the equipment!"
"Yes, I gave the Brigade Commander my word.
Within a year, I guarantee I'll raise a main force regiment."
"You can take your First Battalion out tomorrow.
My Second and Third Battalions are waiting for your equipment."
"Similarly, Xiao Qin, how you operated in the 772nd Regiment before.
You will continue to operate the same way now."
"Judging from the equipment you brought, Blind Cheng is probably not as honest and upright as he appears.
He must have taken a lot from the Japanese devils."
Listening to Li Yunlong's words, Qin Yangming realized that the other party might have misunderstood something.
However, he still nodded in response.
"Regimental Commander, rest assured, I guarantee I will build the Vanguard Company into our regiment's strongest company."
"Yes, I won't impose any restrictions on you.
Similarly, tomorrow you will take your troops to the assigned village.
Build as many troops as your capabilities allow.
Even if your company has a thousand men, I won't have any objections."
"Regimental Commander, Regimental Commander, the new troops are causing trouble in the cookhouse!"
Just as they were talking, Huzi rushed into the regimental headquarters.
Hearing that soldiers were causing trouble, the four of them immediately stood up.
"What's going on?"
"Yes, yes, the troops brought by Company Commander Qin are dissatisfied with the food from the cookhouse.
They are surrounding the cookhouse demanding an explanation?"
"Damn it, didn't I tell the cookhouse to treat them well?
This is outrageous, they're not even listening to my orders anymore!"
"Old Zhong, you and Xiao Qin go and see what's happening and handle the situation."
Thinking that someone was disobeying his orders.
Li Yunlong immediately asked Zhong Zhicheng and Qin Yangming to go and resolve the issue.
He himself stayed in the regimental headquarters to assign tasks to Zhang Dabiao.
A situation arising from food issues was not something he, the Regimental Commander, needed to handle.
At the cookhouse, the new recruits brought by Qin Yangming were noisily surrounding it.
The veteran soldiers in the unit were constantly trying to appease them.
"Platoon Leader, they're bullying us because they're veterans!"
A new recruit, full of anger and some grievance, ran up to Qin Yangming.
Looking at his soldier, Qin Yangming frowned.
If it were just a food issue, it would be easy to handle.
But if it was veterans bullying new recruits, that would be a big problem!
"No, Platoon Leader, don't listen to this new recruit's nonsense, it's not like that, listen to me."
Sun Zhigang, who was stabilizing the troops, felt his head spin upon hearing the new recruit's complaint.
"What do you mean it's not like that? They are bullying us because they are veterans.
They want to give us a 'welcome' test!"
"Squad Leader Sun, don't side with them just because you're a veteran. You're part of our platoon!"
Zhong Zhicheng, listening to the new recruit's words, also became angry.
"Young comrade, tell me, I am the Political Commissar of the New First Regiment. Which veteran is bullying you? I will uphold justice for you!"
Veterans bullying new recruits was something absolutely not allowed in the Eighth Route Army.
The common people sent their children to the army to fight the Japanese devils and protect their homes, not to be bullied by veterans!