130: Chapter 130 Everything is ready! Let's get started!
"Leader, this... this bit of noodles isn't worth it. Let me treat you, let me treat you..."
The boss waved his hands repeatedly, his heart pounding, fearing this was just a new trick for the other party to find fault.
"Hey, I told you to take it, so take it!"
The tall, thin Puppet Army squeezed out an extremely unnatural "friendliness" on his face and said: "In this day and age... nothing is easy! What should be given must be given."
After speaking, regardless of the boss's reaction, he pressed the money onto the table and dragged his companion away in a hurry.
Walking out of the noodle shop, the companion whispered: "Brother Li, what are you doing? You actually paid?"
The tall, thin "Brother Li" looked back at the noodle shop, then glanced around vigilantly, lowered his voice and cursed:
"You don't know anything! Haven't you heard about what happened in He County? The Eighth Route Army has gained power now and has incredible weapons! Who knows when they will attack?"
"Leave some leeway now, just in case in the future... it counts as a favor! We small fries have to leave ourselves a way out!"
The companion suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly: "Brother Li is right. I still owe the owner of the old tavern a few silver dollars. It looks like I need to pay it back quickly!"
"Pay it back quickly! If the Eighth Route Army comes, it will be too late!"
"Yes, yes, yes, I'll pay it back tomorrow!"
...
Similar scenes were quietly unfolding in many places within Liao County.
The Puppet Army had restrained themselves a lot, their extortion of the common people had significantly decreased, and they were even occasionally "polite."
In the teahouse, there was more vitality than usual.
Several familiar old tea drinkers gathered at a table, their voices kept low.
"Have you heard? In He County, the Eighth Route Army really built an Arms Factory!"
"My third aunt's cousin fled there a while ago and sent word back saying that things are different there now!"
"The soldiers help repair houses, distribute fields, and trade fairly. I heard you can even go to the factory to work and get meals!"
A middle-aged man wearing an old long gown spoke with great excitement.
"If I had known..."
A tea drinker with a sorrowful face beside him sighed heavily and punched his own leg with his fist.
"At the beginning of the month, someone from He County sent word, asking us to go there to seek refuge, saying that the Eighth Route Army treats people kindly and there is a way to make a living."
"I was afraid at the time, thinking that He County is such a small place, once the Japanese army comes, wouldn't it become a living hell again?"
"Who would have thought... the Eighth Route Army actually defeated one hundred thousand Japanese Soldiers!"
His words resonated, and several people at the table showed expressions of regret.
"Who is to say! My wife's brother also called me to go, but my wife refused to agree, fearing that things would reverse."
"Now that I think about it, my guts are green with regret! Staying in Liao County, living in fear every day, looking at the faces of Japanese Soldiers and Collaborator, this life..."
"Sigh, what's the use of saying this now? Just hope the Eighth Route Army attacks here soon!"
"I heard that their new artillery, once it fires, sounds like thunder, and the Japanese bunkers are like paper!" A younger waiter's eyes shone with light.
"When our Liao County also becomes the territory of the Eighth Route Army, perhaps we can live a life like in He County."
"Shh... keep it down!"
The middle-aged man looked around vigilantly, although the Puppet Army patrol passed by absent-mindedly.
"It's coming soon, I think it's soon! The Japanese Soldiers have lost their souls these past two days, haven't you seen that the Rising Sun flag on the city wall has wilted?"
"This group of animals also has a time when they are afraid?"
"And those puppet soldiers, they have been much more polite these past few days, they even know to pay for their meals!"
"Hmph! These bastards are the most cunning!"
"Don't look at how lively they are now, sooner or later they will be settled with!"
"I don't think these people can jump around for many more days!"
...
These private conversations, like an underground current, were quietly surging among the people of Liao County.
Fear still existed, but a new thing called "hope" was struggling to break through the soil.
And in this subtle atmosphere of Liao County, the scouts of the Independent Regiment were quietly mixing in.
Old Zhong, disguised as a woodcutter, carried a bundle of real firewood and squatted at the alley entrance opposite the City God Temple to rest.
Under the brim of his tattered straw hat, his eyes seemed tired and half-closed, but they were actually as sharp as an eagle's.
He had been staring at the third courtyard on the east side for nearly an hour.
The courtyard gate had opened three times: once when a Japanese Soldier Sergeant came out grumbling to pour dirty water, once when two Japanese Soldier soldiers carried a wooden box inside, and the last time was at dusk, when five Japanese Soldier soldiers came out in formation, likely to change shifts.
Old Zhong silently noted down the number of people and weapons.
He even noticed that there was an inconspicuous gap in the northeast corner of the courtyard wall, blocked carelessly with a few broken bricks.
At the foot of the city wall, the scout Tie Dan, disguised as a beggar, curled up in a sheltered corner, a dirty broken bowl placed in front of him.
He kept his eyes half-closed, but his ears were perked up, capturing every sound on the city tower.
On the other side, Shui Sheng, disguised as a "peddler" selling needles and thread, shook his rattle-drum and swayed slowly past the back street of the county government office.
These were all soldiers from the Independent Regiment's reconnaissance company.
They were dressed in tattered clothes no different from ordinary people, with dust smeared on their faces; some pretended to be porters, some looked like peddlers walking the streets, and others simply mixed into the crowd of people listening to gossip in the teahouse.
"The third courtyard east of the City God Temple, a Japanese Soldier platoon lives in the courtyard, about eighty people, two Type 11 light machine gun, no heavy weapons..."
"The county government office... is now the Japanese Soldier headquarters, with double guards at the entrance, machine gun bunkers, a small door on the back wall which is usually locked but security is lax, and the radio antenna is set up on the roof of the west wing..."
"East Gate, one Japanese Soldier squad plus a platoon of Puppet Army, with a type 92 heavy machine gun mounted on the city tower, the shift change time is..."
"West Street grain store, the boss is the vice president of the maintenance association, and Japanese Soldier officers often go there to eat..."
Intelligence was constantly gathering.
Similar scenes were unfolding simultaneously in Du County, Wu County, Qin County, Li County, and even the final target, City Name.
The Eighth Route Army's intelligence network was quietly infiltrating, observing, and recording during the precious window of opportunity when the enemy was uneasy due to a crushing defeat and their defenses had cracks.
The efficiency was shockingly high.
In less than two days, five clearly marked, detailed rough sketches of the enemy's deployment, as well as a more complex report on the defense points of City Name, were rushed to the front-line command post in He County via secret communication lines.
...
He County.
Pre-war command post.
The lights were bright, and an unprecedented combat meeting was taking place in this simple room.
In addition to front-line commanders like Brigade Commander and Li Yunlong, headquarters bigwigs such as the Chief of Staff, the Division Commander, and the Deputy Director were prominently present.
These headquarters bigwigs were usually busy with a thousand tasks and should have returned to headquarters as soon as possible, but the strategic concept of this "Night Raid on Southeast Shanxi" was too bold and too significant!
After careful consideration, the headquarters decided that the Chief of Staff, the Division Commander, and others would personally come to He County to sit in command until the battle was settled.
These past few days, the bigwigs had not been idle at all.
In addition to repeatedly scrutinizing every detail of the combat plan, they also conducted detailed research and evaluation on the new weapons brought by Shen Wang.
They proposed many creative and flexible application plans that even Shen Wang hadn't thought of.
Striving to maximize the effectiveness of every weapon.
At this moment, the final deduction had ended.
The Chief of Staff stood up, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone in the room.
"comrade..."