141: Chapter 141: Presenting the Regiment Flag!

Three days later.

In Zhicheng, the former Japanese Army Garrison Headquarters had already been replaced with the sign for the Eighth Route Army Southeast Shanxi Frontline Headquarters.

After capturing the heart of Southeast Shanxi, the Headquarters in He County naturally moved to Zhicheng.

Inside the slightly spacious yet simply furnished meeting room, there was a faint lingering scent of gunpowder and the relaxed atmosphere that follows a victory.

The Chief of Staff, Division Commander, Deputy Director, Brigade Commander, and others were all present, their eyes fixed on several heavy wooden boxes that had just been carefully carried in by a few soldiers.

"Mr. Shen," the Chief of Staff said with a smile, his tone solemn.

"According to our previous agreement, one-third of all the spoils from this Southeast Shanxi campaign, specifically the financial assets, rightfully belongs to you."

"I have already had it all converted into equivalent gold and antiques. Please take a look."

With that, the Chief of Staff motioned for the soldiers to open the lids.

With a few soft clicks, the lids were lifted.

In an instant, the room seemed to be infused with a soft yet impossible-to-ignore radiance.

In the first box were neatly stacked gold bars with a deep, rich luster.

Large Gold Bars!

By a rough estimate, there were probably over a hundred of them!

The second box contained priceless jewelry.

Uncut raw jade, high-quality emerald pendants, gold and silver jewelry inlaid with gemstones...

Though not many in quantity, every single piece was a masterpiece.

In the third and fourth boxes... antiques and curios were neatly arranged, wrapped in soft silk cloth.

There were blue and white porcelain vases, famille rose bowls and plates, bronzeware, ancient jade ornaments, scroll paintings and calligraphy, and even several inkstones and seals of good quality.

While they might not all be national treasures, they were clearly selected items of significant value.

In the final box were two intact regimental banners!

Shen Wang was stunned; he hadn't expected there would be regimental banners as well!

The Chief of Staff said with a smile, "Mr. Shen, since you are so interested in regimental banners, The Rear Area has said that these two are gifted to you!"

Shen Wang smiled and accepted them gladly.

They were just regimental banners, after all; no big deal!

Before capturing any, he had thought they were incredible treasures, but now that they had captured ten in a row, they seemed like just another item!

He then looked at the gold and jewelry, his gaze sweeping over the wealth that would be enough to drive people mad in these chaotic times.

To think, this was only one-third of the spoils of war.

It had to be said, attacking county seats was the way to go.

A total of fifteen county seats were taken this time, and the spoils were quite abundant!

Even in times of war, there was no shortage of wealthy people—especially some local gentry and landlords who had instead become even richer by taking advantage of the national crisis.

In these troubled times, the number of gentry and landlords who hoarded goods and profited from the national calamity was likely far beyond imagination.

These items were confiscated from Japanese warehouses and the homes of Collaborators and corrupt gentry, while some were 'voluntarily donated' by merchants.

Shen Wang picked up a gold bar to weigh it, then looked at the antiques bearing the marks of time and nodded. "The Leaders have clearly gone to a lot of trouble! I am very satisfied with these things."

Satisfied, but only to that extent.

The Shen Wang of today had a completely different mindset.

Possessing a system and holding military power capable of overturning the era, these worldly riches were, to him, more like a symbolic 'dividend' and 'souvenir'.

If he wanted to, putting everything else aside, he could do almost anything he pleased in this era just with the equipment of that Type A Motorized Infantry Brigade in his hands.

Drinking the strongest liquor and sleeping with the most beautiful women would be simply too easy!

But clearly, Shen Wang's pursuits and goals had long since transcended such things.

Seeing that Shen Wang accepted them calmly without showing any greed or wild joy, the admiration in the eyes of the Chief of Staff and the others grew even stronger.

This was the poise that a person truly destined for great things should have.

"It's good that Mr. Shen is satisfied! This is all well-deserved!" the Division Commander said with emotion.

"Without you, let alone these spoils, it's hard to say if we ourselves would even be standing here right now."

The Deputy Director also smiled. "Mr. Shen's righteousness has not only helped us win the battle but has also allowed us to see the infinite possibilities of future victory. This friendship is heavier than all this gold!"

"Indeed, it is all thanks to Mr. Shen..."

Everyone spoke many more heartfelt words of gratitude, and Shen Wang responded to each with humility; the atmosphere was harmonious and sincere.

After the pleasantries, the Chief of Staff said seriously, "Mr. Shen, the campaign in Southeast Shanxi has basically come to an end. The base area is newly established and everything needs to be built from scratch. A lot of administrative work has piled up at the Headquarters that needs handling, so it is time for the few of us to return to Headquarters."

The Division Commander nodded. "Yes, after fighting this battle, we old-timers have certainly had our eyes opened, and our heads are filled with many new things."

"When we get back, we need to carefully figure out how to link the Taiyue and Taihang Base Areas more closely, how to maximize the value of these new weapons, and how to let the troops master the new tactics more quickly."

The Chiefs' eyes all sparkled with the light of reflection and planning.

This blitzkrieg had brought not just land and spoils, but also a shock to their way of thinking and a blueprint for the future.

Hearing this, Shen Wang followed suit and said, "The Leaders are busy with a myriad of affairs, so it is indeed time to head back. I have been here for some time as well, and it's time for me to... go back and handle some of my own business."

He did indeed need to leave for a while.

The rewards from this Diamond Ten-Draw were truly staggering—an Aviation Brigade, a Motorized Infantry Brigade, an Arms Factory... these behemoths needed a reasonable time and method for their 'appearance'.

He couldn't just conjure up thousands of pieces of equipment and a modern factory out of thin air tomorrow; that would be too shocking.

He needed to return to the relatively 'safe' future. On one hand, he wanted to enjoy his spoils, but more importantly, he needed to lay the groundwork and plan for his next 'descent'.

It was worth mentioning, however, that two days ago, Shen Wang had still exchanged for six Anti-Aircraft Battalions and had them delivered.

After all, with the Taihang and Taiyue areas being so large, the original four Anti-Aircraft Battalions were simply not enough.

And this could be considered fulfilling his previous promise of the equipment for those six missing battalions.

The group saw Shen Wang out of the Headquarters, accompanying him all the way to the gates of Zhicheng.

"Mr. Shen, take care on your journey!"

"We look forward to your early return!"

"The doors of the base area will always be open for you!"

Shen Wang shook hands with everyone to say goodbye, then turned and boarded a military truck.

It was loaded with his spoils from this trip, as well as the gifts from The Chiefs.

As the truck slowly started, Shen Wang suddenly leaned his head out of the window and asked, as if in passing:

"By the way, Leaders... does our Eighth Route Army... have anyone who knows how to fly planes right now?"

These words were like a sudden thunderclap, causing the Chief of Staff, Division Commander, and the others who were waving goodbye to freeze instantly.

Immediately after, the eyes of these big shots widened, and they even held their breath!

Planes?

Mr. Shen suddenly asked this, could it be...

The Chief of Staff reacted the fastest, stepping forward in a single bound, his voice trembling slightly with extreme excitement and anticipation:

"Mr... Mr. Shen! Are... are you saying... you can... you can get planes?"

The Division Commander's lips were also trembling with excitement. "Mr... Mr. Shen, can you... can you really get planes?"

The Deputy Director and the other big shots all crowded around as well, their gazes fixed intently on Shen Wang.

They knew all too well!

After these two battles, the Eighth Route Army's ground forces—especially their assault and breakthrough capabilities—had undergone a qualitative change.

Only the sky above remained the domain of the Japanese; it was their greatest weakness and threat!

If... if Mr. Shen could even solve this...