42: Chapter 42 The officers are overjoyed! The brigade commander greets them!

Zhao Gang looked in the direction Li Yunlong pointed, feeling puzzled—the next moment, his gaze locked onto the steel beast that had been obscured by Li Yunlong and the horses!

Boom!

Zhao Gang felt his brain "buzz," as if he had been struck hard by an invisible giant hammer!

He froze on the spot instantly, his eyes wide as copper bells, his mouth hanging open unconsciously, wide enough to fit a fist!

"Th-that is..."

Zhao Gang's voice was incredibly dry; he could barely form a complete syllable.

Although he had never seen that tank before, the oppressive aura emitted by the steel beast before him perfectly overlapped with the image of the "mysterious force" and "invincible chariot" in his mind!

Seeing Zhao Gang's dumbfounded expression, as if he had seen a ghost, Li Yunlong was overjoyed.

"Old Zhao, oh Old Zhao, you have your moments too!"

"Old Zhao, you're stunned, aren't you?"

"Hehe! To tell you the truth, that 'mysterious force' you mentioned—the fierce man who raided the execution ground in Beijing, killed the Japanese Military Police Commander, fought through the blockade line, and even smashed ten Japanese heavy tanks into scrap metal—"

"Not only has yours truly already met him and made contact, but also..."

Li Yunlong paused deliberately, enjoying the rapidly changing expression of shock on Zhao Gang's face, before dropping another bombshell:

"And Mr. Shen even gave yours truly a massive welcome gift!"

"See these new gadgets in the brothers' hands? Those are machine guns!"

"And light machine guns, 40mm rockets! Three whole trucks full!"

"Yesterday afternoon, I led the Cavalry Company and took out eighteen Japanese strongholds in a row..."

Li Yunlong told Zhao Gang everything that had happened yesterday. Having finally caught a chance to tease the Political Commissar, he certainly wouldn't let it pass.

Sure enough, with every sentence he spoke, the shock on Zhao Gang's face intensified. When he heard terms like "eighteen strongholds" and "zero casualties," Zhao Gang felt his breathing stop!

This combat record was practically like a myth or legend!

"My... heavens..."

Zhao Gang muttered unconsciously, feeling his hands and feet go numb.

"Old Li... are... are you telling the truth? Eighteen strongholds... zero casualties?"

"Absolutely true! If I'm lying, may I be this!"

Li Yunlong used his hand to make a classic gesture.

"The Japanese have been scared witless by us; when we went back today, the strongholds were all empty, and they've all shrunk back into the county seat like turtles! Hahaha!"

The massive information overload left Zhao Gang stunned for a long while before he suddenly snapped back to reality.

Not only had they made contact with the other party, but they had already established such a deep "combat friendship"?

That guy Li Yunlong had truly performed a monumental feat this time!

Zhao Gang understood Li Yunlong; although Old Li could be a bit unruly at times, he would never joke about something like this.

He grabbed Li Yunlong's arm and said urgently: "Quick! Old Li! Take me to meet those three comrades, Ding Zhijian and the others! Also, introduce me to Mr. Shen immediately!"

Under Li Yunlong's lead, Zhao Gang first walked quickly to Ding Zhijian, Meng Guanglin, and Sha Zhenjiang.

He gripped the three men's hands tightly and shook them vigorously: "comrade Zhijian! comrade Guanglin! comrade Zhenjiang! You have suffered!"

"On behalf of the Headquarters Leaders and the organization, I welcome you home! Seeing that you are safe and sound, the hearts we've all been holding in suspense can finally be put at ease!"

The three of them were also extremely moved to see Zhao Gang, who represented the organization, and Sha Zhenjiang's eyes turned red instantly.

Next, Zhao Gang straightened his slightly disheveled uniform from the journey and took a deep breath. Then, accompanied by Li Yunlong, he walked toward the figure who had been standing quietly beside the 99A.

As he got closer, Zhao Gang could see the other person's appearance more clearly.

What a dashing and handsome young man!

Zhao Gang couldn't help but praise him inwardly, while simultaneously becoming even more convinced of the Headquarters Leaders' judgment that this person "must be won over."

He stood at attention, gave a perfectly standard military salute to Shen Wang, and said with an incredibly sincere tone:

"Mr. Shen! Hello! I am the Political Commissar of the Independent Regiment, 386th Brigade, 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, Zhao Gang! On behalf of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, I extend to you our highest respect and most sincere gratitude!"

"Thank you for your immense righteousness in venturing deep into the dragon's den to rescue our comrades in their time of crisis..."

Zhao Gang was indeed worthy of his political work; his way of speaking was far superior to Li Yunlong's.

Shen Wang hadn't expected to run into Zhao Gang here either; he waved his hand:

"Political Commissar Zhao, you are too polite. Expelling the Japanese invaders and restoring our land is the bounden duty of every son and daughter of China!"

"This humble one Shen has only contributed a meager effort; being able to fight side-by-side with Regiment Commander Li and the brave warriors of the Cavalry Company is also a fortune for This humble one Shen..."

Both sides exchanged pleasantries. Although they were just formalities, the tone and attitude were incredibly sincere. Zhao Gang was truly grateful, and Shen Wang was truly appreciative. It could be said that this meeting was a complete success.

The heavy stone in Zhao Gang's heart finally settled. After the pleasantries, Zhao Gang hurriedly asked the communications soldier to contact the Headquarters.

When he came out this time, The Chiefs had specifically instructed Zhao Gang to carry a radio so that he could report the situation in a timely manner.

Zhao Gang personally dictated the telegram:

"To the Headquarters Leaders and forwarding to the Division and Brigade Commanders: The eagle has safely returned to the nest, status is good!"

"Additionally, from yesterday afternoon until this morning, Li's unit, in coordination with Mr. Shen, consecutively captured eighteen Japanese strongholds along the Ping-Shi Line, killing or capturing over two thousand enemies, while our unit... had zero casualties!"

"Currently, the Japanese invaders are terrified, shrinking their forces to hold the county seat, avoiding battle..."

...

Meanwhile.

Eighth Route Army Headquarters.

"Deputy Commander, you haven't slept for the whole night; go and get some rest first." A staff officer couldn't help but step forward to advise him.

The Deputy Commander slowly shook his head, his gaze still locked on the position of the Ping-Shi Line on the map: "I can't sleep... with things on my mind, I can't close my eyes even if I lie down."

In fact, not only him, but the several Chiefs in the command post had also not slept all night. They were all waiting, waiting for news, news that could influence the future direction of the situation.

According to the timeline, Zhao Gang should be able to catch up with Li Yunlong today. As long as they rendezvous, the radio Zhao Gang is carrying will be able to transmit the latest situation back.

Whether it's a blessing or a curse, whether the meeting went smoothly or if there were complications, it will soon be clear.

This kind of waiting is the most agonizing.

Just then, the door to the communications office was pushed open violently, and a young staff officer almost rushed in.

"It's here! It's here! Deputy Commander! Chief of Staff! A telegram from Political Commissar Zhao of the Independent Regiment!"

"They've made contact! They've made contact! Political Commissar Zhao says..."

The Communications Staff Officer hurriedly repeated Zhao Gang's telegram; The Chiefs had been waiting for this telegram for a long time!

Listening to the news transmitted by Zhao Gang, The Chiefs were dumbfounded on the spot.

"My god! It really was them!"

"Eighteen strongholds! Zero casualties?"

"How did they do it?"

"Li Yunlong has performed a great service this time!"

The Chiefs spoke one after another; the night's waiting had not been in vain!

At this time, the Chief of Staff, being relatively calmer, spoke up: "Deputy Commander, should we send a comrade to welcome them to show our highest regard and sincerity?"

The Deputy Commander nodded: "Right! We must send someone! And we must send someone with weight!"

"However, sending someone from our Headquarters, I'm afraid there isn't enough time..."

Zhao Gang said they were already on their way back and would arrive at the Independent Regiment headquarters by around noon tomorrow. If they sent a Leader from the Headquarters, time might be a bit tight. The Deputy Commander thought for a moment and had a candidate in mind.

"Let the Brigade Commander go..."