Chapter 33: I’m Counting on Li Yunlong

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Chapter 33: Holy Crap—Li Yunlong!

When he stumbled out of headquarters in a daze and saw the five hundred veterans of the Fourth Front Army standing in a dense formation on the open ground in the distance, he felt as though he were dreaming. Their clothes were just as tattered as everyone else’s, but their eyes were sharp and their postures straight. Anyone could tell at a glance that they were seasoned elites who had survived countless battles.

He hurried over, studied those weather-beaten yet resolute faces, drew a deep breath, and called out, “Comrades! I am Wang Lin, commander of the Independent Regiment of the Red Fifth Army Corps! Welcome to the Independent Regiment! From today onward, we’ll eat from the same pot and fight for our lives in the same trench. We’re brothers bound by life and death, and the Independent Regiment is your home!”

The five hundred veterans turned their eyes toward him in perfect unison. They said nothing, yet an imposing air of solemnity emanated from them.

Just then, a commotion came from nearby, accompanied by unabashed swearing.

“Bullshit! Pure damn bullshit! I accepted taking the blame at headquarters! That was right under the leaders’ noses. I’ll admit it was just my bad luck, and I’ll accept the punishment! But sending me down to some regiment to take the fall? Isn’t that humiliating a man? I’m a proper army-regiment commander, damn it—not the captain of a cookhouse squad!”

Wang Lin followed the sound and saw three figures approaching. The man in front was not tall, but he had a sturdy frame and a fierce, defiant face. An enormous military cooking pot was strapped awkwardly to his back, its bottom black with soot and clanging noisily with every agitated step.

Two men followed beside him, both wearing Fourth Front Army uniforms and carrying the unmistakable bearing of officers. One looked more composed, his brows tightly furrowed; the other wore an expression of helplessness. Together, they were trying from either side to persuade the pot-carrying man to calm down.

“Old Li, say a little less!” the steadier one rebuked in a low voice. “Haven’t you suffered enough from bringing trouble on yourself with your mouth?”

“The commander sent you down here for training, so naturally he has his reasons! Taking the blame is also revolutionary work!”

“Exactly, Old Li. Settle down,” the other man urged. “What difference does it make where you carry the blame? It’s still better than being shot by the political commissar, isn’t it? As long as the green hills remain, there’ll be no shortage of firewood. Just endure it for now. Once the heat dies down, we’ll help you think of something.”

Li Yunlong was still afraid of Political Commissar Zhang.

When Wang Lin got a clear look at the swearing man carrying the pot, and heard the words “Li Yunlong,” “Old Li,” and “commander,” while also taking in the unmistakable familiarity and coaxing tones of the two men beside him, a thunderbolt seemed to explode in his mind.

Holy crap! Li Yunlong?!

And the two beside him—judging by their presence and their familiarity with Li Yunlong, could they be Ding Wei and Kong Jie?

The three men soon reached them and saw Wang Lin and the veterans standing in formation. The Fourth Front Army officer leading them hurried forward and saluted.

“Reporting to Commander Wang! The assigned personnel have all arrived and been counted. Five hundred expected, five hundred present! In addition…” His expression grew even stranger as he turned sideways and pointed at Li Yunlong. “Political Commissar Zhang specifically instructed that Comrade Li Yunlong is also to be assigned to your regiment… to… to work in the cookhouse.”

Li Yunlong slammed the enormous pot down on the ground with a resounding clang. He raised his eyes toward Wang Lin, his gaze flickering uncertainly. The face that usually feared neither Heaven nor Earth now held a trace of discomfort.

Of course he knew who Wang Lin was. He had heard that the young commander fought fiercely and was a hard man. But appearing before him in this miserable state, carrying a blackened pot on his back, made Li Yunlong feel he had lost all dignity.

His lips moved, but in the end he merely muttered, “…Li Yunlong, reporting as ordered.”

His voice was far quieter than it had been while he was cursing. He even shifted to one side instinctively, as though trying to avoid Wang Lin’s gaze.

The composed officer beside him—Ding Wei—stepped forward and saluted Wang Lin. His tone carried an apologetic note, along with a faint trace of defense.

“Commander Wang, I’ve long admired you. I’m Ding Wei, and this is Kong Jie. We’re Li Yunlong’s old comrades-in-arms, and we brought him here. Old Li… well, he’s too blunt and has paid the price for it. We have no objection to the commander sending him here for training. But he’s an excellent fighter. We hope you’ll… be a little more understanding.”

Kong Jie chimed in from the side, speaking in a more easygoing, worldly tone.

“Commander Wang, we’ve heard for a long time that you know how to lead troops. Old Li is… well, he’s fallen on hard times. Please be patient with him. He’s absolutely a first-rate soldier!”

Wang Lin understood at once. Political Commissar Zhang had killed several birds with one stone. He had punished Li Yunlong severely as a warning to others, tossed the troublesome man into Wang Lin’s lap, and perhaps also intended to observe how Wang Lin handled such a prickly commander.

As for Ding Wei and Kong Jie, they had simply come out of old comradeship. They could not bear to leave Li Yunlong alone, so they had escorted him here and said a few words on his behalf, worried that he might be crushed by his new environment.

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Wang Lin drew a deep breath, suppressing the absurdity of the situation and the powerful sense that history was unfolding before his eyes.

First, he returned Ding Wei and Kong Jie’s salutes.

“Commander Ding, Commander Kong, I’ve long admired you both. Rest assured, the Independent Regiment’s rules apply to the matter, not the person. Any man brave enough to fight the enemy has my respect.”

Those words were meant for Ding Wei and Kong Jie, but even more so for Li Yunlong.

Then he turned to Li Yunlong, letting his eyes travel back and forth between the man and the enormous pot.

Seeing Li Yunlong’s evasive gaze and tightly drawn face, Wang Lin understood the situation. In an even tone, he said, “Comrade Li Yunlong, I’m aware of your circumstances. We will carry out the commander’s decision without fail.”

Li Yunlong lowered his head and scuffed one foot against the ground without saying a word.

Wang Lin changed direction.

“However, the Independent Regiment’s cookhouse isn’t merely a place for carrying pots. We have a great many recruits and desperately need instructors. Judging from the number of battles you’ve survived, it would be a waste to leave you in the cookhouse doing nothing but carrying that pot.

“So here’s what we’ll do. You’ll keep carrying the pot for now—that counts as obeying the commander’s orders. But in your spare time, go to the recruit company and train those youngsters. Teach them how to fight and how to stay alive. What do you think?”

At those words, Li Yunlong suddenly raised his head. His expression became extraordinarily complicated. There was surprise, gratitude, and above all, the lingering embarrassment he could not shake off.

He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but seemed unable to find the words. In the end, he merely gave a sullen “Mm.”

Ding Wei and Kong Jie exchanged a glance. Surprise and approval flashed through both their eyes.

This Commander Wang was young, yet remarkably seasoned in handling affairs. He had not directly overturned the general political commissar’s arrangement—the pot still had to be carried—but he had given Li Yunlong a reasonably dignified position in which he could make full use of his abilities: training recruits.

He had preserved everyone’s dignity while benefiting his own regiment.

“…Train recruits?” Li Yunlong asked in a muffled voice. His tone had softened considerably, though it still retained a hint of awkwardness.

“Exactly! Teach them the real skills you’ve learned for fighting and staying alive!” Wang Lin said firmly.

Li Yunlong fell silent for several seconds. Carrying the pot was still humiliating, but compared with becoming nothing more than a cookhouse soldier, training troops was clearly more acceptable.

He snorted, which amounted to agreement, and hoisted the pot onto his back again. It still clanged with every step, but the desperate urge to fight to the death had diminished considerably.

Seeing this, Ding Wei and Kong Jie finally relaxed. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Wang Lin—mostly asking him to look after Li Yunlong—they took their leave and returned to headquarters to report.

Wang Lin watched Li Yunlong walk toward the veterans, the pot on his back and an awkward expression on his face, yet carrying the faint air of a man who had just been given a new mission. His feelings were impossible to sort out.

Political Commissar Zhang’s “generous gift” was truly a weighty one—a gift wrapped in thorns.

Five hundred battle-hardened veterans represented a genuine increase in combat strength, and he had even gained a great commander. Could he now wave a feather fan, don a silk kerchief, and command the battlefield with effortless elegance?

No. Better not.

If he sent Li Yunlong out to fight, then Wang Lin would be the one carrying the pot afterward.

Once they returned, Wang Lin broke up the five hundred veterans and distributed them throughout the regiment. He separated the freshest recruits into an independent group, appointed the veterans as squad and platoon officers, and established a recruit battalion. Li Yunlong was appointed battalion commander—within the regiment, at least. Officially, Wang Lin still held the position concurrently.

That night, the regiment rested at a temporary camp outside Maogong City. The moonlight was hazy, and campfires flickered here and there.

Wang Lin tucked under his arm two bottles of Xishui cellar liquor that he had gone to great lengths to obtain while passing through Xishui during the Long March, and had never been willing to drink. He strolled toward the corner where the regimental cookhouse was located.

From a distance, he saw the conspicuous cooking pot propped over an earthen stove. Li Yunlong was crouched beside it, dragging a firewood stick aimlessly across the ground. He was probably muttering to himself as well. Several cookhouse soldiers kept a wide berth, not daring to provoke him.

“Old Li? In high spirits, are you? Studying a tactical map?” Wang Lin called with a laugh as he approached, deliberately teasing him.

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Li Yunlong raised his head. When he saw Wang Lin, a trace of embarrassment crossed his face. He instinctively started to stand, then felt that would be too formal and only make things more awkward.

His eyes landed on what Wang Lin was carrying. His nose twitched twice, and his eyes brightened faintly, but he immediately lowered his head again.

“Commander Wang… what brings you here?” he muttered.

The gunpowder in his voice from the day had vanished, replaced by a trace of restraint.

Wang Lin did not mind. He dropped onto the wooden stump beside him and set the two bottles on the ground with a crisp clink.

“Inspecting what? I came looking for you, Old Li. I wanted to have a drink. What, you don’t welcome me? This is fine liquor—cellar-aged stuff from Xishui, the treasure I’ve been saving at the bottom of my chest.”

Li Yunlong stared at the two bottles. His Adam’s apple visibly bobbed, but he kept up his tough front, though his voice had dropped several degrees.

“…I’m the man carrying the pot now. How would I dare drink with the commander?”

“Bullshit!” Wang Lin swore in imitation of him. He immediately twisted the stopper from one bottle, and a rich fragrance of liquor drifted into the air.

“There’s no commander here, and no man carrying a pot. There are just two soldiers having a drink to ease their fatigue. I’ve heard your name, Li Yunlong. You’re a man who fights hard battles, and I respect you! After meeting you today, I find that we’re cut from the same cloth. What’s wrong—do you look down on me, Wang Lin?”

His words gave Li Yunlong enormous face by acknowledging his ability and reputation, lowered Wang Lin’s own posture by openly expressing admiration and kinship, and even contained a deliberate provocation.

Li Yunlong was exactly the sort of man who responded best to such an approach.

The discomfort on his face eased considerably. He accepted the bottle Wang Lin handed him, took a sniff, and praised it in a low voice.

“…It is good liquor.”

He hesitated, then finally raised his eyes to Wang Lin. His expression was complicated.

“Commander Wang… about today… thank you. You let me keep my dignity.”

“Why talk about that?” Wang Lin waved a hand. “We’re both men who lead troops. Who hasn’t stumbled now and then? Come on, drink!”

“Fine!” Li Yunlong agreed more readily this time. He raised the bottle. “Since you, Commander Wang, think so highly of me, Old Li, I’ll drink it!”

Under the hazy moonlight and the dancing glow of the campfire, the two men drank together, taking turns from their bottles.

At first, they were somewhat restrained. But after a few mouthfuls, the conversation opened up. They talked about fighting and leading troops. Wang Lin deliberately asked for advice here and there, and Li Yunlong gradually relaxed. Once he became animated, he even forgot the frustration of carrying that pot.

After three rounds, Li Yunlong’s tongue had grown somewhat thick. He slapped Wang Lin on the shoulder.

“Old Wang… you’re a real one! You didn’t treat Old Li like an outsider… Carrying this pot was worth it! From now on, anything concerning the Independent Regiment is my business too!”

Wang Lin knew the liquor had taken hold of him. His words were rough, but his feelings were genuine.

With a laugh, Wang Lin put an arm around Li Yunlong’s shoulders.

“Old Li, we’ve both come rolling out of hailstorms of bullets. Everything else is empty talk. What matters is leading our troops well and winning battles. That’s the truth! It would be a shame to bury your abilities.

“Work here for now. Training the recruits properly will be a great achievement in itself. There’ll be plenty of battles ahead. Are you really worried you won’t have a chance to show what you can do? Sooner or later, we’ll replace that pot with a machine gun!”

“Good! Now that’s something to raise a man’s spirits! Replace it with a machine gun! And it has to be a Czech one!”

Li Yunlong’s eyes lit up, and he burst into hearty laughter. Much of the gloom in his chest seemed to disperse with the fumes of the liquor.

The soldiers around the cookhouse stared in astonishment as their commander drank shoulder to shoulder with the newly arrived, fearsome-looking man carrying a pot, the two of them calling each other brothers.

At the same time, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that the troublesome scourge had finally been brought under control by the commander.