The reason why Chairman Chiang agreed with David. Stephen's visit to the Dameishan base may be because he thinks that a mere Dameishan Independent Regiment has no weight and will not have any international impact. Stephen is just a trainee reporter for the Associated Press, and he doesn't have a real impact on the U.S. government's strategy, and there may be some other reason. It is an indisputable fact that Stephen is about to visit the Dameishan base.

This is, of course, a big deal for the Dameishan Independent Regiment.

It is even a big event for the New Fourth Army and even for the CCP as a whole.

During World War II, although the United States' assistance to China was based on national interests, and the intensity of aid to China was far from comparable to that of the Soviet Union and Europe, it is undeniable that during World War II, the US government did give the Nationalist Government a large amount of military and economic aid.

Unfortunately, this aid from the U.S. government was not well spent on the war effort.

For example, the first loan of 50 million US dollars approved by the US government in accordance with the Lend-Lease Act was only transferred to the account of the Nationalist Government, and it was immediately deposited back into the US bank, and then until the end of the Anti-Japanese War, the 50 million US dollars were not used even a cent, and the Song family kept using the 50 million US dollars to eat the frighteningly high interest at that time.

If the $50 million and subsequent loans can be turned into weapons and equipment as soon as possible, and transported back to China as soon as possible to arm the armed forces in China, then in the Second Battle of Changsha, Xue Yue may completely annihilate the Central China Dispatch Army of Little Japan, and even directly switch from strategic defense to strategic counteroffensive.

That is, the strategic counteroffensive on the Chinese battlefield may well be brought forward to 1943, or even 1942.

It is a pity that history has no ifs, and the US government's economic aid to the Nationalist Government has become a gluttonous feast for the four major families, and has not played its due role.

Now, the opportunity to change history is about to be placed in front of Xu Rui.

Therefore, Xu Rui must change this historical trend as much as possible, even if it is impossible to convince the US government to transfer all economic aid to the CCP, at least take a share of the US government's economic and military aid!

Moreover, this is by no means a fantasy, because objectively speaking, the US government did have the idea of aiding the CCP at that time, but it was only due to the obstruction of the then US Ambassador to China Jensen, and the attention of US President Roosevelt was more focused on the European battlefield, so the aid to the CCP finally came to an end.

Now, Xu Rui is determined to change this historical trend, so this Associated Press war correspondent, this David . Stitch is very important, and the most important thing now is to keep him safe.

So Xu Rui picked up the telephone on the table and asked for the phone number of the 3rd battalion headquarters.

The phone was connected, and Xu Rui only said to He Shuya on the other end of the phone, come to the regiment headquarters immediately, there is an urgent task.

After stacking the phone, He Shuya immediately put down all the work at hand, and then walked more than ten miles of tunnels to the regiment headquarters.

However, when Xu Rui's task was explained, He Shuya was a little dumbfounded: "What, let me rush to Tongcheng at this time?" ”

Xu Rui asked, "What, you don't want to?" ”

The telegram transferred by the military headquarters of the New Fourth Army said that the Associated Press war correspondent David Murphy said. Stephen would arrive at Tongcheng tomorrow on a ship from the American and British Tobacco Company, as Tongcheng was now controlled by four detachments of the New Fourth Army, and then the four detachments would send a small force to escort David. Stephen went north to Damei Mountain.

The military headquarters of the New Fourth Army also knew that the Dameishan Independent Regiment was facing a sweep by the Kawaguchi Detachment, so it did not ask the Independent Regiment to send troops to meet halfway. Stephen's safety was entrusted to the four detachments, but as the head of the independent regiment and as a time-traveler who knew the direction of history, Xu Rui was not at ease.

Therefore, it goes without saying that a small elite force was sent to meet it.

The only question is, which troops to send? And who will lead the team?

To say that Leng Tiefeng's special operations team is the most suitable, but at present, the Dameishan Independent Regiment is facing the sweeping operation of the Kawaguchi detachment, and in the later combat operations, Leng Tiefeng's special operations team is indispensable, so he can only send other troops to go, Xu Rui chose to go, and finally selected He Shuya.

Although He Shuya is young, he has rich combat experience, if he is counted from 918, he is already a seven-year soldier, at his age level, it is absolutely incomparable, secondly, He Shuya's brain is flexible, which has been vividly demonstrated in the battle of Huilonggou, so, in addition to Leng Tiefeng, He Shuya is the most suitable.

This can be regarded as a test for He Shuya, if he passes the test, he will basically be able to be the battalion commander.

He Shuya was reluctant to go, which was expected by Xu Rui, and at that moment Xu Rui asked with a smile: "Why, you don't want to go?" ”

He Shuya didn't dare to say directly that he didn't want to, and said to him left and right: "Regiment leader, I haven't done this as a bodyguard before, otherwise you might as well go to another person?" Didn't you just say that this war correspondent of the Associated Press is very important, and he must not make the slightest mistake, so he has to send someone with experience. ”

Xu Rui smiled: "Then who do you think is experienced and who is appropriate?" ”

He Shuya said: "I think the veterans are quite suitable, and such a task special operations detachment is more suitable, the number is small, but the combat effectiveness is extremely strong, otherwise, let the veteran take the special operations detachment to Tongcheng?" ”

"This can't be done, the special operations team must stay." Xu Rui categorically rejected He Shuya's proposal, and said in a deep voice, "Nerd, don't pick or pick three or four for me here, hurry back and pick out the elite of a platoon, and then take this platoon to Tongcheng and take this David. Stephen brought it back to me with all his beards and tails. ”

He Shuya's head immediately drooped, Xu Rui had already given the order, what else could he say? Obey.

But after thinking about it, He Shuya felt a little unwilling, and said: "Regiment leader, it's okay to go to Tongcheng, but you have to borrow me a few special forces, I don't dare to hope for veterans, so I can let Han Feng and Tiezhu follow me, can it be successful?" ”

"Cheng, I'll let Han Feng and Tie Zhu follow you." Xu Rui nodded, "But you have to promise me that David. Stephen brought back to the base with all the beards and tails. ”

"Yes!" He Shuya snapped up and replied, "Report to the head of the group, I will definitely send the Associated Press to the Chinese battlefield trainee war correspondent David . Stephen was brought back to the base with all the beards and tails. ”

Xu Rui smiled, waved his hand and said, "Go ahead." ”

He Shuya gave a military salute and turned around.

In the evening of the same day, He Shuya took Han Feng, Tie Zhu and the twelve elite soldiers selected from the 3rd Battalion to leave Damei Mountain on the small road and embark on the road to Tongcheng.

(Dividing Line)

The 101st Infantry Wing of the Kawaguchi Detachment occupied Umezhen at noon, and soon found that the entire town had become an empty city, and none of the townspeople were missing, so Yoshino Akio immediately ordered a large number of search teams to carry out a carpet search on the outskirts of Umezhen and nearby villages.

The 101st Infantry Wing sent out as many as 12 search teams, each consisting of an infantry squad plus a cavalry group, with the infantry squad for the search and the cavalry for communications.

The Japanese army's communications are much stronger than those of the ****, but the radio station is only assigned to the brigade level, and the squadrons and even squads below still have to rely on the signal corps to be responsible for communication.

Takeo Yamagami, who was lucky enough to save his life from the Dawan battlefield, was sent to the eighth search team.

The eighth search team was responsible for searching the direction of Xiaolizhuang, which is located in the northwest of Meizhen, ten miles apart.

Since the search will continue at dawn tomorrow, the eighth search team did not return to Meizhen after nightfall, but camped in Xiaolizhuang on the spot.

For safety reasons, the search team did not enter Xiaoli Village to camp, but lived in the mountain temple at the entrance of the village, in addition to the main hall, there are also left and right ear rooms and a courtyard, and there is an ancient cypress tree with a thickness of two people hugging each other, and the canopy is lush, covering almost the entire courtyard.

After nightfall, the atmosphere in the mountains was a little cool, and the infantry of the search party lit a bonfire in the courtyard, and then invited the cavalry of the cavalry squad to come and roast the fire, while they also peeled and washed the two pheasants they had hunted in the field, and set them on the fire to roast them.

One of the devil infantrymen took out two small jars from his backpack, but they contained salt and pepper, and sprinkled salt and pepper on the roast chicken, and the two roasted pheasants began to turn golden brown, and the air began to fill the air with the smell of meat.

The pheasants were roasted, but the search party's infantry had nothing to eat, and they had to honor the cavalry.

Yamagami Takeo and his more than a dozen cavalrymen accepted the filial piety of the infantry with peace of mind, and in Japanese society, the hierarchy was very strict, and there was an insurmountable gap between civilians and samurai, and this huge gap in rank was also brought into the army, resulting in a gap between infantry and cavalry.

Takeo on the mountain tore a chicken leg and nibbled on it twice, and suddenly sighed: "If only there was wine." ”

"Wine?" A ghost infantryman who was standing cautiously waiting by immediately lit up and said, "Sir, when I searched the village just now, I seem to have found a huge wine vat in one of the courtyards, and there should be a rice wine brewed by the man himself, do you want me to help you get some?" ”

"Yaga." When the martial man on the mountain heard this, he immediately scolded, "Since you have wine, why don't you hurry up and get it?" ”

"Hello." The devil infantry paused again and again, and then turned around and picked up the 38 big cover and was about to go outside, but the mountain warrior ordered the other two devil infantry to go together, and the two privates who were ordered did not dare to slack off, and quickly followed out of the gate of the mountain temple with the 38 big cover.

The three devils walked out of the gate of the mountain temple and went straight to a compound at the east end of the village.