After the liberation of Sichuan, Chengdu, as an important town in the southwest, developed the most rapidly. In just a few years, it has become an economic center that radiates to the surrounding areas. Unlike Chongqing, which takes advantage of the advantages along the Yangtze River to develop heavy industry, Chengdu takes the high-tech route, and the industrial parks represented by the Qingyang Science and Technology Park and the Longquanyi High-tech Park will complete the first phase of the project in the fourth five-year plan. Among them, the CRT factory, Chenghong TV factory, Minsheng electrical appliance factory, the second and third generation of electron tube projects, the national defense SSS level project, the downstream supporting electronics factory, the transistor research institute and so on are a group of typical representatives.

The Third Division, as one of the 10 main divisions of the Southwest People's Army, has always been an important force in maintaining stability in half of Sichuan since it was stationed in the suburbs of Chengdu.

In front of the banner with the slogan "Serve the country with loyalty, protect the family and kill the enemy" on the training ground, a young officer quietly looked at these eight big characters, and his eyes showed a strong fighting spirit.

"Anlan!!"

A deep voice sounded, and the young officer turned his head to see the comer, and reflexively saluted, "Old battalion commander!" ”

It turned out that this young officer was one of the representatives of the officers of the Southwest Young Zhuang faction, Dai Anlan.

Strictly speaking, the Southwest People's Army has been in existence for less than 20 years, and the overall composition of officers is very young. However, as a cutting-edge representative of the Huaxia Military Academy, Dai Anlan rose in the army like a shining martial arts star. First, in the Sino-Burmese War in 1925, he served as the grassroots company commander of the Second Division of the Garrison Division, and then blocked the Indian battalion, the vanguard of the British, with a company of troops in the initial border defense.

That battle was Dai Anlan's famous battle, China and Britain fought each other, and many people were not particularly confident before the first war. Although the southwest is a newly rising powerhouse, there are still some negative voices in the face of the old empire. However, it was in this situation that Dai Anlan ate the first crab, blocking the British and buying very valuable time for the follow-up main force to build a defensive line.

The old company commander in his mouth is naturally Chen Jiheng, the old battalion commander of the garrison division back then. In the past seven years, Chen Jiheng, as the battalion commander of the garrison division with actual combat, was first transferred to the deputy battalion commander of the main division, and Dai Anlan, as his right-hand man, also arrived at the main division and became a company commander under him. Seven years have passed, and Chen Jiheng was already the commander of the Second Regiment of the Third Division of the main force, and three months ago, the commander of the Third Regiment was transferred to Macao as the commander of the garrison.

"Serving the country loyally, protecting the family and killing the enemy, it is really the long-cherished wish of my southwest soldiers." Chen Jiheng walked step by step from the old warlord to the Southwest Army, until he became the regiment commander of the Southwest Army, it can be said that he has seen a thousand things along the way, he has not only experienced the decadent old warlord army, but also received a modern new military education, and has more front-line combat experience, which can be said to be a typical example of changing from an officer in the old system to a modern officer commander.

Dai Anlan nodded, last night's division headquarters meeting, as the regiment commander, the two naturally participated, and it would not violate the rules to talk about something, looking at the old battalion commander Chen Jiheng's somewhat dark eyes, he couldn't help but smile faintly, "Old battalion commander, I'm afraid you didn't sleep all night last night." ”

"But no, the news announced at the division headquarters briefing yesterday was too exciting, I didn't expect that our third division would have the opportunity to become the first unit in the southwest to go north. It's up to Chiang Kai-shek, I hope there won't be any complications. "At yesterday's division headquarters briefing meeting, Division Commander Chen read out the latest order of the military headquarters on the spot, secretly ordering all regiments of the Third Division to be ready to march north at any time. At the meeting, Chen Jun was instructed by the military department to give a brief explanation of some current political actions in the southwest.

Dai Anlan straightened his military hat, sighed, and said: "Tianjin is in danger, but we are thousands of miles away, I really hope that tomorrow we will appear under the city of Tianjin and fight to the death with the army." Old battalion commander, if the mission really comes down, you have to support me and let my three regiments fight in the front. ”

"You're still so iron-clad, people who don't know are afraid that they still think that my old boss is afraid of death, okay. If there is any definite news of the dispatch of troops at the next division meeting, I will definitely support your third regiment as the vanguard. An Lan, you are a promising soldier, and I am optimistic about you. Chen Jiheng knew that his talent was at best the position of deputy teacher, and in the end, it was up to Dai Anlan and his group of young people to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the entire People's Army.

Dai Anlan stood up and saluted, and said solemnly to this old superior, who had led him all the way, and now the officer of the same level: "Please rest assured that if the old chief can make the trip, he will fight to the death under his post, and he will never humiliate the Southwest Army, and he will never lose 40,000 compatriots." ”

On 31 April, the long-planned Yue army officially launched the Tianjin Campaign, and the Nanjing Nationalist Axe and Chiang Kai-shek were hit with a hammer. The vanguard of the army quickly defeated the Tianjin garrison and launched an attack on Tianjin on the same day, but at this time there was no regular army in Tianjin City, and it was all defended by two security brigades of the Tianjin Alert Force.

I have to say that although this battle for the defense of Tianjin is doomed to failure, some surprising heroes have emerged. Outside Tianjin, a brigade of garrison troops, plus one and a half regiments that had been defeated, were enough to block the army all night, and it was not until the morning of May that the defense line was broken through.

The battle was fought very hard, and the garrison only had a few of the oldest heavy machine guns, and the rifles were still the same as those of the direct warlord era, and only a few old guns whose rifling had long been smoothed. By the time of the final rout, the Tianjin garrison of the two brigades had already reached 2,000 casualties.

At first glance, this number may seem like nothing, but when you think about it, it's very surprising. Such tragic casualties, not to mention whether the garrison could withstand it, even if the regular army of the Kuomintang had been replaced, it was estimated that it would have been defeated long ago. Even in the Northeast Army, such a casualty ratio would have removed the troops for rest.

It is worth mentioning here that Wang Yimin himself was born in the Northeast Army, and after the 918 Incident, after Zhang Xueliang went north to resist, Wang Yimin served as the commander of the Tianjin Security Command. When he took office, Tianjin's alert force had less than one brigade of men, and now the military situation is not enough to cobble together the security forces and the police, barely two brigades that are not fully staffed at all. The actual number of people is up to one brigade.

And it was these soldiers who did not even have official military uniforms who swore to resist to the death outside Tianjin, and the blood flowed like a river.

On 1 May, Major General Wang Yimin, commander of the Tianjin Security Command, sent a telegram: "People are rampant, and although they are born in cloth, they also know how to protect their families and defend the country." However, he led his troops to fight to the death, and hoped that I would do my best to let the country have no peace.

At 11 o'clock on May 1, the city of Tianjin was broken, and Major General Wang Yimin dismissed the only remaining garrison troops, and in order to avoid becoming the first general-level officer to be captured, he persisted until the last moment after sending his wife and children away, and committed suicide at the Tianjin Security Headquarters.

At 12 o'clock at noon on 1 May, the Southwest Union Political Axe and the Nanjing National Political Axe issued a telegram announcing the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression almost at the same time, saying that the situation of the War of Resistance was acute, that the people were pressing step by step, and that the joint War of Resistance was urgent, and that it was hoped that the strength of the whole nation would be concentrated to fight to the death against the people. At the same time, Nanjing posthumously awarded Wang Yimin the rank of lieutenant general of the National Revolutionary Army.

At 3 p.m. on 1 May, members of the Southwest Political Axe Anti-Japanese War Cooperation Delegation, led by Bai Chongxi, director of the Anti-Japanese War Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Southwest Joint Political Axe and director of the Mainland Affairs Department, walked into the office building of the Nationalist Axe for the second time and launched the final round of cooperation negotiations with the Nanjing Nationalist Axe headed by Chiang Kai-shek.

At 9 o'clock in the morning of 2 May, reporters from various newspapers and newspapers in China, Chinese and foreign journalists, and reporters from the Southwest Radio Station gathered outside the Nanjing National Political Axe Conference Building, where the Southwest Joint Political Axe and the Nanjing National Political Axe will announce an unprecedentedly important decision to 40,000 people.

The reporters waited less than five minutes before a large number of southwestern and Kuomintang officials arrived at the press conference. To everyone's surprise, Chiang Kai-shek, chairman of the Kuomintang in Nanjing, actually came to the scene, and the southwestern officials brought a radio.

Without much etiquette and formality, and without a diplomat to speak, Chiang Kai-shek himself stood on the podium, cleared his throat, and announced a decision that made the reporters almost cry with joy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce a major decision today on behalf of the national government of Nanjing. Before, it was said that people were rampant and invaded our Chinese land again, and my 3,000 iron-blooded men were defeated in Tianjin, and the important town fell, which was a great shame for my 40,000 people.

I would like to announce a major decision here today, in view of the severity and urgency of the anti-Japanese situation, the Nanjing National Political Axe has decided to put aside differences and cooperate with the Southwest United Autonomous Political Axe to jointly resist the ......."

As soon as Chiang Kai-shek's words came out, everyone was stunned, although they knew that there was important news today, and many people came here without breakfast, but they did not expect such astonishing news, the north and the south, which are incompatible, are now actually standing together and want to fight together, and what is even more shocking is that Chairman Chiang, who has always been more exclusive than xenophobia, agreed.

The cheers and cries of the reporters interrupted Chiang Kai-shek's speech, which forced him to stop and say, "Quiet! Ladies and gentlemen, after Chairman Jiang's speech, there is also a speech by Mr. Zhang Shusheng, General Minister of Southwest China. ”

Gu Weijun's words made everyone present suddenly quiet down, the chief Zhang from the southwest was not at the scene, how could he speak?

Chiang Kai-shek continued, "In view of the urgency of the situation of the resistance, the contemptible people have urgently ordered Lieutenant General Chen Cheng of the 18th Route Army to go to the important place overnight to deploy defenses. In addition, in order to embody the spirit of joint resistance, the 19th Route Army was specially formed by the Southwest Autonomous Political Axe, and the corresponding matters could be arranged from the beginning to open up Pingjin. ”

After Chiang Kai-shek finished speaking, Bai Chongxi put the radio on the stage and tuned to a channel that reporters were very familiar with, FM 101.7MHz, the channel of the Southwest People's Radio.

"Hello dear listeners. FM 101.7MHz, this is the Southwest People's Radio, based on the southwest, looking forward to the north and south of the river, I am the host Ye Wanyu. Now an important piece of news is being broadcast on an interim basis: At the just-concluded talks between the Southwest United Autonomous Government and the Nanjing National Government, the two sides reached an important decision on joint resistance.

Just now, Comrade Zhang Shusheng, the supreme leader of the Southwest United Autonomous Government, came to the recording studio, and General Director Zhang will deliver an important public speech to the audience. ”

Chiang Kai-shek's face was a little ugly, but the conditions of the Nanjing Nationalist Axe were not as good as those in the southwest, and the broadcasting network was not as developed as in the southwest, because many radios were products of the southwest, and even if the citizens of Nanjing bought that type of radio, they could still receive broadcasts from the southwest. In the past, the national political axe tried to import radios from abroad, and the result was the same, and it was impossible to stop the people from listening. At this time, in the southwest, ultra-long-range broadcasting technology was already very developed.

Soon, Zhang Shusheng's sonorous speech came from the radio.

"Compatriots, I am Zhang Shusheng, chief of the political axe of the Southwest United Autonomous Region. Here today, I would like to announce a major decision to all Chinese compatriots. Just now, we, the Southwest United Autonomous Axe, and the Nanjing National Axe, reached an agreement and signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding on May 1 and Anti-Japanese Resistance' aimed at joint resistance. On the basis of this memorandum, the Southwest Union and the Nanjing Nationalist Axe will each organize military forces and go north to resist.

The responsibility of the War of Resistance will never be divided between the north and the south. Today, the 40,000 people of all countries can work together to raise the banner of resistance, which will surely be a symbol of the rejuvenation of China.

As the supreme person in charge of the southwest, on the occasion of the imminent outbreak of the war of resistance, he sued the heavens and the earth to jointly resist the situation, as evidenced by heaven and earth. The Southwest People's Army must put the country first, the people first, and the survival of 40,000,000 compatriots first......"

"Urgent gathering, urgent gathering!!"

The Guards Division of the Southwest People's Army stationed on the outskirts of Kunming suddenly sounded the command to assemble urgently in the barracks, and in the extremely rare sound of a tight alarm, the soldiers rushed out of the barracks with absolute speed and came to the huge training ground.

A division, nearly 20,000 iron-blooded soldiers stood silently on the huge training ground, and then Li Junming, the political commissar of the Guards Division, walked up to the school review platform and said succinctly, "All of them are here!" Take a break and stand upright. Turn on the radio! ”

Without any more words, the large radio was turned on with a slight ionization sound, and a sonorous voice was heard from the broadcasts scattered throughout the camp.

“…… There is no distinction between north and south, and people are young and old, and they all have the responsibility to resist the war and defend the land......"

Listen and listen, including Li Junming, all the guards men shed tears of hot-blooded men, and no one cried, but they had the greatest sadness and joy.

The same situation happened in Guangxi, Guangzhou, Hainan, and even all over Hong Kong and Macau.

In addition to the barracks, in Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Guilin, and other places, the radio was also turned on in the People's Square in the center of the city, and citizens gathered in the square to listen to the speeches on the radio.

Most people cried, and after crying, they yelled and screamed. People wept with joy, hugged each other and shouted, and cities large and small in the southwest fell into a great wave of joy at the same time.

The barracks, the square, and the school are too, and each school urgently gathers students, stands in line, and listens to Zhang Shusheng's speech on the radio.

The countryside is no exception, many villages have installed collective broadcasts, and the peasants stand under the old locust tree with their trouser legs and hoes, looking at the loudspeakers on the big trees, and listening to the important speeches coming from inside.

“…… Finally, I would like to tell my compatriots that suffering is only temporary, and that the 5,000-year-old civilization inheritance of the Chinese nation cannot be destroyed by cruel coles. If someone offends me by a foot, I will return a foot. I, Zhang Shusheng, am here to assure the compatriots of the whole country, to the 40,000,000 compatriots, and to the hundreds of millions of Chinese at home and abroad that there will be one of them, and that I will have a million heroes in the southwest and hundreds of millions of iron-blooded men in China. Compatriots, please keep in mind one sentence, those who offend my Chinese Tianwei will be punished even if they are far away. ”

"Those who offend my Chinese Tianwei will be punished even if they are far away!!"

"Those who offend my Chinese Tianwei will be punished even if they are far away!!"

"Those who offend my Chinese Tianwei will be punished even if they are far away!!"

…… The roar of unison came from all over the barracks, squares, schools, political axes, and rural areas, and the shouts in unison seemed to awaken the strength of the nation.

On the training ground of the third division of the main force, the crowd was excited, the soldiers were tearful one by one, Chen Jun's eyes were also red, and finally shed two lines of tears, at the end of the broadcast, he took the lead in shouting: "Those who offend my Chinese Tianwei will be punished even if they are far away!" ”

"Those who offend my Chinese Tianwei will be punished even if they are far away!!"

"Those who offend my Chinese Tianwei will be punished even if they are far away!!"

The soldiers also shouted in unison, and like everywhere in the southwest, the soldiers here were also full of fighting spirit, eager to immediately go to the front line of resistance against the Yue people and fight to the death.

After a long time, Chen Jun signaled to stop and said in a loud voice, "Now I want to announce a good news to everyone. Just ten minutes ago, the military headquarters issued the first order for joint resistance. Our 3rd Division will be the first to march north as the advance force of the anti-Japanese resistance. ”

At first hearing the news, all the officers and men of the Third Division blushed with excitement, and just now, when they were still spraying the blood full of killing the enemy, they did not expect the division commander to announce this great news to everyone.

"Long live the KPA!! Long live the total length!! ”

"Long live the KPA!! Long live the total length!! ”

"Long live the KPA!! Long live the total length!! ”

…… The second time, all the officers and men of the Third Division shed tears of excitement again, and the momentum of the fighting spirit was so high that Chen Jun who was standing on it was shocked, and he felt that he was like a small boat, being pushed by the momentum of 20,000 people again and again. However, as a commander, he was more excited than any soldier and happier than any soldier. No one knew that when announcing the first batch of anti-Japanese troops, Zhang Shusheng talked to a few people, and faintly pointed out the information that he might go north to resist the Japanese army, so as to test the reaction of several generals.

Although every general was desperate to take on the heavy responsibility, only Chen Jun got this opportunity.

Except for the confidential secretary Mao Yunxian, there was no one who knew how Chen Jun won this opportunity to resist and kill the enemy, and all night, he knelt in front of Zhang Shusheng's office all night, his entire lip was bitten, and he only said one sentence, "Teacher, please believe me, your student!! ”

Zhang Shusheng, the supreme commander of the Southwest People's Army, ordered that the Third Division, the main force of the Southwest People's Army, make all preparations and set out to move north in three days.

The joint war of resistance between the north and the south is about to break out.

(To be continued)