Since the outbreak of the Battle of Songhu, Shanghai workers have taken action, yarn factory workers have organized salvation associations, thousands of people have vigorously engaged in propaganda and fundraising, and thousands of workers have participated in front-line field service. The anti-Japanese support group organized by Jardine Yarn Factory rushed to make 5,000 cotton vests and sent them to the front line.

Workers from six tobacco factories, including Nanhua and Huacheng, set up ambulance training to provide battlefield ambulance, and electrical workers organized more than 300 people to go to the front line to help officers and men build fortifications.

The postal section of the Association for the Salvation of the Professions was made up of post office workers, who gave anti-Japanese lectures and guerrilla warfare training, and also participated in the consolation of wounded soldiers, letter writing and relief for refugees.

More than 40,000 rickshaw drivers in Shanghai also took action, and they took out half of the more than 200,000 yuan of mutual aid funds to buy national salvation bonds.

The female workers of the cigarette factory are not far behind, some persuade their newly married husbands, some break through the obstruction of their parents, and some even secretly run out, and after automatically assembling, they look for opportunities to support the front everywhere, and the heroines and heroines use the sincerity of women to support a corner of China.

Students from more than 20 schools in Shanghai sang anti-Japanese war songs and staged live newspaper dramas in the streets and alleys. More than 2,000 students joined the "Shanghai Youth National Salvation Service Group," which supported the front, committed rape, provided relief to refugees, and propagandized the masses, and also published "Youth for National Salvation" and "Anti-Japanese Pictorial." The students also responded to and participated in the "Shanghai Wartime Poster Working Group" initiated by He Xiangning and Shi Liang, and the posters of the Anti-Japanese War were all over the streets and alleys, and the posters of war news, current affairs, foreign news, and military knowledge, which were warmly welcomed by the masses

The students took to the streets to raise donations, and the citizens donated copper plates, banknotes, and silver dollars, and a tricycle worker who was close to the age of sixteen took out all the copper plates in his coat pocket with sweat, and donated them all to the students. Students from the High School Affiliated to St. John's University and St. Mary's Girls' School sold the National Salvation Bonds, sold the "Le Shan Zhang", and donated all the 50,000 yuan they received to the soldiers at the front.

In order to raise 100,000 pairs of gloves for the anti-Japanese war warriors, the students braved the scorching sun and torrential rain to go deep into the alleys, restaurants, and dance halls, and put propaganda materials on shop windows, cars, and mailboxes.

The Fudan Drama Club of Fudan University used the YMCA auditorium in Baxian Bridge as a position to perform many anti-Japanese dramas, educating the actors and the masses, and patriotic enthusiasm erupted in people's hearts like a volcano

On the morning of that day, the Shanghai Youth National Salvation Service Corps organized students to come to the headquarters of the New Second Division to offer condolences and set up a stage to perform the drama "Put Down Your Whip." When the Japanese soldiers killed the newsboy with bullets, the newsboy was lying in a pool of blood, and all the actors sang "Song of Progress," the audience was filled with righteous indignation, and the officers and men left behind at the headquarters of the New Second Division shouted slogans such as "Down with Japanese imperialism," and the atmosphere suddenly reached its peak.

After the noon performance, Wu Ming entertained the students in the canteen of the division headquarters, and held a symposium with the student representatives in the afternoon.

Back in the office, Sun Chengyuan sent today's newspapers and magazines, saying that a reporter from the Central News Agency asked to see him, Wu Ming wiped the sweat oozing from his forehead, said angrily that he didn't have the time to be interviewed, and then sat down and read the newspaper quietly

Looking at Wu Ming's face turned red, today the "Central Daily" is still doing its best to advocate it, describing Wu Ming as the flower of famous generals and crowning him with the reputation of "Oriental Kutuzov". Wu Ming put down the newspaper a little sneeringly, and couldn't cry or laugh for a while, such a fame is a good thing for others, but for Wu Ming, a realist, it doesn't mean much.

Sun Chengyuan walked into the house again and whispered: "Master, the reporter of the Central News Agency is a big beauty, you can give a little face, she said, if I can't interview you, I will stay in the reception room and not leave."

Wu Ming glared at Cheng Yuan angrily.

Since yesterday when the Nanjing side announced the achievements of Wu Ming and his new Second Division, many media reporters in Shanghai have flocked to the headquarters of the New Second Division, and they have all taken out the spirit of paparazzi, all of them want to interview Wu Ming...... It made Wu Ming's scalp numb, and when he was angry, he was all blown away

This beautiful reporter of the Central News Agency probably also wants to do some exclusive news, but Wu Ming really doesn't want to be in the limelight. Wu Ming straightened his face and said to Sun Chengyuan: "You help me send that Central News reporter away...... As for how you send people, whether it's rude or soft-spoken, I don't care."

Hearing Wu Ming's irresponsible order, Cheng Yuan crooked his mouth, scratched his head and went out speechlessly. At this time, the deputy division commander Long Shaogang walked into the division headquarters with a depressed face, if it weren't for Cheng Yuan's quick eyes and taking a step back, the two would have collided together.

Wu Ming saw the sullen Long Shaogang, and became interested: "Old Long, what's wrong with you?" ”

Long Shaogang picked up the kettle, took two sips, sighed heavily, and then explained to Wu Ming

It turned out that Long Shaogang took the promotion order signed by Zhang Zhizhong, and hurriedly led people to the quartermaster department of the Ninth Group Army of Kunshan Military Station. The huge warehouse was empty, there was nothing.

"Niang Xipi, all the good things have been taken away, and there is an empty warehouse left for Lao Tzu to pick, Commander Zhang is really a dime and a dime iron rooster"

Long Shaogang complained indignantly.

"Forget it, forget it, don't be angry about something like this...... We still have to do it ourselves, the Eighteenth Army sent us some weapons and equipment, especially the artillery battalion, which solved our urgent needs. In addition, the commander of the first brigade, Luo Yuming, sold the bazooka and the unconscionable cannon for a good price"

Wu Ming briefly introduced Luo Yuming's transaction with Brigade Commander Zhu of the 88th Division, and then comforted: "Don't worry, we have a good relationship with the Left Wing Army, as long as Brother Chen is here, there will be no problems with our supplies."

Long Shaogang shook his head again and again: "I'm just angry, obviously we have made great achievements, but we have not received the respect and rewards we deserve......"

"Huh, what's going on?" Zhang Dongning, who walked in, saw Long Shaogang's puffed up, put the documents in his hand on the table, and asked with a smile.

Seeing Zhang Dongning come in, Long Shaogang took Zhang Dongning's hand like a sister-in-law and told him about the cold reception he had received in the Ninth Army, and complained at the very end: "I should have brought the artillery of the 88th Division at that time." ”

"Oh?"

Hearing what Long Shaogang said, Wu Ming suddenly came to his senses and asked, "What's the matter, there are cannons in the munitions warehouse in Kunshan?" ”

"Yes...... But twelve 105-mm howitzers were from the artillery battalion of the 88th Division"

Long Shaogang sighed and waved his hand helplessly.

The 88th Division had to surrender to the defensive state when the attack did not go well, and after continuous fighting, the stocks of its artillery battalion were exhausted, so Yu simply sent the artillery back to the Kunshan military station, and by the way, let the artillery have a good rest.

Although Long Shaogang is not angry, he is a steady person in the end, these cannons belong to the artillery battalion of the 88th Division, and he is not hungry enough to reach out to friendly troops.

"It's a pity, with these twelve 105mm howitzers, we can form another artillery battalion," Zhang Dongning said with some regret.

Wu Ming's eyes rolled: "Why don't you pull back the cannon?" Old Dragon, you hurry up and take people away, it's best to pull the entire artillery battalion back with people and artillery."

"Ah...... That...... Isn't that a public robbery? Could it be a problem? For Wu Ming's decision, Long Shaogang was very surprised.

"What kind of open robbery, our new second division is preparing to attack the Japanese Huishan wharf, and it will definitely not work without artillery support. This time, the Eighteenth Army supported us with a batch of 105-mm artillery shells, and I was wondering whether to return them, and now that I have these guns, they just came in handy. ”

Wu Ming snorted coldly, and then said: "Besides, we gave the 88th Division a share of the credit for conquering the Japanese Marine Corps Headquarters Building, and now our division is in urgent need of artillery support, so we can borrow their artillery for the time being, isn't it?" ”

Wu Ming leaned over affectionately and said to Long Shaogang: "If anyone stops you, you can tell the people of the 88th Division that we will definitely return those artillery pieces to them after we finish fighting the devil's stronghold."

Long Shaogang nodded, sorted out his military uniform, his eyes sparkled, and approached Wu Ming and asked: "Division, the artillery battalion of the 87th Division was covered by Japanese naval guns, all the artillery was lost, and the surviving gunners were all at the Kunshan military station, do you invite them to join the battle together?" ”

"That couldn't be better"

Wu Ming clapped his hands happily, then coughed lightly, and pretended to be serious: "Shaogang, in the future, as long as it is something that our new second division urgently needs, we will pull it back first, and then talk about it, regardless of his weapons and equipment."

"Okay"

Long Shaogang slipped away.

Zhang Dongning asked with a smile: "Division, when the battle is over, will those artillery and artillery pieces be returned to the 87th and 88th Divisions?" ”

"Yes, of course I have to pay it back, but I won't pay it back until the battle is over," Wu Ming replied with a hippie smile.

How to develop the next step of the Songhu Campaign is full of fog, and if it is victorious, it will naturally not need artillery, if it is defeated and retreated, the troops are scattered everywhere, who can take care of the artillery that is difficult to transfer?

Seeing that Wu Ming meant to swallow the artillery battalions of the 87th and 88th Divisions, Zhang Dongning was afraid that these two German armor divisions were Chiang Kai-shek's descendants, and said with some worry: "Division, will it be too much for us to do this?" ”

"Dongning, the War of Resistance has just begun, we must have the psychological preparation for long-term combat, in addition to weapons, all kinds of talents, artillery, engineers, tank soldiers, communications troops, automobile soldiers and even pilots I want. Let me tell you, I have asked the Lu family to build a field airfield in Shishan Village, north of Phoenix Mountain, and when the time comes, we will bring in a group of physically disabled pilots to train our own air force. ”

"Seriously, it's very difficult for everyone right now, and I don't want to rob my brother's troops of supplies, but if my brother dies because he doesn't have artillery support, I'd rather rob it"

When Wu Ming said this, he sighed, and then said helplessly: "The situation will become more and more severe in the future, we will not only face serious losses in weapons, equipment and ammunition, but also very serious personnel losses. Everything we do now is to make the brothers die as little or no as possible on the battlefield......"

Listening to Wu Ming's heart-wrenching words, Zhang Dongning's eyes were red, and he nodded heavily: "Master, I understand"