Xia Lianshan has been accustomed to the instructor's anger in the past two days, so he said unhurriedly:

"Don't be in a hurry, listen to me. I asked to go to Fengdian a few times before, indeed because I remembered my sister, but this time it was different. ”

Xia Lianshan said as he picked up the unfinished map he had drawn by hand:

"The instructor asked me to take responsibility for the accuracy of the map, and to be honest, I really didn't dare to take that responsibility. No matter how many years I have been away from Shanxi, Guanmen Mountain alone was only known by its name, but I had never been there. In my memory, it should be a mountain road dozens of miles away from Fengdian, but whether it is due south or south, southwest or southeast of Fengdian, I can't be sure; Also, I haven't walked these dozens of miles of mountain roads, whether they are 30 miles, 40 miles, or 50 miles. ”

Liu Shu, who was confused, was about to attack again, but was stopped by the battalion commander with his eyes; Wu Zijian saw that Xia Lianshan was dealing with the instructor slowly and methodically, and thought it was very interesting, so he encouraged: "Well, Lianshan, your attitude is very realistic, you go on." ”

Xia Lianshan changed his words: "Our Eighth Route Army is poor, and we can't even get a decent military map, we all know this; However, the Central Army and Yan Laoxi are not poor, and there are currently the Central Army and the Jin Army stationed in Fengdian City, and they must have a map of this area, and I can conclude that it is a very detailed combat map. As long as we find a way to enter Fengdian, are we still worried about getting a map? ”

"How? You just ran to the headquarters of the Kuomintang army like this and asked them for a map? Liu Shu looked at the deputy commander of the 5th Company with sarcasm and choked up.

didn't wait for Xia Lianshan to answer, but Wu Zijian clapped his hands and shouted: "Why can't you ask for it?" Lian Shan went to their upper peak as a liaison officer of the Second Battalion of the Eighth Route Army, and said that all the officers and men of our Second Battalion were on standby west of Fengdian and could cooperate with the national army at any time to defend the periphery of the county and resist the Japanese army. In this way, wouldn't it be easy to come up with one or two maps? ”

Xia Lianshan's face showed joy, but Liu Shu slapped the table again: "Deputy Battalion Commander Wu, what are you thinking about?" You actually want to expose our military strength and position to the Kuomintang garrison, have you forgotten that we are going to open up a base area in Guanmen Mountain to do it secretly? ”

Feng Changzhi also spoke: "The instructor is right, it is not appropriate to disclose our structure and tasks to the national army in this area at present. Before we set out, the regimental and brigade commanders repeatedly told me and the instructors. ”

With the support of the battalion commander, Liu Shu was more confident, and he began to warn Wu Zijian not to explain the itinerary of the second battalion to the injured Jin army staff officer: "The attitude of me and the battalion commander is very clear, our next action, don't take that Kuomintang officer with us." Wherever he came from, he will go back! ”

This time, it was Wu Zijian's turn to ridicule Liu Shu: "Instructor, you are an authentic monk after reciting the scriptures - Staff Officer Xiao just helped us interrogate the Japanese prisoners, and in the blink of an eye, we are going to leave them alone?" ”

Liu Shu looked at the prisoner interrogation record disapprovingly, claiming that the confessions of the Japanese prisoners recorded on it had no practical meaning for the second battalion: "We don't fight devils, what do we want their information for?" ”

When Wu Zijian heard what the instructor said, he immediately became angry: "Why don't we fight devils?" If we don't fight devils, what are we doing when the Red Army crosses the Yellow River and runs to Shanxi? ”

Liu Shu knew that he had lost his mouth, and explained with some embarrassment: "What do I mean...... I mean, we went to Guanmen Mountain to open up a base area, and there were no devils to fight in that area. ”

Wu Zijian didn't give up: "There are no devils to fight there, here!" Fengdian was still fighting last night, why can't we pull the team over and fight the devils outside the city again? Just now, Staff Officer Xiao also questioned me, asking where we are going for the Eighth Route Army? ”

"Hmph, where is the Eighth Route Army going, it is not his turn for a Kuomintang officer to make irresponsible remarks!" Liu Shu's face darkened, and he turned to Xia Lianshan and said, "Deputy Company Commander Xia, you immediately go and contact the villagers in the village to see which of them can accept the Jin army staff officer to stay and recuperate, and the battalion headquarters can send a few oceans." ”

"No way!" Wu Zijian stood up suddenly: "Staff Officer Xiao, I'm going to decide, I definitely can't leave him behind!" Instructor, if you don't like him, I'll let him follow the 5th Company. Lianshan, you arrange it. ”

Unexpectedly, Liu Shu slapped the table for the third time: "Deputy Battalion Commander Wu, how can you do everything against the organization?!" What is your intention in letting the second battalion take a Kuomintang officer around? ”

"Don't move the Kuomintang officers, the Kuomintang officers! Don't forget, our Eighth Route - the Eighteenth Group Army, is now also the National Army! You and I are both officers of the National Army! Wu Zijian didn't give an inch.

"Don't forget, you and I are first and foremost members of the Communist Party!" Liu Shu couldn't help but shout loudly, and flames almost burst out of his eyes.

At this point, Xia Lianshan, who was caught in the middle, didn't dare to say anything more, so he had to use his eyes to ask the battalion commander for help.

Feng Changzhi also found it tricky. He knew Wu Zijian very well, and since his old comrades-in-arms insisted on mobilizing Xiao Junping to participate in the Eighth Road, he must have his absolute reasons. But after all, the instructor has too deep a prejudice against the Kuomintang, and it is okay to contain the stragglers of the Nationalist army, but if you take in an officer, I am afraid that the instructor will be angry.

"They of the Kuomintang have always slandered our Eighth Route Army for being guerrilla but not attacking, and this is the face of its reactionaries! Do you really think that when our Red Army is renamed the Nationalist Army, we will be able to eat in the same pot with the Kuomintang reactionaries? Liu Shu continued to put pressure on Wu Zijian: "Brother comrade, of course we came to Shanxi to fight devils, but the Red Army cannot be used as cannon fodder by Chiang Kai-shek and Yan Xishan because of fighting devils. We must preserve our strength and strengthen our ranks and bases! This is the instruction of the Party Central Committee, and you and I, as Communist Party members, must carry it out unconditionally! ”

In the cramped small room, only the instructor's impassioned voice echoed.

Half an hour later, the conference was over. The meeting decided as follows:

First, the whole battalion packed up its equipment, immediately began to transfer in the morning, and continued to move into Guanmen Mountain;

Second, no more personnel and troops will be sent in the direction of Fengdian;

Third, seek the opinion of Xiao Junping, a staff officer of the Jin Army, and if he agrees, he can only take him to act together;

Fourth, Xia Lianshan, deputy commander of the 5th Company, led a squad and together with local guides, searched and advanced to Guanmen Mountain in advance, and surveyed the distribution of villages and towns around Guanmen Mountain on the spot.

The order was quickly conveyed, and the small village, which had seemed quiet just a moment ago, suddenly became noisy, and the people shouted and neighed, and they were nervous and busy.

Xia Lianshan, who was disappointed and anxious, reluctantly let go of his concern for the safety of his sister's family, and hurriedly went on the road with a squad of 5 companies and 1 platoon.

Wu Zijian went to Xiao Junping's cave, and he had to persuade the other party to go with him, because he still had a lot to ask this intelligence staff officer for advice. But he also had to explain clearly to Staff Officer Xiao why Balu wanted to stay away from the devil and run towards the mountain.