Chapter 104 Intermission

  Fighting is a matter of first-rate training, second-rate equipment, and third-rate morale. A unit that meets all three standards is an elite force. On the other hand, if none of these standards are met, it's just a mob.

  It's not difficult to meet these three standards, as long as you have money. Weapons and equipment cost money, daily training expenses cost money, and good food, good accommodation, and timely payment of wages also cost money.

  Sun Shangxiang, in his own territory, collected various miscellaneous taxes and sold opium to make a living for nearly 100,000 soldiers under him.

  The total amount of money is limited, and it's not enough to make all troops elite. The source has been exhausted, so we can only cut expenses now. The Second Division is Commander Sun's elite division, but since all the money was spent on the Second Division, other divisions naturally got less.

  The security troops stationed in Fuding only have the most basic weapons, mainly some old Hanyang-made guns. The rifling of many guns has been worn out, and the shooting accuracy is very poor. Bullets fly out more than 100 meters away and it's already unknown where they will go. As for heavy weapons, there isn't even one.

  Daily training is nothing more than standing in formation, and actual live-fire shooting is out of the question! As for pay, it's been months since we've received any. This ragtag group encountered the elite Sixth Division's attack and was instantly annihilated like snow melting in spring.

  Zhang Xinghai was also very depressed, his plan was to cover the front line with artillery fire for 20 minutes. However, the frontline troops reported that according to the captives' confessions, the Fujian Army on the first line of defense had already collapsed within a few minutes after the start of the bombardment. The following dozen or so minutes were spent blasting earth.

  The soldiers of the Fujian Army's security forces were no match for the battle and ran away very quickly. If it weren't for the large number of trucks equipped by the Sixth Division, they might not have been able to capture a few prisoners.

  Zhang Zhonglin came to Zhang Xinghai, who was looking annoyed, handed him a cigarette and lit it for him, saying "Xinghai brother, what's there to be angry about? We're all just following the textbook, the higher-ups won't say anything."

  Zhang Xinghai spat out a smoke ring and said in a low voice, "I'm not worried about what they say upstairs. I'm thinking that in actual combat, we still can't completely follow the textbook. We didn't go to the battlefield to take a look, but just based on the reports from the front-line troops, we assumed that the security forces were like the Second Division and fought them as such. Our staff officer..."

  He tapped his hand on the ammunition box and said in a low voice, "Not qualified."

  He changed his mood, stood up from the ammunition box, patted Zhang Zhonglin's shoulder and smiled, saying "This is a good thing, we learned something that can't be learned in school. As Director of Education said, actual combat is the best teacher! This time it's like paying tuition."

  Zhang Zhonglin also burst out laughing and jokingly said, "Then our tuition fees are really expensive. If we convert all these artillery shells into our allowance, we'll have to eat canned meat every day until when?"

  "Haha." The two of them burst out laughing. Now the officers and soldiers in Gao Yang's army all detest the canned lunch meat specially supplied to the military from Feng County.

  At first, it was really treated as a treasure, and many people couldn't bear to eat it! A whole iron can of meat! Not even during the Chinese New Year had they eaten it.

  When eating this every day, I really thought I was living a fairy-tale life. Who would have thought that as time passed by, the canned luncheon meat that used to be treasured like a precious gem is now something that can fill my stomach just by looking at it? This kind of luncheon meat that relies on spices and oil to cover up its true nature has already become notorious among the officers and soldiers.

  Even those 90-day soldiers sent from the new recruit camps would dodge when they see canned meat and rush to grab steamed buns like they're seeing a woman.

  If it weren't for the fact that canned luncheon meat was a military supply and couldn't be sold to outsiders, nor could it be wasted. The officers and soldiers had long since thrown all these cans away!

  At lunchtime, the captured Fujian soldiers were sitting on the ground, laughing and hugging their canned food, while the officers and men of the Sixth Division looked at them with strange expressions.

  The Min Army prisoners who were eating canned meat also had a strange feeling. One of the prisoners nudged his companion, who was holding a can and licking it, and asked in a low voice, "Brother, do you think these Sixth Division soldiers are all sick? They gave us all the meat and went to grab buns themselves! I've never seen anything like this before, it's really weird!"

  His companion picked up the shiny, saliva-stained can and gave him a dirty look. "You're sick! Don't eat it, give it to me!" He reached out and grabbed the can from him.

  At the same time, there was a person eating lunch with a worried heart.

  Zhang Shao's mood was not good. He tossed and turned all night, hardly sleeping at all until the early morning when he fell into a light sleep. After getting up, he went to visit Gao Yang again. The reply he got was that the supervisor's body was not suitable for rest.

  Zhang Shao felt that Gao Yang was avoiding him, but he had no way to do anything about it. He ate his lunch with a frustrated heart.

  In the Sixth Division for two days, Zhang Shao already felt that Gao Yang's army and the Feng Army were very different, not in terms of equipment or training. But what exactly it was, he had no idea!

  The afternoon passed quickly, hundreds of miles south of Xiamen in the outer sea. A fleet that could be called huge in this era was gradually approaching Xiamen Island.

  Commander Du, who set sail with the fleet, came to the bridge after dinner and quietly watched Xiamen Island in the distance.

  However, Commander Du was clearly absent-minded. His cold expression showed that he was in a bad mood now! His mind had long since drifted to the Magic Capital and Pingfan Restaurant.

  Commander Lin as a naval representative is closely following the progress of this warship procurement and naval treaty negotiations.

  Du Commander was very dissatisfied with sending himself to fight at this time. It is clear that the treaty, which will be recorded in history, can no longer be stopped by anyone, and the glorious mission of signing on behalf of the Navy will be obtained by Lin Deputy Commander.

  But the order from Gaoyang was one he could not refuse. Commander Du, who was full of helplessness, had no choice but to follow the fleet southward and take full charge of the naval action.

  Du Shi-ling was a Fujian native, and the Navy also had a huge influence in Fujian. Most of the naval officers and soldiers were from Fujian. This landing operation on Xiamen Island was more like an armed parade than a military action.

  Before going south, he had already contacted the local forces and made arrangements. As an outsider, Commander Sun did not have much control over Fujian Province!

  At 8 o'clock in the evening, news came from the front that everything on Xiamen Island was ready! Commander Du gave a calm order: "Begin."

  No cannon fire shook the sky. No bullets whizzed, no blood and flesh flew, no screams filled the air as they stormed ashore. The Marines disembarked from cargo ships and warships in an orderly manner onto the Xiamen dock.

  In the British concession just a stone's throw away, Sun's trusted aide, who had hastily escaped here, gritted his teeth as he looked at the dense fleet and the dark land warfare troops, turned around and rushed to the telegraph office to send a telegram to Commander Sun.

  Sun Commander, who had been in a bad mood all day and hadn't eaten much, rested for a while in the command post's rest room. He was just awakened by his deputy after sleeping for a short while, and before Sun Commander could get angry, his deputy handed him the telegram in his hand.

  After reading the telegram, General Sun's fingers stiffened, and the telegram slipped silently to the ground. "Huh!" He let out a long sigh. General Sun stood up, walked out of the rest room, and came to the courtyard, looking up at the bright moon in the sky, scratching his hair fiercely!

  The strength in his hands grew stronger, and the blisters on the corners of his mouth had already been bitten open after a day of anxiety and impatience! Commander Sun felt nothing about all this. His heart was filled with anger, regret, and fear!

  Enraged by being betrayed by subordinates, regretful for not being greedy and getting on Lu Xiaoja's broken ship which is now sinking together. Afraid of how formidable Gao Yang this bastard is!

  When all the troops were still marching on foot, and every day they could only walk a few dozen miles before setting up camp. Gao Yang's troops can actually march hundreds of miles a day, yesterday they were in Hangzhou, today they have already broken through Fuding. Tomorrow, will they start attacking Ningde?

  Now, without making a sound, Xiamen has already changed hands and been ambushed from behind! The strong pressure from both land and sea made Commander Sun feel that his years of combat experience had completely lost their effect! He had never encountered such a battle before, and he didn't even know where to deploy his troops!

  His own troops hadn't even been dispatched yet, but the other side had already passed through! They couldn't even catch up in pursuit! Slowly squatting on the ground, his hands tightly clutching his head, Commander Sun felt an urge to cry. "This time it's really over!"

  In modern times, the sun had already set. Gaoyang accompanied his father down from the rented yacht. He handed over the fishing gear and fish bucket to Stoke standing aside and asked "What are you doing here? Is my mom done with mahjong?"

  Stoke skillfully reeled in the fishing gear and handed it over to his assistant, while also taking a glance at the fish bucket. Gaoyang noticed Stoke's action and laughed, saying "No experience, poor results."

  "Sir, your catch is already quite impressive, at least two fish. When I was young, my first fishing trip didn't even get one!" Stoke said with a smile "Your mother is still continuing the game, I feel it won't end in a short time."

  "Oh, take me to see."

  "Yes, sir."

  In a private club in Tsim Sha Tsui. Gao Yang walked into the room where his mother was playing cards, accompanied by Stoke.

  "Bet 50,000!" Gao Yang said out loud after walking behind his mother and taking a look at the cards.

  "Ah! Son, how did you come?" The mother's originally serious face immediately changed into a smile.

  "Listening to Stock say that Mom didn't even eat dinner, of course I had to come take a look." Gao Yang said with a smile.

  "Good son, let me introduce you. This is Aunt Wang, this is Aunt Li..." Mom smiled and introduced several card friends. Gaoyang smiled slightly and nodded to greet them.

  "Ah yo! What a handsome guy, Mrs. Gao you're really lucky!" Several mahjong friends laughed and chatted.

  A mother's smile is the happiest when her son has made a name for himself.

  "Mom, it's getting late, let's finish this game and go home for dinner." Gaoyang said softly.

  "Good!"

  On the way back to the villa, Mom complained to Gao Yang, "Today's luck is really bad, I didn't win much all day! Lost several hundred chips."

  "Hehe, as long as you're happy, a little money doesn't matter." Gaoyang comforted with a smile, looking at his mother's smiling face.

  "Huh? Aren't we just playing with chips? Why would you want money?" Mom asked in surprise.

  PS: Because I have to go to work, I don't know if I can persist in updating twice a day. But I will try my best. Now all my rest time is spent on writing. At least I want to ensure continuous updates. Thank you for the support of friends who like this book, thank you everyone! Heartfelt thanks!