Chapter 73: Change in Mission

  Dong Li Mao wrote on the paper: 'We are Chinese soldiers who have come to rescue you, we will go down from the cliff, after seeing the note, flash your flashlight twice, and we will send one person down first.'

  After waiting for about half an hour, a flashlight flickered twice at the foot of the mountain.

  Dong Li Mao had someone put down a section of tied dead knots of rattan, and said to Zhao Yong: "Zhao squad leader, I'll go down first. If you see three flashes of flashlight light below, then bring the others down."

  Zhao Yong held back Dong Li Mao, who was about to climb down, and said: "Lian Zhang, shouldn't we leave a few people to guard this place? After finding that damned Scott, this might be a good escape route."

  "It's unnecessary, the 38th Division will rescue them, and Scott won't die either. Later he went to India with his own troops for rest." Dong Limao replied affirmatively.

  "How could Regimental Commander know that the 38th Division would definitely be able to rescue the surrounded British troops?" Zhao Yong asked doubtfully, looking at Dong Li Mao.

  "Oh, just a hunch." Dong Limao brushed it off with a sentence, then grabbed the rattan pole with both hands and started climbing down. He had experience in rock climbing, although it was pitch black, but with the rattan pole, it was much easier than free soloing.

  "Commander Long also knew that Scott would go to India with his troops for rest, how did he know so much." Zhao Yong shook his head and said: "Is Commander Long really as rumored to be able to predict the future?"

  "Zhao Pai Zhang, our company commander has been saying things we can't understand since he woke up from his serious injury. You'll get used to it later." Wang Jia Gui said as he pulled his head back from the cliff.

  Hu San added a sentence: "I also heard Officer Gou say that even Wild Wolf Wang is afraid of our company commander."

  "On the road, I fought alongside Captain Li for the first time to kill the devils. When he shouted 'Not a single one left! Kill!', I felt invigorated and it was as if he was telling us 'Don't worry, brothers! The devils are just ants!' with such ease. All the brothers said that following Captain Li to kill the devils was exhilarating! Zhao Yong had followed Dong Li Mao into battle for the first time, and in the past, he was also a company commander who charged forward like a fugitive when fighting started. However, it wasn't until after experiencing two battles that he truly submitted to Dong Li Mao."

  Dong Li Mao used his hands and feet simultaneously, as agile as a monkey, and quickly descended to the bottom of the cliff. As soon as he landed, several British soldiers rushed up and pointed their guns at him.

  He raised his hands and said "hello" with a smile in English.

  The upper servant walked forward and said a few words in English, thinking that Dong Li Mao could understand.

  Dong Li Mao pretended to understand and put down his raised hand to extend it for a handshake.

  The several British soldiers surrounding him immediately shouted: "Don't move! Put your hands behind your head!"

  Dong Li Mao only understood the first "Don't move!" but not the second sentence "Put your hands behind your head!", so he slowly raised his outstretched hands again, still with a smile on his face. This time he said in Chinese: "I want to see your commander Scott."

  A person stepped forward and exchanged a few words in English with the officer before asking Dong Limao in Chinese, "Which part of the Chinese army do you belong to?"

  "The Fifth Army Guard Special Troop." Dong Limao replied.

  "How many of you have come?"

  "More than fifty people."

  The man who spoke Chinese was stunned for a moment, translated Dong Li Mao's words into English and told the sergeant. The British soldiers surrounding Dong Li Mao put away their guns with some disappointment.

  "Tell your people to come down from there," the translator said.

  Dong Li Mao then had someone flash a flashlight three times towards the mountain cliff.

  Before long, people from above came down the cliff one after another. Dong Li Mao did not see the Japanese translator and asked Zhao Yong: "Where is the Japanese translator?"

  "He's already dead." Zhao Yong replied simply.

  Dong Li Mao didn't say anything else, but in his heart he felt a bit guilty towards the Japanese military translator who was killed. He had promised to let him go.

  The British translator took Dong Limao and his men towards the headquarters, where Dong asked some questions about the situation of the First Division and the Armoured Brigade being surrounded.

  Originally, the British 1st Division and Tank Regiment were part of the garrison in colonial Burma. After the Japanese occupied Burma, they planned to engage the Japanese army in the Mandalay area to support the expeditionary force. However, they unexpectedly retreated to Yenangyaung, where they were surrounded by the Japanese 33rd Division on the south bank of the Yenangyaung River (also known as Pinhmi River). All roads ahead and behind were blocked, leaving them with no way out and facing the danger of complete annihilation. It was only then that General Alexander, Commander-in-Chief of the British-Indian Army, sent a telegram to the expeditionary force requesting urgent assistance...

  Dong Li Mao and his men were following the interpreter towards the British First Division's camp when intense gunfire came from the direction of the riverbank.

  "Is this the 38th Division attacking the Japanese defensive line?" Dong Li Mao asked the translator.

  "It doesn't seem like it, Headquarters just received a telegram saying the attack will start at dawn, and there's still over an hour until daylight."

  Dong Li Mao did not expect that this was another half of the special agent company led by Zhu Yong Sheng exchanging fire with the Japanese army.

  Zhu Yongsheng and his men got lost in the primeval forest, so they delayed their journey. They were supposed to arrive before 3 pm, but when they arrived at their destination, they found that not only were they two hours late, but also they had reached the front line of the 113th Regiment of the 38th Division. After Zhu Yongsheng made a brief report on this rescue mission to the regiment commander Liu Fangwu, under the cover of the 113th Regiment, they began to launch a surprise attack on the Japanese defensive line.

  When Dong Li Mao and others arrived at the headquarters of the British First Division with the translator, Zhu Yongsheng and others also arrived under the escort of the British army. However, more than a dozen people led by Zhu Yongsheng were killed or injured in this raid.

  Dong Li Mao and Zhu Yong Sheng met with each other after their respective journeys and roughly told the situation of their own roads when they were summoned by Ertugrul.

  A British deputy officer and interpreter came out and led Dong Limao into the division headquarters. At this time, the sky was already bright.

  "Are you sent by General Du?" The interpreter translated the words of the British general standing in front of the military map to Dong Limao.

  The house was like a war room, with several officers sitting at a wooden table, on which a horse lamp was placed. Dong Li Mao stood at the door, not saluting, and after listening to the translation, he stared at the tall general standing in front of the map and asked:

  "Are you General Stuart?"

  The general listened to the translation and stared at Dong Li Mao with his blue-gray eyes, nodding his head and saying a few words.

  Dong Li Mao hesitated and looked around at the surrounding officers after being confirmed by the interpreter, then said to the interpreter: "I have something to say to the general alone, let them all withdraw for a moment."

  "No! I don't want to hear you speak alone, I want you to say it now!" Scott shook his head in refusal after hearing the translation of Dong Li Mao's words.

  Dong Li Mao saw from the blue-gray eyes of this foreign devil that he had long known that Du Yuming had sent a special agent to rescue him, but he refused. That was because he was a soldier, the highest commander of tens of thousands of people, how could he flee for his life alone? Dong Li Mao admired his military demeanor and understood his refusal, so he didn't mention the task he came here for, but said what he wanted to say at this moment:

  "General Scott, I and the brothers of the Special Forces swear to fight with you to the death against the Japanese invaders until the last man! Now, I and all my brothers are listening to your command, please give the order!"

  After hearing the translation, all the officers present stood up from their chairs, seemingly surprised by Dong Li Mao's words.

  Scott stepped forward, his hands on Dong Li Mao's shoulders, and said seriously: "There is an old Chinese saying that goes 'knowing there are tigers in the mountains, but still heading towards the tiger mountain'. Good job! Actually, I had already received a telegram from General Du, and I knew someone would come to rescue me. But I couldn't leave, and they wouldn't leave like deserters either!" Scott pointed at the officers present, then placed his right hand on Dong Li Mao's back, leading him to the map. He picked up a thin bamboo stick and pointed at a location circled in red: "Here, there are several hundred journalists and missionaries from all over the world trapped in a church about three miles away. I want you to lead your soldiers to rescue them before noon. Can you do it?"

  Dong Li Mao listened to the translation and thought: The situation here is not very clear, logically speaking, Scott should have sent troops to rescue these trapped journalists and missionaries.

  "Excuse me for asking bluntly, are these people protected by an army?" Dong Limao stared at Skott and asked.

  "There is a contingent of British troops and they are with us. Before you arrived, we were discussing how to rescue them, but we lacked ammunition and our fighting forces are all deployed around the perimeter. Your arrival has come just in time to help us resolve this dilemma." Scott said, putting down the thin bamboo stick in his hand.

  Dong Li Mao suddenly had an idea: reporters have cameras, don't they? I just need a photo!

  Liu Fangwu, commander of the 113th Regiment of the New 38th Division of the 66th Army of the National Revolutionary Army, one of the meritorious officials in the victory of Ren'an Qiang.