newbobooks Chapter 5 Lure the snake out of its hole
Chapter 5 Lure the snake out of its hole
The Hall of Heroes inside Qinglong Village.
A person rushed inside, shouting as they ran:
"Boss, boss, good news, good news!"
"Liu Zi, what's the rush? What good news is it? Tell me slowly," Shang Liangshan, sitting in the main seat, teased.
Liu Zi was a relative of Shang Liangshan, belonging to the same generation as Shang Liangshan's nephews. He was the sixth child in his family, so everyone called him Liu Zi. Because they were relatives, Shang Liangshan valued him highly and entrusted him with the important task of gathering information in the county town.
"Boss, my clerk at the grain store reports that the young master of the Tang family from Tangjia Town has come to town to buy 20 jin of grain. He's currently loading the grain in town and will return to Tangjia Town first thing tomorrow morning. Boss, this is practically a business opportunity delivered to our doorstep."
"If we rob him halfway, it'll be enough to feed everyone for half a year."
"Oh, is the intelligence true?" Shang Liangshan perked up immediately upon hearing this and stood up from his seat to ask. The other leaders also perked up upon hearing the news. Recently, the mountain stronghold's food supplies had been running low, and they were thinking of making a quick buck. Unexpectedly, a fat sheep had been delivered to their doorstep.
"It's true, it couldn't be more true. They're loading the truck now and preparing to return tomorrow. Boss, we need to hurry. This is a big fat sheep; we can't let him get away so easily."
Shang Liangshan didn't rush to answer, but instead asked, "Who's in charge of the escort? What's the escort team like?"
"I saw it. It's a team of 150 people. Their weapons are quite good, all of them are Jin-made Type 38 rifles. The leader is the young master of the Tang family, named Tang Weiguo."
"The Tang family, that name sounds familiar. Is it the Tang family that led a militia?" Shang Liangshan asked.
The third leader, who was sitting on one side, spoke up.
"Big Brother has a good memory," the third leader said, subtly flattering the first leader. He then added...
"That young master of the Tang family, he hasn't even grown up yet, but he's already organized a militia. I think he's all show and no substance."
"Hahaha, the third leader is right!" The other leaders laughed in unison.
“Boss, we don’t even consider the regular army a threat, so a local militia is nothing to us,” the second-in-command said.
"Hey, Second Master, didn't your subordinate Er Mazi suffer a loss at the hands of the Tang family last year?" Shang Liangshan suddenly remembered this and asked.
"Yes, Boss, no wonder this name sounds so familiar. We've run into each other again. Boss, this time, I'll avenge my brothers." The second-in-command said angrily.
"It seems this young master Tang has some skills," Shang Liangshan added.
"Why have we, Qinglong Village, been able to occupy this Wolong Mountain for so long, and why can't the army do anything about us? It's because Shang Liangshan acts cautiously."
"Thinking back on my life in Liangshan, it has truly been like walking on thin ice, full of ups and downs, to grow our Qinglong Village to such a large scale."
"Therefore, to ensure the operation goes perfectly, I will personally lead all the brothers in the village to fight a brilliant battle."
"With the leader in charge, it's a sure thing. The chances of winning this time are 100%." The third leader immediately chimed in with flattery.
"Fourth Master, I'll trouble you to guard the home," Shang Liangshan said.
"Yes, sir." The fourth leader was used to guarding the house.
"Brothers, eat and drink to your heart's content tonight, but no alcohol allowed. Tomorrow morning we'll ambush and seize their grain!" Shang Liangshan roared.
"Grab the grain! Grab the grain! Grab the grain!" In an instant, a dense chorus of shouts echoed through the mountain stronghold.
.....
The next morning, Tang Weiguo led the grain transport team, leisurely walking towards Tangjia Town, without any hurry.
"Commander, the scouts have reported that the bandits have come out in full force, about 600 men," Tang Xiaohu reported.
"Good news. We're not worried about having too many people, we're worried about having too few. Notify a company or platoon to proceed according to plan," Tang Weiguo instructed.
"Yes, I will have the communications officer notify each company and platoon."
Tang Weiguo and his group traveled for about half a day before arriving at Sanjiaji, whereupon he called for the soldiers to stop.
"Tiger, send a squad to scout ahead. Tell the soldiers not to investigate too thoroughly, just fire a couple of shots into the hillside to let the bandits know we don't know they're here."
"When acting, you have to act real," Tang Weiguo instructed Tang Xiaohu.
"Yes, Commander. I'll make the arrangements."
"Send a squad from the first platoon to carry out a reconnaissance mission. Remember, fire two shots and come back immediately," Tang Xiaohu ordered the platoon leader.
"Yes."
Then a squad of soldiers headed toward Sanjiaji, firing a shot at the mountains on either side from time to time.
"Boss, the Tang family's grain transport convoy has arrived and is currently resting in front of Sanjiaji." After the bandit scout finished speaking, gunshots were heard coming from the direction of Sanjiaji.
"Which bastard fired a gun? Is he trying to let others know we're lying in ambush here?" Shang Liangshan was startled and couldn't help but curse.
"Report, Boss, it wasn't us firing; it was the Tang family's convoy that sent more than a dozen men to shoot at the mountains on both sides of the road." Another bandit scout rushed over.
"Oh, the Tang family is quite cautious. Tell the brothers to stay hidden and not give me any clues. Go and release the birds we caught. If there's a gunshot and no birds fly away, that's a sign of trouble." Shang Liangshan gave the order again.
"The First Boss is wise. I'll get on with it right away." The Second Boss took over and went to make arrangements.
"It seems the Tang family's owner is also a cautious fellow. This time, he's met his match. Luckily, I came in person. If the second-in-command had come, this fat sheep would have gotten away. For the sake of being fellow comrades, I'll definitely be the first to kill you then," Shang Liangshan thought to himself.
Meanwhile, Niu Dali's reconnaissance platoon also managed to sneak up behind the bandits.
"Platoon leader, platoon leader, we've spotted the bandits' artillery position!" A soldier dressed in camouflage similar to that of later generations rushed back from the dense forest ahead.
"They didn't find out, did they?"
"No, even if we're wearing these clothes and have some decorations, the platoon leader wouldn't easily spot us even if we were lying right in front of them."
Speaking of the clothes, the troupe leader said they were special camouflage uniforms, used for concealment, and that they were made for everyone at a high price, at least 10 yuan per uniform.
Damn it, this is the first time in Niu Dali's life he's worn such expensive clothes; he wants to keep them as a family heirloom. Other companies are envious and begged the regimental commander to give them the same equipment, but the commander simply said that only the special operations platoon can use it, and other companies can't have it even if they want it.
Since getting this uniform, the reconnaissance platoon, which was already good at stealth, has become even more adept at it. Niu Dali has no idea how much the regimental commander has learned; he knows so much and even teaches them all sorts of special tactics. He's practically a god reincarnated.
"Okay, how many people are on the other side, and what is their firepower?" Niu Dali asked.
"These bandits are really rich, damn it. They have six mortars, about eight gunners, and a squad of over thirty bandits on the perimeter, equipped with four light machine guns and two heavy machine guns. They look like the elite of the bandits," the scout continued.
"Elite? I'm going to take on the elite." Niu Dali said confidently.
"No wonder they've been entrenched in Wolong Mountain for so long, they have more cannons than we do," Niu Dali muttered.
"Wang Fugui"
"Here, platoon leader." A lean young man ran over from a distance.
"You lead the sniper squad to set up sniper positions immediately. Remember to set up several to ensure that you can move at any time."
"When the battle begins, we must make sure to eliminate the enemy's gunners as soon as possible. I have made a promise to the regimental commander that the bandits will not be able to fire a single shell."
"Received, Platoon Leader, mission accomplished."
"Fatty, get to work setting up artillery positions right now, get ready to bombard them. Remember, make sure to avoid the bandits' artillery positions; these will all be ours from now on."
"Platoon leader, you're really good at managing things. Leave it to me. These bandits dared to steal our cannons. Just watch me, I'll teach them a lesson." A slightly overweight man said.
"Remember, after the enemy is wiped out, take over the enemy artillery positions and fire at the bandits, but be careful not to hurt your own brothers."
"Understood, Platoon Leader. I guarantee I'll complete the mission. I recently learned a new skill from the instructor, so just you wait and see," the fat man replied confidently.
"This time, everyone must show our style and strength, and let the other companies see who is the sharpest blade in the regimental commander's hand. Do you all understand?"
"I understand."
"Okay, go prepare now."
......
"Commander, the soldiers we sent out have returned. They didn't let the bandits know we knew they were lying in ambush here," Tang Xiaohu reported.
“Alright, very good, we should get going. If we don’t leave soon, the bandits will become suspicious,” Tang Weiguo said to Tang Xiaohu.
"Communications officer, notify all soldiers to listen to my command. If there is any gunfire, the rear ranks will immediately become the front ranks and retreat. Remember to follow the exercise procedure and run with the momentum of abandoning armor and weapons." Tang Weiguo ordered the communications officer beside him.
"Let's go." Tang Weiguo led the grain transport team toward Sanjiaji.
"Report, Boss, the grain convoy has started heading towards the valley." A bandit scout ran over from a distance.
"Alright, tell the brothers to be ready to move at any time. Notify the artillerymen that as soon as I fire this shot, they should start shelling over there," Shang Liangshan ordered.
"Yes, boss." One of the bandits took the order and immediately left to inform the brothers who were firing the cannons.
Just as Shang Liangshan was about to order the attack as the Tang family's convoy was about to enter the ambush zone, the situation suddenly changed. A gunshot rang out, followed by a roar:
"There are bandits! Everyone, retreat!"
Shang Liangshan watched as the convoy below fled for their lives, still managing to carry food with them.
Looking at the fleeing convoy, Shang Liangshan suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable anger. He had already taken his pants off, only to have them escape.
"Damn it, are you kidding me? Brothers, charge!" Shang Liangshan fired several shots into the air.
Upon receiving their leader's order, the bandits who had been lying in ambush on both sides of the mountain swarmed down and chased after Tang Weiguo and his group.