Independence Corps

Chapter 18: Dark Chess Game (4)
My brother Lanlong:

The invasion of our country by the Japanese army is really abominable. Our department should try our best to stop them and kill them one by one.However, the Japanese army was frenzied and attacked fiercely.Although our 126th and 137th divisions fought bloody battles, Gucheng was still in danger.In a few days, the iron hooves of the Japanese army will trample on Miliang City. You have to assess the situation and maneuver skillfully to ensure the safety of the family business created by Tu Lao Commander and the people of Miliang.Lieutenant Colonel Huang Shaoyong of the Military Aircraft Department is now dispatched to help you tide over the difficulties.

After reading it, Tu Lanlong felt a surge of anger in his heart. This telegram seemed to be concerned, but it was actually threatening him!How good it is to judge the situation and deal with it skillfully, isn't it just to let him learn from the 126th and 137th divisions, and abandon the city to let the thieves?
"What's the trick for Virgo? Shangfeng asked you to help me." Tu Lanlong returned the telegram to Huang Shaoyong, his sharp eyes fixed on Huang Shaoyong's young face.

Huang Shaoyong was uncomfortable being looked at by him, thinking that Zhao Shiming didn't explain the matter clearly, and Tu Lanlong was still worried about him.

This Zhao Shiming, carefree, never takes matters seriously!He had expressed his true thoughts on the train, and repeatedly stated that he definitely did not represent the Chief's Department, let alone the Military Aircraft Department.Everything was done for Shangfeng to see. In his heart, he firmly advocated the resistance against Japan.And this time when he came to Miliang, he took the initiative to fight for it. He just wanted to work with Commander Tu sincerely to fight a battle of annihilation against Gangben and the 13th Division in Miliang City.

"Does the commander want to hear the truth or lies?" Huang Shaoyong is also a bloody man, and Tu Lanlong's tone and attitude seemed to hurt him.

"Of course it's the truth. I, Tu Lanlong, never listen to lies."

"Well, brother, let me tell the truth. Right now, the Japanese 13th Division has great illusions about you, Commander, and the 11th Army. They hope that they can take down Miliang City without firing a single shot. Take down Miliang For them, the city is equivalent to having a straight in and out passage. In order to deceive the public, the Minister's Ministry has formulated a separate plan."

"What plan?"

"Let Tan Weiming's 12th Division withdraw from Liuji, and the 13th Division of the Japanese Army will use Liuji as a base to directly face the 72nd Communist Regiment on the mountain. After Shen Mengzi is killed, they will cross the Hongshuigou and approach Liu Mi'er. In this way, Not only can we eliminate our two opponents, but it can also keep the people of Miliang City from being disturbed."

"It's really thoughtful." Tu Lanlong couldn't laugh or cry, the dignified officer would make such a stupid decision!
"After it is destroyed, let the Japanese form an outflank and deal with me, Tu Lanlong?"

"The Chief Ministry said that as long as the commander does not fire a single shot, the 13th Division can keep its promise and go directly across the Miliang Mountain to the direction of Tongzhou. When it arrives in Tongzhou, whether it can stop the 13th Division will be someone else's responsibility." It's over."

Insidious, really insidious!Tu Lanlong slammed his fist on the table heavily: "Promise? How dare they talk about promises with the Japanese!"

"To tell you the truth, Commander, some people in the chief's department trust Gangben very much. They believe that as long as our department does not resist, Gangben will be lenient towards our department. Gucheng is an example."

"Let the net go? They let the invaders go the other way?" There was more than anger burning in Tu Lanlong's chest.

Huang Shaoyong smiled bitterly: "Is there any way, this is their strategy to preserve their strength."

"Let's go, Huang Chu, let's not talk about this anymore, we have to save them for ourselves, my 11th Army..."

While talking, the county magistrate Meng Bingliang and the brigade commander of the logistics support brigade Xue Peiren came in. The two looked flustered. Seeing that a stranger was present, Meng Bingliang closed his mouth again.

Tu Lanlong glanced at Huang Shaoyong, Huang Shaoyong said with interest: "The commander has something to do, brother, I will take my leave first, and I dare not disturb the commander for too long."

Tu Lanlong said politely: "That's fine, Brother Huang has worked hard on the trek all the way, let's rest for a while, and we'll talk later in the evening." Then he called Ruan Xiaoliu and asked him to arrange for Huang Shaoyong and Zhao Shiming to have lunch first.

There were three of them left in the room, Tu Lanlong asked Meng Bingliang, "What happened?"

Meng Bingliang panicked and said, "Liang, Commander, someone is really hoarding food."

"..."

Tu Lanlong knew right away that his premonition had been confirmed. In Sairuwenjing's Rice Grain City, someone was secretly playing tricks, trying to borrow a fortune from the Japanese!

"Is it Shopkeeper Sun of Hengtong Rice Store?" Tu Lanlong asked lightly.

"Yes!" Xue Peiren, head of the logistics supply support brigade, answered first.

"How much have you hoarded?"

"Preliminary findings show that Hengtong Rice Store has stockpiled [-] bags of rice, [-] shi of wheat, and a lot of miscellaneous grains. Some, some have..."

"Say!"

"Report to the commander, more than half of the food is unedible, it's all moldy."

Tu Lanlong bit his lip and clenched his fists.What a terrible thing, as early as in the same year, he vaguely heard that the shopkeeper Sun of Hengtong Rice Store relied on people in the military and political circles to monopolize grain and oil in the rice grain city, suppress his peers, bully the market, and even want to give The adoptive father was embarrassed.Later, his adoptive father warned him several times. Although he was not so domineering anymore, every time he encountered wars or natural disasters, he would collude with major grain companies to increase prices without authorization and distribute ill-gotten gains.The food price in Miliang City was originally stable, but after the death of the adoptive father, shopkeeper Sun suddenly raised the price and released the news that there was not enough food in stock, causing panic for a time.After Tu Lanlong came to Miliang City, he reminded shopkeeper Sun obliquely, but shopkeeper Sun nodded and bowed in face, saying that he would do it, but secretly used tricks behind his back. During the month when the 43rd Brigade fought fiercely with Shen Mengzi and the others on the mountain, the price of rice rose by another [-]%.Tu Lanlong ordered the chamber of commerce to come forward to negotiate. A few days later, the president of the chamber of commerce, He, said that the price of rice could not be lowered.

"Why can't you come in?" Tu Lanlong asked wonderingly.

"Several passages for entering rice have been blocked by Liu Mier on the mountain. If the rice outside wants to enter Miliang City, Liu Mier has to pay tolls. Also, the war is getting tighter and tighter. Taiyuan, Datong Everywhere is hoarding, and the amount of rice coming here is really too little." President He explained hesitantly.

"What about the rice we produce ourselves?"

"Young Commander doesn't know that rice and grain mountainous areas have been planting tobacco soil these years, and the self-produced rice is very little. Besides, the rice from Sanchuan never enters the rice grain city, and the big grain stores outside have taken it away."

Tu Lanlong said "oh", and didn't ask any more questions, but he felt sick in his heart.At the Hengtong Rice Store that day, he asked tentatively, but shopkeeper Sun's faltering behavior aroused his vigilance.After he came back, on the one hand, he ordered the logistics brigade to buy food as soon as possible;Who would have imagined that the treacherous shopkeeper Sun Deren really wanted to take advantage of the fire and get his neck stuck.

"Where does he hide the food?" Tu Lanlong asked Xue Peiren.

"Hiding in the abandoned kiln under Qinglong Mountain."

"take me!"

An hour later, Tu Lanlong and the others came to the foot of Qinglong Mountain. Qinglong Mountain is a branch of Miliang Mountain, located in the northeast of Miliang City.The place where Meng Bingliang and Xue Peiren brought him was originally a brick kiln. During the Qing Dynasty, the bricks fired here were specially used to supply the imperial court.Later, several kiln collapse incidents happened one after another, and hundreds of people died.Later, wars continued and the potters fled everywhere, and this famous brick kiln in the Qing Dynasty was abandoned.Unexpectedly, shopkeeper Sun turned waste into treasure and used it as a place to hoard rice.

When Tu Lanlong and the others arrived, the detective department had already brought shopkeeper Sun, his accountant, and several of his most capable buddies to the abandoned kiln.Shopkeeper Sun was domineering, with his head held high, as if a dead pig was not afraid of boiling water.The accountant, like himself, wore a long gown, with hands in his sleeves, a melon cap on his head, and a shawl of the kind that gentlemen wear around his neck.This Mr. Accountant is very interesting. He raised four wives by himself, and took in another one a few days ago. It is said that he is only 18 years old, and he is still a young student.His own daughter, however, was a child for Shopkeeper Sun, but his daughter was not in Miliang City, but in a place called Jiqu near Taiyuan.Shopkeeper Sun has a big house there and employs many servants.Some people also said that it was a transit station for Shopkeeper Sun.

Tu Lanlong glanced at them coldly, his gaze as iron as iron.

After a while, Chairman He of the Chamber of Commerce arrived, followed by many people, Tailor Liu Tailor from the tailor shop, and Qi shopkeeper from Guangren Pharmacy also came.Everyone seemed to be watching something new, and when they came, they gathered around shopkeeper Sun to watch.To Tu Lanlong's surprise, Principal Wang of the Normal School and Master Zeng, the most knowledgeable, also appeared on the scene.Mrs. Zeng was dressed very neatly that day, and there were three or five women behind him, one of them was wearing a red jacket, he looked very young, he looked like a baby face.The woman's hair was combed bald, and she walked tremblingly, with her head lowered all the way, not daring to look up.When he came to the abandoned kiln, he shrank behind others, as if afraid of being seen.Tu Lanlong suspected that she was the new concubine of Shopkeeper Sun.

"Commander, Commander, I'm really sorry. It's the chamber of commerce's dereliction of duty that happened, and it's my dereliction of duty." President He walked over first, and repeatedly criticized Tu Lanlong.

Tu Lanlong ignored him, and asked Meng Bingliang coldly, "Is everyone here?"

When Meng Bingliang finished his speech, another group of people rushed in. Tu Lanlong took a closer look and saw that it was a group of young students, among them was the tall girl Lin Jianying who took the lead in the street parade that day.

"Let's get started." Tu Lanlong looked away from Lin Jianying, turned his head and said to Meng Bingliang.

Meng Bingliang coughed, took a big step forward, and stood on a rock.

"Everyone, please be quiet, everyone please be quiet." Meng Bingliang assumed the posture of the county magistrate and shouted at the chaotic crowd.

After everyone calmed down, he cleared his throat again, and said loudly: "I invite everyone to come here today, just to let everyone see for themselves that there are people hoarding grain and oil in our rice grain city. At that time, he repeatedly warned that he hoped that the business community and the people would work together for the prosperity and prosperity of the Miliang Mountain Area. After the Commander Shao took office in the Miliang Mountain Area, he repeatedly emphasized that officials should not be raped, people should not be cunning, and soldiers should not be ruffians. At the same time, we must treat each other with sincerity and share weal and woe. However, some companies ignore the legacy of the old commander and ignore the request of the young commander, openly corrupting the good atmosphere that has been formed in our rice grain city for many years, bullying the market, and taking plunder , hoarding grain and oil, raising prices wantonly, and exploiting our people. The commander-in-chief cannot tolerate such people, nor can I, Meng Bingliang, and I believe that everyone who came today will not tolerate them. I will show you for yourself. , How did the unscrupulous Hengtong Rice Store waste food."

Having said that, the crowd became commotion again, and the shopkeepers were arguing extremely fiercely, as if catching shopkeeper Sun was something they had been looking forward to for a long time.Especially Tailor Liu Tailor, whose voice even overwhelmed Meng Bingliang.Meng Bingliang had no choice but to shout louder: "Don't make noise, everyone, line up and go to the abandoned kiln."

Tu Lanlong followed behind the crowd, with Ruan Xiaoliu on his left and the one-legged Old Tang on his right.Old Tang didn't know what happened that day, his face was more gloomy than the autumn sky, and he didn't say a word until now, just kept looking at Tu Lanlong.Tu Lanlong didn't think much, his mind was completely overwhelmed by the hoarding of grain and oil.When he was in Datong, what Tu Lanlong hated the most was that the merchants used the big to suppress the small, and the big to eat the small.Although he doesn't understand business, he believes that fair competition and fair management are the principles of business. However, once the word "fair" is out of the mind of any businessman, he will be almost like a bandit.He guarded Datong, and in five years suppressed 12 unscrupulous businessmen who bullied the market and made huge profits by hoarding or raising prices. The most severe one, he personally killed Long Qiye, who was known as the "Pig King" in Datong.Long Qiye's power is much greater than Shopkeeper Sun and his ilk, and he can interfere in military affairs by selling pork.Half of the pork in Taiyuan City was supplied by him. Who would have thought that later he would put his hands on all the meat products of chicken, duck and fish, including the 24th Division, who would buy meat from him, all depending on his face.If you are happy, I will sell it to you at a low price. If you are not happy, I would rather let the meat go bad than sell it to you.Tu Lanlong talked to him three times, and he agreed with a smile on his lips, but secretly colluded with all the butchers and transported the truckloads of live pigs to Tianjin Wei.Tu Lanlong couldn't bear it anymore, and when Long Qiye colluded with the butcher to try to put pressure on him for the second time, he shot him to death on the meat case.

(End of this chapter)