Black Flag Army

At eight o'clock in the morning, the sun shone through the gaps in the curtains into the hotel room, forming golden rays of light. Di Xiong's guard Li Hanyong called the hotel on time and informed Li Delin and Bai Jiansheng who were staying there that Governor Di would meet them at nine o'clock.

Upon hearing the news, Li Delin and Bai Jiansheng were immediately filled with ecstasy. They were so excited that they almost jumped up, because this meant that they finally had the opportunity to meet this powerful figure and present their views and demands to him.

The two men quickly washed up and began to dress themselves up carefully. They wiped their faces with hot towels and carefully shaved their beards to make themselves look refreshed. Then, they put on brand new white shirts, black suits, and brown ties.

They stood in front of the mirror, looked at themselves in the mirror, and nodded with satisfaction. At this moment, they felt as if they had become another person, full of confidence and majesty. They knew that this meeting was very important to them, so they had to appear in the best image.

Li Hanyong is the son of Li Jinfa. When Di Xiong founded Weili Company, brothers Li Jinfa and Li Jincai were major shareholders. Later, when Weili Company offended the government and was forced to move away, the Li brothers were afraid and chose to withdraw their shares. But after withdrawing their shares, the local Changping County government did not let them go. They confiscated their property on the grounds that they colluded with the gang, arrested them and tortured them, forcing them to tell where they hid their money. Under torture, the two brothers died miserably. Before his death, Li Jinfa asked someone to tell his 16-year-old son Li Hanyong who was away to join the Black Flag Army.

After Li Hanyong joined the Black Flag Army, he started as a soldier. Because of his bravery and repeated military exploits, he was quickly promoted to platoon leader as his name suggested. He was then selected by the Cheetah Column and became its squad leader. When Di Xiong learned that he was Li Jinfa's only son, he transferred him to be his guard.

Li Hanyong said outside the office: "Commander-in-chief! Li Delin and Bai Jiansheng are here."

Di Xiong said: "Please let them in!"

When Li Delin and Bai Jiansheng came in, Huo Qingtong immediately stood beside Di Xiong. Her movements were swift and decisive, as if she had anticipated what might happen.

Huo Qingtong, as Di Xiong's secretary and also his guard, has an important responsibility for Di Xiong's safety. She is well aware of her duties, so she is always alert and ready to deal with any potential threats.

Standing next to Di Xiong, Huo Qingtong observed the surrounding situation attentively. Her eyes were sharp and alert, not missing any suspicious signs. She held the weapon tightly in her hand, ready to protect Di Xiong at any time.

Her presence made Di Xiong feel safe and assured. There was a tacit understanding and trust between them, and Di Xiong knew that Huo Qingtong would do her best to protect his safety. With Huo Qingtong by his side, Di Xiong believed that no matter what challenges they faced, they could cope with them together.

Di Xiong smiled and stretched out his hand, shaking hands with the two men. He said sincerely, "Nice to meet you, Captain Li! Captain Bai! You two have made great contributions in the wars against Yuan Shikai and the Protection of the Constitution. You were only appointed as battalion commanders by Lu Rongting. It's really a waste of your talents!"

When Li Delin heard Di Xiong say this, he was shocked. He stared at Di Xiong with wide eyes and asked in confusion, "Commander-in-Chief, you actually know us?"

Huo Qingtong on the side sneered and said with a slightly sarcastic tone: "Look at the way you ask this question. If the commander-in-chief didn't know you, why would he meet with you specially?" There was a hint of disdain in her words, as if she thought Li Delin's question was a bit stupid.

Di Xiong quickly waved his hand and explained with a smile: "I'm not a great figure. I was just a restaurant owner before. However, I have heard of you brave and capable soldiers." After saying that, he looked at the two of them with admiration in his eyes.

Li Delin and Bai Jiansheng looked at each other, feeling both pleasantly surprised and full of expectations. They had never thought that their achievements would attract the attention of a figure of Di Xiong's level, and they had never thought that they would have the opportunity to meet Di Xiong. This sudden attention made them flattered, and at the same time, they were full of hope for the future.

Di Xiong continued, "You two both graduated from Guangxi Army Primary School, right?"

Li Delin and Bai Jiansheng nodded in agreement.

Di Xiong smiled and praised: "That is the cradle of the Guangxi clique. It is indeed a place where many talented people come from!" His words made the two people feel warm and proud. Then, Di Xiong introduced his secretary to the two people and invited them to sit down and chat. The whole scene seemed relaxed and harmonious, as if old friends who had not seen each other for many years were reuniting.

Bai Jiansheng smiled and said, "I've long heard that the Justice Party's intelligence department is extremely omnipotent, and its intelligence network is spread all over the country. Seeing it today, I can see that it is indeed as good as its reputation! Even a nobody like me in the Gui army knows everything about it."

Di Xiong looked at the two people in front of him, secretly guessing their intentions, but on the surface he remained calm and polite, and responded: "Beihai Province is far away from Guangxi Province. You two have taken the trouble to come here from thousands of miles away to find me. I guess you have something important to tell me? Please speak frankly. If I can, I will do my best to help you."

Li Delin said, "To be honest, Guangxi Province is currently under attack from both sides by Guangdong warlord Chen Jingcun and rebel Shen Hongying. The situation is very critical and we urgently need ammunition. I heard that the Black Flag Army's weapons are all produced by Beihai Company, and the weapons are excellent and reasonably priced. Our Marshal Lu sent us here to buy a batch of weapons and ammunition, especially rocket launchers and mortars. The more the better!"

Di Xiong asked: "Beihai Province is so far away from Guangxi Province, how can you bring the weapons back with you?"

Bai Jiansheng said: "As long as the Beihai Company delivers the weapons and ammunition to the Chagan outpost, we will be able to transport them to Tianjin Port and have the Beiyang warships deliver them to Guangxi."

Di Xiong smiled and said, "Captain Bai is worthy of the name of Little Zhuge, he can do such a difficult thing, but my answer will disappoint you. I will not support Lu Rongting. If you continue to be Lu Rongting's subordinates, I will not sell you a bullet. Lu Rongting participated in the war to aid Vietnam against France in the late Qing Dynasty. In the great victory of Zhennan Pass, his Jingzi Battalion fought side by side with the Black Flag Army and killed more than a thousand French soldiers. I admired Lu Rongting at that time very much. Unfortunately, after he accepted the Qing Dynasty's amnesty, he frantically suppressed the anti-Qing uprising army, and his hands were stained with the blood of the uprising army. After the establishment of the Republic of China, he jumped back and forth between supporting Yuan and opposing Yuan for personal interests, so that both sides did not believe him. Yuan Shikai sent someone to replace him, and he was forced to participate in the National Protection War. After Yuan Shikai's death, he wavered in the Protection War and sabotaged the Protection War many times. This is why he was listed as an enemy by the Guangdong Revolutionary Government and was attacked. Our Justice Party has always supported the side of justice, so how could we support him?"

When Li Delin heard this, he was stunned.

Bai Jiansheng was quick to respond, "You mean, as long as we oppose Lu Rongting, we can get weapons and ammunition?"

Di Xiong smiled and said, "Captain Bai is indeed smart. You are right."

Bai Jiansheng said: "In fact, we have long been dissatisfied with Lu Rongting. This time we came to purchase weapons to prepare for breaking away from Lu Rongting. These weapons are for our own use. It's just that we are too unknown and we are afraid that the commander-in-chief will look down on us, so we are using Lu Rongting's name as a pretext."

Li Delin also reacted and echoed, "Yes, yes, yes! We are actually against Lu Rongting. His reputation is too bad. We have long wanted to stop working with him."

Di Xiong asked, "How many weapons and ammunition do you want?"

Li Delin said: "Five thousand rifles, one hundred thousand rounds of ammunition, one hundred light machine guns and matching ammunition, twenty mortars, twenty bazookas and matching shells and rockets."

After Di Xiong finished writing the note, he handed it to Li Delin and said, "You can go to Beihai Company to pick up the goods this afternoon, but I still suggest you wait a few days before taking action. Because tomorrow I will go to Sakhalin Island and lead the Black Flag Army to meet the attack of three Japanese divisions. I wonder if you two are interested in accepting my invitation and going to watch the battle together?"

Upon hearing the news, Li Delin excitedly replied: "It is my honor to be able to participate in such an important battle. I am naturally very happy to do so!" Bai Jiansheng on the side also said: "This battle will surely shock the entire country and even leave a deep mark in the history of world wars. I am fortunate to be able to participate in it, and I have no regrets in my life!" They are full of anticipation and enthusiasm for the upcoming fierce battle.

The next morning, the Japanese warships were less than a hundred nautical miles from Sakhalin Island. In the conference room of the cruiser Akagi, the Japanese army, navy, and air force generals were meeting. Army Commander-in-Chief Kamio Mitsuomi asked, "I want to know who is the commander of the black bandits defending Sakhalin Island? Who can answer me?"

Kenji Doihara, director of the intelligence department directly under the general headquarters, walked quickly to Mitsuomi Kamio and said in a serious tone: "Report to Commander-in-Chief Kamio! According to the latest intelligence, the highest commander guarding Sakhalin Island is Di Xiong, commander-in-chief of the Black Flag Army, and he has come to Sakhalin Island in person. Also arriving at the same time is Jiang Hongyu, chief of staff of the Black Flag Army. In addition, the strength of the Sakhalin Island defenders has also been greatly increased. Originally there was only one division, but now it has increased to six divisions. This battle will be extremely difficult, and we need to be fully prepared!" After saying that, Kenji Doihara looked at Mitsuomi Kamio with a serious face.

"The Great Japanese Empire is invincible." Kamio Mitsuomi said with a smug smile, "They actually dared to come together, they are really courting death. When they all arrive, we can just catch them all in one fell swoop. Kill these two hateful bandit leaders on Sakhalin Island in one fell swoop, and then Sakhalin Island will belong to us completely, and even the entire Outer Manchuria region will become ours. The Great Japanese Empire will add a full one million square kilometers of territory! Three times larger than our homeland! It's exciting to think about it." He became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he had seen the dawn of victory and future glory.

The Army Chief of Staff, Kojiro Sato, frowned and looked at Mitsuomi Kamio with a serious look and said, "Kamiio-kun! These black bandits are not so easy to deal with. They are very different from those weak and incompetent Chinese in Qingdao. These guys are all fierce and brutal, and very brave and fearless. They don't care about their lives when fighting. As early as a few years ago, more than 40,000 of our brave imperial soldiers died heroically in the Outer Northeast. What's more hateful is that more than 10,000 imperial citizens on Sakhalin Island were also captured by these demons and became miserable slaves. They live a life worse than pigs and dogs all day long, like a group of driven livestock, working non-stop. Most of them suffered cruel torture and died tragically in the end."

Navy Commander-in-Chief Masayoshi Kato folded his arms across his chest and said proudly: "That's just the right time to avenge the victims of those years. Kill all the bandits on Sakhalin Island, leaving no one alive!" There was a fierce light flashing in his eyes, as if he had already seen the scene of victory.

Kato Masayoshi continued, "In the past twenty years, our Great Japanese Empire has always been invincible in fighting against the Chinese, and has never failed! The one who caused heavy losses to the empire was Liu Yongfu's Black Flag Army on Yingzhou Island twenty-five years ago. But now, I absolutely do not believe that this small black bandit group will be more powerful than the Black Flag Army back then? How can they stop the elite troops of our Great Japanese Empire?"

His voice was full of confidence and arrogance, as if he was determined to win the war. The officers around him nodded in agreement, and they also firmly believed that their country had great strength and could easily defeat any enemy.

Mitsuomi Kamio turned his head to look at Kenji Doihara, and asked expectantly: "Mr. Doihara, you are an expert on China in our Imperial Japanese Army! Do you have any unique insights into this mysterious army that suddenly appeared?" Kenji Doihara lowered his head slightly, and replied in a serious tone: "My opinion is different from that of Commander-in-Chief Kato. In my opinion, the combat effectiveness of this Black Flag Army is far beyond that of Liu Yongfu's Black Flag Army. Otherwise, how could they have caused hundreds of thousands of Tsarist Russian troops to die? Therefore, we must pay enough attention and be vigilant to Di Xiong and Jiang Hongyu." His voice was low and firm, revealing a deep worry.

Air Force Commander Ichiro Edo said, "If we fight head-on, the casualties will be too great. Why can't we use poison gas bombs like we did last time? If the planes drop a few hundred poison gas bombs on them, we will surely win easily."

Kamio Mitsuomi said, "The Prime Minister and the Army Minister disagree. The gangsters also have poison gas bombs. Last time they retaliated, they dropped the gas bombs on Sapporo. What if they drop the gas bombs on Tokyo this time? Can you bear this responsibility?"

Ichiro Edo was silent. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, the warship shook, and all the generals in the conference room were shaken. Several of them fell to the ground in a mess. Mitsuomi Kamio got up from the ground, took the fallen hat from Kenji Doihara, and said in a stern voice: "What happened outside?" An officer came in and shouted: "Report to the commander-in-chief! The warship was hit by a torpedo and is sinking. Commanders, please move the ship immediately, otherwise it will be too late."

Everyone's face changed. Mitsuomi Kamio pushed the officer away and strode out of the command room. Just as he reached the door, another loud noise was heard and the entire warship shook violently. This time it shook even more violently. Many people lost their balance and fell directly to the ground. Mitsuomi Kamio was shaken and hit the cabin door. He finally stood firm. He held the cabin door tightly and said to the people inside: "Come out quickly, we're going to the flagship of the Second Fleet." After that, he turned and ran outside, and the others followed.

After running to the lifeboat, Mitsuomi Kamio saw that the flagship of the First Fleet had tilted, seawater was pouring into the cabin, and many soldiers were busy transferring supplies and personnel to other warships. He was terrified that if he had not run out in time, he would have sunk to the bottom of the sea with the warship. While thinking about it, he ordered the lifeboat to sail towards the flagship of the Second Fleet, preparing to board the warship and continue to command the battle.