Black Flag Army

In the evening, after a meeting, Lan Jinping returned to her newly opened Lanji Hotel and saw the manager Chen Xianglian sitting at the bar with tears streaming down her face. In front of her was a photo. Lan Jinping leaned over to take a look and saw that it was a photo of Wu Chunlei.

Lan Jinping smiled and said, "Why? Are you thinking about Wu Chunlei again?"

Chen Xianglian nodded and said, "I haven't received a letter from him for more than four months. The last time I received one was in Baotou. Now we are in Beitang City, which is more than a thousand kilometers away from Baotou and even farther from Shaanxi. It is even more impossible for us to receive a letter from him."

Lan Jinping advised, "Wu Chunlei is currently with Lu Jianzhang and Feng Jishan's army in Shaanxi to suppress the White Wolf Bandits. I heard that most of the White Wolf Bandits have been eliminated. When the war is over, he will definitely come back. He may have become a battalion commander."

Chen Xianglian said, "This cruel thief didn't even ask for leave to come and see me. I made several pairs of shoes for him, but I couldn't give them to him."

On the afternoon of August 1, 1914, there was a burst of gunfire on the Shangluo Mountain in Shaanxi Province. More than one hundred officers and soldiers wearing the gray cloth uniforms of the Beiyang Army rushed to the top of the mountain and into the dense forest. They fired with their rifles and searched around. From time to time, cold shots were fired in the dense forest. Several officers and soldiers were shot and fell to the ground. The rest of them lay down and fought back.

"Report to Captain Wu! We seem to have surrounded the White Wolf bandit leader. He is hiding in a cave and is guarded by sharpshooters. He specializes in targeting officers. Platoon Leaders Zhou and Zheng were both killed."

The highest commander of the more than 100 people was the company commander Wu Chunlei. He was separated from other troops when he was chasing the White Wolf Army. When he saw a few injured people in White Wolf Army uniforms on the mountain, they rushed up. Compared with the last time he went back to Beijing, Wu Chunlei was darker and thinner, but his eyes were more determined and wise.

Deputy Company Commander Feng Anbang said: "It could be the third bandit leader Wang Shengkui."

Wu Chunlei said: "If it really is him, then it is a really big fish. Let's all cheer up and try to catch him alive."

Feng Anbang said, "I'll go to the front line too, and find a way to kill a few sharpshooters." Before Wu Chunlei could reply, he rushed into the dense forest.

The battle in the dense forest was still going on, with men falling from both sides. The Beiyang Army still had a light machine gun, and they relied on their firepower advantage to fire at the surroundings. With a sudden burst of gunfire, the machine gunner's eye was pierced by a bullet, and he fell straight to the ground. Seeing this, a soldier next to him immediately grabbed the machine gun and continued to fire. Feng Anbang, who was quick-eyed and quick-handed, quickly observed the opponent's firing point. He turned sideways and hid beside a tree, picked up the Mauser rifle and fired at the observed position. Then a scream was heard, and a vague figure covered his abdomen, which was observed by Feng Anbang sharply, so he fired another shot based on the feeling of his hand. This time the bullet pierced the enemy's throat, killing him on the spot. But at the same time, an enemy about ten meters away also fired a shot in the direction of Feng Anbang, and Feng Anbang also dodged quickly at the same time. The bullet grazed Feng Anbang's shoulder and passed by. Feng Anbang, who had escaped, was about to observe the enemy's position, but he heard another scream. The enemy who had just fired suddenly rolled down. Feng Anbang looked back at the sound of the gunshot and saw that the shooter was Wu Chunlei. After a while, the enemies in the dense forest began to retreat to the cave. A captain of the Beiyang Army led more than 20 soldiers to charge the cave. However, the enemy who had been ambushed had the advantage of terrain. After a round of exchange of fire, the Beiyang Army left behind seven or eight bodies and retreated in dismay.

Wu Chunlei's company was exhausted after days of fighting, and the troops' offensive came to a standstill. A soldier reported to Wu Chunlei: "Company commander, the remaining enemies are hiding in the caves and refuse to come out. They have the advantage of terrain. Platoon Leader Zhao and his men tried to storm them but failed. The brothers are worried."

Wu Chunlei asked: "How many enemies are there in the cave?"

The soldier replied: "Platoon Leader Zhao observed the enemy fleeing before, and there were about thirty of them."

Wu Chunlei said: "These guys are already at the end of their strength, but they are still holding on. Pass my order. Block all exits of the cave and don't let any enemy escape. Is the army's loudspeaker still there? Find someone with a loud voice and prepare to persuade the enemy to surrender."

Feng Anbang said at this time: "If there are still people in the White Wolf Army who are willing to surrender, they would not fight us to this extent. I think we can give up the idea of ​​surrender."

Wu Chunlei said: "We have to give it a try no matter what. There is no food or water in the cave, and they must be very desperate. It is better not to fight if we can. Our troops are almost at their limit. If we attack now, we don't know how many more people will die. So even if there is little hope, we still have to go through the necessary procedures."

Soon, a soldier raised a loud speaker and shouted in the direction of the cave: "Everyone of Bai Lang's army, your fighting spirit is admired by us. It is also remarkable that you have been able to fight against our mixed brigade for so long. However, Bai Lang's doomsday has come. Your boss has led you to death, and now he can't save himself. You haven't seen him for a long time. Maybe he has already raised the flag to surrender. Even your boss Bai Lang has abandoned you. Why should you work for him wholeheartedly? There is no food or water in the cave now, and even if you don't get out, you will die. Our company commander said that as long as you put down your weapons, raise your hands and walk out of the cave, except for the leader Wang Shengkui, everyone can survive. All of us soldiers can swear to guarantee your safety. Please think about it carefully."

After the soldier finished speaking, the people surrounding the cave observed the situation in the cave. After waiting for a quarter of an hour, they did not find any movement. Just as everyone was concentrating on observing, a gunshot was heard, and a bullet hit the loudspeaker that had just spoken. The Beiyang Army soldiers were very angry when they saw this, thinking that the other side was provoking them, and they all asked Wu Chunlei to fight. Wu Chunlei had four platoons under his command. After two platoon leaders were killed, the deputy platoon leader quickly took over their positions.

Seeing that the enemy had no intention of surrendering, Wu Chunlei said to Feng Anbang: "Old Feng, we should still have matches. You take a few people to the nearby area to chop some branches. We will build a few fires and use smoke to force the enemy out."

After receiving the order, Feng Anbang took several soldiers away. Wu Chunlei asked the remaining soldiers to remain alert to prevent the enemy from killing them in a desperate manner. While waiting for Feng Anbang, Wu Chunlei's thoughts gradually drifted to other places. Since he joined Feng Jishan's army, he had very few opportunities to meet with old friends of the Justice Party such as Di Xiong and Leng Hanbing. Now he hasn't seen them for more than half a year, which made him feel melancholy. There are two people he misses the most. One is his fiancée Chen Xianglian. A few days ago, her letter said that the Justice Party has now gone to Erdenet, and she doesn't know whether it has arrived safely now. The other is Hong Tianlie. Wu Chunlei is actually more worried about him, because he has not received any news from Hong Tianlie since June this year, and the letters he wrote to him have basically fallen into the sea. Recently, there is no news even from Guan Qier.

While Wu Chunlei was thinking, Feng Anbang had almost completed all the preparations. Three or four piles of firewood were piled upwind of the cave. Feng Anbang personally picked up a box of matches and lit the piles of firewood one by one. Seeing the thick smoke rising, other soldiers nearby immediately used banana leaves, infantry manuals and other things that could fan the smoke into the cave.

After a while, sporadic coughs were heard from the cave. Wu Chunlei felt that the time was almost right, so he ordered the soldiers around him to prepare for battle and try to stay in the advantageous siege zone. About half an incense stick of time later, noisy footsteps were heard from the cave, followed by some shouts of killing, and then several grenades were thrown out from inside, causing several explosions. Feng Anbang, who had been observing, suddenly showed a relaxed expression, because he knew that the enemy had come out.

Accompanied by billowing smoke, the remnants of the White Wolf Army in the cave rushed out, firing indiscriminately and throwing grenades continuously in an attempt to fight their way out, but Wu Chunlei's company would not give them such a chance. A soldier set up a light machine gun again, and machine gun bullets poured down on the enemy like raindrops. Several soldiers on the side also threw grenades to cover them. All officers and soldiers, including Wu Chunlei, took up their weapons and joined the battle. The two sides engaged in fierce exchange of fire again.

The White Wolf Army itself did not have an advantage in numbers, and after abandoning the cave, it lost the advantage of terrain. In just a few minutes, more than 20 White Wolf Army soldiers fell at the entrance of the cave. However, the survivors were still fighting desperately. In the melee, Feng Anbang noticed that a one-eyed man wrapped in white gauze was always surrounded by five or six White Wolf Army soldiers. He suspected that this man was Wang Shengkui, so he picked up a soldier's rifle, adjusted the angle, and fired at the man who looked like Wang Shengkui. A White Wolf Army soldier immediately knocked the one-eyed man to the ground, and the bullet pierced the White Wolf Army's temple, ending his life. This made Feng Anbang certain that the man blindfolded in white gauze was Wang Shengkui, and the Beiyang Army machine gunner not far away seemed to have noticed this as well, and he raised his machine gun and fired at him. There was a burst of gunfire in the direction of Wang Shengkui, and several enemies were knocked down immediately. However, the sharp-eyed Feng Anbang noticed that Wang Shengkui was not hit by the bullet. He was about to take the risk to catch Wang Shengkui, but suddenly heard a gunshot. Feng Anbang looked back and saw that the machine gunner's head had been blown open. The shooter was Wang Shengkui himself. Feng Anbang quickly raised his gun to shoot, but because of carelessness, he missed the direction. Wang Shengkui seized the opportunity to throw a grenade over. Feng Anbang reacted quickly and turned over to avoid the impact of the grenade. At this time, the sound of machine guns suddenly rang. Feng Anbang, who was lying on the ground, opened his eyes and found that Wang Shengkui was hit by several bullets in the chest, spitting blood, and his face seemed to be full of unwillingness. He fell straight down. Feng Anbang looked to the side and saw Wu Chunlei holding a machine gun with bursts of white smoke coming out of the muzzle. At this time, Feng Anbang noticed that the battle was over and Wang Shengkui seemed to be the last enemy to fall.

Soon Wu Chunlei's company cleaned up the battlefield. The bandits in the cave were basically wiped out. A few wounded soldiers were captured, and the rest were killed. No one surrendered. Feng Anbang couldn't help but sigh to Wu Chunlei: "Although the White Wolf Army is a bandit, there are many hard-core people who are not afraid of death."

On August 3, with the discovery of the body of Bai Lang, the chief leader of the White Wolf Army, the three-year White Wolf bandit rebellion (later known as the Bai Lang Uprising) came to an end. Feng Jishen's 16th Mixed Brigade, as the main force in suppressing the bandits, failed to capture any bandit leaders. He was worried about being reprimanded by Lu Jianzhang, but suddenly received good news that the number three bandit leader Wang Shengkui was killed by Wu Chunlei, and he was overjoyed.

Battalion Commander Han Fuju said angrily: "How can this guy be so lucky? Could it be fake?"

Company commander Shi Yousan quickly chimed in: "Most likely he is taking credit for something!"

However, after many parties signed, Wang Shengkui's body was real. Lu Jianzhang announced a heavy reward for Feng Jishan's brigade. Feng Jishan was so happy that he promoted Wu Chunlei twice, from company commander to battalion commander. At the celebration party, Feng Jishan personally put on the shoulder straps of major for him.

Regiment leader Song Zheyuan smiled and said to Wu Chunlei: "The brigade commander is in a good mood today! If you have any requests, please raise them immediately."

Feng Qishan also laughed and said, "I am a poor brigade commander, so don't mention money. You can mention other things."

Wu Chunlei said, "I haven't been home for more than four months. My fiancée has been waiting for me to return, and several of my sworn brothers also miss me. I would like to ask for a month's leave to visit my family."

Feng Jishan hesitated for a moment, and Song Zheyuan advised: "Brigade Commander! Now that the war is over, the training of the troops in the barracks can be handed over to others. I think we should let this kid go back for a while?"

Feng Jishan said: "Okay! You can go back! But you must calculate the time carefully and don't miss your return date. Military law is ruthless!"

Three days later, Wu Chunlei finally arrived in Beijing by train, carriage and on foot. When passing through Henan and Zhili, he saw many abandoned fields and refugees crowded on the road. Most refugees wanted to enter Beijing, but were blocked outside the city. Only a few who found work could enter. They did jobs that city people didn't want to do, such as collecting manure, sweeping the streets, and rickshaw drivers. At this time, Beijing had changed a lot. There was no familiar face anymore. The Huguo Temple where Hong Tianlie used to live was sealed and patrolled by the police. The teahouse where Guan Qier used to live was a ruin. Even the Lanji Hotel changed its name to Yuanji Hotel. Lan Jinping, Du Yongzhong, Guan Qier, and Hong Tianlie who were in the hotel last time were gone. There were a lot more foreign cars in Beijing. Since the American Ford Company's annual production line of 15 million cars was put into operation, the price of cars has dropped significantly, and many rich people in Beijing have bought cars.

Wu Chunlei did not stay in Beijing. After having lunch at Gaosheng Inn, he hurried to Nankou Town to catch a train, first to Zhangjiakou, and then took a horse carriage to Baotou in Suiyuan. In Baotou, he finally met an acquaintance: Li Laoshi.

Wu Chunlei ran into Li Laoshi at the city gate. Li Laoshi was wearing a top hat and a long robe, looking like a wealthy businessman. He smiled at Wu Chunlei and said, "Welcome to Baotou, Captain Wu!"

Wu Chunlei said happily: "What a coincidence, I ran into you as soon as I arrived in Baotou!"

Li Laoshi shook his head and said, "It's not a coincidence at all. When you got off the train from Zhangjiakou, our Baotou Intelligence Station saw you. I came here specially to greet you."

Wu Chunlei asked, "Is the Baotou Intelligence Station so powerful? Has it already extended its tentacles to Zhangjiakou?"

Li said honestly: "There are four intelligence groups and one action group under the Baotou Intelligence Station. There is one intelligence group each in Taiyuan, Guisui, and Zhangjiakou."