In order to control the situation in Songjiang, the Third War Zone sent a special agent to the Songjiang Security Command on November 6, bringing Chairman Chiang's handwritten note: "The security commander is ordered to cooperate with the commander of the 67th Army, Wu Keren, to hold Songjiang for three days. Violators will be severely punished according to military law."
The third company commander rushed into the first floor of the small building. "Oh! Damn, what a great third platoon, what a treat!"
When Wang Laokou saw that it was the company commander, he quickly sat up and shouted to the ground: "Get up, get up. Everyone, get up, big guy, don't fall asleep, get up quickly and welcome the company commander." Then he put on a smile, patted the ground next to him and said: "Company commander, come and sit for a while, it's still warm, like the head of a kang."
The company commander didn't care that the big guy and the others were still groggy on the ground, and went straight to sit next to Wang Laokou and leaned against the wall. He took the cigarette handed to him by Wang Laokou and lit it for him. "Oh, don't say it, it's really warm, it's almost as hot as the bed, isn't it?"
Wang Laokou chuckled and said, "That's right, I didn't lie to you."
"Hey, Wang Laokou, you didn't set this building on fire yourself, did you? Huh?" The company commander suddenly glared at Wang Laokou.
Wang Laokou put away his smile and said seriously, "Captain, you can't slander me like that. I have been a soldier for more than ten years. How can I be less conscious of being loyal to the Party and the country and treating the people well? After all, this is a civilian's house. The devils are willing to burn it down, but I can't do it."
"Bah! If you, Wang Laokou, had awareness, even a sow could climb a tree."
"Look, look, if you don't believe me, ask the brothers if they are right."
The company commander squinted at Wang Laokou's seriousness and chuckled, "Come on, come on, you didn't burn my house down, you don't have to swear to heaven. I came here to tell you that the military has issued an order that our company is responsible for the west end of the town, and we will go there to build a position later."
Wang Laokou's expression tightened: "What is the content of the military's order?"
The company commander held up three fingers in front of Wang Laokou's eyes and said, "Hold on to Songjiang for three days. The chairman's handwritten order will be forwarded from the Songjiang Security Command to our military headquarters."
After hearing the company commander's words, Hu Yi on the side could not help but frown. Any task with a time limit never ends well, not to mention that it is the chairman's "handwritten order"! Judging from this order, Shanghai seems to be completely finished. Alas -
The company commander put out his cigarette, patted his butt, stood up, and added: "By the way, all the brothers in the second platoon have been found, not a single one is alive. We cleaned up the battlefield and buried them all together. As for that troublesome guy named Da Huang Ya, ah..." He sighed and went out.
The company commander left, and Wang Laokou frowned. It was not because of the fate of the second platoon, but because of the order to "hold on for three days" just like Hu Yi. As long as the mission has a time limit, you can't withdraw at the critical moment, you can only hold on. He took out a cigarette and lit it for himself. Seeing that Hu Yi's face was the same as his, he couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Hu, what are you thinking about?"
Hu Yi looked at Zhao Yong and the others who were still asleep on the ground and shook his head: "I'm not thinking about anything."
When I came here, I saw with my own eyes that all the troops were running and escaping. Now the 67th Army is not retreating but advancing and is stuck on the bank of the Huangpu River. Even the Chairman's handwritten order has come. What is this for? Is there any need to think about it? Use the lives of the 67th Army to exchange for the lives of most people. What is there to think about? Like Zhao Yong and the silly boy, they have enough food and sleep well, and their families don't have to worry about it. How good it is. Hu Yi really envied the three people on the ground in front of him.
Wang Laokou was a little dissatisfied with Hu Yi's answer. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Xiao Hu, even though you have only been in the third row for one day, you have been on board. Now, our lives are tied together. I know you graduated from the Military Academy, but you can't look down on us brothers for being rough people. If you have anything to say, you have to say it directly."
Hu Yi could guess what Wang Laokou was thinking. Although he had only known him for a day, he had a good understanding of his platoon leader. Wang Laokou was a man who valued his life. Because he valued his life, he would think about things, weigh the pros and cons, and be stingy. To the 107th Division and the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion as a whole, Wang Laokou was a selfish person and an insignificant old soldier. But to the 3rd Platoon, he was lucky and a blessing for the 3rd Platoon. Hu Yi would like such soldiers if he were still an officer.
Hu Yi was reluctant to say more about his thoughts. On the one hand, it was due to his personality, and on the other hand, he didn't want to put pressure on Santou Suan who was still lying on the ground. It was definitely not because he looked down on anyone. Now that Wang Laokou had said so much, it was not because he was angry, but because he was eager to know his opinion and understand the crisis that the third platoon would face. There was no need for him to be vague. So he was silent for a while, and then he said calmly: "This battle is more likely to be dangerous than good."
"What?" Zhao Yong suddenly stood up, but what he said next was not related to what Hu Yi said. "You graduated from the Military Academy? You really graduated from the Military Academy? Oh my goodness, this, this is Marshal Tianpeng falling into the pigpen."
Wang Laokou was almost choked by Zhao Yong's interruption, "Get out! Get out! Get out now! Get as far away as you can! As soon as they talk about business, you jump out to interfere, you pig-brained bastard." Then he turned to Hu Yi and said, "Xiao Hu, go on."
Hu Yi was calm and unmoved by Zhao Yong's words. He had heard this kind of words eight hundred times when he was in the supervision team. It was no longer new to him even if it was the eight hundred and first time. So he continued.
"I saw it when I arrived. The Shanghai defenders started to retreat yesterday. Last night at Anting Station, I noticed the markings on the railway. It's only about 30 miles from Anting to Shanghai, and the left wing troops north of Shanghai are even closer. I estimate that the troops that are not stuck on the front line with the Japanese army will be withdrawn within two days. The remaining ones are the covering, blocking, and rearguard troops."
Hearing this, the big guy also got up and asked stupidly: "We are now in Songjiang in the south, dozens of miles away from Anting. That is a matter in the north, it has nothing to do with us, right?"
Zhao Yong also echoed the big guy's words: "Yes, the company commander just said that our mission order is three days. We just need to hold off the Japanese from the south for three days, and then we can run west directly. Who cares about the life and death of the people in the north?"
Wang Laokou listened carefully and couldn't help sighing in his heart. We both got off at Anting, but I didn't expect any of the same details. Like Zhao Yong, he was more concerned about the order to hold on for three days, but since Hu Yi said this, there must be something else to say, so he didn't interrupt, just waited for Hu Yi to continue to explain.
Seeing the big guy Zhao Yong and Wang Laokou listening attentively and expressing their opinions at the same time, Hu Yi also wanted to say more, so he simply grabbed a charred stick and scribbled a rough diagram on the ground. Except for the silly boy who was not interested in the topic and was still lying on the ground, the other three people quickly gathered around when they saw this.
"The mission order given to us is three days. It is estimated that the troops retreating in the north after three days will be the remaining troops. I cannot judge where the enemy can pursue us and where the battle line is. Now, how many Japanese have landed in our south? I don't know, so I can only guess. What is the purpose of the Japanese landing from the south? I can only think of two. One is to advance northward, cut off our retreat, and unite with the troops in the direction of Shanghai to encircle and annihilate our army, maximizing our losses. The second is to advance westward and assist the offensive troops in the north to threaten Nanjing from two directions. No matter which purpose it is, the number of troops required will not be small, and it must be much more than ours. Now the main force of the Japanese has reached the Huangpu River, and suddenly encountered our 67th Army blocking the way. If you were the commander of the Japanese, what would you do?"
The big guy was the first to speak: "What can we do? Fight."
Zhao Yong patted the big guy and said, "Everyone knows you have to fight. They are asking you how to fight?"
"Well, how would I know that? Brother Hu, please continue."
"If the Japs' goal is to advance westward, then they can ignore us and go straight west along the Huangpu River. As for us, we have no retreat route to the west, and the situation in the north is unclear. Sooner or later, we will be surrounded and have no choice but to break out. If the Japs' goal is to advance northward, then their target is the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway, not us. They are anxious, so they have to defeat us as quickly as possible. How to defeat us as quickly as possible? Not a head-on confrontation, but crossing the river upstream, downstream, and any undefended position. The fastest way is to penetrate and divide. Now think about it, a squadron of Japs crossed the river this morning and tried to occupy the docks. I guess the possibility of advancing northward is greater."
Hearing this, Wang Laokou finally took a deep breath and said, "If this is the case, after three days, won't we be surrounded by devils everywhere? How can we retreat?"
Hu Yi threw down the charcoal in his hand, clapped his hands, and finally added: "See, the chairman is afraid that our 67th Army will be frightened and unable to hold back the landing Japanese, so he even sent a 'handwritten order'." After that, he sat down against the wall again and looked at Wang Laokou, Da Ge and Zhao Yong staring at each other in a daze.