Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Critique from the Headquarters Chief: Comrade Su Changqing, You Are Nothing But a Monkey King
Page (1/3)
The Base Area.
“Commander, we’ve received the latest news.”
A guard handed the message from Cangnan County to the commander before him.
After taking a deep drag on his cigarette, the commander accepted the message and glanced over it.
A man weathered by the years, he visibly froze for a moment upon reading the first line.
Then he set the telegram aside.
“Is the information reliable?”
The guard nodded. “It should be. The message came from our underground comrades in the Jinxi region.”
“Unfortunately, the body was burned beyond recognition, so we cannot be certain it was him.”
“Uncertainty is a good thing. If this matter is mishandled, it could cause trouble.”
“What does the Deputy Commander think?” the commander asked, looking at the guard.
“The Deputy Commander told me to bring the news to you. He said it was enough for you to know about it.”
“Nothing has been confirmed. It is only speculation.”
“Besides, banditry in Shanxi Province is genuinely severe. This sort of thing is hardly unusual.”
The commander nodded, then took out another cigarette and lit it.
He placed it between his lips and drew in a breath.
“Su Changqing of the First Column—has he been recuperating behind closed doors lately?”
“I heard that many comrades went to visit him, but none of them managed to see him.”
“Yes, Commander!”
“Good. That’s for the best!”
“Tell the comrades not to be quite so enthusiastic. Let our hero rest properly for a while. He fought beautifully at the Battle of Baizhang Pass, and Comrade Su Changqing was wounded as well.”
“He needs a good period of rest to recover.”
“They can visit him after he has healed.”
“And once Comrade Su Changqing has recovered, have him return to headquarters.”
“There are a few things I would like to discuss with him in person.”
“As for this matter, let it end here.”
“Tell the Deputy Commander not to investigate any further.”
“When the sky wants to rain and a girl wants to marry, there is nothing to be done.”
“Let him go!”
“Yes, Commander!”
…
Elsewhere, Su Changqing soon slipped quietly back to Yang Village, where the First Column was stationed.
During this period, he had carefully surveyed the entire Shanxi–Chahar–Hebei region through the system’s simulations.
Among all the possibilities, Mount Wutai was indeed the most suitable area for the First Column to operate in.
Moreover, the Shanxi–Chahar–Hebei region lay east of the Xiabei–Tongpu Railway, west of the Tianjin–Pukou Railway, and encompassed the Zhengding–Taiyuan and Hebei–Rehe–Liaoning districts. Its territory was vast.
Its strategic importance was extraordinary.
In the future, western Shanxi, Chahar Province, northern Hebei, and other regions would also become some of the areas where the Japanese were most active.
Most importantly, Shanxi–Chahar–Hebei bordered Fengbei.
If they launched a counteroffensive toward Fengbei in the future, Su Changqing would be able to move into the region with great speed.
After all, in present-day Great Xia, Fengbei possessed the country’s most advanced heavy industry, the most complete industrial system, and all the resources necessary for industrial development.
It had everything.
That was precisely why Fengbei’s strategic importance was unparalleled.
It could be said that whoever possessed Fengbei would possess the world.
Su Changqing’s assessments and plans happened to coincide perfectly with the thinking of the commander in the base area.
In the commander’s words, Su Changqing’s strategic vision was astonishingly far ahead of its time.
Even among the Rainbow Army, where brilliant commanders were as plentiful as stars, he stood out above the rest.
“Changqing!”
“Changqing!”
A familiar voice rang out, and Su Changqing felt his scalp prickle.
He turned around at once, intending to find somewhere to hide.
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
But how could his old prankster of a senior allow Su Changqing to escape?
“Well, well!”
“Changqing, it’s only been a few days since we last met, and look at you.”
“What’s this? You’ve become a new bride who’s just married into the family, too shy to face me?”
“Hahahaha!”
The senior adjusted his glasses and burst into laughter as he looked at Su Changqing.
“Senior!”
“There really isn’t any grain left. Even the landlord’s household has nothing left!”
“I’m just a petty rich man. I can’t withstand you plucking me bare like this.”
Su Changqing looked at his senior with a bitter smile.
“Hey, you!”
“You’re acting like some miserly Shanxi landlord.”
“All we did was take a few horses from you.”
“When the revolution triumphs, we’ll pay you back double. How about that?”
Su Changqing was not about to be fooled by this unreliable senior of his.
“Senior!”
“Yesterday, the Chief of Staff at headquarters just walked off with a large shipment of supplies, claiming it was to lighten the burden on our First Column.”
“And the commander of the Western Route Army, whom we once treated as our savior, took light machine guns, heavy machine guns, and quite a few fine horses from us!”
“I heard that one of the commanders at headquarters even said yesterday that he wanted to come and see me. It feels as though everyone has started treating me like some wealthy landlord.”
“How am I supposed to bear this?”
Seeing Su Changqing’s aggrieved expression, the old senior roared with laughter.
“Hahahaha!”
“You’re the one who’s always making a fortune. The comrades are all poor enough to rattle their pots, so now that you’ve struck it rich, of course they want to drop by and shear a little wool.”
“Don’t worry. We certainly won’t let the First Column suffer too great a loss.”
“I didn’t come this time to fleece you.”
“Relax!”
The old senior patted Su Changqing on the shoulder reassuringly.
“I came here on a mission.”
“The commander at headquarters specifically asked to see you.”
“If you ask me, it’s probably about the base-area issue you mentioned last time.”
“The commander has been laying plans all this time. After all, with only one base area, we won’t be able to establish a firm foothold in the future.”
“And we’ll never achieve the goal of allowing a single spark to start a prairie fire.”
“Besides, the people of the East are ambitious. They are bound to ignite an all-out war.”
“Prepare in advance!”
“Establishing a new base area—that is what the commander wants to do now.”
“When you have time, go and report to him.”
“However…”
The old senior stared at Su Changqing for a long while, seeming to hesitate over whether to continue.
Su Changqing, who had been brimming with excitement, noticed the strange look on the old senior’s face.
A chill crept into his heart.
“Senior, what is it?”
“Were you dazzled by my handsome face?”
“Don’t look at me like that. You’re frightening me!”
Hearing Su Changqing ramble on like that, the old senior nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
This boy!
He really was incapable of being serious.
“You!”
“I can’t shake the feeling that letting you loose is going to end badly.”
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
“The commander said: Comrade Su Changqing is a lively little Monkey King.”
“Keeping this Monkey King in the base area would certainly make him behave, but it would also suppress his initiative. He wouldn’t be able to realize his full potential or create even greater miracles.”
“But if we let this Monkey King out, I’m afraid that one day he’ll punch a hole straight through the sky.”
“Comrade Li Yunlong certainly causes trouble from time to time, but Comrade Su Changqing…”
“He’s a demon king who roams the mortal world!”
“A demon king who is both righteous and wicked!”
Su Changqing was left dumbfounded by the commander’s assessment.
He was completely stupefied.
So that was how the commander at headquarters saw him?
A Monkey King!
At that moment, Su Changqing truly did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Still, establishing a new base area was inevitable.
After all, the system’s functions could only be fully activated in a base area free from too many constraints.
Only there could Su Changqing truly stretch his wings and put his abilities to use.
At the thought, he could not help admiring the commander at headquarters for his keen eye.
No wonder the man had judged emperors and generals throughout the ages. His assessments always struck straight to the heart.
They were incisive and profound.
“Heh heh. If I, Su Changqing, am the Monkey King…”
“Then the commander at headquarters must be the Buddha. With one casual slap, he could pin me beneath Five-Finger Mountain.”
“I’d never be able to overturn the heavens!”
“Get out of here. If you want to flatter the commander, go say it to his face yourself.”
“No time to waste. Ride over there!”
“Fine!”
Su Changqing lifted his foot and headed outside. After walking a few steps, however, he stopped.
He turned suspiciously toward the old senior.
“Old Senior!”
“Why aren’t you coming?”
“Ahem, ahem. The First Column has rich combat experience. I came this time to learn from it. You go on with your business.”
“Don’t mind me!”
The old senior’s performance looked utterly genuine.
Su Changqing thought nothing of it and strode outside.
Not long afterward, the old senior removed his glasses and wiped them with a cloth.
Then, excitement written all over his face, he headed toward a certain place.
“Oh, Commander! Commander! No, no, this won’t do!”
“Our column commander gave orders. This can’t be taken—truly, it can’t!”
“Hey, Li Yunlong!”
“You’re trying to stop me? Which of us has the higher rank—you or I?”
“You do, you do!”
“Exactly. Then this one, this one, and this one…”
“Give me one of each. If anything comes up, I’ll explain it to your column commander.”
“Ah, rank truly crushes all beneath it. Rank truly crushes all beneath it!”
“Column Commander!”
“Our home has been robbed!”
…
Page (3/3)