In downtown Shancheng, inside a lavishly decorated villa, Zhang Xuan sat calmly on the soft sofa in the living room. The middle-aged man who had received him stood respectfully at his side.
"Mr. Song, you people really know how to enjoy yourselves!" Zhang Xuan surveyed the surroundings, the anger in his eyes growing deeper. He roared, "The land of China is filled with suffering, yet you hide away in this palace and do nothing but indulge yourselves. You truly... deserve to die!" Zhang Xuan thought for a long time but could not find words adequate to describe them. Any word seemed too mild for people like them, so he could only end with, "Deserve to die."
Mr. Song trembled slightly, mumbling without saying anything.
Zhang Xuan glanced at Mr. Song, cursed again, then said, "Gather everyone immediately. Fully equip them with American weapons. I'm going to the battlefield!" Zhang Xuan truly could not be bothered dealing with the National Government's mess. He only wanted to drive every Japanese devil out of China and restore peace beneath its skies.
War was no game. It had never been something one person could change, unless that person was an unrivaled warrior capable of sweeping aside entire armies. Killing the Japanese emperor or Japanese generals would be easy for Zhang Xuan, but it would not end the war. Instead, it might make the enraged Japanese invaders vent their fury upon the Chinese people. Only by killing them with blade and gun and driving them from Chinese soil could the suffering of China's people finally end.
China had no shortage of people, and Hydra had quite a few men in China as well. As for guns, given China's industrial base, Hydra might possess countless high-tech weapons, but it could not manufacture them there and thus could not arm Hydra's Chinese soldiers. Equipment could only be demanded from the National Government. The Hanyang Type was far too outdated; only full American equipment would give them a chance to fight the Japanese invaders head-on.
Hearing Zhang Xuan's request, Mr. Song looked troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Mr. Zhang, I'm only the Minister of Finance. I can gather the men, but the weapons..."
"Chiang Kai-shek has that authority, doesn't he?" Zhang Xuan rudely cut him off, his voice rising sharply. "If you can't do it, I'll ask him myself!"
Mr. Song was startled and hurriedly explained, "Mr. Zhang, China is different from Europe and America..."
"I'm Chinese too. I know all of China's traditions!" Zhang Xuan interrupted him again and slapped the tea table before him. The table shattered at once. "Tradition can't beat a fist. Right now, whoever has the harder fist is in the right!"
"Gather the men immediately. I'll go demand the American equipment from Chiang Kai-shek!" Zhang Xuan did not allow Mr. Song another word and gave the order with overwhelming force.
Mr. Song looked helpless. With a sigh, he nodded and walked out.
After Mr. Song left, Logan, with a cigar clenched between his teeth, asked in astonishment, "Alex, I never expected that in China, you..."
Before Logan could finish, Zhang Xuan waved him off with a weary expression. "I really don't want to deal with these bureaucrats. Once the men and equipment are ready, we'll head to the battlefield!"
Logan glanced at Alex and changed the subject. "Should we let Steve and the others know we're safe?"
"Oh, we should tell them." Zhang Xuan immediately remembered and nodded. "I also need to ask Howard for a favor."
The next day, no one knew what methods Mr. Song had used, but Zhang Xuan became the commander of an army in the National Revolutionary Army, with nearly thirty thousand men under his command. Every one of them belonged to Hydra. More importantly, this army was fully equipped with American weapons and, as Zhang Xuan had requested, every soldier was issued light and heavy machine guns. This was unprecedented—not merely in the National Revolutionary Army, but anywhere in the world.
Looking at the documents Mr. Song handed over, Zhang Xuan's face brightened. He praised, "Mr. Song, you've done very well!"
"Thank you for the praise, Young Master Zhang!" Mr. Song felt bitter inside, his heart aching at the expense. To fulfill Zhang Xuan's demands, he had gone to extraordinary lengths and paid a tremendous price. But when he thought of Zhang Xuan's identity, he felt it had all been worthwhile.
"Are these men reliable?" Zhang Xuan asked worriedly as he flipped through the army's detailed records. He had serious doubts about the National Revolutionary Army's combat effectiveness, but what worried him even more was their loyalty. What he was about to do was extremely important and could not tolerate the slightest mistake.
"Rest assured, Young Master Zhang. These men were raised and trained by Hydra from childhood. They are absolutely reliable!"
Zhang Xuan nodded at that. After pondering for a while, he asked again, "Where are the nearest Japanese forces?" The men were ready, and so was the equipment. Zhang Xuan was prepared to make the Japanese his first target.
Mr. Song was initially stunned. After a moment, he came back to his senses and slowly replied, "Jiangcheng."
Zhang Xuan lowered his head and repeated "Jiangcheng" several times. Moments later, he had made up his mind. Jiangcheng it would be. He looked up at Mr. Song and asked, "Do you have photographs of the Japanese garrison in Jiangcheng?"
"The Military Statistics Bureau should have them." Mr. Song did not know what Zhang Xuan intended to do and answered uncertainly.
"Go find them. You must get them for me." Zhang Xuan ordered forcefully. "They don't need to show the inside of the garrison. The outside will do!"
"Fine, I'll go look for them right away!" Mr. Song was startled by Zhang Xuan's tone and repeatedly agreed.
After Mr. Song left, Zhang Xuan vanished from the villa as well. Moments later, he returned with a case in his hand. Then Zhang Xuan made another trip to the Howling Commandos' camp, bringing a squad back to the villa. He intended for the first battle to make a powerful statement, so he had specifically invited Steve and the others over and brought along many energy guns seized from Hydra.
Zhang Xuan did not yet want to expose his connection to Hydra, so he had not equipped this army under his command with energy guns. His public identity was merely that of a National Revolutionary Army commander, nothing more.
Not long after Zhang Xuan returned, Mr. Song came back as well, carrying a stack of photographs. Seeing a group of foreigners who had suddenly appeared in the villa, Mr. Song remained perfectly composed, showing no unusual expression.
Taking the photographs from Mr. Song, Zhang Xuan examined them as he ordered, "Take me to the army!"
The group left Mr. Song's villa and headed for the military district's garrison outside Shancheng.
The trip from the villa to the garrison took more than ten minutes. During that time, Zhang Xuan repeatedly vanished, reappeared, and vanished again. By the time they reached the military district's garrison, Zhang Xuan had found what he wanted.
The camp of Zhang Xuan's army had been set apart from the other troops, with no contact between them. This had also been Zhang Xuan's specific request. The camp lay in a secluded valley, surrounded on all sides by high mountains. Only a narrow path led in and out, making it extremely difficult for ordinary people to find.
Upon entering the valley, Zhang Xuan found that all thirty thousand men had assembled. They stood in neat ranks across the open ground, silent as the grave.
"This is a force of tigers and wolves!" Steve praised sincerely as he looked at the thirty thousand soldiers.
Zhang Xuan felt somewhat proud at that. Although these men had been trained by Hydra, they were still Chinese soldiers. Hearing Steve praise them so highly filled Zhang Xuan with a deep sense of shared pride.
"I am Zhang Xuan, your commander!" Zhang Xuan stepped before the army and shouted at the top of his lungs. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care who you are or where you came from. From this moment on, you have only one identity: Chinese soldiers! A soldier's duty is to defend the land and resist invasion. The devils occupy our territory and abuse our countrymen. The hatred of family and nation shall be repaid today!"
These thirty thousand soldiers were Hydra soldiers, but they were Chinese first and foremost. Zhang Xuan's words stirred every man's hatred for the Japanese invaders. For a time, their emotions surged, and their fighting spirit soared into the heavens.
"I have only one demand for you: kill. Kill with everything you have!" Seeing the savage expressions on the soldiers' faces, Zhang Xuan felt blazing flames ignite in his heart. He continued loudly, "Concentrate your fire and hit them hard! Even if you turn Jiangcheng into a sieve, do not leave a single devil alive!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Thirty thousand men answered as one. Their battle cry shook the heavens, their momentum like a rainbow.
Author's note: On this day of national remembrance, Scorpion wanted to write a stirring declaration to honor the fallen heroes, but lacked the skill to do so. After cobbling together this passage, Scorpion dedicates it to all Chinese people who suffered during the War of Resistance and to every soldier who gave his life for the nation.
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