si-mexico Chapter 1181 Changed Direction
Chapter 1181 Changed Direction
"This is outrageous! The things we brought ourselves have caused so much trouble. Now I understand why our boss didn't want to stay here before. If I had to stay any longer, I probably would have turned against these guys too. They're shameless."
Hearing all sorts of rumors circulating outside, Liu Xiaoshan was getting fed up. "Your superiors didn't get enough food and drink, shouldn't you blame them? Now we're eating and drinking well, and you come to blame us? What kind of logic is that? Are our superiors supposed to be responsible for your food, drink, and even your basic needs?"
Before coming to Hankou, Liu Xiaoshan had heard rumors that some officers and soldiers of the Kuomintang were mentally unstable. At the time, Liu Xiaoshan thought it was just hearsay; after all, they were fighting the Japanese. But after hearing what these people said today, he truly felt that they were mentally unstable.
Because you can't afford good food and good drinks, it's wrong for me to eat good food. What kind of logic is that? Am I supposed to throw away my canned meat and eat coarse grain flatbread with you to be considered a brother in the same trench?
"Commander Liu, please don't mind them. That's just how these people are. I've dealt with them a lot here, and they're all just talking big. They don't really have any real impact, except for creating some public opinion storms. Last time, the Commander-in-Chief just boarded a plane and left, which made them realize that. This time, apart from some lower-ranking officers, no one from the upper ranks has stepped forward. I guess they've all seen through it. If they force you to leave again, then this war will probably be even more difficult to fight."
Wu Zhenlei didn't know what to say. Anyway, those bastards outside were always causing trouble. It would have been better if the Japanese had attacked sooner, then we would at least have something to do on the battlefield. Now that these guys saw the logistical support for the 72nd Army, their resentment immediately surfaced.
The problem is, so far, the central government hasn't given us a single penny; we've had to pay for everything ourselves. Haven't you seen the dozen or so transport planes landing every day? They're all there to deliver supplies to us. If you want food or drink, go back and ask your superiors.
But instead of going to their superior, these guys spent their days spouting useless, sarcastic remarks, saying that while they were all fighting the Japanese, the others were eating cola and bread every day, while they couldn't even get enough to eat, even with coarse grain flatbread. They argued that the treatment was completely different, and that when the Japanese came, those eating cola and bread should be the ones charging ahead.
The brothers of the 72nd Army were quite adept at dealing with gossip. "Say what you want," they'd say. "When the Japanese came, we were always at the forefront. Now that we're well-fed and clothed, that's only fair. Besides, it's our commanders' responsibility. If your commanders don't try to make things better for you, or can't, then it's your own bad luck."
"Don't worry about that. Even if I'm not very magnanimous, I wouldn't just take a plane and leave like the Commander-in-Chief. I don't have that kind of authority. I know very well why I'm here. But they can't be without principles either. If everything has to be handled like the logistics issue, causing a huge uproar, then even though I'm here, our cooperation will be just empty words."
Liu Xiaoshan maintained a relatively good attitude. Li Shaoyi could simply walk away because he was the commander of the 72nd Army Group, which gave him considerable freedom. Moreover, even after doing such a thing, he received strong support from both above and below.
Liu Xiaoshan was only the deputy commander of the 72nd Group Army, and even that position was only temporarily filled. Now that we're here, we need to maintain relations between the two armies. If our own willfulness causes relations between the two armies to deteriorate further, that will be a serious problem for us.
When they came from the north, not only did Li Shaoyi say a lot, but Chief of Staff Cui and Tang Guoping also gave Liu Xiaoshan a lot of instructions. There are some things you have to endure. Li Shaoyi can give them attitude, but you can't. Of course, we won't let anyone bully us. If they don't take us seriously, then we don't need to respect them either. We can just go it alone.
We didn't dare bring this up earlier because of Li Shaoyi's organizational structure. If he were to go solo, the organizational structure might be lost. However, after some testing, Li Shaoyi found that it was no longer necessary. As long as it's a legitimate organization capable of defending various regions, it can basically exist within the system.
That's why Li Shaoyi boarded the plane directly last time—he had to teach you guys a lesson. If we just keep backing down, do you think I'd endure any hardship for the sake of fighting the Japanese? That won't do!
"It is a blessing for the people of our entire land of China that Commander Liu has such a mindset. There will be a meeting at the Ministry of Military Affairs tonight at 7 o'clock, and most people will attend."
The meeting Wu Zhenlei mentioned was likely a meeting between Liu Xiaoshan and other people. Of course, besides that, it was also necessary to discuss the current situation east of Hankou. The Japanese have already advanced, and we don't have much time to prepare.
For some astute generals, from the day they retreated to Hankou, they had been preparing for battles around Hankou. But for some fools, they hadn't yet sensed the danger, still thinking the Japanese were far away and that it would take several months for them to reach this area.
In fact, from the moment the Japanese captured Nanjing, they had already begun formulating their next battle plan. It was only due to insufficient troops that they temporarily waited in place. Later, because they needed to open up the Jinpu Railway to the north, they mobilized a large number of elite troops, which prevented them from launching an offensive. Now, their direction of attack has been established: westward along the Yangtze River. As for the Jinpu Railway, it has been relegated to a secondary priority.
So at this point, Ma Leizi and Zhang Haiguang could breathe a sigh of relief, while the various armies stationed in Hankou had to become tense, which is why this meeting was held.