Chapter 32: Issuing Commands
Time slowly passed.
It had been a month since Zhou Lin arrived at the Seventh Division.
One day, after finishing their meal, Zhou Lin was resting in his room when Wang Hong barged in.
"Zhou Lin, we've received orders from the theater of war. Our division has a mission. We'll act tonight."
Wang Hong, the deputy director of the Political Work Department, responsible for political affairs, had attended the meeting.
Zhou Lin inquired, "Is it to raid the Japanese ammunition depot?"
Wang Hong looked surprised, "How did you know?"
Zhou Lin replied, "I have my ways."
Wang Hong thought it was information passed down by Zhou Lin's father and didn't dwell on it.
Zhou Lin sternly advised Wang Hong, "Captain, immediately inform the Chief of Staff. The Seventh Division is in great danger this time."
Wang Hong said, "This mission is temporary; the Japanese won't react in time."
Zhou Lin retorted, "If you don't believe me, go to the market now. The people from that fabric store have surely fled. They escaped with intelligence. Once the Japanese learn about the Seventh Division's plan to raid the ammunition depot, they'll reinforce it immediately."
Wang Hong, anxious, said, "I'll go to the market right away."
Wang Hong drove, taking Zhou Lin to the market.
Upon entering the fabric store, they found it deserted.
Zhou Lin asked, "Where are our people?"
They went to the backyard and found a member of the Twenty-First Squad killed.
Zhou Lin immediately questioned a woman nearby, "In the past half hour, who did you see go to the fabric store?"
Terrified by the gun in Zhou Lin's hand, the woman stammered, "A military officer came."
"What did he look like?"
The woman described the officer, and Wang Hong said, "It's the deputy battalion commander of the Second Regiment."
Zhou Lin got in the car with Wang Hong and returned to the military camp.
Wang Hong reported to Dai Su immediately.
Dai Su stated that without reliable evidence, the Shanghai Theater Command would not change its orders.
Zhou Lin checked the time; it was now 6:30. They had an hour and a half before the unit departed.
Zhou Lin rushed to Xie Tingting's home.
"Why are you here?" Xie Tingting asked joyfully.
Zhou Lin wasn't there to see Professor Xie. Meeting him wouldn't help; he couldn't defy orders.
Zhou Lin said to Xie Tingting, "Does your propaganda department have a radio?"
"We have one, and I'm usually in charge."
At school, Xie Tingting had learned wireless broadcasting.
Zhou Lin instructed, "From now on, stay by the radio. Be ready to receive my telegrams."
Xie Tingting asked, "The unit is moving, aren't you joining?"
Zhou Lin said, "I won't move with the main force! I have a different task. If you hold onto the radio and maintain contact with me, maybe we can save the Seventh Division, save your father, and save you."
Confused, Xie Tingting said, "Be careful!"
Zhou Lin left the radio frequency and password and departed.
In the Political Work Department, Wang Hong and the Twenty-First Squad were present.
Everyone sat in the car, waiting for Zhou Lin.
Once Zhou Lin boarded, the car started and headed towards the gate.
The gatekeeper reported to the division commander, "The Political Work Department is leaving for a mission."
The division commander said, "Let them go!"
The commander thought that the Political Work Department members were afraid of death and decided to escape.
After Zhou Lin's group left, they changed into Japanese military uniforms, disguising themselves as Japanese soldiers.
Driving towards the ammunition depot, as they neared, the convoy turned right.
After an hour of travel, Zhou Lin shouted, "Stop the car."
"Drive into the woods."
The cars were concealed.
The Twenty-First Squad, along with the company and battalion commanders, a total of twenty-seven people, proceeded on foot.
They reached a location and discovered the temporary resting place of the Japanese.
Zhou Lin led a few men and captured two soldiers.
The two Japanese soldiers were low-ranking officers.
Despite interrogation, they remained silent.
Silent? Zhou Lin had a way.
He drew a squad member's bayonet and ended the lives of the two Japanese soldiers.
Soon, a notification arrived.
"You killed one Japanese officer and earned a reward."
"Junior command: Can command a hundred soldiers in battle."
"Basic swordsmanship: North Star One-Sword Style."
"Please choose one of the above as a reward."
Zhou Lin thought, "I don't need junior command for now. I'll choose swordsmanship."
"I choose swordsmanship."
Immediately, Zhou Lin mastered the One-Sword Style and gained ten years of swordsmanship experience.
The One-Sword Style emphasized swift strikes.
Firstly, the key points in the motion of cutting. In brief, fully raise the sword, utilize the basic strength of arm movement, and the precise operation of the hand's internal force before reaching the maximum speed before passing over the head. At this point, when the elbows fully extend and the sword points straight up, only use the feeling of pulling the sword handle with both hands to relax the wrist, letting the sword naturally continue to fall.
There were three distinct operations with differentiation. One was the high-speed area of the sword's movement during the cutting process being behind oneself, the second was the wrist not locking in the joint during the cutting process, and the third was the wrist fully turning down after the sword passed over the head, with the sword and both hands almost at a right angle.
After mastering the swordsmanship, Zhou Lin received another reward from a Japanese officer.
"You killed one Japanese officer and earned a reward."
"Junior command: Can command a hundred soldiers in battle."
"Explosives expertise: Can perform low-level explosives."
"Please choose one of the above as a reward."
"I choose explosives expertise."
A second later, Zhou Lin became an entry-level explosives expert with ten years of experience.
Having obtained the reward, Zhou Lin said to the system, "I want to rewind time."
The system replied, "The host currently has only 150 points. The cost is insufficient for a rewind."
Zhou Lin checked and indeed had only 150 points.
The time rewind after leveling up required 200 points.
What to do? Where to get gold?
Suddenly, Zhou Lin remembered something. Last time on Dashima, he obtained five small yellow fish, which he hadn't used yet.
Originally saved for some extra money, they were still on hand.
This could be helpful.
"System, exchange the five small yellow fish for points."
"Exchange successful, converted to 163 points. The host now has 320 points."
Zhou Lin sighed in relief. "Give me a time rewind."
"Cost: 200 points. Time rewind initiated."
In Zhou Lin's mind, scenes of the Japanese officer's life appeared.
It lasted a total of 48 hours, quickly passing by.
In the first 36 hours, nothing valuable occurred.
Finally, Zhou Lin saw a scene.
It was an office. The Japanese regimental commander was having a meeting.
"Everyone, our headquarters received intelligence from the Chinese side. The information indicates that the Seventh Division of China will attack our ammunition depot tonight. For this reason, headquarters orders our brigade to quickly move to the ammunition depot and prepare. Strive to annihilate the Chinese Seventh Division."
(End of this chapter)