Chapter 17: Dealing with a Tiger

From Chen De's words, Yang Xiaolin could tell that although this old miser had agreed to his request, he did not fully grasp its meaning, or rather, he was merely humoring him. Such was the limitation of the landlord class; their vision remained confined to their own small plots of land. Collecting rent and oppressing tenant farmers were what they did best. As for the war between the Japanese and the Russians, what did that have to do with them? They would never waste time pondering such matters.

Should the Japanese or the Russians arrive, they would serve them fine wine and lavish dishes, just as Chen De had treated him today. As long as the unwelcome guests eventually left and their little patches of land remained in their hands, nothing else mattered.

Yang Xiaolin had once considered overthrowing these landlords, much like the actions taken back in Jinggangshan. Overthrowing the landlords offered two major benefits: first, it would heavily supplement his own supplies. While the ordinary people of Liudaojiang struggled in hardship, Chen De lived in boundless wealth. Stripping him of his power and distributing his property to the common folk would ensure their unwavering loyalty to his cause.

Yet, he later changed his mind. He knew that the common people were indeed exploited by Chen De, but exploitation existed in every single era. What truly plunged the people into their current plight was not individuals like Chen De, but the Qing dynasty's corrupt system!

With a war imminent, all internal struggles must be set aside to unite every force that could possibly be united. Zhang Zuolin needed to be united, Feng Delin needed to be united, and figures like Chen De even more so. If the Qing imperial court were not utterly beyond redemption, he would have even considered seeking an alliance with Zaifeng. Only by gathering all available strengths could he alter the tragic outcome where the Great Qing Dynasty suffered the most in the Russo-Japanese War.

Yang Xiaolin glanced at Chen De. He wished to unite with this man, but would this fellow be willing? A soft sigh echoed in his heart—these landlords!

Yang Xiaolin was well aware of how perilous his current environment was. While other time-travelers navigated every situation with effortless charm, he found himself surrounded by tense winds and crane cries. The Russians wanted him dead, the Qing court wanted him dead, and Western nations likewise hoped that "Ghost-Killer" Yang would be eliminated. Only the Japanese seemed somewhat amiable toward him, yet even they harbored hidden agendas.

He could find no reliable power to lean on in his vicinity. True, many people were coming to pledge their allegiance to him, regarding him as a great hero who resisted the foreign powers, but what of it? He would gladly trade the title of hero for guaranteed success.

Slowly setting down his chopsticks, Yang Xiaolin spoke, "The tunnels—I will have Biao assist your men in digging them."

That afternoon, he visited several other sworn brothers, and the situation across their territories was largely similar to Liudaojiang. Most of the local gentry and villagers had grown to accept the presence of the Ghost-Killer's forces among them, maintaining a quite favorable attitude toward the troops. Because Yang's men did not harass the populace and frequently helped the locals with farmwork whenever time permitted, the local militia units had grown stronger under his influence. Small bands of bandits had either been absorbed or driven far away, which the locals regarded as an immense blessing; having a formidable figure like the Ghost-Killer around truly eased their concerns over public security.

Ordinary people were simple: they cared little whether one belonged to a bandit gang or the imperial army; as long as you brought them tangible benefits, you were accepted. Yet such acceptance fell far short of Yang Xiaolin's ideal of fish-and-water harmony with the masses.

How could he draw these people closer to him? Returning to Gulu Mountain, Yang Xiaolin pondered this for an entire night. This required not only propaganda, but also seizing the proper moment to demonstrate his worth through concrete actions that the villagers could witness with their own eyes.

He could never resort to Zhang Zuolin's tactics—dispatching men disguised as masked bandits to raid a village, only to later remove the black veils and play the role of a righteous militia coming to the rescue.

Yang Xiaolin's mind was filled with contradictions. On one hand, he wished for peace and quiet in this region, hoping the common folk could peacefully till their lands and live out their humble lives. On the other hand, he harbored a faint anticipation that the villagers might encounter some trouble beyond their own resolution, granting him an opportunity to shine and lead them toward a grand enterprise.

Amidst these conflicting emotions, sleep eluded him. The thatched hut was exceptionally cold, and even tucked deep beneath the covers, he could not ward off the recurring chills.

Early the next morning, the Russians arrived. They came half a day earlier than the time agreed upon with Yang Xiaolin, revealing just how anxious they were.

Then commenced the negotiations between the two sides. The debate centered primarily on two issues: first, the pricing; second, the Russians' refusal to use artillery pieces as a form of payment. The Russians firmly believed in the doctrine of heavy artillery, placing their absolute trust in the power of shells. Even though the 76mm field guns from the year 1900 requested by Yang Xiaolin were considered small-caliber by Russian standards, they were still unwilling to deliver artillery shells into the hands of a man who had until recently been their adversary.

The negotiations proceeded with extraordinary difficulty, dragging on for three full days over a batch of rifles. In the end, the Russians made a slight concession: they were willing to provide Yang Xiaolin with only one hundred cannons and a little over a thousand rounds of ammunition, while paying the remainder of the balance in cash—specifically, in British pounds.

Realizing no further ground could be gained, Yang Xiaolin gave his consent. One hundred cannons it would be. Yang Xiaolin vowed to himself that once he carved out his own territory and Sun Yat-sen's dispatched delegates helped establish a viable economic foundation and fostered domestic industry, his very first priority would be the expansion of arsenal production! When the time came, he would manufacture his own weaponry, mass-producing mortars and grenade launchers so that the Russians would eventually have to beg him for arms!

One hundred artillery pieces meant that each regiment of his brothers down the mountain could be allocated fifteen cannons, leaving twenty-five for his own headquarters. The specific artillery model Yang Xiaolin demanded possessed no standout advantages; its rate of fire was modest and its range was not particularly far, but its relatively compact size allowed for larger wheels to be fitted, making relocation exceptionally convenient!

Yang Xiaolin intended to wage mobile warfare. Had the Russians actually delivered a few massive siege guns, he would have rejected them outright. He already possessed heavy artillery, and his own heavy guns were infinitely easier to transport! Up on Gulu Mountain, Zhou Tong and his men had already manufactured over seventy "Heartless Mortars"! Their calibers put all foreign imports to shame!

The Heartless Mortar boasted numerous advantages: its shells were far easier to manufacture than Western goods, and its destructive power was just as astonishing as its massive caliber. During the Huaihai Campaign, the Kuomintang forces had initially assumed the Communists lacked heavy artillery and posed no threat to their reinforced concrete fortifications. Yet the Heartless Mortars unleashed devastating might, leveling enemy bunkers and trenches with a single shell—vastly outperforming foreign armaments.

Once Yang Xiaolin completed this transaction with the Russians, his combat doctrine would undergo a complete transformation. Prior to the First World War, the firepower of various nations was primarily directed toward point targets, meaning everyone focused heavily on destroying specific enemy positions.

After the World War, Western nations began to prioritize firepower coverage, and by the Second World War, meticulous tactical planning of firepower configuration had become standard practice among all major armies.

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, why could a few hundred guerrillas of the Eighth Route Army fail to capture pillboxes guarded by merely a dozen Japanese soldiers? Because the enemy's concentrated firepower coverage was lethal. The moment you raised your head, the Japanese infantry guns would open fire, inflicting casualties before you even spotted the enemy; as you charged forward, their light mortars would begin raining down destruction, wiping out another wave of your men; and by the time you reached their fortifications, machine guns and grenades would finish off the remainder, leaving few survivors.

Yang Xiaolin's advantage lay in his ability to acquire and deploy these modern armaments ahead of his time. Previously, Yang Xiaolin's battles resembled those of the Eighth Route Army—relying on stealthy approaches to the enemy lines followed by a sudden storm of grenades and hand-to-hand bayonet charges. While such tactics stirred the blood, they also inflicted heavy casualties on his troops.

Now things were different. If he could successfully achieve a seamless integration of various firepower elements, he could establish a comprehensive firepower umbrella. At greater distances, he would batter the enemy with the artillery provided by the Russians; as the enemy closed in, he would unleash the Heartless Mortars; and at close quarters, heavy machine guns and hand grenades would seal their fate.

Even in close combat, his current configuration of individual infantry weaponry gave him absolute confidence.

The Heartless Mortar served as his secret weapon. He brazenly erected those large iron barrels all around Gulu Mountain. Both Russians and Japanese saw them clearly, yet not a single person bothered to ask what those objects were for. To the Russians, Gulu Mountain likely suffered from a water shortage, and the Ghost-Killer was merely using the iron drums to collect rainwater for the rainy season.

With the terms settled, the exchange proceeded on a cash-and-carry basis. The situation for the Russians in Northeast China was extremely tense, and they had already amassed massive stockpiles of supplies. One hundred cannons and one thousand shells were a mere trifle to an army seeking to win the war through rapid artillery dominance; they could easily spare them by squeezing a logistics depot.

They concluded the transaction with Yang Xiaolin at maximum speed. Upon receiving the rifles, the Russian military experts could not even wait to return to base; they immediately dismantled one of the guns right there on Gulu Mountain. Upon inspecting the interior, the Russian munitions experts were instantly struck with regret, realizing that the very problem which had plagued the Russian military industry for so long was solved by such a remarkably simple design!

Only then did the Russian colonel release a long sigh of relief, extending his hand toward Yang Xiaolin. "Ghost-Killer Yang, I suppose this counts as our first somewhat pleasant cooperation. Thank you very much for keeping your promise and refraining from tearing up our railway tracks."

Yang Xiaolin shook his hand. "Colonel, I believe we will cross paths again in the future. If possible, please convey a message to your supreme commander on my behalf: I have no interest in participating in the conflict between you and Japan. I hope we can maintain a brief period of peace for the time being. Let me make this clear—as long as your forces do not provoke me, I guarantee that Gulu Mountain will not cause you any trouble whatsoever."

The Russian colonel smiled. Could the promise of the Ghost-Killer truly be trusted? It mattered little. The Russians had already concentrated their forces in Kaiyuan and were poised to launch a devastating annihilation campaign against Gulu Mountain.

Smiling, he shook Yang Xiaolin's hand once more. "Very well, I shall relay your intentions to our army headquarters. I believe that as long as you honor your word as you did today, our command will certainly agree. Ghost-Killer Yang, I hope we meet again."

His final sentence carried a double meaning, but Yang Xiaolin failed to catch it.