The days that followed were difficult for Zhao Gang and Li Qiufan, who were trapped in an endless cycle of recruiting troops and acquiring equipment.
After more than two months of development, Li Qiufan led the independent brigade to clean up the surrounding areas of Shanglin County.
The Japanese and puppet troops nearby were either pushed aside or ran away, which gave the Independence Brigade a great reputation.
Accordingly, more and more people are participating in the recruitment, and the burden on Li Qiufan is getting heavier and heavier, because there is a shortage of weapons and equipment.
"Old Zhao, please stop recruiting troops now. I can't bear it anymore!"
Li Qiufan said helplessly to Zhao Gang.
"Why, our Brigadier Li Da still can't handle it? I didn't know who it was at first, but I saw the newly recruited soldiers walking with their tails raised."
Zhao Gang rolled his eyes and joked to Li Qiufan.
"Old Zhao, our independent brigade now has more than 8,000 people! Do you know how many weapons, ammunition and food I need to buy!"
Li Qiufan complained bitterly.
After more than two months of expansion, the current independent brigade now has more than 2,000 main regiments under its jurisdiction, and the artillery regiment has also been supplemented to about 1,500 people.
There are also full reconnaissance battalions and guard battalions, with a total of nearly 9,000 people.
More than a thousand of them are not equipped with weapons yet, because there are no more Japanese or puppet troops around Shanglin County, and Li Qiufan can't get weapons and equipment.
"Damn it, I'm going to fight in Taiyuan if I'm so anxious!"
Thinking of the lack of weapons and ammunition, Li Qiufan slapped the table angrily.
"How about you contact the division headquarters? Let the division headquarters provide support?"
Zhao Gang whispered from the side.
"Do you think I didn't ask, but every time I mentioned this, the division commander asked me to hand over two howitzers, so I can hand it over!"
Li Qiufan looked sad and sighed helplessly. If he wanted to dig something out of his teacher's hand, it would be harder than climbing to the sky.
"Forget it, let these wolf cubs go out and develop on their own. Shanglin County is too small to support so many of us."
Li Qiufan decided to learn from Li Yunlong and let the troops go out to rest.
Just do what he said, Li Qiufan directly called the three main regiment commanders over and ordered them to go out and develop on their own. Only the artillery regiment and the reconnaissance battalion and the guard battalion were left in the base area.
A few days later, Li Qiufan was sunbathing in the yard when a soldier suddenly ran in.
"Report to the brigade commander, Battalion Commander Li of the Independent Regiment is here, saying he is here to find you!"
"Batalion Commander Li? There is also a battalion commander named Li in the Independent Regiment?"
Li Qiufan was a little confused, when did the independent regiment have a battalion commander Li.
Shaking his head, Li Qiufan followed the soldier out.
"Old Li?"
Walking outside the county town, Li Qiufan saw Li Yunlong standing at the gate of the city.
"Hello, Brigadier!"
When Li Yunlong saw Li Qiufan coming, he pretended to salute.
"Haha, when did you, Lao Li, become the battalion commander? What mistake did you make again?"
Li Qiufan hugged Li Yunlong with a smile and whispered in his ear.
"Hey, let's talk after we go in. I haven't eaten yet. Hurry up and get us something to eat, Lao Li."
When talking about the battalion commander, Li Yunlong looked depressed. He originally wanted to tease Li Qiufan, but now he was completely in a bad mood.
"Okay, let's go, let me give you some meat to eat, Old Li!"
Li Qiufan saw Lao Li's disappointment and immediately pulled him into the city.
In the small courtyard, two dishes and two bottles of wine were placed on the stone table, a plate of braised pork and a plate of pickled vegetables, and a table of peanuts was also spread.
"Lao Li, the food and wine are ready, tell me, what's going on?"
After sitting down, Li Qiufan continued to ask about the reason for Li Yunlong's demotion.
"Snapped!"
Li Yunlong slapped the table and said angrily: "Didn't I just kill a few bandits and actually masturbated me! Who are you asking to explain this!"
"bandit?"
Li Qiufan suddenly thought of Xie Baoqing in Heiyun Village, but the monk was on his side, so why did he still beat Heiyun Village.
"Why are you fighting bandits?"
Li Qiufan couldn't figure it out, so he decided to ask the person involved.
"Hmph, that bandit's village is called Heiyun Village. They actually kidnapped the communication soldiers I sent out and asked me to redeem them. How can I tolerate him!"
Li Yunlong became angry when he mentioned it. He had always robbed others, but he didn't expect to be threatened by bandits this time.
Li Qiufan finally understood what was going on and thought to himself: "Xie Baoqing, Xie Baoqing, don't you know that Li Yunlong is more of a bandit than a bandit? Why provoke him?"
"Okay, Lao Li, don't be angry. It won't be long before you are reinstated. Brother, let me have a drink with you to calm down!"
Li Qiufan poured wine into their bowls, then raised the bowls and said to Li Yunlong.
Li Yunlong didn't lose his temper when he saw this. He picked up the wine bowl and started drinking with Li Qiufan.
"By the way, Lao Li, why are you here with me?"
After drinking and eating, Li Qiufan asked Li Yunlong about his purpose.
"Nothing happened. I was feeling depressed, so I just wanted to go out for a walk. I happened to hear that you were promoted to brigade commander, so I planned to come over and see you."
Lao Li blushed and mumbled inarticulately.
"Really? Nothing else?"
Li Qiufan obviously didn't believe it. Li Yunlong was a master who never let go of rabbits but never let go of hawks. He didn't believe it and just came to see him.
"Well, haha, it's actually a little bit trivial."
Seeing Li Qiufan's expression, Li Yunlong couldn't hide it anymore and could only speak out.
"Tell me what's going on, I know you, Lao Li, can't be looking at me!"
Li Qiufan said angrily, with four big characters written on his face, as expected!
"It's not a big deal, I just want to move my base closer to you, brother, and we can be neighbors."
"That's it?"
Li Qiufan didn't expect that Li Yunlong would come over because of this matter. He thought he was looking for him to join forces to fight the Japanese.
"That's it, my independent group is coming over. We can take care of each other if anything happens in the future."
Li Yunlong nodded. He had actually heard about Li Qiufan's artillery regiment, and wanted to get closer to Li Qiufan. If he needed artillery support in the future, he could just come to Li Qiufan directly.
Li Qiufan, however, was offended and muttered. He didn't expect that he had demolished the North Shanxi Iron Triangle. What a big deal.
Look at the dark-skinned Lao Li again, and then look at himself who is several degrees fairer than Lao Li. Are there black and white evil spirits in the north of Shanxi?
"Of course I don't have any objections, as long as the superiors agree."
Li Qiufan nodded, this is not a bad thing.
"Haha, it's okay, superior. If you ask me, I'll tell you that it's easy to conflict with the Jinsui Army if you stay there, so I moved."
Li Yunlong patted his chest and signaled that he could handle it himself.
Hearing Li Yunlong talk about the Jinsui Army, Li Qiufan remembered that there was another character he had never seen before, and that was Chu Yunfei.
Then he asked Li Yunlong about the situation of the Jinsui Army.
