The arrival of Smith forced Liao Mingyu to postpone his plan to go to Wanding. He took the latter back to the camp to see what the old guy had to say.
"Liao, during this period, you and your troops have really impressed me. I dare say that no army in your country can surpass you. Haha... These are the best Cuban cigars, do you want to try them?"
Smith came up with a meal. Knowing that Liao Mingyu loved smoking, he took out a box of cigars from his briefcase, cut off the two ends for him like an old friend, and burned the cigarette body with a match.
Liao Mingyu was not polite. He lit the cigarette and took a deep breath. The strong and original tobacco aroma came to his nostrils. There was no smell of chemical additives or spices. The mellow yeast aroma filled the nasal cavity and lungs, making people feel relaxed and happy.
As a long-time smoker, he was quickly captured by the mellow taste of the cigar. He smacked it and kept boasting: "Well, it tastes great. You Americans really know how to enjoy it."
"Haha, if you like this box of cigars, I'll give it to you. If it's not enough, I'll still have some over there." Smith said nonchalantly. As someone who works in logistics and nothing else, there are a lot of all kinds of greedy things.
Although Liao Mingyu was confused, he didn't refuse. If the high-end cigars were worth hundreds of dollars at the market price, they wouldn't be able to get them. He was just curious about where this guy learned these tricks.
Showing courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing. Liao Mingyu stopped talking nonsense and asked directly: "Okay, let's talk about it. What do you want to see me for?"
"I heard that you have reached Nankan and are marching towards Lashio."
"Colonel Smith is very well-informed. Perhaps our guardsmen don't know as much as you do."
Smith smiled calmly. He had his own way of controlling the news, but now was not the time to talk about this: "Please forgive me for being presumptuous. I have to remind you that it is very dangerous for your army to go directly west and then south."
"What's dangerous?"
"Aren't you worried that the main force of the Japanese army in the north will attack you from the front and back? Then your troops who are alone and deep will probably make the same mistake again."
Smith's tone became a little stiff. He was talking about the incident in which the first expeditionary force into Myanmar was cut off. He didn't think Liao Mingyu could not see the hidden dangers in this.
"Aren't you there in the north? As far as I know, the Allied forces and the troops stationed in India should launch an attack on the Japanese in northern Burma at the end of the month, right?" Liao Mingyu said confidently, exhaling smoke.
Smith was shocked, how did he know?
The reason why Liao Mingyu dared to go directly into Myanmar to rescue the Self-Rescue Army was because of the special date of October 1943.
Because in the original history, it was on October 24 that the troops stationed in India launched a comprehensive counterattack against the Burmese and Japanese troops.
Because of the rapid advancement of the Honorable Third Division, the situation is now more favorable to India. The British and Americans can't wait to return to Burma and take back their colonies.
The two divisions of the Indian Army led by Sun Liren have basically completed their reorganization and training in Ramgarh. They also want to counterattack Myanmar as soon as possible so that they can return home as soon as possible. As expected, the major counterattack will definitely come as promised.
Therefore, Liao Mingyu was not worried about the large number of Japanese troops in the north at all. He left those difficult bones to Stilwell and the others. After all, he helped defeat the 18th Division. Otherwise, according to the normal historical trend, this division would will be transferred to northern Myanmar to face Sun Liren's new 38th Division.
"Haha... It seems that your information is well-informed."
Smith smiled awkwardly. He didn't expect that he had learned about the expected plan that had not yet been reported by the Indian side, but since it had been exposed, there was nothing to hide. He glanced at Dong Dao next to him, and said with his eyes like Liao Mingyu ask.
"There are no outsiders here, just tell me."
"All right, since you insist so much." Smith collected his thoughts and continued:
"The troops stationed in India originally planned to advance from Tangjiaka and Karaka to the Hugang Valley on the 24th of this month and officially launch a comprehensive counterattack. In view of the very favorable position of your third division, General Stilwell hopes that you can lead the attack Myitkyina, form a joint north-south offensive with the troops stationed in India, so that the Japanese in northern Burma can be wiped out as quickly as possible."
It turned out that he wanted him to share the firepower. Liao Mingyu chuckled and answered the question: "Do you remember, Colonel Smith, that you still owe me something?"
"What?" Smith was confused. When did he owe you something?
"The batch of supplies you promised me...it seems like you ran away before you finished giving them to me, right?" Liao Mingyu shook the ashes from his cigarette, his expression gradually becoming cold.
This old fox is really nothing. The supplies he promised when he attacked Nantianmen were divided into five or six batches because of the huge quantity, and one batch was delivered every week.
But who would have known that the Sichuan Army fought too fast. After Nantianmen was captured, two batches of supplies were not delivered. As a result, Smith pretended to be confused and disappeared without asking.
If something hadn't happened during that time, Liao Mingyu would have really wanted to argue with him, but now this old guy has the nerve to come over and make demands.
"Haha, Liao, please don't get me wrong. The situation at that time was special, and I didn't mean to shirk it. Let's do this...if you can send troops to Myitkyina, we will provide another batch of supplies like last time, and it will be a one-time payment."
Smith didn't care about the unpleasantness last time. The nature of a businessman made him feel that as long as the chips were enough, there was nothing he couldn't negotiate.
Liao Mingyu sneered again and again, and immediately asked: "Shouldn't we go to our chief of defense for this kind of thing?"
"Your commander-in-chief is busy dealing with the 56th Division now, but he can't take care of this. With all due respect, their offensive efficiency is too low. I don't think they can defeat Tengchong in one to two months." Smith shrugged. Express helplessness.
To be honest, he didn't look down on that group of people at all. Except for Liao Mingyu's troops in the entire expeditionary force, they were not worth investing in.
"Then this matter is troublesome. The attack on Nankan and Lashio was approved by the chief of defense, but going north to attack Myitkyina... Without the order of the chief, how can I mobilize the troops at will and act without authorization?"
Liao Mingyu said that he was a good boy and would never do anything inappropriate without orders.
Have you ever disobeyed military orders? When did you not act on your own terms? Your name, Liao Mingyu, has spread throughout the entire circle. Smith suppressed his anger and almost spit out a word starting with f.
"What do you think of 1.2 million rounds of ammunition, 150,000 artillery shells of various calibers, plus 3,000 brand new US military standard firearms, and 100 60 mm mortars? Besides, you have done this kind of thing before."
Smith directly showed his chips and stared directly at Liao Mingyu, expecting to get the answer he wanted from the latter.
"The commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force was not the chief of the guards before. Besides, I have to consider my own reputation." Liao Mingyu looked embarrassed and played hard to get.
"You actually care about this?" Smith was surprised.
"No, no, no, Smith, you misunderstood. Now that Chief Guard trusts me so much, how can I make it difficult for him... I have to pay more!"
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