At the defensive position in the east of Yangquan City, the Chief of Staff left less than half an hour before returning to Zhou Cheng: "Captain, the results and losses have been counted!"

"The Xiyang Garrison and the First Battalion suffered very little losses, with a total of 249 people killed and 68 seriously injured. Half of the casualties came from the Japanese and puppet troops' artillery bombardment, and half of the casualties came from the final bayonet."

"When fighting for bayonets, although we will replenish the Japanese on the ground, the battlefield is too chaotic and dark, so some fish that will inevitably appear. When we get closer, they suddenly detonated the grenade and died with our soldiers..."

"The Punishment Guards, the Second Battalion, and the Special Battalion suffered the greatest losses, especially the Second Battalion and the Punishment Guards. Most of the casualties came from aircraft bombings during the day and Japanese artillery bombardment. The casualties of the Special Battalion came from breaking through at night."

"The three troops died in total 1,429 people and seriously injured 218 people. Almost all the remaining officers and soldiers were injured, which will not affect the combat for the time being!"

"Under the courageous battle of the participating troops, all the troops sent by the Japanese army to besiege us were eliminated, and no one escaped. A total of 2,218 Japanese troops were killed, 1,537 puppet troops were eliminated, and 3,689 puppet troops were captured."

"In addition, because the entire battle ended with bayonets, the Japanese had no chance to destroy weapons. We also seized a large number of weapons and ammunition in the battle. Under the raid of the cavalry, almost all the artillery used by the Japanese and puppet troops to siege us were seized, and more than twenty heavy machine guns, sixty light machine guns, and more than five thousand guns were seized."

"However, during the daytime battle today, we also lost a lot of equipment under the joint attack of Japanese aircraft and artillery. In addition, we lost three mountain cannons, two infantry cannons, 11 mortars, 16 heavy machine guns, 48 ​​light machine guns, 32 grenade launchers, and nearly 2,500 re-fire guns!"

"After making up for the losses, there are still remaining in the capture tonight except for the replenishment of guns, and other weapons are basically just right!"

Judging from the number of enemies annihilated, this was a very big victory, but Zhou Cheng didn't think so.

The Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Shouyang were similar to Yangquan. From the time they led their troops into Shouyang to the capture of Shouyang County, the direct losses of the participating troops were less than 1,000.

If the losses of the troops in Yangquan are added up, there will be about 2,500 people, which is more than twice as many as those in Shouyang.

If the loss difference between the two places is less than 500 people, Zhou Cheng can still accept it. There may be too many accidents on the battlefield, and it is normal to have hundreds of casualties.

Now the casualties and losses in the two places are a total of 1,500 people, which is a bit unreasonable.

But Zhou Cheng didn't say much, because there were more important things waiting for him to do next.

After a little silence, he began to give orders: "Since the garrison and the second battalion have suffered heavy casualties, I will not participate in the next action."

"You immediately arrange for two troops to take over all the prisoners and captures on the battlefield, and then continue to disturb the battlefield that has not been cleaned, and then send all the spoils, prisoners, and wounded to the pacification as quickly as possible."

"The other troops gathered immediately and went to Yangquan with me to prepare to perform a big show for the war zone!"

At three o'clock in the morning, more than a dozen bonfires were illuminated by lights one kilometer east of Yangquan City.

The soldiers of the two battalions of the Independent Regiment gathered here. Except for the necessary guard posts, everyone else waved the engineer's shovels, desperately digging the trenches under their feet, and building blocking positions.

Even if you do things, everyone is so busy that they look inexplicably. I don’t know why the leader of the group transferred everyone to this place where there is no village in front or shop in the back to build a position.

As soon as the regiment commander arrived here from the county town, the two battalion commanders came over and asked directly about their doubts: "Captain, is our independent regiment planning to occupy Yangquan and not leave!"

This is the only explanation that the two battalion commanders can think of.

Cooperating with the National Salvation Army's exercises is a high secret in the regiment. Looking at the confusing gaze of his subordinates, the regiment commander did not explain, nor could he explain, and asked with a smile: "Why do you ask this?"

"It's very simple!" explained the first battalion commander.

"In the past, after we captured the strongholds and important villages of the Japanese and puppet army, we retreated after cleaning the battlefield to prevent the Japanese and puppet army from surrounding us on the battlefield."

"This time we captured Yangquan, you not only did not issue an order to evacuate the county town, but also asked us to establish a line of defense outside the city."

"It is clearly to prevent other troops from getting close to the county town. Isn't this occupying the county town and not leaving?"

If you want to cooperate with the military exercise to save the country, the Independent Corps will indeed have to occupy Yangquan City in a short time.

Because we cannot tell the truth to our subordinates, in order to dispel their concerns, the leader directly answered according to their words: "I do mean to occupy Yangquan City and not leave. But this matter is not the final say, it depends on the intention of our superiors."

"I just received a latest information: the National Salvation Army has eliminated the Japanese and puppet troops that besieged them. Their real target is Yangquan, and they will definitely lead troops to kill them."

"We and the National Salvation Army are friendly forces. The two sides cannot compete for control of Yangquan County through head-on firefighting. However, Yangquan City is the first county town that has been won since the establishment of our Independent Regiment. We must not give up easily. We can only establish defense lines outside the city, block the National Salvation Army outside the city through positions, prevent them from getting close to the county town, and finally force them to retreat."

No one is willing to spit out the fat meat in his mouth after finally eating it.

After hearing from the regiment commander that he had to rely on his defense line to occupy Yangquan City and not leave, the two battalion commanders immediately became full of fighting spirit.

Like chicken blood, he hurried back to his own troops, urging the troops to speed up digging trenches and build the defense line as soon as possible so that the county town can have an additional amulet.

At three o'clock in the morning, the trenches appeared. Everyone stood in the trench half a meter deep, desperately digging out the soil...

A scout forward suddenly ran towards the regiment commander in a panic, gasping and reporting.

"Captain, the National Rescue Army has arrived, with about two thousand people. Not only are there cavalry, but also a large number of artillery and heavy machine guns, and rushed towards us!"

The regiment commander knew that the show was about to begin, and he had a serious order: "The army is ready for combat and set up all the light and heavy machine guns and mortars we equipped with. One is a stunning one. Since we want to scare the national rescue army through this line of defense, we must show all our strong strength."

As soon as his subordinates entered the position and were ready, a fire dragon with no end appeared at the end of the road.

As the National Salvation Army got closer, the regiment commander gradually became nervous.

In order to prevent the weapon from getting fired when acting for a while, the regiment commander ordered again: "The National Salvation Army is here, all troops are in a higher alert, and everyone has closed the weapon insurance to prevent it from getting fire. Without my order, the National Salvation Army will not shoot and fight back even if it hits our heads!"

The National Salvation Army, which was advancing along the highway, also discovered the existence of the defensive position at this moment and quickly unfolded five hundred meters in front of the position.

Ten minutes later, a company commander of the National Salvation Army appeared in front of the position alone: ​​"Listen to the brothers of the Independent Regiment, we are the National Salvation Army, and we are ordered to occupy Yangquan County! Please move the road away immediately, otherwise our National Salvation Army can only use the strong!"

Faced with the sudden shouts from the National Salvation Army, the two battalion commanders were stunned and stood there and didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, the company commander guarding the regiment commander rushed out in time so that they would not be too embarrassed and answered at the top of their voices!

"If you attack Yangquan County, you don't have to bother with the national rescue army..."

"Our independent group has taken down the county town. From now on, the county town belongs to our independent group, and no one can take it away!"

"As for the use of strength, our independent regiment is not a vegetarian. We guarantee that the soldiers will block the water and the soil will cover it!"

"But we are friendly forces, and we don't want to see both sides turn against each other for the sake of a Yangquan County, so we hope that the National Salvation Army can take into account the overall situation and take the initiative to withdraw the troops!"

The guard company commander said the words of the regiment commander just taught him, and the refutation was reasonable and just made the national rescue army speechless in front of the position.

After a while, he heard him speak again: "You are so relaxed. If our National Salvation Army had not dragged the main force of the Japanese and puppet army outside the city and wiped out them all, just the little firepower of your Independent Corps, you wouldn't even think of taking Yangquan off for another night."

"And the Japanese and puppet troops stored a large amount of weapons, ammunition and food in Yangquan County. Those treasures should be from our National Salvation Army. At most, some cost to your independent regiment."

"Get out of the position immediately. We have to go to the county town, otherwise don't blame our national rescue army for being polite!"

This time it was the turn of the guard company commander to have nothing to say.

But it is impossible to let them give up the fat meat they had eaten, especially the food, weapons and ammunition seized by the troops in the county, and would not return anything to the national rescue army.

The guard company commander could only grit his teeth and answer: "Yangquan County was captured by our Independent Regiment. The weapons, ammunition and food inside were seized by our Independent Regiment. It will definitely belong to our Independent Regiment. Don't even think about your national rescue army."

"You must withdraw your troops immediately, we will never give up our position..."

There is no need to continue talking after calling here.

Both sides stick to their bottom line, and no one lets anyone go. Keeping shouting will not waste any verbal use, and it will not do anything.

At this moment, the company commander of the National Salvation Army in front of the position suddenly said: "Our regiment commander wants to negotiate with your regiment commander to discuss this matter. If your independent regiment feels that it is not in the liability for occupying Yangquan City, then let your regiment commander stand up.

Ten minutes later, Zhou Cheng and the leader of the Independent Regiment met in the middle of the two troops.

Although the two troops have been neighbors for more than two years, as military chiefs of their respective troops, they cannot leave the troops casually. The meeting in front of them has become the first time that both sides have met.

After shutting down their subordinates and confirming that there were no outsiders around them, the leader of the independent regiment saluted Zhou Cheng without hesitation.

This military salute comes from the heart, representing both oneself and more than 3,000 officers and soldiers of the Independent Regiment.

If the National Salvation Army had not provided assistance to the Independent Regiment at critical moments many times and supported the Independent Regiment with a large number of weapons and equipment, the Independent Regiment would have never been so good, and it would have been difficult for the troops to grow to more than 3,000 people.

Zhou Cheng replied with a military salute very seriously.

He also sincerely thanked the Independent Group.

The National Salvation Army has reached a critical moment of life and death several times, and the independent regiment has stood up. No matter how bad the situation it faces, as long as its telegram arrives, it will lead troops to the battlefield without hesitation...

Therefore, the friendship between the two sides shared hardships was all included in these two military salutes.
Chapter completed!