President Truman basically didn't discuss any military matters with Parks, only talking about Parks' family life. On this matter, Parks originally didn't want to say much. However, since the President asked, he had no choice but to talk about his parents, whom he had never met, relying entirely on his fused memories and fragments. But the situation of Parks' father still made President Truman sigh repeatedly. Nevertheless, he still expressed his hope that Parks would be able to demonstrate his abilities in the Pacific Theater and contribute to the nation! Finally, they had breakfast together. President Truman left in a hurry. It wasn't until a guard told Parks that President Truman had already left Berchtesgaden. But Parks already knew this; President Truman was rushing to Potsdam to attend the Three-Power Conference.
Now, only General Taylor and General Weisman were left in the entire hall and on the open-air balcony. The President's guards had already left, with only some military police guarding near the hotel. The three of them sat down at a table, and then the orderly brought delicious coffee.
General Taylor and General Weisman chatted, mostly about the developments and situations in the European and Pacific Theaters. General Weisman also revealed his desire to fight alongside the 101st Airborne Division. However, General Taylor was not very interested in this. Major Parks, on the other hand, had nothing to say and couldn't interject. This was because he already knew some things in advance, and there was no need to display his so-called foresight at this moment. This was not wise.
Of course, in the end, the conversation still revolved around Major Parks, as this was the purpose of all three of them. General MacArthur would not have sent General Weisman here to observe an exercise for no reason.
"I sincerely admire the achievements of the 101st Airborne Division, and in fact, these achievements are all built upon your leadership, General!" General Weisman took a small sip of coffee, then said to General Taylor, "General MacArthur has also taken notice of this and has entrusted me to definitely speak with you this time and convey his respect and greetings!"
"Thank you very much!" General Taylor also raised his coffee cup, gestured to General Weisman, took a sip, and put it down. "Please also convey my congratulations to General MacArthur for his achievements; the war in the Pacific has completely turned in his favor!"
"Yes, and also, General. It's like this: regarding Major Parks, almost all Americans know about his achievements. He is an outstanding officer!" Weisman said, then nodded and smiled at Major Parks, the person in question. "Major, this is not flattery; it's a fact. Therefore, General MacArthur wants me to discuss with you, General, whether Major Parks can lead his commando unit to the Pacific Theater. I think the war in Europe is over now, and the Black Panther Commando Company is the elite of the 101st Airborne Division, and even more so, the elite of the U.S. Army. Such a company should have its place to shine!"
It was very clear that one of General Weisman's purposes for coming this time was the Black Panther Commando Company, or perhaps it could be said to be his only purpose. The previous exercise observation was merely his assessment of the company's combat capabilities. If it could achieve the desired combat objectives, then he would speak to General Taylor. If it was not as good as its reputation, then he would return empty-handed to report. But after one exercise, the Black Panther Commando Company's combat capabilities were very clearly demonstrated and could be used to execute any special combat requirements, which was precisely what General MacArthur needed.
"I know what you mean. I can tell you very clearly, General, the Black Panther Commando Company is not only a unit of the 101st Airborne Division, it is also a unit of the U.S. Army. If the Army Department has no problem, I have absolutely no problem here. I am also very happy to have the opportunity to cooperate with General MacArthur!" General Taylor smiled slightly, then added, "And you must also convince Major Parks; the Black Panther Commando Company is his unit, isn't it?" Saying this, he shrugged slightly and spread his hands towards Weisman.
Seeking Major Parks' opinion? Obviously, saying this was just to remind General Weisman not to forget the commander of this company. This already fully took Parks' feelings into account. In any case, as long as the Army Department agreed to the transfer, Parks would have to immediately lead his company to the Pacific Theater. No one could change this, not even General Taylor.
"I have no problem here, General. I am a soldier; obeying orders is my duty!" Parks also raised his coffee cup to toast the two generals. "However, General, our equipment still needs to be strengthened. To fulfill the requirements of special operations, our light weapons are a problem. The brothers cannot rely on rifles to complete those missions; we need automatic weapons! I mentioned this in my formation report!"
"Automatic weapons?" Weisman couldn't help but laugh, "We have Thompson submachine guns, very good ones. In the Pacific Theater, they are almost omnipotent. No problem with that!" He obviously agreed too quickly, somewhat overstepping his bounds. He quickly realized this and then smiled apologetically at General Taylor, feeling a bit awkward.
"If it's just submachine guns, then of course there's no problem. General Weisman is absolutely right!" General Taylor smiled at Parks, clearly taking Weisman's feelings into account, then winked at Parks. "This afternoon will surprise you, Major Parks. We've received a new batch of military supplies, some of which are new automatic weapons, and other items. They might just meet your needs!"
General Taylor was right. That afternoon, Parks witnessed the new automatic weapons. He took General Taylor's order and, along with the brothers of the commando company, received brand new automatic rifles.
When Parks received this batch of automatic rifles, he couldn't help but exclaim. Wasn't this the AK fully automatic rifle he had designed? Only the external design had changed somewhat; the stock had become foldable, similar to the stock of the improved AKC-74 rifle of later generations. Moreover, the internal structure of the entire rifle was more similar to China's Type 81 automatic rifle of later generations. It adopted a gas-operated, rotating bolt locking system, capable of single and continuous firing. And these were originally mentioned by Parks in his design. Furthermore, the rifle could fire grenades and could be fitted with aiming devices and suppressors. Such a weapon was exactly what Parks needed, but what bothered Parks was that the magazine was not the curved magazine he was familiar with in his previous life, but the straight magazine common to the U.S. Army. Of course, this was also related to the bullets using small-tapered copper cores, but the magazine capacity was reduced to only 25 rounds. Of course, there was also the use of drum magazines for the machine gun version, which perfectly solved the problem of support fire. And now, as long as the company's members became familiar with these weapons, they would quickly become killing machines on the battlefield. And the name of this rifle, PW45, actually made Parks laugh and cry at the same time. If he guessed correctly, this must be Virginia's personal bad taste. He had abbreviated the first letters of Parks' and Virginia's names. No matter how much the rifle's appearance bothered Parks, it was still his own work after all.
In fact, during the shooting training that day, Parks was very satisfied with the weapon's accuracy and range performance during his test firing. In terms of range, it had huge lethality against single targets at 400 meters and group targets at 500 meters, and it still had a certain lethality within 2000 meters. This result was satisfactory, and the speed of feeding ammunition from the magazine was also relatively faster than that of curved magazines, leading to a faster rate of fire. However, the faster speed led to a decrease in accuracy during continuous firing.
The brothers were very satisfied with such weapons. Christenson received the squad machine gun, and the large drum magazine had a capacity of 75 rounds. This capacity allowed the machine gun to be operated by just one person.
"I like this thing!" These were Christenson's words. Frankly, it gave him a desire to shoot as he pleased, without being restricted by the bulky old-fashioned machine guns that required one person to shoot and another to feed ammunition. Of course, Christenson wasn't the only one satisfied with the weapons; in fact, every brother who had used the new firearms liked them. Although the accuracy was not as good as the M1 rifle in single-shot firing, the feeling of continuous firing like a torrential storm made them feel exhilarated. Even those who had used Thompson submachine guns, like Cobb, couldn't put down these automatic weapons.
The improved Garand M1D .30-inch sniper rifles were distributed to each squad. Now, each squad would have a designated sniper, and although the performance of these improved sniper rifles was somewhat distant from those of later generations, they were sufficient for the current company. Of course, there were many other weapons and equipment as well.
The company's members spent the past two days happily spraying bullets at the targets. Parks knew that hit rates were fed by bullets. He was not stingy in this regard. And in these few days, Parks was again received by General Weisman, and this time, he made his intentions even clearer.
"We need your company now! Major Parks!" General Weisman said directly, "The Army Department has agreed to General MacArthur's request. You have one day to prepare. Tomorrow, you will be transferred to the Pacific Theater."
"What kind of mission is it?" Parks already knew this day would come, so he wasn't surprised at all. MacArthur sending a general over was clearly not just to watch his exercise.
"I cannot tell you that for now, not even the location," Weisman nodded to Parks. "Please forgive me for that, Major. You will know when the time comes!"
That afternoon, Parks relayed the order that the company would be transferred to the Pacific. At that moment, the team members, who were still excited from test-firing the new weapons, suddenly fell silent. Yes, this day was bound to come sooner or later, but when it arrived, many people fell into silence. Everyone had their own thoughts. But they could only obey orders now.
Parks and Welsh went to the Battalion HQ of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment. He had to say goodbye to Major Winters and Captain Nixon. The friendship forged in battle made them feel reluctant to part.
"I hope we can meet in the Pacific!" Major Winters couldn't say much either, and although his expression was a bit somber, he still expressed his hope. He had already submitted a transfer request, hoping to go with the 13th Airborne Division, which was about to head to the Pacific Theater. Nixon poured four glasses of wine, giving one to each person.
With a "clink," the glasses touched, producing a crisp sound. This time, no one said why, why? It was inherently unclear.
A sharp whistle broke the morning tranquility, and the Black Panther Commando Company's barracks instantly erupted into activity. All the team members quickly put on their clothes, equipped their gear, and swiftly gathered on the training ground. June 12, 1945, was the day the Black Panther Commando Company was ordered to advance towards the Pacific.
Trucks lined up on the training ground like a long dragon. The company would travel by truck to a nearby airport, then fly to the port, and finally arrive at the Yorktown in the Pacific, where the carrier's aircraft would transport them to their mission destination.
However, from the beginning until their departure, Major Parks still did not know what kind of mission they would be executing. He did not have foresight regarding such minor changes.
But it was certain that this mission was related to the content of the exercise.
However, one surprising thing was that as they departed, they saw a large group of soldiers waiting outside the camp. When they saw the soldiers of the Black Panther Commando Company emerge, they couldn't help but cheer and applaud enthusiastically.
Everyone was stunned by this scene, especially the veterans of Easy Company.
The soldiers of the entire 2nd Battalion were waiting there. They had obviously gotten up very early, which was a rare occurrence for these soldiers who had no battles to fight and spent their days drinking and looking for women.
"Malarkey! I knew you'd make a big splash. God, defeating a strong opponent in front of Mr. President, what could be more exciting than that!" Ellie suddenly squeezed out from the crowd and embraced Malarkey as he passed. "Buddy, be careful, the Japanese are no worse than the Germans. Don't get hurt!"
"I know, Ellie, I hope I don't see you in the Pacific. To be honest, now that we're going, I suddenly don't want you guys to go to the Pacific either! You know, we'll defeat the Japanese for you!" Malarkey chuckled, patted Ellie's shoulder, and they shook hands before parting ways. One stood watching him leave, the other moved forward without hesitation.
The brothers said goodbye with hugs and handshakes. Everyone's heart was filled with reluctance. Yes, they were brothers who had fought together on the European battlefield. This departure might be a permanent farewell. Everyone's mood was not light. And the soldiers of the 2nd Battalion were still worried about whether they would be deployed to the Pacific theater.
"Maybe we'll parachute into Tokyo and capture the Japanese Emperor, and then the war will be over," Heffron said to Dr. Spina with a smile. "Buddy, when the time comes, I'll bring you cherry blossoms from Tokyo!"
"I know, I originally wanted to join the company too. But you know, Major Parks refused me. Earlier, I even felt lucky that it was just a momentary impulse, but now I have to say, I missed a great opportunity. This isn't fair to me, I'm also a veteran, and experienced. Maybe President Truman will even receive me in the future!" Although Dr. Spina was joking, his words were somewhat somber. Parting made him truly lose interest in everything.
Major Parks and Captain Welsh saw Major Winters and Captain Nixon again. They stood by the side of the road, smiling as they watched the members of the Black Panther Commando Company pass by one by one. Some of them were veterans of the 2nd Battalion or Easy Company whom they knew. They saluted Winters and Nixon, who patiently returned the salutes.
"I didn't expect you to come back!" Major Parks and Captain Welsh walked towards them. Parks couldn't help but smile slightly and extend his hand. The four shook hands. Parks nodded to Winters and said, "You always surprise me!"
"I have to see you off," Winters smiled slightly and shrugged. "That's what a farewell is." He squeezed Parks' hand tightly. "I'll miss you guys. Take care, Harry!" Then he shook hands with Captain Welsh.
"And this, take it!" Nixon pulled two small bottles of wine from his pocket. "You can't drink such good wine in Asia. They all drink very bad, watery wine. I think you definitely won't be used to it." He then shook hands with Parks and Welsh.
When Parks left, Major Winters still stood there like a straight statue. The company boarded the trucks, and amidst the roar of the engines, they slowly began to move forward. Winters remained motionless, looking towards Parks and the others. They had been comrades who fought together, facing life and death on the battlefield, taking care of each other like brothers. In the past, trucks always carried them from one place to another, and they would never be separated. But now Parks and the others were gone, and he remained here. This filled Major Winters' heart with endless emotion.
"I really don't know when or where we'll meet again?" Nixon suddenly shook his head and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Dick, even if you go to the Pacific, you might not be able to see Reese!"
Major Winters nodded and said, "You're right, Nick. But why do I have to see him if I go to the Pacific?" With that, he turned around and jumped into his jeep. At this time, all the companies were gathering, preparing to march back to the camp. The jeep roared, kicking up dust, and drove off in the opposite direction from where Parks and the others had left.
"Where are we going back to?" Cobb asked Landeman beside him.
"I don't know. There's always somewhere to go! Cobb!" Landeman squinted his eyes and looked at the camp gradually fading into the distance. They had trained here for over a month, and now they were finally leaving, but they still didn't know their destination.
Soon they arrived at the airport and began boarding the plane. This time, they weren't jumping out, but flying to Hamburg. The feeling of being on a plane again was different from before. But many still remembered the days when they used to jump. Parks watched the white clouds, villages, and towns below the plane become smaller and smaller, then gradually left behind, filled with emotion.
"Sir, what are you thinking about?" Li Pu Sergeant looked at Parks looking down, seemingly pensive, and asked.
Parks turned his head, smiled slightly at him, and said, "I'm thinking that when we came here before, there were Germans everywhere below, and their anti-aircraft weapons. Now I feel like we're on a very nice aerial tour. I've never been so relaxed on a plane since landing in Normandy!"
Lipton couldn't help but smile. Then he also turned his head downwards, looking at the tiny land below and nodding. "You're right, sir, at least my hands aren't trembling now," Lipton said, then turned his head and chuckled.
However, many people looked as solemn as if they were going to war for the first time. This was due to appearing on a new battlefield, or perhaps because it was their first time executing a mission with such a special combat method. This tension only eased slightly when they boarded a US Navy warship.
The vastness of the sea can alleviate people's tension. Almost everyone in the commando company was boarding a warship for the first time. Although they had traveled across the Atlantic from America to Europe by ship before, they had traveled on commercial cargo ships. The novelty of the warship made many soldiers excited. The 127mm large-caliber naval guns on the warship also delighted these guys.
After sailing for 9 days, the warship formation encountered an American carrier formation. Then the warships gradually approached the carrier formation. They had already reached their transfer station—the Yorktown.
Compared to warships, the aircraft carrier was undoubtedly a giant behemoth to the brothers. When the small boat carried the brothers onto the aircraft carrier, everyone couldn't help but widen their eyes.
"God, is this our warship?" Malarkey's mouth hung open. "We have such a behemoth, God, why do we need our company to come here when we have such a behemoth? I can't believe it!"
"Malarkey!" Parks happened to hear him from the side and couldn't help but laugh. "You know the Japanese also have such behemoths, but most of them no longer exist now." He then smiled faintly. What surprised him was that as he stepped onto the deck of the carrier, a general was leading the officers and sailors of the warship to greet them.
The general saw Parks, then laughed and walked towards him, opening his arms and saying, "Hello, buddy, I finally see you again. It seems your wish has come true. You finally get to fight the Japanese from this carrier." Then he gave Parks a sudden hug.
Parks immediately remembered that when he first went to America, he had stayed on this carrier. At that time, he had told this general that he hoped one day he could fight the Japanese from this carrier. He never expected his wish to come true.
"Hello, General John!" Parks saluted him, clearly considering him an old acquaintance.
General John returned the salute, still appearing very excited. "I knew you would come back one day, young man. Now it seems my foresight was accurate. Later, I also heard about some of your deeds. To be honest, I'm really looking forward to working with you. But not this time. You can only stay here briefly, and then our carrier aircraft will take you to another place."
"Another place?" Parks looked at General John in confusion. At that moment, he saw several people walking from the other end of the deck. Parks recognized the one in the middle; it was Major General Wesman, General MacArthur's staff officer, with whom he had a long conversation before. He saw Parks and quickly walked over.
"Hello, General!" Parks saluted him.
"Hello, Major!" Major General Wesman returned the salute and immediately clasped Parks' hand, saying, "It's a great pity, Major, if possible, I would be very interested in chatting with you here, but we don't have time now. You must immediately proceed to your mission execution site. General MacArthur's intention is for you to land in China and carry out a mission there."
"China?" When Major General Wesman's words fell, Parks' heart was suddenly stirred.
"Yes, Major," Major General Wesman nodded, then made a clear gesture, and along with General John, led Parks and Captain Welsh towards the carrier's combat room.
Inside the combat room was a huge map. Wesman walked to the map and pointed to a location on it, saying, "This is Yantai, China, and to the side of Yantai is Liuting Airport. That will be your landing site. There will be a Chinese squad responsible for your reception, and our people will provide you with weapon and ammunition support. Your specific weapons and ammunition will be transported with you."
"Liuting Airport?" Parks couldn't help but frown. "Isn't that still occupied by the Japanese?"
"No, not anymore!" Major General Wesman smiled slightly. "This time, the Chinese squad, with General MacArthur's intervention, has occupied that place. That will be your re-embarkation point. The specific mission will be conveyed to you by personnel from the US Pacific Command once you arrive." He then straightened up and looked at Parks, saying, "Any other questions, Major?"
Parks was filled with emotion, never expecting to circle the European battlefield only to return to this familiar land: "Yes, General!"
"Good luck, Major!" General Wesman saluted both of them.
The U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier fleet was already capable of traversing the Pacific without any hindrance.
Japan's remaining navy could only huddle on their home islands, facing the increasing pressure from the powerful U.S. Navy and Air Force.
Even under such circumstances, this small aircraft carrier fleet continuously sent out submarines and warships for reconnaissance ahead.
As they approached China's Yellow Sea, planes once again took off carrying the brothers of the assault company.
This time, their destination was Yantai, China.
While the plane was still in the air, Parks was already lost in thought.
He had wanted to come back and see, at least before the liberation, thinking that after the liberation, with the Sino-American antagonism, he would never be able to return.
Now, this wish was realized even before the war ended, but his heart was filled with many emotions.
What would China be like at this time?
"Are you nervous, Reese?"
Captain Welsh, sitting next to Parks, looked at Parks' slightly nervous face and couldn't help but smile faintly, "I've never seen that expression on you before.
What's wrong? Does coming to China make you feel this way?"
"No, no, Harry.
I just never thought I would come to China in this way.
You know, I have a special feeling for China.
I learned many magical Chinese things, and I taught those things to the brothers during training, which strengthened their physiques.
I am full of curiosity about this country."
Parks composed himself, then smiled at Captain Welsh.
But he did not tell Welsh that for a soul wandering abroad, 'near-home timidity' was his true feeling now.
The plane gradually entered Chinese airspace, and from the plane, one could see the sea below and nearby buildings.
Guided by Liuting Airport's radar, the plane began to descend.
The view outside the cabin also became clearer and clearer.
Chinese-style houses, low shanties, and pedestrians in Yantai city could already be seen clearly.
However, the plane could only fly over it and then landed at Liuting Airport.
The plane circled over the airport once, then began to land.
When the plane slowly stopped and the cabin door opened, Parks stepped out of the gangway and saw that the entire airport had been placed under martial law.
Squadrons were deployed around the airport, with guards every three steps and sentries every five steps; it was heavily guarded.
Several people dressed in Kuomintang military uniforms, but looking somewhat rough, stood near the airport, with a platoon's worth of men behind them, holding rifles and on alert.
As Parks walked down, the person in the middle quickened his pace and hurried over.
"You must be Major Parks!
Welcome!"
The Kuomintang soldier, whose rank was indistinguishable, walked over, extended his hand, and shook Parks' hand.
This was Chinese, authentic Chinese, although a slight Liuyang, Hunan accent made it a bit difficult to understand, but it certainly sounded cordial.
Behind him, a neatly dressed young woman in a gray military uniform and cap, with ear-length short hair, quickly translated the sentence into English.
Parks smiled at the young woman and said, "You actually don't need to translate; I can understand Chinese!" He said this in standard Beijing dialect, which sounded smooth, unlike the awkwardness of typical 'China hands' foreigners.
"May I ask who you are?"
Parks continued to ask the soldier who had shaken his hand, in Chinese, with a puzzled expression.
Clearly, it seemed this middle-aged man was not what he had imagined; if he wasn't mistaken, the other party must be a representative of the Eighth Route Army.
And General Weisman had not specified which Chinese unit it would be.
For him, the Chinese unit should include both the Kuomintang and the Communist Army.
"Haha, it's rare to meet an American who speaks Chinese so well."
The middle-aged man laughed heartily, then said sincerely to Major Parks, "We are from the Jizhong Military Region of the Chinese Revolutionary Army Eighth Route Army.
I am Political Commissar Li Zimin, and our Commander, General Yang Cwu, sent me to welcome you all."
At this moment, Captain Welsh also came to Parks' side, curiously sizing up the other party.
He had not expected Parks to be able to speak fluent Chinese.
"General Yang Cwu?"
Parks was startled.
The deeds of this general were well-known to many ordinary people in China: an old Red Army veteran, crossing the Wujiang River, seizing Luding Bridge, the Qingfengdian Campaign, the Shijiazhuang Campaign, attacking Taiyuan, suppressing rebellions in Tibet, participating in the Korean War, and so on.
Parks had not expected that the Eighth Route Army would occupy Liuting Airport, and it was this famous and meritorious general.
"General Lee, it's a great pleasure to cooperate with you!"
Parks was slightly puzzled, "But why isn't it the Kuomintang army?"
This was also what he wanted to clarify.
One must know that an airport is a strategically important military area.
If there are no air defense artillery, no long-range radar, and no heavy troops guarding it, then the airport is a very dangerous place.
But it seemed that, at least in Parks' memory, the current Eighth Route Army did not yet have such strong firepower, let alone air defense artillery and radar.
Clearly, General Lee had not expected Parks to express his thoughts so directly.
He paused, then laughed heartily, "Didn't expect it, did you?
The Kuomintang army didn't have the guts to attack here, so the task fell to us.
We are also a Chinese army, there's no difference, and when it comes to fighting the Japanese, we're the best at it, better than them!"
Parks smiled faintly.
He knew what General Lee meant by 'them'.
He nodded and said, "Yes, I know.
But General Lee, forgive my directness, if the airport is not guarded by a large number of soldiers, and without anti-aircraft radar and anti-aircraft weapons, I think our future missions will be very difficult!
Because such an airport cannot be held; it could be bombed by the Japanese at any time!"
"Don't worry about that!
We will solve it.
Now let's go see the camp our Eighth Route Army has arranged for you."
With that, General Lee waved his hand and walked ahead.
He really didn't want to dwell on this issue.
Because the domestic struggles and dealings were not something that could be clearly explained to this U.S. Army Major.
At least, that's what he thought.
Parks couldn't help but smile faintly, then gestured to Welsh, "Gather the brothers.
We'll follow General Lee to the camp."
Welsh nodded, then looked at Parks curiously, and shook his head with a smile, "Reese, I don't know how many more surprises you have for me.
I didn't expect you to speak Chinese, and so fluently.
That soldier communicated with you without any hindrance.
By the way, Reese, what's his rank?
Why don't their uniforms have ranks?
God, what kind of army is this?
Are all Chinese units like this?"
Parks couldn't help but smile bitterly, "I can't explain it to you, Harry.
Just bring the brothers over!"
As he spoke, he glanced at General Lee, who was walking ahead, but found that the female translator accompanying General Lee turned her head and glared at him, an expression of dissatisfaction on her face.
Clearly, she had also heard Welsh's words.
"Malarkey, I didn't expect we'd come to China!"
Cobb, walking in the ranks, said to Malarkey beside him, "Are we going to help the Chinese fight the Japanese?
Why don't we just go directly to the Pacific with the Marines?"
"Why must it be with the Marines?"
Malarkey looked at him, then shook his head and smiled, "I don't want to be with those guys from the Marines; they all think too highly of themselves.
Dirty, boring.
That's my opinion.
Here, we will be liberators, and we should earn their respect.
You know, we're here to help them."
"I hope so too.
Of course, it would be best if there's rum or whiskey here.
Beer would be good too!"
Cobb nodded, then mumbled.
"Don't count on it.
Didn't you hear the Boss say it's impossible?
We won't have rum or whiskey, not even beer.
The Chinese like to drink a kind of wine they brew themselves, a transparent liquid like water.
I haven't seen it, maybe the Boss has tasted it.
Hopefully, it tastes good!"
Malarkey scoffed at Cobb's words.
But no matter what, they were still quite satisfied when they saw the barracks.
A row of neat barracks built with stone bricks, whitewashed uniformly on the outside.
And on the white walls, there were square patterns.
Yes, in the eyes of the U.S. military, those were square patterns.
But Parks knew that they were Chinese characters, which read: "Long Live the Great Sino-American International Friendship."
Typical Chinese propaganda slogans.
General Lee welcomed Parks into a well-decorated barracks and said with a smile, "If you think it's acceptable, this can be your command post.
The conditions are simple, so please make do.
And—" He pointed to the young woman beside him and said, "This is Lieutenant Wang Qiuying, our headquarters' translator.
She will live with our troops stationed at the airport, in the barracks not far from here.
If you have any issues in daily life, you can communicate with her, and we will try our best to meet your needs.
I think the differences in Eastern and Western cultures and living habits will always cause some trouble!"
Parks nodded and said, "Thank you very much, General Lee."
Then he glanced at the young woman; she had no expression on her face, but her gaze met Parks' and quickly moved away, as if she didn't want to communicate much with him.
After a few more words, General Lee was about to leave.
He suddenly stopped at the barracks door, turned, and said to Parks, "Major, your people will arrive this afternoon.
They will brief you on the specific matters."
He nodded politely and then left, and the young woman also followed him out.
"Well, I could barely get a word in!"
Captain Welsh watched General Lee and the others leave.
He shrugged at Parks and said, "Alright, what did he tell you?
Are we going to have beer or whiskey?"
"Don't even think about it, Harry!"
Parks shook his head and smiled, "Our people will arrive here this afternoon and brief us on the mission.
Harry, we need to be ready to fight the Japanese!"
"Just as I thought!"
Welsh shrugged, then walked to the table, where there was a white porcelain teapot and white porcelain cups.
He picked one up, praised it, and poured a cup of water.
In the afternoon, a U.S. Army general-purpose jeep stopped outside the company's barracks, and two officers, a Major and a Colonel, got out.
They walked directly towards Parks' company command post.
"Major Parks, hello, I am Barto Krison, the Intelligence Chief of the Pacific Theater Command, ordered to come here to hand over the mission. This is my credentials!" The Colonel walked in, handing over a document bag. Parks took it and confirmed his identity. He had already confirmed the identity of the mission's handover person before his arrival.
"Tell me! Colonel, we've come all the way from Europe, what exactly is this mission?" Parks nodded at Colonel Krison and motioned for him to sit down.
"It's like this." After Colonel Krison sat down, he snapped his fingers at the Major standing behind him. The Major took out a photo, a map, and some written materials from his briefcase. Krison pointed at the person in the photo and said, "Major, do you recognize this person?"
Parks looked at the photo, which showed a medium-sized, slender, and energetic American Lieutenant General. He couldn't help but look up at Colonel Krison in confusion and asked, "No, Colonel, I don't. Is this mission related to him?"
"I'm afraid so." Colonel Krison nodded and handed a stack of written materials to Parks, saying, "Take a look at this. This Lieutenant General is General Jonathan Wainwright of the US forces stationed in the Philippines. In May 1942, he led 12,000 American troops to surrender to the Japanese and then endured the famous 'Death March' incident, finally being escorted by the Japanese to Shenyang. Our intelligence has learned that there is a POW camp called 'Fengtian Prisoner of War Camp' on the outskirts of Shenyang, and General Wainwright is likely imprisoned there. Moreover, due to our recent increase in bombing of Japan and attacks and occupation of islands around Japan, Japan is likely to be defeated. Furthermore, intelligence from the Chinese government's intelligence agencies indicates that the Japanese may kill General Wainwright before retreating or surrendering. Therefore, we must arrange a rescue as soon as possible. You don't have much time; we can only give you a maximum of ten days. If you fail, General Wainwright may suffer misfortune."
Major Parks couldn't help but frown, staring at the photo, and asked without lifting his head, "Sir, as far as I know, Shenyang is still under Japanese control and heavily guarded. Are we going deep into this dangerous place just to rescue this General? You know, I'm leading a company of over 120 men, and they might not all make it back."
"Yes, Major!" Colonel Krison nodded and said, "We will provide you with more accurate intelligence. According to our aerial reconnaissance, there is a makeshift airfield near the Japanese POW camp in Shenyang, but bombers can take off and land there. You can seize this airfield, and then we will send bombers and fighters to provide you with support and assistance. You will fly directly back to the Yorktown carrier fleet from there, and then your mission will be over." At this point, Colonel Krison paused. He looked at the somewhat displeased Major Parks and added, "Major Parks, General MacArthur attaches great importance to this rescue mission. That's why he went all the way to Europe to transfer you here. You are the elite of the American military, and it is precisely because of this that this mission falls to you."
A company of commandos just to rescue a General? Major Parks was still somewhat unhappy, but he still wanted to clarify: "Yes, sir, I'm sure this mission is very important. But can you tell me why?"
"Because General MacArthur is saving a hero." Colonel Krison stood up; he had said enough. He didn't need to explain anything about this mission, but he still said, "Major, you are not here to ask why, but to complete the mission."
Major Parks shrugged and spread his hands, indicating that he wouldn't ask that question anymore. Captain Welsh couldn't help but lower his head and smile bitterly at the Colonel. But Parks still wanted to clarify something about the mission.
"Sir, I have a question." Major Parks said, "Why is there a Chinese Eighth Route Army company stationed here? They have no anti-aircraft weapons, no radar. How can they protect this airfield? We don't want to be bombed by the Japanese before we even set out."
"No, Major, we have already provided them with anti-aircraft weapons and radar. And they are expected to be in place in the next two days. You should know that to occupy this airfield, Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese army can't do it, and the Japanese army is retreating steadily in the Pacific, while they are retreating steadily on the Chinese mainland. So the Eighth Route Army is the only army capable of occupying this place. Our condition for them is to provide them with weapons and ammunition, enough to equip two standard divisions. From this, you can see General MacArthur's determination, Major!" Colonel Krison said, watching Parks stand up, then said, "Alright, if you have any more questions, we can contact each other at any time. We are in the nearby Town. We will stay until the day you depart." He shook hands with Parks and then left.
Watching Colonel Krison and the Major leave, Parks couldn't help but look at the photo on the table again, shaking his head at Captain Welsh, "Harry, it seems this mission is probably due to General MacArthur's personal reasons. But from the perspective of impact, Lieutenant General Wainwright can be considered the highest-ranking American General captured."
"Yes, I've heard of him, but only that he was captured by the Japanese, nothing more!" Welsh shrugged, "What I really didn't expect is that after training hard for over a month, our first mission is to rescue a General."
"Rescuing Lieutenant General Wainwright is merely due to General MacArthur's guilt, but for this, we have to risk the lives of over 120 brothers, God!" Major Parks shook his head.
In early 1942, the American forces withdrew from Manila, Philippines, and the Japanese occupied the area. Subsequently, the Japanese issued a message threatening to capture General MacArthur alive, send him to Tokyo for trial, and even declared they would cut off MacArthur's head and display it in Imperial Plaza.
This news caused a shock at the highest levels of the United States, as MacArthur had just been promoted to General. If it became a reality, he would be the first highest-ranking American General to be captured and killed by the Japanese. For the United States, which was then immersed in a wave of defeatism, it would undoubtedly be another heavy blow.
So MacArthur was immediately rushed to Australia to serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Southwest Pacific Allied Forces. Meanwhile, MacArthur's subordinate, Major Wainwright, was promoted to Lieutenant General and took over from MacArthur, commanding the American-Philippine Allied forces with full authority. MacArthur had no choice but to leave, leaving behind two famous wartime quotes: "I shall return" and "Old soldiers never die; they just fade away."
These two famous quotes became popular in the United States at the time and were repeatedly cited. But MacArthur became famous, while Wainwright, who replaced him, suffered a completely tragic fate. As the American-Philippine Allied forces increasingly fell into desperate straits, after receiving a surrender order personally issued by President Roosevelt, on May 5, 1942, Lieutenant General Wainwright, holding a white flag, walked out of the trenches and surrendered to the Japanese.
Subsequently, over 78,000 surrendered American-Philippine Allied forces underwent a Death March, with over 15,000 killed by the Japanese and over 20,000 tortured to death. In January 1945, Colonel Henry, under orders from General MacArthur, led a 100-man commando team, guided by local Filipino guerrillas, and successfully rescued over 500 American POWs from the Cabanatuan concentration camp.
The commandos suffered only 2 casualties. This rescue was hailed as a classic rescue. However, they did not know the location of Lieutenant General Wainwright until recently, when American intelligence personnel learned that Lieutenant General Wainwright was imprisoned on the outskirts of Shenyang.
Major Parks briefly recounted this history to Captain Welsh. After listening, Welsh sighed, but then suddenly said, "Reese, why don't they let Colonel Henry carry out another rescue mission? Why do they have to send us?"
"I don't know, Harry. Perhaps they think we are more elite, or perhaps Colonel Henry has unfortunately been killed in action or promoted. Heaven knows what they're thinking!" Parks shrugged, indicating his helplessness. Yes, this was not something they could speculate about; the bigwigs could always command them, the little people, as they pleased.
The mission was finally clarified. The next step was to collect intelligence on Shenyang, but Parks and his team didn't need to do this work; they only needed to execute the mission. The members of the commando company continued their daily training without any slackening. This was Parks's way of keeping every team member alert and physically fit. Although some guys were not satisfied with this. Although they knew they were there to execute a mission, they still carried the superiority of European victors. The soldiers always tried to sneak out and go to the Town, imagining finding girls and drinks. But here, they were disappointed.
"Good heavens, do they only drink this kind of alcohol?" Kaufmann was looking at the wine jars on the liquor cabinet in a store, then shook his head and shrugged helplessly at Herman, "I'm not used to this kind of drink. I need whiskey or champagne. God, where can I find those damned drinks!" As Kaufmann spoke, his voice grew louder.
"This isn't the worst of it!" Herman couldn't help but shake his head. "In Europe, at least you could occasionally run into someone who could speak English with us. But here, no one understands what we're saying. No girls are willing to flirt with you, Kaufmann. I like the girls here, they're quite pretty!" Kaufmann looked dejected as he said this.
The two exchanged helpless glances, then walked back to the camp from the Town, disappointed once more. As they walked, they constantly felt the Town people staring at them. Many people specifically stopped, grinning as they watched, some even purposely rushed over from the side to gawk. This made them feel like monkeys on display.
"Damn it, what are these guys looking at?" Kaufmann whispered to Herman, "I feel like a performing monkey. Hell, I don't want to stay here. Hurry, let's leave!" With that, Kaufmann called out to Herman and quickened his pace towards the camp.
"Hey, wait, there's a girl!" Herman suddenly exclaimed in surprise as they passed the only small irrigation ditch flowing through the Town. He saw a girl washing clothes by the stone steps next to the ditch. A long, shiny black braid hung behind her, and her blue floral cloth dress accentuated her fair face, making her appear very serene and beautiful.
"Hey," Herman shouted loudly at the girl, startling her. When she turned around, Herman's heart raced even faster. How wonderful, there was such a beautiful girl here, filling Herman with immense joy. He even had a thought pounding in his heart: he must pursue this girl, or marrying her and taking her back to America would be a good choice. But this was entirely a decision made by his lower body, yet he appeared unusually excited, striding quickly towards the girl who, somewhat alarmed, was practically fleeing towards the bank.
"Hey, wait, I want to talk to you!" Herman quickly caught up, then pulled out a roll of US dollars and some loose change from his pocket, saying, "Dollars, chocolate, and cigarettes, if you want them, they're all yours!" But it was clear the girl didn't understand, and she looked panicked, walking faster and faster, continuously emitting what seemed to be cries for help.
"Enough, Herman, you're causing trouble!" Kaufmann quickly shouted at Herman, because he seemed to notice that the expressions of the surrounding crowd were not right. They were no longer the amazed looks of someone seeing a rare item, but rather ones filled with some anger. They saw the money in Herman's hand, and the girl's panicked cries for help, mistaking this guy for a scoundrel harassing a decent woman.
"Alright, alright!" Watching the girl disappear around a corner, Herman shrugged, "Chinese women seem to be very afraid of us, buddy. I don't look like a bad guy, do I? But why is she afraid of me?"
"Because you're a scoundrel!" Kaufmann retorted him irritably. He felt the residents around them were looking at them as if they were two scoundrels, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed. This was just a small interlude for the two guys who wanted to go out and have some fun.
"Stop!" Suddenly, a stern shout came from behind them. Although they didn't understand what was being said, both instinctively knew it was directed at them because the voice was right behind them. The two turned around and then gasped. Behind them stood seven or eight soldiers in gray cloth military uniforms, holding rifles.
In the middle, there was a person holding a German-made Mauser military pistol. They all seemed somewhat indignant as they waited for the two, and the one speaking was clearly the person in the middle holding the Mauser pistol.
"Damn it!" Kaufmann muttered under his breath, then slowly raised his hands and said, "What's going on? Is there some misunderstanding, guys? We're Americans, your friends! Not bad guys!"
"They don't understand!" Herman whispered to Kaufmann, "But why are we being treated like this by them?"
At this moment, the girl Herman had met suddenly pushed her way through the crowd, her eyes red, pointing at Herman and weeping something to the person holding the Mauser pistol. Then, that person waved his hand and shouted loudly. Immediately, several soldiers came forward to twist the two men's arms behind their backs, intending to subdue them on the spot.
"Don't move, Herman, you'll get us killed. They have guns!" Kaufmann said to Herman, who seemed about to resist. "Damn it, there must be some misunderstanding here. You scoundrel, it must be that woman, this is all your fault!"
"Alright, alright, it's all my fault!" Herman gave up resisting and obediently allowed himself to be escorted by the group. He was dissatisfied with Kaufmann's accusation, "They must have made a mistake, I didn't do anything!" Indeed, he hadn't done anything, except for trying to gain a Chinese girl's favor with a roll of US dollars, chocolate, and cigarettes.
The afternoon was relatively leisurely. Commando training was usually scheduled for the morning, sometimes in the evening. At this time, the team members would either stay in the barracks or secretly go to the Town, but leave passes were very rare. Major Parks, to prevent Japanese intelligence agencies from detecting the situation here, generally only allowed a few people to get passes each day.
Major Parks was discussing with Captain Welsh in the company command post how to proceed with the rescue mission when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. As he frowned, Li Pu Sergeant suddenly walked in.
"Major Parks, it seems like a platoon-sized squad outside. They've detained Kaufmann and Herman. They're now trying to break through our sentry post, and I think you need to handle this." Lipton spoke quickly, "I've already told the brothers to be prepared in case of any unexpected situation."
"Damn it, did those two guys cause some trouble?" Captain Welsh said angrily, then turned to Parks, "Reese, I think it's best if you go. You can speak Chinese, so communicating with them shouldn't be a problem!"
Parks immediately nodded, then picked up his gear and weapons and followed them out. At the sentry post entrance to the camp, the brothers were already in position. Snipers were ambushed near the distant barracks, and soldiers all around were in offensive tactical formations, crouching or prone, holding their weapons. Some soldiers had already moved to the flank of the squad, intending to attack this platoon of soldiers from three sides.
Parks was very satisfied with the team members' performance; this was the quality that quick-reacting special forces members should possess. He looked at the somewhat nervous Eighth Route Army soldiers at the entrance and couldn't help but frown, because he saw Kaufmann and Herman, who were being held in front by these soldiers, but their mouths were gagged with a piece of rags.
"What's going on?" Major Parks stepped forward and spoke to the platoon of soldiers. His voice was not loud, but it was very stern. He spoke Chinese, which the American soldiers present did not understand, but the Eighth Route Army soldiers understood it clearly.
"Are you the leader here?" A man in a gray cloth military uniform, carrying a Mauser pistol, pushed through the crowd and stepped forward, then stared at Parks and said, "It's good that you've come out. To avoid damaging the friendship between our two armies, I'm here to inform you. We will put these two of your men on trial and hand them over to the people to be dealt with. If they have committed a crime, they must be punished!"
"What?" Major Parks couldn't help but look at Kaufmann and Herman. The two guys quickly raised their heads and frantically shook their heads at Parks. Their faces were already swollen, and their eyes had two dark circles, clearly indicating they had been beaten.
"Damn it!" Parks cursed under his breath, then sternly said to the man holding the Mauser pistol, "I don't know your rank, but if there's a problem, I hope I can know the truth, and not just hear an announcement here. I strongly wish to see your superior. Otherwise, leave my soldiers here!"
"No!" The officer suddenly shouted, and immediately the soldiers behind him raised their weapons, aiming at Parks. At this moment, Captain Welsh was already ready to give the order. As long as the other side made any move, he would not hesitate to order to fire.
"Those damned Chinese, don't they know we're helping them fight the Japanese?" Guarnere raised his PV45 automatic rifle, his eyes nearly spitting fire. He cursed under his breath, "What do they want? Do they want to kill us to help the Japanese?"
"Shut up, Guarnere!" Li Pu Sergeant roared at Guarnere in a low voice. It was truly useless to say such things now. During battle, the most intolerable thing was distraction. As a veteran, Guarnere had made a rookie mistake. Guarnere knew Lipton was right and immediately shut his mouth, but his anger still showed in his eyes as he glared furiously at the Chinese soldiers opposite him. He knew that when he fought in Europe, he was always welcomed by the people in the German-occupied territories.
The atmosphere was tense, ready to explode at any moment. Major Parks clearly did not want to conflict with this GD-led force. He looked at the officer and reiterated his demand: "I hope to see your superior. We are here to cooperate in fighting the Japanese, not to conflict with you. Please understand this. If my soldiers made any mistakes, I hope there will be a fair trial, not torture to extract a confession."
"You are just running dogs of capitalism. Let me tell you what happened. Your man attempted to rape a girl here, so we decided to teach them a lesson. Then we will hold a public trial and execute them on behalf of the people!" The Zhang Pai Zhang looked very angry. Yes, in his opinion, this place already belonged to the liberated zone, but things like those under Japanese rule were still happening, which he could not tolerate. The hatred for the Japanese could easily be transferred to other foreign teams, believing they were no different from the Japanese. The grassroots officer thought more simply. Although this incident did not seem to involve coercion like the Japanese, in this officer's view, the nature was the same.
"Nonsense!" Parks was truly enraged this time. Captain Welsh quickly raised his hand. As soon as Major Parks left, he would not hesitate to give the order.
"Put down your weapons!" Captain Welsh shouted, and then all the soldiers roared, "Put down your weapons, put down your damned weapons."
The officer obviously didn't expect this Captain America to be so difficult to deal with, and he already clearly felt threatened. They were surrounded on three sides, and the opposing formation could provide mutual cover. More importantly, their weapons were definitely much stronger than his single-shot rifles. If they opened fire, they would certainly not gain an advantage. He thought of retreating, so he shouted loudly, "We're withdrawing!" With that, he waved his Mauser pistol and was about to lead his men away.
"Stop!" Major Parks shouted loudly. He could not let this officer take Kaufmann and Herman away, otherwise the morale of the company's brothers would surely fluctuate, and this was absolutely not a good thing before launching an assault. "Leave the men!" With a wave of his hand, he signaled Captain Lenihen to lead a platoon to approach the company again.
"Prepare for battle!" The officer shouted loudly and was about to raise his pistol at Parks, but how could Parks let him point a gun at him? His movements were much faster than the officer's. As the officer was about to raise his gun, he moved his entire body. One of his hands gripped the officer's strong body, and with a twist of his palm, he twisted the officer's hand behind his back. Then, he pointed the officer's own pistol at his head and roared, "Whoever dares to move, I'll shoot him!"
This sentence was very effective, and soon the others were subdued, but no one put down their weapons; they were all still glaring at each other. No one dared to relax easily. But it was clear that the company was already at a relative disadvantage, and now they dared even less to act rashly.
"Hand over the men, and I'll let you go!" Parks' tone was cold. He understood what these soldiers were thinking. Having been ravaged by the Japanese on their homeland for so long, they had a pent-up anger. Parks also hated the Japanese, but he could not tolerate such irrational behavior.
"No, absolutely not! Comrades, shoot those two Americans! Wang Erhu, obey my order, shoot those two Americans. Don't mind me!" The officer shouted loudly at the squad.
"Zhang Pai Zhang—" A dark, sturdy soldier, about seventeen or eighteen years old, from the company, cried out painfully to the officer, "I won't obey your order. Let them go. Anyway, they didn't succeed. If you kill them, you'll have to sacrifice yourself, it's not worth it. We still have to fight the devils."
"Bullshit, Wang Erhu! If you don't obey my order today, I'll court-martial you!" Clearly, the officer called Zhang Pai Zhang had no awareness of being captured. He roared at the soldier, "If you don't obey orders, I'll have others do it! You scoundrel! My life is none of your business!"
Wang Erhu was stunned by the scolding and hesitantly raised his rifle. Parks gestured to Welsh and whispered, "Don't hurt anyone. Get the sniper ready!"
Captain Welsh immediately gestured to Shifty's position in the distance. Shifty responded with a ready gesture from not far away. Meanwhile, Wang Erhu raised his rifle.
With a "bang!" a shot rang out. Wang Erhu suddenly felt a jolt in his hand, and then the hand holding the rifle suddenly seemed to lose its strength. His hands separated, and a rifle was shot in half by a bullet. The section at the wooden stock and Trigger separated from the barrel and fell to the ground. The gunshot was very sudden, but it was enough to shock the company.
It was clear that Zhang Pai Zhang did not expect this Captain America to have such a good sniper, and it seemed they had more than one such sniper. Now, it seemed Zhang Pai Zhang had made the wrong bet. He appeared reckless, but he definitely knew that the American army wouldn't dare do anything to him, even if he shot those two bastards. But now it was hard to say. It looked like this American officer was a tough nut to crack and wouldn't back down. And if things went wrong, his entire squad might be lost here. Moreover, looking at the opponent's posture, it was clearly an attack formation, and the greatest possibility for his side was that they would be killed here by these Americans without doing anything.
Parks suppressed his anger. He spoke to Zhang Pai Zhang word by word, "I only want the men. If you want to fight, I'm ready. If these two men die here, I will make your entire squad pay. I mean what I say!" At the same time, he stared intently at Zhang Pai Zhang and said, "Do you dare to bear the name of destroying Sino-American friendship? We are all armies fighting the Japanese now!"
Zhang Pai Zhang was silent for a long time, then finally waved his hand and said, "Release them!"
Parks gestured to the two soldiers beside him. They quickly stepped forward and took Herman and Kaufmann, whose arms were tied and mouths were sealed. Parks also released Zhang Pai Zhang's arm and handed him the pistol. "Go, go!" Zhang Pai Zhang clearly felt he had lost face. He straightened his clothes and impatiently waved at the soldiers.
The company's soldiers watched them vigilantly until they disappeared at the intersection leading to the camp. This conflict clearly pushed the relationship between the two armies to a tense level. This made the brothers in the company very depressed, and Kaufmann was even interrogated. The result of the interrogation was clearly somewhat unexpected to Parks. It was apparently just a conflict of Chinese and American culture and customs. And that Zhang Pai Zhang had clearly made a mountain out of a molehill.
"What bad luck!" Kaufmann muttered softly when he returned to the barracks, his face still a bit swollen. Herman followed behind him; he was even unluckier, not only beaten black and blue, but also hit on the head with a rifle butt by those soldiers. He was still bandaged.
"I'm so confused. In the eyes of these Chinese, what exactly are we? Are we Japanese or their enemies? God, I didn't do anything. I just wanted to talk to that girl." Herman's head was still throbbing. Since being rescued, he had been constantly questioned by Captain Welsh and Staff Sergeant Li Pu from the company headquarters.
"You'd better learn your lesson, buddy. This is Asia, not Europe. Before this war, I didn't even know where China was. Now you'd better remember to stay here and behave." Guarnere said to the two, "Forget about girls, it's best to forget about it!" Guarnere was clearly annoyed with these two troublemakers.
At this moment, Lipton suddenly walked in. He looked at Herman and Kaufmann, then at the others in the barracks, and nodded, saying, "There's an order, it's for Herman and Kaufmann."
Herman and Kaufmann quickly stood up. Lipton looked at the two of them and said, "Major Parks has decided to transfer you two out of the assault company. You will depart today. You will leave here by plane and then fly back to the Yorktown. There, you will wait to return to the United States with the Marine Corps medical transport ship. Your mission is over, guys!" With that, Lipton handed each of them a copy of the order.
"What? Why are you transferring us away?" Kaufmann was the first to react. He spread his hands at Lipton and argued, "Sergeant, this isn't fair. We didn't do anything, and we were beaten up like this."
"I can't help it. You can appeal to Major Parks yourself!" Lipton said, patting them both on the shoulder, then nodded and left. He sympathized with them both and also felt it was unfair to them, but Captain Parks had already made a decision, and he could do nothing but convey the order.
"God—" Herman just uttered a stunned cry. A numb expression appeared on his face; he seemed to completely disbelieve that this order was real.
Major Parks' decision was actually a warning to these soldiers: this is China, respect China's national conditions. Moreover, these two guys sneaked out, so it also cautioned all team members that orders cannot be ignored and must be strictly implemented.
The next day, at first light, the bugle call sounded in the barracks, and the team members quickly assembled.
This was their normal training time.
However, today, after Li Pu Sergeant inspected the formation, he did not announce further training plans.
He just looked at each team member sternly.
This was very unusual for Lipton, who was always a good-natured person.
Major Parks and Captain Welsh walked over from the company command post.
Lipton saluted them, then stood to one side of the formation.
Major Parks and Captain Welsh walked to the front of the formation.
"Corporal Kaufmann, Corporal Herman, step forward!"
Captain Welsh's voice was calm as he stared at Kaufmann and Herman standing in the formation.
Herman still had a bandage wrapped around his head.
When the two heard Captain Welsh's order, they stepped out of the ranks with solemn faces, but their expressions seemed disheartened.
"We absolutely cannot fail this mission, so my company does not tolerate any disciplinary violations."
Parks looked at Kaufmann and Herman, then at the company members, and said loudly, "This is something we absolutely will not tolerate.
Any carelessness or mistakes could lead to our complete annihilation.
We are on a special mission, more dangerous than paratroopers.
We will go deep into enemy territory, fighting the enemy while surrounded.
There's no reason.
The only thing you need to do is say, 'Yes, sir!' when you hear an order.
That's enough."
Parks said no more; he nodded to Welsh, then turned and walked towards the company command post.
Captain Welsh took over the training.
After Parks finished speaking, training resumed as usual, and Kaufmann and Herman seemed to want to join, but Li Pu Sergeant stopped them.
"I'm sorry, Herman, Kaufmann," Lipton nodded at both of them, "I know this is difficult, but the Major has made his decision.
You might as well go back to the Battalion HQ and pack your bags.
Oh, and leave your weapons here, then you can take any of your personal belongings."
Lipton said, patting Kaufmann's arm, then turned and hurried towards the team that was doing running training.
Herman stared blankly as the team slowly moved out of their sight.
Kaufmann patted his arm and said, "Let's go, buddy, they don't need us here anymore.
We have to go back home.
God, I really don't know how to tell my family about this experience!"
"Unfair, this is unfair.
Kaufmann, I don't want to go back like this.
I want to talk to Major Parks; he can't be so heartless."
Herman suddenly turned and walked towards the company command post, "I don't want to go back like this.
I'm going to kill Japanese, damn it, damn it, damn it!"
He kept muttering, constantly saying 'damn it'.
His emotions seemed very agitated.
"Stop, Herman, don't go begging that hard-hearted guy; we don't need his pity.
Does he think he's God?
That he can casually decide a person's fate?"
Kaufmann couldn't help but yell at Herman, then followed him, trying to pull him back, "If we go back, we go back.
We can get away from this damn war; our fight is over, Herman!"
He finally yelled, but it was no use; Herman continued to walk towards the company command post without the slightest pause.
"Sir, I have something to say!" Herman shouted loudly outside the company command post.
But there was no movement inside the company command post.
Herman shouted again, "Sir, I want to see you, I have something to say."
But there was still no response.
At this moment, Kaufmann rushed over from behind.
He pulled Herman and said, "What do you want to do, Herman?
Why do you still want to stay here?
The war is over for us!"
"No, Kaufmann, I know this is my fault, but I really don't want to leave like this.
Have you forgotten your purpose for coming to this company?
We didn't come to escape the war; we just wanted to prove that we are the elite of the American army, that we are the best in the army.
For this, now we are going back empty-handed without gaining anything.
I'm not reconciled, Kaufmann, I'm really not reconciled!"
Herman said, taking a deep breath.
Kaufmann suddenly froze.
Herman's words hit him deeply.
Yes, wasn't he the one who asked to join the assault team in the first place to prove he was the best soldier?
He wanted to use his talent for combat to prove himself an excellent soldier and return to his hometown with pride, but now he had gained nothing.
He no longer tried to dissuade Herman, but simply stood quietly with him outside the command post door, both standing ramrod straight in standard military posture, hands behind their backs, facing the command post door.
The door suddenly opened!
Major Parks appeared at the doorway.
He frowned, looked at the two, and said, "Come in."
With that, he turned and returned to his desk, sitting down.
The two quickly walked in, then stood side by side in front of Parks's desk, puffed out their chests, and held their heads high.
"What do you want to say?
You can tell me now!"
Parks leaned his head back in his chair, looking at the two.
His expression was calm; he showed no emotion at all.
"I want to stay in the company, sir!" Corporal Herman said loudly.
"And you?"
Parks shifted his eyes, looking at Kaufmann, "What do you want to say?
Or are you just his escort?"
"I also want to stay in the company, sir!"
Kaufmann didn't hesitate this time; he loudly spoke what he wanted to say, then stared intently at Parks, "Sir, we both want to prove ourselves to be the best soldiers; we don't want to go back empty-handed like this.
This was our initial desire when we joined the company."
Parks nodded and said to the two, "Your punishment is based on your unauthorized departure from the camp.
And regarding the handling of relations with local residents, I will not impose any additional penalties.
Today, there will still be a plane to take you to Yorktown, and this decision will not change."
With that, Parks straightened up and looked at the two of them.
"Sir--" Herman was a bit anxious; he couldn't help but call out.
"Wait, Corporal Herman!"
Parks frowned, looked at him, and said, "I don't want to explain too much, but there's one thing you need to understand: this is China, and it's very different from Europe.
What we need to do is stay in the barracks and change that image of being European victors.
The Japanese have not yet been driven out of Chinese territory; they are even all around us.
The environment here is very complex, so you must leave.
Stay on Yorktown; we will rendezvous after completing the mission!"
"Sir--" Herman subconsciously wanted to argue, but suddenly heard the last sentence and couldn't help but say with some surprise, "Sir, do you mean we can still stay in the company?"
"Yes, Corporal Herman!" Parks nodded.
"Thank God!" At this moment, Kaufmann, who was beside him, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but then said with some regret, "It seems we're going to miss this mission.
To be honest, I really regret losing this opportunity because of a small matter!"
"There will be opportunities, Corporal Kaufmann!" Parks nodded and said, "All right, pack your bags, and when Li Pu Sergeant returns, you can take the plane!"
Actually, Parks had thought a lot about this matter after calming down.
Why would Zhang Pai Zhang of the Eighth Route Army so ostentatiously detain the two and even bring people to provoke them?
Perhaps the matter was not as simple as him being righteously indignant and unable to tolerate American soldiers 'flirting' with women.
If no one had incited him, he probably wouldn't have acted impulsively.
Of course, at that time, most of the Eighth Route Army were commoners with little education or a broader perspective, and the current friendship with the American army likely held no important place in his heart.
But daring to stir up conflict between the two armies without someone instigating it was indeed impossible.
So, it was clear that this was not yet the territory of the Communist Party's army.
At 9:00 AM, Kaufmann and Herman, under the watchful eyes of Staff Sergeant Li Pu and Guarnere's entire squad, boarded a bomber.
The plane roared as it taxied off the runway, and then Lipton led the soldiers back to the camp in a military vehicle.
Parks did not want to cause another conflict; they quickly sent the two onto the plane and then quickly returned to the camp, avoiding spending too much time outside.
Of course, this matter did not end there.
At 11:00 AM, two jeeps arrived.
Four squadrons of guards, accompanying people in gray cloth military uniforms from both armies, arrived at the American army camp's sentry post and were negotiating.
Among them was Lieutenant Wang Qiuying, the female translator whom Parks had met last time.
"Lipton, let them in!" Parks saw the group from afar and said to Lipton, "Take them directly to the company command post."
When Lipton reached the door, he didn't forget to add, "Have the brothers get ready, just in case!"
Although Parks didn't want any trouble, he also didn't want to be bullied.
"General Lee, hello!" Parks still warmly welcomed General Li Zemin into the company command post.
Following Chinese custom, he made sure they were seated at the table and poured them tea.
General Li Zemin yielded his seat, then went straight to the point: "Mr. Parks, we are here to apologize to you.
This time, our people acted a bit rashly.
We hope your esteemed army will not dwell on it too much.
We have already confined Zhang Pai Zhang to solitary confinement, punishing him to reflect on his actions behind closed doors.
Sino-American relations are a major priority now; we cannot let such a small matter jeopardize the overall situation!"
Parks couldn't help but nod and smile, "Yes, General Lee, I completely agree with you.
My two soldiers have already been transferred out of the company and left this morning."
As he said this, he observed General Li Zemin's expression; there was no change, only a somewhat apologetic look.
"This--the punishment is too severe.
Our people were in the wrong; they shouldn't be punished!" General Lee said with emotion.
Parks nodded and smiled, "This is military regulation; it applies to everyone, regardless of rank.
Anyone who violates it is treated the same!"
General Li Zemin did not bring any new proposals, just the apologies Parks had anticipated, and some grand principles about Sino-American friendship.
Parks merely nodded and smiled, interjecting occasionally.
When it was time to conclude and bid farewell, Parks saw General Lee to the door, and suddenly said to General Li Zemin, "General Lee, I believe this incident was not accidental.
The situation in this area is very complex.
Although the Japanese army has been driven out by you, there still seem to be many forces influencing this place, and of course, there are other powers at play.
What I want to know is, what exactly did your Zhang Pai Zhang want to find out?
A group of American soldiers suddenly stationed here; it's clear that some people want to find out what we are here for.
Otherwise, this conflict wouldn't have happened.
Our purpose has not been communicated to your side, but we also hope that your side will not be exploited by others, using abnormal means to make our people reveal things we don't want to say!"
Li Zemin was stunned for a moment.
He quickly recovered, smiled, and nodded, brushing it off.
However, he was very shocked internally.
It seemed this American Major was not simple.
It was clear that someone had manipulated the situation, and after they learned the truth immediately, they put Zhang Pai Zhang under guard and simultaneously took Wang Erhu away.
And all of this was caused by the arrival of this American company.
Various forces were all spying on this military camp.