Chapter 61: Underground Party Member Ouyang Jianping Exposed in the Jinsui Base Area! The New Regiment Wins Over the Masses!

Ouyang Jianping, leader of the Underground Party's No. 5 Agent Group, secretly met with her superior, Yang Qing.

Inside an inconspicuous teahouse.

Ouyang Jianping and Yang Qing sat facing each other.

"What happened to you all during this time? Why did you suddenly go missing for so long?" Yang Qing asked with a frown.

Ouyang Jianping explained, "While carrying out a mission, our identities were exposed by a bunch of Japanese devils, and we were hunted down by them."

"I originally thought we were dead for sure, but fortunately, we happened to run into a unit of our army and were thus rescued."

"They claimed to be the New First Regiment of the Eighth Route Army. With just over thirty people, they swiftly wiped out more than a hundred Japanese devils and saved the five of us."

"After that, we recuperated in the New First Regiment's base area. Once our injuries were mostly healed, to repay them, we helped the New First Regiment train a special operations team before coming back to report."

"Is that really what happened?" Yang Qing said, quite shocked. "No wonder I was wondering why you suddenly vanished."

"However, what's the deal with this New First Regiment you mentioned? Part of the area where you were executing your mission is already enemy-occupied territory; our Eighth Route Army's base areas aren't located over there at all."

"Oh?" Ouyang Jianping was stunned at first, then frowned and said, "I found it strange too. The New First Regiment established a base in JinSui Town, and they've built it up quite well."

"The regiment's development has been exceptional as well, and its troop strength far exceeds that of an ordinary reinforced regiment."

"I'm looking for you this time partly to inquire about intelligence regarding this New First Regiment."

"Strange," Yang Qing said with a puzzled look. "This Eighth Route Army unit appeared out of nowhere; I will report this matter."

"However, since they saved you and didn't give you a hard time, they are most likely our own troops."

"As for why this unit appeared in the isolated region of JinSui Town... that's not something for us to worry about."

"Once we report it, the military will naturally handle the matter."

Ouyang Jianping nodded and said, "Alright!"

One could say that this time, Ouyang Jianping had inadvertently exposed the JinSui base area built by Li Yunlong.

......

Donghua County City.

After three days of sweeping operations by the soldiers of the New First Regiment, the situation within Donghua County City had completely stabilized.

Shortly after, Li Yunlong summoned Shen Quan to his office.

"The situation inside Donghua County City is now basically stable," Li Yunlong said in a deep voice. "It's time for us to carry out land reform."

"After the land reform, our New First Regiment will win the support and trust of the broad masses of people, and we can take the opportunity to recruit soldiers and further expand our regiment's strength."

"Land reform isn't something you're doing for the first time; this time, I'm leaving it entirely in your charge."

......

"Understood!" Shen Quan immediately accepted the order.

......

After leaving Li Yunlong's office, Shen Quan immediately summoned his deputy battalion commander, Song Wu.

"Song Wu, take the soldiers of our Second Battalion and go door-to-door to knock on the gates of the landlords in Donghua County City, and deliver the invitations to them," Shen Quan ordered in a deep voice.

"The day after tomorrow at 10:00 AM, our New First Regiment will host a banquet for these landlords at the Yuxiang Restaurant in Donghua County City."

"Also, take advantage of the next two days to gather more intelligence on these landlords."

"Although most landlords are not good people, just in case there are any good ones, we mustn't kill the innocent by mistake."

"Understood." Song Wu immediately acknowledged the order.

......

Two days later.

Shen Quan appeared at the Yuxiang Restaurant.

Naturally, all the landlords of Donghua County City were present, and none of their expressions looked particularly good.

After all, they had long since heard about the New First Regiment implementing land reform.

JinSui Town was not far from Donghua County City, and the landlords of JinSui Town frequently communicated and traded information with those in Donghua County City.

Therefore, the landlords of Donghua County City had long been aware of the New First Regiment's methods.

Precisely because of this, the landlords of Donghua County City did not dare to deny the New First Regiment this shred of face.

These landlords were genuinely afraid that the New First Regiment, in a fit of anger, would raid their homes.

Seeing Shen Quan walk into the main hall of the restaurant, a landlord sitting right at the front stood up abruptly and said with a forced, joyless smile, "This must be Battalion Commander Shen of the Second Battalion of the New First Regiment."

Shen Quan was momentarily stunned.

Song Wu, standing nearby, immediately whispered to Shen Quan, "This fellow is Shen Wanhao, the biggest landlord in Donghua County City. He has always been able to summon wind and rain here and is extremely formidable."

"Even the Japanese devils from before had to give him a bit of face, so this guy is extremely arrogant."

"He is no good person either; he frequently colluded with the Japanese devils in the past, oppressing the common people, bullying women, taking human lives as if they were grass, and committing all sorts of heinous crimes."

Having heard Song Wu's words, Shen Quan glanced at Shen Wanhao and sneered, "So it's Landlord Shen. No wonder your dog nose is so sharp—you figured out my identity so quickly."

"You..." Hearing Shen Quan's sarcastic tone, Shen Wanhao became furious and shouted, "Battalion Commander Shen, I came here today to give you some face. Other people might be afraid of you, but I am not!"

"Oh?" Shen Quan let out a cold laugh, then drew his pistol directly and pressed the muzzle against Shen Wanhao's head. "You're just a washed-up landlord, do I need you to give me face?"

"Scum like you should have died long ago!"

"I am the biggest landlord in Donghua County City, how dare you kill me?" Shen Wanhao roared, putting up a fierce front while being cowardly at heart.

"What I kill are precisely landlords." Shen Quan smiled with contempt, then decisively pulled the trigger.

Bang......

Shen Wanhao died on the spot.

Shen Quan's icy gaze swept across the entire room, making the scalps of every single landlord in the hall tingle with fear.

With the decisive and murderous tone set by Shen Quan right at the start, the subsequent work became much easier to handle.

The landlords present were remarkably cooperative!

After all, if the land was gone, it was gone—it just meant losing some privileges, but which of these landlords didn't have a family fortune stashed away? Their private assets alone were enough to keep them well-fed and carefree for a very long time.

Yet if their lives were lost, they could just wait for the New First Regiment to confiscate everything.

How to choose was something these landlords were wise enough to figure out.

......

Three days later, Shen Quan began organizing the soldiers to distribute land to the people of Donghua County City, officially implementing the land reform.

The residents of Donghua County City were naturally overjoyed, offering tremendous support and backing to the New First Regiment.

Seizing the opportune moment, Li Yunlong immediately instructed all battalions to begin recruiting men in Donghua County City to expand the regiment's strength.

The battalion commanders of the New First Regiment took immediate action upon receiving the order.

Thanks to the foundation laid by the land reform, the subsequent recruitment drive for the New First Regiment proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

Countless ambitious youths eagerly enlisted in the ranks of the New First Regiment, causing its troop strength to skyrocket.

......

A month later.

Li Yunlong was processing documents in his office when a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Ding-dong! Emergency event triggered! The Japanese Yamazaki Battalion will pass near JinSui Town. The God-Tier Choice System has triggered a choice...]