Chapter 15

I beg for a recommendation, everyone understands this topic, so I need your support, thank you.

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"No interest!" The fat man, after tending to his wound, firmly refused. The reason was simple: Wang Yi was with the Eighth Route Army. This lecherous fat man had given up his initial intention of joining the Nationalist Army for a woman, but he had many reservations about joining the Eighth Route Army due to their strict discipline, which left him in a dilemma.

Zhang Liguo's face darkened slightly as he fell silent, watching the sky gradually darken. The Japanese heavy machine guns' crossfire gradually weakened, and in the pitch-black night, they could not see the enemy more than six hundred meters away.

"I'll carry you back; Colonel Ma and the others must be anxiously waiting." Zhang Liguo crawled over, glanced at the fat man lying on the grass under the moonlight, and his face suddenly turned grim, his eyes twitching.

"Hehe, then I'll trouble you, Commander Zhang." The fat man laughed slyly. Although his leg wound was not serious, walking would cause him great pain. To reduce his own suffering, he did not mind making others suffer. Of course, having Zhang Liguo carry him back was the best option.

Zhang Liguo gritted his teeth and squatted down. This fat man weighed over two hundred pounds, damn it!

When the fat man "struggled" to crawl onto his back, the entire heavy body pressed down, Zhang Liguo suddenly regretted his decision. His face turned red, and he strained to stand up with the fat man on his back.

"Commander Zhang, I'm really sorry, is Fat Master too heavy? Our bodies are gifts from our parents, and by shaving my head, I've already disappointed them. If I don't eat more and gain weight, I would be failing my parents' expectations!" The fat man, comfortably lying on Zhang Liguo's back, occasionally made sarcastic remarks. However, his parents were still alive, and he had a younger sister at home, so he had spoken without thinking.

"No, no problem..." Zhang Liguo, drenched in sweat, felt as if his feet were weighed down with lead. Hearing this, he gritted his teeth in anger, several times wanting to drop the fat man, but his sense of responsibility always held him back, making his face turn red. Fortunately, it was night, and no one could see his expression.

This short distance of about three hundred meters took Zhang Liguo over ten minutes to cover, step by step, carrying the fat man back. At this moment, Colonel Ma and the others were sitting on the ground, eating dry rations. Seeing Zhang Liguo carrying the fat man back, they all rushed over, helping to lift the fat man and let him sit on the grass.

The fat man took out his last Hademen cigarette and started smoking. Zhang Liguo, feeling a great relief, collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, his strength completely drained.

A doctor hurried over to tend to the fat man's wound, but Colonel Ma quickly stopped him, glancing at Wang Yi, who was watching coldly, and said, "Wang Yi, come and check Brother Zhang's wound."

"Isn't there Old Zhou?" Wang Yi glanced at the fat man, her face full of indignation, and refused to move.

"This is an order!" Colonel Ma's expression turned serious, and he shouted at Wang Yi.

"I am a doctor from the divisional hospital. Only the hospital director, the division commander, and the political commissar can order me. Who are you?" Wang Yi was not one to be pushed around. Doctors who understood Western medicine were precious in this era, especially in wartime hospitals, where they enjoyed special privileges. Even division commanders and regimental commanders could not order them to do anything unless they were direct superiors.

"Uh..." Colonel Ma was at a loss. He really couldn't force Wang Yi, but he was the most cunning in the division. His eyes flickered, and he had an idea. He walked to Wang Yi, lowered his voice, and whispered, "Do you still want the gun?"

"Gun?" At the mention of the gun, Wang Yi's eyes lit up. Unfortunately, when the fat man had given Commander Zhang's gun to her, she had returned it, and she had been begging Colonel Ma for a gun. Colonel Ma had been evading her, but now that he mentioned the gun, she became interested.

"If you help Brother Liu with his wound, I'll give you the sidearm." Colonel Ma pulled out his Mauser, reluctantly offering it. To secure the fat man's cooperation and to please Wang Yi, this was the right move.

"Is that it? Do you have a small pistol like Commander Zhang's?" Wang Yi looked at Colonel Ma's Mauser, withdrew her hand, and showed her unwillingness.

"Browning... You're asking for too much. Only the division commander and the political commissar have Brownings. This is at least a German-made gun." Colonel Ma, helpless, added, "How about this: take it now, and when we capture a Browning, I'll give it to you."

"Is that a deal? If you don't give it to me, I'll tell the division commander." Wang Yi said, snatching Colonel Ma's Mauser. At least she had a gun now.

"Deal. Can you help Brother Liu now?" Colonel Ma, helpless, even took off the holster and strap, handing them to Wang Yi.

"Let's pinky promise!" Wang Yi, fearing that the cunning Colonel Ma would trick her again, extended her little finger. Colonel Ma, helpless, raised his hand and pinky promised with her.

Wang Yi, with the gun in hand, walked to the fat man as agreed, squatted down, and, seeing the fat man's eyes gleaming with mischief, quickly looked away, starting to examine his thigh wound.

"Hey, does Commander Zhang know how to apply pressure to stop bleeding?" Wang Yi, under the dim moonlight, saw the fat man's leg wound and her eyes lit up. The wound, though caused by a bullet, had hit a major artery. If not stopped in time, excessive bleeding could be life-threatening. The wound had already clotted, and a bandage was tightly tied above the wound on his thigh.

The fat man rolled his eyes, too angry to speak. Battlefield first aid was something every special forces soldier needed to know. Stopping bleeding and surviving on the battlefield were his specialties, but Wang Yi only saw Zhang Liguo, ignoring the fat man's abilities.

"It wasn't me; he stopped the bleeding himself." Commander Zhang quickly explained, feeling even more admiration for the fat man. What else did this fat man not know?

Wang Yi glanced at the fat man hurriedly and quickly avoided his mischievous gaze, wondering how many secrets this fat man had, even knowing battlefield first aid.

"The next stop is Tiger Mouth Mountain. Colonel Ma, we have completed our mission of escorting your doctor. We were delayed for several days crossing the Japanese defense zone, and we need to return to the division headquarters immediately. My 37th Division will move soon, please understand." Zhang Liguo said, not mentioning his mission to move and participate in the Battle of Shanghai.

Before meeting the fat man, Colonel Ma had considered recruiting Commander Zhang. The appearance of the fat man gave him a better option, so he did not try to retain Zhang Liguo after the mission was completed. Fortunately, the 37th Division's new defense zone did not require crossing the Japanese defense zone; it was just in a different direction from Colonel Ma's, one heading south and the other north through Tiger Mouth Mountain.

"Comrade Wang, take this gun as a keepsake. I must leave now." After bidding farewell to Colonel Ma, Zhang Liguo pulled out his Browning and holster and handed them to Wang Yi. He had heard much of their conversation and knew Wang Yi wanted a Browning.

During the escort mission, Zhang Liguo had gradually developed feelings for Wang Yi, but he was about to go to the front lines and had to avoid any "romantic entanglements" that might weaken his resolve. War was cruel, and no one dared to say they would survive, let alone hope for Wang Yi's affection.

"I don't want it." Wang Yi's face turned slightly red, and she quickly lowered her head to hide her embarrassment, not taking Zhang Liguo's Browning. She pretended to "treat" the fat man's wound, merely disinfecting and bandaging it.

Zhang Liguo placed the Browning at Wang Yi's feet, stood up, saluted, and walked away without looking back. His two Nationalist soldiers quickly followed.

"Damn!" The fat man saw Wang Yi's expression. Both were giving her a gun, but when he gave it, she lost her temper, and when Zhang Liguo gave it, she blushed. People compared to others could drive one to despair. He truly regretted not finding a chance to get rid of Zhang Liguo, his rival.

By the time Wang Yi finished bandaging the fat man's wound, Zhang Liguo and his two men were already far away. Colonel Ma picked up the Browning at Wang Yi's feet and said to everyone, "Gather the team, let's go. The next stop is Tiger Mouth Mountain. Everyone, be careful."