The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 449 Lin Laisheng Kele Releases Military Power (Prepare for Wanshu Test, Ask for Gifts and Re

The fire on the beach had long since died out, leaving behind only a pile of blackened wood ashes and scattered rags.

Most of the airdropped supplies have been moved into the simple settlement in the center of the island, a "camp" built of thatch and bamboo. Looking down from a high vantage point, it looks like a temporary market in a fishing village.

Except for a few ignorant wild dogs barking at some airdrop boxes that fell into the sea and drifted farther and farther away, the beach had returned to calm in the night.

Although three or four wooden boxes were swept away by the waves and broken into pieces in the sea, more than 90% of the airdropped supplies still landed successfully.

Weapons, ammunition, rations, radios, medical kits, and mechanical parts were all available, and smiles appeared on the faces of many guerrillas. What's more, Lin Laisheng had already guaranteed that such airdrops would take place every few days.

In the largest thatched house in the center of the camp, several kerosene lamps flickered, reflecting the faces of several people, each with their own thoughts.

Lin Laisheng sat at a low table made from a wooden box, his bare feet still caked with sand. Opposite him sat Harriman, Karen, and several other guerrilla leaders.

On the table were field rations freshly taken from the airdrop, various canned foods, and glass bottles of Coca-Cola.

Looking at those Coca-Cola bottles, Lin Laisheng couldn't help but mutter in his heart:

What were the higher-ups thinking? A flight carries dozens of tons of cargo, and this pile of sugary drinks and canned goods takes up a third of that? Didn't they say they were sending me fire support?

Unfortunately, Lin Laisheng was just a liaison officer, and the specific materials to be airdropped were decided by the Second Operations Intelligence Bureau of the General Staff.

Harriman, who was well versed in the ways of the world, could tell what Lin Laisheng was thinking just from the fleeting expression on his face. He took out his multi-functional military knife, pried open the caps of the Coca-Cola bottles one by one, and handed a bottle to Lin Laisheng in a familiar manner.

Then he took out a box of airdropped Camel cigarettes and distributed them one by one.

"Come on, everyone, have a taste of the flavor of my hometown. If it's chilled, it tastes delicious!" Harriman said as he put his Coke bottle in front of Lin Laisheng, making a crisp "click" sound.

In just a short while, Harriman shaved his beard with the razor dropped from the air, and he looked much more energetic.

"Lieutenant Colonel Lin seems a little confused, right? There's no shortage of food here. If you're thirsty, there are coconuts in the trees. If you're hungry, there are fish in the sea. Why would your superiors use half of their transport capacity to airdrop these canned goods, Coke, and cigarettes?"

Lin Laisheng took a sip of Coke calmly and nodded. He joined the army to fight the Japanese and take revenge. He has spent the past few years in the army. In his opinion, a qualified soldier should overcome all difficulties and complete the mission.

As for other material conditions, it would be great if we have them, but we can’t force them if we don’t have them.

This spirit of never giving up until the goal is achieved is also the reason why he was promoted to commander of the special operations team.

So he answered frankly in Angsa: "Yes, that's what I think."

"This is different from the army." Harriman shook his head.

"Most of the guerrillas, I mean the locals," Harriman emphasized. "They followed us two white men simply out of inertia, out of a habit of following white men's orders. They were just civilians. For them, being a guerrilla was just a job."

Harriman smiled amiably and pointed out the window. "They're not soldiers."

Outside the window, several barefoot young natives were kicking and fighting around an empty wooden box. One was wrapping his head with parachute cloth, while another was chasing after it, shouting in the local dialect, mixed with laughter and curses and the "thud" of coconuts falling to the ground.

"And work must be paid, and we have to let them see the benefits. A good diet and extra tobacco can significantly improve their morale and make them feel that following me to fight the Japanese is profitable, so that they will follow closely."

"Bullshit!" Zheng Yongchun, the leader of the Chinese guerrilla group next to him, started cursing.

He raised his calloused fist and clenched it tightly, his muscles tensed like veins wrapped around a snake, his voice carrying a tenacity that came from the lower classes of the Southeast Asian Chinese community:

"Brothers, you are not following me to drink Coke, but to kill the devils with real swords and guns!"

"I understand, I understand." Harriman pushed his hand, signaling Zheng Yongchun to calm down. "I was talking about other people, not you."

Lin Laisheng watched the quarreling people.

To say I wasn't moved by these three people before me—a White Eagle electrical engineer, a retired Dutch second lieutenant, and a guerrilla leader from the Chinese Volunteer Corps—would be a lie. They didn't feel like soldiers at all, more like bandits from a storybook.

It seems that even though Harriman gathered thousands of guerrillas, and the situation seemed prosperous and thriving on the surface, in reality it was still a mob.

This is not a regular force, but it plays a key role in the future landing in Jiugang.

Thinking of the mission he was entrusted with, Lin Laisheng looked at Harriman and asked, "Do you have enough men? I mean serious men who can fight, not those who are just here to make a living."

"That's bullshit. You can see that some of my team members can't even hold a gun."

Harriman pointed outside the thatched hut at a young native man who was trying to smash a coconut with the butt of his gun as a hammer, and shook his head helplessly. "But at least they won't tell the Japanese about us, and they're willing to lend a hand. I've taught them a lot of agricultural knowledge and taught them more efficient production. That's how I've mobilized thousands of people from the surrounding villages."

"Counting Captain Zheng's men and the weapons dropped this time, the actual combat manpower is about... 300."

Lin Laisheng first shook his head, then nodded.

"Next, we will give you systematic military training. Other instructors will be airdropped in, and we will also equip you with new radios and some small cannons."

Harriman immediately beamed. "That's great. To be honest, I'm under a lot of pressure managing such a large group of people. It's great that you're willing to take over."

As Harriman himself said, although he is a retired Marine and has received military training, that was many years ago, and now his main job is an electrical engineer.

It is undeniable that he had great personal charisma and was able to unite a large group of people, but his military capabilities were indeed limited.

As he spoke, Harriman quietly pulled the corner of the clothes of his deputy, the Dutchman Karen, under the table.

Karen, who was taking a puff of Camel cigarette and a sip of Coke, had to mobilize the muscles on his face and give Lin Laisheng a forced smile.

But he couldn't help thinking in his heart: Damn, this is the colony of our Queen Minna of the Netherlands, how could things turn out like this?

Zheng Yongchun stated directly: "Okay, I've said it before, we should train and fight the devils!"

Seeing that Harriman was the first to agree, several native cadres followed suit.

Seeing that the other party had no objection to the reorganization, Lin Laisheng felt relieved. "Don't worry, you two. I will consult with my superiors and arrange your military ranks reasonably within the Allied system. With a guerrilla force of several thousand people, I believe a colonel will not be able to escape."

With the liberation of Singapore, Zhang Chi, like someone playing "Boom Beach" in the future, began to provide airdrop support and grant official positions to the guerrillas in the surrounding Dutch colonies.

This commander of the XX Army, that commander of the XX Column, all kinds of official titles were issued like water thanks to their friendship with Stevenson, the commander of the Southeast Asia Theater.

Of course, although these titles were affiliated with the Allied War Zone, the White Eagles did not recognize them except for the title. Military pay, supplies, and ammunition all needed to be provided by Zhang Chi.

He is happy with this. He pays for it, so it is his, isn't it?