The Wind Rises in 1898: Becoming a Warlord Starting in Southeast Asia

Chapter 22 Sharpening the Army and Planning the Attack

At dawn, before the morning mist had completely dissipated, rustling sounds could be heard on the beach.

The soldiers of the sixth squad were busy starting fires and preparing food, while the other squads had already lined up and were quietly waiting for orders.

Chen Feng, his eyes bloodshot, walked back to the campfire and, forcing himself to remain exhausted, gave the following orders: "Tian Gang, you take one squad to scout the core stronghold of the Balangai tribe along the mountain paths; Kong Yunfei, you take the second squad to the place where the sixth squad was attacked last night to scout out the location of their main force."

"yes!"

Tian Gang and Kong Yunfei stood up straight at the same time and responded in unison.

Chen Feng thought for a moment, still uneasy about Kong Yunfei, and walked up to him, whispering, "The situation is complicated right now. The indigenous people are very likely to unite with other tribes. You are only allowed to conduct reconnaissance, not to engage in battle without authorization. Once our whereabouts are exposed, our entire plan will be ruined!"

"General, don't worry, I, Kong Yunfei, am not a reckless person." Kong Yunfei patted his chest.

Chen Feng nodded slightly: "Let's go!"

At the command, the two pre-prepared squads immediately set off into the forest.

They carried Springfield M1861 rifles on their shoulders and Spanish colonial army scimitars at their waists. Although their steps were unsteady, they still looked somewhat like soldiers.

Chen Feng stared at their retreating figures for a while, until they were all out of sight, before turning around and saying, "Let's begin our firearms training!"

The entire team had basically never touched a standard rifle before, and surprisingly, Zhang Xiuwu was the best marksman.

Chen Feng couldn't help but laugh when he recalled the scene of him fighting the Spanish colonial cavalry that night, and ultimately decided to teach them himself.

After all, he had read the "Militia Training Manual" several times in his previous life, and last night he even took the opportunity while on guard duty to practice loading and firing many times.

He picked up a Springfield M1861 and held it high: "This is a muzzle-loading rifle. There are many steps involved in its operation, so everyone keep a close eye on my movements! First, open the breech, load the gunpowder, insert the bullet, compact it with a cleaning rod, close the breech, and then raise the hammer. Everyone, be careful not to spill the gunpowder."

The soldiers followed his movements step by step, and although their movements were a little clumsy, they all learned with great care.

"Next, practice prone shooting!" Chen Feng plopped down on the sand with a "plop" and demonstrated, "Hold the gun with both hands, left shoulder firmly against the butt, right shoulder lowered and pressed against the gun, body at a 45° angle to the muzzle. This will cushion the recoil and prevent shoulder injury!"

"Support the handguard with your left hand, palm firmly against it, and grip the trigger ring with your right hand, index finger resting naturally on the trigger. The other fingers should grip the handle firmly, but not too stiffly, otherwise the rifle will wobble!"

The soldiers all lay down, their movements uneven, and Chen Feng got up and corrected them one by one.

He adjusted the angle by gripping Chu Xiongxing's wrist: "Don't squeeze too hard, relax a bit, and the aim will be steady!"

Chen Feng stood up and, while speaking, corrected the shooting postures of each soldier one by one.

Once everyone was in the correct posture, he loudly explained: "Take a deep breath before aiming, slowly exhale half a breath, and then hold your breath. Don't hold your breath for too long, or your hand will shake so much you won't be able to find the sights! Exhale again after firing! Remember the 'three points in a line': the sight notch, the front sight, and the target must all be in a straight line!"

"Is everything ready? Release!"

"Bang bang bang!"

Gunshots rang out one after another, and the beach was instantly filled with smoke.

The soldiers' faces were full of novelty and excitement, but when the smoke cleared, the wooden stakes on the distant reefs still stood firmly, with only seven or eight holes scattered on them.

Chen Feng's lips twitched, but he still forced a smile and praised, "That's pretty good for your first time! Remember the key points of the movements, and don't fire blindly!"

The soldiers knew they were not good enough, and they all blushed and lowered their heads.

Chen Feng looked at Zhang Xiuwu: "Have you memorized all the key points of the movements?"

"I've got it all figured out!" Zhang Xiuwu replied loudly.

"Then you should lead the brothers in practice first, until everyone's movements are up to standard, then we can practice live-fire shooting!" Chen Feng was a little reluctant to use the bullets, after all, each gun only had a hundred rounds, and if a real war broke out, they wouldn't be able to withstand the consumption.

Just after the training was arranged, Feng Qinlan and Qian Biao hurriedly came over.

Chen Feng led the two to a secluded spot and asked in a low voice, "What is it?"

"General, we have a total of sixty men. I've checked the food, and it's only enough for us to eat for three days." Qian Biao handed over a small notebook in his left hand.

Chen Feng didn't answer, and turned to look at Feng Qinlan.

"Brother Chen, we still have $3700. I'd like to take advantage of this reconnaissance time to see if we can buy some fabric suitable for making military uniforms in the surrounding villages. If we do, we'll need to organize the women to sew them, which will probably cost around $50." Feng Qinlan's eyes were bloodshot as she spoke, opening the cloth bag in her hand, which contained neatly folded US dollar bills.

Chen Feng pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "Let's not rush the uniform issue. It's too slow for us to make them ourselves. Let's find a garment manufacturer and let the professionals handle the professional work."

"I understand!" Feng Qinlan nodded slightly and tightened the cloth bag again.

Just then, a burst of gunfire erupted from the training ground.

Chen Feng turned his head and saw that the wooden stakes used as targets had been knocked down.

Zhang Xiuwu waved and shouted from afar, "Brother Chen, didn't I teach you well?"

"Great! Everyone will get an extra piece of pork for lunch today!" Chen Feng cheered loudly, then picked up his rifle and joined the training.

In the afternoon, Tian Gang's reconnaissance team was the first to report back.

They found the village where the Balangai tribe was located. It was heavily guarded, with sentries standing guard at the entrance, all of whom were armed with firearms.

The entire village had more than fifty strong men, whose strength far exceeded what was previously known.

Not long after, Kong Yunfei's team also sent back a message.

The main force of the Balangai tribe returned to the village last night and discovered a hidden stream in the mountain ravine to the west of the village, which could be used as a route for a flanking attack.

As dusk fell, the entire reconnaissance team returned to their post.

Holding the simple maps drawn by Tian Gang and Kong Yunfei, Chen Feng gathered the class leaders together: "Tell me, how should we fight?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Kong Yunfei immediately chimed in: "General, let the main force attack from the front to draw their fire; I'll lead the second squad to flank them along the stream, strike straight at their stronghold, and guarantee a swift victory."

"Why should you lead the men to flank them? I know the terrain better, it should be me who flanks them!" Zhang Xiuwu immediately retorted, his facial wounds reopening due to his agitation, oozing blood.

"I know the route well," Kong Yunfei said firmly.

Tian Gang chimed in, "I'm familiar with the route too."

Ren Dayong, the squad leader of the third squad, interjected, "Our squad is the best trained and has the most accurate shooting. It's my turn to flank them."

"Our Class 4 isn't bad either!" Ding Junkai immediately chimed in.

Squad leader Wang Liang scoffed, "When it comes to marksmanship, who among you can compare to me? I can blow their leader's head off with a single shot; flanking them is definitely my job!"

"Do you think the enemy leader will just stand there like a target and let you shoot him?" Zhang Xiuwu retorted.

......

The crowd argued heatedly, each vying to claim the credit for the surprise attack.

Seeing that everyone had stopped arguing, Chen Feng raised his hand to stop them: "Stop arguing! Tomorrow morning, we'll split into two groups: the first, second, and third squads will form the main force and launch a feint attack at the village entrance to draw the enemy's main force over; the fourth and fifth squads will follow me, flanking along the stream and attacking the village from the rear!"

Once the order was given, no one objected. Only Zhang Xiuwu was anxious: "What about our Class Six? What are we supposed to do?"

"Keep an eye on the camp! Take good care of your injuries!" Chen Feng pointed to the lacerations on his face.

Zhang Xiuwu reached out and touched his hand, only to find it covered in blood, and reluctantly gave up.