Chapter 154 5. The tasks assigned by Zhou Enlai

Geng Biao, a native of Yanjiachong, Liling, Hunan. Joined the Communist Youth League of China in 1925. In 1928, he was transferred to the Communist Party of China. In September 1930, he joined the Red Army of Chinese Workers and Peasants.During the Agrarian Revolution, served as the staff officer of the 9th Division of the 3rd Army of the Red 1st Army, the leader of the division cadre teaching team, the chief of the combat education section, the head of the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the Red 1st Army, the chief of staff of the 1st Red Division, and the 4th Army of the Red Fourth Front Army chief of staff.Participated in the previous anti-"encirclement and suppression" campaigns and the Long March in the Central Soviet Area.

During the Anti-Japanese War, Geng Biao served as chief of staff, deputy brigade commander and deputy political commissar of the 385th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army.Later, he went to Kangda University to study. In September 1944, he served as the deputy chief of staff of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region. In September 1944, Geng Biao was ordered to leave Yan'an for Jinchaji. Before leaving, Zhou Enlai gave him a task: to escort a US military observation team to Jinchaji by the way.The U.S. military observation team consisted of 11 members, with Comrades Ma Zhenwu, Han Xu, and Dong Yueqian as translators.

When Geng Biao came to Ye Jianying's station to pick up people, before the translator could introduce him, a fat man in uniform and captain's rank from the observation team took a step towards Geng Biao, raised his hand in a standard military salute with a "snap", In blunt Chinese words: "Your Excellency, it is a pleasure to meet you." Han Xu introduced: "This is Captain Demuk, the leader of the Allied Forces Observation Team." After exchanging pleasantries, Demuk tilted his head to his subordinates, and another American came over with three carbines. They are already ready.

Demuk grunted something American.Comrade Han Xu translated: "If you don't mind, this is a small gift for you, Your Excellency General." "Thank you!" Facing these blue and shiny carbines, Geng Biao of course "doesn't mind".The guard Hu Dafang was so happy that he could not close his mouth from ear to ear, he came over and picked up the gun. The US military observation team is another group of foreign guests who arrived in Yan'an on July 22 after the Chinese and foreign journalists' visiting group.Their general "boss" is Colonel Barrett, who has served as the military attache in China for a long time.Most of the members of the observation team are General Stilwell's subordinates.

However, these Americans are terribly arrogant.As soon as they set out on the road, they played tricks on the young master's temper.At that time, in order to ensure safety, the superior sent a platoon of guards to accompany him.These Americans regard the guards as their orderlies, complaining about the poor care here and the poor care there, and must eat Western food.He didn't know how to ride a horse, and he didn't even know which side to get on the horse from. As soon as he got on the road, several of them fell off the horse's back one after another.So they went wild, beating the animals violently.

Geng Biao asked the translator to tell them: riding a horse here is not as rough as the western prairie of the United States. After listening to the kind persuasion, these Americans became even more annoyed, and they waved their fists and shouted loudly at Geng Biao. Geng Biao asked Han Xu: "What are the allies talking about?" "They said: 'Protest against the use of such horses for us, Your Excellency General.'" Geng Biao took a deep breath and decided to protect one American for every two soldiers, and help them learn how to ride a horse and give them a demonstration so that they can adapt to riding a horse on the Loess Plateau as soon as possible.Two days later, their riding skills improved greatly. Whenever they dismounted from the camp, they would pat the horses' necks affectionately, kiss the horses' faces, and praise these horses as "excellent" with their thumbs up.It's really annoying and ridiculous.

The next problem is that they are too loose.When an ox cart passed by on the road, they also stopped to watch and take pictures, and said "Oh!" "Oh!" in surprise.Even why women don't wear lipstick, how the old lady's feet "get" smaller, etc., have become their questions, asking Geng Biao "Your Excellency the General" all day long. When approaching the Yellow River, Japanese aircraft began to appear in the sky.For the Eighth Route Army, when encountering an air raid on the marching route, as long as the commander gives an order, the evacuation and concealment will be completed within a few minutes.But these Americans couldn't do it. They lost their camp when they heard the sound of the plane. They first pointed at the plane and shouted "over there!"The soldiers explained "that's a reconnaissance plane", but how could they understand it?

A riot of a few minutes often takes an hour to subside.Some rode for a long distance, and some got into the bushes and crop fields, but they couldn't find them. The empty horses that lost their riders ran in all directions.The soldiers of the guard platoon also had to look for their lost scattered items, ranging from radio parts to necklaces and crosses. Geng Biao felt worried, how could he pass through the enemy-occupied area in this way?How can we break through the blockade? The soldiers also had opinions, and they ignored them angrily. The Americans were very sensitive and were puzzled by the attitude of the soldiers.Captain Demuk asked Geng Biao cautiously: "Your Excellency General..."

At this moment, Geng Biao was on fire, so he said, "What 'Your Excellency, General', stop calling!" Demuk's blue eyes widened in shock, he spread his hands, shrugged his shoulders, and froze. Geng Biao still ignored him and just urged the horse forward.Demuk remained silent and quietly followed in the ranks.During a break on the way, they got together and chattered for a while, and one of them called the guard Hu Dafang loudly: "Hu! Come here." Hu Dafang is a very lively little devil, with a clever mind, he dresses up the horses cleanly and beautifully.Everyone in the US military observation team likes him.He was called to ask Geng Biao the reason for his anger.

Xiao Hu told them through a translator: "You are too lazy!" "Oh!" "You can't show your attitude to our people!" "Oh!" Suddenly realized "Oh".Demuk asked again why Geng Biao said "Your Excellency General, don't call me anymore".Hu Dafang knew that he had misunderstood the title, but it was inconvenient to say that Geng Biao was angry because they were too loose, so he quickly found a reason: "Generally speaking, our Eighth Route Army doesn't call it that." This kid really has a bit of a "diplomatic mind".The Americans stopped talking and said in blunt Chinese: "Comrade?"

"Chief?" "gentlemen?" Hu Dafang laughed and said to them: "You can call him 'Leader'." The Americans were puzzled.The translator told them: This word means: to lead, to guide.This is very suitable for Geng Biao's responsibility to them. Camping by the Yellow River that night, the military region sent a telegram telling Geng Biao: Comrades Chen Zhengxiang and Zeng Mei have brought a battalion to meet you.Since he was about to enter the enemy-occupied area, Geng Biao gathered the US military observation team and told them the precautions.Geng Biao's speech was often interrupted by their questions.Their common concerns are: "Can you pass through the enemy-occupied area safely?" "What if we encounter the enemy?" "You only have one platoon, are you capable of covering us?" Geng Biao relieved their worries one by one.Finally, let them change into plain clothes.Unexpectedly, this was a mess. They put on the costumes of the old folks in northern Shaanxi, looked at me and looked at you, suddenly laughed, rolled and jumped, and shouted to God. After crossing the Yellow River, the team began to travel at night and stay at dawn.The guerrillas and anti-Japanese regimes at all levels in the enemy-occupied areas had already been notified, and they did everything possible to arrange food and accommodation conditions, and opened up safe "corridors" along the blockade line with many Japanese watchtowers and road ditches.Whenever the team was lurking on the departure line waiting for the notification from the guerrillas, in the dark, from time to time, the "relationships" lurking inside the enemy and the puppet would report "all is well" in code words, or when the searchlights of the Japanese armored patrol vehicles "" The Americans were always worried and excited, and there was an air of adventure in their faces, eyes, and movements as they leaped across the railroad in lightning speed. Demuk asked Geng Biao: "Leader, Geng. How should we evaluate this great adventure?" Geng Biao recalled a common saying when he was studying in Yan'an: Thorough materialism is fearless.And he said to him, "Don't be afraid." Demuk relayed the word to his comrades, prompting a low "Oh!" "OK!" From then on, they called this march "fearless action" and Geng Biao "fearless leader".