Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 56 The Final Showdown (Part 6)

Seeing Fukuda Takeo's attitude change after being kicked and slapped, Li Gaoyuan and Huang Guantao exchanged a surprised glance. They hadn't expected this Japanese soldier to be so stubborn.

When Su Yaoyang was in college, he met several Japanese exchange students, both male and female, and had some in-depth conversations with some of the female students.

However, Japan had been struggling with a stagnant economy for over thirty years and had long lost the arrogance it had shown during World War II when it swept across Asia.

As the world's second-largest economy, China's economy was approaching that of the United States. At that time, Japan was not even qualified to be China's rival, so those Japanese students naturally did not dare to show off in front of Su Yaoyang.

But things are different now. Japan is at its most arrogant right now, and Su Yaoyang is not going to tolerate them. He will slap them to teach them a lesson.

Looking at Fukuda Takeo, who was arrogant at first but obsequious at second, Su Yaoyang sneered inwardly. Although eighty years had passed, the national character of this people, who bullied the weak and feared the strong, had not changed at all.

He said coldly, "Alright, enough nonsense. What did that old dog Kunisaki sent you here for?"

Fukuda Takeo's expression turned serious. He took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Su Yaoyang with both hands: "Colonel, this is a letter that General Kunisaki asked me to pass on to you."

Su Yaoyang took the envelope, took out the letter and read it quickly. It was written in Chinese.

To His Excellency the Commander of the Garrison at St. Paul's Cathedral:

The ancient city of Jinling, once a place of strategic importance, is now engulfed in the flames of war.

Your troops are trapped in the ruins, and although you have shown courage in the moment, fate has already revealed itself.

The Imperial Army's iron hooves swept in from Shanghai, and General Matsui Iwane's 300,000 elite troops had already formed an encirclement. Heavy artillery was arrayed on Zijin Mountain, and naval guns were like a forest on the Yangtze River. This was something that no human could resist.

Your newly formed security force consists mostly of commoners and rural folks, hastily armed with inferior weapons to defend against the imperial army. Their parents, wives, and children are yearning for Jiangnan; can you bear to let their bones fill the Qinhuai River?

Yesterday, during the Battle of Zhonghua Gate, the Imperial Army witnessed your soldiers fighting on empty stomachs, still clutching broken blades even after being shot. Such foolish loyalty only adds to the number of dead! If you were to lay down your arms and surrender, our army would certainly protect the lives of our officers and soldiers in accordance with the International Law of War, and the millions of lives in Nanjing would be spared the calamity of war.

Previously, Tang Shengzhi abandoned the city and fled, and Chiang Kai-shek used you as scapegoats. The so-called "living and dying with Nanjing" is nothing but a deceptive statement by Chinese bureaucrats. You are not a direct descendant of the Whampoa Military Academy graduates, so why should you be buried with this corrupt regime? The goal of the Greater East Asia Holy War is to expel the Western powers and jointly build a peaceful and prosperous land.

If Your Excellency understands the greater good, you should emulate the example of General Song Zheyuan of Beiping, and the people of Nanjing will all be moved by Your Majesty's virtue. If you persist in your stubborn resistance before dusk today, the day the Imperial Army breaches the city, everything will be destroyed. Please consider this carefully.”

Su Yaoyang skimmed through the letter, gave a cold laugh, and handed it to Li Gaoyuan. Huang Guantao also came over to read it together.

Seeing that the three of them remained silent, Fukuda Takeo momentarily forgot the contractions on his face and stomach, thinking that he was ready again, and then spoke in Mandarin with a Hiroshima accent.

"Does your silence mean you agree?"
The patience of the Imperial Japanese Army is faster than the Qinhuai River freezing over! Tang Shengzhi fled from Xiaguan Wharf last night with the military police, and your Whampoa Military Academy training corps is also retreating towards Pukou!

Look! The Rising Sun Flag was planted at Zhongshan Gate three hours ago, and the heavy machine gun company of the Kunisaki Detachment is setting up firing positions on Qingliang Mountain to monitor the prisoners of war in the prisoner-of-war camp.

The three gunboats of the 11th Squadron on the river have locked onto the coordinates. (Suddenly raising his voice) We can still handle the situation by 'disarming' now, but if we wait for the Kyushu soldiers of the 6th Division to come in... they love to use the skulls of Chinese officers to hold their wine!

The general said he's giving you two final hours! Either you emerge from the church holding white cloths, or you await the 'proof of your death' from the entire city!

"Snapped……"

The words had barely left his mouth when he received another solid slap across his left cheek. "Fuck you!"

Unable to contain his anger any longer, Su Yaoyang drew his M1911 pistol from his waist, pulled the safety off, and fired at Fukuda Takeo.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, Takeo Fukuda, who had just been slapped, fell to his knees with a thud, clutching his right leg and letting out a series of shrill screams.

The 15-gram 11.43mm bullet, traveling at 250 meters per second, pierced through Takeo Fukuda's thigh muscle, but was ultimately stopped by his hard femur.

The bullet then shattered inside his thigh, creating a cavity effect that nearly caused Fukuda Takeo to faint on the spot from the pain.

Seeing Fukuda Takeo kneeling on the ground groaning, Su Yaoyang raised his pistol again.

This time, before he could fire, his right hand was simultaneously grabbed by Li Gaoyuan and Huang Guantao.

"Commander... we can't kill him, we can't kill him! If the higher-ups blame us, we'll be in big trouble!"

"Yes, Commander, we could tear him to pieces on the battlefield, but he's here to deliver a message. If we kill him, it would be disrespectful of us."

Seeing Li Gaoyuan and Huang Guantao sweating profusely with anxiety, Su Yaoyang snorted, removed the safety from his pistol, and tucked it back into his waistband: "This kid got off easy. Two men, throw this little devil out."

"Yes!"

After hearing Su Yaoyang's words, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief, having finally persuaded this man to stop.

After the two guards dragged Fukuda Takeo away, Su Yaoyang said to them irritably, "I really don't understand what you're thinking. The Japanese devils have already started massacring people in Nanjing, and you're still clinging to the rule of not killing envoys."

Do you think he'll be grateful to you after you let that little Japanese soldier go? Just wait, the Japanese will launch another attack soon.

"Baka Yalu... Order the artillery to bombard them... blast all those Chinese positions to the ground."

Indeed, as Su Yaoyang had said, when Kunisaki saw Fukuda Takeo being carried in by the guards, groaning in pain, his eyes instantly turned red. He strode up to Fukuda Takeo and loudly inquired.

"How could this happen? How dare the Chinese treat you like this?"

"General." Fukuda Takeo, suppressing his pain, recounted what had just happened.

After briefly questioning Fukuda Takeo a few times, the furious Kunisaki immediately issued the order to launch a renewed attack and mobilized all artillery to bombard the various positions.

The newly formed security regiment was not to be outdone. They took advantage of the mobility and flexibility of the 60mm mortars and adopted a hit-and-run strategy to harass and attack the Japanese army continuously.

What? There aren't enough qualified gunners?

Don't forget, the battlefield is the best teacher. Besides, firing mortars doesn't require too much advanced knowledge. Under the baptism of iron and blood, the gunners of the newly formed security regiment improved rapidly and even engaged in counter-attacks with the Japanese artillery.

(End of this chapter)