Bright Sword: Japs, times have changed

While the rich wine and meat smell, the road with frozen bone.

This sentence is fully reflected at this moment.

Below the wall of the Zhao family mansion was a gathering place for a group of refugees and beggars.

It’s not because the location is good, but because the Zhao family would send them leftovers from time to time.

Several people came into the living room. In addition to several servants and beautifully dressed women, there was also a man who looked to be about fifty years old.

"Captain Zhang, you're finally here!"

The man stood up to greet them and introduced himself, "My humble name is Zhao He. May I know your names?"

Lin Qiang didn't answer. From the moment the monk entered the room, he was completely attracted by the delicious food on the table, especially the plate of fried peanuts.

"Is it convenient to talk here?"

Zhang Zizai asked, signaling the servants standing around.

Zhao He understood and ordered, "You all go down, don't forget to let Xiaolan and the others get ready."

"Yes, sir."

The servants and women had all left the living room, and now only Lin Qiang and the other three were left.

"Everyone, please take a seat!"

Zhao He said politely, "We can talk later if you have anything to say. Please sit down first. This is specially prepared for the three of you. I don't know if it will suit your taste."

After Lin Qiang sat down, Zhang Zizai followed suit.

Needless to say, the monk had already sat down and was ready to eat at any time.

The food in the base was also very rich, but it was nothing compared to this table.

After sitting down, Lin Qiang took the initiative to speak: "I heard from Zizai that Mr. Zhao is a member of the County Maintenance Association?"

Hearing this, Zhao He glanced at Zhang Zizai awkwardly, then laughed dryly and said, "Yes, I am indeed a member of the Maintenance Association."

He had been planning to say this proactively, but he didn't expect that Zhang Zizai had already told the other party. He was a businessman and liked to do everything at his own pace.

He then took the initiative to mention the main reason for this meeting: "I dare to invite you two here this time, mainly because I also want to contribute to the anti-Japanese war."

"Oh?"

Lin Qiang raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why are you thinking of resisting the Japanese instead of just maintaining the association?"

"Hey~"

Zhao He sighed and said slowly, "You may not know that I had no choice but to join this maintenance association!"

Under the monk's impatient gaze, Zhao He told him the reason why he joined the maintenance association.

It turns out that he is also a scholar, and he is full of passion when the country is in crisis.

But as the Japanese invaders entered the city, his father was beaten to death by the Japanese for resisting, his mother was also brutally killed by the Japanese invaders, and even his sister was tortured to death by the Japanese invaders.

In order to preserve the family business accumulated by generations of the Zhao family, Zhao He had to bow to the Japanese devils in order to preserve the remaining bloodline of the Zhao family.

At the end, Zhao He burst into tears: "In the face of national hatred, I chose to protect myself. I really let down Mr. Sun's teachings. I am unworthy of being a human being!"

Lin Qiang did not make any comment on this.

The monk clenched his hands tightly on his legs, looking forward to Lin Qiang picking up the chopsticks first.

Zhang Zizai's success in the county was due to his exceptional foresight. After Zhao He finished speaking, seeing that Lin Qiang hadn't expressed his opinion, he took the initiative to change the subject and introduced the identities of Lin Qiang and the other two.

"That doesn't matter. Wasn't I a traitor and a running dog before? As long as I can correct my mistakes, it's not too late. This is Platoon Leader Lin of the Eighth Route Army, and that is his guard, uh..."

The monk smiled and said, "My name is Wei Dayong."

"Yes, this is Wei Dayong."

After the monk finished speaking, he kept looking at Lin Qiang, and the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.

But Lin Qiang had no intention of picking up his chopsticks at all.

Zhao He was somewhat flattered by Lin Qiang's personal arrival. His original plan was to let Zhang Zizai pass on the message so that the Eighth Route Army would pay more attention to him, and finally meet outside the city.

In this way, the safety of both parties is guaranteed, and there is no need to worry about being discovered by the Japanese. However, no one expected that Lin Qiang would come to the county town in person.

This is not only a trust in Zhang Zizai, but also a trust in him, Zhao He.

Thinking of this, Zhao He stood up and filled Lin Qiang and He's glasses, saying, "It is truly a great honor for me that Platoon Leader Lin is willing to take the risk to come to the county town to meet me. Platoon Leader Lin, I toast you a glass!"

After saying that, Zhao He raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.

The monks put down their wine glasses and waited for Lin Qiang to finish drinking and then eat some food to calm him down.

But when he looked at the wine glass, he found that it was still full, and he was immediately disappointed.

Lin Qiang smiled and said, "I came here mainly to thank Mr. Zhao for the information he provided, but I'm curious where you got it from."

Zhao He filled his glass again and replied, "You're too polite, Platoon Leader Lin. I've always wanted to make a contribution to the anti-Japanese war, but I've never had the chance. As a conscientious Chinese citizen, this is what I should do."

"Regarding intelligence matters, it all starts with the job the Japanese assigned me. Unlike others, I mainly transport supplies for the Japanese. The Zhao family made their fortune in transportation, so they have several dedicated transportation channels in Jin Province."

"Platoon Leader Lin, if you're interested, I can tell you the entire route."

Lin Qiang waved his hand and refused, "If Mr. Zhao tells me that there are any problems with the Japanese transportation, won't they blame you?"

At this moment, Zhao He suddenly felt a sense of "If I don't go to hell, who will?" and said indignantly: "So what? Even if I die, I sacrificed myself for the war of resistance and for the survival of the country!"

Lin Qiang chuckled and said, "Wouldn't that implicate everyone in the Zhao family? If that's the case, why did Mr. Zhao compromise from the beginning?"

From these conversations, Lin Qiang could tell that the information provided by Zhao He was true and what he said was true, but this was not because he had a conscience, but because the Zhao family was in crisis.

And this crisis comes from the Japanese.

The monk could hardly hold back any longer, and drank glass after glass of wine, but didn't eat a single bite of the food.

Lin Qiang reached for the chopsticks, but stopped just before they touched the monk's expectant gaze. "Mr. Zhao, if we can't be honest with each other, I'm afraid there's no way we can build trust!"

“Everyone makes mistakes in life, but the most precious thing is to be able to turn back after straying, and to stop before it’s too late.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao He's old face turned red visibly.

He stood up and raised his glass again, saying, "Thank you very much, Platoon Leader Lin, for your guidance. I'll toast you again!"

After another gulp, Zhao He put down his glass and said, "To be honest, I'm worried that my family will be retaliated against by the Japanese, so I asked Captain Zhang to contact you, Platoon Leader Lin."

This time, Lin Qiang still didn't drink the glass of wine and asked, "Why?"

Zhao He looked at Lin Qiang and hesitantly said, "Because the transport team was robbed a few times before."