The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

After finally escaping the minefield, Lei Tao, Li Shuiniu, and Li Shuyang didn't dare to rest for a moment, conducting a meticulous search of hidden corners around the base. Finally, in a very hidden location, they discovered a ventilation duct leading into the chemical weapons production facility. The vent was square, about half a meter on each side, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.

Lei Tao approached the vent first, crouched slightly, and cautiously peered inside. It was pitch black inside, with only a few faint rays of light struggling to filter through from the depths. He could faintly hear the muffled sound of air flowing through the duct, mixed with the hum of machinery running continuously within the base and the faint sounds of people moving around. Lei Tao turned back to Li Shuiniu and Li Shuyang and whispered, "This might be our only chance to infiltrate, but the situation inside is unclear. I'll go up and explore the route first. You stay here. If anything unusual happens, do not act rashly. Wait for my signal."

With that, Lei Tao firmly grasped the edge of the vent with both hands. With a slight push, he flipped lightly into the duct. He crouched inside the duct, his movements as gentle as a falling leaf, and he slowly crawled forward. The metal walls of the duct felt slightly cold, and occasionally, raised rivets scraped against his clothes, making a slight grinding sound. Every time he crawled a distance, Lei Tao would hold his breath, pause, and listen carefully to the surroundings, relying on his keen hearing to determine the direction.

After crawling cautiously for a while, Lei Tao finally reached the laboratory exit inside the chemical weapons production base. He peered through the narrow slit in the ventilation vent and saw several Japanese chemical weapons researchers in white coats bustling around. One of them held a glass test tube filled with an unidentified dark pink liquid of an eerie hue. With his right hand, he used a spherical pipette to siphon a drop of blue liquid from a glass bottle into the test tube. He then stared intently at the reaction inside the test tube, his eyes etched with a near-madness and obsession, as if completely immersed in the chemical experiment, oblivious to the impending danger.

Lei Tao didn't dare to slack off, cautiously retracing his steps along the ventilation duct. After finding the Li brothers, he whispered, "This is where we can enter the base. The exit is above a laboratory, where several Japanese chemical weapons researchers are working. They're conducting extremely dangerous chemical experiments and appear defenseless. Our mission is, first, to blow up this base and completely destroy the Japanese chemical weapons research facility; second, to seize as many gas masks and antidotes as possible to prepare for a possible chemical weapons attack; and third, to gather irrefutable evidence of the Japanese chemical weapons manufacturing, exposing their crimes to the world."

Li Shuiniu's eyes were solemn, and he nodded gently: "Brother Lei, this mission is extremely difficult, but we have no choice but to give it a try. However, the method of entry needs to be carefully considered. We must not alert the enemy and arouse the vigilance of the Japanese army."

Lei Tao pulled out several timed high-explosive incendiary bombs from his tactical backpack and said to the Li brothers, "The bombs are ready... We'll sneak in with semi-automatic drum crossbows and fight silently. First, find their power switch and blow up that location. Then, change into Japanese uniforms..."

Li Shuiniu looked at the bombs and crossbows in Lei Tao's hands, his eyes becoming more determined: "Brother Lei, this plan is feasible, let's do it."

Li Shuiyang nodded, and the three of them began preparing for action. They checked the bolt count in their semi-automatic drum-fire crossbows, ensuring they were in top condition. Lei Tao carefully secured the timed high-explosive incendiary bomb to a custom-made pouch at his waist and pulled some simple camouflage gear from his backpack.

When everything was ready, Lei Tao was the first to climb back into the ventilation duct, followed closely by Li Shui Niu and Li Shui Yang. They moved slowly through the narrow duct, being extremely careful with every move, fearing that any noise would reveal their target.

Finally, they reached the vent above the laboratory. Lei Tao peered through the gap for a moment, confirming nothing was amiss. Then, gently pushing the vent open, he jumped down first. He landed almost silently, then rolled behind a lab table. Li Shuiniu and Li Shuyang followed suit, quickly taking cover.

Meanwhile, the Japanese researchers in the lab were still absorbed in their experiments, oblivious to the approaching danger. Lei Tao gestured for the Li brothers to join him in searching for the power switch. Crouching low, they moved through the corners of the lab, avoiding the researchers' sight.

Suddenly, a Japanese researcher, seemingly aware of something, turned in confusion. Lei Tao, quick-witted and swift-handed, fired a crossbow arrow, striking the researcher squarely in the throat. He collapsed before he could even utter a cry. This sudden scene startled the other researchers, but before they could react, Li Shuiniu and Li Shuyang also responded, raining down arrows on the Japanese chemical weapons researcher.