The War of Resistance Against Japan: Starting with a Calm View of Life and Death

Wang Yuan and Wang Quan each picked up the rifles they had just captured, and the three of them, carrying the pale-faced Su Zhan, quickly slipped out through the back door, hugging the wall and moving swiftly through the shadows of the streets and alleys.

The cries and banging on doors in the town seemed to have lessened somewhat, but the shouts of the Japanese soldiers and sporadic gunshots still echoed in the distance.

Su Zhan followed along, his steps unsteady, barely daring to breathe, feeling as if something was pressing against his lower back, sending a chill down his spine.

After wandering around in circles, the four of them finally arrived at the abandoned threshing ground at the east end of the town.

The threshing ground was large, with snow covering the withered grass and scattered stone rollers, and several half-collapsed adobe walls providing good shelter.

From afar, they could see Sun Erniu leading fifteen guerrillas, crouching behind several broken walls and stacks of firewood, each craning their necks to peer towards the town.

"Vice Captain! Brother Yuan!" Sun Erniu was the first to spot them and greeted them in a low voice.

The team members swarmed over, their eyes immediately drawn to the three brand-new Type 38 rifles and bulging ammunition pouches on Zhou Jindong and his team's backs, causing them to breathe heavily.

Wang Yuan grinned, placed the captured gun and ammunition pouch on the ground, and said arrogantly, "Don't just stand there! Anyone in the team who thinks they have good marksmanship, step forward!"

"Me! The Captain!"

"And me!"

Count me in!

Immediately, five or six young team members raised their hands.

Wang Yuan involuntarily looked at Zhou Jindong, only to see the other party shake his head slightly.

Seeing that Zhou Jindong was asking him to make the decision, he glanced at everyone and called out directly, "Zhuzi, Taozi, Shuisheng! You three, come here!"

Zhu, Taozi, and Shuisheng, who were chosen, excitedly squeezed forward.

Zhou Jindong picked up a newly captured Type 38 rifle and shoved it into Zhu Zi's hand: "Zhu Zi, you take this one."

He then picked up another pole and handed it to Taozi.

The last stick was handed to Shui Sheng.

"Hold on tight! Fight the Japanese! Everyone else, don't worry, you'll get your turn!"

The three young men excitedly took the guns, their faces beaming, even happier than if they had found gold ingots.

"Bullets are precious," Zhou Jindong said, opening the ammunition box. "Aim carefully before you fire! Anyone who wastes bullets can go back and get their machete!"

As he spoke, he distributed ten shots to each of the three men.

"Don't worry, Dong-ge! We live off the water and the mountains, and none of us are novices. We'll make sure you hit the target!"

Zhu Zi patted his chest and assured him, then carefully stuffed the bullet into his pocket.

Meanwhile, the teammates around them who hadn't gotten a gun were practically spitting fire with envy.

However, with the example set by the three Shui Shengs, they now have no doubt about the promises Zhou Jindong made!

"Brothers, listen carefully," Zhou Jindong proved with reality that he could make his boasts come true, and began the next step of mobilization. "The Japanese devils are still harming our fellow villagers in the town. We can't just stand by and watch."

We just used a new tactic called the "curtain-lifting battle," and it proved to be very effective!

Now, we'll split into three groups. Yuan Ge, Quanzi, and I will each lead one group, with three people in each group. We'll sneak back into town and specifically target lone Japanese soldiers!

"Use this 'curtain-lifting' tactic to inflict casualties on the Japanese forces as quickly as possible without alerting their main force!"

He quickly went over the tactical points again: find an empty room with a thick curtain, ambush behind the curtain, and the moment the Japanese soldiers lift the curtain and enter the inner room, stab them from the side with your bayonet!

Be fast! Be accurate! Be ruthless!

"Su Zhan," Zhou Jindong turned to Su Zhan, who was huddled to the side, "you're still on the same old schedule, responsible for 'inviting' the Japanese devils into our 'good place.' Three at most at a time! One more, or if you dare to try anything funny..."

Su Zhan shuddered, bowing and scraping frantically. Ignoring the fact that he was older than Zhou Jindong, he repeatedly said, "Brother Zhou, don't worry! I understand! Three! At most three! I absolutely wouldn't dare to try anything funny! I'll go right now! I'll go right now!"

As if afraid that Zhou Jindong would change his mind, he turned around and tried to run into the town.

"Wait!" Zhou Jindong called out to him, quickly sketching a map on the ground and marking several locations on it, saying, "Choose those stragglers who are searching house to house. We'll ambush them... here... here... in these houses!"

"Okay, okay! Understood!"

Su Zhan readily agreed and quickly disappeared at the end of the path leading to the town.

Watching Su Zhan's disappearing figure, Zhou Jindong silently spoke to the Japanese commander in the town whose name he still did not know.

You beast, I'll do it! Do whatever you want!

Without further hesitation, Zhou Jindong quickly divided the group: "Yuan-ge, you take Shuisheng and Tiedan in one group. Quanzi, you take Zhuzi and Taozi. The rest of you, Erniu and Sanniu, come with me! The rest of you stay here and wait for backup."

"Remember, be swift and clean! Retreat once you've succeeded, don't be greedy! If you encounter a large group of Japanese soldiers, get out of the way immediately! In half an hour, regardless of whether you succeeded or not, return here to regroup! Understand?"

"Understood!" the group replied in hushed tones, their voices carrying a mixture of tension, barely suppressed excitement, and murderous intent.

The three groups immediately dispersed and, using the terrain of the threshing ground and the ditches on both sides of the path leading to the town, made their way into the town again.

Soon, they arrived at the residences that Zhou Jindong had just designated and carefully laid an ambush.

Zhou Jindong, along with the Erniu brothers, arrived at their destination. The three of them slipped into the main room and hid behind the curtain.

Zhou Jindong gestured to Sun Erniu and Sanniu to follow his example, raise their bayonets, crouch slightly, and prepare to attack.

Before long, Su Zhan lured the two Japanese soldiers over.

They kept going in and out of the house next door, cursing and swearing, seemingly having found nothing.

The short soldier in the lead spat and waved towards the direction of the curtain, signaling another soldier to go and check the cluttered room outside.

The soldier, gun at the ready and muttering to himself, impatiently walked towards the curtain and reached out to lift it—

Just as the curtain was lifted a crack...

Zhou Jindong led a surprise attack!

......

The same tactics were repeated time and again in different empty houses and dilapidated courtyards.

Wang Yuan's group succeeded in an abandoned dyeing workshop.

Wang Yuan was incredibly strong; he pierced right through the curtain, along with the person inside.

His team, Shui Sheng and Tie Dan, worked together somewhat haphazardly, but they still managed to take down the target.

Wang Quan and his two companions set up an ambush at a farmer's house.

It was Zhu Zi's first time killing someone with a real gun, and he was so nervous that he almost missed. Fortunately, Tao Zi was quick-witted and finished him off with a stab.

Wang Quan himself dealt with the squad leader cleanly and efficiently.

Su Zhan, like a hunting dog, darted around the town, using his familiarity with the terrain and his accurate understanding of the Japanese soldiers' psychology to repeatedly find isolated or scattered Japanese soldiers and guide the group to suitable empty houses to ambush them.

As it turns out, there is no such thing as real trash, only treasures in the wrong place.

Su Zhan has a knack for betraying his own people!

Each ambush happened in the blink of an eye; the sounds of bayonets stabbing, the muffled groans or short screams of dying Japanese soldiers were drowned out by the clamor in other corners of the town.

After each successful raid, the guerrillas would quickly loot ammunition, cover their tracks, and then disappear like ghosts into the alleys to find their next target.

In less than an hour, the gunfire in the town seemed to have become less frequent, but an invisible panic began to spread quietly among the remaining Japanese soldiers.

"Kimura! Where's Kimura's squad? Didn't they just report searching the west side of town? Where are they?"

Lieutenant Okada Yuta, carrying a command sword, stood at the entrance of the town hall, sternly questioning a messenger who ran up to him, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

He has received reports one after another.

Several groups of soldiers lost contact during the search, neither returning to the rendezvous point as planned nor sending any messages back.

This is so unusual!

Have these good-for-nothings completely disgraced the Imperial Warriors?

However, what you fear most is what comes to pass!

The messenger's words dealt him a heavy blow!

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Thank you to the big shots Yanyu Xiwutong, Nanwangdelianqing, Shuyou20230219095241816, Ni Dajie, and Aerwen for the monthly tickets! Best wishes to all the big shots!