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

Wang Yuan put his hands on his hips, laughed loudly, and started cursing at Gao Linyuan: "Hey! Company Commander Gao! Your cursing is really loud!"

This is even more outrageous than the shrewish women arguing at the entrance of our village! You're calling Xiaochuan a traitor? You're calling him unworthy of the Japanese Emperor?

That's called abandoning darkness for light!

With such small eyebrows and eyes, why can't she join the revolution!

He took a step closer, his finger almost poking Gao Linyuan's nose. "Besides, what about yourself? You wear this yellow coat and act as a lackey for the Japanese, holding a gun and harming our own fellow villagers!"

Who the hell do you think you're being fair to? Do you think you're being fair to the ancestors enshrined in your ancestral hall?

Your ancestral tablets must have been blackened by your traitorous skin long ago!

Gao Linyuan was instantly struck where it hurt and was speechless.

His eyes swept over his men who were watching him, and a wave of despair washed over him, completely draining his last bit of energy.

Of all his men, the one they hate the most right now is none other than Kosuke Ogawa.

But the second most hated person, Gao Linyuan, ranks third, and no one dares to rank second!

Gao Linyuan was completely limp, only managing to stay upright thanks to the two guerrillas supporting his arms.

Zhou Jindong didn't even glance at Gao Linyuan, as if he were just a pile of insignificant trash.

He walked a few steps to the center of the open space where the puppet troops had just gathered, where more than a hundred rifles were still piled up haphazardly.

His voice clearly reached the ears of every puppet soldier: "Those who want to live, listen carefully! Now, I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourselves!"

Report each other! Point out one by one those beasts in your ranks who have harmed the people, whose hands are stained with blood, and who bully the good and kind by abusing their power!

Whoever reports the truth and clearly explains what they did will have a better chance of survival!

Anyone who covers it up, or spreads lies and distorts the facts, will be taken down with them!

No sooner had he finished speaking than Shui Sheng led a dozen or so guerrillas with bayonets into the group of puppet troops, shouting as they charged. They herded them back together like sheep, forcing them to stand face to face in several groups.

With bayonets waving right in front of them, the threat of death overwhelmed their already meager "brotherly bond."

After a brief silence, a cacophony of pointing fingers erupted from the crowd.

"Him! Wang Laowu! Last month in Zhao Jia Gou, he was the one who led the way in defiling Old Zhao's daughter! That girl later jumped into a well! I heard him brag about it himself once while we were drinking!"

A skinny puppet soldier, trembling, pointed to a scruffy old soldier next to him.

"Bullshit! Skinny monkey, you're spouting nonsense!" Wang Laowu's face turned ashen. He jumped up and down, trying to pounce, but was immediately hit on the back of the knee by the butt of a spear by Zhu Zi, and fell to his knees with a "thud".

Then Shui Sheng kicked him in the chin again, his mouth was full of blood, and he couldn't speak.

"And him! Third Platoon Leader Li Mazi! That time in Lijiawa, he was the one who whipped old Sun to death with a belt for refusing to hand over grain! I saw it with my own eyes!"

Another young puppet soldier pointed at a pockmarked guy in the corner and shouted.

"That bald guy Zhao from the first platoon! He robbed grain in Hexi Village, killed two young men who were guarding the grain! He even took their cattle!"

"Second Squad Leader Qian the Cripple! He..."

……

Cries, curses, explanations, and pleas rose and fell, creating a chaotic scene.

The guerrillas stared intently at them with bayonets, forcing them to reveal more names and more dirty secrets.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, more than twenty names, along with their misdeeds, were reported.

In order to survive, Su Zhan quickly took notes in a small notebook, writing down every name and crime that was accused.

These names encompass almost all the officers in the puppet army company.

Gao Linyuan's name was prominently listed, and he was accused of the most offenses, ranging from withholding military pay and setting up a private torture chamber to abducting women and driving people to their deaths...

Every single incident, every single one, is a blood debt.

Zhou Jindong took the list from Su Zhan, looked it over carefully, and nodded.

His gaze swept over the faces of the puppet soldiers who hadn't yet been called out, and he slowly said, "Those who were still running at the front of the line during the laps, step forward!"

A commotion broke out in the crowd, and dozens of pairs of eyes looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear and confusion.

After a while, about thirty soldiers with relatively strong physiques hesitantly emerged from the crowd and stood on the other side of the open space.

Most of them kept their heads down, not daring to look at Zhou Jindong, unaware of what fate awaited them.

Zhou Jindong walked up to these people, scrutinized them one by one, and finally announced his decision: "You still have some conscience; you're not completely rotten. Now, I'll give you two paths."

He held up two fingers. "The first path is to pick up a gun and fight with us guerrillas! Fight the Japanese devils, fight the traitors, atone for your sins, and restore some honor for your parents and fellow villagers!"

He paused, then his voice suddenly turned stern, "The second option is to continue being your traitors, and then join those people over there."

He pointed to the twenty-odd heinous criminals who had been dragged out, "You're all going to get shot! I've shown you the way, choose for yourselves!"

The legs of the thirty-odd people went weak when they heard "get shot".

Before Zhou Jindong could finish speaking, people started shouting in unison:

"I'll join! I'll fight the Japanese devils with you!"

"I'm joining too! Sir! I've long since stopped being a traitor!"

"Count me in! I'll do it!"

"Join! Join! Please, sir, give us a way out!"

The voices were mixed, but their opinions were surprisingly consistent.

Zhou Jindong nodded and waved to Zhu Zi: "Give them guns!"

Zhu Zi was somewhat puzzled as to why these puppet soldiers were given guns. Weren't they afraid that these people would suddenly turn on them?

Trusting Zhou Jindong, he immediately led his men to pick out thirty Hanyang rifles from the pile of spoils and distributed them, along with bayonets, to the thirty-odd defecting puppet soldiers.

Little did they know, these puppet soldiers who took over the guns were even more confused.

"Listen up!" Zhou Jindong didn't leave them wondering for long, speaking directly, "If you pick up a gun, you're one of us! Since you chose to join the Eighth Route Army, you need to act like soldiers! Now is the time for you to prove your loyalty!"

He pointed to the twenty-odd officers and veterans bound like dumplings, "Take these men to the foot of the opposite mountain! Execute them by firing squad! Leave no one alive!"

The thirty-odd newly recruited puppet army soldiers, holding rifles in their hands, looked at the officers and bullies who used to lord it over them. Their eyes gradually changed from initial hesitation and fear to a more complex expression.

They exchanged glances, then looked around at the guerrillas with bayonets at their sides, who were watching them intently. Zhou Jindong's unwavering gaze sent a chill down their spines.

"yes!"

Someone responded first, and then the other thirty people followed suit.

Gritting their teeth, they worked in pairs to drag their limp former comrade-in-arms to his feet.

Curses, cries, and desperate pleas filled the air.

Gao Linyuan was being dragged along by two soldiers, his face ashen.

As he was being dragged past Zhou Jindong and Wang Yuan, he suddenly struggled, a strength that seemed to come from nowhere.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Zhou Jindong as he shouted, "Hey, you bunch of peasants, don't get cocky! Where's Lieutenant Okada? Tell me! Is Okada Yudai dead or alive?"

You can't be unaware that you've caused a huge disaster, can you?