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

"This... Your Excellency, please calm down!" The corporal immediately changed his tune, presenting the identification with both hands. "It's my duty, I didn't know you were under Lieutenant Okada's command..."

Zhou Jindong snatched the documents, didn't even glance at him, snorted coldly, and strode into the city.

Watanabe Kota and Su Zhan quickly followed, their backs soaked in cold sweat, the wind chilling them to the bone.

They never expected Zhou Jindong to be so tough and courageous!

They all thought to themselves, "I've learned something!"

Unconsciously, the two men straightened their backs under Zhou Jindong's influence!

All I can say is that Okada Yudai, that damned bastard, gave them boundless courage!

Some people are more useful when they're dead than when they're alive!

Once we entered the city, the streets were in a mess.

Several trucks were parked on the side of the road, and several Japanese soldiers were unloading boxes from the trucks. The boxes were marked with the word "Military Supplies".

Drunk Japanese soldiers would occasionally stagger past on the roadside. When they saw Zhou Jindong and his two companions, they would only glance at them sideways, and no one would come up to question them.

"Captain Zhou... Captain Zhou, where are we going?" Su Zhan leaned closer, his voice barely audible, his whole body trembling.

I don't know if I was more scared or more excited!

"Stop acting all naive! Call me cousin! My dear cousin, don't you dare let me down!"

Zhou Jindong didn't turn his head, observing the surrounding buildings as he walked. "As we agreed, let's go to the company headquarters first. That old devil Fujita should be there."

The Fujita he mentioned was the infantry company commander stationed in Ningwu County, and also Okada Yudai's nominal direct superior.

The three of them turned two street corners and arrived at the entrance of a large courtyard with blue bricks.

Two sentries were standing at the door. When they saw the official document in Watanabe Kota's hand, one of them went in to report it. He ran out a moment later, saluted, and said that Captain Fujita invited him.

We crossed the courtyard and entered the main house.

The room was warm from a charcoal fire, and a mixture of tobacco and foot odor filled the air.

A middle-aged military officer with a mustache was sitting behind a table looking at a map. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and his gaze swept across the three men's faces like a knife.

This is Hiroshi Fujita.

"Yoshi, Watanabe-kun, you're back pretty fast." Fujita Hiroshi put down his pencil and said with a forced smile, his eyes not lingering on Watanabe and Su Zhan, whom he knew, but fixed on Zhou Jindong. "And this is?"

Watanabe Kota quickly stepped forward and presented the forged document with both hands: "Reporting, Captain! This is a local guide sent by Lieutenant Okada. He has urgent military intelligence to report to you! Lieutenant Okada has led his troops to Dongzhai Town and discovered important traces of the Eighth Route Army there!"

Fujita Hiroshi took the document but didn't look at it immediately. Instead, he tapped the table lightly with his fingers, making a "tap, tap, tap" sound.

The sound was jarring in the quiet room, each beat feeling like a blow to Su Zhan and Watanabe's hearts.

Zhou Jindong deliberately stood in a slightly slouching position, with his hands hanging naturally at his sides.

His face didn't show much expression, only a fawning smile that seemed ready to be shattered to pieces for the Japanese commander at any moment.

Fujita Hiroshi then opened the official document and glanced at it.

The official document was written in Japanese and contained very simple information: Okada Yudai claimed to have discovered traces of senior Eighth Route Army cadres in Dongzhai Town, suggesting that the main force of the Eighth Route Army might be present nearby.

In order not to alert the enemy, we decided to set up camp on the spot and establish an advance outpost. We requested the battalion headquarters to immediately send a batch of ammunition and supplies so that we could capture them in one fell swoop.

The signature and seal of Okada Yudai were affixed to the bottom of the document, along with the squad's number.

Fujita Hiroshi read very slowly, tracing the words "establish forward base" over and over again with his fingers.

Suddenly, he slammed the document on the table, making a crisp sound.

"Watanabe-kun!" Fujita Hiroshi's voice suddenly rose, becoming extremely stern. "Has Lieutenant Okada lost his mind? How could a godforsaken place like Dongzhai Town possibly have the main force of the Eighth Route Army? And why didn't you consult me ​​first about such a major matter as establishing a stronghold?"

Watanabe Kota shuddered in fright and opened his mouth to explain, but Zhou Jindong beat him to it.

"Captain Fujita!" Zhou Jindong took a step forward, adopting the air of a newly recruited confidant of Lieutenant Okada, and said with a fake smile, "Does Lieutenant Okada's judgment need to be explained to you?"

Moreover, Lieutenant Okada said that opportunities are fleeting. By the time the report gets up the chain of command to you, and then to the battalion commander, the Eighth Route Army will have vanished without a trace!

He knew that the more confident he appeared at this moment, the less likely he would be suspected.

Fujita Hiroshi abruptly turned to stare at Zhou Jindong, his eyes blazing with fury: "Who do you think you are? How dare you speak to me like that? Didn't your superiors teach you about hierarchy?"

Zhou Jindong sneered, not backing down but meeting Fujita Hiroshi's gaze head-on: "Rank? Captain Fujita, who I am is not important. What's important is who I represent!"

Lieutenant Okada said, "If your hesitation leads to the failure of the encirclement and suppression of the Eighth Route Army, can you bear the responsibility? Don't forget who Lieutenant Okada's uncle is!"

Fujita Hiroshi's expression changed when Okada Tomohisa was mentioned.

He knew, of course, that Okada Yudai was Okada Tomohisa's darling and the only son in the family.

This kid may be arrogant, but he has the right to be arrogant.

Most importantly, Okada has always been so arrogant, so arrogant that everyone is already familiar with him!

"Moreover, Lieutenant Okada and I hit it off immediately. The reason he didn't come back to report in person was because I persuaded him, mostly to save face for his superior."

Zhou Jindong softened his tone, took out a pack of cigarettes he had confiscated from Okada Yudai, pulled one out and handed it to him. "Lieutenant Okada also said that if we can perform well this time, Captain Fujita will definitely get some benefits. We're all serving the Empire, why be so particular?"

Fujita Hiroshi looked at the cigarette offered to him, then at Zhou Jindong's handsome face, and most of his doubts dissipated.

The other person's appearance is indeed likable.

No wonder he became Okada's confidant so quickly; he certainly has the qualities!

Besides, these days, it's common for lower-ranking officers to behave in an unseemly manner in order to claim credit.

It's not surprising at all that a spoiled brat like Okada Yudai would do something like this—acting first and asking questions later.

He took the cigarette, and Zhou Jindong immediately lit it for him with a famous match.

After taking a drag of his cigarette, Fujita Hiroshi's expression softened considerably.

He exhaled a puff of smoke, stared at Zhou Jindong for a while, and suddenly asked, "What's your name? I've never seen you before."

"My name is Su Hao, and I am Su Zhan's cousin. I have been secretly passing messages for the Imperial Army. When I met Young Master Okada this time, we hit it off immediately and became sworn brothers."

To be honest, I even saved Lieutenant Okada's life from guerrilla snipers in town! The lieutenant immediately patted his chest and said, "A life for a life! He'll take a knife for me!"