under fire

Jingle Bell.

The phone rang again in the security camp.

"If you reveal your true colors, I'll chop your entire family into pieces and feed them to the dogs!" After giving a warning, Wan Baxi signaled the puppet soldier on duty to answer the phone.

The puppet soldier on duty picked up the phone and tried to keep his tone calm: "Hello, hello, hello, touch the west, touch the west"

Because they didn't know who was calling, the puppet soldiers shouted their opening remarks very smoothly and swiftly.

"Report, is this the Donggu Town Security Group? I am at the ferry base."

"I'm Wei Dajin, who are you? Can't you even recognize my voice?" The puppet soldier on duty quickly got into character.

"Hello, Squad Leader Wei, why are you on duty in person?"

"It's none of your business. Just go ahead and fart!" Squad leader Wei started to curse.

"The Imperial Army reconnaissance plane seems to have discovered something on the west side of the canal. After firing a few bursts of fire, it has been hovering in the sky." The other party's voice did not seem normal.

Wan Baxi put his ear close to the receiver. When he heard that the call was from the ferry base, he immediately snatched the phone and said, "I'm Baxi. Tell the person next to you to answer the phone!"

The situation on the other side seemed to be similar to ours. I heard a faint voice, followed by another person's voice coming from the receiver.

"Brother, I'm Zhang Xiaodao"

"Please tell me clearly the time and approximate location of the Imperial Army reconnaissance plane's arrival. Did it discover any enemy, or anti-Japanese elements?"

Because the call needs to be transferred to the county town.

There is a high probability that your call will be monitored by the operator controlled by the Japanese, so you must not reveal your identity when using the phone.

But they couldn't just pick anyone to answer the phone. The puppet army operators of the security corps in each town had undergone special training together to avoid being discovered by familiar people.

Although there might not necessarily be problems if the soldiers of the Ninth Battalion answered the phone, the shouting of "Mosi Mosi" might be heard as unusual by the person on the other end of the line if they were not experienced.

Liu Yuanqing repeatedly emphasized that details are important!

Habits are slowly forming

"Ten minutes ago, the Imperial Army reconnaissance plane crossed the canal from the southeast and searched along the west bank of the river. It lowered its altitude in the southwest and dived to strafe. The details are difficult to see clearly because the distance is too far." Zhang Xiaodao briefly described the situation on the phone.

"Yunhe West? That's not our defense zone. Wait for me to report to my superiors." Wan Baxi hung up the phone and handed it to the puppet soldier on duty: "Do you understand our conversation just now?"

Wei Dajin nodded quickly: "Understood."

"Call the county security army headquarters immediately."

The Wei Jin army was shocked: "Ah, call the headquarters? This..."

"Yeah, if you don't want to die, don't say that."

"But I really don't want to die!" Wei Dajin suddenly knelt down in front of Wan Baxi: "The operator at the county headquarters recognized my voice. If I made this call, the Japanese technical detectives would definitely hold me accountable afterwards, and I would be dead."

"Why weren't you scared when you received those calls just now?"

"When they answer the phone, they all know who is calling, and usually they don't ask who is calling." Wei Daquan said sadly, "Calls between gun towers can be answered by anyone, but calls to the headquarters must be registered."

After thinking about it carefully, it seemed that what this guy said made some sense.

If he calls the puppet army headquarters, this guy will probably get punished afterwards.

If he deliberately reveals his true identity or does something bad while calling because he is worried, the consequences will be even more unpredictable.

This matter is a bit troublesome.

I thought to myself, this thing doesn't have a lot of unique sound, so it doesn't seem to be a big problem to play it by myself.

"When you call the headquarters, whose name do you usually leave?"

"Of course it's me. If you want to call, you'd better leave our leader's name!"

""Why?

"Because of the way our leader speaks, the operators don't dare to ask random questions."

It's so troublesome to make a phone call. I picked up the phone and started shaking the handle.

When the sound of electricity came from the receiver, Wan Baxi pinched his nose and started to yell into the receiver: "Hello, hello, Moshi Moshi"

A voice came from the other end of the phone: "Wei Dajin? Why does your voice sound so weird?"

Wan Baxi interrupted the other party and quickly reported the news sent by Zhang Xiaodao at the ferry stronghold.

After hearing this, the other party was even more anxious than him. He said he knew it and would report it to his superiors immediately, then hung up the phone.

Wan Baxi had a smile on his face: "Do you think they can hear it?"

"I don't think so. We were looking for that group of Eighth Route Army soldiers last night. Once they heard about the Eighth Route Army soldiers, they wouldn't pay attention even if a pig barked at them."

"Your mother is a pig, your whole family is a pig! If you can't talk, just stay aside."

After hanging up the phone, he shouted to the soldier standing guard outside the door in the sun: "Hurry up and report to Commander Hu that Wang Shun and his men are in the southeast of the ferry, and have successfully attracted the reconnaissance plane as planned."

Canal West.

Looking at the plane circling in the sky, a man in black came to Wang Shun in a panic and said, "Brother."

Wang Shun turned around and saw that the person coming was his cousin Wang Li: "What's the matter?"

Wang Li hesitated for a few seconds before mustering up the courage to say, "My brothers all think that the Eighth Route Army is using us as bait..."

Wang Shun raised his eyebrows: "Speak clearly, is this your idea or your brothers'?"

"It doesn't matter whose intention it is. What matters is that the Eighth Route Army is clearly using us as cannon fodder. Can't you see it?" Wang Li was worried.

Wang Shun said firmly: "We are now half Eighth Route Army soldiers. We must obey orders!"

"The Eighth Route Army did save us, but they wanted to use us as cannon fodder. We must not be fooled!" Wang Li continued to mutter.

"I can understand that you have always been timid, but at this time you must obey orders..." "I am worried that you will be fooled by the Eighth Route Army!"

"Haha, do you take what I said as fart?"

"In the past, I could get paid if I joined the Nationalist Army, but now I get nothing if I join the Eighth Route Army."

"Why should we pick up guns?" Wang Shun, the coward, suppressed his anger and said, "First, for our fellow countrymen, and second, for loyalty, filial piety and righteousness!"

"Don't talk about loyalty, filial piety and righteousness. When the Nationalist Army went north to fight, they did it under the banner of serving the country and the people. But what was the result? The heavy taxes and levies on us are just as numerous as the hairs on a cow. When the Japanese invaded, did the Nationalist Army think of us when they fled?"

"Who asked you to come?" Wang Shun began to be alert, thinking that his cousin was definitely instigated by someone.

“No one, I came here by myself.”

"You have eyes. Villagers downstream of the canal are dying in droves. Who is helping us now?"

"The Eight Route Army has the same birth and wife."

"Do you believe these lies that the Kuomintang government spreads against the Eighth Route Army?"

"Anyway, I don't see any hope in the Eighth Route Army."

"I don't want to waste my time talking to you. I've made up my mind. Get out of here!"

"This concerns the lives and property of my brothers. Please listen to me, please..."

"what do you want to say in the end?"

"There are only two Japanese planes in the sky. Let's split up and run. As long as we get into the green tent, the Japanese won't be able to do anything to us!"

"You want to escape in the middle of a battle?" Wang Shun's expression suddenly turned gloomy. "You want to shake the morale of the troops in the middle of a battle? Do you really think I'm a good person?"

"We are brothers from the same clan. The Eighth Route Army originally said that they were the ones fighting the Japanese baggage train and we were responsible for transporting food. What about now? They are sending us to our deaths! Whether you agree or not, my family is leaving now!"

"You dare!" Wang Shun could no longer suppress his anger and took out his revolver.

Wang Li sneered: "If you dare, beat me to death!"

"Someone come, tie him up!" Wang Shun's mouth twitched. He couldn't really do it to his own brother.

The middle-aged man who had been watching this scene nearby quickly came over to persuade him: "The Japanese planes have discovered us, and a large number of Japanese soldiers will arrive soon. I think you should reconsider what Xiao Li said."

Seeing the middle-aged man coming over, Wang Shun was stunned for a moment: "Second Uncle, we have to hold on for another hour. Before that, no one can leave!"

"The Japanese planes are right overhead, and the Japanese infantry will definitely be here soon. By then, none of us will be able to escape!"

Wang Shun shook his head and took out his pocket watch to check the time. He couldn't explain the details of the mission Hu Yi had given him to his relatives and brothers: "Don't worry, the Japanese will never get here!"

"Why should we believe that you believe in the Eighth Route Army?"

"The enemy's planes are right overhead. Isn't it obvious that they are sending us to our deaths?"

"Correct!"

""

One after another, the men of the Wang family stood up and questioned Wang Shun's decision.

"Ever since I became a deserter and returned to my hometown, I believe that I have done nothing wrong towards the Wang family. Over the years, I have risked my life to train my brothers in the clan to deal with the Japanese invaders in order to ensure the safety of my Wang family. You are saying these things now, do you really think you have grown wings?" A trace of disdain appeared on Wang Shun's face.

"No matter what, you can't let everyone die!"

"That's right. Even without you, our Wang family can still survive."

"The Eighth Route Army is so sneaky and cowardly. If we follow them, my Wang family will not be able to afford the shame."

Wei Damei came out from the village and asked: "Aren't you afraid of violating your conscience by saying these things?"

"It was the Eighth Route Army that saved you. If it weren't for you, your nephew Wang Shun wouldn't have fallen into danger. I owe the Eighth Route Army a favor in vain!" Uncle Wang told the truth.

"Shut up!" Wang Shun calmed down. "Over the years, every decision I made, although I can't guarantee it's 100% correct, has never been wrong! Today I'm saying this, I won't stop anyone who wants to leave, and I'll treat anyone who wants to follow me as my own brother, even if they're not named Wang!"

Not all members of the team are members of the Wang family, but some of them are related by marriage.

Wang Damei’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot and she cursed in her heart, “Who is a brother to you, you bastard?”

Soon, the team split into two parts

On the contrary, more people wanted to escape. Uncle Wang looked at Wang Shun and said, "Look at how you led people to join the Eighth Route Army and how you lost the support of the people!"

"I hope you don't regret it!" Wang Shun did not stop him.

Uncle Wang snorted and took away most of the people who were preparing to transport grain!

Wang Shun did not warn them that if they could not get food, the villagers who escaped from the village might encounter problems because they did not bring enough food.

The warning was probably useless, as these uncles and brothers obviously knew that the Japanese troops on the mopping-up operation were chasing the Ninth Battalion to the north, and since the Japanese troops were chasing them all the way, the threat of this mopping-up operation by the Japanese troops naturally no longer existed.

However, my second uncle, who has always been cautious, should not have this kind of analytical and judgment ability.

Even if there was, he wouldn't dare to take people away.

Therefore, there must be some "experts" in your team.

They might think that their clansmen have escaped the Japanese raid and it is only a matter of time before they return to the village.

Although there are less than a hundred people left!

But everyone has a gun.

Wang Shun had a vague feeling that the man who gave his uncle advice was probably still in his team. (End of this chapter)