Anti-Japanese War: Starting from Yaobai

Chapter 2994 I couldn't take it anymore and had to faint!
No sooner had the weasel-faced foreman finished speaking than a new miner in the crowd retorted without thinking, "We just arrived, and we haven't even had a chance to rest before we have to start work?"

Upon hearing this, the weasel-faced foreman immediately raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap.

The new miner was knocked so hard he almost fell to the ground, and a clear red handprint instantly appeared on his face.

The weasel-faced leader snarled, "Where do you think this is? This is the King of Hell's palace, and you who entered here are nothing but little devils from the underworld. You're no longer human. Rest? Dream on! Get back to work right now, or I'll report you to the Imperial Army and have your legs broken!"

The new miners were terrified by this sudden turn of events, and no one dared to ask any more questions.

Liu Jinbiao and Suzuki exchanged a helpless glance, not expecting to have to start work so soon after arriving.

Moreover, two of them have never done heavy work before, so they don't know how to do it.

Liu Jinbiao knew it was time to test whether Li Er, also known as Suzuki, was really a Japanese soldier.

He lowered his voice and said to Suzuki, "Li Er, we have to think of a way. With my physical condition, how can I do mining work? Didn't you see those miners who came back? They're all barely human."

Suzuki was also shocked; he hadn't expected being a miner to be so tough. They slept in pigsties and had to go into the mines to dig coal in the middle of the night with gas lamps.

But he still held onto a sliver of hope, deciding to go in and take a look first, and if that didn't work, he'd figure something out. So he pretended to be troubled and said, "I don't really have any ideas either. Let's go down into the mine and see what happens, just in case it's not what we expect!"

Liu Jinbiao knew that Li Er still didn't trust him.

But it's okay, if this kid can handle it, he can handle it too.

So, urged on by the sharp-tongued, monkey-faced foreman, Liu Jinbiao and Suzuki reluctantly followed the group down the narrow and steep passage into the mine.

As soon as they entered the work area, a humid, stuffy air mixed with the pungent smell of coal ash hit them, making them cough involuntarily.

The sight before them made them gasp in shock.

Inside the mine, the dim gas lamps flickered with a faint light, barely illuminating a small area around them.

The underground tunnels are crisscrossed, but the height is only about 1.5 meters, and in some places only 1 meter, so people can only crawl in and out.

Even with such arduous work, everyone in the tunnel was busy, shovels and picks, digging into the coal walls with each stroke, producing a dull and monotonous sound.

The weasel-faced foreman stood to one side and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Listen up, everyone! You must fill a whole mine cart with coal. If you don't, don't even think about going back, and don't even think about eating! Anyone who dares to slack off, the Imperial Army's bullets don't have eyes!"

Liu Jinbiao and Suzuki were assigned to the same tunnel. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with bitterness and helplessness.

They followed the example of the miners around them, picked up shovels and picks, and began the arduous task of digging coal.

But due to their lack of experience, each swing of the pickaxe only resulted in a tiny scrape, while their hands ached from the impact of the pickaxe.

Time ticked by, and in just half an hour, Liu Jinbiao and Suzuki's hands were covered in blisters. Every time they moved the shovel or pickaxe, excruciating pain shot through their fingers and spread throughout their bodies, making them wince in agony.

But looking at the numb yet skilled miners around them, they could only grit their teeth and persevere.

Sweat streamed down their foreheads, blurring their vision, but they didn't bother wiping it away, mechanically repeating the coal-digging motion.

The tunnel was stuffy and hot; the air seemed to have solidified, making it hard to breathe.

Liu Jinbiao felt dizzy and his body was gradually becoming unresponsive, as if he might faint at any moment.

Suzuki's situation wasn't much better; his hands trembled more and more violently, making each dig extremely difficult. He secretly regretted that he had acted rashly and come up with such a foolish method to infiltrate the anti-Japanese brigade.

If the anti-Japanese brigade hadn't come, he probably would have lost his life here within a few days.

But now, it's obviously too late for regrets. He can only hope to quickly fill a mine cart with coal so he can go up and get a good night's sleep.

However, looking at the empty mine cart and then at his own hands covered in blisters, Suzuki was filled with despair.

At that very moment, Liu Jinbiao, who was digging in the coal mine, dropped his shovel and pickaxe with a clatter and fell straight into the coal pile.

"Brother Liu, Brother Liu!"

Suzuki called out twice, but Liu Jinbiao didn't respond at all.

Suzuki's eyes lit up; an idea had come to him. He quickly ran to the weasel-faced foreman and reported, "Foreman, Liu Jinbiao has fainted."

He sat down at the table, sipping his tea, and said casually, "If they fainted, they fainted. A few people faint here every day. If they wake up, let them continue working. If they don't wake up, bury them in an abandoned mine tunnel."

Suzuki cursed under his breath, "These traitorous dogs really don't treat their own people like human beings!"

But he smiled obsequiously, leaned closer to the foreman, and whispered, "Foreman, I have important matters to report to the Imperial Army. Please trouble you to let me take Liu Jinbiao up with me!"

The foreman glanced sideways at Suzuki, disbelievingly saying, "You little punk, are you trying to pull some tricks? Don't want to work? Let me tell you the truth, even if we let you go up there, you two still have two cartloads of coal left to dig. You want no breakfast tomorrow? I've seen plenty of slackers like you!"

Suzuki, with an air of utter defiance, continued with a fawning smile, "I do indeed have important information to report to the Imperial Army. Rest assured, it's absolutely crucial information; if you delay this, you won't be able to bear the consequences!"

He frowned, looking Suzuki up and down, feeling somewhat suspicious, but seeing his confident demeanor, he feared that something serious might have happened.

After hesitating for a moment, the foreman said, "Fine, I'll trust you this time. But if you dare to play me, you'll be sorry!"

As he spoke, he called over a few miners and asked them to help carry the unconscious Liu Jinbiao onto the mine cart. Then, he and Suzuki got into the mine cart together.

The winch then began to turn intermittently, slowly pulling the mine car to the ground.

A moment later, after leaving the mine, he led Suzuki to a place where Japanese soldiers were on guard duty and explained the situation to them.

A short while later, a Japanese officer swaggered over.

The Japanese officer was short and stout, his face jiggling with every step, and his small eyes gleamed with ferocity.

He stared at Suzuki and asked in broken Chinese, "What's the matter, you?"

Suzuki hurriedly nodded and bowed, his face full of fawning smiles, then carefully leaned close to the Japanese officer's ear and whispered, "The Special Higher Police are doing this, so please do me a favor. This matter can be confirmed by simply calling Mr. Kitahara of the Special Higher Police."

Upon hearing this, the Japanese officer narrowed his small eyes slightly, looked Suzuki up and down, and felt that Suzuki's small eyes were indeed a characteristic of the Yamato people.

Moreover, the Special Higher Police (SPD) is not someone he can easily offend. If he really delays the SPD's affairs, he'll be in deep trouble.

Thinking of this, the Japanese officer waved his hand and said to the foreman, "You, assign them to work in the kitchen. But they are not allowed to move around freely!"

"Hi!"

Upon hearing this, the foreman quickly nodded in agreement. He dared not ask any further questions, for he would never inquire about matters concerning the Imperial Army unless he wanted to die!