Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 144 Collectibles

"Commander... The Fourth Battalion reports that they have occupied the rear positions of the county town, and the defending troops abandoned the town and fled without firing a single shot."

"it is good!"

Su Yaoyang nodded in satisfaction, then instructed, "Now that the rear positions have been occupied, we don't need to leave so many people in the county town."

He ordered Huang Guantao to lead the Second Battalion to capture Longquan Pass and Shahe Town, and then transfer four tanks from the tank company to him.

Tell him to be quick, as Japanese reinforcements could arrive at any moment.

"understand!"

With a series of orders, the entire security regiment operated smoothly like a well-wound machine, with squads of soldiers in gray-green uniforms speeding in trucks toward various Japanese strongholds in Wutai County.

On the city wall, when Shinzo Nagano heard that the rear defense line had been breached and that shouts of battle could be heard from the rear, he knew that his life would probably end today.

He pulled a photograph from his pocket. In the photo, he was dressed in military uniform and looked serious. A young woman holding a baby was nestled beside him, looking tenderly ahead.

He exhaled a long breath and murmured, "Sakurako...Nanako...Farewell."

"Captain, the Chinese are attacking from behind!" The lieutenant's desperate voice rang out beside him.

Shinzo Nagano slowly put the photo into his pocket, glanced at the other person, and said solemnly, "Yokota-kun, the highest honor for a soldier is to die on the battlefield. Do I need to teach you this principle?"
"Since you chose to serve His Majesty the Emperor, your life has no longer belonged to yourself. Now, take up your weapon and join me in the final glory of the samurai!"

After speaking, Shinzo Nagano glanced around and saw that the remaining hundred or so soldiers were all staring at him expectantly.

With a clang, he drew his sword, pointed it, and shouted, "Warriors of the Empire! The Chinese chariots are coming towards us!"

Now, I urge you all to follow me and die for His Majesty the Emperor!

“Tusgei…”

After saying that, Shinzo Nagano jumped off the low city wall and charged toward the tank that was coming from the front.

Seeing that the supreme commander, Shinzo Nagano, was leading the charge, the remaining hundred or so Japanese soldiers also went crazy, grabbing their Type 38 rifles and rushing after them, including the lieutenant.

"Half a year!"

"Half a year!"

The blazing sun dyed the dilapidated city walls a golden-red hue, and Shinzo Nagano's saber drew a sharp arc in the sunlight.

When the first bullet grazed his ear, he smelled the burnt smell of his own hair.

Immediately following, a barrage of bullets rained down. The moment the 7.62mm bullet pierced his abdomen, he saw the mist of blood he expelled condense into tiny rainbows in the setting sun.

When the saber slipped from his hand and struck the tank armor, the crisp clanging sound was even more jarring than the dull thud of bones breaking.

His lower body was still in a running posture when he fell into the crater, and his intestines slid onto the scorched earth like a torn rope.

He struggled to crawl on his elbows, the bullet-plowed abdomen leaving a trail of blood, and the earthy smell mixed with gunpowder suddenly became unusually clear.

The last thing I saw was the dust kicked up by the tank tracks, and my own severed hand, still clutching at nothingness.

The battle ended a little over half an hour after Shinzo Nagano died, and the battlefield was littered with corpses.

Amidst the crunching sound of footsteps on gravel, Su Yaoyang arrived at the battlefield, surrounded by Pi Ruoyu and more than ten guards. Pi Ruoyu bent down to pick up the military knife on the ground, and looking at the brass scabbard ring and the brown and red tassels, he couldn't help but laugh: "Oh... it's a field officer's knife, isn't it?"

Su Yaoyang glanced at the military knife, then at the corpse lying on the ground with its eyes wide open and dead. He squatted down and searched the corpse's pocket, pulling out a military officer's ID and a photograph.

Looking at the serious-looking man and the woman holding the baby in the photo, he casually tossed the photo on the ground before turning to Pi Ruoyu and saying, "What... do you like collecting Japanese military swords?"

“I do like them a bit.” Pi Ruoyu smiled. “Collecting a few Japanese military swords can not only serve as war trophies, but also be passed down to my son or grandson when the war is won or when I get old.”

Or, to put it another way, even if future generations fall into poverty, at least they can exchange it for some money. Don't you agree, Commander?"

"hiss……"

Su Yaoyang scrutinized Pi Ruoyu for a long time, as if he were seeing him for the first time, before finally giving him a thumbs up and saying, "Old Pi, you're this guy!"

Others may not understand, but doesn't he?

In later generations, due to the rise of collecting, the value of items related to the War of Resistance against Japan continued to increase.

For example, on the market, the price of an ordinary officer's knife (Type 3/Iron Rod Knife) can reach five thousand to twenty thousand.

The price of a junior officer's sword (Type 94/95) ranges from 20,000 to 100,000.

As for the general's sword (traditional tamahagane sword), it goes without saying that it starts at at least at 50,000, and some even cost as little as 200.

Of course, the above only refers to ordinary military knives. If it is a fine military knife or a military knife with a special historical background, the price will be astronomical.

Take the Type 94 officer's knife in Pi Ruoyu's hand as an example. If I were to write a document now to prove the source and origin of the captured item, and then add the captured officer's ID and the photo, the price would be at least one million.

Of course, if you capture a general's sword, especially one with a royal chrysanthemum pattern or a famous historical sword, that would be even more remarkable.

For example, the sword that Okamura Yasuji surrendered when he signed the surrender agreement would fetch at least ten million dollars if sold on the market.

Because he understood these things, Su Yaoyang gave Pi Ruoyu a thumbs up for thinking of this so early.

However, this also reminded Su Yaoyang that if he were to capture any more Japanese military swords or even military flags as spoils of war in the future, he should take action when the time was right, otherwise it would just be a waste of money for Pi Ruoyu.

Pi Ruoyu had no idea that his unintentional words had sparked his boss's passion for collecting military knives.

Seeing Su Yaoyang seemingly lost in thought, he couldn't help but chuckle and ask, "Commander... what are you thinking about?"

"Oh...it's nothing." Su Yaoyang waved his hand, snapping out of his reverie. "I was lost in thought about something."

"Buzzing..."

"Woooooooo..."

The sky was suddenly torn apart. Su Yaoyang's fingertips were still suspended in mid-air, his ears filled with the roar of metal rubbing against the air.

He looked up and saw that the lead-gray clouds were pierced by more than a dozen black dots, which trailed long plumes of smoke, like red-hot iron nails driven hard into the sky.

Soon, six Type 96 attack aircraft appeared before everyone, their scarlet markings on their wings strikingly prominent.

(End of this chapter)