Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 144, Section 143: Airborne Invasion Behind Enemy Lines, Target: Hiraga Brigade, 6th Division
Night of May 8, 1933.

Sun Debiao embarked on the greatest adventure of his life.

Even when I was a bandit, I've never experienced anything as exciting as today.

Below, artillery fire roared.

He hovered high in the sky.

If they landed on the position, they would be mowed down by both the Japanese and the Nationalist troops.

He circled carefully, drifting away from the war zone.

A northwest wind blowing from the Bohai Bay came to his rescue.

Driven by the wind, he landed on a mountain ridge.

Where is this location?!
A cold wind was blowing, and Sun Debiao felt that he was in a very dangerous place.

He carefully retracted the parachute, but dared not move it.

He waited until dawn before getting up to observe the players' movements.

It was on a desolate mountain with steep slopes.

Sun Debiao, who often ventured into the mountains, became a little flustered.

His greater concern was that he would be trapped on the mountain and unable to complete the mission in time.

With these feelings in mind, Sun Debiao walked along the mountain ridge to the other side.

From that side, however, a different scene unfolded.

The Great Wall, the long and winding Great Wall.

He immediately took out a map and compared it.

This should be a section of the Great Wall near Lengkou Pass. From here to Shanhaiguan, according to the known intelligence, it has already fallen.

It was through this passage that the Japanese army entered the interior of China.

It can be said that this area is already under the control of the Japanese army, and we need to find the area where the main Japanese troops are assembled as soon as possible.

Sun Debiao perked up, moved some stones to bury the parachute on the spot, and then followed the mountain ridge to find a way down the mountain.

This area belongs to the Great Wall region, and there are also abandoned sections of the Great Wall; that's the path down the mountain.

He walked down the wild section of the Great Wall but did not find any enemy or friendly troops. After all, the Great Wall is too long, and not every section needs to be heavily guarded. Here, there is not even a road, so how could there be troops stationed?

Thinking about it this way, Sun Debiao became even more anxious.

He walked all the way to the bottom of the mountain and found a village.

The villagers had all fled long ago; there wasn't a soul in sight.

He planned to rest for a while before leaving.

Just then, the sound of dogs barking came from outside.

Rural dogs usually only bark at outsiders, so Sun Debiao immediately became wary, put down his backpack, took out his pistol, and hid behind the earthen wall on guard.

He saw two Japanese soldiers escorting a man covered in blood into the village.

The man cried and pleaded, "Soldier, please let me go! I have parents, wife, and children to support; I'm the only able-bodied man left."

The two Japanese soldiers ignored him, tied him to a wooden stake, and then went into the village to loot.

Seeing the Japanese soldiers leave, he struggled desperately, but he couldn't break free of his bonds.

At this moment, Sun Debiao quietly walked over and covered his mouth from behind with his hand.

"Don't shout, you might alert the Japanese. What's wrong with you?"

The man quickly whispered, "Hero, save me! I'm from this village. Everyone else has fled. I came back to get some things and just happened to run into these two Japanese devils."

Having locals around would make things much easier for him, so Sun Debiao decided to rescue the other party.

But he didn't intend to let the two Japanese soldiers go either.

"Wait here, don't shout or yell. I'll deal with those two bastards and then come back to rescue you."

After he finished speaking, he quietly walked over, holding a pistol in his right hand and a sharp entrenching tool designed by the general manager in his left.

Two Japanese soldiers ransacked the village but found nothing, so they started looking for dogs instead.

Just as Sun Debiao approached, a gunshot rang out, and the dog howled until it fell silent. Then, two Japanese soldiers were talking loudly in Japanese, perhaps discussing dog meat dishes.

Sun Debiao peeked out and saw two people in the yard with their backs to him. This was an opportunity.

He raised his gun and fired, emptying the magazine.

Two Japanese soldiers were shot multiple times in the back and fell to the ground, becoming the dog's companions in death.

After confirming that the two were dead, Sun Debiao stepped forward, untied the two rifles and the bullet belt, and took them away.

He returned to the village entrance, untied the man, and went straight to the point:

“I’ve already dealt with the Japanese. If you don’t want to be implicated, you’ll have to bury them both.”

"I know where to find the tools."

The man led Sun Debiao into the village, found a shovel and a hoe, dug a pit in the field outside the village, and buried the two Japanese soldiers and Gouzi together.

After finishing all that, the two of them were covered in sweat and sat down to rest by the edge of the field.

Perhaps it was because of the life-saving grace, or perhaps because they had buried Japanese soldiers together, that the man was much more enthusiastic.

"You're a stragglers from the Nationalist army, aren't you?"

"No, this place has already been occupied by the Japanese, and the National Revolutionary Army has retreated to the south of the Luan River."

The man was immediately terrified: "The Japanese have advanced all the way to the Luan River! What are we going to do?"

Sun Debiao thought to himself, "Whatever."

But he was saying comforting words, "Perhaps it won't be long before the National Revolutionary Army can fight their way back. By the way, where did those two Japanese come from?"

Upon hearing this, the man panicked. "Yes, now that you ask, I realize they came from the south. Everyone in our village has fled to the south. I hope the Japanese haven't found them."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, I'll go with you to take a look." Sun Debiao tossed a long gun to the man, carried the other one on his back, and then took out two backpacks from where he would hide things.

Now that I have a helper, it's perfect for carrying some things.

The two walked south from the mountainous area around the Great Wall.

The man knew the way, but because he was afraid of being discovered by the Japanese, he deliberately chose to take the side paths.

Surprisingly, they didn't encounter a single Japanese soldier along the way.

Until they arrived at a village or town.

There, the Japanese flag was raised, and a large contingent of soldiers surrounded the town.

Seeing this scene from afar, the man looked terrified but tried to step forward. Sun Debiao then pinned the man to the ground.

"Are you asking for death? There are so many Japanese soldiers around; if they spot you, you're dead for sure."

"My father, my mother, my wife, and my children are all in town," the man cried.

Sun Debiao's heart softened: "Let's wait and see. The Japanese soldiers might just grab something and leave. They still have a battle to fight."

After hearing what Sun Debiao said, the man felt that it made sense, and his mood gradually calmed down.

After a while, two elderly men came out of the village and were taken into a vehicle by Japanese soldiers, and then the main force left.

Seeing that the Japanese soldiers had left, Sun Debiao released his grip, and the man quickly got up and rushed towards the town.

Sun Debiao then followed.

In the town, there was a scene of relief after the disaster, with locals and refugees alike expressing their joy.

The man was holding his wife and children, but his father was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's my father?"

His mother said with tears in her eyes, "Your father loves to meddle. He went with the town officials to see the Japanese commander, saying he wanted to reason with them."

Sun Debiao, who was listening nearby, was stunned: "What kind of reasoning is this?"

The man's mother looked up, surprised at Sun Debiao. The man quickly explained, "He is my savior, Mother. What is my father doing?"

"He studied at a private school with the town mayor. They said that even though Japan is a prosperous land, it still learns Chinese culture. Now that it's developed, it must know proper etiquette and reason. So I wanted to go and talk to the other party's superior," the man's mother explained.

Sun Debiao could no longer hold back.

"Haven't you heard the old saying? 'A scholar can't reason with a soldier.' You can't even reason with your own soldiers, let alone foreign soldiers. It's a miracle you even came back."

His words terrified the whole family.

But I don't know what to do.

The man turned around and glared at Sun Debiao: "Even if you saved my life, you can't talk about my father like that."

"Look at my mouth, I always say unpleasant things, please don't mind me. Alright then, let's call it even, goodbye."

Sun Debiao clasped his hands in a fist salute and walked away gracefully.

Watching his retreating figure, the man hesitated and said to his wife and mother, "Mother, Cui'er, I'm going to see Father. You stay here and wait for me to come back." Sun Debiao walked out of the town carrying a large bag on his back and a small bag in his hand, looking quite strained.

He suddenly felt a lightness behind him and immediately turned around alertly.

So it was that kid.

"What are you here for?"

The man smiled and said, "I'm going to see my dad. If I'm on the way, I can help you carry some things."

"You're not so bad after all," Sun Debiao said with a smile, taking the large bag off the man and letting him carry it.

As a mountain dweller who often does farm work, the man may not look strong, but he is very strong and carries a heavy bag weighing dozens of kilograms as if nothing is wrong.

Sun Debiao opened the large bag behind him, took out steamed buns and beef jerky, and shared them with the man.

The two headed towards the Luan River.

Before even reaching the Luan River, we saw a Japanese military camp.

Sun Debiao quickly grabbed the man.

“Don’t go over there. In battle, anyone suspected of being suspicious will be killed.” He looked at the mountain ridge beside him. “Let’s go up the mountain.”

The two then climbed up a nearby hill.

On the mountain ridge, Sun Debiao took out a tarpaulin and set up a tent.

Once these things were set up, they blended seamlessly into the environment, disappearing into the grass, trees, and rocks without any noticeable difference.

After doing all this, Sun Debiao took out his binoculars and observed the military camp in the distance.

After reading it, his expression turned serious, and he turned to look at the man.

"It's dangerous here, why don't you go back?"

"What did you see?" The man sensed something was wrong.

He snatched the binoculars from Sun Debiao, but didn't know how to use them.

Fearing that the other party might damage his tools, Sun Debiao quickly said, "Don't break them, I'll teach you how to use them."

After he taught the man how to use the binoculars, the man saw what happened.

In the military camp, two elderly men were beaten by soldiers.

The two remained motionless, and it seemed they couldn't hold on any longer.

These two, needless to say, are obvious.

The man gritted his teeth but did not act recklessly.

After all, the soldiers in the barracks below were all armed, so what could he do?

But then, a group of soldiers, led by military vehicles, left the military camp and headed towards that town.

At that moment, the man couldn't hold back any longer.

He picked up a long spear and asked earnestly, "My benefactor, I need to go back to save my mother and my wife. Can you teach me how to use this spear?"

“What good will it do you even if you go?” Sun Debiao sighed helplessly.

"If I don't go, am I even human?" the man replied.

Yes, in this situation, a man should protect his family. Sun Debiao nodded in agreement and carefully taught him how to shoot with a rifle.

Although not very skilled, at least I know how to fire a gun and how to aim at the enemy.

He gave both guns to the man and said goodbye.

After he left, he deliberately adjusted his hiding spot to observe the military camp from another angle.

Time passed little by little, and the sun was about to set.

The group of Japanese soldiers who went out returned.

They returned laden with spoils, followed by a large group of people who were driven to the front of the military camp and forced to dig and work on the spot.

However, among these people, there was none of the one Sun Debiao wanted to see.

Even his mother, wife, and children were not there.

Sun Debiao slammed his fist into the rock, not even feeling the sharp edges of the rock cut his palm.

In just one day, he witnessed a family being destroyed.

But this wasn't the only crime that occurred that day.

He decided that the first target to be destroyed would be this military camp.

Immediately, it locked on and transmitted a signal.

Then a telegram was sent south.

1933 5 Month 9 Day.

Fang Wen got up early to complete the nighttime airdrop and park the F.220 at Shanghai Airport.

Since learning yesterday that the Japanese army had launched a full-scale attack on the Great Wall defense line, he has been very concerned about the development of the war.

In order to stay informed, he was willing to pay a high price to obtain more information from the intelligence network in the concession.

At that time, Shanghai was the Far East's intelligence trading center, where countless intelligence brokers traded.

If you can afford it, you can indeed obtain the information you want.

Intelligence about the Great Wall resistance was also included.

Shortly after he made the call to Zhao Jiu, someone delivered the items.

Chuncao knocks on the door to report:

"General Manager, a Mr. Zhao sent you a package."

"give it to me."

Fang Wen took the package and opened it.

This is an intelligence package worth 500 silver dollars, a collection of intelligence currently in the possession of that intelligence dealer.

The first piece of intelligence is marked as "latest".

The Japanese Kwantung Army Headquarters issued a statement declaring its aggression against North China, falsely claiming that due to the "stubborn challenges" of the Chinese army and its "threat to Chengde," the Japanese army "could no longer tolerate the challenges from the Chinese army and decided to launch a major attack."

This is outrageous! Fang Wen tossed the intelligence report aside.

He looked at the second one.

[It is understood that the Japanese troops invading eastern Luan were the Hiraga Brigade of the 6th Division.]

Then that's what we'll be bombing.

The third intelligence report.

[Minutes of an Internal Meeting of the Nationalist Government]

They even managed to get their hands on the internal meeting minutes.

Fang Wen opened it and took a look.

[Recently, President Yu Chongren delivered a lengthy speech to officers at all levels of the anti-communist headquarters: (1) As long as the bandit suppression is successful, we will be confident in resisting foreign aggression. (2) Japan's invasion was brought about by the Red bandits. (3) The more setbacks we face now, the faster we will succeed in the future. (4) A fearless revolutionary spirit can defeat all enemies. (5) The President said that he was born for the revolution and he will die for the revolution. (6) The more critical the period, the more careful and cautious we must be, and the more we must pay attention to strategy.]

These are the things. Fang Wen tossed them together with the first intelligence report.

After reading the latest intelligence report, he focused all his attention on how to deal with the Hiraga Brigade of the 6th Division.

What's the current progress of Sun Debiao's case?

Fang Wen glanced at his watch; it was already 2 p.m.

I don't know when Sun Debiao will call.

In order to wait for Sun Debiao's call, Shao Sishen, who was usually the most idle, volunteered to listen to telegrams, but half a day had passed and there was still no news from Sun Debiao.

Just as Fang Wen was worrying about Sun Debiao, the phone rang: "General Manager, Sun Debiao is calling. You need to come over."

Fang Wen was overjoyed and quickly went downstairs to the flight training center where Shao Sichen was located.

There, Shao Sishen had already recorded Sun Debiao's call.

Fang Wen took the paper and examined it.

A large army is assembled five kilometers north of the Luan River.

The exact number is unknown, but it should be between 4000 and 8000.

They set up three temporary camps facing the Luan River, each 500 meters apart.

They are currently rounding up locals, forcing them to dig fortifications, and creating a standoff with the Nationalist army across the river.

Fang Wen drew the scene described by Sun Debiao on a piece of paper and thought about how to maximize the bombing effect.

(End of this chapter)