Chinese martial arts: From being shot and killed by the armed police during a mountain search to bec

Notices declaring martial law were posted all over Hongkou, but Chen Hongwu stubbornly refused to hide.

At 7:00 AM, a Japanese patrol at the intersection of Disiwei Road was attacked.

The group of seven was still intact when they turned into the alley, but by the time the officer behind them realized something was wrong and led his men back, the seven soldiers were lying on the ground.

Either their necks were snapped or their chests were crushed by bullets; the entire army was wiped out without firing a single shot.

This was not an isolated case. Chen Hongwu waged guerrilla warfare everywhere. Whenever the number of people was small and they came to open areas, they had virtually no chance of survival if they encountered Chen Hongwu.

In a short time, the Japanese army suffered heavy losses.

The Japanese were furious, viewing it as a major provocation by Chen Hongwu.

They immediately dispatched more personnel, even bringing machine guns to the street corners, and troop transport trucks sped back and forth, their headlights sweeping across the area.

Chen Hongwu played hide-and-seek with them. When the Japanese army searched to the east, gunfire erupted to the west; when they rushed to the west, another outpost was attacked to the east.

In a single day, four outposts and three patrol teams were attacked in succession, resulting in more than 20 deaths and injuries!

All the dead were Japanese; not a single person survived.

By evening, the Japanese were already on edge.

Each patrol team was increased to twenty men, with a light machine gun at the front and rear.

They deployed heavy troops to block the road, preferring to arrest the wrong person rather than let a single suspicious Chinese person go.

Chen Hongwu, however, disguised himself and leisurely appeared at the restaurant, ordered a table full of delicious dishes, and began to feast.

The restaurant gradually filled with voices.

They spent the whole day like refugees, and as dusk fell, a few of the bolder ones came out for some fresh air.

Those with status sat in private rooms upstairs, while those without status squatted downstairs eating plain noodles.

Once people are full, they have nothing to do, and when they have nothing to do, they're bound to chat and gossip.

The woman chatted about everyday matters and trivialities, while the man talked about national affairs, astronomy, geography, news, and old friends.

Today, Chen Hongwu outmaneuvered the Japanese soldiers, causing unrest throughout Hongkou District. Naturally, this topic became a frequent subject of conversation after meals.

"That Chen Hongwu is really something else," someone said, tapping their chopsticks. "Today, there were five gunshots in the North Sichuan Road area alone. The Japanese even set up machine guns on the street, but they couldn't catch a hair on his head."

"He can leap high and low, jumping two or three zhang on flat ground. Who could shoot him?" The skinny man at the next table took a swig of wine, his eyes shining.

"I have a relative who works as a police officer on Hongkou Main Road. He said he saw a shadow on a rooftop with his own eyes, and it disappeared in the blink of an eye. That's really weird, that's a real expert!"

"Isn't that right? They took down Huang Jinrong, and then they picked on the Japanese."

Now look what's happened! Instead of running away, they're just loitering around Hongkou every day, clearly taunting those Japanese soldiers. That's true daring and skill!

"Not entirely." An old man in a bamboo-cloth long robe put down his wine cup and lowered his voice. "With his abilities, he could easily have made it out of Hongkou. But why do you think he chose to stay here, and specifically target the Japanese?"

You know, when you walk by the river, you're bound to get your shoes wet. If you slip, you could lose your life. What's he after?

"What's the point? Just to get some satisfaction!" someone laughed, slamming their hand on the table. "How many years have we Chinese been oppressed by these little devils? Now that someone's come out and giving them a good beating, even if we get bombarded by artillery tomorrow, it's worth it!"

Chen Hongwu did not respond.

I ate most of the poached chicken with ginger sauce; the roast goose had crispy skin and tender meat, and I even chewed up the bones and swallowed them.

Only after the plates and dishes were empty did Chen Hongwu get up. He neatly stacked the copper coins on the table.

Everyone was too busy talking to notice him. He lifted the curtain, went out, and disappeared at the street corner in the blink of an eye.

When he reappeared, he was already outside the Hongkou barracks.

The Hongkou Barracks is located in the Dongdaming Road area, covering an area of ​​about 50 acres.

High walls and iron nets, guard towers at the four corners.

Inside, the barracks were all gray-blue, and the parade ground was spacious. During the day, the patrol teams and port guards all set off from here.

The night was deep, the camp lights twinkled, and the sounds of electric bells, commands, and gunshots filled the air.

A three-wheeled motorcycle with a sidecar sputtered out of the gate, patrolling around the camp, its exhaust pipe leaving a long trail of sparks in the night.

Chen Hongwu lay prone in the window of a department store across the street, watching the figures come and go below as if observing a game of chess.

-

Inside the command post of the Hongkou barracks.

The lighting was dim, and a huge map of Hongkou District in Shanghai hung on the wall, its surface densely marked with various colored pencils. Several telegrams were scattered on the table.

Seated at the head of the table was a Japanese officer in his early forties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and a short mustache; he was Lieutenant Commander Matsumoto Ichiro.

This man graduated from the Naval Academy. Although his promotion was not fast, he was highly trusted by the military and is currently the commander of the Shanghai Hongkou Marine Corps, responsible for the defense of the northern part of the International Settlement.

He wore a white glove on his left hand and had thick knuckles on his right hand, clearly indicating that he had practiced some martial arts.

On the left is Marine Corps Battalion Commander Fujita Osami, who is thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a strong build, a short, thick neck, and a face full of fat.

To my right is naval intelligence officer Saburo Ishida, with a long, thin face, thin lips, and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He always coughs before speaking, then adopts a half-dead tone.

Next to them were the garrison commander, Goro Yamamoto, and the military police squad leader, Naoki Kobayashi.

"Chen Hongwu is humiliating us!" Fujita Osami slammed his fist on the table, causing a teacup to jump and spill tea all over the table. "In one day, four outposts, three patrol teams, and more than twenty lives lost! This is a provocation against the Empire!"

"Calm down." Matsumoto Ichiro raised his hand. "The angrier you get, the more you'll fall into his trap. This man isn't running away; he must have a reason."

Saburo Ishida adjusted his glasses and pulled out an arrest warrant from his file folder: "I've retrieved all the information on Chen Hongwu. He's eighteen years old and from Sanhai County, Guangdong. He previously killed Funakoshi Gichin and the British wrestler Peter in Foshan."

Later, he went to Guangzhou to assassinate Mo Rongxin. Now he's in Shanghai to kill Huang Jinrong, Guarjia Rongshan, Takano Sasaburo, and Sato Kenichi…

He read it aloud, his voice flat and monotone, as if he were reading an obituary.

The others felt a chill run down their spines. This man was young, but he had taken many lives on his hands. He was practically a killing machine, and none of his targets survived. His assassination skills had reached their peak.

He could almost be called the "King of Assassins".

Saburo Ishida paused, then closed his briefcase: "Gentlemen, this is a man who can take the head of a general amidst a vast army; he is no ordinary assassin."

What's even more frightening is that he keeps creating chaos, yet he never leaves Hongkou. What exactly does he want?

"You're an intelligence officer, why are you asking me?" Fujita sneered.

Ishida ignored him and looked at Matsumoto Ichiro instead: "Lieutenant Colonel, I deduce that his target is likely here. The barracks, or the command post."

That's why they deliberately created chaos during the day to lure away most of their forces, intending to launch an attack while the command post was undefended.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

"Coming to the barracks?" Fujita exclaimed as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world. "If he dares to come, my machine gun will turn him into a sieve!"

"Don't forget, this man is an expert in assassination, his whereabouts are unpredictable, and he appears and disappears like a ghost. There's no need for him to confront machine guns head-on," Ishida said.

P.S. The next chapter will be later.