1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

Explosions rang out one after another, shaking the ground.

The bombs were being dropped from the sky like they were free, each explosion creating a huge flash, the light flickering and making people dizzy.

The entire migrant worker group was in complete chaos. Everywhere there were people shouting for their parents, running around and hiding, crying and screaming. No one cared about anyone else, and there was no formation at all.

Qian Zhuizi, Wang Tiesuo, Sun Changhai, and the others were so frightened that their souls almost flew out of their bodies. They clung tightly to the back of the rock, their hands covering their ears, their eyes tightly shut, their whole bodies trembling like leaves, not daring to breathe.

Chen Gaoshan squatted on the outermost edge, his mind racing as he listened to the flashes of light from the explosions.

This is the best opportunity.

I had to travel with the main group the whole way, so I couldn't do any side jobs.

With the bombing in chaos and no one paying attention to anyone, it was the perfect opportunity for him to escape alone and break away from the group.

It's only about 20 miles from Siping City right now.

One of the uses of space is for thieves.

Actually, the more money the better. He had previously taken things from the police station's warehouse, Li Banjie's family's belongings, as well as the silver dollars and gold bars in his secret room, and the treasure room of the Dog Days Fortress. He made a rough estimate.

He had twenty-three boxes of gold bars, each the size of a piece of jewelry.

But he needed something else besides money, so he had to keep collecting.

With the two sides locked in a tug-of-war, supplies scattered everywhere, and leaks everywhere, it would be a wasted trip if you didn't take a look around.

Taking advantage of the chaos, he crouched down, broke free of cover, and ran south along the overgrown ditch.

The sounds of explosions and cries behind him grew fainter and fainter. He didn't dare to stop and ran for most of the night, until dawn was approaching.

He only had a gray travel permit, nothing else.

The four cities were guarded by Huang Fang, and the checks were very strict. If you had Eighth Master Hui's travel permit, you would be arrested on the spot if you were found out. You couldn't sneak in at all, and you might even be executed as a bandit.

He was squatting behind the earthen slope, figuring out how to sneak into the city.

"Smack."

A gunshot rang out from the intersection behind us.

Chen Gaoshan quickly shrank back, hiding close to the earthen embankment, and peered out.

There was a military truck parked by the roadside.

One of the soldiers with pockmarks pointed in this direction.

"Sir, we've caught a young lad. We're still short two spots for conscription this time, so we can use him to make up the numbers."

"Tie him up and take him away!"

We've run into the line of fire.

These are soldiers who are blocking the way for the people.

The gray shirt belongs to the Eighth Master, and the yellow shirt belongs to the Kuomintang. The colors are easily distinguishable, and he has run into the Kuomintang's conscription team.

Two thugs jumped off the vehicle with a slovenly air, carrying thick hemp ropes in their hands, their eyes darting around at him with a shifty glint in their eyes.

Chen Gaoshan's mind raced, and he burst into laughter.

He was worried about not having a way to get into the city or an identity to sneak in.

This is like a pillow being delivered to someone who's sleepy; the opportunity has come knocking on their door.

They're conscripting men, fine. I guess I'll just have to get lucky and sneak into the four cities with these guys.

Before the other party could make a move, he immediately raised his hands, pretending to be an honest, panicked refugee. His clothes were tattered from the bombing, and his face was covered in soot.

"Sir, don't shoot! I'm a refugee from Heilongjiang Province seeking refuge with relatives. I don't know anything. What are you doing?"

The petty boss with pockmarked face came over with a cocky grin and patted his cheek.

"What for? To find you a stable job."

"The column is in dire need of manpower right now. You're lucky to have gotten a job as a soldier with a salary."

Another soldier next to him was about to step forward and tie him up with a rope.

Chen Gaoshan quickly stepped forward, cooperating without struggling.

"Sir, don't bother tying me up. I'll be good and get in the car myself. I won't run away."

The soldier paused for a moment, then chuckled.

"Hey, you're smart enough to know what's good for you. Let me tell you, don't try anything funny with me. If you try to run, I'll just shoot you dead with this gun."

Chen Gaoshan had intended to pretend to be honest and get away with it, but the pockmarked soldier didn't give him a chance to cheat. He immediately grabbed a rope and tied his hands behind his back.

The rope was tied very tightly, so he couldn't move at all. When it was over, he was simply thrown into the back of the truck.

The back of both military trucks were filled with strong laborers, probably more than forty people.

They all had their arms tied behind their backs, and they were all huddled together in the metal truck bed, looking dejected.

Some were timid, secretly wiping away tears and sobbing softly; others resigned themselves to their fate, hanging their heads and remaining silent, their faces numb.

The passengers were all strangers, and no one was in the mood to strike up a conversation.

When Chen Gaoshan climbed up, not a single person even bothered to talk to him.

As soon as the truck started, it lurched forward with great inertia.

With his hands tied, Chen Gaoshan couldn't support himself on the ground and his body lurched forward, almost falling flat on his face. He finally managed to steady himself by bumping into a man next to him.

After a bumpy ride of less than twenty minutes, a stench suddenly erupted in the truck bed, filling everyone's noses.

"Holy crap, who the hell pooped in their pants?"

A burly man with a full beard next to him immediately bristled and stared wide-eyed.

"Can't you hold it in? How old are you and you still can't hold it in? Why don't you just eat your poop and get out of here."

These people are the type to treat others differently based on their status; whoever acts aggressively is always right.

The man with the thick beard had a fierce look on his face and didn't look like someone to mess with. People around him instinctively squeezed to the sides, automatically making room for him, and no one dared to get close to him.

It was already late March, and the weather in Northeast China hadn't fully warmed up yet.

The wind was chilly in the mornings and evenings, and the metal truck bed didn't even have a canopy; you had to pull your butt out.

Those who could withstand having their hands tied behind their backs without getting diarrhea were all physically strong and had thick buttocks. Anyone with a weaker constitution would definitely get diarrhea.

With nothing to do, Chen Gaoshan chatted with a teenager next to him.

This kid looks to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, thin and small, and his name is Wang Ergou.

It was only through chatting that I learned that these able-bodied men were all captured from Songyuan. They had been on the truck for a whole day and night without any food, and they had suffered terribly.

Not long after, the truck slowed down and came to a stop.

Chen Gaoshan quickly craned his neck to look outside, and there was the camp outside the four cities in front of him.

The soldiers at the gate, all dressed in yellow uniforms and carrying long guns, kept a close watch on the able-bodied men in the truck bed, maintaining a high level of vigilance.

The pockmarked soldiers escorting the truck.

"Get off the bus immediately. We're in the Sicheng area now. Stay put and get to work. Nobody think about running away."

"He wandered around without a citizen's ID and was caught by patrol soldiers. He was shot as a palace bandit."

After all that trouble, I've finally made it to the outskirts of the four cities.

Everyone jumped off the vehicle one by one, and several soldiers immediately stepped forward and untied the ropes from their wrists.

Chen Gaoshan was only tied up for a short time, about half an hour. After rubbing his wrists a couple of times, his blood vessels were back to normal, and he was fine.

But those who had been tied up for a day and a night were in a terrible state. Their wrists were purplish-red and black from the tightness, so stiff that they couldn't even lift them, and their fingers were rock hard, taking a long time to recover.

As soon as the crowd dispersed, the pockmarked soldier spotted the tall, imposing Chen Gaoshan and pointed at him, shouting.

"Hey, you tall guy, stop staring."

Chen Gaoshan was taken aback and pointed to himself.

"Sir, it's me."

The pockmarked man urged him impatiently.

"Yes, it's you. Hurry up and come over here and pick up the rope on the ground."

Chen Gaoshan silently complained to himself.

So what if I'm good-looking and have a good posture?

Regardless of whether it's the gray or yellow version of Eighth Master, everyone who sees him wants to make him work.

But nowadays, when you're under someone else's roof, you have no choice but to bow your head. Being on someone else's turf, you can only obediently listen to them.

He sighed, bent down to pick up the thick hemp rope from the ground, and, following the soldier's instructions, tied the untied rope back together.

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