The War of Resistance Against Japan: Starting with a Calm View of Life and Death

"One, two, three! Go!"

"Slow down, slow down! Support me from this side!"

"Rope! Tie it up tightly with rope, don't let it fall apart!"

"This thing is filthy heavy! Get a few more people!"

Shouts, chants, and the clanging of metal clashing mingled together.

Many of those machine tools were broken down into huge components, some like door panels, some like iron cabinets, and some like thick iron shafts and gears.

The largest part required about ten strong laborers to lift it with thick wooden levers while shouting slogans.

Mules and carts were quickly filled up, and the rest had to be carried by people on their shoulders.

Zhou Jindong saw several people trying to move a relatively small-looking metal box, which was connected to a lot of wires and a crank.

A middle-aged man wearing glasses nearby waved his hands anxiously, shouting, "Don't move that! That's a generator! Be careful! It'll be ruined if you drop it!"

Zhou Jindong walked over and asked, "Comrade, do you understand these machines?"

The middle-aged man wiped his sweat and adjusted his glasses: "I... I used to be an apprentice at the Taiyuan Arsenal. Later, the factory was occupied by the Japanese, so I ran home."

I recognize some of these machines. This is a lathe, that's a milling machine, and that big one is the base of a gantry planer... This generator is a good thing; with it, the machine tools can start running!

"Great! Please come with me and give me directions along the way!" Zhou Jindong was overjoyed; this was a precious talent!

"No problem! I'll take on anything needed to fight the Japanese!" The middle-aged man nodded vigorously.

"Company Commander! Regiment Commander Wang!" A company commander from the 771st Regiment, his face covered in soot, ran over, panting, and reported, "The battlefield is basically cleaned up! The entire Japanese guard company has been wiped out! We captured over a dozen prisoners, all of them puppet troops; not a single Japanese soldier was spared! We lost over twenty comrades and more than fifty were wounded!"

Wang Jianguo's expression darkened for a moment, but he quickly recovered: "Understood! Let the wounded go first! As for the fallen comrades... take them with you if possible! If you can't take them, bury them on the spot and mark them!"

He then turned to Zhou Jindong: "Captain Zhou, how's the moving of the machines going?"

Zhou Jindong glanced at the scene. Most of the large components on the dozen or so flatbed carts had already been moved out. The people and soldiers were like ants carrying food, loading things onto mule carts and horse-drawn carts, or tying them together with ropes, preparing to carry them away.

"Almost there! In another fifteen minutes, we can move most of them! What about those that are too big to be dismantled in a short time?" Zhou Jindong asked.

Wang Jianguo gritted his teeth: "Those that can't be dismantled, blow them up! We can't leave them for the Japanese! Engineers! Get the explosives! Blow up all the wagons that can't be moved and the remaining large items!"

Several sappers immediately grabbed explosive packs and ran toward the large machine tool parts that were still fixed to the vehicle.

"Fellow villagers! Keep it up! Hurry! The Japanese reinforcements are almost here!" the cadres urged hoarsely.

The crowd moved even faster, almost running.

In the distance, the gunfire from the south and north grew increasingly intense and closer.

That was the blocking force engaging in firefight with the Japanese reinforcements.

"Reporting to the regimental commander! Japanese reinforcements from the direction of the northern station are coming up! At least two companies! Our 2nd Battalion can't hold out any longer, requesting a retreat!" Another communications soldier covered in blood ran over.

"Understood! Tell the Second Battalion Commander to hold out for another ten minutes! After ten minutes, take turns providing cover and retreat to the designated assembly point!" Wang Jianguo said decisively.

Ten minutes, that's the limit.

Zhou Jindong panicked and jumped onto a train car, shouting, "County brigade! Don't just stand there! Everyone, go help! Move as much as you can! If you can't move it, help pry it open, help lift it!"

The soldiers responded immediately and joined the unloading effort. With many hands making light work, the remaining machine parts were moved from the carriages at a visible speed.

"Boom! Boom!"

The engineers began demolishing the heavy components and empty wagons that were impossible to move. Explosions lit up the sky, and metal fragments flew everywhere.

"Withdraw! Everyone, retreat according to plan! Retreat into the mountains!" Wang Jianguo decisively ordered when he saw that most of the machinery had been unloaded.

"Fellow villagers! Follow me! This way!" Local Party cadres waved small flags, guiding the transport team to retreat into the mountains to the northeast. There, the mountains were high and the forests dense, the heart of the Eighth Route Army's guerrilla zone.

The long transport team, like a winding dragon, quickly disappeared into the mountains and forests in the darkness and smoke.

Zhou Jindong found Wang Jianguo: "Commander Wang, your main force should take the machinery and the villagers and retreat first! I'll take a group to cover the rear and draw the Japanese away!"

Wang Jianguo glanced at Zhou Jindong and patted him on the shoulder: "Captain Zhou, this mission is dangerous! The Japanese reinforcements will be plentiful!"

"I know!" Zhou Jindong spoke quickly. "We know the terrain well, and we're better at traversing mountains than the Japanese! Besides, we just finished a battle, and we still have plenty of ammunition. Holding them off shouldn't be a problem! You're leading machinery and a large number of people, which makes you a big target and slows you down. You must disengage as soon as possible!"

Wang Jianguo wasn't one to mince words. After a moment's thought, he nodded emphatically: "Alright! Captain Zhou, I'll leave it to you then! Be careful, don't fight recklessly! We'll meet at Tiger Gully, thirty miles southwest of Laojun Temple! Remember, no matter what, you must be at Tiger Gully in three days! If the situation changes, I'll send someone to Dongzhai Town to find you!"

"Understood!" Zhou Jindong said, then immediately turned and shouted, "Wang Quan! Liu Rengui! Take your squadrons and come with me! Zhang Fang, your men stay behind too! Liu Heiqi, you take the Fourth Squadron and the comrades from the 771st Regiment to escort the people and machinery into the mountains!"

"Yes, sir!" The company commanders immediately carried out the order.

Soon, the county brigade split into two groups.

Ren Wuliu led the Third Company, and Zhao Laosi led the Fourth Company, joining forces with some troops from the 771st Regiment to cover the thousands of people moving machinery as they quickly moved into the deep mountains.

Zhou Jindong, along with Zhang Fang's First Company and Wang Quan's Second Company, a total of over four hundred men, remained near the battlefield.

He watched as the torches and flashlights of the main force gradually disappeared into the dark forest, then turned to the soldiers gathered around him and said, "Comrades, our mission has changed! Now, we are the bait, to lure the main force of the Japanese troops, who are chasing after us by the scent of fish, in the opposite direction! Let them circle in the mountains, buying time for the main force and the villagers! Do you all understand?"

"Understood!" the soldiers replied in low voices, but their tone was firm.

"Alright!" Zhou Jindong drew his pistol. "Now, let's put on a big show for the Japanese! Zhang Fang, you take some men to the north, fire a few shots and throw a few grenades towards the station, make a big commotion!"

Then immediately retreat into the mountains to the west! Remember, leave some traces as you go, so the Japanese will think the main force is heading west!

"Yes!" Zhang Fang accepted the order and quickly disappeared into the night with dozens of agile soldiers.

Soon, gunshots rang out from the north, accompanied by the deafening roar of exploding grenades, which were particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Zhou Jindong said to Wang Quan, "Let's get moving too! Head south, upstream along the Da Sha River! Go a while, then stop and fire a few shots, make some noise! ​​Let the Japanese think we've split our forces, or that our main force is in the south!"

"Let's go!" Wang Quan waved his hand, and the team quickly set off, trudging south along the rocky riverbank.

After walking about three or four miles, Zhou Jindong ordered the troops to stop. He fired a burst of shots haphazardly in the direction they had come from at the edge of a grove of trees, and also had several soldiers use captured grenade launchers to fire two grenades into an open area in the distance.

The sound of the explosion echoed through the mountains.

"That's about right, turn around and head into the mountains!" Zhou Jindong checked the direction and led the team into a dense pine forest, beginning to meander northwest.

The night was spent in constant marching, brief skirmishes, creating traces, and then moving again.

As dawn approached, Zhou Jindong led his team up a ridge overlooking part of the railway line. They lay prone behind rocks and bushes, observing through binoculars.

Down the mountain, along the railway line leading to the Dashahe Bridge, were densely packed with Japanese soldiers.

At least half a battalion of troops are clearing the explosion site, inspecting the damaged carriages, and engineers are trying to repair the bombed-out railway bridge.

More Japanese infantrymen split into several groups and were searching along several paths leading into the mountains, with the faint sound of barking wolves and dogs reaching their ears.

"The Japanese are getting desperate," Wang Quan whispered, lying down next to Zhou Jindong.

"How can we not be anxious? We've lost so much machinery and equipment, and an entire company has been wiped out. Their commander is probably going to commit seppuku." Zhou Jindong sneered. "Tell the soldiers to take a break and eat some dry rations. The Japanese won't be searching the mountains that quickly. We'll have to play with them for a couple more days."

Just as Zhou Jindong had predicted, for the next two days and two nights, their force of over four hundred men, like ghosts, circled around the mountains for dozens of miles around, chasing the pursuing Japanese soldiers.

During the day, they used the complex terrain and dense forests to hide and rest, and sent out a small number of skilled scouts to find out the Japanese search routes and troop distribution.

They started their activities that evening.

Sometimes, they would sneak up to the vicinity of the Japanese's temporary outposts, fire a few sniper shots, throw a few grenades, and then quickly retreat, disappearing into the night.

Sometimes, they would set up makeshift tripwires and traps on mountain roads that the Japanese soldiers were sure to take, blow up one or two Japanese soldiers, and then immediately move on.

Sometimes, they would split into several small groups and make noise in different directions at the same time, setting fires and making a lot of noise to confuse the Japanese soldiers about where their main force was.

Zhou Jindong brought the essence of guerrilla warfare to its extreme: when the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue.

They never engaged in direct combat with large groups of Japanese soldiers; they always seized the opportunity to bite and run.

The Japanese commander was clearly enraged by this tactic, yet he was helpless.

They had a large number of soldiers and good equipment, but they couldn't effectively utilize their strengths in the mountains and forests.

The Eighth Route Army troops were as slippery as eels, familiar with every mountain ridge and every ravine.

The Japanese soldiers lost track of them as they chased, or stepped on landmines, or were sniped.

The pursuing forces gradually increased from one or two companies to a battalion, and even brought in puppet troops to cooperate in a comprehensive search of the mountains.

But the mountainous area is too vast, and deploying their small force there would be like scattering pepper into the ocean.

For two days and two nights, Zhou Jindong and his soldiers barely got a full night's sleep. When they were hungry, they would eat a couple of bites of cold cornbread and drink a few sips of spring water when they were thirsty.

Everyone looked tired, but their eyes were surprisingly bright.

This feeling of leading the Japanese by the nose, watching them frantically trying to do something about it, left the soldiers both exhausted and excited.

"Dongzi, we're running low on rations." On the morning of the third day, after checking the soldiers' supplies, Wang Quan came over and whispered.

Zhou Jindong glanced at the first light of dawn in the east, then took out his pocket watch to check the time.

"That's about it. The Japanese have been searching for two days without finding anything. They're exhausted and agitated, and I reckon they're nearing their limit. Pass the word down: before dawn, we'll give them one last, decisive blow, then shake them off completely and head to Tiger Gully to rendezvous!"

"How ruthless?" Zhang Fang leaned closer and asked.

Zhou Jindong pointed to a faintly visible mountain road at the foot of the mountain: "That's a pack animal road leading to Yuanping County. The Japanese must have troops using this road for supplies. Let's ambush them on that rocky beach by the roadside and take out a transport team or a small group that has fallen behind."

While we're getting some food, we'll also make a final commotion, so they think we're still in these mountains. Then we'll slip away like a cicada shedding its shell, heading straight west into the deep mountains to Tiger Gully.

"Great idea!" Zhang Fang rubbed his hands together. "My hands are itching to play after running around all day!"

Just do it.

Taking advantage of the darkest hour before dawn, the group quietly moved to the rocky beach beside the pack animal trail and lay in ambush.

Sure enough, just as dawn was breaking, a transport team, escorted by puppet troops and carried by civilians, appeared on the mountain road. There were about thirty puppet troops escorting about twenty civilians, carrying grain and ammunition boxes.

"Fire!" At Zhou Jindong's command, the soldiers lying in ambush on both sides opened fire simultaneously.

Machine guns, rifles, and grenades were all used at once, and the battle was over in less than five minutes.

The puppet troops suffered heavy casualties, and the rest knelt down and surrendered. The laborers were already terrified.

The soldiers quickly cleaned up the battlefield, carried food and useful ammunition on their backs, tied the surrendered puppet soldiers to trees, and stuffed rags into their mouths.

After doing all this, Zhou Jindong led his team into the denser and deeper forest to the west, disappearing completely without a trace.

When the Japanese battalion, enraged by the gunfire and explosions, chased after them, they found only a patch of burning ashes and a few puppet soldiers tied to trees, whimpering in pain.

The Japanese battalion commander leading the group had a grim face. Looking at the vast, boundless mountains before him, he finally had no choice but to give the order to stop the pursuit and return to camp.

He knew that continuing the pursuit would only waste precious troops and time without any results.

Having shaken off their pursuers, Zhou Jindong led his team to speed up their journey, traversing mountains and valleys, and finally arrived at the agreed meeting point—Tiger Gully—on the evening of the third day.

Tiger Gully is a hidden valley with a narrow entrance, but inside lies a hidden paradise.

When Zhou Jindong and his men dragged their exhausted but excited bodies into the valley, they saw the main force of the 771st Regiment resting, as well as mountains of machinery and equipment.

"Captain Zhou! You're finally back!" Regiment Commander Wang Jianguo personally came out to greet them, tightly grasping Zhou Jindong's hand and shaking it vigorously. "You've worked so hard! You've worked so hard! Your substitution trick was a huge help to us! Without you holding back the Japanese, we wouldn't have been able to escape with so much heavy equipment!"

Zhou Jindong smiled, the dust on his face creased by his smile: "Commander Wang, you're too kind. It's all what I should do. All the equipment was saved?"