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

Zhou Jindong suddenly looked up at the spot where Minister Li had just been standing, only to find that no one was there anymore.

His gaze swept quickly across the threshing ground and he saw Minister Li walking leisurely about seven or eight zhang away, talking to Zhou Jindong's father, Dr. Zhou, seemingly oblivious to everything happening on the prisoners' side.

Bodyguard Liu Meng followed closely behind Minister Li, also keeping his eyes down, as if he didn't want to look at anything improper.

A warm feeling washed over Zhou Jindong.

This Minister Li is not a fool, but a truly insightful person!

He clearly saw everything, but deliberately avoided suspicion by giving up the stage entirely.

The weight of this trust and support is immense.

"Father!" Zhou Jindong called out loudly, walking quickly over. "You stay with Minister Li, take your things, and go hide in the cave behind the mountain. We'll take care of things here, don't worry!"

Looking at the unusual composure in his son, and then at Minister Li who was smiling and nodding beside him, Dr. Zhou quickly nodded: "Good, good! Dongzi, be careful! Minister Li, let's go this way."

Minister Li patted Zhou Jindong on the shoulder, said nothing more, only gave him an encouraging look, and then followed Doctor Zhou toward the back mountain.

Liu Meng remained where he was, looking at Zhou Jindong.

"Comrade Liu, you're also following Minister Li..." Zhou Jindong didn't finish his sentence.

"The commander ordered me to stay and follow the orders of Deputy Captain Zhou."

Zhou Jindong's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded vigorously: "Okay!"

Minister Li's arrangement was clearly intended to be both support and a test.

At this moment, Wang Yuan returned with his men, panting, and said, "Dongzi! The villagers are all cleaning up. Zhuzi and the others are keeping an eye on things. They'll make sure it's all cleared out in half an hour!"

We have twenty-five men left behind, and if you include Comrade Liu, that makes twenty-six! Even if you add these ten... it's still less than a third of the enemy's strength!

Wang Yuan pointed to the Japanese prisoners of war next to him.

"There are strategies for playing with fewer players!"

Zhou Jindong's gaze swept over his twenty-odd spirited guerrilla fighters, then over the ten Japanese prisoners of war who looked terrified. A bold plan instantly took shape.

"Listen up, everyone!" Zhou Jindong quickly began giving orders. "Now go and strip the bodies of the Japanese soldiers we killed earlier! Take every single item you can—uniforms, hats, shoes, leggings, belts—strip them off completely!"

The team members were stunned for a moment, then realized that they were going to pretend to be Japanese soldiers!

Zhu Zi, Shui Sheng, and the other young team members immediately perked up: "Hey! Dress up as Japanese soldiers! That's a great idea!"

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up!" Wang Yuan finally snapped out of it, kicking one of his still-dazed teammates. "Get your clothes off! Pick something that fits! Damn it, I never thought I'd be wearing dog skin clothes one day!"

The twenty-odd team members immediately rushed toward the dozens of Japanese corpses that had been deliberately piled up in the corner of the town hall courtyard when the battlefield was cleaned up earlier.

The scene immediately became somewhat chaotic.

Zhou Jindong then walked up to the ten Japanese prisoners and scanned their faces one by one.

Su Zhan quickly jogged to catch up, volunteering to act as the translator.

"You," Zhou Jindong raised his hand and pointed to one of the short, thin Japanese soldiers wearing corporal epaulets.

This guy is Kosuke Ogawa, the leader of the Japanese grenade launcher squad who was captured in front of the town hall. He didn't stab Scarface quickly, but he didn't hesitate.

Su Zhan immediately pointed at Ogawa Kosuke and said, "Captain Zhou is talking to you!"

Kosuke Ogawa instinctively straightened up, his eyes darting around before he said, "Hai!"

"From now on, you are their squad leader." Zhou Jindong's words were translated by Su Zhan, "Keep an eye on these nine of you."

My team members, once they put on your uniforms, become your comrades-in-arms.

You're all mixed together now, and for the time being, you'll be under your unified command.

"I'll tell you what to do when the puppet troops arrive. If you mess up, or dare to try anything funny..."

Zhou Jindong didn't continue speaking, but just gave a cold snort and lightly rubbed his thumb on the trigger guard of the pistol at his waist.

Kosuke Ogawa trembled, then bowed sharply at a ninety-degree angle, replying loudly, "Yes, sir! Understood! Absolutely obey orders! Please rest assured, Your Excellency!"

The other nine prisoners quickly followed suit and bowed.

Soon, the team members ran back and assembled in a disheveled state, still wearing the Japanese military uniforms they had taken off.

Wearing this leather outfit, the originally peasant men instantly acquired a somewhat eerie demeanor.

Wang Yuan put on the uniform of a Japanese sergeant and even made the black ash on his face thicker, afraid of being recognized by acquaintances.

"Set up the Type 96 light machine gun! Right there in the gap in the town hall wall! Point the muzzle at the playground!" Zhou Jindong ordered, pointing at the captured Type 96 light machine gun.

Da Pan and Shunzi immediately shouldered the machine guns and positioned them at the broken gap in the courtyard wall, the dark muzzles pointing down at the threshing ground outside.

"Fix bayonets on all Type 38 rifles! Pull back bolts! Load bullets! Engage safety!"

Zhou Jindong continued to give orders, "Quanzi, you take five men and guard the left side of the courtyard wall! Shuisheng, the right side! The rest of you, follow Brother Yuan and listen to my orders!"

Xiao Chuan! Take your men and stand in front of the town hall! Su Zhan, you stick close to Xiao Chuan!

The crowd immediately dispersed as ordered and took their places.

Kosuke Ogawa took a deep breath, straightened his chest, and led nine Japanese soldiers to stand on the steps in front of the town hall.

Su Zhan nervously swallowed, standing firmly half a step behind Ogawa Kosuke.

It gets dark early in winter.

The cold wind howled through the empty town streets.

After an unknown amount of time, dense and chaotic footsteps finally echoed from the dirt road at the west end of the town.

A large group of figures were approaching indistinctly.

"They're here!" A guerrilla fighter, who was observing from the gap in the courtyard wall, whispered the message.

Zhou Jindong hid in the shadows of the town hall's porch, coldly watching what lay ahead through the crack in the door.

He nodded to Kosuke Ogawa on the steps.

Kosuke Ogawa immediately straightened his back, his expression instantly changing. He led Su Zhan and two other captured soldiers, striding down the steps to meet the group of people entering the town.

The puppet troops are here!

The leader was an officer of medium build, wearing a fur-lined hat, with a Mauser pistol at his waist, and a travel-worn look on his face.

It was Gao Linyuan, the puppet army company commander.

Behind him followed a large group of over a hundred soldiers, dressed in a motley collection of clothes, mostly worn-out gray-blue uniforms, carrying old-fashioned rifles or Hanyang rifles. The ranks were loose, and many of them looked around as they walked.

"T-Tai-kun! It's actually Lord Ogawa!" Gao Linyuan saw Ogawa Kosuke and the others coming to greet him from afar and immediately ran a few steps forward.

He forced a fawning smile and greeted us with a mix of broken Japanese and Chinese, bowing and scraping.

"Thank you for your hard work! Thank you for your hard work! I am Gao Linyuan, and I have been ordered to come and support the Imperial Army in its sweep!"

Our unit was a step behind; please forgive us, sir!