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

The team members behind Wang Yuan also gasped in surprise, looking at Zhou Jindong in disbelief.

Killing three Japanese soldiers single-handedly? Is that something a human could do?

Why not myself!

"Otherwise what?" Zhou Jindong smirked. "They couldn't have just gone and lay down on their own, could they?"

"Good heavens! You little brat..." Wang Yuan circled Zhou Jindong for a bit, as if looking at some rare object. "Wow! You're really something! Tell me, how did you kill him?"

He rubbed his hands excitedly, and the other team members, their eyes shining, swarmed around him.

To everyone's utter surprise, while they, the official guerrilla fighters, were still pushing telephone poles, Zhou Jindong, the reserve member, had already... tasted the finer things in life!

Zhou Jindong briefly recounted how he killed the three Japanese soldiers, focusing on subtly boasting about his timing and the cunning and ruthlessness of his shots, leaving Wang Yuan and his team stunned.

When Wang Yuan heard Zhou Jindong say that they had captured three brand-new Type 38 rifles and nine full ammunition boxes, his breathing became heavier, and his eyes were fixed on the cloth bag, practically glowing with a green light.

"My goodness... three brand new guns! Three hundred... more than three hundred and sixty rounds of ammunition!"

Wang Yuan counted on his fingers, his mouth practically watering.

"Our guerrilla team struggled for half a year, saving every penny and picking up scraps, and only managed to save up two not-so-good Type 38 rifles and four old-fashioned 'old-style' rifles."

All the bullets combined don't even amount to one of your ammo boxes! You've struck it rich, kid!

He slapped his thigh and, with a fawning smile, leaned close to Zhou Jindong and said, "Jindong! Dongzi! My good brother! Look, you're a member of our guerrilla team now, right?"

These captured weapons, according to regulations, should belong to the public! Public property should be distributed uniformly so we can fight more Japanese devils! Makes sense, right?

"Quick, give me the stuff, and I'll give you a big credit!"

As he spoke, he reached for the cloth bag.

Zhou Jindong stepped to the side, deflected Wang Yuan's hand with his left hand, and said expressionlessly, "Yuanzi, Wang Yuan, Captain Wang! Of course I know the rules of our guerrilla team."

But I'm not a formal member yet, am I? This reserve member status was something you forced on me because you saw how stubborn and enthusiastic I was back then. I even brought my own red-tasseled spear.

Besides, I killed that Japanese soldier all by myself, and I even took the weapon from the dead man myself.

"Where exactly will this 'public' aspect go, and how will it be implemented? It's hard to say right now."

Wang Yuan's hand froze in mid-air, and the smile on his face faltered.

"What are you talking about! Of course, we should join the guerrilla force! Our guerrilla force is here to fight the Japanese! Weapons can only be used more effectively when they are in everyone's hands!"

Even if you carried three guns by yourself, you couldn't possibly use them all! In the Near East, we've been friends since we were kids!

We share both good times and bad! When the Japanese invaders come, we must stick together even more!

"Look, the villagers are all hiding in the caves. The Japanese devils could search the mountains at any time. Every extra gun means a better chance of survival!"

Zhou Jindong remained silent, feigning hesitation, his fingers tapping lightly on the shaft of his red-tasseled spear.

He had long intended to hand over the weapons, but how to do so and what benefits he could gain were questions that required careful consideration.

A small favor is appreciated, but a large one breeds resentment; this principle will never be outdated.

Moreover, he felt that, not to brag, but everyone in front of him, every single one of them, was... no match for the Japanese!

His gaze swept over the team members behind Wang Yuan. Although they didn't speak, the longing in their eyes was unmistakable.

He knew Wang Yuan was right; weapons could only be used to their fullest potential when concentrated.

He never intended to monopolize them; he was simply thinking about how to maximize the effectiveness of these weapons.

After all, there were still many Japanese soldiers in the town, eyeing them covetously.

Zhou Jindong was preparing to set some rules for these ignorant guerrillas.

These are all his brothers and sisters; he needs to practice more!

He sighed deliberately, and said in a somewhat reluctant tone, "Alright, alright, what can I do? You're the captain, and you're my childhood friend. We can give the weapons to the guerrillas..."

Wang Yuan's face had just lit up with joy when Zhou Jindong suddenly changed the subject: "However... I have a condition."

"What are the conditions? Just tell me! As long as I can do it!" Wang Yuan patted his chest and assured him.

Zhou Jindong said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Look, I was able to kill three Japanese soldiers and seize so many weapons. I guess that counts as making a great contribution to the guerrillas, right?"

Shouldn't merit be rewarded? Shouldn't I, as a probationary member, be officially recognized? And if I am, shouldn't I be given some kind of official title?

I think... being a deputy captain would be quite suitable. It would give everyone something to look forward to when they want to make a contribution, and whoever makes a contribution should enjoy the reward!

The moment he said that, the surroundings fell silent.

The team members behind Wang Yuan looked at each other, some surprised, some frowning, feeling that Zhou Jindong's request was a bit excessive.

The position of deputy captain is not one that is taken lightly. Even if this guerrilla team has less than thirty people, it is still a guerrilla team, isn't it?

At the very least, everyone has to be convinced.

Ok?

What Zhou Jindong did actually seems to be truly convincing!

Wang Yuan stared at Zhou Jindong for a full three or four seconds, glancing around. He was still thinking about how to politely refuse him when he seemed to see something and suddenly froze.

He tilted his head, burst into hearty laughter, pointed at Zhou Jindong, and said, "Hahaha! Good! Good lad! You've got guts! I like your courage!"

He slapped Zhou Jindong hard on the shoulder, so hard that Zhou Jindong staggered.

"Vice Captain? Sure! It's not impossible! I... also have a condition!" Wang Yuan waved his hand, his straightforwardness leaving everyone stunned, including Zhou Jindong himself.

"Captain, this..." A slightly older team member hesitated before asking.

Wang Yuan's laughter stopped abruptly. He looked around at the team members, pointed at the cloth bag at Zhou Jindong's feet, and said loudly, "What? You're not convinced? Search your consciences!"

Since our guerrilla force was established, who has ever killed three Japanese soldiers at once? Who has ever captured three new rifles, and a damn three hundred rounds of ammunition!

Do you know what three hundred rounds of ammunition means? It's enough for our whole team to fight two tough battles with some left over!

Zhou Jindong managed to get it all done by himself! Who among you has that kind of ability?

He paused for a moment, then began to paint a rosy picture: "Besides, Jin Dong is a native of our town, with impeccable lineage. His father, Dr. Zhou, saved the lives of so many of us."

We know his background perfectly well! If he can get these three guns today, he can get even more tomorrow! Only a fool would turn away a guy like him, a guy who can fight and rob so well!

If I weren't appointed as the team leader by the county brigade, I would have given him this position so he could lead us to live a life of luxury and acquire more Japanese equipment!

Do you think making him a vice-captain is beneath you, or beneath him?

The team members were speechless after hearing Wang Yuan's words. Looking at the bulging cloth bag and thinking about the more than 300 bullets, their resentment vanished instantly.

Yes, these days, being able to get your hands on weapons and ammunition is the greatest skill!

Killing the Japanese devils is the ultimate truth!

With Zhou Jindong's abilities, becoming a deputy captain is only a matter of time, isn't it?

They might not even consider the guerrillas a threat and just send them straight into the main force!

A few quick-witted individuals had even begun to nod in agreement.

As Zhou Jindong watched Wang Yuan speak with great enthusiasm and swagger, he couldn't help but look at his childhood friend, who usually seemed so carefree and easygoing, with new respect.

This guy may be a bit rough around the edges, but he's incredibly sharp-witted and never loses his head when it matters.

Know what's most important right now.

With such keen insight and decisiveness, and with such the ability to unite people, it's no wonder he became the guerrilla leader and the backbone of this group.

Besides, she has a rather pleasant voice!

He went straight to the point and asked, "What are the conditions? Tell me!"

Wang Yuan didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "So, if you get at least five... no, ten rifles, I'll agree to report to my superiors and make you the deputy captain of the guerrilla unit! If they don't agree, I'll just give you the captaincy!"

Zhou Jindong was stunned when he heard this. What a great thing!

He was going to fight the Japanese anyway, so whether it was five or ten weapons made no difference to him!

He readily agreed, saying, "A gentleman's word is his bond!"

"A promise is a promise!" Wang Yuan said without hesitation.

"Alright, Captain Wang is so straightforward, so I won't be coy either." Zhou Jindong stopped refusing and squatted down, deftly untying the cloth bag.

Under the intense gaze of the crowd, he first took out two gleaming Type 38 rifles, along with eight leather ammunition boxes filled with bullets, and placed them neatly on the ground in front of Wang Yuan.

He left behind his last Type 38 rifle, an ammunition box, two grenades, the dagger, and the compass.

"Hand all of these over to the team," Zhou Jindong said, pointing to the guns and ammunition on the ground.

Looking at the two brand-new rifles and eight ammunition boxes, Wang Yuan's face flushed with excitement. He squatted down and lovingly stroked the rifles, exclaiming, "Great! Great guns! Excellent!"

His teammates couldn't help but gather around him.

Zhou Jindong stood up, picked up the rifle he had left behind, skillfully pulled back the bolt to check it, and then clicked it shut.

He looked at Wang Yuan, thinking about his subsequent plans, and said in a serious tone, "Brother Yuan, we have the equipment, but we can't distribute it all equally. The guns should be given to the people who know best how to use them."

Our guerrilla force originally had two Type 38 rifles, four old-style rifles, plus my three, and a Mauser C96 pistol, right?