Anti-Japanese War Espionage: I Have an Omniscient Perspective

The six followed Huang Dazhu to a noodle shop by the dock. Huang Dazhu loudly ordered the stall owner, "Seven bowls of braised pork noodles, please."

The stall owner feigned surprise: "Where did you strike it rich? You're so generous as to treat your brothers to a big bowl of noodles."

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and cook some noodles. Can't you see everyone's hungry?" Huang Dazhu said with a laugh.

He told the six people to sit down. The noodles hadn't even arrived yet, and their eyes were all fixed on the stall. Their Adam's apples were bobbing; they were truly hungry.

This place mainly serves two types of noodles: plain noodles and braised meat noodles. A bowl of plain noodles costs 5-6 copper coins and consists only of noodles and soy sauce soup; braised meat noodles cost 8-10 copper coins and are topped with meat scraps.

They would be reluctant to eat even a bowl of plain noodles, but would drink two bowls of soup. Braised pork noodles were a luxury for dockworkers.

Before long, seven bowls of steaming hot braised pork noodles were served.

In the rough porcelain bowl, chewy noodles were soaked in oily broth, topped with a layer of finely minced meat. The aroma instantly filled the air, making the six men's Adam's apples bob even more, their eyes filled with longing, and even their breathing became rapid.

"Eat up, and you can have more if you're not full!" Huang Dazhu pushed a bowl of noodles in front of the tall, thin man at the far end, picked up a bowl for himself, and took a big gulp. The warm noodles, coated with the aroma of meat, slid down his throat, warming him up a bit.

As soon as he finished speaking, the six of them could no longer resist and picked up their chopsticks, wolfing down their food.

The sound of chopsticks hitting the rim of the bowl, the sound of slurping noodles—no one spoke, their eyes were only on the noodles in the bowl.

They hadn't eaten anything so delicious and filling in so long. Normally, they would eat a bowl of plain noodles sparingly, drinking every last drop of the soup. This braised meat noodle soup with minced meat was simply the most delicious delicacy in the world.

After finishing a bowl of noodles, all six of them had fine beads of sweat on their foreheads and their faces regained some color.

"Brother Huang, can I have another bowl?!" The strongest man put down his bowl and asked in a low voice. He was actually older than Huang Dazhu, but this shout showed that he was willing to humble himself before Huang Dazhu.

The other five echoed this sentiment, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Huang Dazhu waved his hand with a smile: "Boss, give each of you another bowl, still the braised pork noodles!"

The stall owner responded and quickly turned to go downstairs. Looking at Huang Dazhu, he felt a hint of envy. These days, there aren't many people who are so generous as to treat someone to two bowls of braised pork noodles.

When the second bowl of noodles was served, the six of them still ate very quickly, but a little slower than with the first bowl. Occasionally, they would take a sip of the noodle soup and savor the meaty aroma in their mouths.

After all seven of them had finished eating, there were fourteen empty bowls on the table, and everyone had a long-lost smile on their face.

Huang Dazhu paid the bill, then led the six men to the open space outside the noodle shop. His expression gradually became serious: "Brothers, I'm treating you all to noodles today not only to give you a full meal, but also to lend you a hand. I'm planning to start a gang, so we'll never have to wait for odd jobs at the docks, go hungry, or be bullied by those gang scum again. Follow me, and I guarantee you'll have unlimited meat noodles, food to eat, and a place to stay!"

"A few of us working alone?!" the burly man exclaimed in surprise.

"What, are you scared? If you want to make a living, you'll have to have guts," Huang Dazhu said coldly.

These six men were all soldiers who had fought on the battlefield, and none of them were cowards or afraid of trouble.

Immediately, all six echoed the sentiment.

"Brother Dazhu, I'll work for you."

"Me too."

Huang Dazhu nodded and said, "Alright, this isn't the place to talk. Come home with me."

Just as he was about to lead everyone away, the strongest man hesitated for a moment, stepped forward, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Dazhu, could we go to the refugee camp first? I... I have someone there who's on my mind. I want to go see her, settle her in, and then I'll go with you."

Huang Dazhu was taken aback: "You know people here?"

"A fellow villager I ran into."

"Male or female?"

"A woman."

"I see," everyone smiled knowingly, and without saying anything more, they headed toward the refugee area near Belle Road.

Not far behind them, Lin Rui continued to observe discreetly using his supernatural abilities. Upon seeing this, he quietly followed them.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the group arrived at the entrance of the refugee area.

From a distance, the refugee area was surrounded by high barbed wire fences, and it was crowded with ragged refugees, so densely packed that it seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

The air was filled with a pungent, musty, and rancid smell, mixed with the cries, coughs, curses, and pleas of children. The scene was heartbreaking and filled with sorrow.

Outside the barbed wire fence, several people in uniforms were distributing supplies.

Each person received a bowl of very thin mixed grain porridge, a small piece of pickled vegetables, and soybean cakes that were originally intended for feeding pigs.

As more and more refugees crowded towards the food distribution area, they carelessly tossed the bean cakes into the refugee area, not caring that they would fall to the ground and get covered in mud and filth.

The refugees rushed forward like madmen, scrambling for the food that had fallen to the ground. Some even fought over half a piece of bread.

Despair and greed played out in the refugee camp; in the face of hunger, all dignity became worthless.

Upon witnessing this scene, the expressions on the faces of the six people darkened, their eyes filled with heartache and anger.

They had experienced that kind of life before, but they didn't want to be treated like animals inside, so they came out to find their own way to survive.

The burly man strode to the edge of the barbed wire fence, waved vigorously towards the inside, and shouted, "Cui'er! Cui'er! Over here!"

A short while later, a woman wearing a tattered cotton-padded coat and with a sallow complexion, leading a child who was so thin he was just skin and bones, squeezed out of the crowd. Seeing Da Niu outside the barbed wire fence, tears instantly welled up in her eyes, and her voice trembled: "Da Niu! What brings you here? Have you found a way to survive?"

Da Niu nodded, his eyes reddening, and his voice softened considerably: "Cui'er, don't worry, I've found a way to make a living. I'll never let you and the child go hungry again. These are my brothers. When I have money, I'll come back for you."

He took out the five yuan he had just received from Huang Dazhu and quietly slipped it into the woman's hand, then carefully instructed her, "Cui'er, you stay in this refugee area and absolutely do not go to Nanshi. I've heard that the refugee area in Nanshi is a place that sucks your bones dry, even worse than here. Remember, stay here and don't wander off."

The woman nodded vigorously, clutching the change in her hand tightly. Tears streamed down her face, but she dared not cry out loud. She simply held her child and kept bowing to Da Niu, Huang Dazhu, and the others, saying, "Thank you, thank you all, thank you all..."

Da Niu waved his hand, fighting back tears, and turned to Huang Dazhu, saying, "Brother, I've taken care of my business. Let's go."

Huang Dazhu nodded, then led the six men away from the refugee area and headed towards their residence.

Lin Rui stood behind a sycamore tree in the distance, watching this scene, and felt a surge of emotion.

The lower classes in the concessions were like hell, but who could save the hundreds of thousands or even millions of refugees?

He followed silently.

The group returned to the abandoned warehouse where Huang Dazhu lived. Although it was simple, it was big enough to accommodate seven people.

Huang Dazhu settled everyone down, found each person a tattered quilt, and took out some funds to have the tall, thin man buy some coarse grains and drinking water.

Looking at their simple yet peaceful dwelling, the six people smiled with long-lost joy, their hearts filled with anticipation.

Since Lin Rui had not yet explained what to do, Huang Dazhu did not take any action. He just rested in the warehouse to conserve his energy. The six of them occasionally discussed the future, their eyes full of anticipation.