The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 298 Like a Fish in Water (Two-in-One Chapter)

Throughout September and October of the 27th year of the Republic of China, the situation in Shanxi Province was relatively calm.

The main reason for this was the ongoing Battle of Wuhan, which severely strained the Japanese army's mobile forces.

Under these circumstances, the Japanese First Army stationed in Shanxi Province intentionally reduced its forces, and did not launch any further operations except for holding some cities and counties, as well as transportation lines and mining areas.

This was tantamount to handing over vast rural areas to the Jin-Sui Army, our Party, and many other forces.

This gave the aforementioned forces a valuable period to recover and develop their strength.

Various forces were not idle either, taking advantage of this opportunity to take action across Shanxi Province, including the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment.

Of course, the above-mentioned calm is only relative.

Although no large-scale battles broke out between the two sides, small skirmishes and conflicts occurred almost daily.

More importantly, everyone on both sides knew that no matter what the outcome of the Battle of Wuhan was, the peace in Shanxi Province would be shattered once it ended.

So while both sides silently awaited this day, they were also plotting and accumulating strength; under such circumstances, time flew by day by day...

On the morning of September 18, at the foot of Erlong Mountain, north of Taiyuan City, there was a strange Japanese military camp.

What's strange is that this military camp, which isn't very large, is surrounded by many Japanese soldiers who strictly prohibit anyone from approaching.

If the villagers nearby were too close, the Japanese soldiers on guard would open fire.

After seven or eight people were killed or injured, the area became a forbidden zone that even dogs wouldn't go near.

What's really strange is that cars with their cargo boxes covered tightly by canvas, carrying unknown contents, come and go from time to time, and intense gunfire can be heard from inside them.

I have no idea what those Japanese devils are up to so mysteriously.

In fact, this strange military camp was the base and training ground of the Japanese First Army's special forces stationed in Shanxi Province.

The occasional bursts of intense gunfire were merely Japanese special forces training tactics; while the truck beds, covered with tarpaulins, contained various equipment and supplies, as well as some prisoners of war from the Central Army and the Jin-Sui Army.

Some Japanese special forces deliberately transported strong prisoners to assist in their training in order to enhance their combat capabilities.

Sure enough! When the tightly closed canvas of the car was pulled open, Qiu Kuiyong's eyes hadn't yet recovered from the sudden brightening of the dark car.

Then I heard a somewhat awkward but still understandable shout: "Get off the bus, get off right now."

Amidst such noise, Qiu Kuiyong, along with twenty or thirty other Kuomintang prisoners of war, jumped out of the carriage like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

Having just steadied himself, Qiu Kuiyong's eyes widened when he saw the appearance of the Japanese soldiers in front of him.

Qiu Kuiyong was originally a sergeant squad leader in the Ninth Army of the Central Army. He participated in the Battle of Xinkou last year. He was captured by the Japanese because he was knocked unconscious by artillery fire during the battle.

Now, he has been in the Japanese prisoner-of-war camp for almost a year.

Including the days of fighting the Japanese, I have seen quite a few Japanese soldiers, but I have never seen any Japanese soldiers with such strange attire and demeanor.

On the left side, there were two or three hundred Japanese soldiers standing in a line.

Although they were all short compared to Qiu Kuiyong, who was 1.8 meters tall, they were clearly a cut above the other short-legged Japanese soldiers.

These Japanese soldiers were short, but they all looked incredibly fierce, as if they wanted to eat people.

Their attire was also quite strange; the Type 90 steel helmets they wore were painted black and covered with something that looked like a fishing net.

The equipment he carried was exceptionally high-quality.

After a quick glance, Qiu Kuiyong spotted a submachine gun of unknown model but of excellent workmanship, a Type 96 light machine gun, a grenade launcher, a radio, and other equipment.

There were also pistols with 20 rounds each, almost one per person, gas masks, daggers, and vests full of magazines.

It's fair to say that anyone could see how strange and unusual these Japanese soldiers were.

But even stranger things were yet to come.

After the prisoners were hastily made to stand aside, a Japanese high-ranking officer with the same strange attire but wearing the rank of colonel on his collar walked over.

After glancing at them indifferently, he pointed to the strange Japanese soldiers behind him and spoke.

Surprisingly, it was spoken in clear and standard Mandarin, with a slight Zhejiang accent:

"I'll give you a chance to live. Just pick one of them as your opponent, beat them, or even kill them. It's okay, I'll let you go and give you your freedom."

But if you lose, or refuse to choose, then die.

Upon hearing this, the prisoners were all tempted.

Without hesitation, Qiu Kuiyong stepped out of the crowd, pointed at a strange Japanese soldier with the rank of second lieutenant, and shouted, "You, come out here!"

Qiu Kuiyong's confidence in stepping forward naturally stems from considerable grounds.

Before enlisting, he had already practiced Bajiquan for many years and was highly regarded by his master and fellow disciples. Back in the Ninth Army, even a few ordinary people had difficulty getting close to him.

Unfortunately, he never had a chance to use his skills on the battlefield before he was knocked unconscious by Japanese artillery fire and captured. He had been harboring a deep resentment ever since.

I'll take this opportunity to kill a Japanese soldier with my own hands and then leave this awful place.

Three or four minutes later, Qiu Kuiyong was dragged by two Japanese soldiers to a temporary cell on the side of the military camp like a dead dog, his eyes filled with immense anger.

No other reason than that the promise made by that Japanese colonel was utter nonsense.

After making his move, the Japanese lieutenant who was fighting him was knocked to the ground in just three or four moves.

Just as he was about to stomp his opponent to death, several Japanese soldiers who were watching from the sidelines shamelessly attacked him together.

The key point is that a Japanese soldier was holding a gun, forcing him not to resist.

The other three Japanese soldiers surrounded him and beat him mercilessly, leaving him covered in injuries in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, during the beating, Chong Teng and Qiu Kuiyong managed to protect their vital organs.

Although his injuries looked quite serious, they were only superficial wounds, without any damage to his bones or muscles.

"Escape! I must find a way to escape!" As he was dragged away like a dead dog, Qiu Kuiyong kept telling himself this...

"Let you leave? Dream on! In your words, all's fair in war."

Watching Qiu Kuiyong being dragged away like a dead dog, Colonel Yamamoto Ichiki muttered something to himself in a voice only he could hear.

His tone was quite smug, showing no shame whatsoever for breaking his promise.

Then, he cursed at the lieutenant who had almost been killed: "Useless! You can't even beat a Nationalist soldier! Get back to training! Train like your life depends on it!"

After finishing his rant, he left the training ground and headed straight for his office.

Not to mention that after Yamamoto Ichiki left, the group of Japanese special forces continued to engage in a completely unfair combat training exercise with the remaining prisoners.

Before long, several prisoners were seriously injured or even beaten to death by the Japanese.

Once in the office, Yamamoto Ichiki hunched over his desk and began sketching and writing, starting to create a training plan for an upcoming trip.

In this plan, Yamaki emphasized the importance of long-distance training and that, in order to simulate real combat, the process would be conducted in a radio-silent manner, and there might be no contact with headquarters for a long period of time.

After a lot of work, a fairly detailed training plan was completed.

Looking at the contents above, Yamamoto Ichiki's eyes were filled with pride and anticipation.

The reason is simple: this plan was just an excuse for him to leave Taiyuan with his special forces; in reality, he would go to Pingding County to cause trouble for Hu Biao, the Tiger of Shanghai.

To launch a standard special operations operation, capture the adversary who has caused the Empire too much trouble.

As for whether this fake training plan, which deceived Commander Yoshio Shinotsuka, would cause him any trouble later, Yamamoto Ichiki didn't care at all.

Because if Hu Biao is killed or captured, he will become a hero of the empire.

Yoshio Shinotsuka would be overjoyed and would reward him handsomely; there would be absolutely no trouble.

Another point is that Yamamoto Ichiki is not without a backup plan; because he has an uncle named Yamamoto Goryu, who is currently the commander of the Imperial Combined Fleet.

However, only a small number of high-ranking officers in the entire First Army knew this. So even if he couldn't make it in the army in the future, he could simply switch to the navy.

However, after Yamamoto Ichiki completed the training report, he did not submit it to Commander Shinotsuka Yoshio immediately, but put it in a drawer.

Now, this Japanese colonel, though he wished he could immediately lead his troops to Pingding County and capture Hu Biao alive.

They not only have enough patience, but also a considerable level of tactical skill.

At least he knew one thing: currently, apart from knowing that Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment were in the countryside outside Pingding County, he knew nothing about their other troop strength and equipment, their specific locations, and the intensity of their defenses and vigilance.

If we go there rashly, not only will we fail to achieve our combat objectives, but we will also suffer a shameful defeat.

Fortunately, these were not major problems that he could not solve.

Major Akita, the current commander of the garrison in Pingding County, not only knows Yamamoto Ichiki, but the two also have a fairly good relationship.

So two days earlier, he had sent a telegram to the other party in his private capacity, asking them to do something.

For example, find out where the headquarters of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment is located and how much defense force it has; ideally, develop a covert operation within it.

Therefore, once he had gathered sufficient information, it was time for him to lead the Imperial Special Forces in a formal attack.

Before setting off, he needed to train his soldiers to the maximum intensity to improve their combat effectiveness.

******
Four days later, around 9 p.m. on September 22.

Annie's teammate, facing a man in his fifties behind the counter who was using an abacus, began to explain:
"Manager Mo, Mrs. Zhu and the others invited me to play mahjong and watch opera today, so I'll have to keep an eye on the shop's business this afternoon and evening."

Upon hearing this, Manager Mo, who had been poached by Annie at a high price, quickly made his assurances:
"Master, you can rest assured, there will definitely be no trouble."

After hearing this reply, Annie, dressed in her finest attire, left the shop amidst the eager yet secretive gazes of the shop assistants.

They wondered if this radiant and wealthy widow would appear in their dreams tonight.

What they didn't know was that after this beautiful widowed proprietress went out, she didn't go to play mahjong or listen to operas at all.

After confirming that no one was following him, he went to a small courtyard not far from Deyue Tower; when he came out again, his appearance had changed drastically.

With her superb makeup skills and acting skills honed in the modern world, she was able to achieve her goal.

She became a rural woman in her thirties, with a sallow complexion and a slightly hunched back.

Even more remarkably, when Annie arrived at a mountain produce store run by the Kuomintang secret police in the city, she encountered various people, including Station Chief Li, who was ostensibly the store owner but was actually a colonel, and all the other members.

Everything seemed normal when they were in the shop on the first floor.

But once they arrived in the backyard, their attitude was incredibly warm, even respectful.

After gesturing for Annie to sit down, Station Chief Li began to grumble, "Didn't you see Commander An is here? Hurry up and serve tea, serve the best tea."

He completely disregarded Annie's position in the Military Intelligence Bureau, which was actually one rank lower than his.

The moment the voice faded, a lieutenant colonel, the action team leader, appeared carrying a cup of hot tea.

With a forced smile, he said, "Last time I heard that Commander An liked to drink Longjing tea, so I asked the brothers below to keep an eye out for it. They just happened to get some of this year's newly harvested top-quality West Lake Longjing tea."

I was originally planning to deliver it to you, Commander An, at some other time; but this morning I heard magpies chirping—it was you, Commander An, who came to my door.”

At the same time, several members of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Taiyuan station also appeared, greeting Annie with smiles.

Good heavens! This scene of being surrounded by so many stars makes it seem like Annie has come to talk to them about something, but if you didn't know better, you'd think a superior had come to give guidance.

Actually, the scene we're witnessing isn't anything too outrageous.

Because the Military Intelligence Bureau's Taiyuan station was only a Class B station, compared to stations in Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin, it was like an unwanted stepchild.

They had basic operating funds, but it was barely enough to keep the business running. As a result, Station Master Li and his team were struggling to make ends meet, let alone getting rich.

However, the Military Intelligence Bureau has become quite corrupt in this day and age.

While there are still some passionate young people who volunteer for the country, many more are seasoned veterans like Station Chief Li, whose only concerns are how to coast through their days and how to get promoted and make a fortune.

If there was no opportunity before, then so be it; all I could do was give up.

Just get the tasks assigned by Boss Dai and other superiors done half-heartedly and hand them over.

But things changed after Annie appeared. The two sides have cooperated twice, and they have made a lot of money. Now they are the cash cows of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Taiyuan Station.

Now that the God of Wealth has arrived, it's perfectly reasonable for them to treat him with the utmost hospitality, isn't it?

After setting down the supposedly new, top-grade Longjing tea, Annie showed a rather satisfied expression.

This level of Longjing tea is so rare that even money can hardly buy it in modern times; what pleased her even more was the attitude of the people at the Military Intelligence Bureau's Taiyuan station.

Although these people are somewhat corrupt, they are quite capable and efficient in handling matters once the money is right.

Sure enough! While Annie was drinking tea, Station Chief Li began to report, just like a subordinate:
"Commander An, the things you asked me to do last time are almost all done now."

We acquired two drilling machines, one lathe, and one grinding machine. We also contacted seven skilled workers who are willing to set off with their families at any time.

In addition, we also managed to procure a batch of seamless steel pipes and the chemical materials you specified.

"Do you think we should gather more, or send it to Regiment Commander Hu's side immediately?"

Although the machine tools mentioned above are all small and hand-operated, the skill level of the workers is limited, and the quantity of various materials is not large.

After hearing the above, Anne was in a pretty good mood.

Because if she and AT were to slowly collect these things, they might not even be able to find a way, and transporting them to Pingding County would be a huge problem.

However, the Military Intelligence Bureau had established transportation lines long ago, which saved her a lot of trouble.

In a good mood, Anne took out a small box from behind her and placed it on the table, continuing to instruct, "Well done! This is what I promised you, we can't let the brothers work for nothing."

Next, we'll continue working on machines, skilled workers, and materials—there's no upper limit.

Also, keep a close eye on the movements of the Japanese troops, especially their movements towards Pingding County. Notify me immediately if you receive any news.

"Good, good, good." Upon hearing this, Station Chief Li uttered three "good"s in one breath.

The other Kuomintang agents stationed around the area had an indescribable burning desire in their eyes.

Don't be fooled by the small size of the box Anne took out; it contained two thousand vials of penicillin powder.

According to their agreement with Annie, although these drugs could not be sold in Taiyuan, they could be taken to Shanghai and other major cities for sale; after deducting various fees, they would still receive a large sum of money.

Isn't this why they're so enthusiastic and take such great risks to let Anne do whatever she wants?

After giving some more instructions, Annie left the Military Intelligence Bureau directly; however, she did not return to Deyuelou, but instead went to another stronghold where Yan Xishan's undercover agents were located.

After a nearly identical situation with the Military Intelligence Bureau's Taiyuan station.

After thinking for a moment, the person in charge brought an interesting person to Annie.

This man is interesting because he was Qiu Kuiyong, who had just escaped from the Japanese two days ago and was coincidentally encountered by these undercover agents.

The person in charge believed that Annie might be interested in those strange Japanese soldiers, which led to the current situation.

Indeed! Annie was quite interested in the Japanese soldiers, whose attire and mannerisms suggested they were primitive special forces. She asked about some details, which her grandmother noted down, planning to tell Hu Biao when they contacted each other by radio tonight.

However, what interested the girl even more was Qiu Kuiyong's impressive fighting skills.

After thinking for a moment, Annie said calmly to Qiu Kuiyong:
"Sergeant Qiu, why don't you work with our Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment from now on? I'm the chief of staff of the Independent Regiment, and I guarantee you won't be treated badly in the future."

Without hesitation, the man stood at attention and saluted, solemnly saying, "Qiu Kuiyong, former sergeant of the Ninth Army of the Central Army, greets Chief of Staff An."

"Hahaha!" Annie, who was essentially a little obsessed with officialdom, burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Aside from the fact that my troublesome cousin Mina also came along and is currently sticking with my husband, everything else on this time-travel adventure has been quite interesting...

(End of this chapter)