The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 624 It Must Be Done (Two Chapters Combined)

After Hu Biao subconsciously muttered, "The predecessors in Northeast KL persisted for 14 years," the shelter suddenly became even quieter.

For at least five or six minutes, no one said a word.

Even the occasional movement of people getting up to stretch their bodies in front of the fire has stopped.

In an atmosphere of oppressive stillness, the only sounds were the howling of the cold wind and the crackling of the blazing fire.

It wasn't that the others didn't hear Hu Biao's mutterings, nor that they felt nothing after hearing them.

Rather, it was because of the empathy that the feeling was too strong.

Yes! Compared to their predecessors from Northeast China and KL, these veteran transmigrators, after a month of rest, are in peak physical condition.

The KL pioneers, due to their harsh living conditions over the years, must have suffered greatly in terms of physical fitness and health.

The shelter built by Uncle Bo and his comrades may look simple, even shabby, but it was probably the only place that KL's predecessors, who faced constant pursuit by the Japanese, had to spend the night.

If you really scrutinize it, it might even be worse.

After all, fearing that the firelight would reveal their whereabouts, the ancestors of KL said that when they spent the night, they did not even dare to make the fire for warmth too big.

They dared not do what they did, stacking two or three thick tree trunks together and adding many branches, burning them all together as if afraid the Japanese wouldn't see it.

And believe it or not! Hu Biao and his men were actually hoping that the Japanese would discover them and send men to capture them.

With their current equipment and combat capabilities, even if the Japanese sent a company-sized force, they would be easy prey.

After the Japanese soldiers were wiped out, their warm clothing, such as cotton hats, cotton overcoats, and fleece-lined leather boots, was observed.
And what about the military rations they carried? Didn't they all belong to them?

Compared to their predecessors in Northeast China, these transmigrators still have a relatively sufficient supply of food, medicine, and two medical personnel.

In short, apart from their lack of warm clothing, Hu Biao and the others are in a much better situation than their predecessors in KL.

Even so, it was only the first night, and they were already struggling to cope.

Based on all of the above personal experiences, these time travelers from the 80s could not imagine how much willpower it would take for KL's ancestors to persevere for 14 years.

In addition to surviving, they also had to constantly maneuver and fight against the Japanese invaders.

Just thinking about it makes it seem like an impossible task.

The shock they felt was so immense that Hu Biao and the others' mindset gradually changed, and all sorts of emotions and thoughts welled up in their hearts.

However, the strongest emotions were a strange sense of shame and a sudden surge of ruthlessness.

Shame on us! We are all made of flesh and blood, and in comparison, their conditions are even better, yet why are these younger generations behaving so poorly?

The famous Tiger of Shanghai, Commander Hu, and his equally renowned comrade, a banner of resistance against Japan.

Judging from their current performance, they are simply a huge joke.

It was a fierce outburst, a kind of emotion that erupted from the sense of shame that spurred one to act bravely.

The members of the time-traveling team, especially some of the veterans, had long since developed a sense of pride from their numerous glorious victories over the Japanese.

This pride finally made them erupt, and they decided to do something...

After a long while, Hu Biao finally spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but with an indescribable solemnity and determination:
"When Zanana and the others were surveying the terrain, they looked at a small hill."

We discovered that we were in an old forest in Northeast China, and there was no sign of human habitation in the surrounding area.

So no matter what the mysterious being wants us to do during this journey, we must leave the forest and find human habitation.

To achieve this, we face two serious problems.

The first problem is that, besides hunting as much as possible to get some hides for warmth, everyone must also find a way to adapt to the harsh environment of the Northeast wilderness as soon as possible.

Secondly, it is said that looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death. Traveling in mountainous areas is not efficient to begin with, and then there is such a thick layer of snow.

Even if wearing snowshoes prevents you from sinking into the snow, traveling like this is too slow and too strenuous; who knows how long it would take to slowly make your way out this way.

Therefore, we must find a faster and more efficient way to travel.

Let's all think about what solutions we can offer to these two problems.

No! We must solve these problems before we can properly confront the Japanese Kwantung Army; there's no reason why we, their descendants, can't do what our predecessors in KL could do.

When Hu Biao's words reached everyone's ears, the veterans all nodded in agreement.

I agree with Hu Biao's statement that we must solve the problem and then have a proper meeting with the Japanese Kwantung Army.

What? The Kwantung Army was known as the "flower of the Japanese army," belonging to the elite forces of the Japanese; what a coincidence! They had always been fighting against the elite.

After some thought, 803, a true native of Northeast China.

Regarding the second problem, some solutions were proposed: "As for how to travel efficiently, we think we can make some skis."

After being put on, skis not only serve a similar function to snowshoes, but also allow for faster travel in suitable terrain.

The only problem is that not everyone can ski.

How about this: people who can't ski raise their hands, we can count the number and see if this method works?

After the sound of 803 faded, good heavens! Hu Biao, Lao Ma, Xiao Henan, Xu Feng, Huang Adi, Lao San, and a whole bunch of other men raised one hand to indicate that they couldn't ski.

At first glance, it's fair to say that most of the members are country bumpkins from another time; very few of them actually know how to ski.

What's somewhat surprising is that, apart from Xiao Cui, who doesn't know how to ski, the other female members, such as Annie, Mina, and Zanana, all know how to ski.

The proportion of people who can ski is far higher than that of the men.

"If you don't know how, then start learning. With this much snow, you shouldn't die from falling. There's an old saying that goes, 'You'll learn to ski by falling and falling.'"

Faced with this situation, Hu Biao, who had raised his right hand, put it down and spoke through gritted teeth.

Then he turned to Annie and Mina beside him and said, "Boss lady, sister-in-law, you two take charge of the skiing instruction."

Annie and Mina nodded, looking completely relaxed.

The reason for this arrangement was that Hu Biao already knew that Annie and Mina were both quite enthusiastic skiing enthusiasts.

Anne, in particular, would often go skiing at ski resorts like Niseko and Rusutsu during her free time while working in the island nation each winter.

Despite possessing considerable athletic talent, his skiing skills may still lag behind those of professional athletes.

However, compared to the instructors at the ski resort, their skill level is definitely stronger, if not weaker.

So after dawn, everyone practiced skiing for a day before actually setting off the next day. It was a plan to sharpen the axe before chopping wood, and it was officially finalized with everyone's approval.

Thinking about how they could learn to ski and start skiing after dawn, the group of country bumpkins outwardly remained calm, but inwardly they were quite excited.

But thinking about the two problems they faced, only one of which has now been solved—the first being how to quickly adapt to the frigid environment—they had no clue how, and their spirits sank again.

The first problem stumped everyone for a while, until Annie suddenly spoke up hesitantly: "I have thought of a way, but I'm not sure if it will work."

Russians, especially those in Siberia, have a habit of winter swimming, even in temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius.

In this way, they strengthen their physique and resistance to severe cold, as well as their immunity.

If we took a cold shower during the warmest part of the day, around noon, would that help us adapt to colder environments?

When we get to this point, let's not talk about anyone else.

Even when Annie imagined taking a cold shower, goosebumps instantly rose all over her body, and she couldn't help but shiver.

The young man from the South, Shizi, vehemently opposed the idea:
"You damn bastard, don't listen to your girlfriend's advice! Taking a cold shower in this weather could kill you, or even if you don't, you'll catch a cold, which is a huge problem."

After the man at the cross started it, the others echoed his sentiments, clearly indicating that none of them wanted to take a cold shower in this weather.

Upon hearing this, Hu Biao simply asked a question, which silenced them all:
"We don't need to wash with cold water, as long as you come up with other better methods."

"Seriously! If there were any better solutions, everyone would have spoken up long ago. Why would things have dragged on like this?" Faced with Hu Biao's question, everyone looked at each other, speechless.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Hu Biao made a decision without further ado:

"Then it's decided! We'll take a cold shower every day at noon to improve our ability to adapt to the cold environment."

Okay then, I'll be the first one to wash every time.

As he spoke further, Hu Biao's tone became even more resolute.

It was precisely this resolute example that made others not only swallow their objections but also ignite their own fierce determination.

It's just taking a cold shower, right? I'll just go for it...

In the following period, Hu Biao and others finalized some more detailed aspects regarding how to practice skiing and take cold showers, and made a more comprehensive division of labor.

By the way! A total of 31 people came across this time travel.

They are Hu Biao, Annie, AT, Black Star, Mina, Uncle Bo, Huang Adi, Xu Feng, Mo Shuiyan, Chaozi, Huang Yizhi, Zanana, Lao Yu, Mr. Nanze, Van Gogh, Wizard, Lao Ma, and Xiao Henan.

Xiao Cui, Warehouse Manager, Lao San, Thug, Lao K, Guard, Foreman, Old Car, Cross, Ji Shouxing, 803, Zhi Xiang, Dali, etc.

Only Chen Tang, Xin Huo, and Si Yu were left behind by the mysterious entity for some unknown reason.

This is the first time we've traversed this route so many times, but it's the first time so many veterans have participated.

The more seasoned veterans there are, the stronger Hu Biao and his team will naturally be in combat, which should be a great thing.

Based on Hu Biao and the others' understanding of that mysterious being, they knew this guy wasn't really that kind-hearted; it was probably because this journey was even more dangerous that he strengthened their power in this way.

So when they first thought of this, a shadow fell over the hearts of all the veterans.

Fortunately, under Hu Biao's leadership, the shrewd crowd has been inspired and now has a thought in their minds: What are you afraid of? If you're so capable, freeze your father to death.

As for the specific details of the seven newcomers, such as their strengths, Hu Biao and his team haven't inquired about them yet.

What's the rush! We'll talk about everything once we're out of the forest.

*****
It was quite a coincidence that the heavy snowfall, which had lasted almost the entire night, stopped after the sky had become completely bright.

Based on the plan made before dawn, everyone immediately split up and got to work.

Zanana, along with 803, Lao Yu, the warehouse manager, and other skiers, set off with bows, crossbows, and other melee weapons; their mission was to hunt, and hopefully bring back some large game.

The main problem is that these human-shaped gluttons already have huge appetites; in the current extremely cold environment, their appetites have become even more frightening.

If they don't bring back some game soon, the emergency rations they brought will soon be gone.

In addition, the pelts of large prey are also important. If you have enough pelts to tie around your legs and drape over your body, you can block the almost ubiquitous cold wind and greatly reduce heat loss.

The remaining Hu Biao and the rest of the main force then hurriedly began making skis.

Thanks to the abundant timber resources in the old forests of Northeast China, Hu Biao and his group soon found several large red pine trees not far from the shelter.

Red pine has straight grain, uniform structure, and good stability, making it the most suitable wood for skis for beginners.

When making the skis, Hu Biao and his team only had some multi-functional entrenching tools, daggers, bayonets, and other equipment, but no professional woodworking tools.

However, this issue doesn't have a significant impact.

Taking advantage of their strength and steady hands, they worked continuously for an hour and a half until, along with the seven newcomers, they all had a set of skis and ski poles that were perhaps poorly made but still usable.

Armed with their brand-new ski gear, the group arrived at a small slope with few trees, about 120 or 130 meters long and a gradient of 6 or 7 degrees, and began their skiing lesson.

Mina was the first to speak, repeatedly introducing some basic skiing movements and tips to everyone two or three times.

After everyone indicated that they had remembered, Annie began to demonstrate the actual operation:
With a textbook-perfect stance, the girl lightly pushed off the ground with her ski poles and immediately began to slide down the slope.

As it slides, the speed increases.

She looked like a nimble bird, soaring lightly and gracefully through the air.

When Annie stopped at the bottom of the slope, a huge cheer erupted from the crowd, their eyes filled with eager anticipation.

After all, it wasn't just theoretical knowledge from Mina's mouth, but also Annie's actual demonstration, so it sounded and looked easy.

Even for Lao Ma, it felt like he could do it with his bare hands.

Immediately imitating Annie, he pushed hard with his ski poles, allowing his body to slowly slide down the slope.

But after sliding only eight or nine meters, he landed hard on his bottom in the snow.

Seeing this, Hu Biao and the others were still somewhat skeptical and began to slide down the slope as well.

Then, as the old saying goes, what's difficult for the unskilled is easy for the skilled. Don't be fooled by how easily Annie skied; they displayed all sorts of skiing techniques.

However, on the short slope of only 120 or 130 meters, the furthest one only managed to slide halfway down before falling to the ground and tumbling all the way down.

What to do? Get up and keep practicing, just like that damn Hu Biao said, falling down and falling down will lead to bad habits.

In the following period of time, Hu Biao and the others kept falling and getting hurt, and gradually they started to look quite skilled.

Around 1 p.m., before lunchtime, these skiing novices, whose good coordination was largely due to their strong physique, were already skiing quite well...

(End of this chapter)