The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 642 is just the beginning (two-in-one chapter)

The fire in front of them, a two-story wooden building, was growing larger and larger.

It eventually turned into a giant burning torch, after which no more bullets came flying at it.

At the other end of the street, a group of Japanese armed civilians who had been blocked by Xu Feng with a gun for several minutes finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it was quite shameful to say that three or four hundred of them were suppressed by a single Chinese soldier, it was all over now.

There's nothing we can do! It's not that they weren't brave enough.

In the past, they had launched countless attacks for the sake of their families in the settlement whose fates were unknown, but without exception, they were all driven back.

Now, on the street before them, there were countless corpses of their own people, or wounded soldiers who had been shot and rendered incapacitated, lying on the ground and emitting pitiful howls.

If you add all the numbers together, it's probably close to two hundred people.

Such a hellish scene was perhaps too cruel for these armed expatriates who were only semi-military personnel.

While they stood there in a daze, one of the few remaining troops in the city, a second lieutenant, started yelling and cursing:

"Baka yalu! What are you doing standing here in a daze?"
"Leave some to treat the wounded, and the rest must hurry to support the Imperial immigrant settlements."

Amidst the shouts of cursing, more than a hundred armed Japanese civilians, led by a dozen or so regular Japanese soldiers, hurriedly continued their run forward.

After running three or four hundred meters, they came to another intersection and encountered a huge, dark mass of people, numbering over a thousand, including the elderly, women, and children, fleeing in a disheveled state.

Suddenly, an incredibly touching scene unfolded for the Japanese side.

The elderly, women, and children had been running around like headless flies in the spreading fire for quite some time, filled with immense fear and despair.

Seeing these armed expatriates now feels like seeing family; no! There really are some of their relatives among them.

In my excitement, feelings of grievance, surprise, and lingering fear immediately welled up uncontrollably.

Among the armed expatriates, many saw their relatives among them and were overjoyed to find that they were still alive, which also filled them with great excitement.

In short, at the first moment, both sides shouted out names like "Taro," "Inukai," and "Keiko," and embraced each other as if in a victorious grand reunion.

They either laughed loudly or burst into tears.

Unfortunately, this incredibly moving scene for the Japanese soldiers didn't last long; it ended almost as soon as it began.

The two sides met here for only twenty or thirty seconds.

The highest-ranking Japanese lieutenant present didn't even have time to issue orders like "The elderly and weak should be evacuated in an orderly manner, and the armed civilians should continue to rescue people."

Just sixty or seventy meters away from them, in a bungalow, half of which was already engulfed in flames and the other half was about to catch fire.

Ah Wei, a newbie who had just crossed over, was in a house that was still relatively safe.

The MG34 general-purpose machine gun, with its barrel replaced and fitted with a brand-new ammunition belt, peered out from the shattered window, its muzzle aimed at the reveling crowd…

So, after Ah Wei hurriedly retreated to the vicinity alone, he encountered the thugs and Brother Huang.

Huang Adi glanced at the machine gun in Awei's hand, the boy's reddened eyes, and the wooden building in the distance whose fire was growing bigger and bigger.

They already knew what Xu Feng's team member had gone through.

After discussing it briefly with the thug and Ah Wei, they each found a place to ambush at the intersection.

The goal was to seize a big opportunity and spread panic among the Japanese soldiers to more areas of the city.

Seeing that the fish had taken the bait, Awei did not hesitate at all; once he pulled the trigger, he did not intend to let go.

Suddenly, that terrifying 'poof' sound, which sounded like a devil whispering in the ears of the armed expatriates present, rang out once again.

A fierce serpent of fire lashed out at the dense crowd as Awei moved his gun back and forth, firing repeatedly.

The Japanese soldiers, who were laughing and crying, were brought to the ground with astonishing speed.

During this firing, Awei shouted wildly, as if telling the Japanese soldiers, and even more so, telling himself:
"Run! All of you, run! Run like a pack of frightened wild dogs! Spread the panic! Run, run!"

When the chanting reached its final point, Ah Wei, this grown man, finally couldn't control his emotions.

She didn't make a sound, but large tears kept streaming down her face uncontrollably.

After Ah Wei made his move, Huang Adi and his two henchmen naturally followed suit.

The former repeatedly picked up a row of small melon grenades that had already had their safety pins pulled from the area in front of him, tapped them on his helmet, and then threw them at the Japanese soldiers.

Because the Japanese troops were so densely packed, each grenade explosion had a remarkable effect.

The latter kept firing his submachine gun at the few Japanese soldiers in the crowd. The first shot killed the Japanese lieutenant.

In summary, the Japanese soldiers, who were celebrating just a moment ago, were completely stunned the next.

The panic that had subsided somewhat among the armed expatriates was reignited with alarming speed amid the familiar sound of machine gun fire.

And in terms of extent, it far exceeds the extent of the past.

Driven by these emotions, they fled recklessly toward Nangang Street in the south of the city.

This also brought their panic with it, scattering some of the Japanese soldiers and puppet troops who were coming to provide support.

Seeing the Japanese soldiers fleeing in panic, Huang Adi had no intention of continuing the pursuit.

He rushed into the house where Awei was hiding, and the moment he entered, he started cursing:

"Kid, what are you doing in there at this hour? Can't you see this whole building is about to burn down? Are you waiting to be roasted like a pig?"

After he finished cursing, Huang Adi finally saw Awei, whose face was covered in tears, in the firelight.

Having basically guessed the reason, he opened his mouth and silently uttered a curse before solemnly addressing the novice:

"Tonight's operation has only just begun, and we don't know how many people will die."

Besides being a Japanese soldier, it could be you, or it could be me. You get used to dying after a while…

Huang Adi is right. Despite the fact that the entire eastern area of ​​Jiamusi is now engulfed in flames and filled with panicked Japanese soldiers and civilians, they have already achieved considerable success.

But this is just the beginning. More Japanese soldiers will die tonight, and more important areas will be destroyed.

Of course! The Japanese soldiers weren't useless either; for them to achieve this, they would have to pay the price of many more deaths...

******
Time: 1:51 AM, when the entire eastern area of ​​Jiamusi City had become a sea of ​​fire and was spreading to other areas.

Location: About 20 kilometers from Jiamusi City.

Seeing a warhorse with a broken leg neighing in pain by the roadside, Major General Kuwata Teizo sighed silently, his heart filled with immense anger.

No other reason than that the weather conditions tonight are simply too severe.

Although, under his orders, a large amount of the empire's armed forces within a radius of hundreds of miles were urgently mobilized.

Especially outside Jiamusi city, nearly 24,000 armed personnel were mobilized to form a huge encirclement and conduct a thorough search.

However, despite making such a big fuss, the effect was not good at all.

Based on some reports he received half an hour earlier.

After several hours of investigation and searching, those useless people found no trace of Hu Biao and his companions, and instead came up with all sorts of reasons and excuses.

For example: The weather conditions tonight are rather harsh.

The traces left by Hu Biao and his men would soon be covered up, and even with military dogs, it would be impossible to find any traces they left behind.

Visibility in the wild was too low, only a dozen meters away; therefore, the number of people involved in the search was still too small, and many were unable to maintain a tight encirclement.

The weather was too cold, and the horses and personnel involved in the search were unable to withstand it, with many suffering from frostbite. Not to mention the puppet troops, even the Imperial regular forces were finding it difficult to hold on; therefore, commanders of many units sent telegrams requesting that their troops be stationed in key areas to maintain an encirclement.

We'll continue the search once it's light, the snow has stopped, and the temperature has risen a bit.

If we consider the first two reasons, Teizo Kuwata could barely accept them; after all, such severe weather is something that human power cannot change.

However, the applications from the commanders of various units that followed only fueled his anger.

Useless! They're all a bunch of useless trash.

Weren't Hu Biao and his companions also suffering from the same terrible weather? They even had to hide and flee, making their situation even worse.

But if these supporters can persevere, why can't they, as warriors of the empire, persevere?

Could it be that since the occupation of Northeast China, this life of luxury with abundant resources has eroded all their courage and will?

However, despite his anger, Kuwata Teizo could not send a telegram to reprimand him.

Not only was the blizzard disrupting their radio communication, but the key issue was the reports that, in the preceding hours...

Not counting the losses incurred in the previous battles while pursuing Hu Biao and his men.

To date, their side has suffered losses including over eighty warhorses, three military dogs, and over one hundred and fifty people who have suffered injuries from falls, frostbite, colds, and fevers.

If this loss figure is less than one percent of the troops involved in the search tonight, then it is not worth mentioning at all.

The key point is that by the time the search was conducted, these people's mental and physical strength, as well as their body temperature, had already dropped significantly; if the search continued, the chances of them suffering from frostbite would greatly increase.

Perhaps in an hour, this type of non-combat casualty will increase five or six times, or even more.

Sadazo Kuwata dared not even imagine the extent of non-combat casualties that would result if the conflict continued until dawn.

So at this point, he had already decided to grant the requests of the various troops to be stationed in key areas, and to begin the search after the snowstorm stopped at dawn.

Even so, due to the immense frustration in her heart, she couldn't help but sigh silently:

"Your Majesty the Heavenly Locust! Hu Biao and his companions, are their bodies different? Otherwise, what kind of power allowed them to persevere in such a harsh environment?"

Then, just as he was about to issue the order to suspend the search, his adjutant rushed over again.

He reported with a panicked expression: "Lord Sangtian, something terrible has happened!"
Hu Biao and his men somehow managed to escape the encirclement and are now setting fires and opening fire wildly in the city. The civilian population inside has suffered heavy losses, and the damage continues to escalate.

Upon hearing this, Kuwata Teizo felt dizzy and almost fainted on the spot.

He knew he was doomed, because there were too many key departments in the city, plus the loss of overseas Chinese; afterwards, the Kwantung Army Headquarters would definitely push him out and make him the perfect scapegoat.

Therefore, it was inevitable that he would meet a bad end.

The only suspense is whether we can capture or kill Hu Biao and his men tonight.

If he could, he could retire; if not, he would better commit seppuku as a samurai and leave behind some dignity.

After taking a deep breath, Kuwata Teizo's eyes turned bloodshot, and his commands changed:

"Order all troops to return to Jiamusi immediately and tell the commanders that I don't care about the casualty figures or any excuses, I must capture or kill Hu Biao and his men."

Otherwise, military law is merciless, and I will execute him myself..."

An hour later, just minutes before 3 a.m., in front of a building located in the eastern part of the city.

Huang Yizhi, who had already removed his M35 helmet and disguised himself as a Japanese civilian, was angrily waving his fists and shouting in Japanese:

"Damn it! Let us in right now and protect our safety."

We pay so many taxes every year, sending our sons and brothers to the army to fight in holy war; the clothes you wear, the food you eat, the planes you fly—aren't they all our hard-earned money?

So this is how you treat us after we've encountered danger?

As soon as Huang Yizhi finished speaking, thousands of Japanese soldiers around him immediately echoed him, and the deafening shouts and pleas came together, creating an incredibly powerful and imposing scene.

The current situation is, in a way, normal.

The building in front of them, and the area enclosed by a wall, was the headquarters of the Kwantung Army Air Group stationed in Jiamusi. This was the place that Hu Biao and his men had their eyes on.

I plan to storm in and pull off a big heist, especially to take out the Japanese pilots.

It's important to know that during World War II, the Japanese pilots were trained through an elite system, and each successful training required a significant investment of time and resources.

This was also a key reason why the Japanese air force's combat effectiveness declined drastically in the later stages of World War II.

Not only were the Zero fighters outdated, but their elite pilots were also almost entirely lost in battle, and the rookies who had graduated hastily had little combat capability.

Therefore, rather than bombing the Japanese planes, Hu Biao and his men preferred to kill the Japanese pilots.

After all, Japanese pilots were not only more valuable, but also easier to kill; one bullet could kill one, and one grenade could kill a group, which was much easier than blowing up planes.

The problem is, the Japanese soldiers in the Flight Command were incredibly shrewd.

The headquarters' guards did not participate in the search operation; after the chaos broke out in the city, they immediately established a defensive line at the headquarters gate and some key areas of the walls.

The panicked Japanese civilians who tried to go inside to take refuge were blocked outside by the Japanese soldiers with bayonets.

Tonight, Hu Biao and his special operations team's main objective was to take advantage of the chaos. With Japanese soldiers and civilians even entering the premises, they were unable to take the place by force.

After some discussion, Hu Biao, Uncle Bo, Lao San, Huang Yizhi, Zhi Xiang, Dali, Shouwei, Lao K, Van Gogh, Mr. Nan Ze, Mo Shuiyan, Xie Laoyan, and the other 12 people came up with the current plan:

He first hid some of his conspicuous weapons and backpack in a safe place.

Then they killed some lone adult Japanese civilians, disguised themselves as Japanese soldiers, and spread the word that they knew where it was safest.

Now the city is filled with Japanese soldiers running rampant, living in constant fear.

Hearing that a safe place could be found was like grasping at a straw.

Not long after, a large, dark mass of at least three or four thousand Japanese soldiers, the elderly, women, and children arrived at the entrance of the Japanese air force headquarters, ready to cause trouble.

As for the other members of the time traveler team, and the other KL members, where did they go?
All I can say is that by now, the group has long since scattered throughout the city, causing trouble everywhere.

The numerous fires that broke out in the city, the occasional gunshots and explosions, and the increasingly panicked Japanese soldiers and civilians running around were all the work and results of these people.

Amidst the shouts of thousands, the Japanese sentries at the Flight Group Command, their faces filled with shame, still held their bayonets and refused to move aside.

Seeing this, Mo Shuiyan decided to add fuel to the fire.

He looked down, ready to find a stone to throw at the sentries; but there was nothing but blackened snow crumbs trampled into pieces on the ground.

However, upon seeing a Japanese soldier wearing wooden clogs shouting and cursing at the sentry, an idea immediately came to mind.

He grabbed the Japanese soldier's calf with his left hand and took off his wooden clogs with his right.

Before the Japanese soldier could even register his bewilderment at being asked, "Why didn't you take your own shoes?", Mo Shuiyan, while throwing the wooden clogs at the sentries, also shouted out in Japanese:
"Go! Kill these idiots who wouldn't even help someone in distress!"

As soon as the sound subsided, countless snowballs, icicles, wooden clogs, and all sorts of other debris were hurled at the Japanese sentries.

Such a scene can only be described as a sign that these Japanese civilians, after experiencing too much tonight, are burning with pent-up anger, the kind of people who could be ignited at any moment.

Seeing this, Hu Biao, who was hiding at the front of the crowd, took the opportunity to lower his head and shout out loud:
"Charge! Charge in! As long as we get in, we'll be safe!"

After shouting, Hu Biao gave a strong push to a Japanese soldier in front of him, and the soldier immediately rushed forward; whether he liked it or not, he set a good example.

Inspired by this example, countless Japanese soldiers instinctively rushed into the gate.

Faced with the surging tide of compatriots, the sentries at the gate dared not fire to stop them, and could only let Hu Biao and his group rush in amidst the throng...

(End of this chapter)