World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

After climbing about eighty meters, we entered a truly no-man's-land. The craters here were deeper, some filled with murky rainwater, with oil stains, rags, and unidentified debris floating on the surface. The stench in the air was even stronger, so strong it was nauseating.

Lee Sung-chan suddenly stopped and raised his fist. Everyone immediately lay down and didn't move.

Kim Soon-sik listened intently. Besides the wind, there was… the sound of metal scraping? Very faint, but definitely there. And whispers, not English, not French—

It's in German.

Lee Sung-chan pointed towards eleven o'clock. Kim Soon-sik squinted, trying to adjust to the darkness. There was a section of half-collapsed trench breastwork there, originally a German reserve position, later destroyed by artillery fire. But now, a faint light was shining through behind the breastwork—not from a lamp, but more like… a hearth fire?

The two men exchanged a glance and nodded. Captain Park gestured, and the three teams moved in from different directions to flank them.

The closer they climbed, the clearer the sounds became. It was German, hushed conversation, and the clanging of metal cans. There wasn't just one person; there were at least four or five. They seemed to be sitting around a makeshift shelter made of canvas and planks, with a small stove in the center, its faint light seeping through the cracks.

You can even smell food—stewed meat? And tobacco.

Was it a German patrol? Or a forward observation post?

Lee Sung-chan had reached within five meters of the cover. He drew his bayonet, gripped it in reverse, and gave Kim Soon-sik a "ready" signal.

But just then, laughter erupted from inside the bunker. A German soldier said something in German, and then another began to sing—a victory song, its melody cheerful and rugged.

Kim Soon-sik couldn't understand the lyrics, but he could hear the joy and relaxation in the singing. These Germans were celebrating their victory in the North Sea, eating hot food and singing in a relatively safe bunker around a stove.

And they, twenty soldiers from Cao County, lay prone in the cold mud, waiting to charge forward and fight to the death.

unfair.

The thought suddenly popped into his head, so intense it surprised even him. Why could these people celebrate, while they were destined to die? Why were these Germans, British, and Japanese playing a game with their lives?

Li Chengcan glanced back at him, his eyes reflecting the same thing. But he still raised his hand, ready to signal the charge.

Just then, a sentence that Kim Soon-sik could understand came from inside the bunker.

It's not German, it's Japanese.

"The victory of Germany is a victory for all of us!"

A clear and articulate Tokyo accent. Then came a burst of laughter—some in German, some in Japanese.

Kim Soon-sik was stunned. There were Japanese people in the bunker? With Germans?

Lee Sung-chan heard it too, and his hand froze in mid-air. The two exchanged a quick glance: What to do? The plan was to scout the German positions, but what if there were Japanese officers inside…

Captain Park, who was on the other side, heard it too and gestured to ask: Should we continue?

Lee Sung-chan hesitated. His bayonet gleamed faintly in the darkness. Kim Soon-sik could feel his breathing become heavy—a sign of anger.

The conversation inside the bunker continued. Now it was clear that a Japanese person was speaking broken German, and several Germans were laughing and correcting his pronunciation. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant, like a gathering of friends.

"...So, the key is still the fire control system." The Japanese voice said, "Our navy also needs this technology."

A German man answered something, but he spoke too fast for Kim Soon-sik to understand. However, she could hear the smugness in his tone.

Then it was that Japanese voice again: "Captain Aoki asked me to convey the information about next week's rotation schedule..."

Captain Aoki.

Kim Soon-sik felt his heart clench. He recalled Lieutenant Watanabe's excitement as he scattered leaflets on the British lines earlier that day. He remembered the Japanese officers celebrating the German victory. Now, he heard them discussing military intelligence with the Germans on the German lines.

They were exchanging intelligence. They were trading the lives of frontline soldiers for personal credit.

Lee Sung-chan suddenly moved. Not charging, but crawling backward. He gestured to Captain Park: Retreat.

Captain Park hesitated for a moment, but immediately carried out the order. The three teams began to carefully retreat along the same route.

After crawling more than a hundred meters and regrouping in a huge bomb crater, Captain Park asked in a low voice, "Why retreat? They don't have many men; we could have taken them down."

"There are Japanese people among them," Li Chengcan said.

"So what? Arrest them all!"

"What happens after we capture them?" Li Chengchan's voice was as cold as ice. "Take them back to Lieutenant Watanabe? He'll say we attacked 'friendly forces' and kill us all. Or worse—that Japanese officer might be a high-ranking officer; if we mess with him, everyone will die."

Captain Park fell silent. He was right. Attacking Japanese citizens, even those who were mixed up with the Germans behind enemy lines, was a capital offense.

"What do we do now?" a young soldier asked, his voice trembling. "If we go back empty-handed, Lieutenant Watanabe won't let us off the hook."

"I won't go empty-handed." Li Chengchan pulled out a small notebook and pencil from his pocket—he insisted on bringing them, saying, "Intelligence is more useful than bullets." Using the dim light filtering through the edge of the shell crater, he quickly wrote a few lines.

"They're discussing the rotation schedule for next week, and the positions of several firing positions on the left flank." Lee Sung-chan handed the notebook to Captain Park. "I've written it down. That should be enough."

Captain Park took the notebook. Although he couldn't read German, he trusted Lee Sung-chan. "You understand German?"

"I understood some of it." Lee Sung-chan put away his pencil. "I attended a church school in Seoul, taught by German missionaries."

Kim Soon-sik looked at Lee Sung-chan. This scholar always managed to come up with a solution. But this time, he sensed something burning deep within Lee Sung-chan's eyes—not the will to survive, but something else, something darker.

The troops began to retreat. This time they were more cautious, for they might have alerted the enemy. But the singing continued from the bunker, and the firelight remained dim—those men clearly hadn't noticed the danger that had been so close.

It was 11:30 p.m. when they climbed back to their own trenches. Lieutenant Watanabe was indeed waiting at the attack position, his face grim.

"How is it?"

Captain Park stood at attention and reported: "A German forward observation post was spotted, with five to six people inside, including a Japanese liaison officer. To avoid friendly fire, no arrests were made. However, intelligence on the troop rotation in the defense zone was obtained."

He handed Li Chengcan's notebook over. Lieutenant Watanabe took it and quickly scanned it by the light of the lantern, his expression softening slightly.

"A liaison officer from the Sakura Country? Are you sure?"

"Confirmed. Speaks Japanese with a Tokyo accent, mentions 'Captain Aoki'."

Watanabe frowned upon hearing the name. He pondered for a moment, then put the notebook in his pocket. "Well done. Attacking friendly forces is a major taboo. Intelligence... I'll pass it on to my superiors. Go and rest."

He didn't even ask if there were any casualties, nor did he mention the reward bread.

The squad disbanded and returned to their respective bunkers. Kim Soon-sik and Lee Sung-chan walked side by side, their shoulders occasionally brushing against each other in the narrow trench.

Once inside the cave, Li Chengcan spoke, his voice so low it was almost inaudible: "That Japanese person, did you recognize who it was?"

Kim Soon-sik shook his head.