Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

That evening.

Zhou Tianyang lit an oil lamp in that side room.

He then spread the map out on the table.

Liu Ping sat opposite him, his gaze also fixed on the map.

"It will take another three or four days to reach the outskirts of Jinan."

Zhou Tianyang pointed to Jinan on the map.

It then moved to the dashed line mark next to it.

"Once you arrive in Jinan, find that underground transportation station, and you can arrange the rest of your journey."

Liu Ping nodded.

"Once we get to Jinan, I'll figure out the rest of the journey."

The two then discussed tomorrow's itinerary for a while.

Liu Ping then got up and went back to his room.

Zhou Tianyang was the only one left in the room.

He put the map away, blew out the oil lamp, and sat in the darkness for a while.

He sat by the window for a little while longer.

Then he turned over, lay down, and closed his eyes.

Early the next morning.

The team quickly got ready.

Ma Yong paid the room fee to the old lady.

After leaving the side alley, the group did not take the main street of the town, but instead went around to the side of the town via a dirt road.

After leaving Ping'an Town, the road became straighter.

The road was much wider, and occasionally you could see the ruts left by oxcarts and the potholes made by horses' hooves.

The farmland on both sides stretches as far as the eye can see, a lush green expanse.

Zhou Tianyang walked in the middle of the group, his eyes occasionally glancing into the distance.

According to the markings on the map and the arrangements made by headquarters.

After arriving in Jinan, we need to go to the West City Gospel Church to find a man named Wang Jinghe.

This transportation station is said to be an important liaison point for the Eighth Route Army in Shandong, so it should be reliable enough.

Even the most reliable transportation hubs still pose a risk of exposure in Japanese-occupied areas.

In case something unexpected happens, in case the Japanese have already taken over the liaison point, he must be prepared.

Jinan is not like southeastern Shanxi; the density of Japanese soldiers there is several times that of the Taihang Mountains.

Once exposed, it's difficult to withdraw.

The group traveled for about two hours.

"Commander, there seems to be a checkpoint ahead."

Ma Yong turned back from the front of the group and pointed ahead with his chin.

Zhou Tianyang followed his gaze and looked ahead.

Sure enough, several blurry figures could be vaguely seen on the road ahead.

A black and white wooden pole lies across the middle of the road.

Although it's not clear from a distance.

But the way they set up roadblocks was definitely in the style of the Japanese army.

He didn't rush to make a decision, but instead observed the activity at the checkpoint in the distance for a while.

After a few minutes, he noticed that the motorcycle remained stationary, and no one was raising or lowering the roadblocks.

Occasionally, you can see someone walking by.

But it didn't look like they were being questioned.

"This checkpoint looks a bit lax."

Zhou Tianyang withdrew his gaze and spoke calmly.

"They might have just put this place up to make up the numbers."

"But we still need to be careful."

He paused, his gaze falling on Ma Yong.

"Take a few men and walk ahead. If the Japanese ask, say you're collecting mountain goods in the back."

"Comrade Liu Ping and I walked behind, at a distance."

Ma Yong nodded, turned around, and walked back forward.

He quickened his pace with a few soldiers.

They quickly distanced themselves from Zhou Tianyang by about a hundred meters.

Zhou Tianyang walked beside Liu Ping, maintaining a steady, unhurried pace.

The convoy was getting closer and closer to the checkpoint.

When they were about a hundred meters away, Zhou Tianyang could see the situation clearly.

There was indeed a Japanese-style three-wheeled motorcycle parked next to the roadblock, but there was no one on it.

A Japanese soldier was squatting under the shade of a tree by the roadside, drinking water.

Another person was leaning against a roadside post next to a motorcycle, his hat askew, yawning.

This isn't a check; it's clearly slacking off.

Ma Yong was at the very front and had already reached the roadblock.

He slowed his pace, glanced at the Japanese soldier drinking water, and then looked at the one leaning against the road post.

Neither of the Japanese soldiers looked up at him; one was focused on drinking water, and the other was dozing off.

It was as if they hadn't even noticed anyone walking over.

Ma Yong's steps did not stop.

He calmly and unhurriedly crossed the gap next to the roadblock.

The soldiers following behind him did the same, one after another.

There was no conversation or even eye contact throughout the entire process.

When Zhou Tianyang and Liu Ping reached the roadblock...

The Japanese soldier leaning against the road post finally moved, lazily raising his head and glancing at them.

His gaze lingered on Zhou Tianyang for a moment, then on Liu Ping's long robe.

Then he waved his hand and mumbled something.

Zhou Tianyang neither stopped nor quickened his pace.

He walked past the roadblock at the pace of an ordinary pedestrian.

Liu Ping followed behind him, his pace equally unhurried.

After walking about half a mile.

Zhou Tianyang turned his head slightly to look behind him.

The checkpoint was getting further and further away, and the two Japanese soldiers seemed completely unaware of how many people had just passed by.

"The Japanese soldiers in Jinan are indeed more undisciplined than those in southeastern Shanxi."

Ma Yong walked back from the front, his voice carrying a hint of surprise.

"The checkpoints we encountered along the way were all like this, just putting up a roadblock as a formality, but actually not really checking anything."

"We must not let our guard down."

Zhou Tianyang's gaze fell on the distance ahead.

"The road south after Jinan is even more difficult; the Japanese devils there are the real deal."

Ma Yong didn't say anything more and walked back to the front of the line.

As darkness gradually fell.

A cluster of buildings can be vaguely seen.

It appeared exceptionally large in the twilight.

We've arrived in Jinan.

Zhou Tianyang stood on a slightly elevated earthen embankment, looking at the outline of the city in the distance.

Jinan was larger than he had imagined, and the city walls were faintly visible in the twilight.

There is a watchtower at regular intervals along the city wall.

The beams of searchlights could be faintly seen sweeping back and forth across the city wall.

The beams of light from the searchlights on the city wall made Zhou Tianyang frown slightly.

The defenses of Jinan were more robust than he had anticipated.

According to the plan, they needed to find the Gospel Church in the west of the city and make contact with the people at the transportation station.

Then they continued south.

"Find a place outside the city to rest for the night, and then go into the city after dawn tomorrow."

Zhou Tianyang withdrew his gaze, turned around, and said to Ma Yong.

"Find those inconspicuous villages, don't go into towns."

Ma Yong nodded and led a few people toward the scattered villages outside the city.

About half an hour later.

He turned back and said he had found a suitable place to stay.

There is a small village in the southeast corner outside the city, with only a dozen or so households.

The team entered the village in the dark.

They settled down in an empty mud-brick house at the end of the village.

The next day, Zhou Tianyang led Ma Yong and Liu Ping into Jinan City.

The remaining soldiers stayed in the village outside the city to await orders.

The city gates of Jinan have been opened.

Several puppet soldiers were standing at the city gate, checking people entering the city.

Zhou Tianyang walked in front.

Ma Yong and Liu Ping followed behind him; the three of them looked like ordinary people who had come to the city on business.

The two puppet soldiers glanced at it and waved their hands, showing no sign of making things difficult.