The War of Resistance Against Japan: Starting with a Calm View of Life and Death

The office door was pushed open.

Zhou Jindong kept his eyes straight ahead, his shoes making a crisp "click, click" sound on the wooden floor.

He walked at the front, but his face wore an inscrutable expression.

Su Zhan and Watanabe Kota followed behind, one on each side.

Behind the desk sat an old Japanese soldier wearing a general's overcoat.

Tomohisa Okada was older than Zhou Jindong had imagined; his face was loose and his eyes looked particularly bright.

He was holding the official document that had been transferred from Fujita Hiroshi in one hand, and tapping the fingers of his other hand rhythmically on the table.

"Sir, the man has been brought here." The messenger stood at attention and reported before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Only four people remained in the room.

The air seemed to freeze, and even the ticking of the clock on the wall could be heard clearly.

Okada Tomohisa didn't look up, still staring at the document, and coldly uttered a sentence in Japanese: "Who is Su Hao?"

Zhou Jindong's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged.

He took a step forward and replied in slightly halting but loud enough Japanese, "Reporting, Captain! I am Su Hao! Lieutenant Okada's most trusted friend!"

After he finished speaking, he deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the words "most trusted" and "friend," and even added an exaggerated honorific ending, which sounded awkward and incongruous.

Okada Tomohisa finally raised his head. His gaze was fixed on Zhou Jindong's face, as if trying to find even the slightest flaw in his micro-expressions.

"Su Hao..." Okada Tomohisa chewed on the name, then suddenly slammed the official document in his hand onto the table, the papers scattering with a clattering sound. "Captain Fujita said that Xiongda is going to establish an advance outpost in Dongzhai Town?"

"You want me to send supplies over? Su Sang, do you know what this means? That's the blood and sweat of the Imperial Army! Just for a trace of the Eighth Route Army that hasn't even been confirmed?"

Zhou Jindong had long anticipated that this old Japanese devil was not so easy to fool.

Instead of panicking, he took half a step forward and stood directly in front of the desk, less than two meters away from Okada Tomohisa.

This distance is dangerous, both for Zhou Jindong and for Okada Tomohisa.

But Zhou Jindong was betting on how much Okada Tomohisa cared about that "nephew".

"Commander!" Zhou Jindong's voice suddenly rose considerably. "You've misunderstood! This isn't something that's been confirmed yet; it's Lieutenant Okada's conclusion after careful investigation! Do you know why the Lieutenant didn't return in person?"

Okada Tomohisa frowned: "Why?"

Zhou Jindong slapped his thigh, his face showing a mixture of heartache and pride: "Because the lieutenant said that the opportunity is fleeting! The main force of the Eighth Route Army is operating around Dongzhai Town, and in order not to alert them, the lieutenant decided to personally lead his men to guard the town hall, waiting for them to come to them! He also said..."

Zhou Jindong paused deliberately, lowered his voice, leaned closer to Okada Tomohisa, and said in a slightly provocative tone: "He also said that Captain Fujita is too conservative. If it is reported up the chain of command, by the time the approval is issued, it will be too late!"

The lieutenant said, "Only you, Captain, truly understand him and truly care for him!"

He said you would definitely support his action, because this is his best chance to prove himself to his family!

This statement is half true and half fabricated, but it hits the nail on the head.

Yudai Okada was the only representative, Tomohisa Okada was protective of his own, and Yudai Okada genuinely looked down on Hiroshi Fujita's methodical playing style.

Tomohisa Okada's eyes flickered. He knew his nephew all too well: arrogant, conceited, but also quite lucky and driven.

Moreover, Zhou Jindong's mention of "family honor" struck a nerve with Okada Tomohisa.

"Yudai...do you really say that?" Okada Tomohisa's tone softened a bit, but his doubts were not completely eliminated.

"Absolutely true!" Zhou Jindong immediately replied, casually pulling out the pack of cigarettes he hadn't finished smoking from his pocket, expertly knocking out one, and handing it over with both hands.

"The lieutenant also said that once this encirclement and suppression is successful and we capture a high-ranking officer of the Eighth Route Army, we will send you a report of victory as soon as possible, so that you can show your face in front of the commander!"

He said he didn't care about credit, as long as he could help relieve his uncle's burden!

That was a resounding and crisp compliment.

Okada Tomohisa looked at the cigarette offered to him, then at Zhou Jindong's face, and his defenses crumbled.

In this chaotic world, a dog that is willing to die for its master and also helps its master save face is truly rare.

He had already learned from the Japanese soldiers guarding the gate that the "Su Hao" in front of him had taken a bullet for his nephew.

Although it didn't stop him, it may have actually saved Xiongda's life.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be so arrogant.

Despite having a legitimate Japanese messenger like Watanabe Kota, this Chinese man was making decisions in the middle.

They definitely have the right to be arrogant.

He believed that only his nephew's life could have such an effect.

In fact, Okada Tomohisa's guess was pretty accurate; it's just that the two of them had different understandings of Okada Yudai's fate!

But he was still a cunning old fox. He took the cigarette but didn't smoke it, just held it between his fingers, and turned his gaze to Watanabe Kota, who had been hiding in the back.

"Watanabe," Okada Tomohisa's voice turned cold, "You're the messenger for Yudai, so you tell me. Is the situation in Dongzhai Town really that urgent? If supplies are sent there only to find it's all for nothing, you know the consequences."

Watanabe Kota trembled and almost knelt down. He looked at Zhou Jindong for help.

Zhou Jindong cursed Watanabe inwardly as a good-for-nothing, but outwardly gave him an encouraging look while speaking first: "Captain, Watanabe-kun ran all the way back, let him catch his breath."

Along the way, we encountered sniper fire from the Eighth Route Army three times. Watanabe almost lost his life protecting the official documents! His loyalty is beyond reproach!

As he spoke, Zhou Jindong turned to Watanabe and reassured him in Japanese, "Watanabe! The captain is asking you a question! Report the actual situation in Dongzhai Town to the captain again! Don't hesitate! Be bold and speak freely! If you're wrong, the captain is magnanimous and won't blame us!"

Watanabe Kota was pulled back to his senses by Zhou Jindong's words, and then he realized what was going on. He remembered the script Zhou Jindong had given him, swallowed hard, and stammered as he began to report: "Yes...yes! Captain! Dongzhai Town...below the town government office, it seems...no, there really is a basement!"

One of the Eighth Route Army guerrillas we captured confessed after being whipped a few times.

He said there was a hidden cave in the back mountain, which was where the Eighth Route Army hid wounded soldiers!

Lieutenant Okada decided not to come back because he wanted to find that cave!

The lieutenant added, "As soon as the supplies arrive, we can immediately send the puppet troops into the mountains to search, and we're sure we can catch the Eighth Route Army red-handed!"