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

The first move lasted forty minutes.

The team of more than two hundred people stretched like a long dragon from the Cangshan'ao outpost all the way into the woods outside the mountains.

The more than one hundred strong laborers in Dongzhai Town were called out from the valley behind the mountain by Zhou Jindong in advance. These people usually do farm work and can carry a hundred or so kilograms of grain with ease.

Some old men, carrying two bags of rice, could still chat with the young men next to them: "Following Captain Zhou this time was the right decision. We'll never have to worry about the Japanese stealing our grain again."

"Take a break! Take a break!" Fatty Liu plopped down on the ground, panting heavily. His clothes were soaked with sweat and felt cool against his back. "Commander Zhou, I can't take it anymore, my lungs are going to explode."

His fat hands were on the ground, and his fingers were trembling.

"Get up! Who told you to sit down?" Zhou Jindong walked over and kicked Liu Pangzi's shoe with his toe.

"You're done after just one trip? There are at least two more to go! Let me tell you, if you don't finish moving everything before dark, and the Japanese catch up, you'll be the first one to die!"

Fatty Liu shivered, quickly scrambled to his feet, and dusted himself off. "No, no, no, I'm up! I can still carry it! I can still carry it!"

His chubby face scrunched up like a bitter gourd, but he dared not slack off any longer.

"Everyone, rest for five minutes, have a drink of water, and eat some dry rations!" Zhou Jindong glanced at his watch and gave the order to rest.

His pocket watch pointed to seven o'clock; the sky had already darkened, and the distant mountains were shrouded in twilight.

Wang Yuan leaned closer and handed Zhou Jindong a water bottle: "Dongzi, we've moved about a third of it this time, mainly ammunition and canned food. The grain takes up too much space, so we'll have to make two more trips."

His kettle contained cooled boiled water that he had found in the base's kitchen.

"Hmm." Zhou Jindong took the water bottle and took a sip. The cool water flowed down his throat and into his stomach, relieving his anxiety slightly. "Next trip, focus on moving grain and bedding."

Tell the soldiers that their bedding is all good cotton, perfect for making winter clothes in the mountains. And those horses, take them all; don't leave them for the Japanese—in a critical moment, horse meat is better than starving."

"Don't worry, those Japanese soldiers are feeding the horses right now. They'll be well-fed so they can travel faster." Wang Yuan chuckled and pointed to the stable not far away.

Kosuke Ogawa and several Japanese soldiers were brushing the coats of horses. These horses were transport horses for the Japanese army, with shiny coats, clearly good horses. "This time we really wiped out the Japanese devils' entire stock. Tomohisa Okada will be furious if he finds out."

Five minutes later, the team set off again.

This time, the speed was actually even faster.

Because they were already familiar with the route, and everyone knew that time was of the essence.

When the villagers of Dongzhai Town heard that they were fighting the Japanese and seizing supplies, they were all full of energy. Some old men even carried fifty kilograms of rice on their backs and walked faster than the young men, singing as they went: "The Japanese steal our grain, Captain Zhou steals the Japanese grain, an eye for an eye, we feel so happy!"

By the time the third round of transport was finished, it was completely dark, and the moon had climbed to the treetops, casting a cool, clear light.

The supplies in the outpost are already mostly gone.

The warehouse was left with only some bulky machines and equipment that couldn't be dismantled, such as an old-fashioned lathe and several boxes of broken gun parts.

As Zhou Jindong watched the last group of people leave the stronghold, he turned around and waved to Wang Quan.

"Wang Quan, is everything ready?" Zhou Jindong asked.

"Ready, Captain." Wang Quan wiped the soot off his face, revealing a set of white teeth that shone brightly in the moonlight. "As you instructed, eighteen booby traps have been laid."

Two hand grenades were stuffed into the stove in the kitchen, with the pull cords attached to the bellows. I also had one hooked under the threshold of the warehouse; it would explode as soon as the door was pushed open.

"Where's the truck?" Zhou Jindong pointed to the only truck left in the yard.

"There's a large landmine buried under the truck's fuel tank. As soon as the engine starts, the current will be released, and they'll be airborne immediately." Wang Quan's tone was smug. "And the Japanese corpses, I've also stuffed grenades into their arms, with the pull rings attached to their clothes buttons. If anyone searches them..."

"That's enough." Zhou Jindong patted Wang Quan on the shoulder. "Well done. Let's go!"

He patted Wang Quan's shoulder with great force, making it ache, but it warmed Wang Quan's heart—it was the captain's approval.

Zhou Jindong took one last look at this stronghold that the Japanese army had once been proud of.

The warehouse door was still open, and the inside was empty except for a few rats running around on the beams.

This place, once their supply center, has now become a giant graveyard, waiting to devour any enemy who dares to approach.

He led five soldiers to cover the rear and quickly disappeared into the night.

Their figures, like ghosts, blended into the shadows of the mountains and forests.

Less than three hours after they left, the sound of a motorcycle engine broke the silence of Cangshan Valley.

It was a liaison officer sent by Okada Tomohisa. Because the telephone line to the supply warehouse had been cut, Okada Tomohisa was worried and sent several Japanese soldiers on motorcycles to check the situation.

The motorcycle's headlights pierced the darkness.

The motorcycle headlights shone blindingly into the empty yard.

The shell casings, rags, and broken boxes that hadn't been moved were all clearly visible on the ground.

The Japanese lieutenant leading the group jumped out of the vehicle, stared blankly at the open warehouse gate and the empty courtyard.

His military knife hung at his waist, its scabbard still covered in mud.

"Where are the people? Where are the supplies?" the lieutenant muttered to himself, his voice filled with unprecedented panic.

A soldier behind him cautiously stepped forward, trying to help the sergeant who had collapsed at the kitchen door: "Sir, the sergeant seems to still be alive..."

The soldier's voice trembled. He saw that the sergeant's face was as white as paper, and drool was dripping from the corner of his mouth.

The soldier had just touched the sergeant's body when he tripped and touched an almost invisible thin thread—it was made by Wang Quan using sewing thread, coated with black ash, and blended into the color of the ground.

A crisp "ding" sounded.

Then came a loud "boom"!

The landmine buried under the body exploded, and shrapnel mixed with gravel instantly engulfed the soldier and the two Japanese soldiers next to him.

The lieutenant was thrown to the ground by the blast wave, his ears were ringing, and his vision was blurred, but he could see flames shooting into the sky.

Before they could react, a series of explosions came from inside the warehouse.

Those were the chain mines set up by Wang Quan. One of them exploded, igniting the fuse next to it—the fuse was made of cotton and black powder, and it burned very quickly.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Flames shot into the sky, the roof of the warehouse was blown off, and the remaining ammunition was detonated, resulting in an even more violent secondary explosion.

The ammunition box was blown away, and bullets flew everywhere like meteors, hitting a motorcycle next to it.

The motorcycle that had just been parked in the yard was blown up, the fuel tank caught fire, and it turned into a huge fireball that lit up half the sky.

The lieutenant, lying on the ground, watched this scene and screamed in despair, "It's over! It's all over!"

His military cap was blown off, his hair was singed, and his face was covered in soot, making him look like a demon who had just crawled out of hell.