Chapter 205: Action Group Unexpectedly Joins Anti-japanese Allied Army, Zhongma Fort Survivors’ Account
Time rewound to two days ago.
Taishan Airlines special action airborne landing successful, they buried the flight suits and parachutes on the spot, then wore ragged patched cotton-padded jackets, each carrying a bundle, proceeding toward Harbin.
This attire was specially designed to blend into the local atmosphere.
The suggestion came from Sun Debiao and Shopkeeper Liu, who also specifically set the action team members as famine refugees.
Even in the era of Japanese occupation, this place was still a paradise for poor people from inside the passes, with many still risking pioneering in the Northeast every year.
Therefore, such groups of famine refugees were very common and instead easy to conceal identities.
They took advantage of the night to arrive at the Lalin River bank, where a small river nearby converged with the Lalin River, unmarked on the map, making it impossible to determine the exact location.
“Rest in place for thirty minutes.” Wu Yingzong, carrying the radio station as the action group leader, ordered.
The 11 people rested in place, communicating.
“After crossing the Lalin River, it’s the shack area, where the situation is complex with all kinds of people, everyone be careful.” Wu Yingzong said.
“The higher-ups require finding work first and settling down as the priority, what are everyone’s plans?” Zhang Yunfei asked.
“Just do what we’re good at, my dad taught me a plaster recipe, which can be used perfectly here.” Zhao Wanping replied. She was tall with androgynous features, had twisted her hair this time, and with a male disguise, outsiders couldn’t tell she was a woman.
Speaking of specialties, these people really all had their own family methods for making a living in the jianghu, passed down from their elders.
They discussed for a while and decided on their respective destinations.
Li Tie Zhu and Zhang Yunfei teamed up for street performing, chest-breaking boulders, golden spear throat lock.
Zhao Wanping disguised as a traveling doctor, mainly selling plasters.
Chen Suoxin, Liu Ying Shou, Qian Yinxing, Zhou Pomen, Wu Yingzong—the five naturally did their old trade, but mainly targeting Japanese.
Liu Jin Rui, Liu Yu Bao, Liu Yin Feng—the three brothers weren’t just skilled in tomb raiding, they could also make fake antiques, targeting foolish Japanese and Russians in Harbin City.
Born in the jianghu, they were now like fish released into the river, with no worries about livelihood at all.
The 11 people finished discussing and agreed on their respective fake names, and the thirty-minute rest time was up.
Immediately, the 11 took out leather water bags from their bundles, emptied the water inside, then blew them up to seal, bundling the inflated water bags together.
These were for holding the telegraph machine and weapons and ammunition and other supplies; everyone placed their equipment and clothing on them, then swam naked across the river.
Zhao Wanping said shyly, “Hate it, you guys don’t care that I’m a woman?”
The others pretended not to hear, hurriedly swimming to the opposite riverbank, afraid to see anything they shouldn’t.
Zhao Wanping stomped her feet and ran to another side to act.
The group crossed the river, dressed, equipped, and continued forward.
A large area of shanties ahead.
All were small houses about one person tall, built with wooden boards; some were covered with a layer of thatch and mud to prevent leaks, others simply had nothing.
This was China’s northernmost province; besides the bitter cold, there was fertile land, but the wealth gap was also extreme, and after Japanese occupation, life for the lower-class people became difficult.
Wu Yingzong explained softly to his teammates: “The Japanese want to migrate a million households to Heilongjiang; those people come from Japan and seize the local people’s land. Except for a few who collude with the Japanese, others have hard lives.”
“Pah, better to divide it among us pioneering in the Northeast, all wasted on the Japanese, what kind of thing is that.” Li Tie Zhu fully embodied the famine refugee role, saying indignantly.
“Keep your voice down.” Wu Yingzong stopped at a corner of the shack area: “Everyone remember the password, right? I’ll leave the password nearby every day; if you have situation reports, come here to find me. Remember, the settling action is for 15 days; after 15 days, we gather to discuss the next action.”
Everyone nodded and went their separate ways.
Only Wu Yingzong and Zhao Wanping remained.
“Why aren’t you leaving?”
“I need to make medicine; a traveling doctor without medicine won’t do. For now, this lady will team up with you, let’s go.”
The burly Zhao Wanping dragged the reluctant Wu Yingzong walking through the shack area.
She wanted to find an apothecary; the shack area also had demand for medical treatment, and cheap and effective traditional Chinese medicine shops were essential.
The two soon found a traditional Chinese medicine shop and pushed the wooden door straight in.
“Boss, I want to buy medicine.” Zhao Wanping said in a loud voice.
In the shop, besides the shop owner, there were five people discussing something with the shop owner.
Problem!
These people’s standing postures seemed relaxed but maintained a state of coiled tension ready to explode.
All were martial artists; Zhao Wanping, from a family of martial arts, immediately became vigilant and subconsciously protected Wu Yingzong.
At the same time, the other side made the same judgment.
Two quickly stepped to the wooden door, blocking the retreat, while three spread out in a pincer attack posture.
“Don’t use guns.” Wu Yingzong and the other side spoke simultaneously; after a moment of stunned pause, both sides engaged.
Zhao Wanping spread her arms, directly clamping the heads of two sneak attackers, then used their momentum to leap and flying kick the third.
Wu Yingzong’s skills were slightly inferior, but his talent was enough; he sidestepped the opponent’s lunge, circled behind, and pressed a blade against the opponent’s vein.
“Everyone stop, this should be a misunderstanding.”
The only one who hadn’t fought, with a square face, also said: “Stop.”
Zhao Wanping released her arms and pushed the two opponents back.
Wu Yingzong also released the person he controlled.
He spoke: “Just now I shouted not to use guns, and you did the same, showing we’re both afraid of alerting the Japanese.”
“You two are young but have such good skills; I know all the experts in Harbin territory, you’re not locals, say it, where did these over-the-river dragons come from?” the other replied.
Wu Yingzong smiled: “Don’t play dumb with me, we’re not fools, in this territory you mix in, can’t even talk straight, you’re not a local either.”
The two were at daggers drawn, but after the test, neither was local, and they couldn’t help laughing at each other.
The man extended his hand: “Li Shanhe, we’re from the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army.”
Regardless of whether the other was really from the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, since the attitude was shown, they had to pretend to accept.
After training, Wu Yingzong and Zhao Wanping remembered the general manager’s words: “Emotions Not Controlled by the Heart.”
During mission execution, it was like acting; absolutely don’t be yourself.
Wu Yingzong also returned a smile and shook hands: “I’m Li Jiasheng, this is my brother Li Jiaming, we came from Shandong, couldn’t survive back home, came here to make a living, but didn’t expect it to be harder than inside the passes now.”
“Yeah.” Li Shanhe sighed: “You might be the last batch pioneering in the Northeast. Now all the land in the Northeast is reserved for Japan’s reclamation groups; they call it reclamation, but many cultivated fields are taken by them, and compared to the year before last, the shack area has increased by thirty percent.”
Li Shanhe wasn’t just sighing; he was also interested in these two skilled youths.
He then said: “Our Anti-Japanese Allied Army specifically opposes the Japanese; we won’t stop until we drive the little Japanese out of the Northeast. You two brothers have good skills, why not join the Anti-Japanese Allied Army?”
“Join the Anti-Japanese Allied Army?” Wu Yingzong, alias Li Jiasheng, feigned surprise and looked at Zhao Wanping: “Jiaming, life is unbearable. How about working with them?”
“Can we eat our fill?” Zhao Wanping countered.
Li Shanhe laughed: “Yes.”
Just like that, inexplicably, because of good skills, the two action team members became members of the Anti-Japanese Allied Army.
Afterward, the two followed Li Shanhe to their hideout, also in the shack area; several connected rooms were all theirs, and there were quite a few.
Entering a shack room, Li Shanhe had someone bring out the idol of Lord Guan.
Incense was lit, then he turned and said:
“You two, whether you’re sincere in joining the Anti-Japanese Allied Army is for the deity to judge. Come, offer incense and kowtow to Lord Guan, and you’ll be considered joined.”
Wu Yingzong and Zhao Wanping felt no guilt in their hearts, burned incense and swore oaths, officially joining.
This made Li Shanhe have no more doubts; he took out a photograph and sighed.
“See this? Republic of China year 19, our Northeast First Army Fifth Brigade entered Beiping City carrying the Azure Dragon crescent blade; we few were among them. Later, we brothers were transferred back to Shenyang but let the Japanese occupy it without firing a shot; we brothers simply stole guns and went to the mountains as bandits rather than serve the Japanese.”
From this man’s words, one could hear the complexity of this action’s members.
Besides bandits, the people in other rooms, according to Li Shanhe, included volunteer army members, Northeast Army era police officers and soldiers, and local armed forces.
Wu Yingzong was surprised; so many people gathered here, what were they going to do?!
He asked: “Brother, we’ve joined, you gotta tell us what we’re doing, right?”
“Once I say it, you’ll definitely agree; this time we’re here to take down Zhongma Fort.”
Zhongma Fort made Wu Yingzong’s heart race; their action team was also heading for Zhongma Fort, but he hadn’t expected to encounter another group.
“You too—” Zhao Wanping almost slipped, but Wu Yingzong tugged her, waking her in time.
“What place is the Zhongma Fort you’re attacking? A granary?” Wu Yingzong asked.
“Ah, I’ll take you to meet someone.” Li Shanhe led the two out to the adjacent shack room.
There, he introduced a gaunt man.
“He’s Old Li, full name can’t be said; the Japanese are searching everywhere for him. Let him tell you what happened at Zhongma Fort. Old Li, these are our newly recruited action personnel, great skills, just unclear on Japanese atrocities; give them a lesson.”
The gaunt man nodded.
“Last year, I was working in Harbin. After work that day, my coworker and I were walking on the street when it was suddenly sealed off. A group of Japanese troops and police officers herded all on the street to one side, selecting only young and strong men to take away. We thought it was grabbing laborers and didn’t dare resist, so we were loaded onto a truck.”
The man showed a regretful expression here.
“If we’d known what would happen later, we’d have fought to the death not to go. They blindfolded us on the truck, drove an unknown distance, and sent us into a large courtyard. There, all around were buildings enclosing it, guarded by many Japanese soldiers.”
Hearing this, Wu Yingzong suddenly interrupted. “Can I write this down to let more people know?”
“Sure!” Li Shanhe and the man agreed.
After getting paper and pen for Wu Yingzong to record, the man’s account continued.
“We were locked in prison cells with handcuffs and shackles, but the food wasn’t bad: rice, wheat flour, occasionally meat. We were even happy then, full meals without work. But later, we discovered the problem. Every so often, someone was taken away and never returned; when numbers dropped, new people were added.”
“This scared us; we asked the guards, who said those people had severe illnesses and were sent to the hospital for treatment. Until one day, during a Japanese holiday, they drank a lot; they sent back three taken away. These three had no external injuries but were gasping on the brink of death, unable to move, as good as dead. I knew one well, went to care for him. He suddenly sobered and, at death’s door, told me some things.”
Here, the man’s shoulders trembled with irrepressible grief and fear.
Li Shanhe sighed and poured him a cup of water.
After drinking, the man’s emotions eased, and he continued.
“He said they were taken to a room like a torture chamber, strapped to iron bed frames; Japanese in white clothes used large syringes as thick as a child’s arm for blood draws, taking a lot. The weak ones were ruined after and directly disposed of. Others were sent to another room for injections of different agents: some got fevers and rashes, some pus-filled sores all over, some died on the spot. Anyway, unable to die or live.”
“We were terrified hearing this and discussed escaping that hellhole. On Mid-Autumn Festival, the Japanese were celebrating too, drinking in groups, forgetting to send our meal. Until midnight, a guard brought food. We seized the moment during delivery, grabbed his beer bottle, smashed him unconscious, took his keys, opened several cell doors, and escaped together.”
Wu Yingzong recorded diligently; the man’s experience continued.
They used human ladders to climb over the wall but were discovered; the prison mate who hadn’t climbed yet charged the guards and was shot dead.
The rest crossed the moat, fleeing east, as Japanese soldiers strafed them with machine guns.
Among them, two escaped to Bahajiatun 15 li outside Zhongma Fort but were caught by puppet army self-defense regiment commander Wu Shengsan: one executed on the spot, one sent back to that devil prison.
The remaining 12 escaped to freedom, including the narrator, who resolutely joined the Anti-Japanese Allied Army.
All the information was recorded; though Wu Yingzong’s heart raced, he showed no reaction.
He remembered his identity; no matter what, he couldn’t expose his true identity.
But reporting to the general manager was necessary.
The first day, he had no chance.
The second day, neither.
Until the third day, when the Anti-Japanese Allied Army arranged several more rooms for new joiners, he and Zhao Wanping got a room alone.
This gave him the chance to send a telegram south.
After the first report, the higher-ups ordered him to stop the Anti-Japanese Allied Army’s action.
This wasn’t easy; how could two new joiners stop the Anti-Japanese Allied Army’s plans.
After attempts failed, on the fourth day they sent another telegram report.
