Chapter 15: Why Should I?
Seeing Li Gaoyuan’s indifferent look, Su Yaoyang was somewhat speechless.
This guy was indeed a standard soldier, dutiful, brave, and kind; otherwise, in the original movie, he wouldn’t have given up the chance to leave the city to save Meng Shujuan and more than ten other students, and ultimately died heroically in battle.
But he wasn’t that kind of person; originally, in the 21st century, he was happily eating barbecue and singing at home, and without provoking anyone, he was brought to this time and space by that big-headed doll from the fifth-level civilization—who could he reason with?
He was just an ordinary commoner who now only wanted to take the girl Xiao Lu and leave this place that was about to become a living hell, to live a good life elsewhere; as for resisting Japan and saving the country, that could wait until they survived.
Looking at Li Gaoyuan, who treated life and death with indifference, Su Yaoyang felt his head throbbing with pain; this was perhaps the generation gap of the times.
After thinking for a moment, he tried to phrase his words as tactfully as possible.
“Old Li… I know you’re not afraid of death, and you’re a good man.
But don’t forget, if you die, what will happen to those children in the church? Those ladies by the Qinhuai River… um… those girls, what will happen to them?
Leave them here to be ravaged by the Japanese devils? They are all our compatriots and sisters.”
Li Gaoyuan irritably threw the cigarette, which had burned to the filter, onto the ground, stomped it flat forcefully, and said impatiently: “What you say makes sense, but what can I do? I only have these dozen or so brothers under me, and even the ammunition is almost gone—what do you want me to do to protect them out of the city?”
Su Yaoyang had been waiting for this, and quickly said upon hearing him: “Old Li… you don’t have weapons, but I do. Did you forget what I do?”
“Hm…” Li Gaoyuan suddenly raised his head to look at Su Yaoyang, his gaze instantly sharpening.
Su Yaoyang didn’t care about anything else, pulled out another cigarette and handed it to him. “Let me tell you, I stockpiled a batch of weapons and ammunition earlier, hidden near this church—all American goods, enough for the brothers to use.
Aren’t you worried about having too few men under you?
In Nanjing city now, there’s nothing else but scattered routed soldiers everywhere; even if no one joins, worst case, we rob one or two prisoner-of-war camps, and we’ll have the men.
As long as we have men, we can organize people to break out—what do you say… dare to do this one job? It’s at least better than waiting to die here.”
Li Gaoyuan’s gaze kept roaming over Su Yaoyang, and after a long while, he said suspiciously: “Why do I always feel like you’re fooling me, kid.”
Su Yaoyang’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly chuckled: “What are you saying? It’s this critical moment now—the Japanese devils could come charging over any time—what do you have that’s worth me fooling?”
“Yeah!”
Li Gaoyuan gave a bitter laugh. “I’m just a soldier, poor with only this worthless life left—what’s worth fooling by a young master like you?
Alright, I agree.”
“That’s right…”
Seeing Li Gaoyuan agree, Su Yaoyang was delighted; with this guy’s help, his chances of escaping Nanjing had greatly increased.
He pulled out another cigarette and gave him one, then took out two packs of Lucky Strike cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket and stuffed them into his hand, excitedly saying:
“Old Li… no time to waste, let’s start acting now.”
“Now?”
“Nonsense, wait until the devils come and then move?”
“Let me tell you, right now we’ll split the brothers into two groups: one group follows me to move the stuff, the other you personally lead to find men.
I don’t care how you find them, but before dawn, you must gather two or three hundred people—got it?
Hey… why are you looking at me like that?”
Li Gaoyuan stared at him for a long while, then said faintly: “Although I only have about ten men now, no matter what, I’m a major of the Whampoa Military Academy Cadre Training Team—where do you get the guts to order me around, kid?”
“I…”
Su Yaoyang panicked for a moment, then puffed out his chest and raised his voice: “Let me tell you, Old Li, although you’re a major of the Whampoa Military Academy Cadre Training Team, don’t forget, I’m your financial backer now.
Once I bring the stuff, I’ll feed you, give you drinks—even the weapons in your hands will be from me.
In folk terms, I’m your boss—is there a problem with me talking like this? Any problem?”
“I…”
Li Gaoyuan was clearly thrown off by Su Yaoyang’s crooked logic for a moment, stunned for half a beat before saying in astonishment: “Hearing you say it that way, it really is… but I still feel like…”
“I don’t want you to feel—I want me to feel!” Su Yaoyang didn’t wait for him to finish, grabbed him and dragged him outside. “Don’t forget, you’re all my employees now, everyone has to listen to me—got it?
Now hurry up and get to work!”
Su Yaoyang, having seen the movie, knew that according to the original plot, at dawn tomorrow, a large group of devils led by a major would surround the church to take away those female students.
Nominally to attend a victory celebration banquet, but actually to drag all the girls off to be military prostitutes—such a thing, even an uncle couldn’t tolerate it, let alone an aunt.
Moreover, Xiao Lu and Song Mei were here; how could he tolerate the Japanese devils taking away his women.
Understanding the urgency, he dragged and pulled Li Gaoyuan to gather all eleven Cadre Training Team soldiers except the three wounded recovering in the basement.
Li Gaoyuan briefly explained the matter just discussed with Su Yaoyang to them, finally ordering: “Xu Dapeng, Pu Sheng, and Monkey, you three stay behind and follow Brother Su’s orders; the rest come with me to find the scattered National Army brothers—got it?”
“Got it!”
“Good, everyone except the wounded and Xu Dapeng’s trio, follow me!”
“Yes!”
Soldiers take obedience to orders as their heavenly duty; though the soldiers were tired and hungry, they still followed Li Gaoyuan out.
After Li Gaoyuan and his group left, Xu Dapeng and the other two also looked to Su Yaoyang, awaiting his orders.
Su Yaoyang waved his hand: “Don’t rush, let’s go to the church to call people first.”
With that, he led Xu Dapeng and the other two back to the church, gathering all the female students like Wang Xiaojuan, Meng Shujuan, Little Mosquito, and the women from the Qinhuai River area who were praying together.
Looking at the chaotic group of women, Su Yaoyang spoke very simply.
“Now, everyone follow us out to move stuff—no one is allowed to make excuses to stay here and slack off.”
As soon as Su Yaoyang finished speaking, the surroundings went quiet for a moment, then instantly exploded.
“On what basis… why should I listen to you?”
“Who do you think you are, daring to make me work?”
“Bang…”
A muffled gunshot echoed repeatedly in the church hall, making everyone’s eardrums buzz.
