Chapter 67: Don't do that, you are Political Commissar Zhao Gang
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Chapter 67: Don't Do That, You Are Political Commissar Zhao Gang
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On one side of the Yejitai fortified tower, at a spot out of the range of the Japanese direct-fire weapons, Guan Shan cleared his throat and began shouting into the megaphone.
At another concealed position, Wang Gensheng clutched his grenade launcher, staring fixedly at the fortified tower and the courtyard behind it. The moment he saw smoke rising from over there, Wang Gensheng would immediately launch a counter-attack to suppress that exact spot!
Gun against gun, artillery against artillery!
Chu Lianzhang held a pair of binoculars, carefully observing the fortified tower. Keeping an eye on whether the Japanese would use mortars or grenade launchers to greet Guan Shan were no fewer than five other soldiers.
"Listen up, puppet army brothers inside the tower! I am Li Yunlong, Commander of the Eighth Route Army's Independent Regiment!" Guan Shan shouted.
Political Instructor Lü Feng covered his mouth to suppress a laugh.
"Thump, thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump!" The Japanese heavy machine gun mounted on the third floor strafed the outside. In truth, it could not reach Guan Shan's position; it was merely venting its frustration.
The soldiers with good marksmanship at the surrounding hidden positions fired back in a flurry of cracks toward the shooting ports.
(II)
The space on the third floor of the Yejitai fortified tower was not particularly large. It housed a Type 92 heavy machine gun, with windows on all four sides. Their upper and lower edges were currently blocked by iron plates, leaving only a lookout and shooting port level with the gun mount.
On the second floor, there were also four shooting ports. Judging by the placement of the sandbags, they were meant for four light machine guns.
The ground floor served as the quarters and rest area for the puppet soldiers; a large communal brick bed could sleep a squad of ten-odd people.
In the courtyard behind the back wall were various living facilities and warehouses. Since this place was not near rivers or lakes, their water source was the single well inside the courtyard.
Holding out until the Imperial Japanese Army arrived shouldn't be a problem!
As for that armored vehicle—well, it was essentially just for intimidation, since it didn't even carry a cannon!
They had survived the campaign launched by the Eighth Route Army two years ago in 1940, let alone now, when they even had trenches and barbed wire!
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Lai Xiaozhong, the puppet army company commander, could probably only comfort himself this way. What else could he do?
On the third floor of the Yejitai fortified tower, there were windows measuring one and a half meters square on all four sides, which also served as embrasures for lookout and shooting. But right now, all these embrasures were sealed at the top and bottom with iron plates, leaving only a gap about thirty centimeters—or one foot—wide. According to the Japanese, it was because winters in Shanxi were very windy.
Around those shooting embrasures, bricks were chipped and flying everywhere, mingled with the clanging sound of iron plates being struck by bullets.
Inside the Yejitai fortified tower, two batches of Japanese soldiers had sortied: the first batch of three, and the second batch of six. None of them had returned, including the sergeant who had led the charge right from the first batch. He was actually the de facto highest-ranking commander and squad leader of this fortified tower.
Out of a total of fifteen Japanese soldiers, only six remained. The highest-ranking among them was a corporal, who was also the deputy squad leader.
"Where are the reinforcements? Where have they reached? Excellency, please hurry them up, please hurry them up!"
The puppet army company commander, wearing the rank of a Kuomintang-style puppet army captain, wiped the sweat from his forehead while bowing and scraping with a ingratiating smile toward the Japanese corporal.
Every single clang of a bullet striking the iron plate made his heart leap into his throat!
However, the Japanese corporal currently serving as the deputy squad leader did not understand a single word of Chinese!
The only interpreter in their unit had gone out with the sergeant squad leader in the first batch and had been wiped out in that series of explosions.
When the gunfire paused, Guan Shan continued to shout: "Puppet army brothers! Even if you've done bad things, as long as your hands are clean of the blood of Eighth Route Army soldiers and local villagers, it still counts! Take out those little Japanese devils inside, and then walk out waving a white flag to surrender!"
"Thump, thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump!"
"Brothers, the Eighth Route Army keeps its word; every spit is a nail! That's why I didn't try to fool you by saying 'no matter what you've done before, it will all be overlooked'—you'd know at a glance that was unreliable!"
"Thump, thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump!"
"Excellency! Excellency! Otherwise, hand the mouthpiece to me, let me speak to them over there, alright?" The puppet army captain was already like an ant on a hot pan.
He had committed evil deeds, and his hands were stained with the blood debts of Eighth Route Army soldiers and villagers; he did not belong to the category of people who would be shown leniency! And he could already smell the murderous intent reeking in the air!
These damned rustic Eighth Route soldiers were too damn vicious! This kind of shouting was forcing the puppet troops into an internal mutiny!
"Baka! Wala wala wala wala!" The Japanese corporal deputy squad leader pointed his gun barrel at the puppet army captain, rattled off a string of angry words, and then aggressively pulled back his bolt with a clack.
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"The time left for you is running out. You've seen what we are going to do next! This is the second call. Five minutes from now will be the third call, and that will also be your last chance!"
During a lull in the gunfire, the shouting voice from the tin megaphone drifted in again.
"I am utterly loyal to the Emperor! Excellency, I don't understand what you're saying. If I could understand, I'd risk my life to carry it out. Now I'm begging you, please let me take the phone and say a few words over there... Excellency, look outside! They said there are only five minutes left!" The puppet army captain knelt on the ground, kowtowing heavily with loud thuds, tears and snot streaming down his face.
"You! Come over! Speak! Quickly!" the Japanese corporal deputy squad leader said in broken Chinese.
The puppet army captain practically scrambled and crawled over on his knees to take the telephone receiver.
Guan Shan glanced through his binoculars at the busy soldiers on the road, handed the tin megaphone in his hand to Political Instructor Lü Feng, and said, "Instructor, you shout next. Play it however you like, just don't burst out laughing!"
Lü Feng laughed heartily and said, "Fine, fine, fine. Next up, I am Li Yunlong!"
"Don't do that!" Guan Shan said. "You are Political Commissar Zhao Gang!"
(III)
"Excellency, Excellency, I am Lai Xiaozhong, commander of the Yejitai stronghold garrison company! Ah, yes, yes, Lai Xiaozhong, that's my Japanese name! Excellency, Excellency! Right now, outside the fortified tower, there is a battalion of the Eighth Route Army's Independent Regiment. At first they claimed it was just a battalion, but actually their whole regiment has arrived! Their regimental commander, Li Yunlong, is right outside our tower, shouting slogans!" Lai Xiaozhong reported in a desperate, breathy voice.
"What are they shouting? Well... should I tell you what he said? He said, he said..." Lai Xiaozhong was sweating profusely. Could he really truthfully repeat those shouting contents to the Japanese on the other end of the line?
"Puppet army brothers, let me add some information for you!" the tin megaphone outside shouted again. "That stronghold of yours to the south sent over a dozen puppet troops... Oh, let me introduce myself, I am the political commissar of the Independent Regiment, my name is Zhao Gang!"
Lai Xiaozhong hurriedly reported this content: "Excellency, Excellency, that Li Yunlong said... he said that our stronghold to the south sent a dozen puppet army brothers over... but they fired a few shots themselves, threw a few grenades, and then rolled around on the ground a few times... Yes, that's what he shouted through the big megaphone, Excellency! Hello, hello, hello?!"
After the phone was hung up on him, Lai Xiaozhong stood there at a complete loss, utterly helpless.
Welcome to collect, thanks for the recommendations!
(End of this chapter)
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