Chapter Eighteen: Xi Island Should Consent

  Xi Island and other troops killed people in Changsha for three days, then listened to the dispatch and returned to Nanzhou City for a week. Outside Nanzhou City, they built several artillery towers on Mingshan Head, where more than 40 devils were guarding. One day, he received a call from Hengshan Yong asking him to return, but the general didn't say what was going on over the phone. He took his squad of devils and boarded a motorboat back to Wuhan, where he met with Hengshan Yong.

  Yokoyama Yu summoned him back and told him that the attack on Changde was only a matter of time, it would be a very cruel war. Yokoyama Yu did not want to send his classmate's son to those places filled with gunfire. Men need to be tempered by fire, but Nishijima was different, he wanted to leave a root for his classmate, for Nishijima's father.

  Of course, Nishijima did not know Yokoyama's mind, and he did not ask to talk about this time's battle across the river, as if he was not interested at all. After chatting with him for a while about trivial matters, someone outside called him to use the phone. He sat up and said, "Look who I've brought over?" Nishijima followed Yokoyama to another room, and he was stunned. Sakiko was leaning against the door frame, bowing her head, although she had a smile on her face, but when she saw Mr. Nishijima, her eyes were misty with tears, she was the one Yokoyama had deliberately brought over.

  Nishijima couldn't help but rush up and hug Sakurako tightly.

  While having a meal, Yokoyama Yuu suddenly asked Sakura: "Sakura-san, I heard that there's another girl who came to China with you, who is she?"

  "Shunzi." Sakura said without hesitation.

  "Yingzi, I heard that Shunzi, who came with you, has already run off to the New Fourth Army?"

  Sakura was taken aback and then said: "I haven't seen her in a long time."

  Sakura looked at Xidao, but Xidao didn't move. Sakura lowered her head and said, "General, I really don't know she went to the New Fourth Army." She only remembered getting two passes for Shunzi and sending them on a boat across the river, after which they lost contact. Of course, she had never told Xidao about this matter before, and earlier when Hengshan Yong asked about Shunzi's affairs, she felt a bit nervous.

  Yokoyama Yuichi waved his hand, looked at them and said: "Haha, come on, let's eat. You don't have to be nervous, I'm just asking, nothing more. A woman from the Great Japanese Empire came to China, I think there are only a few possibilities: one is that she bears the mission of the country, two is for her loved ones, three is for the soldiers of the Great Japanese Empire, and four, I don't know if there's any other situation, investing in business. Sakiko-chan, is that right?"

  Sakura said she didn't know. Yokoyama Yu smiled and said, "You're both the first and second kind. Teaching Chinese people Japanese here, isn't that a heavy responsibility for our great Japan? And being affectionate with Nishijima, isn't that for your loved one?" He burst out laughing after finishing speaking.

  They didn't say anything, looked at the general and laughed, they also laughed.

  "However, there is another situation. According to the intelligence I have obtained, some women in our country, for some reason, are influenced by the Communist Party or men, or perhaps they have personal spiritual problems. Among the women of Great Japan, there are always those who sympathize with the Communist Party's scoundrels and even willingly offer themselves to be ravished and destroyed by them. The most shameful thing is that they would give birth to children who would shame our Yamato people."

  "General." Xī Dǎo listened to his words, unclear about his tone: "Forgive me for speaking directly, did you call me back just to discuss women's matters?"

  "Oh, not everything. It's not what you mean, you're still young and don't understand my intention." Yokoyama Yuudai picked up the sake cup that Sakurako had overturned and stared at Nishijima with emphasis: "Nowadays, the country is in turmoil, especially with America's intervention, the outbreak of the Pacific War... what do we have left? Nothing. Materially lacking. What use is there in relying on Bushido spirit? If you really want to achieve prosperity in Greater East Asia using our nation's resources and Bushido spirit, that's the will of those at the top, their goal, which we don't understand. We just carry it out, with 100% effort, 100% obedience, as long as we're on this sickly Asian soil, we must fulfill our duty as soldiers."

  "But we have not yet completed the task of ruling this land one hundred percent, the Emperor's will is sacred, and although his subjects are striving tirelessly, why have we not yet achieved the goal of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere?" Nishijima poured General a cup of sake.

  "From the experience of World War I, Germany wanted to be a lion in the world, but ultimately did not succeed. In the second such war, Germany again wants to be a lion in the world, Hitler learned from the lesson and made Italy and us become allies as the Axis powers, he in the West, we in the East, this is the global situation, this is Hitler's grand goal, but I think he failed, for such a large piece of steel like the Soviet Union he dared to touch, I think he was crazy. Blitzkrieg, what a joke, just a momentary pleasure without thinking through."

  "Teacher, I actually kind of understand this, but I still don't get what you're trying to say to me?"

  "Oh, let's get back on track then." Yokoyama Yu looked at Sakura and she stood up to leave. He said: "I don't want you to become the Empire's cannon fodder, I don't want you to be someone who doesn't have any descendants like your father."

  "As a soldier, everything is prioritized for the sake of national interest, what's behind me doesn't matter?"

  "I care. Sakiko cares too." Yokoyama Yuka emphasized.

  Nishijima saw Yokoyama being a bit unhappy and stood up, saying sorry.

  "To be honest, I don't want you to become a wandering ghost in this foreign land of China." Yokoyama Yu took a seat, his tone slightly agitated.

  "A ghost in a strange land?" The young man was clueless, and Xī Dǎo truly didn't understand his meaning.

  "Let me tell you, I didn't want to tell you the truth about what happened, but since you participated in the Jiangnan Annihilation Campaign, I'm sure you gained a lot from it. However, for some of the bigger battles later on, I won't let you participate."

  "Why?"

  "For your father! For you! For Sakurako!"

  Xī dǎo bù shuō le, tā zhī dào le jiàng jūn de yì si, zhè shí cái tū rán míng bái, fù qīn zǒu le, hái yǒu yī shuāng mù guāng zhù shì zhe tā.

  "Now that I've come to this vast battlefield of China, I don't want to bring shame to my father. My father was killed by the Chinese, and I must avenge him. A man, a Japanese man who doesn't avenge his father - am I still his son?" Nishima gazed at Yokoyama with the demeanor of a Japanese warrior.

  Yokoyama looked at him, adjusted his glasses and said a meaningful sentence to the son of his former classmate: "I don't want you to die." Nishijima was stunned there, he understood the general's meaning.

  Since entering the Chinese battlefield, although he was first ordered to complete the plan for the annihilation of Jiangnan, later he also participated in it and killed many Chinese people. His hands were stained with thick blood, the blood of the Chinese people. He had become numb, thinking that as a person of a great empire, he should be like this. Moreover, his father's death was related to the Chinese people, so in his mind, he must avenge his father, regardless of whether or not they were the enemy who killed his father. As long as they were Chinese people who did not please him, especially those who resisted him, he would carry out brutal revenge.

  Though he himself did not know when he would die, he was always ready to serve the Emperor. The deaths of his subordinates, his compatriots who fell under gunfire on the battlefield or elsewhere, haunted him.

  Xi Island didn't want to just survive, but deep down he wanted to live with meaning, no, he wanted to fight with meaning. He only wanted to be a lone wolf, sniffing out the scent of prey everywhere, it was his habit.

  He has no creed but to avenge his father's death. No one can stop him.

  No regrets. Said Xī Dǎo.

  Yokoyama Yu heard this and sighed, "I won't let you die, Nishijima-kun. Listen to me, Ono-kun still has a more important mission to complete, go take over for Ono-kun, maintain order, I believe in you."

  "No, I don't want to stay in a place like that, I'm going to the real battlefield."

  "Western Island." Yokoyama Yuu's expression turned stern: "That place is also a battlefield. Have you forgotten the duty of a soldier?"

  "General, I know you're treating me with kindness, thank you. But your wish goes against my will, I don't want to. You won't let me fight the enemy, you might as well send me back home, and I'll go seek my father's soul."

  At this time, Sakura next to them listened to their words and shed tears.

  Yokoyama Yu looked at him helplessly with his eyes.

  Mr. Nishijima stared at Yokoyama with piercing eyes, and Yokoyama drank a cup of wine alone, saying, "Don't rush to do this, go back and think about it before replying." Oh, and you and Sakura's matter also need to be considered, you're not young anymore, marriage is a lifetime event that can't be taken lightly. Nishijima put down his wine cup, said "thank you, General" and bid farewell to Yokoyama and Sakura before leaving.

  At night, after a long-awaited affectionate reunion, Sakura clung tightly in his arms and sobbed.

  Just as he was about to fall asleep, the already exhausted Xī Dǎo didn't understand why she was crying. A woman's thoughts were something he would never comprehend.

  He turned Sakura's body over and asked: "Sakura, what's wrong with you? I'm back, aren't you happy? If there's anything that doesn't feel right, just say it."

  Sakura cried and said with deep affection in her eyes: "Let's go back to our country and get married, okay?"

  Xī dǎo yī lèng, rán hòu yī bǎ tuī kāi tā: "nǐ zài shuō shén me a? Yīng zǐ."

  Translation:

  Xi Island was taken aback, then pushed her away: "What are you talking about? Sakiko."

  Sakura hugged him tightly and cried out: "I don't want to leave you, I don't want to lose you, I have your flesh and blood!"

  As soon as he heard, Nishijima felt a surge of hot blood rushing up. He hugged Sakura tightly, and in the dim light, Sakura's eyes were slightly closed, with tears still streaming from the corners of her eyes. Nishijima quickly got out of bed, ignoring Sakura's emotions, and scooped her up in his arms, looking at her belly, kissing it gently, and bursting into laughter. Ha ha! I'm going to be a dad! I have a son!

  Then, he went to fetch a bottle of sake and opened it, drinking half the bottle in one gulp. Sakurako saw this and also smiled through tears. She said: "Nishima-kun, please listen to the general's words, he regards you as his own child, and it's all for your own good."

  Nishima didn't say a word, and then he drank the remaining half bottle to the bottom. He then carried Sakiko into the blanket, kissed her mouth, and said: "Sakiko, go to sleep, don't worry about this kind of thing, I'll take care of it." Sakiko nodded, wrapped her arms around Nishima, and fell asleep.

  The next day, Xi Dao came before Kosuke Matsukawa and told him that he was willing to listen to the general's words and follow his arrangements and deployments. Kosuke Matsukawa was overjoyed.