Chapter Thirty-One

  The artillery platoon consisted of thirty people, bringing six 82mm mortars, and encountered no obstacles, smoothly bypassing the gun tower to find Xiao Ming and his team.

  Xiao Ming glanced at his watch, it was already dawn. He gave the order: "Divide the artillery into groups of ten people each, target the enemy's artillery tower, set all parameters, each group will be covered by an infantry squad, prepare separately."

  Also known as Xie Sibao, he pointed to the searchlight on the cannon tower and said: "From now on, when it's lit, I'll turn it off. When dawn breaks, cut off the water inside, got it?"

  Xie Sibao nodded and arranged to leave. Xiao Ming led the remaining people to withdraw from the machine gun's range, ordered the arrangement of sentries, and began to rest.

  It wasn't long before the sound of gunfire echoed, the searchlights on the watchtower suddenly went out, and then the intense machine gun fire was heard, startling the mules in the yard to bray. After a while, the gunfire gradually subsided, the searchlights came back on, only to be extinguished again, still with the machine guns firing wildly. This repeated several times. The people in the watchtower seemed to have gotten tired, and simply didn't bother to repair the searchlights anymore, and it finally quieted down.

  The sky was just bright, and several imperial soldiers were yawning in the barracks by the artillery tower, carrying buckets to fetch water, seemingly to cook. But as soon as they walked to the well, a gunshot suddenly rang out, and a bullet hit the bucket, scaring the men into letting out a strange cry and falling to the ground.

  After a while, they heard no more movement and looked around cautiously before getting up to fetch water. Suddenly, another bullet flew in, hitting the bucket, and it dawned on them that they were not allowed to get water! They raised their hands and shouted, "Don't shoot, we're leaving!" Slowly standing up, they walked back to the barracks, and indeed, no more shots were fired.

  The Japanese troops in the artillery tower had been tossing and turning for half the night, just as they were about to fall asleep, they were startled awake by gunfire. The squad leader, Yamaguchi, was extremely angry and ordered the machine gun to rake back and forth several times at suspicious places. When he discovered through binoculars that there was a mortar aimed at him, he was frightened and hastily ordered the machine gun to stop firing and quickly report the enemy situation to his superior. His superior instructed: as long as the other side does not launch an attack, do not bother with them, your mission is to intercept the grain truck.

  Yamaguchi's fright had subsided, and he ordered his men to be on high alert, not allowing anyone to leave the door. The company commander of the Imperial Guard asked: "There is no way to fetch water, how can we cook?" Yamaguchi waved his hand and said: "Tell your soldiers to go fetch water, the Imperial Guard will cover you, don't be intimidated by the enemy, be brave!" The company commander was helpless, forcing his men to go fetch water again, but a few shots were fired at the bucket, and not even the shadow of the enemy was seen. His men said they would not go again.

  Gao Shouyi slaughtered a chicken and sheep, cooked the meal, and sent someone to deliver it to Xiao Ming and his family. Xiao Ming repeatedly praised Gao Shouyi for being considerate and having made progress. After finishing the meal, he surprisingly went to sleep.

  He slept until nearly noon, when Gao Shouyi brought news that the grain had been collected, and Xiao Ming slowly got up, asking: "Has the little devil made any moves yet?"

  The mountain doll hastily came over and said: "Not yet, the brothers are almost asleep, do you want to fire two shots to lift their spirits?"

  Xiao Ming gave him a slanted glance and cursed, "You're useless, always resorting to violence, do you think bullets are free? Go, shout for someone inside to come out and talk."

  "Alright!" Shan Wawa didn't think twice, pulled up his legs and walked towards the artillery tower. Xiao Ming shouted from behind: "Be careful of bullets, silly melon!"

  The Japanese troops in the watchtower did not fire a shot. The commander of the Imperial Army poked his head out and shouted, "Halt! If you take another step forward, we'll open fire! Who are you?"

  The mountain doll stood there with a big attitude, shouting: "What's the call, little master is here to deliver a message! Our commander said that you should come over and have a personal chat, if not, we'll open fire! Hurry up!" After finishing speaking, he slipped away.

  The door of the stronghold was opened, and a surname Ox squad leader stuck out his head to observe. Seeing that there was no movement, he put down his guard, waving a white towel in his hand as he walked forward shouting: "Brothers of Feihu Fort, don't shoot! I'm here for negotiations."

  Ma Liu was busy with a large cart, loaded with goods and covered with a rain cloth, unknown what it was. Hearing that it was Lao Niu, he raised his head and shouted: "Your mother's old cow, come over quickly, I guarantee not to hit you."

  The old cow ran up and said with a wipe of its sweaty forehead: "Sixth Master, what orders do you have?"

  "Damn it, you white-eyed wolves! I should have greeted you with a cannon long ago! This is our Second Master, and he's the one who asked for you." Ma Liu pointed at Xiao Ming sitting on the pile of soil.

  The old cow was startled, thinking that this gentleman was very famous in Flying Tiger Mountain, and hurriedly clasped his fists: "It's the second master, I've long admired your great name, sorry for my disrespect! What instructions do you have?"

  "Beef noodle, I'm Xiao Ming!" A cold glint flashed in his eyes, "What's wrong, being a traitor isn't easy to do, is it? You're already putting your life on the line?"

  "It's not my fault, brother, I'm just trying to make a living." Old Cow wiped away cold sweat, thinking that the eyes of these two could kill. "I am loyal only to the Han, and never do anything bad. If you don't believe me, Sixth Master can vouch for me!"

  The old cow's two legs were trembling with fear, and he glanced at Ma Liu with his eyes. Ma Liu smiled and looked at him without saying a word.

  "Alright, I believe you," Xiao Ming stood up and stretched his waist, came over to pat Lao Niu's shoulder. "Go back and tell the little devil that I want to have a talk with Mura Masaki, I know he's around here." He glanced at his watch, "It's eleven o'clock now, if Mura doesn't show up by twelve, I'll open fire! Got it?"

  The old cow hastily nodded in agreement and ran back quickly.

  Xiao Ming was not wrong, and Kimura was indeed in a stronghold in the north, remotely commanding. Originally thought that Yamaguchi had detained the grain cart, Feihu Fort must have dispatched a large number of troops to retake the grain, so when he received the report that a small unit was rushing to the artillery tower for reinforcements, Kimura judged that they were just the vanguard and let them pass. However, what disappointed him was that until noon the next day, there was no appearance of the expected large army, but instead came news that Xiao Ming wanted to meet with him.

  When Kimura arrived by car, the clock hand was just pointing to 11:50. Yamaguchi, the squad leader, hastily led the Japanese soldiers out of the gun tower to greet him. Looking up, someone in the distance was waving and shouting loudly, "Is that Kimura? You've finally come! I thought you were going to die!" It must be Xiao Ming without a doubt.

  Kimura refused the suggestion of his subordinates to accompany him, and it was a brave warrior who went alone. The Imperial Japanese Army could not lose momentum to its opponent, let alone when the enemy was already surrounded by the Imperial Army. He ordered his men to rest in place and not make any rash moves, and he walked towards Xiao Ming with big strides alone.

  Xiao Ming saw Mukimura approaching, like meeting an old friend he hadn't seen in years. He jumped down from the mound in three strides, his face beaming with a smile, and warmly called out: "Ah, Brother Mukimura, it's been ages! I've missed you to death! I heard you've been promoted to Da Sao, congratulations are in order! Is it because of our Flying Tiger Fort helping to maintain law and order that you got the promotion?"

  Xiao Ming had already withdrawn his troops to a distant place, with only Ma Liu, Shan Wa Zi and a large cart by his side. Mura took a glance and didn't notice anything unusual, so he put down his guard and smiled, saying: "As expected of Xiao Dangjia, you're indeed bold and fearless, still smiling at this time! Mura is impressed!"

  "How can you say that?" Xiao Ming's face was full of surprise. "Isn't it a very happy thing for old friends to meet each other?"

  "Friend? Then let's get to know each other!" Mu Village put away his smile and said word by word: "Xiao Ming, courtesy name Guangyuan, ancestral home in Shandong. Father Xiao Wanlin was a well-known industrialist in the local area, but later died of illness due to a factory fire. Xiao Ming went to Germany for further studies, received special military training, and returned to China at the end of 1935. Wherever he went, Japanese residents were killed and merchants were robbed. Until the spring of 1936, several Japanese residents were killed in Shanyang, and at the same time, a capable and skilled second-in-command named Xiao Ming appeared in the Flying Tiger Fort. Isn't it a bit too coincidental?" After finishing speaking, Mu Village's face revealed a smile, but his eyes stared tightly at Xiao Ming.

  Xiao Ming was shocked in his heart, thinking that this Japanese person was indeed omnipresent, and from now on, he had to be careful even in the mountains. However, on his face, he wore an incredulous expression, asking in surprise: "You're saying that person actually has the same name as me? Is there such a coincidence in the world? Brother Mukai, could it be that you haven't been sleeping well lately and your spirit is being affected? Ah, don't work too hard, pay attention to rest!" His face was full of concern.

  Kimura was somewhat annoyed and said seriously: "Mr. Xiao, do you think this is funny? As a man, aren't you even brave enough to admit your own identity?"

  "Alright, I admit it, that Xiao Ming I knew!" Xiao Ming's face suddenly turned gloomy, "That optimistic, studious and kind-hearted Xiao Ming is no more!"

  "Oh, where did he go?" Mura blinked his eyes, asking knowingly.

  Xiao Ming didn't answer, but instead asked: "Do you know how his father died?" Mukai's face was expressionless, neither confirming nor denying.

  "Mr. Xiao had gone through countless hardships and finally achieved success in his career, and he was a fair and kind person who was respected by his peers!" Xiao Ming's voice trembled with emotion. "After the Japanese came, they tried to monopolize the market and forced Mr. Xiao to cooperate with them. When he refused, they resorted to intimidation and threats. Mr. Xiao couldn't take it anymore and in a fit of rage, set fire to his own factory. He died soon after. If there hadn't been a war, I might have already taken over the business, gotten married, had children, and Mr. Xiao would have been surrounded by his grandchildren, enjoying his family life. But all of this was destroyed by those damned robbers! Mu-kuang, you must know about this, don't you?!"

  Kimura nodded silently, and after a while said: "I really admire the old man's style, he even changed my view of Chinese people. But I don't agree with his approach, when a nation is weak but individuals are strong, it will ultimately be at a disadvantage, and we are here to help you change this situation!"

  "Oh, so we should thank you for this too!" Xiao Ming sneered coldly. "Mukamura, you Japanese know the crimes you've committed in China, if you don't mind, I'd like to return them to Japan one day and see if your Emperor will express gratitude!"

  "Don't insult our Emperor!" Kimura's face turned red, "With your ignorant and backward nation, you will never be able to set foot on our land!"

  "Kimura, don't be stubborn anymore. Based on the industrial strength comparison between both sides, this should have been a one-sided war. But you've managed to turn it into a half-cooked meal. Now, are you feeling a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place?" Xiao Ming's face revealed a mocking smile. "However, it was precisely your invasion that awakened our people's national consciousness. For the sake of independence and autonomy, we will no longer live in fear. We have taken up arms to resist the invaders, using blood and life to defend national dignity! Driving you out is only a matter of time. Conquering the Dwarf Islands depends on our mood!"

  "Hmph, Mr. Xiao is indeed in line with the arrogant character of your nation, you always like to compare yourselves to fierce beasts like lions and tigers, but don't know that a sick lion without sharp teeth and claws is not even as good as a cat, even if he wakes up, he will only feel sad, because he will see himself slowly dying, just adding trouble for nothing!"

  "You're wrong, we've never fantasized about being a lion, and I'd rather be a pack of wolves, fearless in the face of powerful opponents, even if it means sacrificing ourselves, we'll bite down on our opponent and not let go, giving our comrades time to launch an attack!" Xiao Ming's smile was somewhat strange.

  Kimura's heart sank, and he suddenly had an indescribable feeling.

  "Haha, Kimura, you're so nagging, it's like we're two quarrelsome wives!" Xiao Ming changed the subject, a smile spreading across his face. "The weather is nice today, why don't we talk about something pleasant?"

  What's there to be happy about? Mura sneered. Given the current situation, it's really hard to guess what Xiao Ming has to be happy about.