Chapter 60: Guerrilla Troops

  After selecting for a while, they finally chose a ring, measured the size of their fingers, and after paying the deposit, Zhang Lieyang drove with Xiao Yajie and Li Hailan to Dongqian Lake.

  Liu Kaifeng arrived at Lishan early in the morning and saw a military restricted area sign that read "Strictly Forbidden to Enter" halfway up the mountain. He looked around cautiously and then quietly made his way towards the warehouse.

  Liu Kai-feng arrived near the warehouse and observed for more than three hours, but still found nothing. Helpless, Liu Kai-feng could only return empty-handed and head towards the guerrilla base outside the city.

  After arriving at the guerrilla base, Liu Kaifeng hastily told the commander and political commissar of the guerrilla team about the situation around the warehouse. When it came to the number of people, Liu Kaifeng thought for a moment and said: "The number of people in the warehouse will not be less than a battalion!"

  Captain Xu and Commissar Pang thought for a moment, and finally, Commissar Pang helped Captain Xu make up his mind, saying: "Old Xu, we still have to do it. Whether we can get it or not, only by taking action will we not regret it! Moreover, Lishan is relatively far from Ningbo city, even if the garrison receives news and rushes over, we will have plenty of time to escape!"

  "Alright! Let's get down to business. I'll take two companies out tonight, and you bring one company to stay behind and guard the house! Commissar, you won't have any objections, will you?" Captain Xu said with a smile.

  "You can go with peace of mind! I'll be keeping an eye on things at home, but you must be careful when you get there. If it's really not possible, then withdraw and think of another way later!" Commissar Pang said seriously.

  "Alright! Don't worry!" With that, Captain Xu called a communications officer to assemble the troops.

  In Dongqian Lake, Zhang Lieyang chartered a small boat with Xiao Yajie and Li Hailan on board, drifting on the lake to admire the beautiful scenery. Looking at Li Hailan who was lost in thought, a faint smile appeared on her face. Seeing this, Xiao Yajie smiled and nudged Li Hailan, saying: "Hailan, you're happy today, aren't you?"

  Li Hailan smiled and said, "That's still thanks to your help, Yajie. If you didn't help me, who knows if I'd still be a lone wolf now!"

  "You're a girl, how can you say such lonely and desolate words! If others hear it, they'll laugh at you!" Zhang Lieyang said with a smile.

  "You always like to bully us, just wait and see how we'll fix you later!" As she spoke, Xiao Yajie's hand was twisting around Zhang Lieyang's waist. Suddenly, it made Zhang Lieyang cry out in pain, saying: "You twist me again, I won't divorce you!"

  "Will you?!" Xiaoyajie said as she let go of his hand.

  "Look at your girl's family, haven't you read the 'Nü Ze' written by Empress Changsun of the Tang Dynasty?" Zhang Lieyang asked with a smile.

  "Hum! Now is a new era, don't try to fool me with that set! I'm not buying it!" As she spoke, Xiao Yajie came to Li Hailan's side and pulled her feet into the cool lake water to play.

  After a day of play, the three finally had dinner at a small restaurant by the lake. Zhang Lieyang drove them home one by one and made an appointment to pick them up early tomorrow to go sightseeing in Hangzhou!

  Zhang Lieyang felt uneasy on his way back, so he immediately turned the car around and headed towards Lishan Warehouse. As he approached the warehouse, Zhang Lieyang suddenly saw a group of people moving on the nearby mountain slope, and it seemed like there were many of them. He sped up and arrived at the warehouse, then gathered Zhang Xiangwu and the other 336 men, saying: "Tonight we have guests visiting us, let's get ready and use the cover of night to capture them all alive!"

  Upon hearing Zhang Lieyang's words, Zhang Xiangchun smiled and said: "It's been a long time since we've taken action! Now our brothers are all itching for a fight! It's just right to use them as practice!"

  Zhang Xiangchun's words instantly boosted the morale of all the family members. Seeing this scene, Zhang Lieyang smiled and reminded again: "We can't be careless, nor can we underestimate the enemy! I ask you not to fire a single shot or bullet, don't hurt anyone, and take them all alive! Can you do it?"

  All the servants thought for a moment and then said in unison: "We can!"

  "Alright! Now all of you listen to my arrangement!......" Then Zhang Lieyang made clear the tasks for everyone.

  When Captain Xu and Liu Kaifeng led the men into the forest of Lishan, the troops following them began to dwindle. By the time they reached the outer warehouse, only two platoons of guerrilla fighters were left. Unaware of the anomaly, Captain Xu ordered the young man beside him: "Haigang, take five people to sneak in and check out the situation inside! Remember not to startle the snake!"

  "Got it! Captain, you take care!" Haigang said, leading his men in.

  After waiting for more than ten minutes, Hai still hadn't come out. Captain Xu couldn't wait any longer and asked: "How come he's not out yet?! Will something happen to him?!"

  "Or I'll take someone in to have a look?" Liu Kai Feng said seriously.

  "No need! Wait for three more minutes! If it still doesn't come out, we'll retreat! We'll find another chance later!" Captain Xu said with a furrowed brow.

  Upon hearing Captain Xu's words, Liu Kaifeng anxiously said: "This isn't good! I'll go take a look!" Just as Liu Kaifeng was about to get up and sneak towards the warehouse, the guard next to Captain Xu reported: "Captain, our troops behind us have vanished! Now only a dozen or so people are left!"

  "What? How can this be?! What's going on?!" Captain Xu asked incredulously.

  "I'll tell you!" Zhang Lieyang said, and then he led the more than 300 special warfare team members to surround everyone and disarm them.

  When Zhang Lieyang saw Liu Kaifeng under the moonlight, he smiled and said: "Liu Kaifeng, how dare you bring outsiders to intercept my goods? Are you tired of living?! If I weren't here today, your 300 men would have been wiped out! Take them all back! Tomorrow at dawn, take them to a safe place and let them go! Also return their guns to them! I don't care about these few broken rifles!"

  The special warfare team members quickly tied up all the people and pushed them into the warehouse.

  When Captain Xu saw that all his men were tied up and locked together, he had no choice but to accept the fact!

  In Zhang Lieyang's room in the warehouse, Liu Kaifeng gritted his teeth and stared at Zhang Lieyang, saying: "Lieyang, what are you going to do with us?"

  "I've already said that! Tomorrow at dawn, I'll send someone to take you to a safe place!" Zhang Lieyang looked at Liu Kaifeng and continued: "You can sleep well here tonight!"

  "You don't have to pretend anymore! You're now a student of the Central Military Academy, which is Chiang Kai-shek's faction! Would you be so kind as not to hand us over for a reward?" Liu Kaifeng said with a glance at Zhang Lieyang.

  "Haha!" Zhang Lieyang burst out laughing and said: "If I, Zhang Lieyang, really wanted to use the Communist Party's people to curry favor, I would have joined the army long ago! Why wait until now?! You're truly ungrateful, not recognizing good intentions! It's a pity you're my good friend! Zihuan must have been blind to take a liking to you!" With that, Zhang Lieyang slammed the door and left.

  The next day at dawn, Zhang Lieyang had someone send the guerrilla team out of the city. When returning their weapons to the guerrilla team outside the city, Zhang Xiangwu smiled and said: "You are really underestimating your own strength! Besides the more than 300 people who took action yesterday, we also have a regiment of new recruits undergoing training inside! With just you guys...!" As he spoke, Zhang Xiangwu led his men away.

  Captain Xu brought Liu Kaifeng and the others back to their base, and after telling Commissar Pang everything from start to finish, Commissar Pang looked at Liu Kaifeng and asked: "Little Liu, how did they catch you all and then let you go? What's going on?"

  "I'm not clear either, probably some people are thinking of incense and fire!" Liu Kai said thoughtfully: "Comrade Pang Zhengwei, this matter is mainly my fault for not making things clear. I will ask the county party committee to punish me!"

  "Xiao Liu, be more careful in the future and that's all! You're not responsible for this matter at all! Comrade Lao Xu and I also have responsibility. After you go back, think of a way to help us get some guns and ammunition!" said Pang Zhengwei seriously.

  "Alright! Don't worry, Comrade Pang!" Liu Kaifeng said as he waved goodbye to the crowd.

  Zhang Zihuan, who was anxiously waiting at the meeting point, saw Liu Kaifeng return and hurriedly poured him a glass of water, asking: "Where did you go?! Why were you gone for a whole night?!"

  Liu Kaifeng took the cup and drank a mouthful of water, saying: "Don't mention it! I was captured by your brother last night! I didn't expect there to be so many people in the warehouse!" As he spoke, Liu Kaifeng told Zhang Zihuan about the whole incident.

  Zhang Zihuan's face turned slightly red with anger and said, "You're really reckless! Fortunately, it was my brother. If it were someone else, they wouldn't have come back!" Zhang Zihuan glanced outside and continued to say to Liu Kaifeng, "I never told you that when my brother returned from Shanghai and learned about the Tang family's misfortune and Yuanyue's death at the hands of the Japanese, he led a group of people who had just come down from the Songhu battlefront and cleared out all the Japanese military officers and companies in Ningbo overnight!"

  Upon hearing Zhang Zihuan's words, Liu Kaifeng was stunned for a moment. After a while, Liu Kaifeng, who had come back to his senses, muttered in a dull tone: "Then who should we ask for help with the weapons and medicine?" As he thought about it, Liu Kaifeng looked at Zhang Zihuan and asked: "Zihuan, how many weapons do you have at home?"

  "What's the point of asking this?" Zhang Zihuan asked.

  "Look, why don't you ask your dad to help us?" Liu Kai Feng asked seriously.

  "Give up! My dad listens to my grandfather, and my grandfather listens to my brother a lot! So I guess it's also hopeless!" Zhang Zihuan said helplessly.