Chapter 12: Rather Die Than Surrender

  As the troops marched away, "Haita Jun" turned around, collected his smile and humility, his face stern and iron-colored, restoring his coldness and majesty. With both hands grasping the hilt of his sword, he stood with his chest out, head held high, and began his inaugural speech:

  "Fellow townspeople of Leijiang:"

  I have been entrusted by the Great Japanese Imperial Army and also received the support of the people of Lei Jiang. I am in charge of the defense and security of Lei Jiang. Commander Yamada earlier called me "Kaito-kun", a title that I like very much, as it accurately reflects my youthfulness: "Kai" represents my young age, full of energy but lacking experience, and I hope the people of Lei Jiang will support and help me! "Taikun" means "strong general" in our Great Japan's terminology, proving that I have sufficient ability to fulfill my duties. I will strive to lead Lei Jiang out of ignorance and poverty, making it a place where the civilization of Great Japan shines brightly. Now, we need to establish the Lei Jiang Pacification Team.

  "Xuān Fǔ Bān" is short for "Japan's 'Bamboo Agency' Xuān Fǔ Bān". It was an organization of the Japanese devils, also known as "Teaching and Pacification" and "Extermination and Pacification Combined", which had three main functions. Firstly, it had a propaganda function, using festivals and rural gatherings to promote "Sino-Japanese friendship" and "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" to numb the Chinese people's anti-Japanese sentiment; secondly, it had a medical function, where after the Japanese army's burning, killing, looting, and plundering, the "Xuān Fǔ Bān" would bring medical personnel to treat wounded soldiers, occasionally pretending to treat wounded Chinese civilians, in order to persuade them to surrender and become slaves; most importantly, it also had an intelligence function, working with the Japanese Kempeitai to set up a special agency responsible for gathering intelligence and capturing and torturing anti-Japanese activists. Under the seemingly harmless name of "Xuān Fǔ Bān", they actually committed bloody atrocities. In short, the "Xuān Fǔ Bān" was a mobile unit implementing military rule in areas occupied by the Japanese army.

  "Please welcome Mr. Li!" "Haita Jun" shouted.

  A young officer wearing glasses was brought onto the stage. Mrs. Fang recognized him: it was Li Tianming, the chief military doctor of the 358th Regiment. His uniform was tattered and stained with blood; his arms were bound, one lens of his glasses had fallen off, and the other was covered in bloodstains. Obviously, Mr. Li had been "invited" by the enemy's bayonet.

  "Little Master" waved his hand, and the two escorting devils cleverly untied the ropes on Li Tianming's body.

  Opening a breakthrough from Li Tianming is the "Haita Jun" after careful consideration: Firstly, Li Tianming is a military doctor who studied at the Japanese Medical Academy, fluent in Japanese and skilled in medicine, of great use value for the Japanese army in battle; Secondly, if he can make a Chinese officer surrender and defect in front of the people, it will heavily strike the resistance will of the Leijiang people, laying a solid foundation for the "long-term stability" of Leijiang.

  "Kaita-kun" relaxed his facial muscles, forcing a smile: "Mr. Li, the Great Japanese Empire has great respect for doctors. Although you are also a military man, but you only hold a scalpel, not our enemy. And you, yourself are a medical talent cultivated by our Great Japanese Empire, doctors have no borders, saving lives and healing wounds is the duty of every doctor, I hope you can join our 'Propaganda Team' and become a model for Sino-Japanese friendship."

  Li Tianming rubbed his numb arms, which had been bound for a long time, and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. He said word by word: "That's right, I did study in Japan, but I was funded by the Chinese government scholarship, it was the blood and sweat of the Chinese people that sent me there, I should repay the Chinese people; I am a doctor, but I am also a soldier, and more importantly, I am a Chinese!"

  "Mr. Li, doctors have no borders." "Haita Jun" accompanied with a smile, trying to show his affable image in front of the Neijiang people. He pointed at a brand new Japanese military uniform on the table, "As long as Mr. Li can put on this Japanese Imperial Army uniform, bow down in front of the Neijiang people and the Great Japan flag, and declare loyalty to the Emperor, you will immediately become a soldier of the Great Japanese Empire, with high rank and high salary!"

  Li Tianming's nose twitched slightly as a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Unfortunately, I studied to be a surgeon, not a veterinarian."

  "Veterinarian?" "Haita Jun" apparently didn't react for a moment, explaining: "Our army has very few war horses and doesn't need a veterinarian, but we hope you can be our military doctor."

  "I won't treat injuries or illnesses for a two-legged beast!" Li Tianming said disdainfully.

  The people below burst out into a faint snicker.

  "Kaito-kun's" face flashed with a hint of warm anger. But he quickly suppressed his temper. He wanted to establish an image of "Sino-Japanese friendship" in front of the people of Lei Jiang, so he tried to speak as warmly as possible:

  "Mr. Li, we hope you can take the position of 'Xuanfu Class' medical director, using your superb medical skills to serve the wounded soldiers of the imperial army on the one hand, and also bring benefits to the people of Leijiang on the other hand."

  Li Tianming remained still, his head raised, like a statue.

  In front of so many Leijiang folks, "Haita Jun" got off to a bad start and felt extremely embarrassed.

  He roared at several devils beside him for a few times.

  Several devils went down, after a while, several wounded men covered in blood were pushed up and tied to the pillars.

  The young master sneered at Li Tianming and said, "Mr. Li, this is your wounded man. If you don't agree, I'll tie them up here and let them be scorched by the scorching sun, bleed dry, and die in front of you!"

  Several devils rushed up and tore open the bandages of the wounded, causing them to let out a mournful cry, making the people below feel a pang of anxiety.

  The distant gunfire gradually became sparse, and suddenly, a loud explosion, everyone in the entire venue felt a sudden tightness in their hearts. Then there was silence.

  Deathly stillness. The entire air seemed to have solidified.

  The sun on the summer day of Lei Jiang was like a dazzling mirror, making everyone dizzy. The people below had not eaten or drunk for half a day and were extremely exhausted. The wounded were even more miserable, their heads weakly leaning against the pillars, their lips dry and cracked, their wounds rapidly deteriorating in the scorching sun, emitting a foul odor that attracted swarms of flies buzzing around their wounds.

  The wounded man's low voice kept tugging at Li Tianming's nerves. His mouth twitched, and finally, as if he had made up his mind, he said: "Bring me my medicine box!"

  "Haotai Jun" was in a state of anxiety, suddenly heard Li Tianming say this, and couldn't help but be overjoyed! "Wow, great. You China have an old saying, 'those who know the times are heroes', Mr. Li is just such a hero. Quickly bring Mr. Li's medicine box!"

  A leather trunk was delivered into Li Tianming's hands. Li Tianming fondly stroked the trunk, his fingers tracing the dazzling red cross on its surface, a gift from his father when he returned to China to practice medicine.

  Open the box, and all the medical equipment is complete inside.

  He shouldered the box and walked towards the wounded man.

  The wounded men looked at Li Tianming with pleading eyes and whispered: "Doctor, give us a quick death!"

  Li Tianming nodded and said with tears in his eyes: "Brothers, let's go over there and be good brothers again, and kill the devils together!"

  Almost no one noticed that Li Tianming had an extra surgical knife in his hand, and in an instant, several wounded men's necks sprayed out a blood arrow, and then their heads fell powerless.

  Li Tianming used a surgical knife to sever the wounded man's carotid artery, ending their suffering.

  When Inukawa Jirō noticed something was off, a bright light suddenly flew towards him. Immediately following that, Li Tianming raised his medicine box with both hands and rushed towards him to smash it into him!