A Long-Distance Chase
Volume 4, Chapter 2
Time flies, seasons change. In those years of war, time seemed to be compressed, yet also stretched out.
In 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. When the news reached Gu Tieshan's Northeast Democratic Allied Army (which evolved from the Anti-Japanese United Army and other units), the camp erupted in cheers. However, Gu Tieshan stood at the edge of the cheering crowd, his face showing little joy. He gazed southeastward, towards Linjiangtun, the final resting place of Tingzhi. The arrival of victory could not diminish the deep-seated hatred in his heart; instead, it was like pouring oil on a dormant ember, making the flames of revenge burn even more fiercely.
"Black Fox... Manager Jin..." He murmured these two names, his knuckles turning white from the force. He knew that with the defeat of the Japanese invaders, these demons and monsters who had sided with them would inevitably change allegiance and seek new patrons. And the most likely candidate was the Kuomintang, which was retreating south.
Sure enough, soon after, the troops began their southward march, joining the tide of the Liberation War. Gu Tieshan, known for his bravery, experience, and especially his superb Xingyi Quan and broadsword skills, repeatedly distinguished himself in battle and quickly became a renowned battalion commander in the Fourth Field Army. However, he never cared about rank; he had only one goal in mind—to pursue the enemy.
He was like a tireless war machine, yet he maintained the keenness of a hunting dog. He seized every opportunity to search for any clues that might be related to "Black Fox" or Manager Jin, from the files captured in every battle, from the mouths of captured enemy officers, and even from the ruins of occupied cities.
He rarely appeared at victory celebrations, often spending his time alone under an oil lamp, repeatedly studying maps and scattered pieces of intelligence. His taciturn and cold-eyed demeanor inspired awe in his subordinates and made some political officers feel that he was "unapproachable." Only Captain Yang (now the regimental political commissar) understood the pain in his heart and often comforted him: "Tieshan, revenge is not wrong, but don't forget, we are also striving to build a new China where such tragedies will never happen again."
Gu Tieshan nodded: "I know. Lan Jun died for this. I am avenging my personal grudge, but also to avenge the countless comrades who sacrificed themselves like Tingzhi."
In late 1948, the Liaoshen Campaign ended in victory, and the entire Northeast was liberated. The troops were about to enter the pass. While sorting through some remaining files captured from the Kuomintang Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (formerly the Military Intelligence Bureau), a familiar name caught Li Guohao's eye—Jin Shouxin! The files recorded that during the Japanese occupation, this man had used the alias "Manager Jin," active in northern Manchuria, and maintained close ties with Japanese intelligence agencies. After Japan's surrender, leveraging his intelligence network and understanding of the Communist-controlled areas, he was recruited by the Military Intelligence Bureau, given the rank of major, and primarily engaged in infiltration and sabotage activities in the liberated areas. The files concluded by mentioning that he had retreated south a month earlier with some members of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, possibly heading towards Central and Eastern China.
"Found you!" Gu Tieshan clutched the thin piece of paper, veins bulging on his arm, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light. Years of searching had finally yielded a clear direction! Manager Jin was the key to finding "Black Fox"!
The Pingjin Campaign, the Huaihai Campaign… the army swept southward like a rolling iron torrent. Gu Tieshan's unit advanced with unstoppable momentum. He fought with even greater ferocity, as if pouring all his hatred and strength onto the battlefield. In every assault, he was always at the forefront, his broadsword flashing, and the enemy crumbled at his mere sight. The nickname "Madman Gu" spread like wildfire. Only he knew that he was using this method to shorten the distance between himself and his enemy.
He was not only brave, but also began to use his "intelligence." He consciously began to pay attention to the operational mode of the enemy's intelligence system and study the activity patterns of Kuomintang agents. He would even volunteer to participate in the identification and interrogation of prisoners, hoping to find more clues about Jin Shouxin and even "Black Fox." His "honesty and straightforwardness" as a Shandong native became the best cover; no one would have thought that this seemingly fierce general, who only knew how to charge into battle, was conducting such meticulous and persistent tracking.
In April 1949, a million soldiers crossed the Yangtze River. Gu Tieshan stood on the north bank, gazing at the surging eastward flow of the river, his heart churning with emotion. Once across the river, they would be closer to the enemy! "Tingzhi, you wait, I'll be there soon!"
With the liberation of major cities like Nanjing and Shanghai, a large number of enemy and puppet regime files were seized. Gu Tieshan, like a patient gold prospector, painstakingly searched through the vast sea of documents. His efforts paid off; on a fragment of a Security Bureau action list that had been hastily destroyed before the liberation of Shanghai, he found a code name marked with coded language—"Fox"—alongside a blurry annotation that seemed to be related to a top-secret file called "Dongshan Plan" (possibly related to the "Country Change Plan"). One of the handlers was none other than Jin Shouxin! Furthermore, there were indications that "Fox" was very likely ordered to infiltrate, and might even have taken advantage of the chaos to blend into our army!
The clues become clearer yet more dangerous. The traitor "Black Fox" is not only alive, but may be hiding right beside him! Kim Soo-shin is his key henchman!
At this time, the liberation of the whole country was imminent, but the remnants of the Kuomintang were still putting up a stubborn resistance, and some spies went underground, engaging in rampant sabotage. Gu Tieshan reported some of the situation to his superiors (concealing the purely personal revenge element and emphasizing the pursuit of important traitors and enemy spy plans), and obtained authorization to continue the investigation.
In the spring of 1950, the troops were resting in a certain area of South China. Li Guohao received an important piece of intelligence: Jin Shouxin might be using an alias to infiltrate the Guangzhou area, attempting to establish new intelligence channels by taking advantage of the local complex water network and its proximity to Hong Kong and Macau.
Without the slightest hesitation, Gu Tieshan, after requesting instructions from his superiors, led a crack reconnaissance team straight to Guangzhou.
A thousand-mile pursuit of the killer took Gu Tieshan across most of China, from the icy wilderness of the Great Wall to the sweltering heat of Lingnan. What sustained him was the inextinguishable flame in his heart, the cool dragon scale bracelet on his wrist, and above all, his life-or-death promise to his beloved wife: "Find Black Fox."
The southern wind, carrying the salty smell of the sea and an unfamiliar heat, brushed against Gu Tieshan's resolute face. He knew that in this bustling southern metropolis, a new, more covert and dangerous contest was about to begin.
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