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Volume Two, Chapter Seven
The terrain of "A Line of Sky" was even more treacherous than Gu Tieshan had anticipated.
The sheer cliffs on both sides, as if carved by a knife and axe, soared into the clouds, leaving only a narrow passage at the bottom, a few meters wide and winding for nearly a hundred meters. Underfoot was an uneven, gravelly path, and to one side lay a bottomless, dark ravine with the roar of rushing water. Sunlight was blocked by the massive rock formations, only briefly illuminating the valley floor at midday, adding to the eeriness. Gu Tieshan, along with Geng Dashan and Zhao Xiaoshuan, spent an entire day, like geckos clinging to the rock crevices, carefully surveying every possible ambush location.
“Here, and here,” Gu Tieshan pointed to several points marked on the animal skin map and explained to Shen Lanjun and Xiao Chen who had gathered around, “these are the high points on both sides, with a wide view overlooking the entire passage, and we must control them. This is the narrowest part of the passage. By using explosives to blast down the loose boulders on both sides, we can completely block the retreat route. Once the Japanese trucks come in, they will be trapped like turtles in a jar.”
His judgment was accurate and astute, as if he had already rehearsed countless similar ambush scenarios in his mind.
"The key is explosives and troop strength," Shen Lanjun pointed out the crux of the matter. "Has Political Commissar Yang replied yet?"
Xiao Chen shook his head: "Uncle Dashan set off to deliver the message yesterday. Judging by the distance, we won't have any news until tomorrow at the earliest."
Time waits for no one. The arms transport plan weighed heavily on everyone's minds like a boulder.
Just then, the contact that Shen Lanjun had previously tried to establish with Jiangbei (the Soviet Union) finally took a turn for the better. The radio received a repeated, agreed-upon identification signal. The other side agreed to conduct an "informal contact" at an unnamed island slightly off the Soviet side of the main channel of the Heilongjiang River, at dusk the following day. This method was extremely risky, but it was currently the only hope to break the deadlock and seek external assistance.
“We must go.” Shen Lanjun’s attitude was firm. “If we can get assistance from the Soviet Union, even if it’s just providing some explosives or putting pressure on the periphery, it will be crucial to our operation.”
Gu Tieshan remained silent, his finger lightly tapping the dot on the map representing the nameless island. He was well aware of the sensitivity of cross-border contact; if something went wrong, it would become a diplomatic dispute, and could even bring unnecessary trouble to the organization. But the current predicament forced him to consider any possible assistance.
“I’ll go with you,” he finally said. “I’ll provide support from the outside. If the situation changes, I can guarantee your safe evacuation.”
Shen Lanjun looked at him and did not object. Gu Tieshan's return made her feel much more at ease when facing this extremely dangerous situation.
The next day, the sky was overcast and the river wind was biting. Gu Tieshan and Shen Lanjun, disguised as a Chinese couple fishing on the river, steered a dilapidated wooden boat borrowed from a fisherman familiar to Geng Dashan, swaying precariously towards the middle of the river. Several tattered fishing nets and fish baskets were placed on the boat as cover.
Gu Tieshan, dressed in a straw raincoat and wearing a bamboo hat, sat at the stern of the boat, seemingly clumsily rowing, but his eyes, like those of a hawk, scanned the wide river and the movements of Su Fang on the opposite bank. He carefully concealed the pair of dragon-scale bracelets on his body, and a sharpened short axe was tucked into his waistband. Shen Lanjun sat at the bow, her head wrapped in a thick turban, obscuring most of her face, revealing only a pair of calm eyes, paying attention to the agreed-upon signal.
The small boat slowly approached the nameless island, following the pre-set route. The island was small, covered with jagged rocks and withered reeds, appearing desolate and lonely in the twilight.
Just as the small boat was about a hundred meters from the island, a patrol boat with no markings and low power slowly emerged from the Soviet side on the opposite shore, also approaching the island at a leisurely pace. There seemed to be an unspoken understanding between the two sides.
Gu Tieshan's heart tightened, his hands gripping the oars tightened slightly, his muscles tensed, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.
The small boat finally came ashore on a relatively flat, pebbly beach at the edge of the island. Shen Lanjun disembarked first and tied the mooring rope to a protruding rock. Gu Tieshan remained on the boat, gripping the oars, his eyes fixed on the approaching Soviet patrol boat.
The patrol boat stopped a few dozen meters from the island and launched a rubber dinghy. A tall man in a Soviet officer's uniform, but without rank insignia, and a thin man in civilian clothes carrying a small suitcase, paddled the rubber dinghy onto the island.
The two sides met on the mudflats and stopped a few steps apart. The atmosphere was subtle and tense.
The Soviet officer was about forty years old, with a resolute face and sharp eyes, carrying the scrutinizing gaze characteristic of soldiers. He spoke first, in broken Chinese: "You, are you 'fishermen'?" This was the agreed-upon code.
Shen Lanjun nodded slightly and replied in fluent Russian, "Yes, we are 'fishermen.' We've come to exchange 'catch.'" Her standard Russian surprised the two people opposite her.
The thin man in plain clothes pushed up his glasses, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes, and replied in Russian with a distinct Moscow accent: "Very well. I am Ivan, and this is Comrade Andrei. We would like to confirm the value of the 'catch'."
Shen Lanjun took out a coded copy of the arms transport plan from her bosom (the information about Wang Degui and the source of the intelligence were concealed), but did not hand it over immediately: "We need to know what kind of 'fishing tools' you can provide?"
Ivan and Andrei exchanged a glance. Andrei said in a deep voice, "That depends on whether the 'catch' is worthwhile, and whether you have the ability to use these 'tools'."
Shen Lanjun remained composed: "'The catch' is a detailed plan regarding the transport of a batch of important Japanese military supplies, including the time, route, and escorting forces. As for our capabilities," she paused, her gaze sweeping over the other party, "our ability to successfully transfer the supplies under Onizuka Ichiro's directional vehicle and obtain this intelligence is proof of that."
A glint flashed in Ivan's eyes; he was clearly sensitive to the name "Onizuka Ichiro." He pondered for a moment, then nodded to Andrei.
Andrei said, "We can provide a batch of explosives and the corresponding detonators. The quantity is enough for you to carry out a medium-scale demolition. In addition, if necessary, we can create some 'noise' near the border to attract the attention of the Japanese army."
This is already an aid that has exceeded expectations! With a sigh of relief, Shen Lanjun handed over the copy of the intelligence report.
Ivan quickly flipped through the document, his expression growing increasingly grave. He looked up at Shen Lanjun and Gu Tieshan on the distant ship, his eyes filled with seriousness: "This intelligence is very valuable. We will verify it. If it is true, the 'fishing gear' will be delivered to your designated location within forty-eight hours via the 'old channels'." The "old channels" he referred to were some clandestine routes used by residents of both border areas for clandestine exchanges.
"It's a pleasure to cooperate with you." Shen Lanjun bowed slightly.
“I hope so.” Ivan put away the intelligence and gave Shen Lanjun a deep look. “Be careful of Onizuka, he’s a madman. Also, remind your people that the Kwantung Army’s high command has been paying more attention to the ‘Black Dragon Society’ and its ‘Country Change Plan’ recently, and there may be new moves.”
After saying this, he and Andrei didn't linger. They turned around, boarded the rubber boat, and quickly returned to the patrol boat. The patrol boat turned around and soon disappeared into the twilight on the river.
Only after the other person had completely disappeared did Shen Lanjun breathe a sigh of relief, her back already soaked with cold sweat. She turned and walked towards the small boat.
Gu Tieshan's tense nerves relaxed. He reached out and pulled Shen Lanjun onto the boat, asking in a low voice, "Was it smooth sailing?"
"Hmm." Shen Lanjun nodded, a tired but relieved smile on her face. "The explosives are sorted out. They also reminded us to be careful of Onizuka and the 'Black Dragon Society's' new moves."
Gu Tieshan glanced deeply at the opposite bank and began rowing back. The small boat sailed towards the south bank in the deepening night. This dangerous cross-border transaction, though brief, injected a powerful boost into their upcoming operation and, within the complex power struggle in the northern frontier, established a seemingly insignificant yet potentially crucial international connection. The confrontation in the shadows had expanded once again.
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