Snake Shadow Stealth
Volume 3, Chapter 5
The tragic scene at Eagle's Beak Rock seemed to be a microcosm of the fate of countless anti-Japanese strongholds on this black soil. Just as Gu Tieshan was leading his remaining troops in a desperate struggle for survival amidst the bloodshed, a battle was also taking place on another front in a more covert yet equally deadly manner.
Heihe Town, and several surrounding villages and towns that had just been "recaptured" by the Japanese army, appeared to have regained order on the surface. The Japanese patrols were still arrogant, but the gunfire had indeed become much less frequent. However, an invisible atmosphere, carrying a sweet poison, began to spread quietly among the people like damp mold.
Several well-dressed men in long gowns, speaking Mandarin with a slight accent from outside the Great Wall, appeared in these villages and towns. Unlike the fierce-looking Japanese soldiers, they always had warm smiles on their faces. They set up tables in front of the town hall or in the village threshing ground, on which were placed some rough candies, a few worn-out clothes, and stacks of beautifully printed color magazines and simple literacy textbooks.
"Hey folks, come on over, have a taste! This candy from the Imperial Army is really sweet!"
"Do you have children at home? It's time for them to learn to read! We have a free school here, with room and board provided, and they can even learn new skills!"
"Look at this pictorial! How well Manchukuo has been built! Only by following the Imperial Army can we have a good life!"
The leader was a thin man around fifty years old, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He introduced himself as "Mr. Takeshita" and was the most "gentle" in demeanor. He did not directly promote the Japanese military's power, but instead talked at length about "coexistence and co-prosperity" and "building a new order," painting a seemingly rosy picture. He was always accompanied by a taciturn young assistant who was responsible for taking notes, as well as two seemingly ordinary but sharp-eyed guards.
This was the "Black Dragon Society" cultural vanguard led by Takeshita Hiroki. Their mission was a crucial part of Onizuka Ichiro's "Iron Wall Encirclement" strategy—cultural infiltration and the disintegration of morale. While military force crushed the resistance, their soft knife aimed to extinguish the spirit of resistance in the survivors, especially the minds of the next generation.
At first, most of the people, suffering from war and hunger, were hesitant and skeptical, and dared not approach easily. But there were always some of the most destitute people, or parents driven to desperation by hunger and the cries of their children, who would hesitate to step forward, accept a piece of candy, or look through the posters depicting scenes of "peace and prosperity".
Takeshita Hiroki was extremely patient. He was not in a hurry to achieve results, but simply appeared day after day, bestowing insignificant "favors" and subtly influencing people with gentle words. He would even "care" about the villagers' suffering, pretending to record problems such as "lack of medical care and medicine" and "insufficient food," claiming that he would "report it to higher authorities."
The message was relayed intermittently to Gu Tieshan and Shen Lanjun, who had just escaped the first layer of the Japanese encirclement and were making a difficult transfer in the dense forest, through the intelligence network that Shen Lanjun had rebuilt.
Xiao Chen, who was in charge of maintaining direct contact with Wang Degui, brought back a crumpled piece of paper with a message written in coded language by Wang Degui:
"A 'schoolteacher' came to town, handing out candy and clothes, and speaking very sweetly. He specifically targets teenagers and young women. 'Takeshita' is the head, living a secluded life and having close ties with Onizuka."
Almost simultaneously, through another clandestine channel (an outsider of the Anti-Japanese Alliance who ran a small business in the town), a similar situation was confirmed, and an additional detail was added: Takeshita and others seemed to be secretly inquiring about which families had relatives who had joined the Anti-Japanese Alliance or "disappeared," and which people had the most "complaints" about the Japanese army and the puppet regime.
“The snake has emerged from its hole.” Shen Lanjun looked at the compiled information, her eyes icy. She knew better than anyone the insidious nature of this “appeasement” policy. It sowed false hope in despair, built an illusory paradise on ruins, and its purpose was to cut off the soil for resistance at its root.
"They're digging us out of our very foundation!" Gu Tieshan's voice was filled with suppressed anger. He had experienced the open warfare of battle and equally abhorred such psychologically damaging tactics. "We must find a way to expose them; we can't let the people fall for their tricks!"
“A direct confrontation won’t work,” Shen Lanjun calmly analyzed. “They’re currently cloaked in the guise of ‘good people.’ If we take action directly, it will only alienate the uninformed masses. Besides, Takeshita is definitely protected by Onizuka’s agents.”
She pondered for a moment, a sharp glint in her eyes: "They want to use soft knives, then we'll use needles. They spread lies, then we'll spread the truth. They try to win people's hearts, then we'll inspire their spirit."
A preliminary countermeasure plan gradually took shape in her mind—the "Reverse Scale" plan.
“We need more people, and more covert methods,” Shen Lanjun said to Gu Tieshan. “Our current manpower is not enough. We must mobilize those trustworthy villagers who are still in enemy-occupied areas.”
She began dictating instructions, which Xiao Chen then relayed through secret channels:
• Regarding the "sweet-coated" approach: Mobilize reliable women and elderly people to privately tell familiar neighbors after receiving the gifts: "The sugar is sweet, but life is bitter. If you eat his sugar and forget your own grudges, are you still human?"
• Regarding “running schools”: Spreading rumors that the Japanese were tricking children into going there to be sent to Japan as laborers or trained as spies to fight against their own people.
• Targeting the propaganda in the pictorial: Organize literate people to secretly write short slogans on walls and trees at night: "Don't believe the nonsense in the pictorial!" "Think about the burned-down houses and the murdered relatives!"
• Collect evidence: Secretly record the words and actions of Takeshita's team members, especially any unintentional expressions of contempt for Chinese people, or specific evidence of their dealings with the Japanese army.
This is a silent war, taking place in the streets and alleys, in casual conversations. There are no earth-shattering shouts of battle, yet it concerns the direction of thought and the hearts and minds of the people.
Takeshita Hiroki still appeared at the town hall entrance every day on time, with a gentle smile and pleasant words. But he gradually noticed that although people were still coming to collect their things, the wariness and alienation in their eyes were growing stronger. Occasionally, he would find scribbled, crooked insults on the walls in the early morning. Sometimes, the beautifully illustrated magazines he distributed would be torn up and discarded in a dirty corner.
A barely perceptible shadow crossed Takeshita Hiroki's eyes behind his glasses. He realized that in this seemingly conquered land, an undercurrent was stubbornly resisting his "indoctrination." He instructed his assistants and guards to pay closer attention to any "suspicious" words or actions, and at the same time, requested Onizuka Ichiro to send more men to strengthen control and surveillance over the villages and towns.
Snakes lurk in the sunlight, while snake nets are quietly woven in the shadows. This struggle on the cultural front is no less dangerous or important than the fierce battles on the main battlefield.
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