The Fury Across the River
Volume 4, Chapter 3
The summer in the south was sweltering and humid, filled with the incessant chirping of cicadas. The manhunt in Guangzhou was like searching for a needle in a haystack; Jin Shouxin, like a slippery eel, slipped away once more through the intricate streets and hidden waterways. Gu Tieshan stood on the banks of the Pearl River, watching the turbid waters merge into the vast sea, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His enemy, so close yet so far, had slipped through his fingers; this sense of defeat gnawed at his heart like poisonous ants.
“He definitely has a backup, and someone of high rank.” The reconnaissance company commander offered him a cigarette, but Gu Tieshan waved it away. “The scattered telegrams we intercepted show that they mentioned ‘Dongshan’ and ‘Fox,’ which seems to indicate new instructions.”
“‘Fox’…” A cold glint flashed in Gu Tieshan’s eyes. Jin Shouxin was merely a henchman; the real target was the traitor “Black Fox” who had killed Lan Jun!
Just then, an urgent military order came from higher command: the troops were to cease their southward pursuit of the remaining enemy forces and immediately return north to their units, as they had other important duties to perform!
Military orders are absolute. Gu Tieshan could only suppress his anger and resentment, leading his reconnaissance squad on a whirlwind journey back to his old unit in Northeast China. Along the way, the atmosphere was noticeably different; military trains rumbled along the railway lines, laden with soldiers and equipment, all heading towards the Yalu River.
In October 1950, the flames of the Korean War had reached the Yalu River. The call to defend the homeland resounded throughout the entire army. Gu Tieshan's unit was incorporated into the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and was about to cross the Yalu River to fight in Korea.
At the rally, red flags fluttered and slogans resounded. Gu Tieshan stood in the ranks, his heart filled with complex emotions. His family's vengeance remained unavenged, and now he was about to embark on a new national war. But he did not hesitate for a moment; the blood of a Shandong man flowed with the most basic principle of "defending the country." Without a country, where is the home? Wasn't Tingzhi's sacrifice for this country?
On the eve of the troops' departure, Political Commissar Yang (formerly Captain Yang) brought a shocking piece of intelligence.
"Tieshan, we have a lead on 'Black Fox'!" Political Commissar Yang said gravely. A coded telegram from the Fourth Field Army headquarters read, "Based on confessions and deciphered enemy radio signals, it's highly likely that the traitor 'Black Fox' didn't remain in China. Instead, he received instructions from the Kuomintang intelligence department and American advisors, carrying core information from 'Operation Dongshan,' and infiltrated the first batch of Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops entering Korea under a special identity! Their mission is to sabotage and steal intelligence within our ranks, and to find opportunities to disrupt our army's communications and command systems!"
Buzz—!
Gu Tieshan felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and his vision instantly turned blood red! The target of his hatred and the battlefield he was about to step onto had overlapped in such a cruel way!
You search high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly!
No, this is not a fluke. Fate has chosen that final reckoning to take place on that foreign snowfield!
"Where is he? Which unit is he in?" Gu Tieshan's voice trembled with extreme anger and agitation.
"His exact identity is still being verified, but we've narrowed it down to a few advance divisions. This person is extremely cunning and must be very well disguised." Political Commissar Yang pressed down on his shoulder, his gaze piercing. "Tieshan, I know how long you've waited for this day. But remember, once you're in Korea, you're first and foremost a volunteer soldier! Your primary task is to fight! On the battlefield, use your eyes and your skills to find him! Cleanse the ranks of us and rid the country of this traitor!"
"Yes, sir!" Gu Tieshan straightened his chest and gave a standard military salute. A raging fire of anger, mixed with national and personal hatred, burned fiercely in his chest, almost bursting out of his body. The snake-shadow bracelet on his left wrist, even through his military uniform, emitted a strange warmth, like a bloodthirsty low hum.
On October 19, 1950, the night was as dark as ink, with only a few cold stars.
Gu Tieshan, along with the steel torrent of troops, stepped onto the Yalu River pontoon bridge. The river flowed and murmured beneath his feet, and on the opposite bank lay the deep darkness of three thousand miles of rivers and mountains—a place of war, powerful enemies, and the mortal foe he had been searching for for years!
The river wind whipped at him, ruffling the hem of his military uniform, but it couldn't extinguish the raging fire in his eyes, a fire capable of destroying everything. He glanced back in the direction of his homeland, silently reciting:
"Lan Jun, I'm here. This time, neither 'Black Fox' nor the American devils will stand in my way!"
His rage across the river, like a long-suppressed volcano, finally erupted at this historic moment. Bearing both his personal blood feud and the sacred mission of his nation, he resolutely threw himself into the most brutal flames of that war that would establish the nation.
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