Wang Huanchun and Jin Hanshan walked side by side toward the distant thatched hut.
The other elderly people followed with the help of the police.
Director Yu watched them leave, then turned to Zhang Cheng: "This lead has been cut off. We can only wait for Zhao Daming to get a police dog."
In his view, most of what follows would be futile, and the police dogs might not be able to turn the tide.
Zhang Cheng shook his head almost imperceptibly, his gaze falling on the distant figure of Wang Huanchun supporting Jin Hanshan.
"Director Yu, the prince has something on his mind."
"What do you mean?" Director Yu followed Zhang Cheng's gaze and looked at Wang Huanchun, who was walking into the thatched shed.
"The prince touched the scar on the mummified corpse's shoulder earlier, and his eyes looked strange then!" Zhang Cheng affirmed.
Director Yu's eyebrows twitched slightly; he hadn't really noticed this detail.
"According to you, Wang Huanchun must have discovered something. Why doesn't he tell you?"
Zhang Cheng shrugged: "In that special era, the prince was a prominent figure in the surrounding area. I heard that the Japanese offered a reward of one hundred silver dollars for his head. A traitor betrayed him and revealed his location. Fortunately, the prince was vigilant and moved away after the Japanese entered the mountains."
"Therefore, I believe that even if the prince notices something amiss, he will not deliberately hide it. Perhaps he cannot be completely certain yet, or he thinks the time is not right. Let's wait and see. I have a feeling that the prince will give us a big 'surprise'."
Zhang Cheng smiled. Although he had a grudge against the villagers of Wang Village, Wang Huanchun would definitely put aside his prejudices and prioritize the greater good when it came to the Japanese.
This is a deep-seated hatred. You can do whatever you want behind closed doors, but if outsiders interfere, you're in for a beating.
Inside the small thatched hut, twelve white-haired old men gathered, each reminiscing about the past.
Wang Huanchun sat down next to Jin Hanshan, chuckling as he pulled out his pipe from his waist: "Brother Hanshan, I was in a hurry when I came out and forgot to bring matches. Do you have any?"
"Yes, yes!" Jin Hanshan quickly took out a match and lit it for Wang Huanchun.
Wang Huanchun puffed on his cigarette, squinted, and after a moment, his voice turned deep: "Hanshan, I remember, back then the Japanese devils massacred more than 300 people in Jin Village, and only you and Lei Zi escaped, right?"
Jin Hanshan's wrinkled old face tightened instantly, resentment welled up in his eyes, and he clenched his teeth: "That's right. When the Japanese devils entered the village, the village chief saw that he couldn't escape, so he organized the villagers to resist. It was a fierce battle! We took hoes and sickles, and relying on our familiarity with the terrain, we also took down a few Japanese devils."
"But, but the Japanese devils set fire to the village, and Lei and I hid in the well, which is how we survived."
"Ah! Brother Hanshan, so many years have passed, don't think too much about it. Life is better now, taking care of your health is the most important thing!" an old man advised.
"Now that the country is strong, I'm thinking it's time to take revenge, isn't it?"
"Whenever we fight the Japanese devils, I'll be the first to volunteer!"
"You old bones like yours, you still want to go to the battlefield?"
"What? You look down on me? Let me tell you, when it comes to fighting the Japanese, I'm no worse than those young punks!"
"You old geezer, who are you calling 'old man'?"
These old men, though in their seventies and eighties, all had fiery tempers and were ready to fight at the drop of a hat.
Wang Huanchun curled his lip slightly: "Have you made enough of a scene? Do you want those younger folks outside to laugh at you?"
He still held considerable authority, and as soon as he spoke, the two old men who had rolled up their sleeves reluctantly sat back down.
Wang Huanchun turned his gaze to Jin Hanshan, whose face was filled with grief and indignation.
"Back then, when we found you and Lei Zi in the mountains, you told us that you had been wandering around in the mountains for three or four days, right?"
"Hmm!" Jin Hanshan nodded, his eyes flickering as he met Wang Huanchun's gaze. "Brother Wang, why are you suddenly asking these questions? Are you perhaps suspicious of me?"
"Don't overthink it!" Wang Huanchun raised his hand and patted Jin Hanshan on the shoulder. "I just suddenly remembered and asked casually."
Jin Hanshan didn't believe this explanation, nor did the other old men.
These were all seasoned old men who had lived most of their lives; how could they not hear the unspoken meaning? Each of them gave Jin Hanshan a subtle look in their eyes.
Jin Hanshan felt extremely uncomfortable and suddenly stood up: "What kind of looks are those? I told you, I'm not a traitor!"
"Brother Jin, don't get agitated. We never said you were a traitor!"
"Exactly, why are you getting so worked up? Even if we take a step back, isn't it normal for us to have some doubts after something like this happened?"
"Being meticulous in life and work is what Instructor Han taught us back then. We survived not because we were particularly skilled, but because we were careful and meticulous. Old Jin, I remember you used to be quite steady, why are you so impulsive now?"
Jin Hanshan really wanted to curse: "You all see me as a traitor, how can I stay calm? How can I stay composed? My whole Jin family died under the guns of the Japanese devils, how could I be a traitor!"
Wang Huanchun exhaled smoke rings, squinted at Jin Hanshan, whose emotions were becoming increasingly agitated, and suddenly laughed: "You old rascal, you get all worked up over just a few words. I already said I didn't call you a traitor, how could I not believe you?"
Just as Wang Huanchun was testing Jin Hanshan, Zhao Daming arrived in Jin Village with seven special trainers sent by the province.
Each trainee was accompanied by a police dog.
Zhao Daming had only been gone for seven or eight hours, which clearly showed that the province attached great importance to the matter. As soon as they received the report, they quickly dispatched personnel and police dogs to the scene.
"Director Yu!" Zhao Daming rushed to the front of the police station. "These seven are top-notch special trainers in our province, and the seven police dogs are also excellent!"
"Great, great, great!" Director Yu couldn't hide his excitement.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the seven special trainees, Director Yu personally led them to the entrance of the experimental base.
Seven special trainers led police dogs into the tunnel.
"Everyone, the rest is up to you!" Director Yu said solemnly after leaving the experimental base.
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