Reconnaissance in the Soviet Area (Part 4)
A row of homemade cannons landed on the plank road, the explosive flashes illuminating the entire plank road. Bullets hit the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. Chunmei squatted behind a rock, covering her ears, feeling as if her internal organs were about to be shaken out.
Someone shouted first, "50 silver dollars for killing a sergeant, 500 silver dollars for killing a bandit leader! Charge!"
Bullets flew out in a menacing manner, and the soldiers on the plank road were in chaos. Some ran away with their heads in their hands, some fell to the ground, and some simply jumped into the river, trying to swim to the other side. However, the sniper fire from the other side forced them to retreat back to the plank road.
It looked like something out of the ordinary. Chunmei covered her mouth to keep from laughing out loud, but when she peeked out from behind the stone, all three fishing boats had raised their white sails. The soldier who couldn't climb onto the boat in time was kicked into the river by his companion.
The huge roar of the waves mingled with the sounds of gunfire and the hysterical cries of the soldiers, and the entire boardwalk came to a boil.
Three figures carrying guns and two carrying harpoons were the first to leap out of the forest. With practiced ease, they wielded their harpoons, the sharp blades flashing, and pierced the wounded soldier's kidneys.
The soldiers on the ship recovered their senses and quickly returned fire. Their firepower overlapped and pressed against each other, and Chunmei, lying prone on the ground, couldn't lift her head at all.
Thump—thump—
She only heard the sound of someone falling into the water, but she didn't know whether it was one of her own or an enemy. Her heart was in turmoil, and she had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Suddenly someone in the bushes said, "We don't have that many bullets left. If we keep fighting, we'll run out of ammunition and they'll get away."
“There’s no wind tonight, they can’t row fast. Grab your tools, get in the water, and smash that damn boat,” another man immediately chimed in.
She recognized the voice immediately as her third uncle's. Overjoyed, Chunmei used both hands and feet to scramble out of the bushes in the direction of the sound, peeking out her head and shouting, "Third Uncle, I'm going too!"
Perhaps her appearance was too strange, for the two men froze on the spot, their eyes wide open, before the third uncle reacted first, glaring at her fiercely: "What are you doing, kid? Do you even know how to sculpt a boat?"
“How can I not know how to chisel a boat? Just take a hammer and nails, and smash it down. A big hole will appear in the bottom of the boat in no time. Once it leaks water, the boat will sink. It’s that simple!” Chunmei said confidently.
“Kids are just kids, they don’t understand anything. Don’t make things worse. Go to the back and find your Section Chief Zhao, he’s looking for you.” Third Uncle plucked a few leaves from her hair to change the subject.
The uncles from the same village also tried to persuade her, but Chunmei was full of anger and simply "removed" her ears to pretend to be deaf. Why was she still a child? She was already of marriageable age, and some of her peers were already mothers.
Within a minute of the conversation, our firepower noticeably weakened. My third uncle and the village elder's expressions hardened, and they urged her to leave. After saying this, the two disappeared into the darkness.
Immediately afterward, amidst the dense gunfire, she heard several more "splashes," probably indicating that her third uncle and the others had taken their tools and entered the water. Chunmei dared not be negligent and quietly observed. The reactionaries on the boat seemed to have noticed someone in the water. Being on higher ground, they panicked and fired a burst of shots at the river surface.
The firelight on the river faded, but red flames surged up one by one in the water. Chunmei's heart clenched with worry, wondering which unlucky soul had been shot. She clasped her hands together and prayed to the Bodhisattva for her third uncle, the Dragon King, to be possessed and invincible.
The more she looked, the more anxious she became. Her body was constantly tense. If anything happened to her third uncle and the others, she would have to step in immediately and show them that she was no child.
Right, we haven't equipped ourselves yet. She immediately thought of Chief Zhao. As a woman of action, Chunmei set off right away. From a distance, she recognized Chief Zhao, who was wearing a White Army officer's uniform. His aura of keeping strangers at bay was unique in the countryside.
Once the people were found, Chunmei couldn't wait to ask to join the battle, but Section Chief Zhao rejected her request. He told Chunmei to wait patiently and that they would go into the water to capture prisoners once the ship sank.
"Leave the professional work to the professionals. The main task of the investigation team is not to eliminate the enemies on the surface, but to investigate the lurking spies. Don't keep getting the priorities wrong," Section Chief Zhao reminded him, his tone revealing a hint of displeasure.
"I know, I know, stop nagging!" Chunmei muttered to herself as she followed behind the man.
When Chunmei arrived at the front line of the battle, a creaking sound—a grating, nerve-wracking noise—was heard across both banks of the river.
In an instant, everyone on the riverbank covered their ears and crawled on the ground. What the hell was that sound? It was scarier than thunder! Chunmei blinked as she lay on the ground, and two huge whirlpools suddenly appeared on the river. The soldiers who had fallen into the water were spinning and shouting in the whirlpools, their outstretched hands unable to grasp anything.
The large ship slowly tilted, and the people on board, disregarding the cargo, jumped onto smaller boats to escape and rowed outwards together. Those who couldn't jump in time were eventually swept into the whirlpool and disappeared.
Three or four miles away, four dark figures swam desperately towards the shore. Chunmei recognized the second one from his swimming style as her third uncle, who seemed to be holding a large ship nail in his mouth. Before she could reach him, bang, bang, bang, the exchange of fire resumed.
At that moment, Section Chief Zhao ordered: "Everyone, those who can swim, go into the water and capture them alive; those who can't swim, stay on the shore and shoot to provide cover for your teammates."
This is the order we've been waiting for!
Twisting her wrists and ankles, Chunmei took off her cloth shoes and coat, and seized the opportunity to plunge into the river. The river water was still a bit cool at night, but Chunmei didn't feel the chill because a warm feeling was surging in her heart.
"Puff puff puff," bullets kept hitting the water. Chunmei simply dived deeper into the river to escape these annoying attacks. Soon she found a small escape boat, floating on the water like an autumn leaf.
The small boat wasn't going as fast as expected and was tilting a bit, probably because it was too heavy. The reactionaries weren't evenly seated either. Chunmei had an idea. She picked up a handy stone and slowly floated up. While catching her breath, she confirmed that her judgment was correct.
With a plop, Chunmei tapped the left bow with a stone, but the people on the boat didn't react and continued rowing with all their might. It wasn't easy to get a good grip underwater, but Chunmei wasn't discouraged. She simply stretched her hand out of the water and tapped it again.
This time, the people on the ship reacted. The ship slowed down even more, and they whispered among themselves. Someone got up, took out his sidearm, and looked to the left.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chunmei quickly did a 180-degree somersault underwater, pushed off the right side of the boat with both feet, and flipped over!
The boat couldn't withstand the force and flipped over. Just as it was about to capsize, the gunman fired two shots haphazardly. Fortunately, the bullets slowed down as they entered the water, and Chunmei quickly treaded the water and dodged to the deeper part of the boat.
Looking up from below, the person struggling on the surface of the water had only two flailing legs left, which looked quite comical. However, she dared not laugh. As she approached her target, she grabbed the person's ankle, pulled it down sharply, and then deliberately let go.
The target choked on water, coughing as he paddled towards the shore to avoid bullets. Clang! The fishing trap was triggered, and he was trapped inside a fish trap that reached his chest, with no way out.
Chunmei had been fishing and catching shrimp in this river since she was a child. She was as fast as a live loach. Under the cover of moonlight, she pulled on the legs of several people in succession. The reactionaries were already terrified, and the river water was stirred up into a muddy mess by them.
In a moment of carelessness, Chunmei choked on the mud and sand. She closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose, and the mud and sand were expelled with the airflow, but two strings of small bubbles gave away her location.
Two young soldiers who could swim immediately swam towards her. In a flash, Chunmei kicked the water and broke out of the water, her hair wet and sticking to her eyelids. She glanced at the shore and saw that her third uncle seemed to be waving to her. It would only take two minutes to swim over.
But before she could even feel relieved, the scenery in front of Chunmei began to flicker, making it difficult for her to discern directions. Suddenly, her neck sank, and her head sank into the water. She choked on the water, and two hands gripped her neck tightly, preventing her from surfacing. As she struggled, she felt difficulty breathing, and her body gradually went numb.
In the moment of crisis, Chunmei mustered her last bit of strength, pulled out the small fish-killing knife from her waist, and just like cutting open a fish's belly, swung it back and forth with the current, and the red "silk" gushed out instantly.
Taking someone down with you before you die, it's not a bad deal! Chunmei could no longer bear it, her body sinking straight down. In a daze, she felt someone lift her by the waist and slowly swim upwards...
"Captain Zhang, Captain Zhang, wake up..."
*Pfft!* Chunmei spat out a mouthful of muddy water. Her clothes were completely soaked and she was a little cold. Section Chief Zhao kindly draped a clean smock over her. The battle by the river had ended, and a few comrades were cleaning up.
Looking at her teammates' faces so close to hers, she suddenly laughed: "Hahaha, comrades, I'm still alive! Hahaha, the Dragon King finds me annoying and won't take me in!"
“Zhang Chunmei! You call yourself the Dragon King? Teamwork is about coordination, not individual heroism. If your comrades hadn’t discovered the situation on your end, you’d be dead by now. Go back and write me a self-criticism.” Section Chief Zhao’s tone was icy, but his eyes held an unusual anxiety.
Faced with the cold-faced Bodhisattva, Chunmei cooperated and said, "Write, write, I'll write."
Looking around, she couldn't see her third uncle. Strange, he was just on the shore a moment ago, where did he go? After asking her comrades, she learned that her third uncle had led the militia to chase after the third boat.
At that time, they only scuttled two ships. Scutting a ship is a technical job that not everyone can do. After scutting the bottom of the ship, it cannot sink immediately. Instead, they must give themselves enough time to escape. Therefore, it requires extremely high skills from the boatmen.
If the chisel is too heavy or too forceful, the ship will sink quickly and there won't be time to escape. If the chisel is too light or too slow, the ship will not sink easily, and the people inside can simply use something to block it. The third ship was chiseled too lightly, so we had to start over.
"Stop chatting, everyone go change into the White bandits' uniforms and come back to the village with me. We still have a mission." Section Chief Zhao tossed down a set of uniforms.
After getting the clothes, Chunmei ran into the dense forest and reluctantly changed into the bandit's clothes. Humph, if it weren't for the mission, she wouldn't want to wear the reactionaries' stinky clothes. No, what if she was recognized by someone she knew? She really couldn't bear the embarrassment. Chunmei quickly smeared some yellow mud on her face.
The investigation team left three people behind to interrogate the prisoners, while the others mingled with the fake White bandits—oh, no, the anti-bandit team—to carry out anti-communist missions.
The village was filled with the sounds of drums and trumpets, especially the suona horns, whose liveliness could be felt from ten miles away. However, to Chunmei, it sounded more like a funeral procession.
At the village entrance, as Section Chief Zhao gave a quiet order, everyone ran into the village. After a few shouts, the village fell into an eerie silence, and even the dogs obediently lay on the ground with their tongues hanging out.
Caught completely off guard, the reactionaries, already half-drunk, stood frozen in place, staring at each other, before a row of dark gun barrels.
The candlelight flickered, and Section Chief Zhao emerged from the darkness, peered around the table, then sat down, propped his legs up high on the table, and arrogantly asked, "Keep drinking, why aren't you drinking anymore?"
"You guys attacked me from behind..." The bald man slammed his fist on the table, his face contorted with rage.
The fake "leader" gave him a wink, and the bald man immediately backed down: "We have nothing to say to the reactionaries, kill us if you want."
"So you're their leader. What's your name?" Section Chief Zhao raised his wine bowl, his eyes fixed on him. Suddenly, his hand trembled, and the wine splashed all over the "commander's" face. "Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty shot!"
The harsh scolding startled Chunmei. The fake leader wiped away the wine stains and showed no fear on his face: "Today's matter has nothing to do with the villagers. We forcibly took up residence here. Don't involve the innocent."
"Is that so? Village Chief, step forward." As soon as Section Chief Zhao finished speaking, the village chief was pushed to the table by the crowd, his white beard trembling.
"Sir, we...we are all law-abiding citizens. They have guns, there's nothing I can do." The village chief was already in tears, and was just short of kneeling down and kowtowing.
"Heh, you're afraid of them?" Section Chief Zhao glanced at the fake leader incredulously, then roared, "Harboring 'Gs' bandits is a violation of national law. Take them away and execute them."
"Let me go!" The fake leader stood up righteously, but was forced to sit down by two team members.
With a wave of his hand, Section Chief Zhao had two men drag the village chief away. Bang! A deafening gunshot echoed above the small fishing village.
What are they putting on? Maybe I just lost my mind. Chunmei's head is itchy. A real Party member is impersonating a Kuomintang bandit suppression team to interrogate a real spy who is impersonating a Red Army soldier. One is pretending to be vicious, and the other is pretending to be righteous.
"You all remember this: if anyone dares to harbor 'Gs' bandits again, you'll all suffer the same fate as the village chief." Section Chief Zhao glared fiercely at the agents with their various expressions. "As for you few, is any of you willing to surrender?"
All the agents at the banquet turned their attention to the fake leader. The fake leader sneered, "Since you're talking about surrendering, you should at least introduce yourselves. Otherwise, how am I supposed to know if you're bandits or government officials?"
The two sides were evenly matched in their battle of wills. Section Chief Zhao narrowed his eyes and sized up the fake leader: "Where do you bastards get your confidence and questions? Is it because of your few dilapidated ships?"
His gaze shifted to the fake commander, whose expression faltered. Even though he was a seasoned veteran agent, he was probably struggling to control his turbulent emotions. The ship was gone, so be it; but the cargo was gone too. Even ten of his heads wouldn't be enough to compensate for it.
"What's wrong? Is there something important on the ship? Something so important that you can't afford to lose it?" Section Chief Zhao didn't give him much time to react, standing up and pressing closer, their figures almost overlapping.
Looking at the badge on Section Chief Zhao's chest, the fake leader's lips twitched slightly. Chunmei felt uncomfortable all over but couldn't quite put her finger on what was strange.
Just then, the fake leader suddenly took Section Chief Zhao hostage. The speed of his actions left everyone speechless. They only heard a "click" as the gun was chambered. Zhang Chunmei was also stunned. She had never seen such speed before, and she didn't even see where the man pulled out his gun. Wow, they'd run into a tough opponent!
"Everyone, step back!" the fake leader said as he retreated, and the people spontaneously made way for him. Chunmei wanted to rush forward, but her companions deliberately blocked her. She was not tall to begin with, and she could only barely see a little bit of her by standing on tiptoe.
"Let go of our boss!" Chunmei jumped up and shouted, and the rest of the investigation team echoed her.
"Step back, step back, whatever you do, don't fire. Don't be impulsive either." Section Chief Zhao softened instantly, forcing a smile onto his stiff face. The investigation team members nodded hurriedly, and Chunmei could only follow suit.
"Brothers, if you've got the guts, charge out with me!" The fake leader, holding Section Chief Zhao hostage, retreated with a group of agents to the north of the village, which was the only way out of the village to the mountains.
Under the pale moonlight, the standoff slowly moved to the edge of the village until the village became a small dot, behind which was a tall green canopy. Once you blended in, you wouldn't be able to find anyone for a while.
The fake leader looked around as if searching for the best escape route. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Section Chief Zhao said, "Once you're out, stop pretending. You're all on the same side."
"Pah, who says we're on your side?" the fake leader spat.
"If you really are Red Army soldiers, how come you're carrying hundreds of pounds of opium on board?" Section Chief Zhao retorted sharply, though his body stiffened slightly. "Did the Soviets change their policies, or are you so greedy for money that you're secretly trading it behind the backs?"
The fake commander neither admitted nor denied it: "You keep saying we are fakes, so what are your intentions in impersonating the 54th Division? The entire 54th Division is attacking Ji'an, which is hundreds of miles away, and it is impossible for them to be in Ruijin City."
"Hehe, you're ignorant. We are the real advance team of the 54th Division. My identification is in my left breast pocket. Don't accidentally hurt your colleagues," Section Chief Zhao said confidently, pointing to his chest.
Baldy was an impatient man. Without waiting for orders, he reached out and pulled out an officer's ID card. He touched his bald head and exclaimed, "Captain Company Commander, Wu Shuluo, with the official seal and red stamp all there. Damn, he's one of us. Put down your gun."
As soon as the bald man was revealed, Zhao Ke visibly breathed a sigh of relief. However, the fake leader completely ignored the bald man, seemingly unconcerned about Zhao Ke's obvious identity: "Why do you think I'm not an ordinary cigarette vendor? What made you think that?"
In response to the fake leader's questioning, Section Chief Zhao sneered, "Heh, how dare ordinary cigarette vendors cause trouble in the CCP's territory? The stubborn ones have already been burned. On the contrary, our people like to cause trouble in the Red Zone regardless of the cost."
"Then you've got it wrong. We're just ordinary tobacco dealers. The less people dare to do it, the more money we make. And you knew we were fake Red Army soldiers, yet you still beat and killed us. What kind of show are you putting on in the village?" The fake leader was extremely tight-lipped, and even though the bald man had already admitted it, he stubbornly refused to admit it.
Ignoring the fake leader's words, Section Chief Zhao replied seriously, "Whether you acknowledge it or not is up to you. I know the cargo on the ship is priceless. I can return it to you. You don't want to be blamed by your superiors for incompetence, do you? How about we make a deal?"
Upon hearing this, the fake leader's eyes lit up, but he did not let his guard down and questioned him about what tricks he was trying to play.
“No fancy tricks, everyone’s just doing what the higher-ups want. I want a city defense map of Ruijin City and the surrounding villages and towns.” Section Chief Zhao casually tried to get information out of me. “You guys in this business must have ways to avoid the garrison.”
The fake leader angrily pressed the gun barrel against Section Chief Zhao's head: "You're trying to get something for nothing. That thing was originally ours."
"Really? But all I know is that I destroyed a mobile hideout of the G(s) bandits and seized a batch of spoils." Section Chief Zhao glanced coldly and said sternly, "Listen up, brothers, if I die, you sell half of those goods and hand over the other half. Our superiors will be ecstatic. After the sealing of the wolf's lair, don't forget to give your big brother a good cup of wine on Qingming Festival."
"Brother Wu, let's talk this over. We're not being unreasonable, so let's not ruin our relationship." The bald man forcefully snatched the gun from the fake chief's hand, having already accepted all of Section Chief Zhao's lies.
Seeing this, the remaining agents put away their weapons to show their sincerity. Chunmei and her comrades in the investigation team also put down their guns. She was completely confused and decided to take it one step at a time.
"Tell me, how do you want to cooperate?" the fake leader asked impatiently.
Section Chief Zhao pretended to think for a few seconds, then suddenly gave a sinister smile: "Take me along your shipping route. If you're sure there are no problems, I'll naturally give you the goods."
The fake commander scoffed, "I've led you through the whole area, and if you don't give me the goods, I'll be at a huge loss. I can only draw you a defense map; you'll have to find your own way."
Good heavens, they really have the defense map of Ruijin! Chunmei felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Once the White bandits pushed the front line to Ruijin, Ruijin would be defenseless.
"Even if you're smart, don't treat others like fools. I need the defense map for bandit suppression; it's a matter of great importance. How can I not do it myself?" Section Chief Zhao suppressed his anger and his attitude was resolute, clearly leaving no room for negotiation.
When the two sides were deadlocked, the bald man stepped in to mediate: "Brother Wu, the map we provided is guaranteed to be authentic, otherwise how do you think we escaped..."
Before he could finish speaking, the fake leader glared at him fiercely. The bald man coughed awkwardly twice to change the subject: "Ahem, we also have our own missions, so it's really inconvenient for us to accompany you. Sorry."
"I know you have an inside man. Only by working together from the inside and outside can we pave a way out. It's fine if you don't want to go with me, but I want that inside man to draw the latest city defense map in front of me." Section Chief Zhao probably saw through their hesitant thoughts and changed his request.
"No way!" the fake leader refused outright.
"If the deal isn't going to go through, let's call it a day. It's a waste of time." Section Chief Zhao rolled his eyes and made to leave.
The bald man hurriedly reached out to stop him, and after stammering for a while, he advised, "Brother Wu, you've offered such a high price all at once. Which buyer can afford that? Aren't you worried that the city defense map is a fake and will delay military operations? How about we compromise?"
"Tell me your compromise plan." Section Chief Zhao stopped in his tracks, looked up at the moon, and didn't even glance at the bald man.
"Did you bring a telegraph machine? If you did, that would make things much easier. We'll send an encrypted telegram to our inside contact, have him draw a diagram, and you can specify any location you like. I'll have him put the diagram wherever he wants," the bald man suggested, rubbing his hands together.
"Is there any difference between this and before? You can just pick any random cat or dog and scribble something down, what can I do about it?" Section Chief Zhao retorted, and the crowd joined in the commotion.
He glanced at the fake leader's position but didn't object. The bald man, emboldened, suggested again, "If you don't have one, you can use our radio to call. We have a station in the next village, and the team members there are familiar with the routes. I can have them accompany you to get the map and walk the side paths along the way. Once you're sure it's correct, you can hand over the goods to them, okay?"
"Going to your territory, wouldn't I be in danger?" Section Chief Zhao fiddled with his fingers, showing little interest.
“We’ve always operated with integrity, and we even exposed a site to you, so you’re not at a loss. Besides, you didn’t deliver the goods, so we have to keep someone hostage, right? Let’s both compromise,” the bald man argued.
"You trust the station so much, but what if they get greedy for the goods and embezzle them all, then say I didn't give them to them?" Section Chief Zhao asked with a sidelong glance.
The bald man seemed stumped, his pleading eyes frequently drifting towards the fake leader.
Finally, the fake leader cursed "a silver-plated spearhead" and walked to Section Chief Zhao's side: "Of course, there are conditions for delivering the goods. You have to have them send a telegram to headquarters to indicate that the goods have arrived. Headquarters will then reply with a string of random numbers. When you see that the numbers end in 00, then give the goods to them. Keep the reply safe. As long as you keep the reply, we will never cause you any trouble."
"Ending with 00." Section Chief Zhao repeated in a low voice, as if remembering some important information. When he looked up, a rare smile appeared on his face. "It's settled then."
The group of more than twenty people quickly disappeared into the dark night.
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