Chapter 2

After figuring out the ins and outs of the situation, Yang Zhen sighed and didn’t say anything more. He just took a fierce bite out of the cornbread in his hand, which was made from who knows what. Despite the cornbread being so coarse that it was extremely hard to swallow, making Yang Zhen feel as if his throat would be torn at any moment, the feeling of weakness all over his body told him that no matter how unpalatable it was, he had to eat it. That person was right; in this situation, the only hope was to find a way to survive.

Yang Zhen was really hungry, and he swallowed the cornbread, which was not much bigger than a baby’s fist, in just a few bites. Even after swallowing the cornbread, he still felt ravenous. Although he didn’t ask, the wolf-like looks in the eyes of the people around him when they saw the cornbread in his hand told him that he wouldn’t get any more of this extremely unpalatable food today.

After eating, Yang Zhen turned his head and carefully examined the man who had come uninvited and claimed to be his savior. "Brother, you’re from the Central Army, right? This 1935-style uniform isn’t something those irregulars or we, the stepchildren, can wear. From your words, I can tell you’re not an ordinary person. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve studied abroad."

This man’s speech was always laced with some foreign words. The shame of being a prisoner of war was far less intense for him compared to others. Moreover, the phrase "we have done our best" was not something the Chinese soldiers, who took pride in fighting to the death and considered being captured a disgrace, would say. From this man’s tone, Yang Zhen easily guessed that he had studied abroad.

"Brother Yang, you have keen eyes. You’re right. I did study abroad, at the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in France for several years. But there’s one thing you guessed wrong. I’m not from the Central Army, but from the Sichuan Army."

"Moreover, the brothers on this train are from the Northwest Army, the Sichuan Army, and even a few from the Guangxi Army, but there are no Central Army soldiers. As for this uniform, it was allocated to the Sichuan Army by General De Lin, the commander of the Fifth War Zone, after our unit was transferred there, because the Sichuan Army’s clothing and equipment were in tatters. Otherwise, this new-style uniform, which even the Central Army hasn’t fully adopted, would never have been given to us irregulars."

After saying this, the man extended his hand to Yang Zhen. "I am Captain Guo Bingxun, a combat advisor of the 41st Army of the Sichuan Army. I was captured during the breakout at the Battle of Xuzhou. Most of the brothers in this train are from the Sichuan Army, except for a few from the Northwest Army."

Yang Zhen looked at the outstretched hand, somewhat hesitant. His hesitation wasn’t due to anything else. Although he now knew his current situation, he knew nothing about his background except that his surname was Yang and he was a company commander. He didn’t even know his full name or which unit of the 18th Group Army he belonged to.

According to the history he knew from his future life, the 18th Group Army, besides its original three divisions, had some newly expanded military district units. Knowing nothing about his current situation, including how he was captured, made it difficult for him to introduce himself.

Perhaps sensing Yang Zhen’s awkwardness, or not wanting to appear weak in front of this "white dog" officer, his burly and fierce communicator, Xiao Huizi, was unusually quick to respond. "Yang Zhen, company commander of the 129th Division of the 18th Group Army, stationed in the Jin-Hei-Yu Military District. He was captured in April this year during the anti-Japanese offensive, after being knocked unconscious by an artillery shell."

Hearing Xiao Huizi’s response, Yang Zhen remained silent on the surface, but inside, he almost cried. "Am I the first soldier of the Eighth Route Army to be captured since the start of the anti-Japanese war? This damn heaven is really screwing me over, giving me this rare 'honor.'"

Feeling indignant and believing heaven to be unfair, Yang Zhen directly removed the "Y" from "heaven" and added a "thief" in front. Since heaven was toying with him, he no longer felt the need to respect it.

Although he cursed inwardly, he concealed it well. He didn’t want others to know that while he appeared the same on the surface, his inner world had already changed. As for his amnesia, someone had already provided an explanation, saving him the trouble of explaining it himself.

Yang Zhen’s disguise was very successful. He not only fooled his long-time communicator Xiao Huizi but also Shu Bingxun, who had been carefully observing him, who didn’t notice anything unusual.

As for someone else answering for him, Shu Bingxun wasn’t surprised. As a man with some medical knowledge and a soldier, he knew how brutal the Japanese had been. He had thought this man would never wake up. Compared to losing his life, a little amnesia was insignificant.

After scanning the fellow prisoners in the carriage, Shu Bingxun lowered his voice. "Brother Yang, I feel something is off about the Japanese moving us this time. When we were captured in Xuzhou and transported to the Xiyuan prisoner-of-war camp in Beiping, we were on a train, but during the three days of the journey, the Japanese didn’t give us anything to eat or drink. Most of the captured brothers, except for the wounded who were immediately killed, died of thirst and hunger during the transport."

"This time, the Japanese are escorting us, and all the guards are Japanese, with no puppet troops. However, they are giving us food every day, even though it’s not much—just two pieces of cornbread and some water at fixed times. While we can’t eat our fill, we’re not dying of thirst or hunger like before. Most of the brothers, except for the weak, have survived. This is unusual. We are prisoners, now unarmed, but we are still soldiers. Don’t they fear that we might resist after eating?"

"Another point, when you suddenly jumped off the train and I pulled you, I quickly glanced at the surroundings of the small station. From the environment, I realized they have already transported us beyond the pass, into what they call Manchukuo."

"The most critical point is that this train, except for stopping at some small stations for supplies, has been heading north continuously. Based on my knowledge of Northeast China and the speed of this train, we should already be past Changchun. They are escorting us north continuously. What is their true intention?"

"They could have easily killed us, given their usual treatment of prisoners. They could have massacred us in Nanjing in broad daylight, killing hundreds of thousands of captured soldiers and civilians without hesitation. They wouldn’t go to such lengths just to avoid international scrutiny by transporting us to the sparsely populated Northeast for slaughter."

At this point, Shu Bingxun looked at Yang Zhen, who was staring at him with a strange expression, and said, "My father, driven by the idea of saving the country through transportation, studied railway engineering in France. After graduating and returning to China, he found the country in warlord chaos, with railways becoming their money bags. Compared to other regions in China, Northeast China, though under warlord rule, was relatively stable. It also had the longest railway lines in the country, though not many were under Chinese control."

"My father was invited to work in Northeast China for many years, and I lived there with him for a long time. If it weren’t for the September 18th Incident, my father, unwilling to be a slave, would have returned to the pass. I might still be living in Northeast China with my father."

"After the September 18th Incident, I decided to join the military. My father entrusted an old friend from his time in France to send me to the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in France to study military affairs. After returning to China, due to my father’s return to his hometown in Sichuan, I joined the Sichuan Army at the invitation of General De Cao, a close friend of my father, instead of joining the Central Army like other returnees."

"I lost my mother at a young age and was raised by my father. My father, deeply in love with my mother and unwilling to see me suffer under a stepmother, never remarried. My father’s health has gradually declined over the years. To take care of him, I joined the Sichuan Army."

"My father always hoped I would follow in his footsteps and become a railway engineer. He often said that for China to become strong, it must develop transportation. Only with developed transportation can resources flow, and the people can become prosperous and healthy. Only when the people are prosperous can the country truly be strong."

"Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed by the long years of war. This time, being captured before I could achieve anything, I wonder if I have the face to return and see my father." Thinking of his father, whom he might never see again, tears welled up in Shu Bingxun’s eyes.

Yang Zhen didn’t pay attention to Shu Bingxun’s family background. His thoughts were already distracted by Shu Bingxun’s earlier words. The Japanese had transported them to Northeast China, and Yang Zhen had a rough idea of what they intended.

The Japanese, who took pleasure in slaughtering prisoners and never treated Chinese prisoners as human beings, were not being generous by sparing their lives and providing food and water. They must have ulterior motives. Considering the rich mineral resources in Northeast China, Yang Zhen guessed that the Japanese were transporting the prisoners to work in mines or build fortifications.

Having served in Northeast China for many years and visited many mass graves during political education, Yang Zhen thought of a term he had only seen in books: "special workers."

Thinking about this, Yang Zhen turned to Shu Bingxun and said, "In my opinion, the Japanese are likely transporting us from North China to Northeast China to use us as forced labor to exploit the resources of Northeast China. We are all strong and able-bodied, and the Japanese have a low level of mechanization. To meet their domestic resource needs, they will use a large amount of human labor to replace machinery."

"Besides sending us to the mines, another possibility is that they are transporting us to build fortifications. The Japanese consider Northeast China their lifeline. To maintain long-term control, they have invested heavily in the region since the September 18th Incident. To protect this lifeline, they will likely build many military fortifications in key transportation and strategic locations. These fortifications require secrecy, and even Japanese lower ranks might not know about them. Using conscripted labor could lead to leaks."

"To maintain the stability of their so-called Manchukuo and ensure the production of resources needed domestically, the Japanese will not extensively mobilize local labor. At least not until they are desperate. Therefore, we prisoners are the best labor force. After using us, they can kill us, saving trouble and ensuring strict secrecy."

"The Japanese are very shrewd and good at calculation. Although we have surrendered and are prisoners, we were once soldiers and have received some military training."

"Leaving us in the unstable areas within the pass would cause them many unnecessary troubles. Although they have taken many cities and railway lines, their control over the vast countryside is weak, and many areas are still blank."

"Leaving us in the pass is a hidden danger. If we escape or collaborate with local guerrillas, it would cause them significant trouble. Sending us to the Northeast as forced labor not only provides them with a large amount of free labor but also eliminates many troubles. Given their control over the so-called Manchukuo, even if we escape, we won’t get far before being recaptured."