Chapter 47

More than twenty devils were carrying grain, some on their backs and others on their shoulders, presenting a bustling scene. The fat man wasn’t idle either; he estimated the explosive range of the nitroglycerin in his hand, found a spot that could trigger the explosion of the weapons and ammunition in the warehouse and affect the grain, then found a box of gunpowder fuses and set up inside the warehouse.

In less than an hour, the devils had filled three military trucks. The later-arrived patrol squad also contributed two drivers. Under the fat man’s encouragement, the two squad leaders actually joined in to protect the transport of grain, ammunition, and weapons, which made the fat man feel a bit guilty. He casually took a watch as well.

Then the fat man sat in the first military truck, pulling along two squads of devils. A heavy machine gun was mounted on the truck bed, and the two squad leaders didn’t dare to ask too many questions. The second truck was loaded with grain, and the last two trucks with weapons and ammunition.

Just before the convoy was about to depart, the fat man finally connected the motor he had obtained earlier to the fuse of the nitroglycerin. With a wave of his chubby hand, the four military trucks lined up and rushed toward the guard post at the entrance of Warehouse No. 1.

The guard at the gate was a Japanese lieutenant. When the fat man came in alone earlier, he posed no threat and was naturally allowed in. However, now, four military trucks suddenly rushed out of the warehouse, with a heavy machine gun mounted on the first truck. He had received no notification about any transport at night, so he had no choice but to lower the barrier and stop the convoy.

"Captain, please show your material entry and exit permit!" The lieutenant saluted the fat man sitting in the truck. The fat man saw that this guy was the type who was extremely rigid, and he had his ways to deal with such people.

The fat man got out of the truck, returned the salute to the lieutenant, and then solemnly scolded in Japanese, "Bakayarou! The Sakata Battalion in the neighboring county is under attack by the Chinese. Captain Asano ordered me to bring this batch of grain and weapons for reinforcement. Are you going to stop me? Watch the imperial soldiers die in battle!"

"Captain! I deeply regret the Sakata Battalion’s situation, but imperial soldiers take pride in dying on the battlefield. Without Captain Asano’s signed material entry and exit permit, I cannot open the gate for you!" The lieutenant didn’t buy it and maintained a businesslike attitude.

"Bakayarou!" The fat man was furious and slapped the lieutenant hard, making a loud "slap" sound. The lieutenant staggered, almost falling over.

The fat man, not letting up, slapped him again and again, the crisp sounds making the surrounding devils hold their breath. The two squad leaders on the truck looked on with amusement, watching the unfortunate lieutenant. Who could blame him for not being perceptive enough?

"Lieutenant, are you going to disobey orders and stop me from rescuing the Sakata Battalion?" The fat man’s hand was sore from slapping, and he couldn’t afford to waste time. He pulled out his pistol, cocked it, and pointed the black barrel at the lieutenant’s head.

The lieutenant’s cheeks were already swollen from the slaps. He covered his face and shuddered at the sight of the gun barrel. He stiffened his neck and said, "Please show the material entry and exit permit signed by Captain Asano..."

"Bang!" The fat man pulled the trigger. The lieutenant’s words were cut short as his body slowly fell into a pool of blood. He didn’t need to hear the rest; he knew this guy was determined to defy him. One shot was enough for such a devil.

"Lieutenant, you delayed military affairs and disobeyed orders, disgracing the empire. I should have made you commit seppuku, but the urgency of reinforcing the Sakata Battalion left no time. I have already executed you. Anyone who dares to disobey the battalion commander’s orders will meet the same fate. Open the barrier immediately, or face military law!" The fat man shouted. Although the sounds of battle in the west of the city masked the gunshot, it would surely draw nearby devils. He had to leave quickly.

The barrier finally opened. After all, the fat captain was a high-ranking officer. Even if they tried to stop him, they wouldn’t dare to shoot, as subordinates killing superiors was treason, while superiors killing subordinates was justified. The fat captain could execute them all if he wanted.

The fat man jumped into the truck and directed the four trucks to rush out of Warehouse No. 1, heading north.

As soon as the fat man left, the devils at the checkpoint immediately called the battalion headquarters to verify the situation and sent a squad of soldiers to check the warehouse.

The fat man knew that as soon as he got in the truck, the devils at the checkpoint would call to verify his story and check the warehouse. This would trigger the motor and set off the nitroglycerin, causing a massive explosion in the warehouse.

The fire and explosion from Warehouse No. 1 would be the signal for Colonel Ma and his men to retreat. If they didn’t receive the signal, they would withdraw after two hours of feigned attack.

Pursuers might arrive at any moment, so he couldn’t afford to delay. He kept ordering the devil squad leaders to shoot anyone who tried to stop them. The squad leaders hesitated for a moment but finally nodded. Although they were suspicious of the fat man’s orders, he was a captain, and he could promote them to lieutenants, couldn’t he?

A moment later, a thunderous explosion behind them drowned out the gunfire in the west of the city. The sky was lit up by the flames, and the explosion triggered a chain reaction, with continuous explosions and flames illuminating the entire county like daylight.

The fat man glanced at the rearview mirror and saw the continuous explosions and flames from Warehouse No. 1. A wicked smile appeared on his face. "The power is strong enough. I should get more if I have the chance. Hehe, half the job is done!"

Indeed, half the job was done. He still had to get the grain and weapons out of the county, break through the devil roadblocks, and fight off the pursuing devils. This was a life-and-death situation, and any mistake could cost him his life. Fortunately, he had fooled these ambitious devils.

The north gate had been on high alert since the attack on the west gate. The city gates were tightly closed. The west gate was under attack by an unknown force, and the number of attackers was unclear. With artillery and machine guns, Captain Asano had deployed all his forces to the west gate, including most of the puppet troops, to defend it.

The remaining three gates, the dock, and the train station were all guarded by puppet troops. Although Asano didn’t trust these puppet troops, the special wartime situation left him no choice.

Seeing the flames and explosions from Warehouse No. 1, Old Li grinned and shouted to the puppet troops on duty, "Brothers, open the city gate for me!"

Whether on the city wall or below, these were soldiers Old Li had led for years. It wasn’t his or his brothers’ shift tonight, but he had paid a few dollars to take over. He was waiting for the fireworks at Warehouse No. 1 so he could open the gate and let the second boss’s fiancé escape. He was the sixth boss, hidden among the puppet troops in the county.