Chapter 5

On the morning of November 6, 1937, the rain had stopped, and there was no wind. The aftermath of the night rain began to show, forming vast patches of morning mist.

In the southern part of Songjiang City, the 107th Division was responsible for the northern bank of the Huangpu River, which had three main ferry crossings from west to east: Jinhe浜, Mishi渡, and Desheng港. The 107th Division comprised the 319th and 321st Brigades. The 319th Brigade included the 637th and 638th Regiments, and Hu Yi's 638th Regiment was tasked with defending Desheng港.

Desheng港 was located ten miles southeast of Songjiang County, on the banks of the Huangpu River. Hundreds of houses of varying heights were tightly clustered together, with a small street running north to south through the town. At the north end, a dirt road led to Songjiang, while the southern end of the street terminated at the Desheng港 dock. The surrounding area was a vast expanse of staggered rice fields and crisscrossing ditches, forming a crescent shape that protected Desheng港 on the murky Huangpu River. The previous day, news of the Japanese landing had spread, and the residents had already fled, leaving behind a quiet, empty town that was still asleep in the morning mist.

The sentry was a new recruit, already exhausted from the night's rain-soaked march. He wore a wet gray uniform, held a wet rifle, and walked down the wet street in wet cloth shoes, making a soft squelching sound. Suddenly, he stopped, his gaze piercing through the mist on the street, noticing what seemed to be figures moving at the end of the street.

"Who! Which unit?" The sentry's hoarse, loud voice echoed down the quiet street and disappeared into the mist. After a moment of silence, a sharp crack broke the stillness, the sound of a bullet tearing through the air, piercing the sentry's chest, and continuing to strike the brick wall, scattering debris. It was the Japanese—gunfire suddenly erupted, and the whistling of bullets began to crisscross the misty street, shattering tiles, piercing window frames, and occasionally sparking on the cobblestone ground, accompanied by muffled groans, thoroughly awakening the sleeping town. The 638th Regiment had just arrived at Desheng港 and unexpectedly encountered the vanguard of the Japanese 6th Division disembarking. The surprise on both sides led to a chaotic and unorganized battle.

"Report, we've encountered the Japanese."

"Am I deaf? How many Japanese are there?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know, and you still come to report? Have the 1st Battalion hold the front, the 2nd Battalion quickly enter the town to occupy high points and key positions, and the 3rd Battalion immediately set up defenses on both sides of the riverbank."

"Yes!" The messenger took off, disappearing into the mist.

Following the 1st Battalion commander's orders, the 3rd Company commander, holding a Mauser pistol, led the 3rd Company off the street and into the alleys. "Hurry, all of you, hurry. 2nd Platoon, move forward along the alley until you can see the Japanese, then open fire. 1st Platoon, occupy the houses, and secure the best positions before the Japanese do."

"What counts as a good position?" The 1st Platoon commander asked, shouting back while running.

"Whatever position can hit the Japanese is a good position!" The 3rd Company commander replied. Turning back, he saw Wang Laokou leading the 3rd Platoon right behind him. "You, 3rd Platoon..."

Wang Laokou immediately interrupted, "We'll protect the company headquarters."

The 3rd Company commander was still angry about the previous night. Wang Laokou had forced him to return the watch and even took his gun. Now, Wang Laokou, with his old face, wanted to protect the 'company headquarters'? There was only a company commander, a guard, and a communications soldier—what kind of headquarters was that? "Protect what? Look, that two-story building over there is your position. Hold it."

Wang Laokou looked in the direction the company commander pointed. A small two-story building appeared and disappeared in the mist. Although it was only two stories, it stood out among the low houses, towering proudly. This was a death sentence...

The gunfire on the street became more intense, and the machine guns on both sides began to fire. Wang Laokou muttered curses as he led the 3rd Platoon quickly toward the building. As they approached, the building became clearer. The first floor was brick and stone, with a wooden second floor added, featuring windows on all sides and a southern-style roof. The area was not large. As they turned the corner, they saw the entrance to the building. Suddenly, several figures darted out from the other side of the building!

Wang Laokou's heart sank. Unable to stop, he instinctively fell forward, sliding to the ground behind a low wall.

Da Ge, Zhao Yong, and the simple-minded soldier followed the platoon leader, running with their heads down. When the platoon leader reached the corner and fell, they were stunned. Turning their heads, they saw figures darting out from the other side of the building. Da Ge and Zhao Yong started to pull their triggers. The simple-minded soldier, still unaware, felt a sudden force on his back, cried out in pain, and fell to the ground next to Wang Laokou.

Actually, as they approached the building, Hu Yi, who was at the back of the line, had quietly called out to Wang Laokou, trying to warn him to stop. The building was close to the dock, and with the mist, the Japanese might have discovered this vantage point and might be trying to occupy it. Hu Yi had already pulled his bolt, but Wang Laokou, still cursing the company commander, didn't hear him.

The moment Wang Laokou fell at the corner, Hu Yi prepared for the worst. Wang Laokou's strange, sprawling fall was a veteran's instinctive reaction to danger, which Hu Yi recognized. Da Ge and Zhao Yong, though they had fought a few battles on the Jinpu Line, were still inexperienced and didn't understand. The simple-minded soldier was even more clueless.

In an instant, Hu Yi kicked the simple-minded soldier, turned, and pressed his left shoulder against the wall, peering around the corner. He raised his gun, took a deep breath, and squinted. The rear sight, the front sight, and the figures across the way... they seemed to be wearing gray uniforms... It was all happening in a split second. Before Da Ge and Zhao Yong could pull their triggers, Hu Yi's finger was about to pull the trigger...

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! We're on the same side, we're on the same side."

Hearing the call, Wang Laokou angrily jumped out from behind the wall. "Damn you, 1st Platoon, are you ghosts?"

The lead figure, scared by Hu Yi's gun and the almost-pulled trigger, said, "We were planning to use the second floor as a firing point, but we didn't know you were here."

Wang Laokou replied irritably, "This key position is assigned to our 3rd Platoon. You better get out of here."

The simple-minded soldier, wincing, got up and complained to Hu Yi, "Why do you always kick me? Why don't you kick Da Ge?"

Zhao Yong, thinking about the scene, felt a bit scared. Reflecting on it, he saw everyone's reactions. Wang Laokou, the old veteran, fell so quickly, showing his quick thinking and ability to find cover. Hu Yi, running at the back, was the only one ready to fire, while Da Ge and Zhao Yong and the 1st Platoon were still fumbling with their bolts. Hu Yi was as alert and quick as a wolf. Zhao Yong thought Hu Yi must have a more complex background than just being a disciplinary officer, and Wang Laokou must know more. Seeing the simple-minded soldier complain, Zhao Yong thought the simple-minded soldier was truly foolish, not appreciating his good fortune. He would have preferred to be kicked and thanked Hu Yi afterward.

They carefully inspected the building. The first floor's brick walls were thick, with a square opening in one corner leading to a wooden staircase to the second floor. The second floor was mostly wooden, suggesting the building was built in two stages. Hu Yi stopped Da Ge from opening the windows and observed the dock to the south through a broken window. The distance to the dock was about 400 meters, with a large area of houses in between, making it hard to see the details in the mist.

Wang Laokou told Zhao Yong to guard the door on the first floor and instructed the simple-minded soldier to find furniture and boards to block the windows. He then climbed to the second floor, looked around, and sat down, lighting a cigarette. "This high position is good for sniping. At least we don't have to fight in the streets. With this thick mist, we can only hear the gunfire, not see the Japanese. This time, we might not even need to snipe." Wang Laokou seemed to be talking to himself or seeking Hu Yi's opinion.

Hu Yi's eyes never left the window, carefully listening to the gunfire in the mist. "If the mist stays, it will rain. If it clears, it will be sunny."

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