Chapter 14

Liu Zhong and his companions only took one day to fully master the use of the skis. Whether sliding down the slopes or gliding on flat ground, they could do so without falling.

Morigen and more than a dozen young Ewenki hunters saw that this method of transportation on snow was even more convenient than horses, especially on downhill and deep snow areas, where horses could hardly compare. They all followed Liu Zhong and his group to learn skiing.

Dong Ku did not stop them; instead, he invited them to join the training. Although he already knew it was unlikely to recruit Ewenki hunters, he did not hide or hold back. When teaching Liu Zhong and his group tactical movements, he did not avoid Morigen and the others. Instead, he trained them all according to the military training procedures.

The leader Banahan, due to Dong Ku's generous gift and his generous personality, did not stop his son from learning some skills from outside the mountains from Dong Ku. He even had the tribe help Dong Ku, but with the condition that they would definitely help.

Dong Ku was not one to be polite. He had the skillful women of the tribe help make ten sets of weighted vests, using the fabric from the Japanese greatcoats and filling them with fine sand collected by the children from the riverbed.

Mengzi's injuries were no longer a major issue, and he also joined the training group. Except for Shunzi, Shanzi, and Goudan, who could not engage in intense activities, everyone else wore the weighted vests, with sand-filled leg and arm wraps.

In three days, Dong Ku taught the group all the basic tactical skills. Upon discovering that Sun Tao had an exceptional memory, he focused on teaching him the key points. Over the three days, he also taught Liu Zhong the fourth set of military boxing, and had the two of them organize the training while he planned to scout the situation in Hulin.

"Brother Dong, I'll go with you to Heizui."

Liu Zhong, wearing a training suit weighing about 30 to 40 kilograms, said worriedly.

"Yes, Brother Dong, I'll go with you..."

Mengzi and the others also chimed in, all concerned that Dong Ku would encounter danger if he left the mountains alone.

Shaking his head, Dong Ku picked up two M4A1s from the holsters and handed one to Shunzi and one to Goudan. He then handed the backpack to Shanzi and said seriously, "You must keep these two guns and the backpack with you at all times. If the Japanese come and you can't escape, destroy them immediately; they must not fall into Japanese hands."

Dong Ku's words made the three of them tense. Shunzi hugged the bag tightly and said, "Brother Dong, rest assured, I would rather die than lose the guns."

Goudan and Shanzi also nodded heavily but did not speak.

Liu Zhong, though he did not believe the Japanese would come, understood that this was not an unnecessary concern. He said, "Brother Dong, I know you are a man of great deeds. You have entrusted us with such valuable items; we will not let you down, even if it costs us our lives."

Dong Ku's angular but handsome face broke into a smile. He said with a smile, "We are brothers; there's no need for such formalities. However, these items are of great importance, so we must be extra cautious. After I leave, Liu Zhong will lead the training, but remember, do not fire the guns. Wait for my return before doing anything else."

"Understood!"

Liu Zhong and the others nodded solemnly. They all understood that Dong Ku had not only saved their lives and helped them avenge their enemies but had also entrusted them with such valuable items, a level of trust that went far beyond the ordinary, making them determined to follow him to the death...

In the forest not far from Anle Town, Dong Ku lay in the snow, carefully observing.

Currently, Anle Town, which would be renamed Hulin 38 years later, was relatively peaceful. The Japanese had not committed excessive atrocities here. The construction of the Hutou Fort was carried out using laborers from Mudanjiang and Harbin to avoid leaks. The outside world perceived that the garrison was not large and did not overly disturb the locals. This was not because the Japanese had changed their nature but to deceive the Soviet Union and secretly build the Hutou Fort.

Dong Ku hid his skis and the Type 38 rifle and the pistol he brought in the snow at the edge of the mountain. He then carried two wild rabbits and two strings of dried salmon, adjusted his fur hat, and mixed into the small group of people entering the town, heading towards the entrance...

"What's inside the rabbit's belly?"

A puppet soldier poked the wild rabbit in Dong Ku's hand with his bayonet and asked.

"Sir, these are rabbits I caught. I've cleaned them thoroughly; there's nothing inside."

Dong Ku bowed and smiled obsequiously.

"Cleaned thoroughly? Nothing else?"

The puppet soldier, who had been recruited from some Nationalist army unit, glared and grabbed the two rabbits, lifting them to inspect. "I'll check."

"Sir, these are for trading for salt. Please, my family hasn't had salt for a month..."

"Scram! Don't you still have the dried salmon?"

The puppet soldier kicked Dong Ku in the buttocks and shouted.

"Sir..."

Dong Ku bowed and moved hesitantly, both fearful and reluctant, as he entered the checkpoint.

"What are you doing?"

Two Japanese soldiers in the guard tower saw the commotion and one of them shouted.

"Sir, these are wild rabbits..."

The puppet soldier ran over with the rabbits, bowing and scraping.

"Good!"

Seeing the two large snow rabbits, each weighing over ten pounds, the two Japanese soldiers bared their yellow teeth and took them without hesitation, tossing them into a pile of wild chickens and pheasants.

After passing the checkpoint, Dong Ku walked while observing his surroundings.

The shops were still open, and the local security was maintained by Korean and Chinese puppet soldiers, not Japanese soldiers. It gave the impression that the Japanese presence was not large and the security was relatively relaxed compared to the era. However, as someone from the future, Dong Ku knew this was just a facade. There was at least a standard battalion here, with a captain or higher in command. This did not include the troops involved in the fort construction, which was just the garrison in Anle Town.

Dong Ku walked down the main street, getting a general sense of the situation. Based on his memories from the future, he concluded that Hulin was currently stable and suitable for development.

With a clear mind, he stopped browsing and entered a restaurant with a sign that read "Kwantung Old Restaurant."

"Welcome, sir. What would you like to eat?"

A waiter, with a towel over his shoulder, greeted him warmly.

"Bring me a bowl of soup, spicy, and some dishes: matsutake braised pork knuckle, hazelnut mushroom old hen, frozen mushroom heart meat, and a plate of frozen cabbage with sauce." Dong Ku, thinking of the authentic dishes from his hometown, ordered the dishes he most wanted to eat.

"Sure thing! Please, sir, upstairs. Would you like something to drink?"

The waiter asked while leading him.

"Wait a moment for the drink. Do you buy dried salmon?"

Dong Ku stopped and asked.

"Dried salmon?"

The waiter had already seen the dried salmon Dong Ku was carrying. His eyes flickered and he pointed to the counter. "You need to talk to our second manager." He then asked, "Should we serve your dishes first?"

"Serve them. Make the soup a bit finer, and stew the hazelnut mushroom hen a bit longer."

Dong Ku said as he walked towards the inner counter.

The waiter did not follow but looked at the counter. Seeing the second manager nod subtly, he called out the dishes and went to serve other customers.

Dong Ku noticed the second manager's subtle gesture. He pretended not to notice and placed the two strings of dried salmon on the counter.

"Brother, what's the price?"

The second manager, a lean but not frail man in his forties, looked at the dried salmon without raising his head.

At that moment, Dong Ku's eyes narrowed. He sensed the aura of a trained fighter, and clearly, a skilled one. As someone who had been trained by several folk martial arts masters, he would not be wrong about this.

How could there be such a skilled person here? Dong Ku's mind raced, and he casually replied, "You decide."

"That's not right..."

The second manager looked up at Dong Ku, his dark eyes emitting a cold light.

Dong Ku's gaze did not waver or show any emotion. He remained calm and said, "It's my first time selling mountain goods, and I don't know the market price. You decide, and I trust you won't treat me unfairly."

The second manager's gaze lingered on Dong Ku's face for half a minute. Seeing no change in his expression, his pupils narrowed, and he took out a silver dollar from the cash box, smiling. "Since it's your first time, let's make a good start. Don't think it's too little..."

Dong Ku's heart tightened. He looked at the silver dollar pressed into the walnut counter and, without showing any emotion, reached out and pressed it, using his strength to slide it back. "Manager, you're too kind. The dried salmon isn't worth that much. I'll just ask the waiter to round off the bill after I finish eating."

"Ha! That's fine, then please, sir, upstairs!"

Seeing the silver dollar, which was more than halfway embedded in the wood, easily returned, the second manager was inwardly surprised but hid it well. To outsiders, it seemed they were just haggling over the price, and no one would notice they had already tested each other's strength...

Dong Ku did not order any alcohol and ate the authentic Northeastern dishes alone. These were dishes that even the star-rated hotels of his time could not match. However, while eating, his mind was pondering the restaurant. The man's skills were far beyond Liu Zhong's level, clearly those of a highly accomplished master.

How could there be such a skilled person here? It seemed the head manager was not an ordinary person...

He ate and pondered. The scene earlier made sense; the other party clearly thought he was scouting or had some other purpose, which was why they had demonstrated their strength. As someone familiar with the history of Northeast China, he understood the unspoken rules of the time.

Half an hour later, when Dong Ku left, the waiter not only did not charge him but also gave him some change, saying it was the remaining money from the dried salmon.

Dong Ku did not refuse, took the money, and before leaving, bowed to the second manager and glanced at the alcohol on the shelf behind the counter before turning and leaving.

Dong Ku left the restaurant and walked a few shops back, turning into a fabric store. This was the main purpose of his visit.

After a brief conversation, when he learned that there was a dyeing workshop here, Dong Ku was overjoyed.

"Manager, two bolts of white cotton, and I'll order twenty more bolts, with the colors as specified..."

Dong Ku spent the gold and silver he had taken from the Japanese without hesitation, even though it was all plundered from the locals during the Japanese raids.

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