Chapter 15

At this time, the Japanese army in Anle Town had not yet shown their fangs. Apart from the massacre during the relocation of the Hu Tou residents, the security situation was not much different from when the Republic of China government was in power. In reality, it was tight internally and relaxed externally, with dozens of Japanese special agents secretly stationed throughout Anle Town. However, this made it easier for Dong Ku, allowing him to effortlessly bring back the two pieces of white cloth to the mountains.

It took five days for the round trip. When Dong Ku, covered in frost, rushed back to the Oroqen tribe, it was already the dawn of the sixth day.

Putting aside the commotion, Dong Ku asked Mo Rigen for help and found several women to assist in making what he needed. He left Liu Zhong and the others behind, entered the yurt, and fell asleep immediately...

He slept for a whole day, only waking up in the middle of the night. While gnawing on the roasted meat by the hearth, Dong Ku carefully organized his plans for the future. He didn't sleep again until dawn.

The tunnel defense network of Hu Tou Fort had not yet been officially constructed. What was being built were auxiliary facilities, grain warehouses, ammunition storage underground works, and artillery positions. Dong Ku, who had lived in the forest not far from Hulin for over a decade, knew very well that in at most two years, Hu Tou Fort would be officially connected before the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. After the connection, the fort would mainly consist of the central, eastern, and western Tiger Mountains, linked through the mountains. At that time, this place would turn into a hell on earth, with the Japanese soldiers arbitrarily capturing the surrounding young and strong laborers due to the shortage of workers.

What could he do? Currently, he knew that the only thing he could do was to form an anti-Japanese resistance team, fight the Japanese, accumulate strength, and find the local Anti-Japanese United Army or underground party. Otherwise, in the vast ocean of a nationwide war, one person could not change the overall situation. As for the construction of Hu Tou Fort, he knew he currently had no power to stop it.

"Regardless, since I have come to this time and space, whether or not it is connected to the future, what I need to do, what I can do, is to eliminate the Japanese and save as many Chinese lives as possible!"

Exhaling a deep breath, Dong Ku glanced at the still sleeping Mazi and Shunzi, and his plan took shape in his mind.

"Brother Dong, why are we going to Mishan?"

While carrying skis and climbing the mountain ridge, Liu Zhong asked.

"Practice shooting."

Dong Ku, carrying an M4A1 and a Type 38 rifle, replied as he walked...

Leaving Shunzi, Shanzi, and Goudan behind, the group traveled for three days and reached Fengmi Mountain, not far from Xingkai Lake. The mountain was steep and high, and generally, no hunters lived there.

Finding a place with a wide view and good observation of the surroundings, Dong Ku began his new recruit training.

The crisp gunshots echoed in the mountains, startling the wild rabbits and deer, which fled in all directions, far from the area. Even when they settled down dozens of miles away, the gunshots and explosions would sound again, leaving them no place to hide, and they continued to flee in the snowy forest.

Dong Ku knew that this was the time when the Japanese were searching the mountains, clearing the residents, and starting to build the fort. He could not stay in one place to shoot, so he stayed in each training area for only half a day before quickly sliding to another place.

After six days of continuous travel,

Liu Zhong and the others' tactical skills had improved. They were no longer as confused about orders as they were initially and could react appropriately to Dong Ku's commands, such as lying down, hiding, and alerting.

During these days, they used fifty bullets a day, and even threw about ten grenades each. However, this was not a waste; it greatly improved Liu Zhong and the others' shooting skills. In just six days, except for Hu Zi, the remaining five had shooting skills comparable to veterans who had been in the army for a year. After all, they were experienced hunters and were more familiar with guns than ordinary people. With Dong Ku's relentless teaching of shooting techniques, their growth was just around the corner.

While Dong Ku was conducting this field training for Liu Zhong and the others, Captain Okamura in Mishan received a report.

"You mean there is an Anti-Japanese United Army active in Fengmi Mountain?"

Okamura stared at Yoshino and asked.

"Yes, Captain."

Yoshino snapped to attention and loudly replied, "The search team in Fengmi Mountain keeps hearing gunshots, but every time Captain Fujiwara arrives, he only sees training traces. The gunshots reappear in different directions, always several miles away."

"Hmm..."

Okamura narrowed his eyes and pondered. He had a vague feeling that this was a newly armed Chinese resistance group, not a bandit group or a newly formed team, nor a group from the Soviet Union.

"Order Fujiwara to have his entire company search the mountains. Yoshino, your company and Nakamura's company should block the surrounding roads of Fengmi Mountain. We must eliminate this group!"

"Hai!"

Yoshino accepted the order and left...

"Brother Dong, are the Japanese really coming?"

Lying in the snow, Hu Zi whispered.

"Pay attention to the discipline. Don't talk when you're in ambush. Use gestures."

Dong Ku, lying in the snow, whispered a reminder.

Liu Zhong slightly lifted his cloak, turned his head, and made a shushing gesture to Hu Zi, then lowered his head again, only exposing his eyes to look ahead.

Hu Zi stuck out his tongue and carefully put down his cloak, blending into the snow under the white cloak.

At that moment, a group of figures appeared at the bend of the mountain.

"There really are Japanese..."

The few lying in the snow slowly lowered their heads, covering themselves with their cloaks, only exposing their eyes, excited and surprised, watching the Japanese search team on the mountain.

Dong Ku carefully observed and saw that the Japanese did not have any dogs, so he also lowered his head.

Fujiwara, holding a command sword in one hand and a telescope in the other, observed the surroundings and ordered the team to continue advancing.

The advancing Japanese were a standard army squad, about 140 to 150 people. They trudged through the snow, heading in the direction of the previous gunshots.

In the forest, only the sound of footsteps on the snow could be heard. The entire team was silent, advancing quietly.

They had no idea that just 300 meters above them on the slope, seven pairs of eyes were tightly watching them.

Half an hour later, the team disappeared into the forest at the bend of the mountain.

In the snow pit, Dong Ku whispered, "Each of you will have one target. After the gunshots, immediately retreat, leaving the shooting position within five seconds."

"Understood!"

The few nodded excitedly and followed Dong Ku, quietly leaving their hiding spot, putting on their skis, and heading straight for the Japanese rear.

On the mountain ridge, the sound of skis scraping the snow and the occasional sound of branches hitting their bodies, Dong Ku and the seven others caught up with the advancing team on the mountain slope in just five to six minutes.

Dong Ku quickly stuck his skis in the snow, pointed to the mountain ridge ahead, and rushed forward. Liu Zhong and the others were not slow, following suit, sticking their skis in the snow, and quickly following Dong Ku to the mountain ridge about ten meters away...

After everyone lay down and set up their guns, Dong Ku extended three fingers, curled them, and made a three-second gesture, locking onto the target carrying the radio.

Liu Zhong and the others, at the moment Dong Ku retracted his hand, silently counted and locked onto their respective targets.

Bang!

The seven almost simultaneously pulled the triggers, making the gunshots particularly loud, shaking the snow from the treetops, which swirled and drifted down in the wind.

As soon as the gunshots sounded, Dong Ku quickly retreated, backing away from the shooting position. Liu Zhong and the others did not raise their heads, lying down and backing up a few steps, then crouching to catch up with Dong Ku, not even checking if their targets were hit, and quickly reached their skis, kicking up snow as they rushed down the mountain.

The gunshots startled the Japanese, who crouched down, turned around, and aimed their guns at the mountain top behind them.

Fujiwara, running back from the front of the formation, saw no more gunshots and waved his pistol, ordering, "Charge the mountain top!"

Following his order, four light machine guns were set up on the snow.

Rattling... The bullets swept the snow-covered area, sending snow and branches flying.

Under the cover of the machine guns, the charging soldiers reached the 200-meter mountain top in a few minutes. But when they got there, they saw nothing, only a winding trail leading down the mountain.

"Damn!"

Fujiwara cursed and turned around, ordering, "Send a message, have the surrounding squads converge here!"

"Report, Lieutenant, the radio was shot through and is unusable. The radio operator, Honmura, is also dead."

"What?!"

Fujiwara only then realized that the dead included the radio operator, and the radio was also damaged.

"Follow the trail!"

Without the radio operator and radio, Fujiwara was not concerned. He waved his pistol and gave the order to pursue.

The soldiers quickly formed up, and as their comrades who were collecting the remains of their fallen comrades arrived, they followed the trail in the snow and pursued.

Dong Ku and the others rapidly skied down the mountain, following the shady slope, heading in the direction the Japanese had originally taken. As the gunfire had just ceased, Dong Ku led the way around a bend, climbed back to the mountain top, and skied down the sunny slope, covering about 300 to 500 meters. He quickly put on his skis, took a few steps to the mountain ridge, and quietly lay down.

Liu Zhong and the others were not slow, following the previous order, sticking their skis in the snow, quietly reaching the mountain ridge, and quickly burying themselves in the snow with their white cloaks, peering out with their guns, excitedly watching the shady slope.

Fujiwara's team, just three minutes after Dong Ku and the others had lain down, appeared on the mountain slope about 300 meters away, following the trail in the snow.

Dong Ku again extended three fingers, curled them, and then placed his finger on the trigger.

Bang!

The almost simultaneous gunshots caused a few more figures to fall on the mountain slope. The remaining Japanese crouched down, turned around, and fired wildly at the position of the gunshots.

"Damn! Charge!"

Fujiwara, enraged, waved his pistol and howled.

Unfortunately, by the time their guns fired, no one was there. Dong Ku and the others had already skied down the mountain, using the speed of the descent to make a right turn and head back to the position of the first shots.

"Crafty Chinese pigs!!!"

Fujiwara, reaching the mountain top, looked at the traces in the snow where people had lain and angrily cursed.

"Report, Lieutenant!"

A senior private ran to Fujiwara and reported, "There are seven people in the snow, using our Type 38 rifles, and they are using skis."

"Ski boards?"

Fujiwara, coming to his senses from his anger, suddenly felt that this small group was not simple. The ability to use skis was not something a civilian resistance group could have.

"Good..."

Fujiwara, looking at the direction where the traces disappeared, muttered and then ordered, "Divide into two teams and search the sunny and shady slopes. Do not approach within 30 meters of the top of the slope!"

After giving the order, Fujiwara calculated in his mind that although eleven were dead and two were injured, the squad still had over 120 people, four machine guns, and two mortars. Even if the enemy moved quickly, once they were pinned down, they would not escape. Even if this unknown armed force managed to escape now, the area around Fengmi Mountain was already surrounded, and there were two standard squads in the mountains. Once the target was found, they would have no place to hide.