Chapter 35

On the highway, a truck had come to a stop. The tarpaulin covering the truck bed was tightly drawn, obscuring the contents inside from view.

A Japanese soldier with a gun patrolled the rear of the truck, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

The hood of the truck was up, and another Japanese soldier was bent over, working on the engine.

In front of the truck, a motorcycle was parked a few meters away. The driver sat on the motorcycle, while a Japanese soldier in the sidecar held a light machine gun, aiming it down the road.

Dongku and Mengzi, taking advantage of the dim evening light, crept up to the truck. Liu Zhong and Shunzi hid by the roadside, their eyes fixed on the two Japanese soldiers on the motorcycle.

When the patrolling Japanese soldier turned his back, Dongku dashed to the truck, pressing his body tightly against the side. As the soldier turned back, Dongku leaped out, his left hand swiftly grabbing the soldier's trigger hand, and with a quick flash of his right hand, he struck the soldier's neck.

A soft crack echoed, and the soldier's cry was stifled in his throat. His eyes wide open, he clutched the trigger, but no bullet was fired...

At the moment Dongku succeeded, Mengzi leaped forward to attack the Japanese soldier working on the engine. Liu Zhong and Shunzi also rushed out. The two Japanese soldiers on the motorcycle, hearing the commotion, each twisted their heads, and with a quick movement, their heads snapped to the side like noodles.

As Dongku dealt with the Japanese soldier at the rear of the truck, inside the truck bed, a pair of eyes suddenly opened in the dim light, ready to move. However, the eyes opposite him made a gesture to stay calm, and the head that had risen suddenly lowered back down.

Dongku quickly placed the body on the ground and was about to stand up when he heard a noise from inside the truck. Without hesitation, he pushed off with his feet, his body shooting forward like an arrow. As he entered through the slightly opened curtain, his left hand, like a hook, instantly grabbed the throat of the person inside. With a slight effort, there was a soft crack, and the man's throat shattered like a walnut.

Using the hand that had grabbed the man's throat, Dongku propelled himself forward, not slowing down. Before the other gun could be aimed at him, his right hand, like a knife, struck the man's jaw, while his left hand swiftly grabbed the man's trigger hand, and they both tumbled into the truck bed.

As he fell, his years of training gave him a sharp sense of danger. His right hand, still near the man's jaw, quickly pulled back, and he used the momentum to flip backward, landing against the side of the truck.

As his back touched the hard surface, a dagger appeared in his hand. The moment he pulled out the dagger, he pushed off the side of the truck, ready to charge forward.

Suddenly, he paused, feeling the sticky substance on his right hand and realizing it was blood. At the same moment, a strong smell of blood filled his nostrils.

"Someone is injured..."

"Ugh... Ugh..."

As the thought crossed his mind, a voice came from the bottom of the truck bed. The person suddenly lunged forward, pressing against the front of the truck. In the darkness, a pair of feet rose into the air, curling back, ready to strike.

"Hmm?"

In the dim light, Dongku clearly saw that the person's movements and the raising of his legs were restrained, though the movements were quick.

This hesitation gave Dongku a moment to pause. Instead of charging forward, he held the dagger and swung his hand, opening the curtain.

As the curtain opened, the gun barrels of Mengzi, Hu Zi, and others appeared, pointing into the truck. Shanzi, with a quick movement, jumped into the truck, his pistol aimed forward.

When the curtain was lifted, Dongku saw that the person inside was bound, though his features were not clear, he could tell it was a strong man. From his movements, it was evident he was a trained fighter. Next to him was another figure, but this one was motionless.

After assessing the situation, Dongku made a safety gesture, followed by several quick movements. Shanzi holstered his gun, ignoring the figure in front, and pulled the body that was still twitching on the truck bed, throwing it out. He then threw another body out and jumped down.

Dongku put away his dagger. Before he could ask the bound man about his situation, Liu Zhong and Mengzi ran over. Liu Zhong used hand signals to tell Dongku that the target had been neutralized and the truck was broken down.

Dongku thought for a moment, then waved for Liu Zhong and Mengzi to get in the truck. He jumped down to the front, took the flashlight from Hu Zi, and began to inspect the truck.

When Liu Zhong lightly jumped into the truck and pointed his gun at them, the man's eyes widened in surprise. "Another expert! Who are they?"

The other man remained motionless, his breathing steady and quiet.

After about ten minutes, it grew dark, and Dongku had fixed the truck and started the engine.

After starting the truck, Dongku did not immediately leave. He returned to the truck bed and shone the flashlight on the two men. As the light went out, he saw that one of them was covered in blood, and the other was also injured, with his hands and feet bound with wire.

Dongku put away the flashlight, pulled the rag out of the man's mouth, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

"Sir, we are businessmen. We were captured by the Japanese and falsely accused of being Soviet spies."

The heavy Shanxi accent made Dongku believe him. Even if he had another identity, he was definitely from Shanxi. Local accents were not something foreigners could easily mimic, and this voice had a distinct Taiyuan flavor.

"I don't care who you are. Since you are Chinese, I'll help you as a favor. But you must remain quiet and not interfere with us. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to add two more bodies."

"Sir, please rest assured. We won't cause any trouble."

The man lying down gave a straightforward response.

Dongku said no more. He untied the man's hands and feet, removed the rag from the other man's mouth, and untied the wire. After a moment's thought, he handed him a dried pig's bladder containing medicine prepared by Shanzi. "Move your limbs and apply the medicine. I'll let you go when we reach a suitable place." He then gave a signal to Liu Zhong and jumped out of the truck.

After Dongku jumped out, Shanzi handed the walkie-talkie to Mengzi and went to start the motorcycle. Dongku followed and got on the motorcycle.

Goudan, dressed in a lieutenant's uniform, sat in the passenger seat of the truck, while Shunzi, after everyone was seated, started the truck.

Throughout the entire attack and the start of the truck, only Dongku spoke. The others communicated through hand signals, which left the two rescued men deeply impressed. The well-trained armed group, with two experts and the agility of the others, made it difficult for them to determine which force they belonged to, and what kind of force could train such soldiers!

In the truck bed, Dongku went through a pile of items found in the cab. The codebook caught his attention. After a careful examination, Dongku remembered that this type of code was designed using a specific book. Without the book, it would be extremely difficult to decipher.

Among the items, there were only three books: the Analects of Confucius, the Book of Surnames, and the Three-Character Classic.

"Who are they?"

Seeing these three books, Dongku instinctively felt that one of them was used to translate the code.

After some thought, he put the items away, held the command knife, and looked forward.

The headlights pierced the darkness, and the truck moved forward on the quiet mountain road.

As they drove, Dongku saw lights ahead. Judging by the distance, it was a large bridge over a river, which they needed to cross.

He raised his hand, signaling to prepare.

As his hand rose, Goudan knocked twice on the cab and placed his pistol on his lap.

Hearing the warning, Liu Zhong waved his hand, and Sun Tao and Liu Hai pointed their pistols at the two men in the corner. The others raised their guns, ready for battle.

With the sound of gun bolts being pulled back, the motorcycle stopped at the road barrier at the bridgehead.

Dongku, holding the command knife, slowly got out of the truck bed and walked toward the guardhouse.

"What are you doing here?"

Several guns pointed at Dongku, and one of the Japanese soldiers shouted.

"Escorting prisoners."

In perfect Tokyo dialect, Dongku pulled out his pass.

Under the light, a Japanese soldier took the pass, examined it carefully, and then looked at Dongku. He returned the pass and saluted, saying, "Please keep it, Sergeant." He then turned and waved his hand, signaling that there was no problem at the machine gun position. Two soldiers then moved the road barrier.

Seeing the two 92-type heavy machine guns raise their barrels, Dongku said nothing more, got back on the motorcycle, and gave the order to proceed...

Only after crossing the bridge did the people in the truck feel their hearts settle.

"Phew..."

Goudan, wearing white gloves and holding a gun, wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered, "We need to learn Japanese quickly. It would be much easier..."

Three hours later, at a fork in the road, Dongku ordered the truck to stop and turn off the headlights.

"Can you ride a motorcycle?"

"Yes."

The Shanxi man, who had been untied first, answered immediately.

"Good. We part ways here. The motorcycle is yours. Where you go is none of my business." As he spoke, Dongku handed the man a bag. "If I'm not mistaken, these are your belongings."

The man took the bag and, under the faint starlight, checked its contents. Gratefully, he said, "These are indeed our belongings." He then took a belt with five willow-leaf throwing knives and handed it to the muscular man who had jumped out of the truck.

"Brother, no need for thanks! If you ever come to Taiyuan, Shanxi, look for me, Iron Arhat. I will repay you!"

The muscular man, with a heavy Henan accent, took the belt, tied it around his waist, and bowed in gratitude.

"Take care."

Dongku bowed, took back the pig's bladder from the muscular man, and did not respond to his pleasantries.

The Shanxi man, sensing that Dongku had no intention of probing their background or forming a bond, bowed and said, "We will remember your kindness. If we meet again, we will repay you!" He then gestured to the muscular man and turned to leave.

The muscular man wanted to say more, but seeing that Dongku and his men were silent, he paused, bowed, and said, "Until we meet again!" He then turned and left...

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