Chapter 5

Looking at the young Red Army soldier who was battered and bruised from torture, He Zhengdao felt a heavy heart. For the three Guangxi Army soldiers who were lying on the ground, not daring to move, he felt an extra surge of anger.

After inquiring from the older Red Army soldiers, He Zhengdao learned that this young soldier belonged to the 8th Red Army Corps. He had been separated from his unit during a battle with the Guangxi Army. His hometown was in southern Jiangxi Province, known as a revolutionary base area, and he was just sixteen years old, as He Zhengdao had guessed.

Perhaps because of his young age, which made him easier to interrogate, the Guangxi Army had inflicted severe torture on him. What moved the older Red Army soldiers was that, from start to finish, the young soldier never revealed a single word.

Even when the older Red Army soldiers, who were also captives, asked him about his identity, he only told them his unit, birthplace, and age when no one else was around. He refused to disclose any information about his comrades or officers, even to his fellow captives.

After a thorough examination, He Zhengdao felt somewhat relieved. Although the young soldier's injuries looked severe, they were mostly superficial. The real reason for his unconsciousness was likely due to hunger.

He had the four Red Army soldiers who could still walk tie up the three Guangxi Army soldiers lying on the ground. Feeling that he hadn't eaten all day, He Zhengdao decided to rest in the courtyard for the night. They would eat a full meal, rest well, and prepare some dry rations before continuing their journey the next day.

To avoid alarming the villagers, He Zhengdao left the four Red Army soldiers in the courtyard and went to find food. He also brought the captured weapons to the courtyard. As for the bodies, he couldn't take them away and left them there, hoping someone would take care of them after they left the next day.

Perhaps due to the presence of the Guangxi Army search team, there were no young villagers in the village. Only the elderly were around. When He Zhengdao, dressed as a civilian, offered to buy food with silver dollars, the villagers, moved by his kindness, quickly provided some of their carefully hidden food.

The villagers refused to take the money for the food. When He Zhengdao left, the elderly seemed to hint that they did not want him to tell others that the food came from them. They were just ordinary people and could not get involved in the conflict between the Red Army and the White Army.

At one villager's home, He Zhengdao bought three old hens, and the old man reluctantly accepted one silver dollar. When He Zhengdao left, the old man also warned him not to tell others that the hens came from his house.

This showed that the Red Army was seen as good by the villagers. However, in such times, harboring or aiding the enemy was a serious crime, and the villagers were very afraid.

Holding the food squeezed out by the villagers, He Zhengdao felt a heavy heart as he walked through the village. In those days, doing a good deed could sometimes lead to a family's destruction. It was no wonder that with the White Army's rampant actions in the countryside, not only the scattered Red Army soldiers suffered, but the villagers also faced hardships.

Feeling a heavy heart, He Zhengdao quickly suppressed his gloom when he entered the courtyard. He put on a warmer expression and personally prepared a hearty meal for the hungry Red Army soldiers. He also fed a bowl of chicken soup to the unconscious young soldier and changed his clothes.

After the young soldier drank the chicken soup, his breathing became more stable, and He Zhengdao and the others felt somewhat relieved. As long as he rested well for the night, they believed he would have the strength to stand up the next day.

He Zhengdao was relieved that among the five Red Army soldiers, none needed to be carried or supported. Otherwise, with the current number of people, it would be extremely inconvenient to move covertly. Moreover, without adequate medical supplies, serious injuries could be fatal if not treated in time.

After dinner, He Zhengdao set up a few simple alarm devices around the courtyard and returned. He planned to have a night talk with the four Red Army soldiers who had recovered their spirits after eating.

As for the three bound Guangxi Army soldiers, He Zhengdao only gave them some water and ignored their requests for food. He then re-tied their mouths and left them tied to the wooden stakes in the courtyard to enjoy the moonlight.

Among the five rescued captives, besides the young soldier whose unit was known, the other four, in order of age, were Zhang Cheng, a veteran of the 1st Red Army Corps from southern Hunan, who was twenty-eight years old. Before losing contact with his unit, he was a platoon officer.

The other three were from the 5th Red Army Corps, all from the 12th Division. The oldest, Zhao Erzi, was twenty-five and had been a squad leader before being separated from his unit.

The other two, Hu Gua, twenty-one, and Huang Siping, nineteen, were both veterans with nearly two years of service. They had been separated from their unit during a battle and were captured while searching for it.

He Zhengdao was pleased to find that one of the rescued was a platoon officer. However, considering his age, he was the youngest among the four, and he needed to take command. Under the watchful eyes of the veterans, He Zhengdao showed them a piece of paper proving his identity, which he gave to Zhang Cheng, who could read.

Seeing that He Zhengdao, though only eighteen, was a company officer in the Political Security Brigade, Zhang Cheng, a veteran of the 1st Red Army Corps, knew that the members of this security brigade were personal guards for Red Army leaders. Therefore, it was not surprising that He Zhengdao, despite his young age, had become a company officer.

Returning the paper to He Zhengdao, Zhang Cheng asked curiously, "Captain He, who did you protect before? You are so young, yet your martial skills are truly impressive. And that shot you took this afternoon was incredibly accurate. You are indeed a top-notch soldier from the security brigade!"

He Zhengdao smiled bitterly in response to Zhang Cheng's flattery, "To be honest, after I woke up, I found these items and documents, but I seem to have forgotten a lot of things. The couple who took care of me said I might have been poisoned by their herbal medicine and developed a condition called 'soul loss.' So, I can't answer your question, Brother Zhang."

Soul loss!

Hearing this, Zhang Cheng was startled but quickly comforted him, "Don't worry. I once heard that soul loss is not always permanent. If you're lucky, you might remember everything after a good night's sleep.

Given that you saved us and killed so many White Army soldiers today, we will follow your lead. Whatever you decide, we will do. Right?"

Having seen the numerous Guangxi Army corpses that He Zhengdao had killed, these veterans, who had seen many battles, felt a chill when they saw the bodies piled up in the civilian houses. Most of the wounds were concentrated on the throat and between the eyebrows, indicating that He Zhengdao was a formidable fighter in both close combat and shooting.

In such a dangerous situation, choosing a capable leader was a wise decision. Moreover, He Zhengdao's rank, though young, was the highest among the five.

When Zhang Cheng offered the command to He Zhengdao, he did not refuse. Instead, he took on the responsibility sincerely, "Since all of you are willing to follow my lead, I will do my best to get you back to your units. However, tonight, all of you should rest well. I will take the watch alone.

Don't argue, Brother Zhang. You all have injuries and need to rest and recover. I am young and strong, and I can meditate to rest. So, don't argue about the watch. It's late, so everyone should get some rest. We need to leave early tomorrow to catch up with the main force.

Otherwise, if these people don't return to their unit on time, it will raise suspicion among the Guangxi Army. If the White Army finds us again, we will be in big trouble. For now, let's rest. I will watch over the young soldier, so don't worry."

As he spoke, He Zhengdao noticed that Zhang Cheng felt a bit embarrassed about letting him take the entire night watch alone. However, seeing He Zhengdao's determination, and considering that Zhang Cheng and the others were indeed exhausted from torture, they finally agreed to He Zhengdao's arrangement and returned to the room they had prepared for rest.

Just before they went to sleep, Zhao Erzi, who had spoken the least during the conversation, suddenly asked, "Platoon Leader Zhang, do you think we can trust this He?"

Zhang Cheng was taken aback for a moment and replied, "Whether he is from the security brigade or not, he killed so many White Army soldiers in front of us and saved our lives. He is definitely not a bad person!

In this situation, we have no choice but to trust him. Having such a skilled fighter with us greatly increases our chances of returning to the main force. If we tried to walk a hundred kilometers to catch up with the main force on our own, do you think we would have a chance?"

With that, Zhang Cheng ignored Zhao Erzi's contemplation, pulled a blanket over himself, and closed his eyes to rest. The other two veterans from the 5th Red Army Corps also said nothing, smiled at Zhao Erzi, and fell asleep.

Feeling that he might have asked the wrong question, Zhao Erzi thought that the reason for He Zhengdao's soul loss seemed a bit far-fetched. But if He Zhengdao were an enemy spy, what would he gain?

This suspicion didn't make sense either!