"Da da da da."
A burst of gunfire that was very different from the Japanese standard weapons suddenly rang out. The captain came to his senses, asked his men to be more vigilant, and ordered the crew to send a light signal to the gunboat ahead to ask what happened.
The gunboat at the front responded quickly, indicating that it had been attacked by unknown persons, and asked the other three ships to immediately distance themselves, stop moving forward, and wait for further orders.
At the same time, the exchange of fire at the incident site became more intense. The 80mm mortars and Type 93 13mm heavy machine guns deployed on the gunboats opened fire. Countless tracer bullets streaked across the night sky, and the passing ships turned around and left.
After several years of war, both the people of the Republic of China and the Japanese knew what kind of excitement they could join in and what kind of excitement they couldn't.
Wang Duzhai on the large freighter was so frightened that his legs were weak. He looked out the porthole and saw thick smoke rising around the fire. It seemed that the gunboat had been severely damaged.
The ones who can make such a big noise on Changjiang are either the regular army of the Guo Army or the underground party of the newly formed Fourth Army. No matter which side they are, they will not be soft on the traitors.
The more he thought about it, the more frightened the old traitor became. He sat down on the cold deck and gave himself a few slaps. Why did he follow him on the ship? It was all his fault, that damn Minami Kaichiro.
If the other party hadn't introduced some friends to him, he should be on his wife's bed now, instead of in this ghost place, risking his head and watching the Japanese fight against the fruit gang and the underground gang.
Wang Duzhai seemed to have forgotten that no one forced him just now. He took the initiative to board the ship with his men, wanting to go to Jinling to meet the so-called big shots.
However, it is normal for a traitor who does not know what etiquette, justice and shame are to think so. In the heart of such a person, mistakes are always caused by others, and he is never wrong.
A few minutes later, the two cargo ships slowly stopped and kept a certain distance from each other. The crew members and military police on board squatted at the fence and stood guard with guns.
Another gunboat at the rear of the fleet also fired a warning shot to disperse the incoming ships from the direction of Anqing, and accelerated out of the Nongziji Channel, cruising at high speed at the entrance of the channel to avoid being attacked from both ends.
However, the gunboats that were having a fierce exchange of fire with the "incoming enemy" were not as nervous as imagined, and the so-called unknown persons were even more fictitious. Apart from the escort fleet, there were no other ships in the area.
As for where the gunfire came from.
A Japanese sailor threw the lit firecrackers into an open empty iron barrel, and the crackling sound suddenly sounded non-stop. Coupled with the mortars and machine guns firing into the air, a "come and go" "Crossfire" is there.
The method was a bit crude, but very practical. At least it sounded no different from the sound of machine gunfire one or two kilometers away. Wang Duzhai and the escorting military police had no doubt at all, but they just felt that the firepower of the newly formed Fourth Army was a bit too strong.
Explosions and smoke are even simpler.
The melon grenade and the burning scrap tires looked like the gunboat had been severely damaged and caused a fire from a distance. It could also effectively obscure the observation field of view and confuse the personnel on the freighter behind.
This is Zuo Zhong's plan, without using any resources of the military command, to use a fake firefight to drive away the witnesses, and then block the two cargo ships in the Ruoziji Channel, so that the military police and traitors will let them Flatten and round.
In the crew compartment of the gunboat, the sailors silently inspected the equipment and smeared animal blood and gunpowder smoke on their faces to create traces of crossfire.
Upon seeing this, the captain came to Zuo Zhong and reported in a low voice.
"Your Excellency Nanjia, the Zangmian ships have been dealt with and are ready for action."
"Yoshi, good, let's get started."
Zuo Zhong glanced at the Nanbu-2 submachine gun in the Japs' hands and said softly, in a close-range and complex combat environment, automatic firepower is obviously more suitable than a rifle.
As you can tell by its name, this kind of Nanbu submachine gun is the masterpiece of His Excellency Nanbu Kirijiro, the soul of Japanese weapon design. It fires 8mm Nanbu pistol bullets and has a magazine capacity of 30 rounds.
Like other weapons designed by this person, the Type II submachine gun has high accuracy and impressive reliability. It must be cleaned carefully before use, otherwise it is prone to jamming and some unexpected malfunctions.
In order to ensure that the operation was foolproof, Ozawakawa took out all the submachine guns in the camp's arsenal, so that even if some of the weapons had problems, they would still have the firepower advantage with the remaining submachine guns.
Soon, the sailors finished sorting their weapons and equipment. The gunboat captain personally took everyone's weapons and checked them. After confirming that there were no problems, he pointed at the large cargo ship behind and whispered an order.
"Assault とつげき!"
Following the order, the two rubber lifeboats at the rear of the gunboat were placed on the surface, and the Japanese who participated in the operation boarded them one by one. Finally, Zuo Zhong, who looked panicked and looked a little embarrassed, also jumped onto the boat.
After the personnel arrived, the four sailors rowed hard, and the lifeboat slowly moved against the current toward the large cargo ship. The gunboat continued to shoot into the air while sending out intermittent light signals in the smoke.
It must be said that the quality of the members of the Japanese Navy is indeed very high. With the help of the faint moonlight and firelight, the sailors took turns paddling, and it took less than ten minutes to park the lifeboat next to the cargo ship.
"Baga, put down the rope ladder quickly, Mr. Nanjia and we are going to board the ship."
The Japanese sailor waved his weapon, raised his head and shouted at the large freighter.
The armed crew on the freighter heard the sound and looked around. They also cautiously shined a flashlight on the people on the lifeboat. After confirming that it was one of their own, they threw down the rope ladder.
Adhering to the spirit of the officer leaving first, Zuo Zhong boarded the ship first. He pretended to be clumsy and climbed to the side of the freighter with difficulty, and was dragged by the crew to the deck successfully.
He was lying on the ground, breathing heavily. This was in line with the behavioral logic of a businessman who had narrowly escaped death. After all, "Minami Kaichiro"'s information did not show that he had received military training.
"Oh, Mr. Nanjia, are you okay?"
Wang Duzhai, who had secretly scolded Minami Jiaichiro before, suddenly ran out crawling and shouted with tears in his eyes, as if he had met his own mother, I had some acting skills.
When he came to Zuo Zhong's side, he helped Zuo Zhong stand up with both hands, and patted the dust on his clothes with a look of shamelessness. No one could tell that he had complained about the other party just now.
After a little tidying up his clothes and hairstyle, Zuo Zhong winked at the few sailors who climbed onto the freighter, then turned to express his gratitude to Wang Duzhai.
"Arigado, Wang Sang."
"No, no, it's an honor for Mr. Wang to serve Mr. Nanjia. What happened just now?"
When Wang Du heard the Japanese thanking him, he was so happy that he showed his big yellow teeth. He quickly waved his hands to pretend to be humble and asked how the situation was ahead.
If the situation is unfavorable, he feels it is necessary to persuade "Minami Kaichiro" to quickly retreat in a lifeboat. The most important thing is to take him with him. As for the others, it depends on their fate.
Zuo Chong saw that the sailors accompanying him had all boarded the ship and secretly occupied key positions on the deck, so he sighed and said to Wang Duzhai.
“Shortly after the gunboat entered the waterway, it was attacked, killing many Imperial warriors, and then the enemy launched a desperate attack in a small boat. The situation was not good.
Wang Sang, listen, the gunfire has not stopped yet. I heard in my hometown that the occupied areas are peaceful, but now it seems that the reality is not what the empire advertised.
In order to protect my safety, the captain left some combat personnel behind and asked the remaining people to cover me to join you. Alas, it's all my fault for causing them trouble. "
As he spoke, Zuo Zhong pointed at the muzzle flash that lit up from time to time in the distance, squeezed out two crocodile tears, and then changed the topic and conveyed the captain's "order."
"Wang Sang, before you leave, Mr. Captain asked me to tell you to gather all the combat personnel and follow the command of the warriors of the Imperial Navy. Depending on the situation, support or...retreat."
At the end of his speech, he paused deliberately, a look of shame flashed across his face, and he said nothing, yet it seemed as if he had said everything.
retreat?
As soon as he heard these two words, Wang Duzhai immediately became energetic. Yes, Minamijiaichiro's life was much more valuable than his own. He would definitely not stay here waiting to die. So what are you waiting for? Run away quickly.
Wang Duzhai, who had been dominated by fear, completely lost his vigilance. After replying to Zuo Zhong, he hurriedly pulled his traitors and armed crew members on the freighter to the deck one by one.
He is not stupid. The more people there are, the safer he is when retreating. Before everyone is dead, he will be fine. As long as the support from the Japanese troops upstream and downstream arrives, he will be safe.
Zuo Zhong looked at the group of crooked melons and cracked dates, smiled and said a few words "Yoshi", took two steps back and stood behind the sailors, raised his hand and waved towards Wang Duzhai who was inexplicable.
"Da da da da..."
The expressionless sailors pulled the trigger decisively. Thanks to the blessing of the Southern Master, this time none of the dozen Type II submachine guns malfunctioned, and the bullets in the magazine were fired smoothly.
Before Wang Duzhai could react to what had happened, several bullets that came in an instant left the last light spots on his retinas. A moment later, this old traitor who was traitorous to his country for glory and had done all kinds of evil was killed.
"Pooh."
Zuo Zhong spat at the corpse on the ground. Killing this beast was just a casualty. If it weren't for rescuing the workers, he wouldn't even be qualified to be killed.
At this moment, fierce gunshots also rang out from the small freighter behind him. His heart moved, and he knew that Gui Youguang and Ozawachuan had also taken action, and Cai Shengchu and others should have been rescued.
Slightly different from here, Ozawakawa boarded the ship under the pretext of supporting the first gunboat, gathered the military police personnel, and then looked for opportunities to launch a sneak attack. He would not mention retreat.
There is only one reason. Failing to save someone is a serious crime in the Japanese army. As the enforcers of military law, the military police will not and cannot escape. Using retreat as a reason for gathering is easily self-defeating.
Escorting important prisoners is a high-alert operation. If you want to deceive the other party, your actions must be logical and consistent with the style of the Japanese army. After thinking about it, Zuo Zhong looked at the Japanese who were changing ammunition.
"Search the freighter and leave no one alive except the workers. Be careful not to let the workers see your appearance. After the search is over, gather all the corpses together. I will set them on fire before retreating."
"Hai."
The Japs responded in unison. They were using Type II submachine guns, which were special guns for the navy. They fired southern pistol bullets. If the scene was not handled properly, the secret could easily be revealed later.
After a while, gunfire rang out from all over the large cargo ship. During this period, some crew members may have begged for mercy from their compatriots, but the sailors who had already boarded the pirate ship had no other choice but to kill all those who knew about it.
Because what they are doing now is worse than that of 226. One is mutiny, the other is treason. For the sake of their own future and lives, no one will show mercy.
More than ten minutes later, the sailors dragged each corpse to the previous corpse and started pouring gasoline. Then they went down the rope ladder to the lifeboat and prepared to return to the gunboat.
The play was over, and they were no longer needed at the scene. They had to use the opposite channel to join the gunboats in the rear as soon as possible to put the final touches on the operation.
Almost at the same time, the small freighter behind exploded and burst into flames. The fire dyed half of the sky red. After walking for a while, Gui Youguang and Ozawa took several prisoners with their heads covered with black cloths in a lifeboat and rushed there. arrive.
"President, everything went well. All military police and crew members were executed. The prisoners' lives are not in danger." Gui Youguang reported in a low voice after the meeting.
Zuo Dian nodded and called Ozawa in front of him. He found that something was wrong with the other person's state, so he quickly patted the guy's face and said every word.
"Ozawa-kun, be strong. Now please take the prisoners back to the gunboat and return to Anqing immediately, hide them in the camp, and send a report to Jinling on the way to report the news of the ambush.
Many people just saw you being "attacked". As long as the details are taken care of, there will be absolutely no problems. The corpses of those guys who were unwilling to cooperate a few days ago will also play a role.
Before retreating, remember to blow up the corpse and throw it into the pot. You must use grenades and never use cold weapons. The status of wounds formed before death is different from that after death. Do you understand?
Don't forget to properly sabotage the gunboats and arrange for the personnel to inflict self-inflicted wounds. Let everyone believe that you encountered a violent attack today and killed many people.
After the incident is over, a new grain transport ship will transit through Anqing. At that time, you will hand over the prisoners to the other party and send them to the mountain city. What I just said must be completed, as this is related to your lives. "
After being slapped twice, Ozawakawa calmed down and knew that there was still a lot of work to be done. Now was not the time to hesitate. He left some explosives as planned and quickly evacuated with his men and prisoners.
Zuo Zhong watched the other party go away quietly, without contacting Cai Shengchu and others throughout the whole process. After much thought, he gave up revealing his identity because the risk of doing so was very high.
If the news leaks and the Japanese know that he is performing a mission in the occupied area, there will definitely be a massive manhunt. It will not be too late to ask Cai Shengchu for information about Jinling District when he arrives in the mountain city.
After standing on the empty deck and thinking for a long time, he made a gesture with Gui Youguang. The two of them came to the cargo hold and picked the lock, and worked together to open the heavy iron door.
What appeared in front of them was a dark crowd, and the cabin was filled with overwhelmed workers. In such a harsh environment, by the time they arrived in the Northeast, there would probably be no survivors.
Zuo Zhong and Da Baldou looked at each other and felt that Wang Duzhai was really getting an advantage. They should put this guy's whole family in it and transport it outside the customs, so that they could have a taste of it.
"What should I do, President?"
Gui Youguang had a headache. The transfer of so many people was too time-consuming. They had to get away from Nongziji as soon as possible to avoid being trapped here by the supporting enemies. They could not stay here for a long time.
Zuo Zhong narrowed his eyes. It was naturally impossible to ignore the situation. Besides, he needed workers as "eyewitnesses" to help Ozawa and others pass the Japanese internal investigation.
Don't forget that Anqing is an occupied area. No matter how far the workers can run, some of them will still fall into the hands of the Japanese. The confessions of these people will prove that the transport fleet was indeed attacked.
However, the two of them could not put themselves into danger in order to save others. After weighing the situation, he turned his attention to the freighter under his feet and the fast-flowing water, and quickly made a decision.
After an unknown amount of time, the large cargo ship started slowly again. Someone sounded the whistle and accelerated towards the shore. Amidst a heart-wrenching sound of metal twisting, the ship rushed onto a shoal.
In the darkness, ropes were thrown down from the side of the ship. The terrified workers slid down the ropes into the water, swam to the river bank with crazy swings of their arms, and dived into the woods without looking back.
By the time the last person ran hundreds of meters away, the deck was already engulfed in flames. A pungent burnt smell spread out. The blue flames quickly spread to the entire ship, and the water beside the ship was boiling.
Outside the fuel tank at the bottom of the freighter, the clicking sound of the second hand kept ringing. When the timer reached the last frame, a white light flashed in the cabin, followed by a violent explosion.
From the outside, the entire cargo ship exploded like a blown balloon. The hull was torn apart, parts and debris flew in all directions, and flames tens of meters high completely destroyed the giant steel ship.
Zuo Zhong, who had already climbed a hill, turned back. Under the dim moonlight, the light and shadow on his face looked a little unclear. Then he turned around and strode towards the due south with his bald head.
Here, something happened.
(End of chapter)
