The Pinghan-Hankou Railway runs across the plain land from north to south.
A locomotive gasped heavily, the searchlight in front shredded the night, and the chimney erupted with sparks breaking through the darkness, slowly coming along the south side of the railway.
The violent collision between the wheels and the rail joints made a continuous rumbling sound, and the ground was shaking.
Not far away, a dozen pairs of eyes were hidden in the darkness under the moonlight, watching the train heading towards the dark north.
Hu Yi and Captain Geng came here to investigate, mainly to confirm whether the situation of the enemies at the blockade had changed.
On the other hand, it is to grasp the details of the blockade terrain.
This time we crossed the blockade, followed by a squadron or so of Japanese soldiers.
They might catch up at any moment and have to be careful.
The division's request for the independent group to return to the mountain overnight must have some other purpose. Hu Yi knew very well that he had no choice at all.
In the previous few times, the Nine Battalions had forcibly broken through the Japanese railway blockade.
But this time, the Japanese happened to be launching a large-scale purge operation against the National Army in the south during this period. Troops and materials were mobilized frequently. In order to prevent the destruction of the Eighth Route guerrillas, the blockade along the railway was greatly strengthened.
Hu Yi is not a person who likes to talk.
Next to him was Vice Captain Geng, who had been active in the plains for a long time. In addition to attacking the enemy, Vice Captain Geng also had to do propaganda work in the plains, so he naturally talked a lot.
When the two of them got together, Captain Geng was talking most of the time and Hu Yi was listening.
Captain Geng muttered in a low voice: "...After the national army left, only our people were left to destroy the railway day and night. It was very difficult to cross the railway blockade during this period."
Hu Yi quietly stared at the long railway to the west, as well as the turrets with searchlights shining along the railway and the strongholds hidden in the darkness. He finally became curious: "Why does the little devil think he can defend such a long railway line?" ?”
"They say it takes a thousand days to be a thief, so how can a thousand days prevent a thief? The Japanese are not stupid either. There are thousands of miles of railway lines on the plains. For passive defense, too many troops would be invested. The Japanese simply cannot afford it, so Xiao The Japanese recruited traitors along the railway line to form a road protection team."
Hu Yi withdrew his gaze and leaned against the ditch wall: "Another traitor!"
Captain Geng was silent for a while, feeling helpless: "In order to protect this railway transportation line for transporting troops and supplies, the little devils established a multi-level defense system. They used traitors to organize 'Ailu Village' along the railway line and surrounded the area within ten miles of the railway line. People in the inner villages were mobilized to help the Japanese protect the railway, and each village had to send people to participate in patrols!"
"The villagers participated in the patrol?" Hu Yi was even more surprised.
Captain Geng nodded: "We have arranged for people to conduct long-term reconnaissance of the railway line, and many activists have also developed in the county. The person responsible for patrolling the front section in the middle of the night is our person. After you pass by, he will continue Bang the gong, and we will send people to pretend to be discovered by crossing the railway line to confuse the enemy."
"Can't you just call me...?"
"The Japanese have dug deep trenches on both sides of the railway, and instead of only building defenses along the railway line without any depth, they have randomly stationed their troops in villages far away from the railway. Even if we can successfully break through the railway blockade, we are likely to be attacked. Bite the enemy on the opposite side."
"We just put up a blockade last time..."
"Well, the last time you came here, the Japs had not yet launched a large-scale operation against the national army in the south, and the railway lines were not well defended. During this period, the situation was tense, and the Japs strengthened their defense."
Hu Yi suddenly asked a question that he had wanted to ask for a long time: "The division asked us to enter the plains, saying it was to suppress Taoist armed forces, but now they suddenly ordered us to go back overnight. In the middle..."
Captain Geng shook his head: "I can roughly guess something about this matter, but it's so important that I really can't tell you..."
Hu Yi understands the discipline and shouldn't ask questions that shouldn't be asked, but if he doesn't know any information, it will be a bit stumbling to do things: "You mean, the division is preparing for a big operation?"
Captain Geng hesitated for a moment: "This matter... has nothing to do with the zoning, you just need to know."
"Okay, you don't need to tell me, I probably understand." Hu Yi is not stupid. The task of dispatching independent regiments into the plains by division is definitely not as simple as it seems on the surface. Making such a big noise is definitely not a trivial matter.
As for what it is, there is almost no difference between knowing it and not knowing it.
For Jiuying, it is enough to carry out the order.
...
About ten miles east of the railroad.
In the darkness under the moonlight outside the village.
Ma Liang sat against the wall and whispered to the soldiers who came to report the situation.
The scout sitting on the ground pulled the kettle away from his mouth and continued to breathe heavily: "...If we let them go now, he will definitely inform the Japanese, which will cause the leakage of our troop strength and whereabouts."
Ma Liang hesitated for a while, then made a difficult motion of wiping his neck.
The divisional armed staff member next to the scout was startled: "These are just a dozen children! Besides... you are about to cross the blockade. Even if they inform the enemy, what loss will they bring to you?"
The eaves blocked the moonlight. Sitting in the darkness, Ma Liang's tone was a little depressed: "To surrender to the enemy and serve as a sentry for the enemy, in my opinion... is a traitor."
The staff member became anxious: "But, they are still children! Can't you take them away?"
Ma Liang said calmly: "What if someone suddenly yells when they cross the blockade?"
The scout next to him also sneered: "So many people along the railway are about to starve to death. They have to take refuge with the Japanese in order to survive. Why don't you take them all away?"
Isn’t this nonsense? The staff member was angry: "Ma, don't forget our discipline..."
"I remember clearly the three major disciplines and the eight points of attention. There is no such thing as not killing enemy spies..."
"You..." the staff member was stunned for a moment: "They are prisoners now!"
"No, they are spies!" Ma Liang shook his head and stopped asking: "Execute the order!"
"What are you going to do?" Seeing the soldiers sitting next to them getting up and hanging bayonets on the muzzles of their rifles, the staff quickly reached out to stop them.
The scout next to him pulled the bolt of his rifle with a clang: "Hey, brother, don't make me do anything to you!"
"Who dares to take action?" The staff member immediately took out the shell and said tit for tat: "You will make a mistake if you do this."
Ma Liang struggled to stand up from the wall and came directly to the team members:
"I can take them away, are you sure you can?"
"We captured a total of sixteen enemy scouts!"
The staff member knelt down directly: "I beg you... they are not enemy scouts, they are villagers, just half-grown children!"
Ma Liang stretched out one hand to pull the work team up and shouted: "You can ask him again! If they are just ordinary children, I will twist off their heads and use them as chamber pots for you!"
"You...I will report it to my superiors!"
"up to you!"
The staff member pointed the shell gun at Ma Liang's chest: "They were all forced by the enemy..."
Ma Liang was silent for a while: "If you want us all to die at the hands of the enemy, I have nothing to say."
The team members were so anxious that they said, "I can do their ideological work!"
"In such a short time, why do you think I should trust you?"
Silence fell between the two.
Ma Liang continued to stare at the staff member, and the two looked at each other for a long time.
The staff member finally lowered his gun and said in a depressed tone: "I... just pretend I didn't see it."
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