Chapter 652: The Rice-Pounding Plan

Dou Wanjiang actually had no choice.

As long as he wanted to live and didn't want to implicate others, he had no choice but to choose Zhang Yong.

Zhang Yong was tough enough.

He helped him bear the blame for Chun Yu Chi.

'Okay!'

Dou Wanjiang reluctantly agreed.

Although he felt that more than ten years was indeed a long time...

But...

'Here, the contract.'

'Do I need it?'

'Of course you need it.'

Zhang Yong looked serious.

He remembered the conversation between Wei Xiaobo and Chen Jinnan.

Smart people are already in official positions in the imperial court. We need to use people who are a bit dumber to start a rebellion.

You can't reason with stupid people. You have to hypnotise them with religion. Swearing oaths. Swearing blood oaths. Cutting yourself up...

It doesn't matter if it works. Just do it all.

Soon, everything was ready.

Blood oaths.

Swearing an oath to heaven.

If you break your promise, may you die a thousand deaths.

Did it work?

Of course it did. Not much, though.

At least, if Dou Wanjiang does anything in the future, there will be one more reason to punish him.

This is called having a just cause.

You swore an oath. You were supposed to protect me. In the end, you betrayed me. Then you shouldn't be spared a thousand cuts?

This is called occupying the moral high ground.

Good.

The ritual is complete.

Treat Dou Wanjiang's injuries.

Dou Wanjiang has internal injuries.

There is an internal infection. This is the most deadly.

Traditional Chinese medicine can also cure it. But you need to find the legendary divine doctor.

Obviously, such divine doctors are hard to come by. They are like the dragon, whose head can be seen but not its tail. They are hard to come by once every hundred years.

Fortunately, Zhang Yong always carries the divine doctor with him.

There are amoxicillin capsules! They are specially designed to treat infections. Two capsules twice a day, and the effect is extraordinary.

'This is...'

'Divine medicine.'

'Really?'

Dou Wanjiang was secretly curious.

It felt like Western medicine? But he had never seen it before.

He obediently took the capsules. It was as if he was handing over his life to Zhang Yong. If they were poison...

Fortunately, they weren't poison.

After taking them, he didn't feel anything.

'Retreat!'

Zhang Yong waved his hand.

Then, he went to take possession of the Stepponk.

Since no shots had been fired, the Stepponk was intact. Not even the paint on the surface was scratched.

Good, good, very good.

Finally, he had his own exclusive vehicle.

From now on, he will use this car to get around.

It's luxurious and cool. It makes the thief look good.

What? The target is too obvious? Worried about being attacked?

No need to be afraid.

If there is a Japanese soldier in front of him, he will be able to spot him from 450 metres away.

If there is another sniper in front of him, he will also be able to spot him from 450 metres away.

Unless the sniper is using a sniper rifle from 450 metres away.

Or the murderer only has a knife.

So...

Get in!

It turned out that the fuel tank was full. There were still a few hundred kilometres left in the tank.

It was perfect.

'Whose car is this?' Zhang Yong asked.

'I stole it from the dock,' Dou Wanjiang replied, 'I don't know whose it is.'

'Really?' Zhang Yong got out of the car.

He removed the license plate. Then he threw it back into the hole he had dug. Then he buried it.

Done. This Steppenwolf no longer had any identification.

No licence plate. What else do you want? Look at the chassis number? That's not that professional.

It seems that nowadays' vehicles don't have chassis numbers.

Besides. Who am I? I'm Zhang Yong. Who dares to come up and check my chassis number?

Ask where the car is from. The answer is that it was seized from a Japanese spy.

You say this car is yours. That's a coincidence. You are the Japanese spy! I want to arrest you!

Curious.

Whose car is it anyway?

But I didn't really care. Who cares? There are so many rich people in Shanghai.

People like Du Yuesheng and Huang Jinrong were actually gangsters. They weren't the real rich people. It was the plutocrats. The people behind the banks.

For example, during this wave of currency conversion, someone is definitely making a fortune.

Forced the public to hand over their silver dollars in exchange for fiat currency. Concentrate the silver dollars in their hands. Become hard currency.

By then, the fiat currency will have depreciated wildly. You can just make a profit on the difference.

Right now, it's one silver dollar for one yuan of fiat currency. By 1940, it will be one silver dollar for 100 yuan of fiat currency. It might even be more.

In just three or four years, the fiat currency will have depreciated more than 100 times. The wealth of the people will have been almost completely plundered by the capitalists.

Damn...

I can't be such an idiot.

I can't let the silver dollars I have go. I have to find a way to make some money.

If you don't take advantage of it, someone else will.

If you don't take advantage of it, someone else will.

Unfortunately, I'm just a nobody, and I can't loot through official channels. I have to think of some crooked ways...

Alas, money, money, where is my money?

Start the car.

Drive in circles.

It's been a long time since I've been back to Shanghai Beach. I need to take a good look around.

First, go to the entrance of the concession.

Park near the entrance and silently observe the people coming and going.

The map constantly shows red dots. Some are Japanese people who are openly identifying themselves. Others are Japanese people in disguise. There are a lot of them.

It can basically be judged that the number of Japanese invaders sent to Shanghai is increasing.

Including inside the concession, there are also more and more Japanese invaders infiltrating. Not to mention the Hongkou Japanese War Zone.

'Are we going to go into the concession?' Dou Wanjiang asked curiously.

'No,' Zhang Yong shook his head.

'Can you go into the concession?'

'What do you want to know for?'

'Some of my brothers are working as coolies in the concession. If it's possible...'

'We'll talk about it later.'

Zhang Yong didn't give an immediate answer.

He had no reason to go into the concession for the time being.

Start the car.

Drive quietly towards the Japanese war zone in Hongkou.

Arrive near the checkpoint.

A junior officer of the National Army approaches. He looks serious.

Zhang Yong takes out his Fuxing Society secret service ID. The junior officer looks at it. Salute.

'Sir, the checkpoint has not been unblocked today. You cannot pass.'

'I know. I'm not going to go over. I'll just look around here.'

'Yes.'

The junior officer stepped aside.

Zhang Yong got out of the car. He stood next to it, raised his binoculars.

Hongkou Japanese War Zone! It's actually quite messy outside. The Japanese haven't planned it yet. There's a lot of random construction.

Opposite the checkpoint, about 50 metres away, is the Japanese checkpoint. It's manned by Japanese military police.

Behind the Japanese military police was the post of the Japanese marines. There were also trenches. A large number of sandbags had been stacked on top. Barbed wire had also been pulled.

You could clearly see the heavy machine gun fire points deployed by the Japanese. There were a lot of them.

Next to the heavy machine guns were the Japanese combat units. They were all Japanese wearing helmets. They belonged to the Japanese marines.

The Japanese were also on high alert!

At the moment, there are no signs of a major battle between the two sides, but the Japanese are already on high alert.

Once the July 7th Incident breaks out, I expect that all the Japanese in the Hongkou War Zone will go on high alert. All the Japanese expatriates will also be mobilised.

The Japanese will definitely not lack weapons and ammunition. So, any Japanese who can hold a gun will be thrown into the battlefield.

Commander Qian's statistics on the Japanese defence forces may have overlooked the Japanese expatriates.

They were also very fanatical. They had all received professional military training. Once they picked up a weapon, they were all combat-ready.

Of course, this was not the key.

The key was that the Japanese battleships at sea would also come.

The Japanese had cruisers and destroyers patrolling the seas. They could arrive at any time.

According to information from later generations, the Nationalist army's initial attack went relatively smoothly for the first two or three days. However, from the fourth day onwards, it became very difficult.

Why?

The Japanese warships had joined the battle.

The 127-mm guns of the destroyers and the 203-mm guns of the cruisers were a very serious threat.

A barrage of artillery fire would turn the world upside down.

The Japanese warships were anchored just outside the mouth of the Wu Song River, and their guns could easily cover the entire Hongkou Japanese war zone. They could cover all the attack routes of the Nationalist army.

This was very troublesome.

Without air supremacy, a ground attack was simply suicide.

No matter how many troops you have, they're no match for the naval artillery.

Oh dear, this is a real problem...

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

Couldn't he do something?

Although he was just a nobody, he could still make a splash, couldn't he?

If he just gave a general warning, no one would pay any attention. But if he included it in his intelligence report, that might make a difference, right?

For example, he could make up a plan, saying that the Japanese were luring the National Army into attacking the Hongkou Japanese war zone. Then they could use the big guns and battleships to wipe them out.

Whether it would work or not was hard to say. But it would cost nothing.

If the plan could just have the slightest effect, he would have made a profit.

He pondered.

He racked his brains.

What should he call it?

Black hole?

Meat grinder?

Grinding stone?

None of these sounded quite right.

Finally, after some thought, he decided to use the name 'pounding rice' – the Pounding Rice Project.

As the name suggests, pounding rice involves putting grains of rice into a stone mortar and using a pestle to remove the husk or mash them.

For the Japanese invaders, the goal was to lure the National Army to attack, and then crush it with artillery and battleships. It was a very vivid image of pounding rice.

The tragic National Army was thus pounded and crushed again and again.

At the height of the casualties, one division was wiped out every day. Tens of thousands of people died every day.

The entire Battle of Shanghai resulted in over 300,000 casualties among the National Army. Many elite troops were almost completely wiped out.

The ragtag army could not even hold its own for half a day when one division went up.

It was really a very cruel pounding.

In terms of combat effectiveness alone, the National Army was completely crushed.

Keep thinking.

Should I throw it now?

Of course not.

It must be done in a secretive manner, with a high level of secrecy.

If the level of secrecy is too low and it can be obtained easily, Commander Qian and the others will not pay particular attention to it. They will not think it is important.

Zhang Yong is certain that when formulating the combat plan, Commander Qian was not unaware of the possibility of a naval attack. It is possible that he knew nothing about the Japanese navy's strength. Or he knew very little. He probably had no idea of the power of the Japanese 88th fleet.

Because the Japanese navy rarely came to China to show off its muscles. Therefore, 99.9999% of the Chinese people, including Chiang Kai-shek, had no clear idea of the combat effectiveness of the Japanese navy. They never would have imagined that at that moment, the strength of the Japanese navy could already rank among the top three in the world.

After the launch of the Yamato Hotel, it could even steadily rise to second place.

As for who was actually number one in naval strength, it was hard to say. The British and Americans might be about the same.

The National Army troops that later participated in the battle could hardly imagine the artillery fire from the sea.

An attack in dense formation would be a complete suicide against large-calibre artillery fire.

This rice-pounding plan must make Chiang Kai-shek and Commander Qian have some understanding of the Japanese navy's strength. They must know that they cannot ignore it. They must attach great importance to it. Otherwise, they will suffer greatly.

So, the question is, where do we start?

Frown...

I haven't thought of anything...

Alas, my intelligence is seriously lacking!

If only I could recharge with silver dollars. Unfortunately, I can't...

I rack my brains...

I search my mind...

Suddenly, the map gives a hint. A marked red dot appears at the edge of the map.

Zhang Yong silently checks it out. He discovers that it is exactly one of the Japanese spies who impersonated a policeman that night. It is also one of those who took the armoured car.

This is the main culprit!

He is definitely one of the organizers.

Did this guy come here to find out information?

Oh, you want to go back to the Japanese war zone in Hongkou?

Unfortunately, the checkpoint is still closed. It's impossible to go back. That's good, let's talk.

Waves his hand.

Gets everyone into the car.

Zhang Yong gets in himself. Drives himself.

Turns the car around.

Gradually approaches the target Japanese soldier.

Soon sees the target. It turns out to be a rickshaw puller.

It seems that the Japanese like to impersonate this occupation. Mainly because it's free. You can go anywhere. You can act in secret.

Good. You're under arrest.

Stop the car.

Get out.

Call Lü Hai over. Give him some instructions.

Soon after, Lü Hai pretended to want a ride and got into the Japanese spy's rickshaw.

He gave an address, not far away. The Japanese spy then pulled the rickshaw away and sped off.

The address required going through a narrow alley.

The Japanese spy, of course, didn't suspect a thing. He had walked this route many times. He pulled the rickshaw in.

The result...

Someone appeared in front of him, blocking the rickshaw.

Ri Die was shocked. He looked back. He saw someone blocking him from behind. Only then did he realise that something was wrong.

He reacted quickly and immediately turned around, trying to grab Lü Hai.

However, Lü Hai was also a skilled fighter and immediately fought with Ri Die.

'Attack!'

'Attack!'

The others rushed in and easily captured Ri Die alive.

There was only one Japanese spy, and he was unarmed. How could he possibly resist so many people? He was tied up on the spot.

There were no handcuffs, just hemp rope...

Wait.

Zhang Yong suddenly noticed that there seemed to be an extra pair of handcuffs in his space?

What the heck. What's the point of giving yourself handcuffs? It's a serious waste of space! Give me some high-tech stuff, I don't need handcuffs...

System, don't be so unproductive!

You've got limited resources, and you're wasting them on handcuffs.

At the very least, give me a scope!

Grudgingly, he takes out the handcuffs.

He finds that they're no different from normal handcuffs. At most, they're of better quality. They're made of stainless steel...

Wait!

Where's the key? Where's the key?

How can I use them without a key...

Oh, it's in the personal space too. But there's only one.

Fainted. What kind of handcuffs are these.

If I lose the key, there's no way to get out, is there?

No...

Don't do this shit!

There's only one key, and Zhang Yong would never give it to anyone else. He'd have to carry it himself.

But there's only one key. If he carries it, no one else will have it. In other words, apart from himself, no one else can open the handcuffs.

Fuck...

This seems like a lot of trouble!

You have to open one handcuff yourself. You can't do it without being there yourself.

Huh?

Something suddenly occurred to him.

He thought of Kawashima Yoshiko and Matsui what's-his-name...

Oops. He'd forgotten again. He'd actually forgotten the name of the Japanese spy he'd captured earlier, Matsui what's-his-name. Wasn't he the younger brother of Matsui Isone?

At the time, he'd thought there was a traitor in the ranks. Later, he learned that the senior leaders had deliberately let him go.

Needless to say, the handcuffs and the like had also been released.

However, if it were now...

Only he, Zhang Yong, can unlock the handcuffs, even if the person escapes, the handcuffs cannot be opened.

Shouldn't it be like this?

The handcuffs produced by the system cannot be opened by anyone else, right?

If that's the case, these handcuffs are not a waste of energy. As long as someone is handcuffed, they will never be able to break free in the future.

What is this?

This is the tight rope that bound Monkey King!

Good, good, good!

"Click!'

Lock the Japanese spy in handcuffs.

At the same time, order the ropes on the Japanese spy to be untied.

He wants to test the quality of the handcuffs.

If the handcuffs on the Japanese spy in front of him can be opened, they are shoddy.

'What are you doing?' The Japanese spy pretends to be ignorant.

'I recognise you,' Zhang Yong replies calmly.

'Who are you?

'You didn't see me. But I saw you.'

'When?'

'The night before last, at the intersection of Wuding Street and Desheng Street.'

'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Then let me explain. You were nine people in disguise as police officers, and you intercepted a Bank of Communications armoured car. You and another person got into the armoured car and drove it away. Then you forced the two armoured car guards out of the car halfway through the journey. And then you disappeared without a trace. Is that right?'

'You, you're talking nonsense, you're slandering me! I didn't do anything, I...'

'Let's go find the location of the money now.'

'What?'

'You drove the armoured car to a certain location, where you stopped. You were supposed to take the money from the car and carry it away, and then continue driving away. Right?'

'I, I don't know what you're talking about.'

'It's fine. Let's go find the money first. I want the money. Not the person. So, it doesn't matter whether you talk or not.'

'I'm not Japanese...'

the Japanese spy said defiantly.

Then...

'Pang!'

'Pang!'

he was given a severe slap in the face.

It had been a long time since Zhang Yong had slapped someone in the face, so it felt particularly powerful.

Of course, he didn't use his own palm. That would hurt. He used the sole of his shoe. A sole specially designed for slapping people in the face. As it turned out, it was effective.

Sure enough, after only seven slaps, the Japanese spy couldn't take it anymore. He screamed in agony.

He struggled desperately, trying to break free from the handcuffs. Unfortunately, it was no use.

Zhang Yong retracted the soles of his shoes.

'Don't waste your energy. You won't be able to break free.'

'You can try all you like. If you can break free, I'll let you go.'

Zhang Yong sneered.

He waved his hand. He told someone to take the Japanese spy to the truck.

Then he went to find the money that the Japanese spy had transferred.

And of course...

the account book that Kong Fansong had mentioned.

He set off.

The Japanese spy tried desperately to break free.

He was also an old secret agent. He was also quite capable. Especially when it came to breaking free from handcuffs.

He thought that just one pair of handcuffs should be enough for him to break free. So, he was full of confidence. However, he soon became desperate. It was useless. The handcuffs simply could not be opened. No matter how hard he struggled, and no matter what methods he used, the handcuffs locked him in place.

Damn it...

Why is this happening?

He continued to work. He was sweating.

Unfortunately, it was still futile.

Soon, the convoy reached its destination.

Zhang Yong got out of the car and walked to the back of the truck. He asked someone to drag the Japanese spy down.

He looked at the Japanese spy's handcuffs. It seems that they haven't moved yet?

It seems that this Japanese spy is not very good. Next time, find someone who is good at handcuffing and have a look.

'What are you going to do?'

'Get the money!'