Chapter 674: Hitchhiking

"Clang...'

'Clang...'

The train swayed forward.

The speed wasn't fast, but it swayed a lot. It was impossible to sleep.

Of course, Zhang Yong wasn't sleepy either.

He had slept enough the previous few days when he was sick.

It was mainly boredom.

Lin Xiaoyan had left.

His plans had come to nothing.

He had thought he would be able to do her. Who knew she would jump off the train!

Really...

In such a hurry.

Couldn't he have just sent a telegram when they got to Hangzhou? It was only a few hours.

Bored, he looked out of the window. It was dark, and he couldn't see anything. There were hardly any lights along the way. Compared to later times, it was really too backward.

Alas, it was poor and backward...

What golden decade, it was all nonsense.

Chiang Kai-shek had no intention of building anything. The compradors were in charge.

How could they build anything?

Even the arsenal in Nanjing, which could have produced 75mm field guns, was never repaired after it was destroyed by a Japanese spy.

Months have passed. A few people were held responsible, but then the matter was dropped.

Perhaps in the eyes of the compradors, it was better to blow it up. Buy new ones.

In future, all mountain artillery will be imported. It doesn't matter if it's expensive. As long as you can get kickbacks.

Chiang probably thought this was fine. It saved a lot of trouble.

It was too difficult to build things yourself, with all the investment and long lead times.

Just buy what you need when you need it. And you can always shop around. How simple.

But then...

When the war broke out, they realised there was such a thing as an embargo.

When the going got tough, they realised that the Germans had seized the equipment of several German-equipped divisions. They had paid the money. They just wouldn't deliver.

A mediator was sent. As a result, the Germans actually allied with the Japanese.

The final result – a total loss.

So boring.

Monitoring the map. No red dots.

There wasn't a single Japanese person on the train. Not to mention Japanese spies.

There was no chance of finding someone to beat up.

Alas, so boring...

Actually, catching Japanese spies was really fun.

There were all kinds of Japanese spies. There were rich ones. There were beautiful spy girls.

I suddenly think of Fang Muyu and Xia Lan. They were both such beautiful spies! And there's Lin Xiaoyan, who I haven't gotten to yet...

The map alerts me to someone approaching.

'Team leader...'

Shi Hu arrives quietly.

He is hesitant to speak.

Zhang Yong looks at him suspiciously.

'Yes?'

'That...'

'Speak.'

'I have a friend...'

'What?'

'I have a friend. He wants to meet you. There are some things he wants to tell you in person.'

'What friend of yours? When did you meet?'

'He was actually my comrade-in-arms. We were in the same unit. He saved my life when we were fighting the devils.'

'Invite him!'

Zhang Yong nodded.

As long as he killed devils, that was fine.

His favourite was the warrior who killed devils.

His secret investigation team did not want anyone else. They wanted someone who killed devils.

Specialising in killing devils.

Efficient and low-key.

Unfortunately, there is no proficiency panel. If only killing a Japanese soldier could add a little proficiency...

'Thank you!'

Shi Hu hurriedly turned and left.

Soon, he arrived from the back carriage with a person.

One eye.

One arm.

Both legs were still intact.

Ragged clothes. A tired look. Weak.

When breathing, the sound of his lungs wheezing could be heard clearly. Seems like his lungs are injured?

"Team leader, his name is Ma Chao...'

'Ma Chao?'

Zhang Yong nodded.

Same name. No surprise. 400 million people! How could there not be people with the same name?

Unfortunately, this Ma Chao is not the Ma Chao. If this Ma Chao is the Ma Chao, then that would be awesome. Alone and on his own, he directly killed more than a dozen Japanese invaders. Hehe.

'Ma Chao, what can you do?' Zhang Yong asked slowly.

'Kill the Japanese.' Ma Chao spoke in Cantonese. Fortunately, Zhang Yong understood.

So, Ma Chao was kept. Shi Hu was told to take him with them.

It was a minor incident.

Shi Hu whispered, "Team leader, Ma Chao knows something, I don't know if he should say it...'

'Say it." Zhang Yong nodded, 'What is it?'

'Ma Chao also wandered on the Bund before. He followed a group of beggars. He felt that some of the beggars seemed fake...'

'Wait.'

Zhang Yong's mind flashed with lightning.

Beggars?

Imposters?

Could it be that it was someone like Miyamoto again?

Previously, the Miyamoto clan had used the same beggar's routine to pass through checkpoints while impersonating female ghosts in red clothing in Jinling.

If there were Japanese spies in Shanghai again, impersonating beggars, it seemed that no one had noticed them. Then, they could do whatever they wanted. Among other things, they could seduce or deceive those Nationalist army officers who were alone.

Yes. It was possible.

According to Zhou Yang's statistics, the unfortunate Nationalist officers who fell victim to the Japanese were all missing when they went out alone. Among them, only Yu Daoxin was armed. The others were unarmed. So, when they encountered an ambush, they were unable to resist at all.

'What else do you know?'

'Ma Chao saw them capture a Nationalist officer and force him to reveal his identity. And his family and so on.'

'Identity? Family?'

'Yes. It's strange.'

'This...'

Zhang Yong was puzzled.

He vaguely remembered something. But he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

There was silence.

It was quiet.

He tried hard to empty his mind.

Eventually, he caught a little bit of information. Could it be that what the Japanese invaders needed was actually the identities of those officers?

Could it be that the Japanese invaders wanted to send someone to impersonate those officers? To infiltrate the Garrison Command?

That didn't make sense either. It wasn't that easy.

Besides, the Japanese spy had killed someone without hiding the body. The Garrison Command had found it.

How could they pretend to be them? It's impossible to pretend to be them, isn't it? The garrison headquarters is not stupid.

My head hurts...

I'll rub my temples...

What's going on?

Can someone answer like Sherlock Holmes?

It's so frustrating...

Fortunately, we don't need to worry about it.

We can only worry about what we can control. We can leave the things we can't control for now.

This is his principle.

There's nothing we can do, his abilities are limited.

'Call Ma Chao.'

'Yes!'

Shi Hu quickly came with Ma Chao on crutches.

Ma Chao struggled to stand up. As if to prove to Zhang Yong that he was still useful.

'Ma Chao.'

'Sir.'

'This is for you.'

Zhang Yong handed Ma Chao a submachine gun with both hands.

The Chinese people's favourite was actually this submachine gun. Even if it was used with one hand, it was very skilled.

'Sir, I...'

'Follow me and continue to kill the devils. Until you sacrifice yourself.'

'Yes!'

Ma Chao's face suddenly flushed.

His haggard expression gradually became more energetic. It seemed that he no longer felt like a useless person.

He still had the ability to kill devils.

Until he fell.

Zhang Yong was about to speak when suddenly he had a thought.

The map reminded him that 450 metres to the southwest, there were multiple white dots approaching the railway line.

Strange, there are no roads here!

There are some low earth mounds or something. The railway line runs through them. Turn the corner.

'They're not going to try to jump the train, are they?'

A ridiculous thought popped into Zhang Yong's head. It immediately vanished.

He was joking. He didn't really think it was that easy to jump a train. It was easy to get into trouble. Falling to your death or getting injured was commonplace.

What was riding a bicycle and flying onto the train was pure stunt performance. Just for the thrill of it.

Just in time to kill some time. He counted. There were seventeen white dots in total. They were approaching the train irregularly.

It looked like they were really going to jump the train.

Hey...

Zhang Yong suddenly felt less bored.

Someone was jumping the train! And it was being broadcast live. He had to see for himself.

He took out his binoculars and walked to the other side of the train. He leaned out slightly. He raised the binoculars. He saw three targets. His brows furrowed.

These weren't just any people. They were soldiers in military uniform.

No, that's not right. They were officers. One captain. Two lieutenants. But they weren't armed.

They are standing on the embankment on the inside of the railway line. An idiot can see that. They are waiting for a train to pass by. Then they jump from the embankment onto the roof of the train.

Good guys. This is downright suicidal. The fatality rate is at least 50% or more.

Although, on this railway line, the train needs to turn and slow down. But it is still going 30 kilometers per hour.

This speed doesn't seem fast. However, combined with such a dangerous action, it is absolutely fatal.

It's nighttime, man! It's pitch black out there.

Hitchhiking during the day is extremely dangerous, let alone at night. Are they really that desperate?

Confused. I don't understand what they're trying to do. It's definitely not a robbery. There are no weapons.

Robbing someone empty-handed? Are you kidding me!

Then the only thing left is to escape. Could they be deserters? Being chased? And trying to escape by hitchhiking?

That's possible. If they really were deserters. If they were caught, they would be dead. They might even be executed on the spot when they were caught. The military law at the time was extremely ruthless. People were executed at the drop of a hat. Human life was worthless.

But there was another doubt. How could there be so many deserters at the same time?

One or two could be explained. But a dozen at the same time. Then it wasn't a problem of deserters. It was a problem with the army.

Is there any army nearby? I'm not sure. I don't think so.

'Lin Hai.'

'Here!'

'Go and ask where the next stop is.'

'Team leader, the next stop is Jiaxing.'

'Jiaxing? Good!'

Zhang Yong ponders for a moment.

He has an impression of Jiaxing. It's the famous red cruise ship.

And then there's Wuzhen on the internet. Every year there's some Wuzhen conference. It's attended by all the internet tycoons.

'Tell everyone to get ready.'

'Yes.'

'There may be people trying to jump onto the train from outside. Do not panic. Do not take action immediately. They are unarmed.'

'What if we encounter them?'

'After they have safely boarded the train, then order them to stand still. If they resist, arrest them.'

'Yes.'

'In the unlikely event that they are carrying firearms and try to fight back with them, shoot them on the spot.'

'Understood.'

Lin Hai gave the order.

Everyone immediately got into action. They stared out the train window.

Even Ma Chao was on high alert, carrying his submachine gun.

'Clang, clang...'

'Clang, clang...'

At this time, the train was very close to the white dot. Zhang Yong also retreated to the other side. Sitting.

He couldn't see the specific actions outside. But he could tell the actions of the officers from the white dots.

Some of the white dots started to move. They landed on the train. They must have successfully jumped off the train.

Some dots have landed on the edge of the train. They are motionless. I guess they fell.

And some dots have disappeared without a trace...

Oh no, this is serious. He died instantly. As expected, there are risks to train-hopping. The risks are very high.

Zhang Yong: ...

These people are so determined. I guess they want something big.

A simple deserter would not take such drastic measures. A deserter would not seek death.

At this moment, he also came to his senses. If he were a deserter, why would he still be wearing his uniform?

He must have taken it off and disguised himself as a civilian!

Alas, slow to react...

'Ding Hai!'

'Here!'

'Go! Order the train to stop!'

'Yes!'

Ding Hai hurried off.

Zhang Yong continued to monitor the movement of the white dots. Only seven of them managed to board the train.

As expected, only seven out of seventeen managed to board the train. What was the success rate again? Less than half. Add the seven at the back of the railway track. That makes fourteen in total.

And there are still three white dots missing. They've disappeared. That means they're dead.

Hitchhiking on trains. Three dead. The price is extremely high.

So why do they do it?

'Don't move!'

'Don't move!'

The shouts came one after the other.

But it was Zhang Yong's men who encountered the military officers who had climbed onto the train.

The officers, caught off guard, were suddenly caught in the act.

They had never imagined that they would encounter so many heavily armed men in Mao suits after all their hard work and risk.

Subconsciously, they knew that something was wrong.

The men who captured them were all wearing the same Mao suits and carrying pistols. They were clearly not ordinary people.

One captain tried to resist, but was subdued on the spot.

At this time, the train also sounded its whistle. Then it slowly came to a stop.

'Don't move!'

'Don't move!'

Lin Hai and the others searched the train carriages.

According to Zhang Yong, there were a total of seven officers who came up. Then arrest seven.

The targets were all wearing military uniforms. It should not be time to change in a short period of time. There are only eight train cars on this train, which is relatively easy to capture.

Sure enough, soon, all eight were escorted to Zhang Yong.

Leading the way was a captain. He held his head high. He seemed very dissatisfied. Very unwilling. But he didn't say a word.

During the arrest, identification documents were found on his person.

Zhang Yong took them.

Deputy battalion commander, Wei Fangquan, of a certain battalion of a certain regiment of a certain brigade of the 47th division of the national army.

Looking at the others, they were all from the 47th Division of the National Army. Their ranks were all deputy battalion commanders, company commanders, deputy company commanders, and so on.

Because they had boarded the train in the dark, they had succeeded. However, everyone was injured. Some were quite serious.

Zhang Yong tilted his head and observed everyone.

He was puzzled.

The 47th Division of the National Army seemed to be stationed in Jinshanwei?

When he was in Hangzhou before, Zhang Yong knew about this unit. Gao Yuanhang had mentioned it. It seemed that there was also a 58th Division that was about to be transferred.

'Commander Wei, good evening,' Zhang Yong said with a blank expression, "please sit down.'

'Who are you?" Wei Fangquan's expression was cold. He remained standing, motionless. It was as if he were a wooden man.

'I'm from the Special Branch of the Restoration Society. My name is Zhang Yong.'

'...'

'I'm curious. It's the middle of the night. Why are you trying to steal a train.'

'...'

Wei Fangquan was silent.

He was fully conscious. He knew exactly what had happened. But he remained silent.

Zhang Yong was in no hurry.

These people didn't seem like bad guys. Bad guys wouldn't do such dangerous things.

For example, Zhang Yong himself would never risk his life like that.

Bad guys value their lives. It's a law.

Zhang Yong said slowly, 'If I'm not mistaken, there are seventeen of you. Unfortunately, only seven of you managed to get on the train. Seven people have been injured and are lying on the ground unable to move. They could die at any time. In addition, three of your companions have unfortunately been killed.'

Wei Fangquan remained impassive.

Or rather, indifferent.

The others were the same. They all kept their heads down when they heard about the deaths and injuries of their comrades. They were depressed. Desperate. But none of them spoke.

'If you tell the truth, I can save your comrades.'

'It's no use saving them.'

'Why not?'

'In the end, you're still going to kill us, aren't you?'

'You haven't even told me why. How do you know I'm going to kill you?'

'Our division commander is going to defect to the Japanese. We know about it. We tried to report it, but we were chased. We had no choice but to steal a train. We want to go to Hangzhou and report it to the Hangzhou garrison headquarters.'

'Your 47th Division is under the command of the Hangzhou garrison headquarters?'

'No. It's under the jurisdiction of the Songhu Garrison Command.'

'Huh?'

Zhang Yong was a little surprised.

So, after all this time, this 47th Division was actually under the jurisdiction of the Songhu Garrison Command?

He had thought it was Xuan Tiewu...

He never imagined it was Commander Qian...

Well, that makes things simple.

A phone call...

He's the commander of a miscellaneous division, and he dares to side with the Japanese?

Haha...

He must be tired of living!

But we must have evidence.