A military policeman ran over from the house in a panic and said: "Report to Second Lieutenant Miyamoto that Xu Haichuan is missing!"
Suzuki was taken aback and said, "This...how is this possible?"
Jiro Sakai strode toward the house with a pistol in his hand. Suzuki followed closely behind him with several military policemen. He pushed open the mottled door and stepped into the house.
The front room serves as a bedroom and dining room. A roll of bedding is piled haphazardly on a wooden bed, a pair of bowls and chopsticks are placed on a low square table, and in the back room is a large stone pot stove covered with a bamboo lid.
Even in rural areas, this is the kind of family with particularly poor living conditions, and it looks like a bachelor lives there.
Jiro Sakai: "Who is in the room?"
"Xu Haichuan, Interpreter Jin, and the owner of the house...it's the man driving the mule cart." A military policeman returned.
Sakai Jiro waved his hand and said: "Search! There must be a place to hide someone in the house!"
"yes!"
Jiro Sakai: "Signal Corps, contact Major Hattori immediately!"
"Yes!" The signal soldier carried a walkie-talkie, which allowed direct dialogue within an effective distance.
The walkie-talkie was quickly connected. After listening to Sakai's report, Hattori Hikoo was shocked and quickly calmed down and said: "How many people are there in the Communist Party?"
"There are probably hundreds of people."
"How could hundreds of people disappear all at once?"
"Major, I have sent scouts to track the Communists everywhere..."
Hattori Hikoo interrupted him and said: "The Communist Party is well prepared. Even if you find them, don't underestimate the enemy and rush in. Stand by where you are. I will bring reinforcements immediately!"
"Understood!" Jiro Sakai had just ended the call when he heard a sudden noise from behind the house, accompanied by the sound of bolts being pulled and loaded.
"What's going on?" Jiro Sakai quickly came to the back room and saw that the bamboo pot lid on the stove was thrown aside, and the iron pot was also taken out and placed on the ground.
"There's someone inside!" Suzuki also raised his pistol and pointed it at the dark place under the stove.
"Come out! If you don't come out, we will shoot!" Jiro Sakai shouted into the stove.
"Taijun, don't shoot, don't shoot, it's me..." Jin Interpreter, covered in black and gray, crawled out.
Sakai Jiro grabbed Interpreter Jin's collar and asked: "Where is Xu Haichuan?"
Translator Jin said with a grimace: "Second Lieutenant Sakai, I was knocked unconscious when I came in. I don't know anything... but it seems to be a tunnel inside."
Jiro Sakai saw a large swelling on his forehead and knew that he was not lying. He turned around and ordered: "Check inside!"
The two Japanese soldiers agreed and poked around the stove several times with their bayonets. Sure enough, they found the entrance to the secret passage. They huddled up and got in carefully.
Ten minutes later, two Japanese soldiers covered in dust came back from behind the house and said: "Second Lieutenant Sakai, the tunnel is more than ten meters long, and the exit is the firewood pile behind the house."
"How disgusting! Cunning Chinese!"
Sakai Jiro now roughly understood that the party branch meeting did not exist at all. Everything that happened today was entirely to rescue Xu Haichuan!
A scout sent out hurried in, stood at attention and saluted and said: "Report to Second Lieutenant Sakai that the enemy's whereabouts were found in the woods to the east of the village!"
"how many people?"
"About a dozen, and several people were carrying them on stretchers, as if they were their wounded soldiers."
Second Lieutenant Miyamoto's eyes lit up and he ordered: "Assemble the team and pursue the east end of the village!"
Suzuki quickly took a step forward and said: "Second Lieutenant Sakai, the Major's order is for us to stay where we are..."
Jiro Sakai: "The situation is changing rapidly. The major is not here, and he doesn't know what will happen next!"
"Should I report it to the Major?"
"When we argue here, we are wasting the opportunity to fight!"
Suzuki didn't dare to say anything. After all, Jiro Sakai was the leader and he was just a commander.
Under Sakai's orders, the Japanese soldiers climbed onto the carriages one after another, and the truck drove toward the east end of the village.
Through the fierce battle just now, Sakai Jiro had already judged that the enemy's combat effectiveness was very weak. He only gained a little advantage by being familiar with the terrain and fighting an ambush.
What risks are there in pursuing a dozen wounded soldiers this time?
Even though he thought so in his heart, Sakai Jiro did not dare to be careless. He sent Suzuki and a squadron as the vanguard to explore the road, while he and the large group of people stayed behind and kept a certain distance from them.
At this moment, four military vehicles drove into Yangcun. On board were Tian Junsheng's garrison and a detachment of the gendarmerie, totaling more than a hundred people.
Hattori Hikoo got out of the car, waved over the signal soldier, and said, "Contact Second Lieutenant Sakai immediately!"
"Yes!" The signal soldier turned on the walkie-talkie. Before he could adjust the antenna, he heard a bang from the east end of the village, followed by continuous explosions.
Tian Junsheng shrank his neck in fright, raised his pistol and shouted: "Be on guard! Be on guard!"
Hattori Hikoo stood still and ordered: "Captain Tian, take your people and run towards the direction of the explosion!"
"Yes!" Tian Junsheng did not dare to disobey his orders, so he bravely led the garrison to the east of the village.
Half an hour later, two teams, Tian Junsheng and Sakai Jiro, came back one after another. In the middle of the team were several stretchers, and on each stretcher lay a Japanese soldier covered in blood and in pain.
Sakai Jiro quickly walked up to Hattori Hikoo, bowed and saluted and said: "Report to Major, we have fallen into Xu Haichuan's trick..."
Hattori Hikoo interrupted him and said, "What happened with the explosion that just happened?"
Jiro Sakai: "We were chasing wounded Communist soldiers in the woods... They set up booby traps, causing casualties to us."
Hattori Hikoo said coldly: "I asked you to stay where you are, who told you to act without permission!"
Jiro Sakai lowered his head and said: "I'm sorry, this is my fault for being humble. I am willing to accept the punishment!"
"Casualties!" Hattori Hikoo said with a livid face.
"Including Suzuki Souchang, a total of five people were broken into pieces, and two others were seriously injured..." Sakai lowered his head and did not dare to look at Hattori Hikoo. He knew that he had violated military discipline.
"Asshole!" Hattori Hikoo suddenly raised his hand and slapped Sakai Jiro, causing him to stagger back a few steps.
"Yes!" Jiro Sakai's face suddenly swelled up. He put his feet together and stood up straight.
"Have you found any traces of the Communist Party?" Hattori Hikoo said with a sullen face, still angry.
"Not yet, I believe they won't go too far. Major, I suggest you mobilize the troops immediately to conduct a thorough search!"
"You said something stupid! Before the army could leave the city, the Communist Party had already gone to Hebei!"
"yes!"
Hattori Hikoo thought for a long time and said: "Captain Tian, how many households are there in Yang Village?"
"Almost more than twenty households." Tian Junsheng often led teams out of the city to search for money and had a good understanding of the situation outside the city. Yangcun was located in a remote area and was the village with the smallest population.
Hattori Hikoo: "Bring your people immediately, drive all the villagers out, and gather them in front of the village office!"
Tian Junsheng gave a thumbs up and said: "Major, your move is brilliant. Some of these ordinary people must know where the Communist Party is hiding!"
Hattori Hikoo said expressionlessly: "Tell them, if they don't reveal the whereabouts of the Communist Party later, everyone will be shot!"
Tian Junsheng was startled and said cautiously: "Major, do you mean to scare them?"
"I'm not trying to scare them. The Communist Party is running rampant in Yangcun, and the villagers' failure to report it is tantamount to collaborating with the enemy!" Hattori Hikoo said word by word with a fierce look in his eyes.