German Red Prince

Page 108

The clothes issued by the army were obviously not effective in protecting him from the biting cold wind. He had to squeeze out a little from his meager military pay to buy himself a few more clothes. As a private, Masao Takahashi's monthly military pay was only six yen, most of which he had to send home.

"Takahashi-kun, are you cold?" Takahashi, who was stamping his feet in the cold at the outpost, heard someone ask him a question and had to turn his head with difficulty to see the other person's face.

"It's alright, not, not particularly cold," Masao Takahashi said to Kazuo Kobayashi, forcing a smile.

"Have one?"

Kobayashi took a cigarette out of his pocket and handed it to Takahashi Masao. Kobayashi was the first person Takahashi met after arriving in Tohoku. He was very easy-going and a good person. The two were even in the same military unit and quickly became friends.

"Go back and rest, I'll take over the shift," Kobayashi said to Takahashi, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Alright, be careful." Takahashi nodded, shrank his neck, and walked out of the guard post. He took a deep drag on his cigarette, and because he took it too hard, he coughed. But it was this cough that saved his life.

"Oh!"

A gunshot rang out, and Takahashi's hat was knocked off. Before Takahashi could react, Kobayashi shoved him down into a snowdrift.

"Enemy attack!"

Kobayashi took out his whistle and blew it. These North Koreans are here again.

Chapter 186 The Adventures of Brother Dao

"Hey, Brother Dao, you're still here?"

A police officer opened the police station door and walked in. The cold wind rushed into the room through the open door, causing several officers who were still dozing to curse.

The old police officer, who had entered the house, pretended not to hear the officers' cursing. He shook the snow off his clothes, took off his hat, and greeted the lieutenant who was about to leave.

"I'm telling you, Officer, you shouldn't go back today either. Look, I even bought some wine."

Zhang Fengzi picked up the bottle of liquor he was carrying and waved it in front of Dao Ge, saying, "We're all old bachelors anyway, and we'd just be sitting on cold beds if we went back home, so we might as well have some fun here."

"Get out of here, who wants to have fun with a bunch of grown men like you?"

Dao Ge cursed a couple of times, but still managed to smuggle a bottle of wine from Zhang Fengzi.

"Hey, Brother Dao, that's not very nice of you. You said you wouldn't join in the fun with us men, but you still took a bottle of wine from me. Are you going to some house to roll around on a heated brick bed tonight?"

"Damn it, do you really want me to kick you?" Dao Ge said, raising one foot to kick, but Zhang Fengzi nimbly dodged it.

"Can't you think of anything good? Who's like you, rolling around on the kang (heated brick bed) every day, lying in a woman's arms and whining?"

“Look at your skin. We’re all cops. If you ever sleep with someone and don’t pay, don’t make me go and arrest you. I can’t afford to lose face like that.”

After scolding Zhang Fengzi, Brother Dao shook his head smugly.

"Let me tell you, I'm going to my nephew's place for drinks today. That kid is going to study in Fengtian, and we police officers can't do anything about it. He told me a while ago that he had someone take care of it and invited me over for dinner."

After saying that, he tapped Zhang Fengzi's head with his hand and said, "You're not as clever as my nephew. You always try to get your ideas from women. If you put in a little more effort, I, a police captain, could have retired much earlier."

After saying that, he took the wine and left. Zhang Fengzi was naturally uncomfortable after being scolded, but he wouldn't be stupid enough to confront the police officer directly.

He threw the things he bought onto the table, startling the dozing police officer. Just as he was about to curse, he saw Zhang Fengzi with a fierce look on his face.

Although they are both police officers, there are seniority differences among them. Zhang Fengzi joined the force earlier than him, so he is a senior officer and he certainly cannot scold him.

"What? You want to curse me?" Zhang Fengzi looked at the police officer with a resentful expression, then looked at him with a look of pity for his misfortune and anger at his lack of self-control.

"Can't you be a little more clever? All you can think about is sleeping and being lazy. If you were even slightly more capable, I would have to call you senior."

After venting his anger, Zhang Fengzi felt much better and his temper had calmed down. Seeing that the young police officer was still standing there in a daze, he kicked the table again.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get ready, it'll be just the few of us eating here tonight."

A thick fur hat protected Dao Ge's head; the cold weather was really not very friendly to a bald guy like him.

Fortunately, as a police lieutenant, his income was enough to support his daily expenses. In addition, he only had one mouth to feed at home and no desires, so his expenses were minimal.

His biggest monthly expense is probably the living expenses for his adopted nephew.

This kid lost his parents early and has to raise himself. But he's quite clever. If he's sent to study in Fengtian, he'll definitely do better than his uncle.

While Sister Biao was cooking at home, she heard what Brother Hu said. He said that Xiao Liang's uncle was a high-ranking official, so the matter would probably be successful. If it was successful, Sister Biao would be able to put her mind at ease and could go back to living comfortably as before.

"Get some good stuff at home. I'm going to Xiao Liang's place to invite his uncle over for dinner," Tiger said, getting dressed and calling to Sister Biao in the inner room.

"Alright, alright, why are you being so long-winded? Do you think I can't handle this little thing? The real question is, can you even get them to agree to help?"

"Don't worry about it. Is there anything I can't handle?" Tiger yelled and went out the door, heading towards Xiao Liang's house.

"Xiao Liang, I heard you got things done?" Dao Ge asked Xiao Liang as soon as he entered the room, asking about the matter he cared about most.

“Of course, Uncle.” He took out the certificate. “Uncle, look at what it says here. I’ll go study there after the New Year.”

Brother Dao took the certificate and looked at it. Although he looked like a rough and uncultured man, he had at least attended a private school for a few years and knew quite a few characters.

After seeing the proof, Brother Dao happily patted Xiao Liang's head.

"Good lad, at least we can get it done." He took out ten silver dollars from his pocket. "Here, take this. It's the New Year, have some fun with this money."

"Thank you, Uncle." Xiao Liang took the ten silver dollars and put them in his pocket. "I also asked someone to get this certificate. They want to treat me to a meal now, Uncle, would you like to come along?"

"Alright, alright, we can't go empty-handed. Luckily, I managed to snag a bottle of wine from that guy at the police station today. Let's go thank him properly."

"They've had some things to take care of lately, Uncle, could you help them out?"

"Whatever it is, as long as I can handle it, I'll definitely be able to help." Brother Dao puffed out his chest and patted himself. "My influence here is definitely enough."

Just then, Tiger arrived. Looking at the people in the room, he naturally knew that the person next to Xiao Liang was the one he was looking for.

"You must be Xiao Liang's uncle? I've heard Xiao Liang mention you often."

"You are......"

Just as Xiao Liang was about to introduce himself, Brother Hu interrupted him, "I'm Hu Zi, just call me Brother Hu. I'm Xiao Liang's friend. It's almost Chinese New Year, and we'd like to invite Xiao Liang to our house for a meal. Uncle, would you like to come along?"

"This is the person who helped me get the certificate," Xiao Liang added quietly from the side.

"Oh, it's Tiger Brother." After hearing Xiao Liang's words, Brother Dao quickly smiled and went forward to greet him.

"Brother Tiger, thank you so much for Xiao Liang's matter. If you need anything, just let me know. As long as it's within my power, I'll definitely help you get it done!"

"Thank you, Brother Dao," Tiger said gratefully. "Come on, Brother Dao, let's go to our house for dinner."

The group chatted and laughed as they walked into Tiger's house. Inside, Sister Biao had already set out the food.

"Come on, Brother Dao, let's eat and chat." Brother Hu pointed to Sister Biao next to him, "My wife, hurry up and greet Brother Dao."

"Hey Dao Ge, just call me Biao Mei."

Sitting on the kang (heated brick bed), after a few drinks, the relationship became familiar, and the conversation flowed freely.

Because he was happy, Brother Dao drank a bit too much, and his head was a little dizzy.

"Brother Tiger, tell me what's wrong. I'll definitely help if I can!"

"Thank you, Brother Dao." Brother Hu toasted Brother Dao again. "I heard that a new ironworks has opened in the city. I'd like to try my luck there, but I don't know how to get in. I wonder if Brother Dao could find someone to get me in?"

"Is that all? You've come to the right person!" Brother Dao put down his wine glass, tilted his head, and laughed. "This is easy! We know about this too. Let me tell you, this factory was run by the Commander!"

"Was this organized by the Marshal? Are the Japanese involved?" Sister Biao asked with some concern.

Tiger's previous job was in a steel factory run by the General, but it was all driven out of business by the Japanese. She was worried that if the Japanese didn't get a share of this new factory, it would go out of business again in a few years.

"The Japanese have a share? If the Japanese have a share, I'm not going!" Tiger shouted, fueled by alcohol.

“That’s right, we won’t work for the Japanese!” Brother Dao also gave a thumbs up.

“Biao Mei, you’re so short-sighted.” Dao Ge shook his head. “You should know that although the commander-in-chief has some cooperation with the Japanese, he secretly hates these short guys.”

"I have some inside information," Brother Dao said mysteriously. "The Commander-in-Chief is planning to go head-to-head with the Japanese lately. Don't worry about this new factory; with the Commander-in-Chief around, it won't fail!"

"I'll find someone to get this done for you tomorrow! I'll try to get it done in the morning so you can go to work in the afternoon!"

"Thank you, Brother Dao." After hearing this, Sister Biao had no more reservations and toasted Brother Dao.

Unable to resist the two people taking turns persuading him, Xiao Liang was already lying on the bed and couldn't get up. Dao Ge was also feeling dizzy. He picked up his cup and started praising Sister Biao, saying that she was pretty and a spinning worker.

Then he started praising Tiger, saying how he was able to find such a good woman to manage the household. He kept praising him and saying that he, an old bachelor, was genuinely envious of Tiger's family.

After the matter was settled, Dao Ge packed up and went back home. He had to go to work at the police station the next day. Xiao Liang was drunk and unconscious, so he was allowed to stay overnight at Hu Ge's house.

After declining Tiger and Sister Biao's offer to see him off, Brother Dao staggered home, his mind reeling from the alcohol. Before he knew it, he tripped over something.

He fell into the snow, sobering up halfway. Dao Ge picked up his hat, cursing, and looked back. Something had tripped him on the dark road.

"What the hell is that?" Dao Ge put on his hat and kicked it, which startled the other half of his drink sober.

Having been a policeman for so long, I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped on him; there was a person lying on the street.

However, it was pitch black, so we couldn't tell what was going on with this person. It was below minus ten degrees Celsius outside, and if you stayed out for too long, the person would freeze solid.

"Damn it, thank goodness I ran into them. If it were anyone else, they would probably have frozen to death in the snow."

He checked his nose with his hand, and thankfully, there was still breath. As a policeman, Brother Dao still had some professional ethics. Although he was cursing, he still carried him on his back and walked towards the light.

After finally reaching a streetlamp, Dao Ge put down the person he was carrying and took a look. Good heavens, it was a woman, and judging by her clothes, she was Japanese.

"Goodness, they even saved a Japanese guy." Brother Dao spat to the side. "Damn it, it's one thing for you men to come, but now women are coming too. You all want to move here. Is our place really that great? You're always thinking about it. You might as well freeze to death!"

Cursing is one thing, but the body is another. While cursing Brother Dao, he took off his coat. Of course, this wasn't to take advantage of the heat; if he had just taken off his pants outside, his manhood would have frozen off immediately.

Dao Ge put his coat on the woman, then slung it over his shoulder again. He was shivering from the cold in this awful weather. He let out a howl and then carried her home.

Chapter 187 Without guns or cannons, the enemy built them for us.

The frequency of attacks by North Koreans has increased significantly during this period, a fact that Kazuo Kobayashi has personally experienced.

Masao Takahashi was a greenhorn who hadn't experienced much, while Masao was a seasoned veteran in Manchuria who had seen it all.

Although North Korean attacks on border posts were not uncommon, they had been happening far too frequently lately. Just a couple of days ago, he heard that a post had been attacked and all four sentries stationed there had been killed.

It happened in the camp, a group of people were eating and chatting. When Kobayashi Kazuo first heard it, he was a little incredulous. What kind of guerrilla force could kill four soldiers of the Great Japanese Empire in one fell swoop?

He also knew the size of the Korean guerrilla teams; a typical team consisted of fewer than ten people. Japanese rule was deeply entrenched in Korea, to the point that even kitchen knives were tied to chopping boards, let alone guns and ammunition.

These impoverished guerrillas, with ten men and barely enough guns, were able to defeat four Imperial soldiers despite their lack of food and ammunition. If this were written in a report, they would be laughed out of the room.

This situation is either an attempt to excuse their own dereliction of duty, or it's pure delusion. When did they realize that even a bunch of poor devils like North Korea have become invincible?

However, under the current circumstances, Kobayashi Kazuo had to retract his previous disdain and contempt. What was wrong with these North Koreans? They even had machine guns?

The North Korean guerrillas on the other side were clearly better equipped than us; they could even pull out machine guns, and they couldn't even raise their heads.

"Beep—beep—beep—"

Kobayashi lay on the snow, blowing his whistle loudly. Takahashi Masao lay in the snow, stunned. His mind was completely blank, and the feeling of surviving a disaster made him break out in a cold sweat.

Having just experienced a life-or-death moment, he was just a hair's breadth away from never returning. All the ambitions he had when he joined the army were now forgotten.

Forget honor, forget loyalty; at this moment, all Takahashi Masao could think about was not dying here. His parents were still waiting for news of him at home.

The sharp whistle pierced Masao Takahashi's eardrums, shooting straight into his head. However, this pain actually made him more awake, and he regained some feeling in his cold limbs. However, his vision was still a bit blurry, and everything in front of him seemed to be in slow motion, until Kobayashi slapped him across the face.

"Takahashi-kun! This is not the time to stand still! Fight back now, or we'll all die here!"

After being slapped, Takahashi Masao became much more sober, and his fragmented memories returned. He picked up the rifle buried in the snow, rolled over abruptly, adjusted his breathing, and calmed his rapidly beating heart.

Xiao Lin is right. If he had stayed in the snow, they would have both died in no time. Xiao Lin had already sounded the alarm. If they could hold out until the main force arrived, they would have been saved.

A strong will to survive caused Masao Takahashi's adrenaline to surge, and his hand holding the gun became much steadyer. Although the bullets were still flying past his forehead, Masao Takahashi was not so nervous at this moment.

Although the North Koreans had far more firepower than they did, they lacked formal training and their accuracy was somewhat lacking. The biggest threat to them was actually that machine gun. Once that machine gun was destroyed, the morale of these North Korean guerrillas would quickly crumble.

Masao Takahashi held his breath, his right eye fixed on the crosshair, and after aiming the crosshair at the North Korean, he pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

After a gunshot, Masao Takahashi immediately pulled the bolt again. The previous shot had already taken down the machine gunner on the other side. With another shot, Masao Takahashi took down the guerrilla fighter who was about to operate the machine gun.

"Well done, Takahashi-kun!"

Kobayashi couldn't help but cheer. Both shots hit their targets, and the enemy's firepower was significantly weakened. No one dared to touch that machine gun anymore.

"There's a sniper on the other side, retreat!"

The guerrilla leader ordered his men to retreat. Their original purpose was to harass and disrupt the enemy's outposts. Now that the enemy was prepared, continuing to waste time would be counterproductive.

In addition, the other side has also blown its whistle. If we drag this out and wait for their reinforcements to arrive, none of us will be able to escape. Since the harassment has failed, it is better to retreat as soon as possible in order to reduce unnecessary casualties.

The gunfire gradually subsided, and the guerrillas on the other side, not being foolish, knew they were a tough nut to crack and withdrew on their own initiative.

Seeing the other side retreat, Xiaolin and the others naturally didn't chase after them. The two lay in the snow, panting heavily, letting the snowflakes melt and soak their clothes.