Thick smoke floated over the compound. With a pair of beautiful hands, she calmly gathered the black silk around her ears and raised her head. The floating black smoke was like black silk, just covering the sun. In the diffuse and rising black background, a pale round outline could just be seen, changing from light to dark, more like dark clouds covering the moon, and more like night.
This is a desperate situation, there is not a single hope for survival. No matter how long you hold on, this is the end.
He was as calm as ever, saying that he would lead everyone through the day, hold out until nightfall, and then break out.
He always said this, he always did this, it was the same in Shuxia Village, even though he knew it was a hopeless situation, even though he knew there was no chance, he still said this, he still did this. This scum is still doing this now, just like he said, like a beast without a soul, roaring and struggling in front of fate, trying to prove what he said, as if there is no end in his heart, this deserter
Compared to the soldiers, all I can do is accept it calmly and wait for the end.
Later, she put away the gun in her hand, stood up and walked to the backyard.
A large pot was temporarily set up under the courtyard wall. No. 3 squatted beside it and added firewood to the bottom of the pot, which made a crackling sound. No. 21 opened the lid of the pot and sprinkled in a handful of salt, then covered it again. When the lid was opened, a large cloud of steam came out, filled with the rich aroma of chicken.
There was the sound of footsteps behind them, and two people turned around at the same time. It was the beautiful and cold female Eighth Route Army soldier.
Su Qing stopped a few steps away from them, first looked at No. 21, then looked at No. 3, and said calmly: "I think, I don't need to say more, you all understand the current situation, none of us can survive."
Number 21 remained silent, and Number 3 raised his head and asked, "Can we... participate in the final battle?"
"Can't."
"Why?"
"Because one of you is a traitor"
Number 3 was silent. Neither he nor Number 21 could prove their innocence, nor could they prove that the other was a traitor. Of course, it was meaningless for the person who was not a traitor to know that the other might be a traitor.
Su Qing glanced at the two people coldly in silence. After a while, No. 3 suddenly raised his head and said calmly: "Yes, one of us may be a traitor, but it is also possible that neither of us is a traitor. Maybe one of us was followed and didn't know it, or maybe the traitor No. 2 told the enemy about this location, which led to the current situation. You can't arbitrarily assume that one of us must be a traitor."
What No. 3 said made sense, and this possibility did exist. No. 21 next to him also raised his head and looked at Su Qing.
After staring coldly at the calm No. 3 for a long time, Su Qing said, "I can."
Number 21 showed a puzzled expression, and number 3 was surprised and asked back: "Why?"
"If it was No. 2 who betrayed this location, then the enemy would have to set up an ambush here and capture the person waiting here first. Can you two still enter Xiaojiao Village? If one of you is exposed and followed, even if the enemy wants to fish, they should ambush and monitor all around. How can they hide in a yard? Aren't you afraid that the target will escape?"
Number 21 was surprised by what he said, and Number 3 frowned. Now they knew that this female Eighth Route Army soldier was a political worker, but they didn't expect that this woman's senses were so sharp. Then, Number 21 looked at Number 3, and Number 3 also looked at Number 21 at the same time, and the two continued to look at each other.
"We will all die, that's for sure." Su Qing's tone was cold and calm, interrupting the eye contact between No. 3 and No. 21: "But this matter must be settled first. Now I don't have the time, the conditions, or the energy to prove who is innocent. Since fate has arranged it this way, the result is the same, then you have to prove it yourselves. I hope you understand."
After she finished speaking, No. 3 and No. 21 looked at her hands and immediately froze, because she was taking out a Mauser pistol.
Unexpectedly, she deliberately pulled the trigger, showing the empty magazine to the two men, and then loaded a bullet in front of them. Then she took two steps forward, holding the gun backwards, and handed it to No. 3.
Number Three asked woodenly, "What does this mean?"
"Take it." After No. 3 took the gun, Su Qing continued, "If you are a traitor, then shoot me now. I am willing to use my life to prove that you are a traitor. If you are not a traitor, then I hope you shoot yourself and use your life to prove that she is a traitor. Now you only have these two choices. This is an order."
A puff of black smoke drifted by, and the big pot next to him was already bubbling and hissing with hot steam, and the chickens were almost cooked. Number Three stared blankly at the cold and beautiful face in front of him, not feeling the heat and fragrance around him at all, only the cold, and kept holding the gun in his hand and was reluctant to lift it up.
"I'm waiting for your choice." Su Qing urged.
"This is not fair." Number 3's voice suddenly became a little hoarse. He raised his hand and pointed at number 21 and asked Su Qing: "Why should I make the choice instead of her?"
"Because I suspect you are a traitor," the answer was unusually calm.
"Why do you doubt me?" He asked in a tone full of resentment.
"Because the yard where the detective team is hiding is too close to you and far away from her."
"Don't you think this reason is far-fetched?"
"Yes, it is a bit far-fetched to use it as evidence. So I am willing to use my life to verify it. What about you? Are you willing to use your life to prove your innocence
"I refuse to carry out this ridiculous order"
Su Qing suddenly smiled faintly: "If you give up this opportunity, I will find someone to execute you in the name of executing a traitor. Even if it is wrong, it will be meaningless because we will all die."
After finishing speaking, Su Qing calmly turned around and started walking back.
Three steps, four steps, five steps, number three behind him finally spoke again: "I have a third choice"
Judging from his tone, Su Qing knew that the gun was pointed at his back, so he stopped but did not look back: "Does this count as admitting that you are a traitor?"
Number Three shook his empty hand vigorously, and the loose rope connected to Number Twenty-One immediately fell to the ground: "You are not afraid of death, but someone is afraid of your death. You are my way of survival."
A man flashed out from a nearby corner, raised his pistol, and pointed it at No. 3: "Put the gun down."
After hearing Li Xiang's voice, Su Qing slowly turned around.
Number Three remained unmoved, aiming his gun at Su Qing, and slowly approached Su Qing, while gritting his teeth and saying to Li Xiang: "Put her down, or I will kill her."
呷—a gunshot.
Number Three numbly lowered his head and saw that the gunshot wound in his chest had just begun to ooze blood. He numbly raised his eyes again and saw that the muzzle of the gun in the corner was still smoking and trembling slightly. It should be that his hand holding the gun was shaking. Finally, he looked at the cold woman in front of him and tried to pull the trigger at her.
Click—the firing pin went off, but the bullet didn't.
All his breath was lost in an instant, and he fell on his back with a thud. He saw black smoke filling the sky, with the distant blue sky visible in the gaps.
The muzzle of the gun was lowered, but the hand holding the gun was still shaking unconsciously. This was the first time Li Xiang shot someone and he felt like an executioner. Su Qing asked him to help deal with a Mauser bullet. Only now did he know that the bullet was used for this, which was no different from execution by firing squad.
A burst of hurried footsteps sounded, and Shi Cheng and two others came running over with guns in hand: "What's the matter?"
"It's okay, the traitor is dead." Su Qing looked at No. 21 who was standing still: "From now on, you have to join the battle. Share breakfast with everyone first."
Number 21 nodded silently, then began to untie the rope around his wrists.
On the small road west of Xiaojiao Village, a three-wheeled motorcycle stopped. A Japanese officer with a saber in hand stepped out of the motorcycle in shiny black military boots. What was different was that his collar badge was not red, but black. He was a captain, with a black military identification badge on his right chest and an armband on his left sleeve with red letters on a white background saying "Military Police".
The commander on the scene was an ordinary Japanese squadron leader. When he saw this person arrive, he immediately reported the situation respectfully.
The number of Eighth Route Army soldiers is unknown, but it is not large in scale. They are now trapped in Xiaojiao Village. No action was taken against them immediately because the troops who set up checkpoints in the early morning were gathered together, and the people who escaped from the village were sorted out first. After investigation, they were all residents of Xiaojiao Village, and no Eighth Route Army soldiers were found. There was a company of security forces in the north, which had just entered the village without authorization and started a battle. According to reports, there were more than 30 casualties, and the company commander was killed, but the main force of the Eighth Route Army had been firmly surrounded in a large courtyard, and only a few were still hiding in the village.
After listening to the report, the military police captain said nothing. He gestured to the squadron leader to continue commanding his battle. Then he leaned on his saber with both hands and quietly looked at Xiaojiao Village not far away and the column of thick black smoke rising from the village.
Luo Fugui sat by the gate of a small courtyard, holding his machine gun, took a few gulps from the kettle, burped, and said, "Damn it, it's better to be a fool. My heart was broken at that time, but he threw the grenade back without even blinking."
"Haha, this shows that you are worse than a fool. The girl said you are a big idiot, and it is not unfair to you at all." Ma Liang observed near the hole in the corner and remarked in a low voice.
"I wanted to pick it up, but I fell down, so I couldn't reach it. I was just scared." After a pause, Luo Fugui sighed and said, "I don't know how far the girl ran. I really miss her. I carried her on my back for so many miles, more than I carried my mother back then... If there was an independent regiment at that time, it would be great. My mother... wouldn't have to..."
Ma Liang could tell that Luo Fugui's condition was declining, and didn't want him to talk about it anymore, so he said, "The girl can't run far."
"Why?" Luo Fugui was indeed diverted by this sentence.
"Everywhere is blocked. Although the girl is a child and can run out of the village, she can't go back. Not to mention how far the road is, at this time, all the checkpoints must be allowed to go to the county but not outside. They can enter but not leave, even if she is a child."
"If you say so... that girl would have starved to death... back then my mother..."
Ma Liang suddenly lowered his voice: "Shh—coming"
"What's coming?"
"Ghost, go over there and tell the squad leader."
Luo Fugui jumped up with a start, crouched down with his machine gun in hand, and hurried to another yard.
…