Chapter 28: Sorrowful

The night passed without incident. The next day dawned with clear skies, sweeping away the gloom of the previous days.

From the night before, the city of Jinling was no longer under martial law. The military police and puppet soldiers who had manned the checkpoints at every intersection were either now guarding the city gates or had returned to the military police headquarters.

With the curfew lifted, the streets filled early with townsfolk. The massacre had left everyone in terror; many had stayed indoors, emerging only for the New Year, and then the city was sealed off. Their food and money were nearly gone. If they didn’t earn something soon, they’d be starving.

Now, there were more people on the streets than when Li Wensheng first entered the city. Jinling was bustling, but the noise was not from vendors hawking their wares—it was the sound of cursing.

“You bastard, you son of a bitch, you scoundrel, you’re not even human…”

On every street in Jinling, hundreds lined up under the watchful eyes of four Japanese military police, shouting abuse from one end of the street to the other and then back again.

Kato thought that a thousand people cursing weren’t enough to break someone’s spirit. So after returning to headquarters the previous night, he instructed the traitors: “Tell the detainees, curse that man for ten days, and they’ll be freed!”

If surviving meant hurling insults, no one refused.

Early that morning, thousands were scattered throughout Jinling, shouting at the top of their lungs. The rest of the townsfolk listened with mixed feelings. They understood those who cursed, but the man being abused was the hero who’d killed Japanese soldiers. A profound sorrow welled within them.

An elderly gentleman with a white beard, hearing the shouts echoing all around, sighed heavily in his heart, “How pitiful…”

The curses seemed to shake the heavens. Li Wensheng heard them, too, but felt not the slightest anger. In fact, he even went out, walking the streets and listening to the abuse.

He knew that most of those cursing him were only trying to survive. If enduring a few insults could save so many lives, let them curse all they wanted. As for the few who cursed from the bottom of their hearts, Li Wensheng didn’t care. He had a clear conscience; let others think what they would.

Strolling through the streets, Li Wensheng wandered aimlessly until he found himself near the military police headquarters. Since the Japanese had made a move, and he now had time, he would look for an opportunity to strike back. If none arose, he would simply stay hidden.

A little after one in the afternoon, hungry, Li Wensheng headed toward a noodle stand. But the next moment he froze. Ahead, about a dozen meters away, a group of six men was leaving a restaurant, and one of them also stopped short.

These six were Qin Chi, Meng Xinqi, and four former military intelligence agents who had also betrayed their country to the Japanese.

Meng Xinqi had been staying at the East Asia Hotel, but it was no longer safe, so he had moved near the military police. Qin Chi, fearing retribution from other intelligence agents, had also relocated nearby. They had been close back in the intelligence bureau, and now, as fellow collaborators without any real power or spoils to fight over, they stuck together. After days of rain and confinement, the sun drew them out for a meal. Not wanting to stray far from the headquarters in case of danger, they chose a small tavern on the adjacent street.

Who would have thought they’d run into him here?

Meng Xinqi and the other four had never seen Li Wensheng, but Qin Chi had.

“Military Intelligence!” Qin Chi shouted, drawing his gun from his waistband.

But before he could finish the word, Li Wensheng, moving swiftly, reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, retrieved the Browning pistol issued by the intelligence bureau from his system’s storage, and fired rapidly.

The gun was always loaded and ready in his system space. Qin Chi was already a few beats too slow; he hadn’t even drawn his weapon when Li Wensheng fired.

With a single shot, Qin Chi fell dead. Li Wensheng immediately turned his pistol on the remaining five, firing in quick succession.

Five shots, and before any of them could react, they all collapsed in pools of blood.

Li Wensheng quickly put away his gun and melted into the panicked crowd, vanishing into the streets.

A gunfight near the military police headquarters would certainly trigger a clampdown, so after escaping, Li Wensheng decided not to observe the area for the next few days. He would wait before making another move.

Back on Fengyou Street, he bought two meat pies and headed for an abandoned courtyard he’d chosen at random before. As he stepped into an alley, two women and a man approached from the opposite direction.

Li Wensheng glanced at them but didn’t pay much attention, continuing forward. After passing them and walking a dozen steps, his eyes narrowed suddenly and he spun around.

His enhanced physical abilities had sharpened his hearing. He’d clearly heard their footsteps behind him, first growing distant, then closing in again—the three had turned around. Perhaps for another reason, but Li Wensheng decided to test them by turning back.

Facing the three as they approached, he tried to appear natural. When they continued toward him without hesitation, he relaxed a little, thinking he was just being overly cautious.

Still, erring on the side of suspicion, Li Wensheng quickly disappeared into the crowd after leaving the alley, intending to find another abandoned courtyard as his new hideout.

Just as he exited the alley, the three at the other end immediately turned to follow, but by the time they reached the street, Li Wensheng was already gone.

These three—Bai Yan, Shi Xiaozhen, and Old Niu—were gathering intelligence on Fengyou Street.

“Team leader, I’m sure he’s the one. No one else would have such strong counter-surveillance instincts!” Bai Yan said regretfully after scanning the crowd and finding no trace of Li Wensheng.

“Strong counter-surveillance doesn’t necessarily mean it’s him, but he should be added to our list of suspects. Bai Yan, did you memorize his face?” Shi Xiaozhen whispered.

Bai Yan arched an eyebrow confidently. “Facial recall is my specialty. Of course, I remember.”

“Good. Let’s keep investigating nearby. When we get back, sketch his likeness.”

“No problem!”

After leaving Fengyou Street with his meat pies, Li Wensheng headed toward the military police headquarters. Three streets away, he turned into an alley and vaulted into an abandoned house.

As he ate his fragrant meat pies, Kato was being berated at headquarters.

“Useless! With you in charge of the military police, even General Yoshizumi gets assaulted under your protection. You’re absolutely worthless!”

“Yes, sir!” Kato didn’t dare talk back, or even show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.

His superior was Major General Nakao Ichiki, sent from the Army Headquarters—and more importantly, straight from Japan itself.

After several minutes of scolding, Nakao Ichiki reviewed the files Kato had placed on his desk. After reading, he said, “Lift the lockdown. Ensure uninterrupted transport of goods. The new commander of the 9th Division, Lieutenant General Nakao, will soon arrive and lead the division to Xuzhou. Once Xuzhou is secured, our territories in Central and North China will be connected, and the Longhai Railway will allow us to push further south. This campaign is crucial to our holy war. One man cannot be compared to the holy war.

From now on, the military police’s primary task is to ensure the safety of logistics. The rail lines near Jinling must not be disrupted in the slightest.”

“Yes, sir!” Kato felt a surge of relief. With Nakao Ichiki’s words, he knew he wouldn’t be court-martialed or sent on a suicide mission; he would remain Jinling’s military police chief.

“The Army understands. Even in Japan, that man’s whereabouts were impossible to trace—you can hardly be blamed for failing to catch him. But remember this: do not let anything happen to our logistics, or you will stand before a military tribunal.”

Kato’s pupils contracted in fright, but he felt lucky. He realized that if he actually did catch that man, he might end up in even deeper trouble. If the man couldn’t be caught in Japan itself but was captured here, it would embarrass the cabinet ministers, even the prime minister. That man could only be apprehended by those sent directly by the cabinet; everyone else could only cooperate.

“Yes, sir! I will do my utmost to protect the railway lines!” Kato replied promptly.

Shortly after, Nakao Ichiki left headquarters to reside in the government building. The Battle of Xuzhou was critical, and he would remain in Jinling to ensure the smooth flow of logistics.