The Bravest

"Team leader, we are ready. Go back and tell the stationmaster that we are not going back. This building will be our burial place, and it will also be a Japanese cemetery," said a Military Intelligence Bureau agent who was about 30 years old with a firm face.

"Why are you two so stubborn? There is still time to evacuate." The leader of the blasting team had a grim look on his face. His team members temporarily decided not to evacuate just to be able to launch more explosive packs.

"Team leader, stop talking. You should withdraw quickly and tell the stationmaster that our brothers are not deserters. There are no deserters in our Sichuan Army." The older agent looked determined. During the Battle of Songhu, they were the last Sichuan Army to arrive. He and his brothers from the same village were injured in the bloody battle with the Japanese. They did not keep up with the troops and were stranded in the suburbs of Shanghai. They had no choice but to take off their military uniforms and hide among the refugees. Later, they were incorporated into the Songhu Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army led by the Military Control Commission. Hearing that the original troops had fought the Japanese, the brothers were always upset that they could not die on the battlefield with their comrades.

"Okay, in that case, we'll meet at the Martyrs' Shrine in the future. I'll make it clear to the stationmaster." The team leader raised his hand and saluted, a gesture he had not done in more than three years of hiding and he dared not forget. "Long live China." After the salute, the team leader turned and left. The two dead soldiers who were still returning the salute murmured to themselves: "I will never return to Sichuan until I win the war of resistance."

"Have you buried the explosives downstairs? The Japanese will be buried with us soon."

"Okay, 30 kilograms, buried under a few large pillars. It's guaranteed to collapse the building. No one who comes in will be able to get out."

"Okay, seal the door and windows, and don't let anyone in to check. Just consider it as closing down. Most shops will be closed today anyway, so no one will pay attention. Then check the detonation cord. I'll go to the rooftop to check on those two big guys. Haha, six explosive packs, enough to feed the Japanese."

"Brother, there's no problem down there. Are these two big guys that powerful? Are you sure?"

"Don't worry, it's just a bigger mortar. It's a pity that we can't adjust the angle, but it's exciting to think about firing in downtown Shanghai. Even if it doesn't go off, we can just throw it down later and kill a lot of people."

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"Mr. Lin, the team ahead has started, let's follow them." Gangcun said excitedly to Lin Jie who was sitting in the passenger seat. "Today's scene is really grand."

"Yes, the Imperial Army is really powerful, and the British in Singapore are really vulnerable. Now most of Asia is in the hands of Japan, proving that my original idea was correct. With the help of Japan, China will definitely become stronger and will never be bullied by Westerners again." Lin Jie also had a crazy look on his face, boasting to Gangcun about his strategic vision.

"The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere will definitely be realized." The two guys were so excited that they couldn't express it in words as they watched teams of Japanese soldiers marching past them.

"Mr. Gangcun, why don't we get off the bus and walk to experience it and take some photos as a souvenir. This is a witness to history and may be very valuable in the future." Lin Jie fiddled with the camera in his hand, as if looking for a suitable angle, and suddenly suggested that Gangcun get off the bus and walk.

"That's fine. Anyway, the car can't overtake the team in front. Let's get off the car and walk, following the reporters." Gangcun was persuaded. He took Lin Jie out of the car and called a man from the gendarmerie headquarters, "You drive the car back later. Lin Sang and I will go to the front to maintain order." Gangcun found a plausible reason and took Lin Jie away from the originally arranged team.

"Mr. Lin, please take a picture for me here, including the building and the army. Haha."

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"Brother, here he comes. Look at how arrogant the little Japanese is. Give him a shot and send him to hell."

"Don't be impatient. The ones in the front are all small soldiers. The oldest one is only a warrant officer. They will attack the people in the car behind. They are either high-ranking officials or traitors. If we kill any one of them, we will make enough money. Get ready."

"One round to reload." The older agent didn't care what this big thing converted from a gasoline barrel was called, in his eyes it was just a cannon.

"Loading completed." The two men were no longer chatting and laughing as before. The atmosphere on the rooftop was solemn. They had turned the rooftop, which only had two people and two gasoline barrels buried in cement, into an artillery position.

"Target, 250 meters ahead, ignite"

"Ignition" the fuse burned quickly, and three seconds later, there were two muffled "bang, bang" sounds, and two ten-kilogram explosive packs shot up into the sky from the gasoline barrels. Under the hopeful eyes of the two KMT death squad members on the roof, they were thrown high towards the Japanese parade in the distance.

"What is that?", "Enemy attack.", "Scatter, scatter quickly." One of the two explosive packs fell in the middle of several cars, and the other flew over the cars and landed in the team behind. Maybe the fuse was too long, and the explosive packs emitted white smoke in the chaotic crowd. Two seconds later, they exploded violently. The two cars that had not had time to escape were blown over and rolled over, crashing into the buildings on the side of the street and falling to the ground, igniting a raging fire. The walking parade was even more tragic. No one within 20 meters of the explosion point was spared, and most of them did not leave a complete body. Many people on the periphery were also knocked to the ground by the shock wave of the explosion, and their lives and deaths were unpredictable.

"Quick, reload quickly and blow up those damned Japanese."

"Good, good explosion, reduce the amount of explosives and don't let it fly too far." The two death warriors on the roof had just been shocked by the huge explosion scene. Even though they were more than 200 meters apart, they could still feel the building shaking under their feet.

"Bang, bang." There were two more muffled noises. This time the explosive pack only flew less than two hundred meters and did not fall in the middle of the road. Instead, it hit the wall of the building on the street and bounced back. It took another two or three seconds before a violent explosion occurred. The effect was a little worse, but it also killed and injured many people.

"The artillery is upstairs, charge up quickly." After two consecutive firings, the Japanese soldiers discovered that the bomb came from the roof of a three-story building. They began to organize their soldiers to fire indiscriminately at the roof, and dozens of soldiers frantically banged on the door on the first floor.

"Brother, there are too many people down there, no need to fire, I'll throw one down." Just as he finished speaking, a soldier lit the explosive pack that was originally used for launching the bomb, then rushed to the edge of the roof, and threw the explosive pack down despite the bullets flying from below.

With a loud bang, the bottom of the building turned into a battlefield, and the Japanese soldiers who were blocked at the gate were blown to pieces. Even the death warriors who threw the explosive packs on the roof were knocked to the ground by the gusts of air.

"Hahaha. Brother, it's so satisfying." The dead man lying on the ground laughed loudly.

"There's only one left, fire another one." With a bang, the explosive pack flew a hundred meters and landed in the middle of the road again. People around it screamed and ran around, but they were still knocked over by the huge explosion, causing many casualties.

"Charge in." The Japanese commander downstairs went crazy, desperately commanding the Japanese soldiers who had just been transferred to break open the door on the first floor. Dozens of people rushed into the building, shooting and rushing upstairs fearlessly along the stairs. Unexpectedly, they were blocked by an iron door on the roof.

"Blow it up, blow it up quickly." The commander who was following closely behind was extremely anxious. He didn't know how many shells were still on the roof. He only knew that only by quickly occupying the enemy's artillery positions could he stop the enemy from continuing to fire.

"Brother, the Japanese are coming up, let's give them a ride."

"Okay, we'll be brothers in the next life." After saying that, the two of them used the reserved explosives to blow up the two gasoline barrels that had made great contributions, and then together ignited the fuse connected to the explosives buried in the load-bearing columns at the bottom of the building. A few seconds later, the three-story building named Zhenhua Trading Company completely collapsed with a loud bang, burying the two brave warriors of the Military Control Commission inside, along with dozens of Japanese soldiers who rushed into the building.

Zhang Wu, who was secretly observing from a distance of a thousand meters, held the telescope with trembling hands, and kept muttering, "Brother, have a safe journey."

"Stationmaster, we can't stay here any longer. Let's retreat quickly. The Japanese will blockade us soon." Assistant Xiaokang had tears in his eyes, but he managed to hold them back and forcefully snatched the telescope from Zhang Wu's hand.

"Retreat." Zhang Wu also knew that it was not advisable to stay here for long. He had taken a risk by seeing his brothers off. Now it was time to retreat. There were other battles going on, and he had no time to be sad.

Gangcun and Lin Jie, who were two hundred meters away from the ambush site, were taking photos enthusiastically when they were startled by the sudden explosion.

"Mr. Gangcun, where are the guns firing? Why are there gunshot sounds?" Lin Jie nervously drew his gun and pretended to protect Gangcun Masao.

"Go ahead, go and have a look." Gangcun pushed Lin Jie away and was surprised to see thick smoke rising less than 300 meters ahead. At this time, a large number of people in front ran back, and many Japanese soldiers rushed to the place where the smoke rose.

"It must be the Military Control Commission causing sabotage. Gangcun, please be careful." Lin Jie was still nagging, trying to stop Gangcun from going.

"Stop talking nonsense and follow me." The majesty of Gangcun's soldiers did not allow him to retreat, but his pace slowed down involuntarily.

"Okay, Gangcun, follow me, we will cover each other." Lin Jie couldn't refuse anymore, so he pretended to grope along the wall, and headed to the place where the accident happened cautiously. Gangcun didn't urge him, but followed Lin Jie closely, and kept checking the surrounding situation with his eyes, which was not very conspicuous in the chaotic streets.

The two men had walked less than fifty or sixty meters forward when two more huge explosions were heard. This time, the two men saw the explosion scene more directly and did not dare to move forward anymore. They found a place that could serve as a shelter and hid themselves. Gangcun grabbed a person who had escaped before and asked him about the situation ahead.

"What's going on up ahead? Tell me quickly."

"Why are you still moving forward? There's artillery fire ahead, with heavy casualties. Run quickly." The person held by Gangcun should be a government official who was participating in the parade. Seeing that Gangcun and Lin Jie were in casual clothes, he thought they were also employees of the Wang Puppet Government like him, so after saying a few words, he struggled to break away from Gangcun and ran back.

"Mr. Lin, how could this happen? How could the Military Control Commission transport artillery into the city?"

"Okamura-kun, don't worry about this for now, it's better for us to meet up with the military police first."

There was another loud bang, this time a little farther away, but still shocking enough. After all, except for the Japanese shelling British warships two months ago, Shanghai hadn't heard the sound of artillery for a long time.

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