funbook-pk Chapter 1189 Don't Waste Time Here
Chapter 1189 Don't Waste Time Here
Zhao Guangyuan looked at the three men with worry in his eyes, but he also knew that all he could do was to provide support and ensure their safe evacuation.
He said softly, "Station Chief, I will arrange for the brothers of the station's action team to be in Cuihua Hutong outside Meizha Hutong. They will all be equipped with weapons and spare vehicles. Once you come out, they will immediately come to your aid and evacuate you."
Chen Gongshu shook his head and corrected him seriously: "The action team should not be dispatched lightly. The brothers at Beiping Station are hard-won, and we cannot lose too many people for a rescue mission."
You have to trust my skills. Even if we're discovered, the three of us in a car should be able to shake off the Japanese. Too many of us would only make us more vulnerable to being caught.
Chen Gongshu knew all too well that every Kuomintang agent was extremely valuable in occupied Beiping, and that they should never risk their lives unless absolutely necessary.
"Station chief, we'll provide support from the perimeter, just in case," Zhao Guangyuan said firmly, looking at Chen Gongshu.
Chen Gongshu looked at Zhao Guangyuan for a while before slowly nodding: "Alright then, but be careful."
. . . . . . . . . . .
As night deepened, Beiping was shrouded in thick darkness, with only the headlights of Japanese patrol cars weaving through the streets like pairs of evil eyes scanning the fallen city.
Chen Gongshu walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain again, and looked out at the night.
The snow fell even harder, with goose-feather-like snowflakes landing on the rooftops and streets, quickly accumulating a thin layer of white snow that covered all traces, as if to bury the city's sins.
He took a deep breath; the air was filled with the chill of snow, but it only made him more alert.
He turned to look at Sun Weiguo and Zhou Ming, his tone firm: "It's almost time, let's go."
The three of them carefully checked their identification and weapons again, and after confirming that everything was in order, they headed towards the alley behind the back door.
Sun Weiguo was the first to climb into the driver's seat, start the car, and the engine made a slight sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet alley.
Zhou Ming sat in the passenger seat, while Chen Gongshu sat in the back, his hands on the first-aid kit, his fingertips slightly clenched, ready to deal with any emergencies at any time.
The ambulance slowly drove out of the alley and merged into the night of Beiping.
The car headlights illuminated the road ahead, and the snow reflected a faint light, making the street appear to glow intermittently.
The white ambulance, like a faint light, shuttled through the dark streets, carrying the hope of rescuing their comrades, and also bearing the life-or-death test for the three.
Along the way, they encountered three patrols of military police. Each time, Zhou Ming calmly dealt with them with his fluent Japanese and forged documents. The military police simply glanced at the car and waved them on without questioning them further. In their view, it was common for military doctors from the army hospital to make house calls.
Twenty minutes later, the ambulance arrived at Meizha Hutong.
This place was originally the residence of a wealthy family. After the Japanese occupied Beiping, they transformed it into a secret service headquarters. Tall sandbag fortifications were built at the entrance, with two Type 11 light machine guns mounted on the sandbags, their dark muzzles pointing towards the street. Several Japanese soldiers patrolled back and forth with their guns, their eyes scanning every passerby warily.
The beams of searchlight swept across the night sky, illuminating the entire alley as bright as day, making even the snow piled up in the corners of the walls clearly visible.
The ambulance was stopped at the entrance. A short Japanese soldier approached with a gun, his brow furrowed, and demanded in Japanese, "This is the Special Service Department. Do not come near!"
Zhou Ming rolled down the car window, his face displaying the arrogance typical of Japanese military doctors, and said in fluent Hokkaido-accented Japanese, "We are military doctors from the Army Hospital."
"I'm here on orders from the North China Area Army Headquarters to take prisoner Liu Geqing to the hospital for treatment." As he spoke, he pulled out forged documents and orders from his pocket and handed them over.
The Japanese soldier took the documents and orders, and carefully examined them word by word with a flashlight.
His eyes scanned the documents and the people in the car repeatedly. Chen Gongshu lowered his head slightly, holding a first-aid kit in his hand. His fingertips were already touching the hand grenade in his pocket. He knew that this was the first and most crucial hurdle. Once a flaw was discovered, there would be no way to salvage the situation.
Time passed by, and each second felt like a year.
Finally, the Japanese soldier's wariness lessened somewhat. He returned the identification and orders to Zhou Ming, waved inside, and said in Japanese, "Go in. The prisoners are in the basement; someone will take you there."
Chen Gongshu felt a little relieved, but he still dared not let his guard down. He suddenly felt that something was wrong. The Japanese army's verification process was too smooth, as if they had known they would come all along.
But now that things have come to this, he has no way out and can only grit his teeth and move forward.
The iron gate slowly opened with a creaking sound. An ambulance drove into the yard, and a Japanese sergeant in a yellow uniform came forward with an impatient expression. He said in Japanese, "Hurry up, that prisoner is dying. Don't let him die here; it's bad luck."
Sun Weiguo parked the car, and Chen Gongshu and Zhou Ming got out with the medical kit and followed the sergeant toward the main house.
The courtyard was heavily guarded. Every few steps, you could see Japanese soldiers with guns at their sides. Machine guns were also mounted in the corners of the walls, and searchlight beams swept back and forth across the courtyard, leaving no blind spots.
The sergeant lifted a heavy wooden plank, revealing steps leading down to the basement. A cold, damp smell wafted out, mixed with the stench of blood, sweat, and decay, making one want to vomit.
"It's down there," the sergeant said in Japanese, his tone still impatient. "Take it away quickly, don't waste time here."
Zhou Ming and Chen Gongshu carried the medical kit and bent down to walk down the steps.
Sun Weiguo stayed on top.
The basement was very low, less than 1.8 meters high, so the two of them had to bend over to walk. The walls were covered with mold, and a dim light hung overhead, making a buzzing sound. The light was so weak that they could barely see their surroundings.
In the basement, there was a row of iron cages, each containing several people, most of them barely alive, covered in wounds. Some were groaning softly, while others lay motionless, their fate unknown. In the innermost cage, a person was curled up on straw, covered in blood, their clothes torn to shreds, unrecognizable as human.
Although he had never met Liu Geqing in person, he had seen his photos. In the photos, Liu Geqing had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a resolute face. But the person in front of him was covered in blood and dirt, and his appearance was completely obscured.
Fortunately, Zhou Ming had met Liu Geqing before. Chen Gongshu looked at Zhou Ming and gestured for him to identify him.
After trying to discern the truth, Zhou Ming frowned and said hesitantly to Chen Gongshu, "It looks like Liu Geqing, but he was beaten so badly..."
Zhou Ming wanted to get a closer look, but Liu Geqing suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which landed right on Zhou Ming's glasses.
Zhou Ming was startled and immediately stepped back, taking off his glasses to wipe them.