German Red Prince

Page 109

"Takahashi-kun, do you smoke?"

With trembling hands, Kobayashi Kazuo pulled a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket, took one out, and handed it to Takahashi Masao.

Masao Takahashi took the cigarette, put it in his mouth, and breathed heavily. During the battle, a stray bullet had grazed his face. Once the sense of danger passed and the adrenaline subsided, he felt a piercing pain on his face.

"Come."

Kobayashi sat up, shielded the match with his hand, lit a cigarette for Takahashi Masao, and then lay back down on the ground. Having just gone through a battle, he felt extremely tired, his eyelids trembling, as if he were about to fall asleep at any moment.

Takahashi took two deep drags on his cigarette, feeling much more awake. He propped himself up with one hand and surveyed his surroundings. The North Korean guerrillas had all withdrawn; they were safe now.

Not long after the guerrillas withdrew, a large reinforcement force arrived in trucks. There were quite a few people there, and the reinforcements jumped off the trucks; I estimate there were more than fifty of them.

Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, the two of them completely relaxed. To Takahashi and Kobayashi's surprise, their company commander was also with them this time.

Fujimiya Takemi's regiment has suffered heavy losses recently. The North Koreans have been attacking more and more frequently, often launching attacks in all directions, leaving Fujimiya unable to defend himself.

In one week, their regiment had suffered about a hundred casualties, and their own company had also suffered more than a dozen casualties.

This shocked him greatly. How could the North Koreans' military skills have suddenly become so high?

When Kobayashi and his men were attacked, Fujimiya arrived at the scene immediately with his troops. He wanted to see how these North Koreans had become so powerful recently.

"Captain Fujimiya!" The two stood up and saluted Fujimiya Takemi.

"How are you two doing?"

"Reporting to the Captain, he only suffered minor injuries, and we drove those Korean guerrillas back."

"very good!"

Kudo Takemi nodded approvingly, "You've worked hard. Go back to the camp and have the doctor give you a thorough check-up. I'll give you two days off."

"Thank you, Captain!"

Fujimiya Takemi beckoned to his men, ordering them to be sent back, and then walked onto the snow in front of him.

There were still traces of blood in the snow, but the body was gone. It seems that the other side had plenty of time to retreat and even took the body back with them.

There were still spent cartridge cases and bullets scattered in the snow. Fujimiya picked up a bullet and examined it closely. His eyes narrowed into slits and his eyebrows furrowed. These Korean guerrillas were using Japanese bullets.

In the vast snowfield, the elusive guerrillas frequently dealt heavy blows to the Japanese army. In order to resist the colonization of Japanese imperialism, many Korean patriots chose to go up the mountain to fight as guerrillas, including many patriots from Northeast China.

In the high mountains and snowfields, there was a song that was sung by these guerrilla fighters.

"We are all sharpshooters, each bullet eliminates an enemy. We are all flying troops, no matter how high the mountains or how deep the waters. In the dense forests, we have campsites for our comrades everywhere. On the high hills, we have countless good brothers."

"We have no food, no clothes, but the enemy provides them; we have no guns, no cannons, but the enemy makes them for us. We live and grow here, every inch of this land is our own. Whoever tries to take it away, we will fight them to the bitter end..."

Chapter 188 "The Japanese Invade the City"

Upon returning to camp, Kobayashi and Takahashi were immediately taken to the camp's medical station for examination.

Kobayashi didn't suffer any external injuries, and Takahashi only had a minor scrape. The doctor applied some medicine and bandaged him up, and that was it.

They were both quite lucky; they only suffered minor scrapes and no serious injuries.

If the injuries were any more severe, if they had been shot somewhere, given the limited medical resources and meager drug reserves in the camp, if the wounds became infected, Kobayashi and Takahashi would have been doomed.

These troops stationed outside Japan, far from the mainland, received inferior supplies and daily support. In this barren place, they had no security, and some even started businesses to support themselves. To put it bluntly, they were cannon fodder, expendable resources for the big shots.

The casualty rate of soldiers stationed abroad is hundreds of times that of domestic troops. Those from cities who enlist in the army, especially those from slightly wealthier families, would not send their children to such a dangerous place as the Far East.

In this harsh and cold land, there was a lack of clothing and food, and supplies were not adequately replenished. Medicine was scarce, and many soldiers who were attacked suffered from various diseases before they died because they did not receive timely medical treatment.

The ordinary Japanese troops stationed in Northeast China were basically all "country bumpkins" from various rural areas of Japan, who came to this poor place to "serve their loyalty" to their great emperor.

Captain Fujimiya Takemi granted Kobayashi and Takahashi a two-day leave and wrote them a certificate, which they could use to collect some subsidies from their department, so they could have some fun for the next two days.

"Takahashi-kun, let's relax for a couple of days."

Kobayashi Kazuo counted the banknotes in his hand, looking very happy. Each of them had received 40 yen, which was a huge sum of money. You have to know that even if they died on the battlefield, their funeral expenses would only be about 30 yen. This time, they were given so much.

The fact that they received so many subsidies is largely thanks to Captain Fujimiya Takehiko. In these poor areas, there's not much to be made of. The only way to make money is by deducting money from ordinary soldiers like them. Subsidies and pensions often leave them with only half of what they receive. This is an unwritten rule in the grassroots areas of Northeast China.

Most officers come here either to gain prestige or to make money. If they don't embezzle, they might be laughed at. If you're in this position and don't embezzle, you might as well let someone else take your place. There are so many people waiting for that.

Captain Fujimiya Takemi was a rare exception, a man of integrity. I heard that he was originally a high-ranking official in the country, but he committed some offense and was demoted to a minor captain position in the Tohoku region.

Fujimiya never embezzled a single penny of his soldiers' money; his subsidies and pensions were always given in full and he would never withhold any, which is why he was deeply loved by his soldiers.

Being able to stay in his squadron is one of the few lucky things about this harsh and cold region.

Kobayashi tucked the forty yen into his jacket pocket and began planning how to spend the next two days.

Their camp was in a very remote, desolate place, and usually quite lonely. Now that they had money, they were eager to go to the city and have some fun.

"Kobayashi-kun, you go by yourself. I'm going to send this money home."

Masao Takahashi declined Kazuo Kobayashi's invitation. Forty yen was a lot of money. He had been frugal in the army, and the food there was much better than at home. He didn't need so much money. He would rather send it home to his family to improve their lives.

"Takahashi-kun, is this all the money you earned with your life that you're sending home?"

"Yes, Kobayashi-kun, I don't need that much money in the army. I might as well send it back home to improve my family's life. After all, that was my original purpose for joining the army."

"I finally get a vacation, how can I treat myself? Since you don't want to spend money, this time it's on me, it's on me!" Kobayashi said generously, patting Takahashi on the shoulder.

Anyway, he was all alone. A few years ago, he received a letter from home saying that his parents had both died of illness. Because they had no money, they had to ask the villagers to hold a funeral for them and bury them hastily.

From then on, Kobayashi Kazuo became more accepting of his fate and devoted himself to the Emperor, but the Emperor refused to give his elderly parents any money for medical treatment.

Logically speaking, the families of soldiers stationed abroad should receive some financial assistance each month. However, when Kobayashi wrote to inquire, he received nothing. He asked his superiors, but there has been no reply yet. He even died from a minor illness.

He always talked about loyalty, but his mind was full of business. From then on, he became more open-minded. Now, Xiao Lin has no ties and doesn't care about so many things anymore. He lives for the moment and enjoys every day he can.

“This isn’t right, Kobayashi-kun.” Takahashi Masao was about to decline when Kobayashi interrupted him, “Stop talking so much nonsense, hurry up and change your clothes, let’s go to the city and have some fun.”

After saying that, he pulled Takahashi into the house. "Takahashi-kun, when you used to send money home, did you send it from the military camp?" Kobayashi asked as they walked.

"Yes, where else would it be?"

Hearing him say that, Kobayashi looked at him like he was an idiot. "Takahashi-kun, I'm afraid you don't know this, do you? The military's mail service is the most profitable, because they always find a way to deduct a sum from the money you send back."

"Those seasoned veterans love people like you who haven't been here long. Some will even take half of your salary!"

“If you want to send money, you’ll have to go to a bank in the city. We can’t usually go into the city, but I’ll introduce you to someone. You can give him the money next time and he can send it back to you through the bank. Don’t worry about his reputation. All the veterans in our camp use him. He’ll give you a small fee, but it’s much less than what those guys in the army get.”

"Really? Kobayashi-kun?"

Hearing this, Masao Takahashi panicked. He had sent a lot of money home over the past few months. If this were true, what would happen?

"Of course it's true, why would I lie to you?" Xiaolin said mysteriously, lowering his voice. "Let me tell you, every month there are trucks coming to deliver things to our camp. Write down the address of the driver and ask him to deliver it for you."

"Also, watch your mouth. I've already told you about this. This is stealing business from those bastards. If they find out, this line will be cut off."

"Understood, thank you, Kobayashi-kun!"

Masao Takahashi bowed to Kazuo Kobayashi. This senior had really taught him a lot. Without his guidance, he probably would have been completely outmaneuvered by the seasoned veterans in the military.

"Well, we're friends, aren't we?" Kobayashi Kazuo smiled. "Also, when you send money home, it's best to send a telegram beforehand to your family or neighbors to ask about their situation. Although telegrams are expensive, they can save you a lot of trouble."

“A long time ago, we had a hothead here, just like you. He sent money home every month, and guess what happened?” Kobayashi sighed. “He didn’t have a home anymore. I still remember it. His father was a small merchant who went bankrupt not long after he joined the army. His family line died out, and no one claimed the money he sent back. Eventually, the Emperor took it all back.”

Hearing Kobayashi say that, Takahashi suddenly had a very bad feeling.

Although sending a telegram is much more expensive than sending a letter, the waiting time is shorter. Besides, he received forty yen this time, so he doesn't care about the money. He hasn't been in contact with his family for a long time, so he needs to find out about their situation when he goes to town.

After changing his clothes, Kobayashi called out to Takahashi.

"Let's go, Takahashi-kun, let's two Japanese devils go into the city and have some fun."

Chapter 189 Don't say things that are detrimental to unity

"devil?"

Hearing Kobayashi say this, Takahashi Masao was a little confused. Why did he address him like that? Although Takahashi had only been in the Tohoku region for a short time, he had heard of it before. It was an insulting term of address.

"Isn't that what the Chinese say to us? Why would Kobayashi-kun say that?"

"What the Chinese say about us? No, no, no, that's not how the Chinese insult us." Kobayashi shook his head with a smile. "We're not the Japanese devils, we're the Japanese devils."

Hearing Kobayashi Kazuo say this, Takagi Masao had a strange feeling. Why did Kobayashi seem so proud?

“Look at us, freezing here every day, with no sign of human habitation. Aren’t we just like wandering ghosts?”

Kobayashi's expression was very calm. "We've come all this way to protect the interests of the Great Japanese Empire. When we're demobilized and go home in a few years, we might not even have a home left. Wouldn't we be just like ghosts?"

Luckily, no one was around. If some people had heard him say that, Kobayashi Kazuo would have been in serious trouble, and in severe cases, he might have been arrested and imprisoned for several years.

What you just said was extremely politically incorrect, prioritizing self over the nation, which is not in line with the propaganda of the Great Japanese Empire. How could someone complain about working for the Emperor? That's a blessing earned over many lifetimes.

"Kobayashi-kun, don't say anything that's detrimental to unity. If others hear you saying this, you might be labeled a left-wing extremist and subject to investigation," Takahashi carefully reminded Kobayashi Kazuo.

Only those communist elements, whom the government considers a scourge, would dare to say such things in Japan. To spread misery when the empire is thriving is simply outrageous. Where are there poor people under the Emperor's rule? If it weren't for Emperor Meiji, the Japanese would still be drinking porridge on the islands right now.

"It's a day off today, let's not talk about these discouraging things." Kobayashi Kazuo patted Takahashi on the shoulder. His current motto is to enjoy life while it lasts. After staying in this poor place in the Northeast for a long time, he has seen a lot of things and met a lot of people, and he has come to some understanding.

Loyalty to the Emperor? Don't those people all have portraits of Emperor Hirohito hanging in their offices? They still openly collect money, don't they?

Facing the Emperor's portrait and under his gaze, they showed not a shred of shame, making all sorts of deals without batting an eye. What right did they have to lecture him or demand his loyalty to the Emperor?

Besides, what did the Emperor give him to be loyal to? He guarded the border for the Emperor, but both his parents died of illness, and he stayed in this godforsaken place for years without anyone caring about him.

Rather than being loyal to the Emperor, he figured he'd rather live a carefree life. After living for over twenty years, he finally understood that a good life was what he truly needed to "be loyal to."

"Takahashi-kun, you'll understand some things as time goes by. This world is really strange."

The two got into the car and entered the city. Takahashi Masao was worried about the situation at home, so he sent a telegram back first. The telegram was very efficient, and he should receive a message tomorrow if he sent it now.

"Takahashi-kun, do you know why we need to change clothes?"

"why?"

Kobayashi Kazuo pointed at the Japanese soldier in military uniform across the street and said, "Look at that guy, daring to come out in military uniform to buy things, the shopkeeper will rip him off."

At present, Northeast China is still dominated by the Fengtian warlords, with Zhang Zuolin sitting at the top. Although he cooperates with the Japanese, they are not on good terms. The Japanese government does not dare to be too presumptuous with this "King of the Northeast". Although they have troops stationed in the Northeast, they are still very restrained.

The Japanese had extraterritorial rights in Northeast China, but the people of Northeast China, backed by Zhang Zuolin, were not to be trifled with. Moreover, the Chinese generally had a bad attitude towards the Japanese. Weren't the Japanese rich? Then we had to squeeze them out of them. The Qing Dynasty had paid 200 million taels of silver in reparations back then, so what was wrong with us taking a little advantage?

"Even though we're not wearing uniforms, don't we give ourselves away as soon as we speak?" Takahashi asked, puzzled. What's the point of wearing these clothes if they give us away as soon as we open our mouths? Are we pretending to be mute?

"You don't need to worry about that," Kobayashi said proudly. "After being here for so long, I've already learned to speak Chinese. I'll show you how later."

Seeing Kobayashi's confident demeanor, Takahashi couldn't help but admire him. He realized that he was still far behind Kobayashi and had a lot to learn.

While Kobayashi and Takahashi were on vacation, Fujimiya Takemi returned to the camp with a serious expression. These guerrillas were using Japanese bullets. According to their report, the enemy also had machine guns. How did they get these weapons?

Some unsettling thoughts began to cross Fujimiya's mind: Could someone in the camp be smuggling weapons?

"Captain Fujimiya! Something terrible has happened!"

A soldier rushed over, interrupting Fujimiya's thoughts.

"Captain Fujimiya! Takehara-kun, Takehara-kun is dying!"

Upon hearing the soldiers' report, Fujimiya rushed to the camp's makeshift hospital, which was filled with soldiers who had been attacked by the guerrillas. Lacking medicine, they could only lie on their beds groaning in pain.

"Wuyuan-jun! How are you?!"

Fujimiya rushed to Takehara Hisashi's bedside and anxiously inquired about the situation. This vice-captain had worked with him for a long time and was a very upright person. He was one of Fujimiya's few close friends.

When the pale-faced Takehara Hisashi saw Fujimiya approaching, he tugged at his sleeve, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent and lowered his head.

"Takehara-kun! Doctor, where's the doctor!" Fujimiya shook Takehara's body in frustration, trying to wake him up, but it was all in vain.

"Captain Fujimiya, Mr. Takehara, Mr. Takehara has passed away." The examining doctor announced regretfully, "We don't have enough medicine, and Mr. Takehara's wound is infected, so there's nothing we can do."

"Captain!" A wounded soldier struggled to his feet in pain, pulling out a bullet. "Captain! Those men were using our bullets!"

Listening to his subordinates' accusations, Fujimiya fell silent. He didn't know what to say, so he pulled the blanket over Takehara's face, stood up, and bowed deeply to all the wounded.

"Gentlemen, I am very sorry, but I will definitely seek justice for you!"

"Captain!"

As the wounded soldiers watched Fujimiya bow to them, they struggled to their feet and kowtowed to him from their beds.

"Captain, please don't blame yourself. We are honored to be able to follow your orders!"

"Yes, Captain, we are honored!" the wounded soldiers said in unison.

Seeing the state of the wounded, Fujimiya made up his mind. He had to seek justice for these people, otherwise he would be betraying his conscience as a soldier.

"Captain Fujimiya!"