Chapter 42: Murder and Plunder
Zhou Lin thought of someone.
In the Battle of Songhu, the Chinese army deployed 800,000 troops, while the Japanese deployed 200,000. After three months of fierce fighting in the Songhu region, they shattered the Japanese three-month forget-the-Hua theory. In the end, the Japanese reinforced with 120,000 troops, forming the Tenth Army commanded by Yanagawa Heizo. They executed a flanking strategy from the northern shore of Hangzhou Bay at Zhuapu (left wing) to Jinshanwei (right wing), surrounding the Chinese army and forcing a full retreat!
Why did the Tenth Army choose to land near Jinshanwei for the assault? Mainly because the defense forces at Jinshanwei were weak. How did the Japanese know about this weakness? It was primarily through intelligence gathered by their spy, Yamada Takeichi. How did Yamada Takeichi obtain this information?
Just a week after the outbreak of the Battle of Songhu, Yamada Takeichi and other Japanese spies left Shanghai and arrived at Jinshan County, specifically Jinshanwei, staying in the home of a local named Lu Zhiyong.
Lu Zhiyong, who had studied in Japan and returned to China only two years ago, came from a wealthy family in Jinshan County. With abundant wealth and fertile land, the fields around Jinshanwei belonged to the Lu family.
With Lu Zhiyong's assistance, Yamada Takeichi quickly mapped out the topography and military layout of Jinshanwei.
With this intelligence, the Japanese forces landed near Jinshanwei, encircling the Chinese army and leading to the failure of the Shanghai battle.
Therefore, the Lu family became traitors to the Chinese nation.
Zhou Lin's target was the Lu family.
Dai Su had already left Shanghai and returned to Nanjing.
Zhou Lin, the highest commander of this unit, found Squad 22's leader Qiao Shaowen: "Spread the word, depart in half an hour."
Qiao Shaowen didn't question the assembly; he blindly admired Zhou Lin and executed his orders.
Twenty-eight individuals boarded a military truck.
Squad 22 consisted of twenty-seven people, plus Zhou Lin, making it twenty-eight. The extra two were added due to a new position in Squad 22, a communication officer, with two assigned to cover emergencies.
Zhou Lin sat in the driver's seat, directing the team to Jinshan County. It was already dark when they arrived.
Only then did Zhou Lin gather everyone and reveal the mission.
"According to the intelligence I received, Japanese spy Yamada Takeichi has come to Jinshanwei, collecting information in this area to provide to the Japanese."
A team member asked, "Sir, is there any use in providing intelligence from here?"
Qiao Shaowen slapped the questioning member, "Listen to the boss."
Zhou Lin said, "The Sino-Japanese battle is currently in a deadlock. Therefore, the Japanese are looking for a breakthrough. They want to break through in Jinshanwei."
Everyone understood; the Japanese aimed to break through in Jinshanwei.
Qiao Shaowen looked at Hangzhou Bay, "The Japanese are landing here? Quite cunning. If they succeed, our army will be surrounded by the Japanese."
Everyone nodded, feeling apprehensive.
Zhou Lin said, "The reason the Japanese dare to land here is that they have an insider."
"Who is the insider?" someone asked.
Zhou Lin said, "The Lu family in Jinshanwei, a wealthy family. They earned a fortune from the Chinese people and now help the Japanese against the Chinese army. What do you think we should do?"
"Kill him!"
"Kill his whole family!"
"Leave no one alive!"
The members shouted.
Zhou Lin nodded, "Our mission is to kill Lu Zhiyong. The Lu family has no good people. If they resist, kill them all."
"Yes!"
Everyone shouted in unison.
Zhou Lin reminded, "The Lu family now has Japanese presence, so be cautious."
After giving instructions, Zhou Lin, with twenty-eight individuals, arrived in Jinshanwei under the cover of night.
In Jinshanwei, finding the Lu family was easy—just look for the largest courtyard, and that would be the Lu family's.
Zhou Lin led the team to a location about a mile outside the Lu family's estate.
Qiao Shaowen took two men for reconnaissance and returned an hour later.
"Boss! Lu family has a large estate, with a two-meter-high wall. There are four bunkers on the wall, each manned."
Qiao Shaowen guiltily said, "Inside Lu family's main gate, there's a sandbag trench with a light machine gun on top. Due to the darkness, we couldn't discern the situation inside Lu family's estate."
Zhou Lin waved, "We are not familiar with Jinshanwei's situation, being outsiders makes it difficult. Leave it to me."
Zhou Lin, with two men, approached the main gate.
After waiting outside for twenty minutes, they saw no one.
Zhou Lin then took his men to the back gate.
Coincidentally, at the back gate, they spotted a person sneaking out.
Judging by the attire, he should be a servant of the Lu family.
Zhou Lin beckoned, and the team followed.
Indeed, the person was a servant of the Lu family, sneaking out tonight to meet a widow in the nearby village.
Unexpectedly, his scheme was discovered by Zhou Lin.
The servant reached a grove, unzipped his pants to relieve himself.
Zhou Lin approached, covering his mouth. Another hand knocked on his head, rendering him unconscious.
Zhou Lin told the two squad members, "I'll interrogate him; you guard on both sides."
After the two members left, Zhou Lin dragged the servant into the grove.
After tying him up, Zhou Lin woke him up.
The servant, seeing his predicament, panicked, begging for mercy.
Zhou Lin said, "If you want to live, tell the truth."
"I'll tell the truth, sir."
Zhou Lin asked, "What were you doing?"
"Sir, I couldn't sleep, got irritated, and wanted to cool off."
"Speak plainly."
"Sir, I was going to meet the widow."
Zhou Lin asked again, "Tell me about the Lu family."
Through the servant's information, Zhou Lin learned about the Lu family.
The Lu family currently had thirty people, including twenty-five servants.
Three generations of the Lu family lived in the courtyard. The elderly Lu patriarch was sixty-seven years old.
Lu Zhiyong, forty-five years old, had a wife, and a lazy brother who enjoyed womanizing, causing trouble with married women.
Lu Zhiyong had a son, twenty-five years old, fond of guns and serving as the captain of the Lu family's guard. He had killed three villagers.
According to the servant, there was not a single good person in the Lu family.
"No good people? Then why stand guard for them?" Zhou Lin asked.
"Sir, I need to support my family. The money as a servant can feed my mother and younger siblings."
Zhou Lin continued questioning, "How many servants do you have?"
"Twelve."
"What's the setup?"
"One at the main gate, one in the sandbag trench and one at the back gate. The rest of the people are in the barracks. They rotate shifts every three hours."
"Nine people needed for the shifts."
"Exactly."
"What about the bunkers? Are they manned?"
"No one in the bunkers."