under fire

Chapter 1651: In Cao Camp

The scorching sun shines on the mottled roofs.

County hospital.

The pungent smell of disinfectant was everywhere.

On the left side of the gate, under the eaves where the sunlight could not reach, sacks were placed to form a barricade, and behind the sandbags was a rare Czech light machine gun.

The county policeman, wearing a crooked wide-brimmed hat, stuck his head out and looked at the crowd in the open space in front of the hospital.

There are too many people coming to seek treatment.

The hospital was still filled with death, as always, and not much different from usual.

They carried stretchers and donkey carts to carry the dead out of the hospital.

  More stretchers were still being sent to the hospital with hope.

The gate of the county hospital has actually become a place of death under the sun.

The police officer in black, white shirt, round glasses and thin body standing at the hospital entrance waved his right hand: "Dear fellow villagers, the hospital is full. Please come early tomorrow."

"I've been waiting from yesterday morning to this morning, and it's only morning now. You ask me to get up early tomorrow?" The man carrying the stretcher cursed angrily with a pale face.

"The hospital's treatment capacity is limited, and we will do our best."

"Then let us in."

Two men carrying a stretcher pushed through the crowd. The black-faced man in military uniform walking in front frowned and said in a low voice: "Liu Xiwang, you lousy police officer, dare to stop me?"

"Haha." Police officer Liu Xiwang sneered, "So it was Platoon Leader Qi. The Queen herself gave the order. To be fair, even if your captain comes in person, I'm afraid you'll have to wait in line until tomorrow morning."

"You bastard, believe it or not, I will kill you!" The black-faced man, platoon leader Qi, raised his eyebrows. If he was not carrying the stretcher with both hands, he would have pulled out the gun.

"I believe your grandfather." Liu Xiwang raised his hand and pointed at the machine gun fort set up by the police team next to him, and curled his lips: "Do you really think our machine guns are just for decoration?"

"I've never heard of anyone in your police force being able to use a machine gun." Platoon Leader Qi was helpless. He put down the stretcher behind him, took out two silver dollars from his pocket and put them in Liu Xiwang's hand: "Brother, can you talk to me for a moment?"

Liu Xiwang pushed the black-faced man's hand away and lowered his voice: "It's not that I don't give you face, but the lady inside has issued a strict order that no one will be admitted today."

"Is there really no other way?"

The Ma Gan police officer looked around and lowered his voice: "The imperial army was ambushed. Make room for the wounded who will be sent over soon."

The patients and their families on the street outside the hospital pricked up their ears and whispered to the two people who were talking.

  Eyes slowly filled with despair

From a distance, I saw Platoon Leader Qi from the security team carrying the stretcher away.

The waiting crowd finally couldn't stand it anymore: "It's all the fault of the Eighth Route Army. If they hadn't provoked the Japanese, we wouldn't have been unable to enter the hospital."

"Don't talk nonsense."

"How about we just go?"

Soon, the number of stretchers parked at the hospital entrance was reduced by more than half.

In the corner, two people squatted beside the stretcher, muttering dejectedly, "Manager Lu, the hospital won't accept any patients. What should we do with the young master's illness?"

The old man in a long gown named Manager Lu sighed and said, "Now even the people from the Qi family can't get in. It seems that we have to find another way."

"I heard that an Eighth Route Army work team is organizing medical treatment for the patients." Someone muttered among the crowd who were leaving.

"Really?"

"Where?"

"I heard it's here"

Behind the dark cloth curtains on the second floor of a shop opposite the hospital where no sunlight can reach.

The hidden pairs of eyes looked as vicious as wolves, and a little uneasy.

County government.

In the middle of the hall there was a table filled with food and wine.

On either side stood six guards with rifles.

Standing at the head of the table was a square-faced man in military uniform with a vicious look on his face.

He was wearing a gray military uniform with a belt slung across his body, his left foot was on a stool, he held a cigarette in his left hand, and his right hand was on his gun holster.

After seeing the man in black led in by the guard, he flicked the cigarette butt aside and walked to the door: "Commissioner Chen, what brings you here?" "Commander Lao Qi, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I have reliable information. Those who ambushed the Japanese invaders were the Eighth Route Army!" Commissioner Chen, who had just entered the room, had a calm expression.

"Are you sure they are the Eighth Route Army?" Commander Qi slapped the table and confirmed that Guan County is my territory. These Eighth Route Army soldiers are really not afraid of death and dare to cause trouble in my territory!"

Although Commander Qi said this, he must have the attitude.

  But I felt contempt in my heart. In western Shandong, apart from the Eighth Route Army, who else would dare to attack the Japanese on a large scale?

This Military Intelligence Commissioner really thinks he is a fool!

Commissioner Chen said in a bad tone: "Commander Qi, you have four brigades and seven regiments under your command. I still don't understand how the Eighth Route Army dared to attack the devils."

"What do you mean?" Commander Qi stood up and shouted angrily, "Are you doubting me, you bastard?"

"Commander, don't get me wrong!" Commissioner Chen smiled and brought up the purpose of this trip: "After the Pacific War broke out, the Japanese were short of troops. Now is a good opportunity for us to expand our actual control area!"

Commander Qi shook his head: "Hehe, in this world, how to protect yourself is the most important thing. Expanding the territory will not do me any good for the time being."

"But we can't just watch the Eighth Route Army operate in our territory, right? Besides, you know better than me how the Eighth Route Army wins over people."

Commander Qi sighed: "During this period, the activities of the Eighth Route Army on the west bank of the canal have become more rampant."

Commissioner Chen smiled bitterly: "If it weren't for those idiots from Cangzhou Dao who ruined our plans, those old guys, with so many people, wouldn't be able to deal with Chen Baji."

"That's because they eat in such an ugly way, brother. I advise you to stay out of their business." Commander Qi spoke in a confidant manner.

"If the Eighth Route Army hadn't been misleading people, the Party and the country wouldn't have been so helpless to deal with the Japanese devils."

"That's right, blame the Eighth Route Army for causing trouble," Commander Qi quickly agreed. The idiot in front of him was really a talented person!

  In the early years, there were no Eighth Route Army in this area. Wouldn't you still be no match for the well-trained Japanese?

Commissioner Chen frowned slightly and said, "Forget it. There is no point in talking about this now. The Eighth Route Army violated the cooperation agreement and came right under our noses to perform a show. The superiors asked me to convey the instructions and find an opportunity to eliminate the Eighth Route Army advancing eastward!"

Commander Qi was stunned for a moment: "The Eighth Route Army of Taihang has marched eastward into the plain in full force, and their intentions are very big. On the surface, they can pass through my defense zone, but if they act openly, they will give people a reason to criticize them."

"We can use the Japanese's help." Commissioner Chen's eyebrows twitched, and an unfathomable smile appeared on his face.

"The situation is not good now. A large-scale plague has occurred along the canal. The Eighth Route Army on the west bank of the canal has even captured Qinghe County. All kinds of Eighth Route Army are ready to move. We should not act hastily before we find out why this group of Eighth Route Army ambushed the Japanese!" Commander Qi was unmoved. He had used this trick eight hundred times and it had never worked once.

"According to the regulations on cooperation in the anti-Japanese war, the county town is the territory of the Party and the country. If the Eighth Route Army dares to cross the border and carry out activities in our territory, it will create friction! They must be severely punished." Commissioner Chen still felt good about himself and continued to chatter.

"I, the security commander, have openly surrendered to the Japs according to your arrangement." Commander Qi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He had surrendered to the Japs in exchange for everything, and his heart was with Han even though he was in Cao's camp.

As for the Eighth Route Army, they did kill quite a few of them in the early years.

But who the hell knew that the Eighth Route Army would develop so fast?

Many people thought that the Eighth Route Army’s headquarters had been destroyed and that the Eighth Route Army had become helpless.

  He knew very well that this was not the case at all.

Commissioner Chen looked at the hesitant Commander Qi, a hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes, and he used his trump card: "The superiors asked us to bear the heavy burden, secretly develop and grow, secretly take over the entire area of ​​southern Hebei, western Shandong, and northern Henan, and completely eliminate the Eighth Route Army and the fence-sitters who secretly communicate with the Eighth Route Army. This is an order, not a discussion with you."

...

There are shops on both sides of the street.

There is a clear boundary between the areas where the glaring sunlight can be seen and the shadows where the light is blocked by the buildings.

There are few pedestrians.

It faces north and south, with the hospital gate west.

The distance is about 200 meters.

The secret contact point in the county town of the Eighth Route Army's South Hebei Division, commonly known as the office.

Eight people sat around a square table.

". The superiors informed us that after investigation and statistics, it was found that the villagers with symptoms were concentrated along the canal. The district committee, in accordance with the superiors' orders, fully organized a work team to isolate the villagers with symptoms."

"However, the death toll in the quarantined areas is increasing. If this continues, the consequences will be disastrous."

"After a great disaster there will be a great epidemic. Our ancestors were right."

"Captain Wu, the mountain has sent people to guide the epidemic prevention work. Has the person in charge of receiving them received them?"

"We've already contacted the leader. The courier sent a message saying that we'll escort Commissioner Yang across the canal tonight." The man with patches on his arms, knees, and shoulders stood up and spoke.

"Find a way to do Qi Zixiu's work."

"I object. The Qi killed so many of our comrades and innocent people."