Fengtai Station

Feng Zhian's frank manner allowed the two men, despite the vast difference in their ranks, to find common ground on the subject of resisting Japanese aggression. Having fought wars for over a decade, Feng Zhian held a view of this newly arrived young junior officer that was starkly different from Song Zheyuan's; he respected anyone willing to lay down their life for the War of Resistance. After talking through the night, Feng Zhian took Sun Yi aside just before departing and exhorted him once again to spare no effort in keeping Zhu Shiqing safe, and to consult with him often whenever matters arose. Evidently, Zhu Shiqing, with his Western-style military education, had won Feng Zhian's approval. Within the 29th Army, there were what the Japanese categorized as "three classes of men." The first were the pro-Japanese—officers willing to accept the Japanese military's notion of "co-prosperity" and support the establishment of a "joint autonomous government." The second were the Japan-knowledgeable—officers who understood Japanese culture and maintained a relatively neutral stance, many of whom had studied in Japan. The third were the anti-Japanese, who, true to the name, were locked in irreconcilable enmity with the devils. Feng Zhian was the very embodiment of this anti-Japanese faction, as well as a thorn in the side and a spike in the flesh of the Japanese forces in North China. From that perspective, Zhu Shiqing's assignment to Feng Zhian's command was a stroke of good fortune; had he been sent to a pro-Japanese camp, life would truly have been unlivable. A chorus of morning calls broke the stillness of Zhaojiazhuang. Zhu Shiqing woke to the morning light, immediately rising to wash and change into the azure-blue uniform characteristic of the 29th Army. He had agreed with Sun Yi the previous night that they would head out together today to inspect the situation at Fengtai Station. After straightening his uniform, he slipped the Broomhandle Mauser issued by the regiment into the wooden holster strapped to his waist, then set off. When he arrived at regimental headquarters, Fang Wenjian was already speaking with Sun Yi, and behind them a guard squad stood waiting to move out. "Move out!" Seeing that Zhu Shiqing had arrived, Sun Yi gave the order to head for Fengtai Station. "Regimental Commander, which unit is responsible for defending Fengtai Station?" Zhu Shiqing asked. "Second Company, Third Battalion," Sun Yi answered curtly. "The enemy situation at Fengtai Station is very complex. We and the Japanese take the railway as the boundary, each holding half. They are in the north; we are in the south." After walking for nearly thirty minutes, they finally reached the station's outer defense line. Two organized squads were patrolling the southeast and southwest sectors, and farther in the distance, Zhu Shiqing caught sight of three or four reconnaissance sentries. "Just ahead is the station," Sun Yi said, pointing toward the platform ahead before turning to order the guard squad to remain behind. "Staff Officer Zhu, too many people draw unnecessary attention. Just the two of us will go up and take a look around." Zhu Shiqing nodded, instructing Fang Wenjian and the guard squad to stay put, and walked side by side with Sun Yi toward the platform. Fengtai Station had once been an important transit hub and supply depot for North China. Consequently, aside from the military depots established in earlier years, there were numerous freight yards neatly arranged in the vicinity. Along the outer perimeter of the platform, large wooden crates were stacked high. Farther in along the main line, sandbags had been set up in many spots. To avoid drawing attention, Sun Yi led Zhu Shiqing through these obstacles, weaving between them. After walking for about three minutes, the main station finally came into view. Hanging high on the upper right was a prominent sign reading "Fengtai Station." Directly beneath it stood fortifications built of sandbags. Chinese soldiers in three-man fireteams were crouched or prone, aiming toward the opposite side, while four or five standing sentries were posted on both flanks of the platform. Guided by a staff officer's instincts, Zhu Shiqing swept his gaze around, ultimately spotting two machine gun firing positions positioned beside large cargo crates on the left and right ends of the platform. Sun Yi followed Zhu Shiqing's gaze and looked around, but failed to spot anything amiss. Handing his binoculars to Zhu Shiqing, he cautioned, "Garrisoning the opposite side is a platoon under the Japanese Ozawa Regiment, about fifty men in total." Taking the binoculars, Zhu Shiqing found a suitable angle to spy on the Japanese soldiers opposite. This was the first time Zhu Shiqing had seen the Japanese up close. Looking at them, he thought they looked like bastards born without a mother to raise them. Mumbling a few curses under his breath, he refocused his attention on their machine guns. The Japanese troop deployment was bolder than that on the southern side. Their patrol strolled brazenly across the platform with rifles slung over their backs. Using the stacked cargo as cover, the devils had established three primary positions, with two Type 11 light machine guns set up on the left and right flanks. Each machine gun position was manned by four Japanese soldiers, while only three Japanese troops stood guard with rifles in the central fortification. "Regimental Commander, you folks must have quite a show here—every morning you wake up to watch the devils eating, drinking, shitting, pissing, and sleeping right across from you," Zhu Shiqing joked suddenly. Sun Yi chuckled and grinned. "That's nothing! At least we're separated by some distance. Over by the division commander, they're practically marching in formation shoulder to shoulder with the devils every day." "I've seen enough. Commander, let's pull back." Zhu Shiqing lowered the binoculars, looking satisfied. "All right. Today was just to satisfy my Staff Officer Zhu's curiosity. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother coming out here to look at those bastards." "Thank you, Regimental Commander." After descending from the station, Sun Yi signaled to the guard squad to withdraw, and the group prepared to head back. Fang Wenjian led the guard squad at the front to clear the way, while Sun Yi and Zhu Shiqing trailed behind, continuing their conversation. Based on how long it had taken to reach Fengtai Station that morning, Zhu Shiqing estimated that at full sprint, it would take fifteen minutes to get from the base to the station. If fighting broke out, the regimental headquarters would have ample time to send reinforcements. Relatively speaking, Zhu Shiqing was more concerned about whether the Second Company at the station could withstand the Japanese military's initial onslaught. "Staff Officer Zhu, you've seen the situation at Fengtai. Both sides are wound tight inside and out. Even though we've ordered the men to keep their safeties on to avoid accidental discharges, if the Japanese deliberately provoke a clash, another major battle will be unavoidable." Sun Yi gazed somewhat toward the sky; clearly, defending Fengtai Station weighed heavily on him. Zhu Shiqing, however, poured cold water on the matter. "Regimental Commander, if I may speak frankly, if fighting truly breaks out, the first place the little devils will hit is Fengtai Station. Given our regiment's strength, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold them off." Sun Yi took no offense at the remark, replying only with a helpless sigh: "The Beiping-Tianjin frontline is vast, with our positions and the enemy's completely intertwined. The entire army is scattered across various locations. Take our regiment, for instance—both Dawangmiao and Changxindian require our troops for defense. The most we can spare for Zhaojiazhuang is the Third Battalion, which happens to be our most combat-effective unit." From his words and tone, Zhu Shiqing could sense Sun Yi's frustration and helplessness, a mindset likely shared by most in the 29th Army. As long as no fighting broke out, things were manageable. But once the shooting started... "Regimental Commander, situation ahead!" The soldier scouting at the front of the guard squad came sprinting back, bringing their conversation to an abrupt halt. "What's the panic? Speak slowly." "Puppet troops have entered the village ahead!" the soldier gasped out, frantic. Having assessed the situation, Fang Wenjian jogged over as well, adding, "No Japanese, they all appear to be puppet troops, about a platoon in strength." Guozhuang lay to the east of Zhaojiazhuang, roughly four li away. It was no secret that Sun Yi's regiment was garrisoned here, yet these puppet troops had chosen to charge straight into the tiger's den. Sun Yi's temper instantly flared, and he cursed on the spot, "Motherfuckers, daring to make trouble right on my doorstep!" A surge of murderous intent welled up in Sun Yi's chest. Whether he wanted to fight a battle to show Zhu Shiqing what they could do, or had simply been suppressed for too long and needed a release, one thing was certain: blood was going to spill today. "Run back to Zhaojiazhuang immediately and tell the Third Battalion Commander to lead a company of men south. They must cut off these puppet troops' line of retreat!" Sun Yi shouted, turning to the guard squad. "Guard squad, with me!" There was another unwritten rule in the Beiping-Tianjin region: because direct, open war could not break out between China and Japan, the Japanese military had organized large numbers of puppet units to engage the 29th Army in direct combat. Over the past year, the 29th Army had clashed with puppet forces across various fronts more than fifty times. Receiving their orders, the men snapped to attention and sprinted toward Guozhuang. Just as they reached a small earthen mound outside the village, Sun Yi raised his hand, signaling everyone to drop low. Using the mound as cover, Zhu Shiqing peered at the scene unfolding in Guozhuang. A handful of villagers were being marched out one by one by puppet soldiers wearing shit-yellow caps. At the village entrance, two men who appeared to be officers were chatting. "It's those bastards from the East Hebei Peace Preservation Corps!" Sun Yi said, peering through his binoculars for a long moment. "Staff Officer Zhu, how do you suggest we hit them?"