Chapter 21: He Yuzhu Rescues Lao Zhou

The sound of gunfire rang out, and He Yuzhu, like a civet cat, quickly hid inside the gatehouse of a large courtyard.

"Baka-yaro—!" A sharp, ear-piercing Japanese roar shattered the silence of the afternoon.

The crowd on the main street instantly erupted into chaos! Cries, screams, and the sound of chaotic footsteps burst forth!

People scattered and fled like a frightened flock of sheep!

The stalls of street vendors were knocked over, miscellaneous items rolled all over the ground, and the scene was a complete mess!

Several Japanese soldiers, holding Type 38 Arisakas and with ferocious expressions, were firing wildly at three figures sprinting ahead!

They didn't care at all whether their bullets hit pedestrians; they charged and rammed through, heedless of anything, and soon, several passersby were hit and fell.

Those who hadn't fallen also threw themselves to the ground in terror, curling up and shivering.

The person running at the very front looked somewhat familiar.

Suddenly! That person was hit by a bullet, the massive impact making their run stumble.

"Bang, bang, bang!" A few more gunshots rang out.

That person rolled on the ground; after rolling away, a few bullet holes appeared on the ground—it must be said, they still had quite a bit of combat experience.

What was unexpected was that the person suddenly ran toward the gatehouse where He Yuzhu was.

He Yuzhu's pupils shrank; wasn't this Lao Zhou, the gatekeeper at the school? Could he be with the Communist Party or the Bald Party?

"What to do?" He Yuzhu's brain spun rapidly.

Lao Zhou ran over, likely to intercept those Japanese and cover the other two as they escaped.

He couldn't run at this moment, nor could he acknowledge Lao Zhou; for a moment, He Yuzhu was stumped.

He would just play the part of a salted fish, doing nothing at all; he lowered his head, pretending not to know Lao Zhou.

Lao Zhou saw a child at the gate; he didn't hide inside for long, but instead used the position to fire a few shots before running off.

Should he intervene or not? The little devils were wantonly killing in the street; they were simply a pack of mad dogs! He Yuzhu struggled internally.

If he didn't act, there was no chance for Lao Zhou and the others to survive; if he did act, there was the risk of being surrounded by the devils.

Thinking of the gentle smile Lao Zhou had shown him at school, and the way he had just now tried not to implicate him, a surge of hot-bloodedness rushed straight to He Yuzhu's crown!

He Yuzhu's gaze instantly became cold and sharp! "This young master is going to handle this today!"

When the few devil soldiers ran past He Yuzhu, panting while holding their guns, he didn't move.

The moment the devils ran into the alley, he sprang from the shadows, following them silently.

He skillfully used shadows and debris as cover, biting hard onto the heels of those hysterical devils!

He Yuzhu's familiarity with these streets and alleys was already carved into his bones! Which fork was a shortcut, which wall had a gap, which gatehouse could hide a person—he could find his way even with his eyes closed!

Every time the devils turned into a side street, He Yuzhu could always emerge like a ghost from an unexpected, half-collapsed broken gatehouse, or vault over a low earthen wall, always following like a shadow, maintaining a safe distance!

Finally, Lao Zhou and the other two were forced into a dead-end alley! No way to run, no way to retreat!

Both sides had clearly reached their limits; the sound of intense panting was clearly audible in the narrow space.

"Bang! Bang!"

Relying on the cover of the wall corner, Lao Zhou and his group began to return fire; bullets struck the brick wall at the alley entrance, sending up sparks.

Lao Zhou's voice was hoarse but carried determination: "Xiao Wang, Xiao Li! It looks like we're going to meet our end here today! Conserve your bullets... don't forget, leave one... for yourselves!"

"Understood, Uncle Zhou! I have a Hand Grenade here; at the final moment, I'll pull the pin and go out with the enemy!" Xiao Wang's voice carried a desperate, ruthless resolve.

"I have a Hand Grenade too!" Xiao Li's voice was equally resolute.

The five little devils were clearly well-trained, with tacit tactical coordination.

Three of the devils immediately spread out, relying on the ruined walls on both sides of the alley entrance, and opened fire violently with "bang, bang, bang," keeping Lao Zhou and the others from daring to poke their heads out.

The other two devils, like agile monkeys, quickly sought high ground—one swiftly climbed onto the low courtyard wall of a nearby house to reach the roof, attempting to occupy an advantageous shooting angle; the other crouched low, trying to circle behind the three people to find a breakthrough.

The opportunity had arrived!

He Yuzhu, who had been stealthily following less than fifty meters behind the devils, felt cold light explode in his eyes!

Those three devils responsible for suppressing fire were currently focused entirely on shooting at the opposite side, exposing their backs and buttocks to him!

He took two Box Cannons from his space, "Click! Click!" his thumbs deftly flipped the safety catches.

Without the slightest hesitation! He Yuzhu suddenly stood up from the shadow of the gate tower, his arms held steady like cast iron, and pulled the triggers on the three devils who were sticking their butts out!

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—!"

The bodies of the three devil soldiers with their backs to him shook violently! Bullets tore through their cotton-padded jackets, drilled into flesh, and made "thud, thud, thud" muffled sounds!

"Baka!"

"Behind!"

The devils on the wall and the one circling the side reacted extremely quickly!

The sound of gunfire exposed He Yuzhu's position.

The devil on the wall immediately turned his muzzle and fired a shot, "Bang!", toward the gate tower where He Yuzhu had just fired!

The bullet struck the brickwork of the gate tower, sending fragments flying!

At the same time, the devil who had circled behind also charged out from a narrow side alley, roaring with his bayonet fixed; the cold light of the Type 38 Arisaka's bayonet pointed straight at He Yuzhu!

Attacked from both front and rear!

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat, but his reaction was fast to the extreme!

He fired back in both directions simultaneously by feel, not seeking to hit, only to suppress the enemy's advance.

He Yuzhu was in great danger; if the devils got close and threw a Hand Grenade, it would be all over.

He couldn't fight them head-on!

He Yuzhu forced himself to calm down, his brain spinning rapidly.

He quickly threw the empty gun in his right hand, which had just run out of bullets, with force toward the entrance of a main room a few meters inside the gate tower!

With a "clatter," the empty gun smashed against the door panel.

He Yuzhu's thoughts stirred, and his entire person vanished from where he stood.

The sound of gunfire stopped abruptly.

In the alley, only sporadic gunfire remained from Lao Zhou's side; they were likely testing the waters.

Two Japanese soldiers walked forward step by step, holding their Rifles level; they stepped extremely lightly with every stride, ears pricked to catch any subtle sound.

When they reached the door, they discovered that the place had long been emptied of people, with only Bullet Shells scattered all over the ground.

"Ono, you are responsible for guarding; do not let those three members of the Communist Party come over. I will go in and take a look!" one Japanese soldier ordered.

"Hai! Captain Nomura, no need to fear; I suspect those few members of the Communist Party have already run out of bullets."

Nomura quickly pulled a Hand Grenade from his waist, pulled the safety pin, struck it hard against his steel helmet, and swung his arm with all his might to throw it out.

"Boom—!!!"

A deafening, thunderous explosion! An orange-red fireball mixed with thick smoke gushed out from the doors and windows!

The entire main room shook violently, and half of the roof collapsed!

Nomura held his Rifle, carefully stepped over the smoking ruins and rubble, and charged into the room that had been blown beyond recognition!