Chapter 495: South China Freedom Army (5)

"As long as I can get out of the mine and away from that heavy labor, even if the training is harsh, I'm willing!"

A Japanese Soldier with a face full of scars whispered to his compatriot beside him, his tone resolute.

"Yeah, mining is too hard; we work sixteen hours a day and still go hungry. If this continues, I'll eventually die in the mine. Training may be tough, but at least we can have a full belly; that's better than waiting for death here!" another soldier agreed, his eyes full of longing.

They've long been fed up with a daily ration of only two 300‑gram rice balls; that meager food can't sustain a day of high‑intensity labor. They live on the brink of starvation, their bodies weak, barely able to lift a hand.

As long as they can eat their fill, even the most brutal training is gladly accepted.

At the same time, Jiang Anguo explicitly ordered Zhi Tian Xinzhong, insisting that these Japanese soldiers understand that from now on they have only one commander, and that is Zhi Tian Xinzhong.

They no longer pledge loyalty to the Japanese Emperor, no longer serve the Imperial cause, but work for Jiang Anguo; only by satisfying Jiang Anguo can they attain true freedom and truly escape the fate of forced labor.

"Remember, your lives are given by Officer Jiang; your food is given by Officer Jiang; your escape from the mine's forced labor is also Jiang's blessing!" Zhi Tian Xinzhong stood before the ranks, speaking loudly.

"From now on, you must obey my orders unconditionally, obey Officer Jiang's orders; only then can you eat and clothe yourselves, and have a chance to gain true freedom!"

"Yes! Obey the orders!" all the POWs shouted in unison, their tone full of reverence and gratitude.

As warriors, being well‑fed is a basic need, but for a unit composed entirely of Japanese, ensuring they are fed must be handled with caution.

When full, they gain strength, and the seed of rebellion may sprout.

However, Jiang Anguo was not worried; he had already arranged to change the POWs' daily rations from two 300‑gram rice balls to 500 grams of rice, enough to support their training needs.

But rice alone is clearly insufficient for these POWs, who have been doing heavy labor for over two months, to quickly regain combat capability.

After more than two months of torment, each of them teeters on the brink of collapse; even the lightest weight loss is thirty jin, their bodies gaunt, reduced to mere skeletons, faces pallid and bloodless, barely able to meet basic physical standards.

Therefore, Jiang Anguo specifically ordered that soldiers of the South China Freedom Army receive an additional 200 grams of meat each day.

Of course, not fresh meat—just the most basic canned food, a single kind: Canned Spam.

In addition, there are 200 grams of vegetables and a small amount of salt and sugar, temporarily meeting their basic training needs and bodily recovery.

The next morning, when the Japanese soldiers saw the rice, Canned Spam, and vegetables arranged at the mess hall entrance, everyone froze, then couldn't help but shed tears again—this time, tears of being moved.

"Rice! There's so much rice!"

"And Canned Spam! I haven't had meat in ages!"

"Commander Zhi Tian is wonderful! He must have secured this food for us!"

A soldier cradling the heavy bowl of rice, tears dripping into it, choked out, "I thought I would never eat a full meal again in this life, never taste meat again. Thank you, Commander Zhi Tian, thank you, Officer Jiang! I will train hard, obey orders, and never disappoint the commanders!"

Other soldiers likewise echoed, shedding tears while respectfully bowing to Zhi Tian Xinzhong, "Thank you, Commander Zhi Tian! Thank you, Commander Zhi Tian!"

They did not know that all this was Jiang Anguo's arrangement; they believed the new regiment commander Zhi Tian Xinzhong had secured these benefits, deepening their reverence and gratitude toward him.

Zhi Tian Xinzhong looked at the scene, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes, waved his hand to the soldiers, and in a stern tone said, "All of this is Officer Jiang's blessing. Remember, only by training well and obeying orders can you live up to Jiang's kindness, forever escape forced labor, and obtain true freedom!"

"Yes! Never betray Officer Jiang's kindness!"

A group of Japanese soldiers shouted in unison, their voices loud, echoing throughout the camp.

The presence of a Huaxia officer—or even an American officer—here now would surely be terrifying.

Lin Yi, standing not far behind Jiang Anguo, watched the orderly, shouting Japanese soldiers below; his fingernails dug deep into his palm, his eyes swirling with barely concealed hatred and bewilderment.

Since he enlisted, he has personally witnessed the Japanese army's burning, looting, and slaughter of compatriots in Huaxia, countless comrades falling to Japanese bullets, countless innocent civilians mercilessly massacred.

This sea of blood‑deep hatred has long been etched into his bones, flowing in his blood.

In his view, each of these Japanese POWs is soaked in Chinese blood and deserves severe punishment, lifelong forced labor to death; yet Jiang Anguo not only refrains from that but arms them, forming a unit, which he cannot comprehend.

Suppressing the fury and doubt raging within.

Lin Yi hurried forward, walked to Jiang Anguo's side, his tone carrying urgency and confusion, and asked gravely, "Commander, I don't quite understand why we should arm these Japanese POWs?"

"Their hands are soaked with the blood of our compatriots; they are our enemies. We should not be so tolerant of them, nor give them weapons to become an armed force again!"

His voice was low but heavy with emotion; every word dripped with hatred toward the Japanese army and bewilderment at Jiang Anguo's decision.

In his mind, dealing with Japanese POWs should be retaliation tooth for tooth, blood for blood, making them pay a painful price for their crimes—not giving them a chance to rise again, let alone become soldiers wielding weapons.

Of course, from the Supplement Battalion to the Independent Regiment and now the 201st Division, Jiang Anguo's forces have already killed many Japanese in Huaxia and Myanmar.

Jiang Anguo, hands behind his back, continued to gaze calmly at the South China Freedom Army training below, not turning to Lin Yi, his tone even yet hinting at depth: "Lin Yi, you are now the Deputy Division Commander of my 201st Division, no longer the ordinary officer who only knew how to charge."

"You must look farther, adopt broader strategic goals, not fixate on immediate hatred, but also consider Nanko's future stability and development."

Lin Yi heard this, his brows furrowing tighter; he knew Jiang Anguo was right.

Yet the hatred and doubt in his heart still lingered: "Commander, I understand your point, but these people are Japanese!"

"They once slaughtered our compatriots, burned our homes; how can we trust them? If they seize the chance to rebel and attack us, wouldn't we be raising a tiger to harm us?"