Chapter 13: The Sudden Rise in Unexpected Odds

Chapter 13: The Unexpected Odds Increase Dramatically

(Part One)

“Brother, you’re impressive! When we get back, you’ve got to tell me all about it!” Wei Monk whispered with a wink, nudging Guan Shan with his elbow.

“Wow, I really didn’t see this coming. You’ve got such great skills—looks like I’ve been holding you back all this time…” Li Yunlong quipped sarcastically, his tone dripping with mockery.

Zhao Gang was both amused and annoyed, turning to Li Yunlong, “Old Li, keep it down!”

Guan Shan stood there holding his recovered rifle, caught somewhere between laughter and tears.

Earlier, when County Chief Wang heard that Guan Shan’s mission didn’t come with any firearms—only a bayonet and two grenades—she immediately went to reason with Zhao Gang.

“That’s why the female county chief is so formidable! She knows exactly where to strike,” Li Yunlong whispered with a sly grin, once again mocking Zhao Gang.

“Li Yunlong, you really are a piece of work!” Zhao Gang snapped, then turned to Guan Shan and explained, “But County Chief Wang does have a point. Although it’s unlikely we’ll run into Japanese soldiers or puppet troops along this route, there’s no guarantee there won’t be bandits in the mountains. And even if there are none, what if we encounter wolves or leopards? So yes, we were a bit shortsighted. When the locals give us advice, we should take it seriously and improve.”

Not only did County Chief Wang suggest that Zhao Gang provide Guan Shan with weapons and ammunition, but Zhao Gang also took her advice and assigned two militia members from her county to accompany Guan Shan as guides.

After all, this was a three-day, three-night field mission. The survey team had to carry instruments, tents, sleeping bags, rain gear, and other outdoor necessities. County Chief Wang asked Li Tianzuo and Li Chenghai to help carry supplies, saying it was also a chance for them to learn from Comrade Guan.

“I had my eye on you first, Xiao Shanzi. As for discipline between men and women, that’s something the political commissar knows better...” Li Yunlong jabbered on, hitting from one side to the other. Everyone understood what he was trying to imply, but coming from his mouth, it was annoyingly offensive.

“Old Li, cut the nonsense!” Zhao Gang found Li Yunlong’s words unbearably grating.

“Heh heh, I’m just bad at talking, that’s all. That’s what I meant, that’s what I meant—got it, Xiao Shanzi?” Li Yunlong glared at Guan Shan.

What was there to get? Guan Shan frowned and explained, “Commander, Commissar, I really didn’t say anything!”

“What do you mean? I’m telling you, Xiao Shanzi, are you even a man? No backbone at all!” Li Yunlong sneered, continuing to drag Guan Shan deeper into trouble.

Wei Monk lowered his head, struggling to hold back laughter.

“Enough, enough!” Zhao Gang, frustrated, didn’t know what else to say and told Guan Shan, “Nothing’s wrong—just get ready. Look at the time, if we don’t leave soon, it’ll be dark!”

“Yes, Commissar! Commander, I’ll be off then.” Guan Shan saluted and took his leave.

“Heh heh heh,” Li Yunlong grinned mischievously, waving his hand.

“You two talk business—I’m heading out too,” Wei Monk said, pulling Guan Shan out of the room quickly.

(Part Two)

Outside, Wei Monk glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then hooked his arm around Guan Shan’s shoulder and whispered, “Brother, here, I got something good for you. Look at this!”

“Oh wow! The 'Turtle Box'!” Guan Shan exclaimed excitedly.

“Keep your voice down!” Wei Monk hurriedly warned. “Here, take it.”

“Where’d you get this?” Guan Shan took the pistol, rolling it in his hands.

“Got it from Shen Quan. I promised him I’d get him a commander's saber later. No one in our regiment hides personal gear! Here, just one magazine, and this little pouch has bullets—about twenty-something, I didn’t count exactly. See, here’s the bolt, to eject a bullet, pull it back like this to disassemble and oil...” Wei Monk explained, showing Guan Shan how to handle the pistol.

This was the Type 14 Nambu, nicknamed the “Turtle Box” or “Luzi.” Chambered in 8mm, with an 8-round magazine, it was a classic weapon from the anti-Japanese war dramas. Its grip-to-barrel angle of 120 degrees was designed for emergency quick draws—allowing the shooter to aim by pointing with the index finger without using sights, improving reaction time and accuracy under pressure.

“Remember, when you remove the magazine, there’s still a bullet in the chamber—you have to pull the slide back to clear it,” Wei Monk whispered, reminding him. Guan Shan nodded eagerly, delighted to handle the pistol, though a faint worry gnawed at him.

In melodramatic stories, the more foreshadowing like this, the more likely something unexpected will happen next. And such crises usually involve situations beyond current weaponry’s capabilities—a classic case of the devil being one step ahead.

“Even if the female county chief hadn’t gone to the commissar, I already told the commander we needed weapons, and he agreed. This pistol is what he told me to get from Shen Quan for you, heh heh heh,” Wei Monk chuckled, covering his mouth.

“So that’s how it is,” Guan Shan scratched his head.

(Part Three)

Wei Monk laughed, “You don’t know the commander’s temper yet. Spend more time with him and you’ll see. When he scolds you, it’s because he values you, thinks you have talent, heh heh! Oh, and here! Also got this from Shen Quan.”

Oh, great—two little Japanese melon grenades. Such foreshadowing, tsk tsk.

Taking the grenades from Wei Monk, Guan Shan identified them as the older Type 91 model. They could be thrown by hand or launched from a grenade discharger. Because their fuse delay was seven or eight seconds long, the enemy could easily pick them up and throw them back. That’s why the Japanese stopped producing them and switched to the Type 97, which had a shorter fuse delay and required a strike to activate.

(Part Four)

Though Li Tianzuo and Li Chenghai couldn’t even read many characters, having them in the team boosted efficiency severalfold. If Guan Shan had been left to carry everything alone as originally planned, he’d have been exhausted after just one day.

When Teacher Bai and Shen Xingbei rested between work, Li Tianzuo and Li Chenghai pestered Guan Shan to teach them how to use rifles. Guan Shan, picking up tips from Wei Monk and drawing on his past experience with electronic real-life CS games, generously shared all he knew.

Thankfully, Li Tianzuo and Li Chenghai’s presence prevented Shen Xingbei from wearing a constant scowl, which would have been demoralizing for Guan Shan.

The mountain air was bitterly cold. They hadn’t encountered wolves or leopards, but Guan Shan, Li Tianzuo, and Li Chenghai managed to trap two rabbits and caught several hibernating snakes from cracks in the rocks. At night, they found a cave to light a fire for warmth, turning the arduous, harsh weather assignment into something akin to a camping trip—surprisingly enjoyable.

The melodramatic disaster Guan Shan feared had yet to occur by midday on the third day.

Yet the more nothing happened, the more wary Guan Shan became, never letting his guard down.

Suddenly!

[End of Chapter]

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