allonlinenovel Chapter 998 Xiao Juan! It's me!
Chapter 998 Xiao Juan! It's me!
Following closely behind were oddly shaped armored vehicles with clearly visible rivets on their steel plates. The machine gun turret on the roof slowly rotated, and the machine gunner, wearing goggles, coldly scanned the ruins on both sides of the street, as if searching for any possible threat.
Before the roar of tanks and armored vehicles had faded, an even louder noise followed.
That was a torrent of wheels.
A large number of military trucks lined up in a long, endless line, their engines roaring deafeningly as they heavily rolled over the road.
The truck's canvas cover was tightly secured, but through the occasional gaps, one could see that it was filled with Japanese soldiers wearing helmets and carrying Type 38 rifles, their bodies swaying rhythmically with the truck's bumps.
Behind more trucks, Type 41 mountain guns and Type 92 infantry guns, covered with gun covers, were towed, their thick barrels and huge rubber tires displaying their terrifying destructive power.
The convoy of these steel behemoths moved forward with an unstoppable, mechanically precise rhythm, kicking up a mixture of dust and snow that polluted the air.
The core of this force, the jungle of infantry, lies in the gaps and rear of this steel torrent.
The Japanese military police, stretching as far as the eye could see, marched in orderly formation.
They were completely different from the Japanese frontline soldiers that Li Shouren usually encountered.
Their gleaming military boots clattered on the broken pavement, producing a uniform, heavy, and suppressed "crack, crack" sound that seemed to strike the hearts of onlookers rather than the ground itself.
The khaki military overcoat was crisp and straight, and the distinctive mountain-shaped military badge and the "military" armband of the military police stood out starkly in the dim morning light.
His belt was crossed in front of his chest, and the pistol holster and bayonet sheath at his waist were polished to a gleaming shine.
Beneath their helmets were almost expressionless faces, young yet exuding a coldness and arrogance born from strict discipline and an absolute sense of superiority.
Their eyes held a mixture of curiosity, a curious observation of the ruined city, and a condescending indifference.
Li Shouren even saw several obviously more luxurious black sedans mixed in with the convoy. The windows were covered with curtains, making them look mysterious and dignified. They were clearly the vehicles of high-ranking military officers.
The entire convoy also included mules and horses carrying equipment, as well as motorcycles with sidecars and light machine guns mounted on their cargo beds, making the convoy's function appear even more complex and formidable.
This massive, well-trained force, exuding an aura of death, marched silently, yet with overwhelming force, across the ruins of Nanjing.
. . . . . . . . . .
Li Shouren huddled behind the broken wall, his body ice-cold, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.
The line was long and moving slowly.
Li Shouren was extremely anxious. Every minute that was delayed increased the danger to the children in the yard.
That little girl might not make it through today.
He suppressed the fear and disgust that almost made him turn and run away, lowered his head, and clung to the remaining wall at the edge of the street like a frightened mouse, moving with difficulty towards the direction of the military police along with the torrent of this arrogant procession.
His figure stood in stark contrast to the impeccably disciplined and arrogant army in the center of the street—one side representing absolute power and order, the other extreme humility and struggle for survival.
Li Shouren's actions quickly attracted the attention of the marching military police.
Many curious eyes fell on the ragged, low-shouldered Chinese commoner walking briskly beside him.
Several young military police officers, perhaps out of excitement at arriving in the "land of victory," or perhaps to show so-called "friendliness," actually smiled at Li Shouren, and one even gave him a thumbs up and shouted in broken Chinese, "Hi! Hello!"
This "friendly" gesture pierced Li Shouren's heart like a needle.
Did they think I came to welcome them?
Are they here to admire their military might?
What a big joke!
A tremendous sense of humiliation surged up his head, almost making him faint.
He dared not look up, dared not meet their gazes, and could only grit his teeth and quicken his pace, almost running, wanting only to escape this suffocating scene as soon as possible, reach his destination, get the food, and then never set foot in this place again.
Finally, the gloomy Western-style building housing the military police came into view on the horizon.
Two guards stood at the entrance, their bayonets gleaming.
Li Shouren's heart was in his throat; he was so nervous he could barely breathe.
He quickened his pace, his eyes fixed on the dark door, pondering how to speak and how to hand over that humiliating note.
However, the moment his gaze swept across the open space in front of the military police headquarters, his feet froze on the spot!
My blood seemed to freeze in an instant, my breathing stopped, and all the sounds of the world disappeared.
He saw a figure. A small, thin figure, so familiar it was etched into his very being.
Right below the steps next to the headquarters gate stood a little girl of three or four years old.
She was wearing a slightly oversized but relatively clean cotton robe, with white bandages wrapped around her forehead and one arm. Her small face was pale and bloodless.
Her small hand was being held by a young Japanese officer in a crisp military uniform, wearing the rank of a military policeman.
The officer seemed to be welcoming the military police entering the city, while the little girl tilted her head slightly, looking at the marching procession in the distance with a hint of timidity and bewilderment.
That's Xiao Juan!
It's his daughter, Xiaojuan!
She's alive! She's really alive!
An immense, indescribable ecstasy, shock, disbelief, and a heart-wrenching pain erupted like a volcanic eruption, instantly overwhelming Li Shouren's reason and fear!
"Xiao... Juan...!!"
A shrill, hoarse scream, like the howl of a wounded beast, burst from Li Shouren's throat, piercing the relatively "orderly" atmosphere of the street!
This sudden shout immediately triggered a chain reaction.
The nearby military police on guard were startled, as a series of crisp "click-click" sounds of bolts being pulled back suddenly rang out!
Several gleaming bayonets were instantly pointed at the source of the sound, at the Chinese man who was stumbling and staggering toward the gate of the military police headquarters like a madman!
Li Shouren couldn't care about anything else! All he could see was that little figure he had been longing for day and night!
He shoved aside a military policeman who tried to stop him and, like a cannonball, rushed towards his daughter down the steps!
"Xiao Juan! It's me! Dad! Xiao Juan!!" He roared, tears streaming down his face like a burst dam, blurring his vision and mixing with the dirt on his face.