allonlinenovel Chapter 918 Panic spreads
Chapter 918 Panic spreads
In major cities in Japan, various tabloids are like bamboo shoots that have sprouted overnight, quietly but omnipresently spreading to every street corner and every household. The ancient alleys of Kyoto, the bustling streets of Nagoya, the commercial center of Osaka, and the port of Yokohama, these places that were once full of vitality and vigor, are now shrouded in an invisible panic.
In the Ichiban district, the heart of Nagoya, the lights are still bright at night, but there is an indescribable heaviness in the air. In an izakaya called "Laomatsu", several gray-haired old men sat around a wooden table with a few small dishes and bottles of sake on the table, but their minds were obviously not on the food in front of them.
"Have you read today's newspaper?" An old man with a kind face and traces of time in his eyes was the first to break the silence. His voice was full of worry, "It is said that the Chinese army has approached Hiroshima. If this continues, Nagoya will not be spared."
"Ah, yes." An old man sitting opposite him sighed, shaking the wine glass in his hand gently, but he didn't bring it to his mouth. "I am not afraid of anything with my old bones, but I am worried about those children. They have not experienced such a chaotic world."
"Come to think of it, my grandson was clamoring to join the army to serve the country a few days ago." An old man next to him smiled bitterly, "Looking at the current situation, it's really worrying. What's the point of continuing this war?"
"What's the purpose?" Another old man shook his head, with a bit of helplessness and indignation in his tone, "It's the ambition of those in power who have to provoke this unprovoked disaster. It's hard for us ordinary people. We live in fear all day long, fearing that the war will burn to our doorstep one day."
"That's right." The atmosphere in the pub became increasingly heavy, and the old men echoed one after another, their words filled with uncertainty and fear about the future.
"I heard that there have been deserters in the city recently." An old man lowered his voice, as if afraid of being heard by outsiders. "Those soldiers who once swore to defend the country are now beginning to waver. The world has really changed."
"Deserter?" The other old man's face turned even uglier when he heard this. "Where can a deserter escape to? Where can there be peace until the war ends?"
"In the final analysis, I still hope that the two countries can stop fighting as soon as possible. Peace is the greatest blessing for the people." The old man who spoke first sighed, his eyes looking through the window of the pub to the hazy moon in the night sky, "May this bright moon illuminate the road to peace, so that we old people and children can live a stable life."
The discussion among the elders continued, but the worries and longing for peace hidden deep in their hearts, like the night, permeated the streets and alleys of Nagoya and echoed in the hearts of every Fuso citizen.
In a remote corner of Fukuchi County, Kyoto Prefecture, Fuso, an old house is hidden in the night, surrounded by sparse bamboo fences, and looks particularly quiet. Suddenly, a hurried sound of footsteps broke the silence. A young man, ragged, with a face full of dust and fatigue, almost stumbled and pushed open the heavy wooden door. The door hinge made a harsh creaking sound, and the lights in the house lit up. A beam of warm light penetrated the darkness and shone on his weather-beaten face.
Inside the house, a white-haired old woman was holding an oil lamp, with a look of surprise and confusion in her eyes. She slowly approached, carefully looked at the uninvited guest, and asked in a trembling voice: "Futian? Is it you? Why are you back?"
Futian Yue, the young deserter, nodded with red eyes, said nothing, and walked into the house silently. Half an hour later, the whole family was urgently summoned to the main room. A simple dinner was placed on the low table, but no one cared about it at this moment.
There was a depressing and tense atmosphere in the air, as if even breathing had become heavy.
"Fukuda Yue, you are such an unfilial son!" His father, Fukuda Yasushi, stood up suddenly, his eyes wide open, and his voice was as loud as thunder. "You are a soldier of the empire, how could you do such a shameful thing as desertion! How can I hold my head high in front of my fellow villagers?"
Futian Yue clenched his teeth, tears welled up in his eyes, but he tried hard not to let them fall.
He raised his head and looked directly into his father's eyes. His voice was firm and trembling. "Father, you don't know the situation on the front line at all! Those Chinese troops have sophisticated weapons and superb tactics. Our soldiers fell in droves and had no power to fight back. I watched my comrades fall one by one with my own eyes. You can't imagine the despair!"
"Despair? How dare you say such a thing!" Futian Yasushi was so angry that he trembled all over. "We, the soldiers of the Fuso Empire, are never afraid of death, and we will never retreat on the battlefield! You are betraying the empire and bringing shame to the family!"
"No, father!" Futian Yue shouted with almost all his strength, "I'm not afraid of death, but I don't want to die meaninglessly. I want to live for my family and for the future. War cannot be won by passion alone. We can't defeat China at all. The gap is too big!"
Inside the main room, other family members also had complex expressions on their faces; some were shocked, some were sympathetic, and some were deeply helpless.
This quarrel, like a sudden storm, swept the entire family and broke the silence of the night sky.
"You...you..." Fukuda Yasushi pointed at Fukuda Yue with a shaking hand, as if he wanted to say something, but was speechless for a moment. Finally, he sat back in his chair weakly, covered his face with his hands, and sighed heavily.
As the quarrel between the father and son gradually subsided, the smell of gunpowder in the air seemed to fade a little, but the heaviness and depression still enveloped the entire hall. At this time, the mother and son Sachiko finally plucked up the courage and spoke tremblingly.
"Fukuda-kun..." Sachiko looked at Fukuda Yasushi, her eyes full of pleading and reluctance, "I don't want our son to die on the front line like this. He is our hope, our future. I... I am willing to bear all the consequences, just hoping that he can live."
Upon hearing this, Fukuda Yasushi's body trembled slightly. He turned to look at Sachiko, and his once firm eyes were now filled with complexity.
He took a deep breath, as if trying to calm his inner turmoil. After a moment, he slowly let out a heavy sigh, revealing a hint of helplessness and compromise in his voice.
"Alas..." Fukuda Yasushi lowered his head and tapped the table with his fingers, making a rhythmic sound. "I... I used to think that fighting for the empire was the highest honor. But now, looking at my son standing in front of me, I feel unprecedented confusion and struggle."
He looked up at Futian Yue, his eyes filled with both blame and heartache, "Yue, do you know that if you run away, not only you, but also the entire family may be implicated. But...but how can I watch you die?"
Futian Yue's eyes became moist again. He didn't expect his father's attitude to change so much.
He stood up, walked to his father, knelt on his knees, and said in a choked voice: "Father, I'm sorry to disappoint you. But I really don't want to sacrifice meaninglessly on the front line. Please believe me, this is not me betraying the empire, but I am looking for another way to protect our home."
Futian Kang reached out and helped Futian Yue up, tears flashed in his eyes. He patted his son's shoulder and said in a deep voice: "Get up, Yue. From now on, you will flee back to your hometown in the countryside overnight and hide, and never show up again. Remember, you are the hope of our Futian family. No matter when and where, you must protect yourself."