Xie Chi couldn’t contact Xiao Wangyun. The phone number for the former Beiping Art Academy was long disconnected. She only knew the school had moved to Guling, which happened to be not too far away, so she took a car there.

The school had been relocated for some time. After a bit of inquiry, she found the address. Xie Chi made her way there and along the road saw a group of students putting up anti-Japanese posters on telephone poles in the town.

They must be from the art academy.

She carried her small suitcase and stopped in front of a female student, “Hello.”

The female student turned to look at her, “Hello.”

“Are you students from Beiping Art Academy?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know Professor Xiao from the Western painting department? Xiao Wangyun.”

“I know him. He’s our teacher.”

“Is he at school now?”

“I’m not sure. We’ve all been busy with poster work recently. Haven’t seen him in a long time.”

“Is your school up ahead?”

“Yes, keep going straight, turn a corner, there’s a sign. You’ll see it right away.”

“Good, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Xie Chi walked straight west.

The female student whispered to the male student beside her, “Isn’t this Professor Xiao’s fiancée?”

“Could be.”

“So beautiful.”

Xie Chi arrived at the school’s administrative office. A male teacher in a white short-sleeved shirt was sitting inside. Seeing a stranger, he quickly came forward, “Hello.”

“Hello, sorry to bother you. I’m here to see Teacher Xiao Wangyun.”

The male teacher stared in fascination for a long moment before reacting, pulling over a chair, “Sit, sit, sit. Let me pour you some tea.”

“No need to trouble yourself.”

The male teacher still poured a glass of water and brought it over. Xie Chi accepted it and placed it on a nearby table, “Thank you.”

“It’s still quite cool in these mountains.” Seeing her standing with her suitcase the whole time, the male teacher said, “Please sit.”

“No need, I’m fine standing.”

“Where did you come from?”

“Nanjing.”

The male teacher’s expression grew grave, “I heard Nanjing was bombed by Japanese aircraft.”

“Mm.” Xie Chi saw a painting hanging on the wall and immediately recognized it as Xiao Wangyun’s work, “Do you know where Teacher Xiao went?”

“He seems to have gone to Shanghai. That’s his hometown, right?”

“Could I use the telephone?”

“Of course, use it freely.”

Xie Chi dialed Xiao Wangyun’s home number, but no one answered. She put down the receiver, “Thank you. Since he’s not here, I’ll leave first. Sorry for the disturbance, please continue with your work.”

The male teacher called out to her, “Are you Old Xiao’s fiancée?”

“No, a friend.”

The male teacher smiled and nodded, then said, “Would you like to wait here for him? Perhaps he’ll be back in a few days?” The male teacher moved closer, “Although Nanchang has also been bombed, we’re remote here, relatively safe.”

“No need. If he returns, please have him contact me. Just say someone surnamed Xie came by.”

“Alright.”

“Thank you very much.” Xie Chi picked up her suitcase and left.

After she’d walked some distance, the male teacher caught up, “You’re not going to Shanghai, are you?”

Xie Chi turned back, “No.”

“Back to Nanjing then?”

“Mm.”

“Nanjing isn’t safe, right? It’ll probably continue being bombed.”

“Mm.”

“And you’re still going back?”

“Mm.”

The male teacher had nothing more to say.

Xie Chi nodded to him, “Please don’t see me off any further.”

…

Enemy aircraft bombed wildly, leaving corpses strewn throughout the city.

He Feng was stopped by several Central Army soldiers who were setting up defenses.

“You can’t pass through here.”

He Feng looked at their row of German-style steel helmets, “Which division are you?”

A young-looking soldier looked him up and down, “Where are you from?”

“88th? 87th? Or 36th?”

The young soldier pressed his rifle butt against him, “I’m asking you a question. Where are you from?”

The company commander saw the situation and walked over, “What do you do?”

He Feng sized him up. With that bearing, he was probably an officer, “Are you recruiting?”

“You want to join the army?”

“Mm.”

“Where are you from?”

“Shandong.”

The young soldier said, “He might be from the devils’ plainclothes unit!”

He Feng gave him a cold, fierce look, “Can’t shoot straight, can’t see straight either.”

“You—” The young soldier got angry.

The company commander laughed loudly, “Interesting young man. I like your attitude. What’s your name?”

“He Feng.”

“Have you handled guns before?”

“Never missed a shot.”

“Hear that?” The company commander looked at the two soldiers beside him, “Even I wouldn’t dare say I’ve never missed. Where does your confidence come from, kid?”

He Feng pointed to the corner of his eye, “Here.”

“Well, well.” The company commander became interested, sitting on a nearby sandbag, “Let’s test you then. If you miss, you’re responsible for filling all these sandbags.”

“Fine.”

The company commander nudged the young soldier beside him, pointing to a wooden door in the distance, “Go draw a circle over there.” The company commander glanced at He Feng, deliberately raising his voice, “Draw it big.”

The young soldier found a piece of stone, dipped it in mud on the ground, and drew a large circle on the wooden door, “Big enough?”

The company commander shouted back, “Big enough!” He handed the rifle to He Feng, “Big guy, shoot straight.”

“You’re underestimating me.” He Feng didn’t take the gun, just smiled, picked up a piece of broken glass from the ground, weighed it in his hand, then suddenly threw it hard at the wooden door, hitting dead center. Before the company commander could react, He Feng had taken the gun from his hands. Bang – the glass stuck in the wooden door shattered into fragments and scattered on the ground.

The young soldier chuckled, “Hey, that marksmanship is comparable to mine.”

“Type 24, crooked handle, submachine gun, Czech-made – whatever you have, I can use.” He Feng shouldered the rifle and tossed it back to the company commander, “Long-range sniping, close combat, bayonet fighting – test me however you want. If I lose, I’ll turn around and leave.”

“Big talk. What did you do before?”

“Bandit.”

“Bandit?” The company commander smiled, “Bandit or not, as long as you can fight devils, who cares about bandit or not.” The company commander punched his shoulder, “This is the 216th Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Company of the 36th Division. I’m the company commander.”

“Little Six.” He shouted into the distance, “Come here.”

“Coming.”

“Get him enlisted and equipped.”

Little Six looked He Feng over, “Follow me.”

He Feng was tall, and with uniforms being scarce, he wore an ill-fitting set where even the collar button couldn’t be fastened. The company commander saw him return after changing clothes – straight posture, long legs, immediately looking the part – “Quite presentable. You’ll follow me from now on.”

He Feng chuckled softly, “Brother, in a while, who knows who’ll be following whom.”

The young soldier emphasized, “Call him Company Commander!”

Just as he finished speaking, someone ahead shouted, “Assemble!”

“Tanks incoming!”

The company commander couldn’t remember He Feng’s name, “New guy, cover me while I blow up this iron shell.”

…

Traveling was extremely difficult at this time. Xie Chi hitched rides on various vehicles all the way back to Nanjing.

Xie Chi had been to many places and lived in quite a few cities for periods of time, but none suited her as well as Nanjing. She loved this city – whether its local customs, food and leisure, or the business she had built here. It all gave her a feeling of home.

She put down her luggage, ate something, then went to wait outside Old Zhou’s house for half the day.

When Old Zhou returned and saw her, he exclaimed in surprise, “How are you back again? Didn’t you go abroad with your brother?”

“Not going anymore.”

“Why?”

“If I told you to go to a foreign country right now, would you go?”

Old Zhou was speechless.

“Our compatriots are suffering, our soldiers are fighting bravely. I’m afraid I’d have sleepless nights in a foreign bed.” She smiled faintly, “I came back to keep you company.”

“Ah.” Old Zhou frowned deeply, “You…”

“Stop sighing. Let’s go inside and talk.”

Old Zhou took out his keys to open the door, and they both went in.

“Has Xiao Wangyun contacted you?”

“We spoke yesterday. He went back to Shanghai.”

“To get his family?”

“Right.”

“Where to?”

“The foreign settlement. The Japanese don’t dare bomb there.”

“Is he returning to school? I just came back from Guling. The teachers there said he only took temporary leave.”

“He said he’s staying in Shanghai to do anti-Japanese propaganda work.” Old Zhou poured her a glass of cold tea, “So you’re staying in Nanjing permanently? Not leaving?”

“Where would I go? To Shanghai to draw anti-Japanese posters with Xiao Wangyun? I can’t do those speeches and performances he organizes.” Xie Chi smiled and sipped her tea, “I’m better suited to investigating traitors. I finally got familiar with every street and alley in Nanjing. I’ll just stick with you here.” Xie Chi glanced at him, “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Where would I go? My roots are here.”

“Your superiors aren’t managing you anymore? Didn’t call you over?”

“I didn’t go. I want to clean out all the scum in Nanjing. These Japanese spies and traitors have been getting more and more arrogant lately.” Old Zhou angrily pounded the table, “Frontline soldiers defend every inch of soil with blood and flesh, while traitors behind the lines can’t wait to hand over all of China to those bastards.”

Xie Chi remained silent.

Old Zhou loosened his jaw, “Are you still opening your shop?”

“I’ll keep it open for now. When it gets bombed flat, I’ll do something else.”

“You really are optimistic.”

Xie Chi refilled her teacup, “For me now, sleeping in Nanjing’s ruins brings more peace than sleeping on silk pillows in a foreign land.”

“I’ve been watching the owner of Songsheng Pharmacy lately. His movements are very suspicious.”

“Good.”

“What do you mean by ‘good’?”

“Let’s work together.”

…

Xie Chi returned home and opened all the windows for ventilation. She hated suffocating stuffiness, even if the hot wind from outside wasn’t comfortable.

Just as she finished tidying up, footsteps sounded on the stairs – heavy footsteps, a man’s.

Xie Chi jumped up and opened her door to see a plump man walking up, carrying two suitcases.

Seeing Xie Chi, he stopped on the stairs, “Hello, I’m Chen Yueyi. You must be Miss Xie.”

“Mm.”

Chen Yueyi came up and set his suitcases on the floor, “I’m the new tenant. I hope I won’t disturb you.”

“Oh, your room is over there.” Xie Chi retreated into her room and closed the door.

Chen Yueyi looked over, picked up his cases, and headed there. Just as he reached the door, he heard the sound of a door opening behind him.

“Mr. Chen.”

He turned around.

“You’re from Shanghai?”

“Yes.”

“How’s the fighting there?”

“Very intense gunfire. I heard our army has the advantage.”

Xie Chi felt relieved, “Thank you. Rest well. If you need anything, you can call me.”

“Alright.”

…

They failed to take Huishan Wharf during the day, suffering heavy losses.

Around 3 AM, with a few tanks deployed, they launched a fierce attack on the wharf. Devil artillery bombarded the tanks madly. The company commander led his men charging out, “Little Six, circle around to the right.”

“Yes!”

“Liu Jin, He Feng, Guo Shan – you three follow me.”

“Cover me.” He Feng ignored him, rolled once to get behind the sandbag pile, and unleashed a barrage at the devils, commanding, “Go up, hit the right flank!”

“Damn it, are you the company commander or am I!”

The tanks successfully entered enemy territory and, coordinating with their attack, destroyed the enemy camp.

Dawn was faintly breaking.

While cleaning up the battlefield, the company commander slapped He Feng’s back, “Good fighting.”

He Feng smirked, “Obviously.”

“So satisfying!” Little Six proudly shouldered three rifles. Just as he was about to leave, suddenly a shell exploded, blasting him away.

He lay on the ground, spat out bloody saliva, “Damn devils, bombing my ass.”

The rumbling sound of aircraft overhead filled the air as bombs fell like raindrops. Two Japanese reinforcement units suddenly appeared from the south and north directions.

The third company commander on the left roared, “Retreat! Retreat!”

He Feng circled behind a wall pillar to shoot. Seeing a grenade land near a brother’s feet, he lunged over to push him down and rolled behind a pile of wooden crates.

With a thunderous boom, dust flew everywhere.

He Feng slapped the man’s head, “Were you daydreaming!”

“Thanks.” The brother put on his steel helmet and continued firing.

Mortars and overhead aircraft continuously bombed while Japanese troops advanced under artillery cover, suppressing them with fire.

They couldn’t hold out long – the tanks were destroyed.

The battalion commander behind frantically shouted, “Retreat! Second company retreat—”

The company commander retreated from the front. Seeing He Feng still crouched in the trench aiming, he grabbed him and tried to leave, “Let’s go!”

He Feng had killed until his eyes were red. He kicked him away, “Get lost.”

“Retreat with me!”

He Feng was out of ammunition. He rolled to another side, picked up a fallen comrade’s rifle, and was about to charge again.

“If we don’t leave now, we’re all finished!” The company commander grabbed his neck and dragged him back, “Damn bandit, I never should have recruited you.”

…