The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

Chapter 287 Taiwan Trivia (6)

Wang waved his hand and said with a hint of respect: "Mr. Abe, don't be too polite, and please don't have any scruples. We trust you."

Abe Shushiro was no longer restrained and said calmly, "If Gangcun hasn't escaped, it's hard to say where he's hiding. However, I once heard one of his guards say there's an inconspicuous cave on the cliff nearby. It's probably not very large and has no other exits, otherwise Gangcun and his men would have used it long ago."

Wang was immediately interested when he heard this and asked with concern, "Oh, Mr. Abe, do you know the exact location?"

Abe thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't know the exact location. The guard didn't specify, and I didn't pay much attention at the time, but it should be around here."

Wang immediately summoned the signalman and decisively ordered, "Notify Colonel Liu to allocate a certain number of troops to strictly guard the surrounding cliffs. Tell him that Gangcun and his men are likely hiding in a hidden cave on the cliffs!"

With a clear target in mind, Colonel Liu and his men quickly discovered the cave where Gangcun and his men were hiding, nestled in a low cliff face. Colonel Liu ordered his interpreter to shout into the cave, ordering the enemy inside to surrender. However, several minutes passed with no response. At Colonel Liu's signal, several flamers fired jets of fire at the cave entrance, completely burning the grass. Just as a group of soldiers prepared to climb in and attack, a chaotic roar erupted from within, followed by a flurry of fighting.

Soon, a trembling voice came from the cave, speaking in a flower language. He shouted: "Don't shoot, I surrender! Don't shoot!"

Under the soldiers' harsh scolding, a naked man with only a pair of Japanese underwear crawled out of the cave. He had no weapons. Two soldiers quickly stepped forward and pulled him down.

A lieutenant rushed over and shouted, "Who's still inside? Why don't you come out and surrender?" The man trembled and said, "They're all dead, all dead!"

The lieutenant waved his hand, and several soldiers took turns rushing into the cave. The cave was indeed small, only about 30 square meters. There were more than a dozen naked bodies lying in a mess. One of them was kneeling in the Japanese style, with a saber stuck in his abdomen, his internal organs scattered everywhere.

It was later confirmed that the deceased were Gangcun Yanbu and his guards. Fearing death, Gangcun and his guards ultimately committed suicide. The cowardly man, however, secretly feigned his own death, only escaping and surrendering after everyone else had perished.

On the other side, Colonel Li hung up Gushan Xiteng's youngest son and piled a pile of firewood under him, giving Gushan a final choice. Amidst his son's miserable cries, Gushan Xiteng had to take off his disguise and chose to cooperate.

In this way, Colonel Li and the advance battalion, under the guidance of Xi Teng of Gushan, met the chiefs of the Amei and other tribes in a secret location.

Let me insert an extra topic here. This Lonely Mountain Xi Teng knew that he would definitely be sentenced to death in the end. He helped Colonel Li and others introduce the chiefs of various tribes. In front of all the chiefs, he made a request to Colonel Li, asking Colonel Li to promise to release his youngest son. Colonel Li refused with righteous words. He was told clearly that since he chose to betray his motherland, he must accept the final judgment. At the same time, Colonel Li also answered him in front of all the chiefs: "You know your crimes well, and you will be sentenced to death in the end! As for your youngest son, the judge will make a judgment based on his crimes. I don't know what crimes he is involved in or what kind of imprisonment he will be sentenced to, but one thing I can tell you clearly is that the laws of the Flower Growing Family are fair and just. They will not wrongly accuse a good person, nor will they let a bad person go!"

Seeing no hope, Xi Teng from Gushan sighed and said, "General Li, I don't expect to survive. I only ask that after I die, my name be restored to its original form, okay?"

Colonel Li glared at him and said, "Since you've already chosen to forget your ancestors, why bother to smear them further? Just forget it and take your servility with you to another world!"

The chiefs watched all this with cold eyes, and finally asked Colonel Li and his companions to leave temporarily under the pretext of needing to discuss matters. After Colonel Li and his companions left, the chief of the Amis, the largest tribe, whispered to the other chiefs what they thought of the new ruler.

The Saisiyat leader said, "No matter what happens outside, we will only defend our territory. As long as they promise not to invade our territory, we will accept them."

Yaoyaotou, the Amis chief, said: "I don't think it's that simple. Look at the way they dealt with Xi Teng. It was obvious that they were very tough."

The Yamei chief said, "If it doesn't work, we'll just fight to the end. It was different when the Japanese first came. The fact that we can survive here today is because of our people's continuous struggle."

The Bunun chief sighed and said, "Times have changed. Things are different now than they were then. Apart from other things, the weapons they hold are much more powerful than those used by the Japanese. Also, how many of our tribes are left now? Can they withstand another massacre?"

The leaders could not reach a conclusion, so they had to invite Colonel Li in again to hear Colonel Li's conditions.

After Colonel Li came in and understood the general meaning of the tribal chiefs, he laughed. When everyone was confused, he said calmly: "Headmen, first of all, let me correct you. We are not an occupying force, I am a member of the People's Liberation Army. Also, you are part of the Chinese nation just like us, there is no difference between you and me. Also, not only will we not occupy your territory, but we will also return the land that was occupied by you during the Japanese occupation!"

Colonel Li's words caused a stir among the chiefs. They clearly didn't believe what he said was true, but their hearts were already agitated. Without further explanation, Colonel Li clapped his hands, and two soldiers came in with a huge map, which they unfolded before the chiefs.

Colonel Li pointed at the map and said, "This is the territory of our flower-growing people. It covers over 10 million square kilometers and is still expanding. This is not only our territory, but also yours, because we have a common name - Huaxia! We flower-growing people are descendants of the dragon!"

Colonel Li pointed to the tiny island of Taiwan in the southeast corner and said, "You live here now. This tiny area on this island is so small it can't even be marked on a map. On this vast land, dozens of ethnic groups and 400 million compatriots live. Each ethnic group has its own land, and under the unified rule of law of the Flower Planting Family, all ethnic groups are allowed to develop freely."