Chapter 41: Acting Ahead of Time, Madman

"Jiarong, the operation is moved up—we act tonight."
Upon entering the innermost courtyard of Alley Eight on Yongning Street in Pukou, Li Wensheng’s first words stunned Yu Jiarong.
"Wensheng, what happened? Why the sudden change?"
"This morning Bai Yan and I tried to contact Wen Jing, but he turned traitor. When we arrived, we were surrounded by the Japanese."
"Are you alright?"
As soon as he said it, Yu Jiarong realized his mistake. Li Wensheng and Bai Yan had both returned safely; obviously, nothing had happened to them.
He quickly continued, "Wensheng, it’s only one more traitor—surely that’s not enough to move up the operation."
"Wen Jing isn’t like the others. He’s on the action squad.
I hadn’t contacted him before, but now, with this sudden approach, unless the Japanese are fools, they’ll guess we’re planning something.
They already know our target is the supply warehouse.
Soon, they’ll reinforce the area, maybe even search the entire stretch of Yongning Street.
We’re racing against them now—if we don’t act early, there may never be another chance."
Li Wensheng’s explanation was so clear that Yu Jiarong’s confusion melted away. He nodded immediately. "I’ll start preparations right now."
"And get me a map of the warehouse and its surroundings. I need to draft the operation plan."
"Alright."
Though greedy and sometimes slow-witted, Yu Jiarong was remarkably efficient when it came to getting things done. Half an hour later, he delivered the map.
Li Wensheng spent the next two hours studying it in his room.
After lunch at noon, he asked Yu Jiarong to summon the four group leaders.
When Fang Daoguang and the other three arrived, Li Wensheng called them up to the second-floor room, along with Yu Jiarong and Shi Xiaozhen.
He spread out the map and picked up a pencil, marking a spot on the hillside a kilometer east of the warehouse.
"Fang Daoguang, before eight tonight, take your group to this hill.
Once you see the gunfire, count one minute, then charge the warehouse. Kill any Japanese you see.
From the moment you engage, count another minute, then withdraw immediately."
"Understood, sir!" Fang Daoguang, full of doubt, straightened his back and saluted crisply.
Li Wensheng’s gaze shifted. He tapped the grassland in front of the warehouse with his pencil. "Yan Gong, at eight sharp, you and your group launch a direct assault from here. Keep time—fight for one minute, then pull out."
Yan Gong, a middle-aged man, stood upright and replied, "Yes, Captain!"
Next, Li Wensheng pointed at the bamboo grove to the left of the warehouse. "Lao Yi, when Fang Daoguang’s group withdraws, you attack from the flank with your team, heading straight for the warehouse.
Again, one minute of fighting, then retreat."
"Yes, Captain!" Lao Yi, with his broad square face, responded at once.

Li Wensheng looked up and swept his gaze over the three. "Remember: complete the mission and withdraw. Don’t concern yourselves with the warehouse’s situation. You must leave Yongning Street before the Japanese reinforcements arrive.
Three days from now, at noon, meet Deputy Leader Yu at Mochou Lake in Jianye."
"Yes, Captain!" x3
"Alright, you may go. Prepare yourselves; act when the time comes tonight."
The three hesitated, then turned and left.
Once they were gone, Li Wensheng tapped the woods he had previously observed beside the warehouse and addressed another group leader, Lü Youchun.
"Take your group and hide here. At nine sharp, launch a direct assault on the warehouse. Fight for half a minute, then retreat.
Remember, only thirty seconds—if you go over by even a second, you’ll answer to military discipline."
"Your withdrawal point is here—a boat will be waiting. You’ll escape by water," Li Wensheng pointed at the riverside two kilometers away, aligned with the warehouse.
"Understood, sir!"
"Go and get ready."
Full of questions, Lü Youchun left, closing the door behind him.
Yu Jiarong immediately asked, "Wensheng, what kind of plan is this?
Why scatter our people so much, and only fight for a minute?"
Like Fang Daoguang and the others, Yu Jiarong was thoroughly puzzled by Li Wensheng’s assignments.
Li Wensheng did not answer. Instead, he looked at the calmly composed Shi Xiaozhen. "Leader Shi, it seems you’ve guessed my plan. Tell Deputy Leader Yu."
"Yes.
Captain’s plan uses the four groups both as harassment and as bait.
The first attack will raise the Japanese’s alertness, but after the second, third, and even fourth attacks, with a long period of inactivity, the Japanese will believe the threat has passed and their vigilance will drop.
If we’re lucky and the Japanese troops chase after the four leaders, our main action will be easier."
Watching Shi Xiaozhen’s tranquil expression, Yu Jiarong felt a bit foolish.
He fell silent, but Shi Xiaozhen spoke again, "Captain, since you’ve set Yan’s group for nine o’clock, we’ll move at nine thirty, right?"
"Correct, nine thirty."
Shi Xiaozhen frowned slightly. "Captain, from eight to nine thirty, that’s an hour and a half. The Jianye military police could reach the warehouse by boat in that time."
"Yes, the Jianye military police will certainly arrive.
But most of the military police in Nanjing are either guarding the city gates or stationed at the warehouse and train station. There aren’t many in Jianye, so they’re not a concern.
From the gate to the warehouse, an hour and a half is far from enough."
Yu Jiarong’s eyes flashed anxiously. "No, Wensheng, then your plan is no better than a frontal assault.
If Fang Daoguang and the others fail to draw away the Japanese or to lower their guard, we’ll never breach the warehouse with so few men."

Li Wensheng glanced at Shi Xiaozhen. "My plan is not as Leader Shi guessed. With a mission this critical, I can’t rely on luck."
Shi Xiaozhen and Yu Jiarong were both momentarily stunned, then Li Wensheng continued,
"At nine thirty, we won’t attack the warehouse directly. We’ll split into two groups.
The train station’s security has increased but isn’t fully sealed off. Jiarong, take your group and infiltrate the station in advance. At nine thirty, detonate the explosives there.
After repeated attacks on the warehouse, when the station explodes, the Japanese will believe we’ve switched targets to sabotage the trains. A large force will head to the station.
The troops around the warehouse will reinforce the station, and then I’ll lead Leader Shi’s group by boat to the rear of the warehouse, entering from behind."
Yu Jiarong’s eyes widened—he finally understood. All the previous actions were meant to convince the Japanese they had changed objectives.
Even Shi Xiaozhen, usually so composed, showed surprise.
The plan was far beyond expectations, and the Japanese would certainly fall for it.
How could they not? Each of Fang Daoguang’s groups had only ten men and pistols, while the warehouse was guarded by at least five hundred Japanese soldiers.
Four groups taking turns to attack was a suicide mission—even for one minute, casualties would be severe.
Then at nine, Lü Youchun would attack again, retreating after thirty seconds, reinforcing the impression that they had run out of options.
When the train station exploded, the Japanese would be convinced the target had shifted.
Li Wensheng was sacrificing dozens of lives to deceive the Japanese, who would never expect the action squad, already short-handed, to risk so many men for a ruse.
Now Yu Jiarong realized that Li Wensheng was sending Fang Daoguang and the others to die.
"Damn, Wensheng really is ruthless. No wonder Wang Tianfeng valued him so much in the training camp—they’re exactly alike, both madmen."
In the training camp, Li Wensheng had been inconspicuous, and Wang Tianfeng had paid him little special attention.
But once, passing the instructors’ room, Yu Jiarong overheard a conversation inside.
"Wang Tianfeng, you really think highly of Li Wensheng, but his skills are only average."
"Being a spy isn’t about skills, it’s about brains. I’m betting he’ll go furthest."
At the time, Yu Jiarong was puzzled—why would Wang Tianfeng value Li Wensheng so much?
Now he understood: Li Wensheng and Wang Tianfeng were the same sort of men, who would stop at nothing to complete the mission.
After muttering to himself, Yu Jiarong said, "Wensheng, I’ll start preparing now."
"Jiarong, take Leader Shi with you. Let her inspect the explosives and the boat.
It’s not that I don’t trust you, but if we fail this time, there won’t be another chance. Every detail must be perfect."
"Heh, I understand," Yu Jiarong replied with a cheerful grin.
After they left, Li Wensheng gazed at the map and murmured, "Everything depends on tonight."