Volume 1, Chapter 19: Luring the Snake out of its Hole! Just Waiting for Him to Take the Bait!

"What? You want to act as bait?!" Li Yunlong was the first to jump up, shaking his head like a rattle-drum.

"Absolutely not! No way! You are the prized treasure of our Eighth Route Army, our very lifeblood. If anything happens to you, how can I answer to the brigade commander or the headquarters?"

Zhao Gang also disagreed: "It’s too dangerous. Yamamoto Ichiki has already set his sights on you; he will spare no cost to eliminate you."

"Precisely because he has his sights on me, my role as bait will carry enough weight," Lin Mo said with a smile, a hint of cunning hidden in his expression.

"I will 'inadvertently' leak that the arsenal has recently developed a new weapon called the 'Flying Thunder.' This device can propel shells further and with greater power than standard ones. And I, two days before the unveiling ceremony, will personally lead a team to a place in the back mountains called 'Eagle Sorrow Gorge' to conduct a secret test!"

He pointed to a spot on the map: "The terrain at Eagle Sorrow Gorge is treacherous, with only one path in, making it perfect for an ambush. Once the Japanese get wind of this and believe they have a chance to wipe out their 'Chief Engineer' and capture the 'blueprints for the new weapon' in one fell swoop, they will definitely come!"

"When that happens, it won't just be Yamamoto's special forces; it’s highly likely that a large contingent of Japanese troops will arrive! We can then shut the door and beat the dog, catching a big haul!"

Li Yunlong’s eyes grew brighter as he listened; he seemed to already see countless Japanese soldiers and equipment beckoning to him. However, the thought of using Lin Mo as bait still made his heart skip a beat.

"This... the risk is just too great..."

"Fortune favors the bold!" Lin Mo said firmly. "Regimental Commander, we cannot always wait for the Japanese to attack us. This time, we must take the initiative! We must keep the control in our own hands!"

"Besides, with your Independent Regiment here, what do I have to fear? I believe that once they step into your encirclement, let alone Yamamoto, even the King of Heaven himself would leave a layer of skin behind!"

This flattery left Li Yunlong feeling thoroughly satisfied. He laughed heartily and slapped his thigh: "Good! Well said! Let’s do it! Damn it, I’ll go crazy with you this once!"

Watching these two—one daring to imagine and the other daring to act—Zhao Gang shook his head helplessly, but he agreed to the plan. He knew that this was the best method so far to minimize losses while maximizing results.

"I will handle the specific deployment," Zhao Gang’s gaze sharpened. "Communication monitoring, personnel screening, perimeter control... it must be flawless."

A massive trap, aimed at the Japanese spy network and their elite troops, began to unfold quietly around Lin Mo, the "bait."

At that very moment, Logistics Officer Zhu Ziming was busily arranging the red cloth and slogans for the unveiling ceremony, a simple and honest smile plastered on his face, completely unaware that a net of inescapable doom was already descending upon him.

...

With the plan finalized, the core of the Independent Regiment began to operate in silence, like a precision machine.

On the surface, Zhaojiayu remained a scene of joy and celebration. The soldiers polished their weapons and cleaned their barracks, preparing to greet the headquarters leaders with their best appearance. Li Yunlong, for his part, went around humming Shanxi folk tunes all day, boasting to everyone about how spectacular the upcoming ceremony would be.

But in the shadows, an invisible net had already been cast.

Zhao Gang personally took charge of intelligence. He had the communications company secretly monitor all potential outgoing signal frequencies and arranged for his most reliable scouts, disguised as ordinary soldiers, to monitor Zhu Ziming’s every move around the clock.

As for Li Yunlong, he dispersed his guard platoon, reconnaissance company, and his most combat-capable battalions, secretly moving them into the forests around Eagle Sorrow Gorge to construct layers of defensive fortifications and ambush positions.

The show was officially underway.

That afternoon, Li Yunlong deliberately picked a "fight" with Lin Mo in the open space of the arsenal, his voice loud enough for half the valley to hear.

"Brother Lin, this 'Flying Thunder' of yours, does it actually work? It sounds far-fetched; don't let it be a dud when the time comes!" Li Yunlong stood with his hands on his hips, wearing an expression of utter disbelief.

Lin Mo, "furious" and red in the face, retorted with his neck stiffened: "Regimental Commander Li! You can insult my character, but you cannot insult my professionalism! This 'Flying Thunder' is the highest secret of our research institute! Once successful, our range will double! By then, we can strike Ping’an County directly from Zhaojiayu!"

"Blow it! Just keep blowing your horn!" Li Yunlong sneered. "If you really have that kind of ability, I’ll wash your feet every day!"

"Fine! It’s a deal!" Lin Mo said indignantly. "The day after tomorrow! I’ll go to Eagle Sorrow Gorge to test it for you! I’ll show you what the power of science is!"

The two argued fiercely, finally parting on "bad terms."

Not far away, Zhu Ziming, who was pretending to sweep the area, saw and heard everything. A flicker of greed and excitement, difficult to detect, flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Flying Thunder? Double the range? Testing at Eagle Sorrow Gorge the day after tomorrow?

This was intelligence of the highest order! If he could pass this news along, the rewards from the Imperial Army would certainly be substantial!

Late that night, Zhu Ziming snuck out of the barracks and approached the problematic patch of ground near the arsenal. After checking to ensure no one was around, he quickly pried up a loose floor tile and retrieved a miniature radio wrapped in oilcloth from beneath it. He set up the antenna with practiced ease, put on his headphones, and began sending the code.

"Di-di... di-di-di... di..."

However, he could never have dreamed that in a cave just a few dozen meters above his head, Zhao Gang and the soldiers of the communications company were intercepting his frequency and content with perfect clarity, thanks to a simple signal detector developed by Lin Mo.

"Political Commissar, it’s translated!" a soldier reported in a low, excited voice. "The content is: 'Arsenal construction complete, high-level headquarters officials arriving in three days to celebrate. Additionally, Lin Mo has developed a new booster, the 'Flying Thunder,' which doubles shell range; testing at Eagle Sorrow Gorge the day after tomorrow...'"

Zhao Gang’s fist clenched tightly.

It was him! This malignant tumor hidden within the revolutionary ranks!

"Report this to the Regimental Commander immediately!" Zhao Gang suppressed his rage and issued the order. "Keep a tight watch on this poisonous snake! I want to see what other tricks he has up his sleeve!"

On the other side, upon receiving the news, Li Yunlong was so angry he nearly drew his pistol on the spot.

"Damn it! It really is this son of a bitch! I’m going to go execute him right now!"

"Commander! Commander, calm down!" Zhang Dabiao grabbed him firmly. "The Political Commissar and Director Lin said to let out a long line to catch a big fish! Our fish hasn't taken the bait yet!"

Li Yunlong huffed and puffed, his chest heaving violently. He knew Zhao Gang and Lin Mo were right, but the thought of being kept in the dark for so long, and the thought of the comrades who had sacrificed their lives, made the fire in his heart impossible to suppress.

"Pass my order!" Li Yunlong’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice as raspy as a bellows. "Tell every unit to stay on high alert! This time, we aren't just fishing; we’re going to stomp the 'fisherman' who comes to collect the catch to death!"

Meanwhile, at the Japanese Gendarmerie Headquarters in Ping’an County, Hirata Ichiro received the secret telegram from "The Gecko." A look of extreme excitement and malice appeared on his bloated face.

"Lin Mo! Flying Thunder! Eagle Sorrow Gorge! The Eighth Route Army’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief is coming to Zhaojiayu..."

He immediately relayed the intelligence to Yamamoto Ichiki in Taiyuan.

Yamamoto Ichiki was silent on the other end of the phone for a moment, then issued his command: "Hirata-kun, your task is to ensure the accuracy of the intelligence and coordinate with my operation. This time, I will lead the team personally. Not only will I capture Lin Mo alive, but I will also wipe out the Eighth Route Army’s headquarters!"

"This time, I will deploy an reinforced company with the finest weapons! I will not give Li Yunlong another chance!"

Yamamoto’s voice was cold and confident. He believed that with the strength of his special forces and the inside help of "The Gecko," this raid would be a guaranteed success.

Just as Yamamoto Ichiki led his elite special forces rushing toward the destination through the night, he had no idea that Eagle Sorrow Gorge, the place he was about to step into, had already become a massive, meticulously prepared graveyard.

The fish had taken the bait.

The moment to pull in the net was fast approaching!