Chapter 007: Rescuing Classmate Liu Junze

“All right, Yongsu, we're all classmates here, so I won't scare you anymore. Don't overthink things. Now, tell me, how did you discover me? I was just wondering—I've only been here since yesterday, bought two houses, and you already noticed me?”

The slight and frail Zhou Yongsu turned to look at Qiao Aoki, thought for a moment, and sighed.

“Aoki Qingxuan, since you say we're classmates, for the sake of our shared past, could you get someone from your command headquarters to release Liu Junze?”

“What? Liu Junze? You mean he's been taken to the headquarters?”

“Yes, I only found out yesterday! These days, I've been trying to study the layout of the headquarters, hoping to sneak him out somehow, but early this morning, I discovered you.”

“So you want to rescue Liu Junze—and you're following me for what? Planning to kidnap me and exchange me for him?”

Zhou Yongsu turned his head away, saying nothing.

“Damn, I might have guessed right! You blockhead! How did you ever graduate from the academy?”

“Time is short, answer me quickly! Why was Liu Junze taken? Who arrested him?”

“Liu Junze is a gunnery officer under the Young Marshal. He should have been marching south with him, but returned because his father passed away, to arrange the funeral. Then your Japanese people, that Sakurada fellow, accused him of harassing Japanese nationals and locked him up in headquarters. He hasn’t been released since—it's been more than ten days!”

“Shit, more than ten days? With the way the Japanese interrogate, isn't he as good as dead?”

Chen Jiehua’s mind raced. He hurriedly pulled Zhou Yongsu up and headed outside, speaking as they walked.

“Do you know where he's being held?”

“No, I don't.”

“Damn, you don’t know this, don’t know that, and you still want to sneak in and rescue him?”

As they stepped outside, Chen Jiehua reconsidered. He couldn't bring Zhou Yongsu along; the kid knew nothing, and it wouldn’t help. Worse, he might get himself caught, which would be useless.

He pushed Zhou Yongsu back inside, took out a bundle of yen, and said, “Go buy some supplies—alcohol, wound medicine, whatever you can get. Hurry back. If I manage to bring Liu Junze out, we might need them!”

“If any Japanese MPs or soldiers from headquarters give you trouble, just mention the name ‘Aoki Qiao from General Staff Section 1.’ Get everything quickly and come back—don’t delay!”

He had just arrived in the country and hadn’t exchanged for other currencies yet. A Chinese spending yen might be questioned, but whether Aoki Qiao’s name would work was another matter—at least mentioning Section 1 would prevent them from going too far. As long as they didn't use lethal force, there would be a chance to intervene.

With instructions given, Aoki Qiao hurried out toward headquarters. He found the sentry, asked where detainees were held and interrogated, and after searching the side wing of the main building, located the interrogation section. After asking around, he finally found Liu Junze.

At this moment, Liu Junze was barely alive—just surviving, lying in a corner waiting to die, his body covered in wounds, festering sores oozing pus, and both legs broken.

This was likely Liu Junze’s fate; another day, perhaps even half a day later, and he would have bid farewell to this world.

Chen Jiehua quickly checked—no fatal injuries, his life could be saved. Whether there were internal injuries would have to wait for a full examination afterward.

A dying man, and with a major personally coming to claim him, the interrogation section didn’t dare object. They signed off and handed him over.

Chen Jiehua called for two porters, fashioned a makeshift stretcher, and carried Liu Junze back to his own residence.

Normally, Liu Junze shouldn’t be moved; it would be best to treat him right in the interrogation section. But Chen Jiehua’s surgical skills, instruments, and penicillin couldn’t be exposed, so he had to carry him away.

Just as they returned, Zhou Yongsu came back with the supplies. Seeing Liu Junze’s pitiful state, Zhou’s eyes reddened and he rushed forward, only to be pushed aside by Chen Jiehua.

“Go boil some hot water!”

After sending the porters away, Chen Jiehua told Zhou Yongsu to heat the water, locked the door, and carried Liu Junze down to the basement to begin a full examination.

Damn it, Japanese soldiers at this time were simply brutal. But luckily, their brutality was straightforward. If the 731 Unit had already been formed, things would have been far worse—if rescued, he'd have been crippled.

Now, it was mostly external wounds, some minor internal injuries, and broken legs. Weakness was from not eating for over ten days.

After checking Liu Junze and confirming no severe internal injuries, Chen Jiehua prepared for surgery, taking out anesthetics and sterilizing instruments with alcohol.

“Yongsu, go keep watch at the door. I’m going to operate on him.”

At this point, Zhou Yongsu had no time to think of anything else. Whatever was needed, whatever was shouted, as long as Aoki Qingxuan was saving Liu Junze, he followed his lead.

He used two bottles of penicillin, put the empty bottles back into his space, repositioned the broken bones in Liu Junze’s legs and applied splints, carved out necrotic flesh elsewhere, cleaned and bandaged the wounds. By the time he finished, night had fallen. It had been a long time since he’d performed surgery, and his skills were rusty.

During this, a Japanese broker came by with the remaining supplies, but Zhou Yongsu kept him outside. Inside, Chen Jiehua shouted in Japanese to cover up the situation.

After the surgery, Chen Jiehua had Zhou Yongsu help carry Liu Junze upstairs to the bedroom and lay him on the bed.

“Yongsu, go cook some millet porridge. When Liu Junze wakes up, he can eat some—just a little at first. I’ll leave you two here. Take care of him. He must stay in bed; his legs are broken and he can’t move!”

“Where are you going?”

“I need to tidy up the loose ends at headquarters.”

Rescuing Liu Junze was Chen Jiehua’s instinct as a Chinese, but the aftermath must be handled quickly and thoroughly, or there would be endless trouble!

First, which department made the arrest? Who was Sakurada? Was it official business or a personal vendetta? He had to find out.

Second, his own identity as Aoki Qiao—a Japanese—had inexplicably rescued a dying Chinese. There had to be a plausible reason.

Chen Jiehua returned to the interrogation section, found the supervisor, and requested to see Liu Junze’s interrogation record. The supervisor brushed him off, saying, “This prisoner belongs to Section 2 of the General Staff. You took him because he was nearly dead, of no further use, but if you want to see the interrogation records, you need Section 2’s chief’s approval!”

Chen Jiehua went up to the Section 1 office on the third floor, and after asking the secretary, learned that the Kwantung Army Headquarters’ General Staff was divided into four sections. Section 1 handled planning and direct operational participation—essentially the operations department. Section 2 was responsible for espionage and intelligence gathering—like a spy agency.

“If Section 2 deals with intelligence and espionage, why can it detain and interrogate someone for harassing nationals?”

“Sir, Section 2 also handles security in the occupied territories.”

“I see! That makes sense!”

Chen Jiehua’s internal monologue translated: Damn, they can do anything—shit!