Chapter 21: Where Did This Pig-Headed Fool Come From!

He fell to his knees with a thud, facing Chairman Yan and the crowd, and cried out, "Chairman Yan, and everyone here! It was truly not my own will to do such a thing; they forced me into it!"

As he spoke, Chen Shikang raised a hand and pointed fiercely at Liu Jianguo, continuing, "He found out somehow that you, Chairman Yan, were in possession of that massive donation collected from our compatriots across the country—rumored to total nearly ten million silver dollars!"

"These crazed bastards, in order to seize this fortune for themselves, stopped at nothing, using these despicable tactics to smear your reputation and frame you for embezzling the funds and supplies."

"Not only that," Chen sobbed, sounding increasingly distraught, "they even threatened my family, forcing me to steal your private seal to forge a document claiming you were collaborating with the Japanese invaders."

"I have failed you, Chairman Yan, I have failed the elders and fellow countrymen here, and I have failed all our compatriots across the nation!"

A flash of subtle, mocking amusement crossed Yan’s eyes. *Young man, you are still too naive to play games with me. I don’t even need to lift a finger to finish you off.*

Chen Shikang’s words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves. The atmosphere at the scene shifted violently; the wind had changed direction. Many who stood on Yan’s side began to point their fingers at Liu Jianguo in accusation. Some even looked ready to spit at him.

"Silence, all of you!" Liu Jianguo drew his pistol and pulled the trigger. *Bang!* No matter how impressive a loudmouth is, they are no match for a gun. That could kill someone! The scene fell silent instantly.

Yan showed no panic; on the contrary, he was pleased to see this. Guns were weapons for the lowly. If Liu Jianguo used force to intimidate them, all the better.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Liu Jianguo did not use the gun to threaten anyone. Instead, Meng Fanle chuckled and pulled a small iron box from his pocket.

"You country bumpkins, never seen this? It’s a portable wire recorder. I knew Chairman Yan wouldn’t admit to it, so it’s a good thing we were prepared."

As he spoke, Meng Fanle pressed the switch. *Click.* With a soft sound, the recorder began to pull the wire.

"Currently, the Sakata Regiment, acting as the Japanese vanguard..."

"Conservative estimates suggest the Japanese have committed at least one hundred thousand troops—no fewer than the force that attacked Taiyuan."

Someone recognized the voice. "Isn't that the voice of Staff Officer Wang from the headquarters?"

Before they could ponder further, Yan’s voice rang out:

"What is the international community's reaction?"

"..."

"Therefore, I have decided to preserve our strength and strategically withdraw the entire army to the north bank of the Yellow River, holding the south bank against the natural barrier!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of nearly everyone present turned pale. Yan actually intended to retreat and abandon the last three cities of Jin Province! Conversely, Liu Jianguo, the man who had been slandered, was the one who firmly opposed the withdrawal.

Even more explosive was the realization that the passionate, righteous speech Yan had just delivered was actually plagiarized from Liu Jianguo! He had even claimed that the New First Division’s mission to Changzhi to engage the Sakata Regiment was his own order. It was utterly shameless—he had completely discarded his dignity!

Yan felt a sudden surge of panic. He hadn't expected Liu Jianguo to record the meeting. What kind of decent person brings a tape recorder to a meeting? And that thing was so big, where could they have hidden it during the security check? *No, I just have to deny it!*

"Security checks were conducted before entering; it is absolutely impossible for you to have brought a recorder inside!" Yan asserted firmly. "You must have hired someone to imitate our voices and dub this!"

Did he think everyone was an idiot? Could Liu Jianguo have predicted the future and recorded the lines Yan had just spoken beforehand? A sharp-witted reporter immediately called colleagues near the Yellow River docks and learned that a large number of Jin-Sui Army troops were indeed crossing the river!

Crossing the river at a time like this was no mere stroll. They weren't just going to the other side for a meal, were they? This confirmed Liu Jianguo’s claims. The Jin-Sui Army was indeed retreating. Since Liu Jianguo hadn't lied, there could be only one truth: Yan had actually done it.

In an instant, the crowd realized the truth and glared at Yan with fury. The warmth they had shown him earlier was now replaced by profound disgust.

"Fellow countrymen!" Yan tried to salvage his lost face. "Don't fall for the Japanese trap! I have not collaborated with the enemy; Chen Shikang must have been bribed by the Japanese to frame me! It must be him framing me!"

He was still stubbornly denying it.

Liu Jianguo gave a cold laugh and mocked him without mercy: "Yan, you are hard-headed in every way, but your mouth is the hardest of all! If your knees were as hard as your mouth, would the Japanese be so rampant?"

"Hahaha!" Meng Fanle laughed. "Division Commander, in my opinion, we should use his iron mouth to plug the muzzles of the Japanese cannons! That would be the best use for it, hahaha!"

Meng Fanle’s words completely broke Yan’s composure. "You bastard, you've ruined my grand plan! Guards! Guards! Arrest him, take him away!"

However, he shouted for a long time, but the guards outside remained as silent as the dead; there was no movement at all. Wei Dayong threw the officer who had left earlier in front of Yan.

"Stop looking; your men have all been tied up by us!"

Yan was stunned! At that moment, someone threw a burlap sack over his head. Then, Yan was pushed to the ground. Seeing this, Meng Fanle hurriedly advised, "Everyone, don't hit Chairman Yan, don't hit him!"

The crowd immediately caught on and swarmed forward.

"Who is hitting me!"
"I was wrong, I was wrong!"
"Stop hitting, stop hitting!"

Half an hour later, when the belated Jin-Sui Army reinforcements arrived, only a figure covered by a burlap sack remained at the scene. An officer opened it to take a look.

*Ha!* Where did this pig’s head come from?

...

Inside Cangyun Ridge.

Looking at the corpses of the Sakata Regiment scattered everywhere, Kuroshima Morita, who had rushed to support without even knowing who the enemy was, nearly choked on his own breath. He shouted loudly to his guards: "Hayaku! Quickly, find out if Major Matsuta Takeshi is still alive!"

The reason Kuroshima Morita ignored the fate of Sakata Nobutetsu and ordered his guards to search desperately for a major was that Matsuta Takeshi was the illegitimate son of Kuroshima’s father—they were half-brothers! Despite his status as an illegitimate son, the bond between them was as deep as that of true siblings.