Adding Traits, Melting the City with Living Fire

It was already late at night when Shen Yan returned home. He gently pushed open the courtyard gate and saw that the light was still on in Old Chen's room. The sight warmed his heart.

"Godfather, I'm back. Get some sleep."

After the light went out, Shen Yan returned to his bed, but as he stared at the ceiling, he felt no sleepiness at all.

[Ding! Sequential mission 2]

[Mission name]: Destroy the poison den

[Mission objective]: Destroy Unit 731's experimental base

[Mission reward]: Heavenly Eye upgrade (identity information can be identified from a photograph alone)

[Failure penalty]: None (Unit 731 will continue to manufacture viruses, causing incalculable, catastrophic consequences for Chinese soldiers and civilians)

As Shen Yan looked at the information in his mind, the fire in his heart burned ever hotter.

In modern times, he had visited the museum at the former site of Unit 731. The hellish sights had given him nightmares for days.

He rolled out of bed and went into the courtyard.

Shen Yan lit a cigarette and stared blankly at the night sky. He didn't even notice Old Chen coming up behind him.

"Something on your mind?"

Shen Yan looked at Old Chen, who was trying to hide his concern, and smiled.

"I might be going on a long trip soon."

"Is it dangerous?"

Shen Yan patted Old Chen on the shoulder.

"There aren't many people in this world who can hurt your godson. Don't worry!"

Old Chen swatted Shen Yan's hand away with a look of disdain.

"Show-off! If there are things you want to do, go do them. Go take care of whatever you need to. I'm here to look after things at home. Remember to bring the little girl something tasty when you come back, or you'll have to comfort her yourself when you make her cry!"

With that, he turned and went back inside, his back slightly hunched.

Shen Yan grinned.

That was right. Some things really couldn't be avoided, so he might as well do them.

After all... he was already here!

Over the next few days, Shanghai was very peaceful.

The attack on the military train was deliberately concealed, without causing the slightest ripple.

It made sense. If the matter were thoroughly investigated and the train's cargo discovered, it would likely send shockwaves through the international community.

So the Japanese, from top to bottom, tacitly agreed to turn a blind eye. They classified the incident as an attack by local guerrillas and hastily closed the matter.

During those days, Shen Yan made several trips to bookstores, buying several handwriting practice books each time.

Word that Shen Yan's goddaughter's handwriting looked like chicken scratch spread throughout the alley. The little girl was so angry that she ignored her godfather for days, and not even candied hawthorns could change her mind!

Shen Yan was helpless too. The plan ahead was critical and complicated, and he and Qian Bin needed to go over it again and again.

He couldn't very well force Qian Bin to switch trades!

For the greater good of the nation, little girl, you'll just have to make a sacrifice...

The cold in Harbin was different from the cold in Shanghai. Shanghai's cold was damp. It seeped into the bones, as if someone had put ice inside them and was slowly tormenting you.

Harbin's cold was dry. It sliced at the face, the hands, every inch of exposed skin, one cut after another.

Shen Yan stood on the railway station platform, his breath spreading before him in a white cloud like mist.

He hadn't closed his eyes in three days. The train journey from Shanghai to Harbin had taken four days and three nights. On the first two nights, he had managed to doze off now and then, but on the last two-after passing Shanhai Pass-he hadn't slept again. It wasn't because of the cold. His mind simply wouldn't stop.

Fang Yuan stood behind him, wearing a thick padded overcoat with his cap pulled low. He had never been to Northeast China, but he didn't ask questions. When Shen Yan told him to follow, he followed. Whatever Shen Yan told him to bring, he brought.

"Captain, someone's here to meet us." Fang Yuan lifted his chin.

Two Japanese men in military uniform stood at the end of the platform. Their overcoat collars were turned up, and a thin layer of snow lay on their cap brims. They stood ramrod straight and motionless, like two wooden stakes driven into the snow.

One of them held a sign bearing Shen Yan's name.

Shen Yan walked over and took out his credentials. One of the officers accepted them, glanced at them, returned them, and saluted. "Captain Shen, Kwantung Army Headquarters sent us to meet you. The car is outside."

Shen Yan nodded and thanked them for their trouble.

He followed the two officers out of the station and got into a black sedan. Fang Yuan sat in the front passenger seat, and Shen Yan sat in the back. Outside the window, Harbin's streets slowly receded through the snow: European-style buildings, the domes of Orthodox churches, pedestrians bundled in thick padded coats, and Japanese military police leading wolfhounds. Every brick and every roof tile in the city gave off an oppressive feeling that was hard to describe.

Shen Yan leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

He had come because the "Scavenger" had appeared in Northeast China.

Half a month earlier, a Kwantung Army armory on the outskirts of Harbin had been attacked, and "CLEANER" had been carved into a wall at the scene.

Kwantung Army Headquarters had been furious and sent a telegram to Tokyo. Tokyo had then sent a telegram to Shanghai. The day Kuroiwa Masao received it, he summoned Shen Yan to his office.

"Shen Yan, you're the only one in the entire military and police system who's faced the Scavenger head-on, and you even wounded him. They need you in Harbin to assist with the investigation."

Shen Yan hadn't hesitated. "When should I leave, sir?"

Kuroiwa had glanced at him, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Tomorrow."

Shen Yan had lowered his head. "Yes, sir."

A faint smile had appeared at the corner of his mouth, unnoticed by anyone.

After arriving in Harbin, Shen Yan took no rest. He repeatedly examined the attacked armory, leaving no detail unchecked.

Afterward, he carried a huge stack of investigation reports from the local police and intelligence agencies back to his temporary lodgings and began studying them diligently. He didn't go out for several days.

This greatly impressed the local Japanese commander, who instructed the logistics department to deliver three meals a day to his door and take attentive care of him.

What they didn't know was that Shen Yan's Clone was dozing in the room, while Shen Yan himself had slipped away long ago.

Shen Yan went out through the hotel's back door and entered an unlit alley. A wall blocked the far end. He climbed over it and landed in another alley.

With a different face and a change of clothes, he vanished into the night.

The agreed meeting place was an abandoned farmhouse on the outskirts of Harbin. Qian Bin had contacted the Anti-Japanese United Army in advance and arranged the time and place.

When Shen Yan entered the farmhouse, two people were already inside.

One was in his forties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, tightly pressed lips, and a hard jawline. He wore a gray cloth padded jacket, its cuffs worn white but washed clean. He stood straight as a pine. Heavenly Eye swept over him-

[Name]: Li Zhen

[Sex]: Male

[Identity]: Company commander, Independent Regiment, Third Route Army, Anti-Japanese United Army

[Good and Evil Points]: +85

[Current thoughts]: *So this is the Scavenger. How is he so young when he's so capable?*

The other was younger, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a thin face and bright eyes. He held a rifle with its muzzle pointed at the ground, but his finger rested on the trigger.

"You're the Scavenger?" Li Zhen asked. His voice was quiet and steady.

Shen Yan took a copper coin from inside his coat and handed it over. It was small, a little larger than a fingernail, with a smooth, worn front and the character "清" carved on the back.

Li Zhen took it, turned it over several times, and handed it back. "I received Shopkeeper Qian's letter. What do you need us to do?"

Shen Yan looked at him. "I've come to give you a shipment of supplies: weapons, ammunition, food, and medicine. Also, did you bring what I asked for?"

"This is the Kwantung Army's Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department's defense layout: shift-change times, patrol routes, and guard post locations. But isn't that a department for purifying water? Why are you asking about it?"

"Purifying water? Have you ever seen a water purification department that needs troops to guard it?!"

Shen Yan said with a cold laugh.

"That's a Japanese poison-manufacturing base. They're researching deadly things like cholera and smallpox! I've come to wipe it out!"

Li Zhen froze where he stood, his breathing growing heavier.

"Our Commander Yang wants to meet you. Would that be convenient?"

"I've long heard of Commander Yang. It would be my honor!"

Li Zhen nodded, gestured for him to come along, and turned to leave.

"Wait." Shen Yan stopped him, his gaze settling on the young man behind him. Heavenly Eye swept over him-

[Name]: Liu Changhe (Li Gousheng)

[Sex]: Male

[Identity]: Reconnaissance platoon leader, Independent Regiment, Third Route Army, Anti-Japanese United Army / Japanese puppet agent

[Good and Evil Points]: -45

[Current thoughts]: *This man is the Scavenger? I have to find a chance to report to Captain Yamaguchi! My chance to get rich has come!*

Shen Yan looked away, his voice flat. "The man beside you can't be trusted."

Li Zhen stopped in his tracks. He turned and looked at Shen Yan.

Liu Changhe's face went white, and his finger moved toward the trigger.

"What did you say?"

"I said he's a traitor." Shen Yan looked at Liu Changhe.

"Your name is Liu Changhe. Your original name was Li Gousheng. Your handler is Captain Yamaguchi, right?"

Liu Changhe raised his gun at once.

But Shen Yan's gun was faster.

"Bang!"

The bullet pierced Liu Changhe's wrist, and his gun fell to the ground. He screamed and dropped to his knees in the snow, clutching his hand as blood poured between his fingers.

Li Zhen stood there without moving. He looked at Liu Changhe, his face expressionless. But his hand was trembling.

"Changhe, is it true?"

Liu Changhe said nothing. He kept his head down, trembling all over, not daring to look at Li Zhen.

"You followed me for four years." Li Zhen's voice was still soft. "Four years."

"Brother Li! I'm sorry! I don't want to die out here in the middle of nowhere! The Japanese said that as long as I worked for them, they'd give me a house and money! I've eaten grass roots for six months! I've had enough!"

Li Zhen turned his back to him and stood there for a long time. Snow fell on his shoulders and his graying hair.

"Take him away."

Two Anti-Japanese United Army soldiers dragged Liu Changhe away. A long trail of blood remained in the snow, soon covered by a fresh fall.

Li Zhen turned and looked at Shen Yan. "How did you know?"

"I have a sharp eye. It's one of the things I rely on to make my way in the world. Let's hurry, before Commander Yang gets impatient waiting," Shen Yan said.

At midnight, the snow stopped. The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, shining on the snow until it was dazzlingly white.

After they had walked for most of the night, the mud beneath their feet gradually gave way to a covering of pine needles. The wind through the woods carried the chill of the mountains and stirred the loose strands of hair at Shen Yan's temples.

Li Zhen slowed his pace and motioned for Shen Yan to crouch low, pointing into the dense woods ahead. In the faint moonlight, Shen Yan finally saw a cluster of dugout huts, arranged at different heights deep in the seemingly desolate mountain forest. This was the Anti-Japanese United Army's base.

Most of the dugouts were partly underground, framed with logs and roofed with thick layers of pine boughs and thatch. They blended seamlessly into the surrounding woods; without looking closely, it was impossible to see any trace of them.

A visible sentry stood at the entrance to each dugout. The soldiers wore patched gray cloth uniforms with their sleeves rolled up, exposing callused, mud-stained arms. Rifles hung from their shoulders, and their gazes were sharp as eagles' as they warily scanned the woods for the slightest movement. Even when they saw Li Zhen, they only nodded slightly, saying nothing more, displaying their composure and discipline.

In a clearing among the trees, several kerosene lanterns cast a dim yellow light. A few soldiers cleaned their weapons by the light, their movements practiced and brisk. Occasionally, they exchanged a few quiet words, their voices holding no complaint, only determination.

From the cookhouse nearby came the faint aroma of coarse grains and the barely audible crackle of firewood. The cooks were busy preparing breakfast for the early morning. Despite the primitive surroundings, the place had a resilient air of everyday life. This was the Anti-Japanese United Army's base: it had no decent barracks and no adequate supplies, yet it sheltered the most tenacious sons and daughters of Huaxia, as well as boundless hope for victory against Japan.

Li Zhen led Shen Yan past several dugouts to the one farthest in. Seeing them, the sentry at the entrance immediately stepped forward and saluted. "Company Commander Li, you're back," he said quietly.

Li Zhen nodded in acknowledgment.

"Has the commander gone to sleep? This gentleman is the person he wants to meet."

The sentry looked Shen Yan over carefully, then gently pushed open the wooden door nailed together from logs. A faint scent of ink, mingled with the smell of smoke, greeted them.

Shen Yan looked up and saw that the dugout was furnished very simply. A yellowing map of Northeast China lay spread across a table made of logs, with Japanese strongholds and the Anti-Japanese United Army's routes marked in red. An oil lamp stood beside it, its flickering wick casting long shadows around the room.

A middle-aged man stood before the map. It was Yang Chenyu.

He was probably in his early forties, tall and upright, with broad shoulders. One look was enough to tell he had spent years at war. His gray cloth uniform had been washed until it faded, and neat patches covered the elbows and knees, but it was still clean and tidy. A wide cloth belt encircled his waist, and a Mauser pistol was tucked into it, its grip polished bright from handling.

His face was dark from years of exposure to wind and sun in the mountains. His swordlike brows were tightly drawn, and his eyes were deep and resolute, as though they could see into people's hearts. He had a high nose and firm lines around his mouth. He carried an air of authority even without anger, yet had no trace of pretension.

Hearing them, Yang Chenyu raised his head and looked at Shen Yan. There was no surprise in his expression, only the composure of someone who had weathered many storms.

He slowly rose and walked forward with steady steps, extending a hand covered in calluses, its knuckles prominent and palm rough from years of holding a gun and working. His voice was deep and powerful, his words unhurried. "You must be Comrade Scavenger? A hero so young, as expected. Thank you for making the journey through the night."

Shen Yan reached out and shook his hand. His palm felt solid and strong, and its warmth conveyed that composure and resolve, inspiring trust.

Yang Chenyu motioned for the two men to sit and casually pushed the oil lamp toward the center of the table.

"Comrade Shen Yan, I've heard about what you did before. It's truly admirable! Your presence in the resistance is a blessing for all of us! Our superiors have sent instructions: whatever operation you have planned this time, all the officers and soldiers of the Anti-Japanese United Army will give you their full support."

Shen Yan nodded his thanks.

"I won't waste time on pleasantries. I've come to destroy the Japanese germ research base in Harbin. Under the guise of epidemic prevention, this base uses living people for experiments and researches biological weapons-cholera, smallpox, and so on. If they're ever released, the consequences will be unthinkable!"

Commander Yang's face darkened.

"After Old Qian sent his request, we began reconnaissance, but the results weren't good. Three hundred Japanese troops are permanently stationed there. Once an alarm is raised, Japanese troops stationed in Harbin can arrive as reinforcements within half an hour. There are also around a thousand puppet troops outside the city, while the Anti-Japanese United Army can muster fewer than eight hundred men, and we're short of weapons and ammunition..."

Shen Yan nodded and pondered for a moment.

"Commander Yang, if I fully equip you with weapons and ammunition and have you fight only the puppet troops, are you confident?"

"Only the puppet troops? That won't be much of a problem. Those puppet soldiers are a bunch of cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong. Without the Japanese backing them, they'd run faster than rabbits at the sound of gunfire!"

"Good! Commander Yang, send men down the mountain tomorrow morning to receive the supplies. Then, over the next few days, familiarize yourselves with the equipment and rest up. I'll find a way to deal with the Japanese in the city. Once I succeed, I'll fire a red signal flare into the sky. When you receive the signal, attack immediately. After routing the puppet troops, enter the city. Once inside, you'll have only half a day. Whether you're killing enemies or seizing supplies, you must withdraw after half a day!"

"This..."

Yang Chenyu hesitated. Attacking heavily guarded Harbin with over seven hundred soldiers short of guns and ammunition-if anything went wrong, it would be utter ruin!

Shen Yan waved a hand dismissively.

"Commander Yang, there's no need to agree right away. It won't be too late to decide after you see the supplies tomorrow. It's late today, so have Company Commander Li take some men and come with me tomorrow morning. We'll bring the supplies back first."

Yang Chenyu's brow relaxed slightly at those words, and a trace of emotion flashed in his eyes. Of his more than seven hundred officers and soldiers, more than half still carried old Hanyang Rifles. The rifling in some had been worn smooth, and they had to conserve every bullet. If they really could be fully armed, they would have more confidence even in holding off the Japanese head-on, let alone fighting only the puppet troops.

He said in a deep voice, "All right! We'll do as you say! Tomorrow morning, I'll have Li Zhen take twenty capable soldiers down the mountain with you to collect the supplies!"

"Twenty aren't enough. At least fifty, and bring all your draft animals and carts too."

Shen Yan spoke with great confidence.

At the first light of dawn the next day, before the mist in the forest had cleared, Li Zhen was already waiting at the foot of the mountain with fifty soldiers and more than a dozen horse-drawn sleds.

Shen Yan wasted no words and led them to a secluded cave in the woods.

"Comrade Shen Yan, the supplies... are in this cave?" Li Zhen looked at the cave before him, his face full of confusion.

He had been here the previous week and had even brought his men into the cave to hide from the Japanese as they searched the mountain. Back then, it had been completely empty, without so much as a rabbit inside.

Shen Yan smiled, stepped forward, and lifted the thatch covering the cave entrance. The cave Li Zhen remembered as empty was now packed full of long wooden crates.

Li Zhen hurried forward, pried open a crate with his bayonet, and reached in with trembling hands to pick up a gun.

The gun was lightweight, its stock fit his palm, and clear Russian markings were engraved on its body. A round drum magazine hung beneath it.

"Th... this is a PPSh?!"

His voice trembled as he pulled back the bolt. It moved smoothly, without the slightest hitch.

"It really is a PPSh! It can fire automatic bursts, and it's ten times better than the Hanyang Rifles we have!"

The soldiers nearby gathered around, their eyes shining. Someone opened another wooden crate and picked up a light machine gun.

It had a thick body and an enormous pan magazine. It was a Soviet-made DP-28 Light Machine Gun, the weapon they often called the "Big Pan Chicken."

"Captain, look! It's a Big Pan Chicken! This pan holds forty rounds, and when it fires, the bullets pour out like water!"

A young soldier excitedly stroked the gun, his face full of longing. It had been far too long since they had touched weapons this new and finely made.

Shen Yan stood to one side, watching their excitement. "That's not all," he said evenly.

He bent down and lifted the wooden crates at the bottom of the cave. Beneath them were neatly stacked ammunition boxes, grenades, and several Maxim Heavy Machine Guns.

"Three hundred Papasha Submachine Guns, with five hundred rounds for each; thirty Big Pan Chicken Light Machine Guns, with two thousand rounds for each; five Maxim Heavy Machine Guns, with three thousand rounds for each; and five hundred grenades. That should be enough for you to deal with those puppet troops."

"Also..."

Shen Yan nudged several square boxes at his feet.

"These contain anti-inflammatory medicine and compressed biscuits. They should last you a while."

Li Zhen and the soldiers were completely stunned. Looking at the cave full of weapons and ammunition, they were speechless for a moment. They had thought Shen Yan could bring at most a few dozen guns and a few crates of ammunition. Never had they expected so many finely made Soviet weapons. This was equipment they had never even dared dream of. With these, let alone routing the puppet troops, they could even put up a real fight against a Japanese company.

"Comrade..."

Li Zhen came to his senses, his voice full of gratitude and his eyes slightly red. "With these weapons, we soldiers of the Anti-Japanese United Army can kill more Japanese devils and take more revenge for the people!"

"No need for formalities."

Shen Yan waved a hand, his tone steady. "These weapons are for fighting the puppet troops and the Japanese devils, for protecting this land. Get the supplies up the mountain as soon as possible and have the soldiers familiarize themselves with the equipment, especially how to operate the PPSh and the Big Pan Chicken. They're different from the Hanyang Rifles you used before, after all. Make sure there are no mistakes in battle."

"Understood!" Li Zhen nodded firmly and immediately gave the order. "Everyone, listen up! Move the supplies carefully and handle them gently. Get them up the mountain as quickly as possible so Commander Yang and the brothers can all have a look!"

The soldiers immediately got to work, full of energy. They carefully carried the weapons and ammunition out, loaded them onto sleds, and hurried toward the mountain base. In the morning mist, the figures in gray cloth uniforms carried an unprecedented resolve and excitement. They knew that with these fine Soviet weapons, they were one step closer to victory over Japan.

Shen Yan watched them leave, then turned and headed toward Harbin. More than two thousand Japanese devils were still waiting for him to deal with them in the city.

Up on the mountain, Yang Chenyu looked at the cartload of Soviet weapons brought back, and his remaining hesitation vanished.

"He's a living god of wealth! We absolutely, absolutely have to take good care of him!"

He immediately summoned all the officers and soldiers and began arranging for them to familiarize themselves with the equipment and practice their tactics. They needed only to wait for Shen Yan's red signal flare before setting out.

Two days later, on Wednesday.

At nine that evening, Kobayashi Masao sat in the corner of an izakaya in Harbin, with a flask of sake and a plate of grilled fish before him. He drank alone, slowly, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

A few days earlier, the concentrated epidemic-prevention solution shipped out of the base had been destroyed by guerrillas. For the past few days, everyone from the professors to the researchers had worked like dogs, putting in overtime to make a new batch. Now they only had to arrange for a new military train to ship it out the day after tomorrow.

"Damn those Shina people. Why can't they just obediently accept the empire's rule? Inferior people should live the way inferior people are supposed to!"

By nine forty, Kobayashi Masao had drunk about enough. If he didn't head back soon, the military police at the base gate would give him trouble again.

"A bunch of brutes who only know how to carry guns!"

He staggered to his feet, paid, and left the izakaya.

The alley was dark. A dim yellow streetlight cast a faint glow over the snow. After he had taken a few steps, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see a dark figure standing there, its face covered with black cloth.

"Who..."

Before Kobayashi Masao could sober up, two bricks struck him on the head and killed him.

Kobayashi Masao fell, a flower of blood splashing across the snow. The Clone stored his body in the space, then turned and vanished into the alley.

Half an hour later, "Kobayashi Masao" appeared at the gates of Unit 731's base, reeking of alcohol.

"Who goes there? Password!"

"Kobayashi Masao" looked at the military policeman before him through bleary, drunken eyes.

"Ba... bleurgh..."

The military policeman's clothes were ruined in an instant, and the pungent stench shot straight up his nose.

"Bakayaro!"

The drenched military policeman immediately went mad and raised his rifle butt to teach "Kobayashi Masao" a lesson, but his companion stopped him.

"Forget it, forget it! He's Professor Ishii Shiro's favorite student. If you hit him, you'll be the one who suffers. Go change your clothes first. I'll take him back to his quarters."

The unfortunate military policeman left, cursing under his breath. His companion dragged "Kobayashi Masao" back to his quarters and threw him onto the bed.

"He's as heavy as a pig!"

The military policeman left, his footsteps gradually fading down the corridor.

"Kobayashi Masao" slowly opened his eyes, stood up, and took a small bottle out of the space.

The bottle contained a pale yellow liquid that glimmered dimly in the moonlight. It was cholera bacteria he had modified with the Poison Physician Skill: more active and faster-spreading, but harmless on its own. Only when it encountered another substance would it unleash its potent toxicity.

That substance was miso.

Shen Yan opened the door and, following the minimap's directions, carefully avoided the patrols and made his way to the base's reservoir. He activated invisibility, slipped past the guards, and poured the entire bottle of virus into the water. He also opened the inlet a crack, allowing the virus to flow throughout the Japanese army's drinking water system.

After doing all that, Shen Yan returned to the quarters, lay down on the bed, and slept soundly.

He wasn't worried in the slightest. The Japanese army's drinking water system was kept strictly separate from that of the Chinese civilians. Besides, what respectable Chinese person would eat miso? Not even a dog would eat it!

Early the next morning, Ishii Shiro was eating breakfast in the dining hall. He took a sip of miso soup and suddenly noticed that his favorite student was not sitting at the table as usual.

"Where's Kobayashi Masao? Why haven't I seen him today?"

His assistant, sitting beside him, answered, "The military police came by this morning and reported that Kobayashi got drunk last night and they took him back to his quarters. He's probably still asleep."

Ishii Shiro frowned. "Never mind. You really have all worked hard lately, so it'll be good to relax. Let's put today's work on hold for now. Everyone, get plenty of rest and give it your all again tomorrow. The empire needs your results!"

"Yes, sir!"

The researchers were delighted to learn that they could rest that day, and found the miso especially delicious.

Because of Ishii's day off, all the researchers at the base were excited and began making plans to find a familiar izakaya and drink themselves into a stupor.

"Let's go to Pine Wind House. Their sake has a very authentic taste. It's shipped straight from home, and it's in a completely different class from the local brews."

"Forget that. Let's go to Asakusa Pavilion instead. If nothing else, the lady owner's charms... tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"Yoshi, then let's... wait, I need to use the toilet first. Make sure you wait for me."

"Why are you still so pathetic? You get nervous as soon as you hear you're going to see a beautiful woman. I remember when we were at school and the dorm head arranged a mixer, you also... wait! I'm feeling something too. Let's go together."

When the two researchers reached the toilets, they were dumbfounded. The room was packed. All the stalls were occupied, so people were relieving themselves on the floor. What came out quickly changed from watery yellow to cloudy white.

"It's cholera! Quick, go find Lord Ishii!... Wait, my eyes! Aah! Why do my eyes hurt so much? That's not a symptom cholera should have... help!"

The researcher collapsed with a scream. Through his increasingly blurred vision, he saw a figure approaching down the corridor.

"Help..."

Shen Yan was beginning to regret it. This sight was far too hard on the eyes!

Even with three masks and a gas mask on top of them, he couldn't keep the stench from invading his nose.

"Not enough experience. Next time I'd better modify some smallpox instead."

Unable to stand it, Shen Yan carefully made his way around the human fountains sprawled across the floor and went to the laboratory on the second floor. He took a camera out of the space and snapped away.

When he finished, he took out timed incendiary bombs and placed them in every corner.

He also left plenty in the records room and the pathogen storage room, without missing a single corner.

Then he went upstairs to Ishii's private lounge and pushed the door open.

Ishii had collapsed in the room's toilet and was at death's door, his hands clawing at the air.

"Who's there?"

Hearing someone enter, Ishii summoned the last of his strength and asked in a hoarse voice.

"Teacher, it's me, Kobayashi. What happened to you?"

Shen Yan spoke with a smile.

"Kobayashi? You're all right? Thank goodness! Quickly, call the garrison and tell them a virus has leaked from the base. Have them send military doctors to help immediately. This is a variant of cholera. If it isn't contained, all of Harbin will become a dead city!"

"It's no use, Teacher. I'm afraid the garrison can barely take care of itself right now. After all, the leak has contaminated the entire Japanese drinking water system this time. But don't worry, Teacher. Harbin's Chinese civilians will be fine. After all, only the people of the empire have the right to enjoy a delicacy like miso."

Ishii froze, his head spinning.

"You're not Kobayashi... Who are you? What have you done?"

Shen Yan sneered. "Nothing much. I'm letting you experience the pain you've caused others. Don't be human in your next life. You can't even manage that."

With that, Shen Yan turned and left, leaving Ishii to slowly stop breathing in terror.

Shen Yan descended the stairs, his steps gradually growing hesitant and heavy. His next stop was the one he least wanted to face, but had no choice.

He reached the basement, opened the iron door that was no longer guarded, and walked in silently.

The entire basement was divided into many separate cells. On the bed in each lay a person who was skin and bones, covered in sores. There were Chinese, Jews, Soviets, and Koreans.

Every one of them had a vacant gaze, without a glimmer of light.

Looking at these walking corpses, Shen Yan didn't know what to say.

"System, is there any way to save them?"

[...]

Shen Yan dug his nails into his palm, then slowly released his grip after a long time.

He found the master control switch and opened every cell, then took out ten pistols and more than twenty loaded magazines and placed them on a table.

"I've killed all the Japanese devils outside, but... you can't leave. If you do, the whole city will be finished... I can't help you. I'm sorry! You have half an hour left. In half an hour, the entire base will become a sea of fire..."

After saying that, Shen Yan felt he couldn't stay there another second. He turned and rushed toward the door.

"Thank you..."

"Thanks, young man..."

"Go out there and kill more of those beasts!"

"That's right, kill more of them! They don't deserve to live!"

The scattered voices reached him, making Shen Yan pause.

"Don't worry!"

Without looking back, Shen Yan strode away.

After leaving the base, Shen Yan locked the iron gate to the compound and attached a forged letter to it. Then he stood quietly outside and waited.

On the street before him, a small patrol lay on the ground, struggling in agony. The street was otherwise deserted. The puppet police and the civilians had all hidden in their homes; no one dared go out.

It was a plague!

A deadly one!

But strangely, not a single Chinese person was among those lying on the ground.

"Boom!"

As if the gates of hell had opened, the entire base was engulfed in crimson flames amid the sound of explosions!

The Japanese lying on the ground who had not yet breathed their last screamed miserably and rolled in the sea of fire, gradually turning to ash.

Shen Yan simply stood there, watching the den of monsters turn to ashes bit by bit.

He took a flare gun out of the space, fired a shot into the sky, and walked unhurriedly toward the telegraph office.

At the puppet army's camp outside Harbin, a sentry with a cigarette between his lips watched the red signal flare rise, curiosity written across his face.

"It's not even a holiday, and someone's setting off fireworks? More money than sense!"

As he was remarking on it, a bullet struck him squarely in the forehead.

Blood and brains sprayed out, and the sentry fell.

"Charge!"

Yang Chenyu raised his gun and waved it forward. The Anti-Japanese United Army troops, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, shouted as they charged the puppet troops, showering the enemy with bullets as if ammunition cost nothing.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the puppet troops were instantly thrown into confusion. They ran around the camp clutching their heads, while those with a bit of sense immediately dropped to their knees and raised their hands over their heads.

The entire battle went so smoothly it was hard to believe.

"Leave one platoon to clean up the battlefield. Everyone else, into the city with me!"

Just then, a soldier dressed as a civilian ran over.

"Commander, we've finished scouting the city. Those Japanese devils..."

Commander Yang frowned.

"Stop hemming and hawing. What about the Japanese devils? Did Mr. Scavenger fail to deal with them? Then we'll change the plan and go into the city to get him out! Those lackeys today have already made this worthwhile for us. Communists can't abandon a friend! Follow me!"

"No... The streets are full of Japanese devils with diarrhea, and it looks like they can't see, either. Comrade Scavenger told me to tell you to go ahead without worrying. If you see anything belonging to the Japanese devils that you want, take it. But you only have half a day. If you stay too long, the Japanese devils from elsewhere might catch up to you."

"Hmm..."

Yang Zhenyu stared blankly at the soldier before him, and the soldier looked back at him innocently.

"Let's go into the city and see. We're really going to strike it rich this time!"

Meanwhile, Shen Yan held a telegraph operator eager to get home at gunpoint and had him send a telegram to Kuroiwa.

[An epidemic has suddenly broken out in Harbin. The army has suffered heavy losses. Unidentified armed forces are looting the city. Send help immediately!]

Less than ten minutes later, the telegraph operator handed Shen Yan the translated reply with trembling hands.

[Find a way out of the city and keep yourself safe. The nearest military camp has already mobilized and will arrive early tomorrow morning.]

Shen Yan took out five silver dollars and placed them on the table.

"Get home early. Explain things clearly to your family and tell them not to be afraid. The plague god is punishing the Japanese devils. It won't hurt Chinese people."

With that, he left and headed back to his lodgings.

At the inn, Fang Yuan stared blankly at Shen Yan.

"Captain, when did you go out?"

"This morning. You were asleep, so I didn't wake you."

"Impossible. I sat by the door the whole time. I didn't fall asleep."

"I said you fell asleep!"

Shen Yan stared hard at Fang Yuan, who broke out in a cold sweat.

"...Sorry, Captain. I fell asleep on guard this morning. Please punish me!"

"That's more like it. Don't let it happen again! Hurry and pack. We're going to lie low on the outskirts."

Early the next morning, Shen Yan was warming himself by a fire in a dilapidated house on the outskirts when he heard vehicles on the road. He leaned out for a look and saw a convoy of more than a dozen trucks advancing toward them.

Shen Yan stood up and waved.

The convoy stopped, and an officer wearing a white protective suit and a gas mask climbed down.

"Shen-san?"

Shen Yan nodded and stepped forward to shake his hand.

"Stop! Stay where you are!"

The officer stopped Shen Yan and waved over an army doctor from the ambulance behind him.

"Please understand, Shen-san. We need to examine you and keep you in isolation for at least three days."

Shen Yan nodded, cooperated fully as his blood was drawn, and entered a makeshift medical tent.

Three days later, after undergoing repeated disinfection, a formal investigation report and the letter Shen Yan had left behind were placed on the desk of the commanding officer at Kwantung Headquarters.

The bacteria had escaped through Unit 731's water pipes and flowed into the water supply system serving the entire Japanese army in Harbin.

The letter had been written by a researcher named Kobayashi Masao. He had been recruited from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Medicine the previous year. He usually spoke little and worked diligently; no one had ever suspected him.

[I, Kobayashi Masao, was born in Kyoto in the sixth year of Showa. I serve in the Kwantung Army's Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department and have conducted bacterial research for more than three years.

For a long time, I have watched the unit carry out slaughter in the name of epidemic prevention, experiment on living people with bacteria, and develop lethal weapons such as cholera and plague to maim and murder Chinese civilians. Countless innocents have died horrific deaths in prison cells, their bodies destroyed without a trace. Such atrocities violate humanity and trample on conscience. They have long since exceeded a soldier's duty and are truly the crimes of militarism.

I am a member of the Japan Communist Party. I believe in internationalism and peace, and oppose my country's military rulers in their aggression abroad and oppression at home. Seeing my compatriots swept up by the military authorities and reduced to cogs in a war machine, and seeing the people of China subjected to such terrible harm, I have suffered anguish day and night and can no longer remain silent.

My release of a specially prepared virus into Harbin's urban water supply was neither a mistake nor the result of coercion. It was my decision alone. I did it to cripple the Japanese garrison's ability to command and fight, and to weaken its capacity to continue its aggression, thereby preventing slaughter and bacteriological warfare on an even greater scale.

The virus affects only Japanese officers and soldiers and does not harm ordinary civilians. This, too, is the result of my painstaking modifications. I alone am willing to bear responsibility for all these crimes. The unit's other researchers and the officers and soldiers guarding it had nothing to do with it.

Until militarism is destroyed, East Asia will never know peace. Through my actions, I apologize to the dead of both nations. If there is a next life, I wish only for Japan to abandon war, for peace to be restored to Huaxia, and for all its people to live in peace.

Kobayashi Masao, final testament

Harbin, thirteenth year of Showa]

After reading the confession, the Kwantung Army commander flew into a rage. He drew his katana and hacked the letter and his desk to pieces, but there was nothing he could do.

Tokyo had issued an unequivocal order: suppress the news, handle the matter internally, and let nothing leak out.

Shen Yan was stretching outside the city when he received notice to return to Shanghai.

Tests had shown that neither he nor Fang Yuan had any signs of infection, so the Japanese had allowed him some freedom of movement.

"Pack your things."

Shen Yan said,

"We're going back to Shanghai tomorrow."

The next morning, Shen Yan and Fang Yuan boarded the train back to Shanghai.

As the train pulled away, Shen Yan leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

Those words of thanks and last requests kept echoing in his mind, so much so that he paid no attention even to the system's reward notification.