On a cold night in March 1943, several Japanese soldiers were on routine patrol outside the stronghold of Liu Laozhuang in Shuyang. Suddenly, a suspicious figure caught their attention. After some searching, they captured a mysterious figure. The suspect was taken back to the stronghold for interrogation, but to the surprise of the Japanese army, he remained steadfast and remained silent.
The Japanese tortured him brutally, but to no avail. In desperation, they had no choice but to tie it to the bench and prepare to continue the interrogation the next day. The next morning, when the cell door was opened, everyone was shocked by what they saw: two guards were lying in pools of blood, and the prisoner was nowhere to be found. What the hell is going on? Who is that mysterious man? How did he escape under such close guard?
On March 17, 1943, in the garrison of a unit of the New Fourth Army in Taishan District, a young man dressed in ordinary peasant clothing was listening carefully to the instructions of his superiors. The young man, Zhang Yunsheng, is 26 years old and a traffic officer in Taishan District. Despite his ordinary status, Zhang Yunsheng played a crucial role in the War of Resistance Against Japan.
As a traffic officer, Zhang Yunsheng's main task was to pass intelligence and documents between the various units of the New Fourth Army. This job, while not as direct a firefight with the enemy as a front-line fighter, is no less fraught with danger and challenges. Every mission can be a test of life and death, because once discovered by the Japanese army, brutal torture and death threats await him.
On this day, Zhang Yunsheng received an urgent task. He needed to send an important piece of information from Taishan District to the New Fourth Army garrison in Lianshui. This information content involves the latest deployment of the Japanese army in central China, and is crucial to the next combat plan of the New Fourth Army.
After receiving the task, Zhang Yunsheng immediately began to prepare. He carefully studied the road map from Taishan to Lianshui, paying special attention to the distribution of Japanese strongholds and outposts along the way. Among them, the Liu Laozhuang stronghold located in Shuyang Liu Jixi is the most dangerous point on the road.
In order not to arouse suspicion, Zhang Yunsheng changed into a shabby peasant clothes and hid the information in the mezzanine of his clothes. He also prepared some farming tools and dry food in order to disguise himself as a farmer who was out to work.
In the early morning of the 18th, Zhang Yunsheng took advantage of the night to set off. He knew that the closer he got to Liu Laozhuang's stronghold, the greater the danger. In the evening of the same day, he finally came to the vicinity of the stronghold. During the day, he observed that the Japanese army had set up multiple checkpoints around the stronghold, and the inventory was very tight.
After much deliberation, Zhang Yunsheng decided to wait until late at night to act. He found a hidden bush and waited for night to fall. At midnight, Zhang Yunsheng judged that the vigilance of the Japanese army might have been reduced, so he cautiously touched the direction of the stronghold.
He chose a ravine on the west side of the stronghold, intending to pass quietly under the cover of the terrain. Just as he was about to successfully cross the colony, an accident happened. Several Japanese soldiers who were patrolling suddenly appeared, and the flashlight beam of one of them happened to sweep into the bushes where Zhang Yunsheng was hiding.
At that moment, Zhang Yunsheng's heartbeat almost stopped. He knew he had been discovered. In the short time when the Japanese army rushed over, Zhang Yunsheng quickly made a decision. He took out the information hidden in the compartment of his clothes, quickly crumpled it into a ball, and swallowed it without hesitation.
Subsequently, Zhang Yunsheng was captured by the Japanese army. On the way to the stronghold, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. He knew that a brutal interrogation awaited him, but he knew better that no information could be divulged under any circumstances.
In this way, this seemingly ordinary young man, with an important secret, walked into the gate of Liu Laozhuang's stronghold. His identity, his mission, has become a mystery. And what happened next made the mystery even more confusing.
Liu Laozhuang is located in the northwest of Shuyang County, Jiangsu Province, in the core area of the Huaihai Plain. This location was strategically significant, not only as a major transportation route connecting northern Jiangsu and northern Anhui, but also as one of the important strongholds of the Japanese army in central China. Since the Japanese army invaded Shuyang in 1938, the Liulaozhuang stronghold has become an important military base for the Japanese army in the local area.
The stronghold covers an area of about 5,000 square meters and is surrounded by tall earthen walls covered with pillboxes and machine guns. There is a watchtower at each of the four corners of the stronghold, and there are Japanese sentries on the tower to monitor the surrounding movements all year round. Inside the stronghold, in addition to the Japanese soldiers' quarters and headquarters, there were also arsenals, granaries, and interrogation rooms.
The Japanese laid out multiple defensive lines around the stronghold. The first line of defense is a cordoned off area about 500 meters from the stronghold, which is patrolled 24 hours a day. The second line of defense is the "death zone" within 100 meters of the outskirts of the stronghold, which is covered with mines and barbed wire, and anyone who enters it is in mortal danger. The third line of defense was the wall of the stronghold, on which there were machine-gun posts every 50 meters.
In order to strengthen the defense, the Japanese army also forcibly requisitioned a group of young and middle-aged men in the villages around the stronghold and formed a "security team". These people were forced to act as the eyes and ears of the Japanese army, monitoring the movements of the local population and regularly reporting to the Japanese army.
The Japanese army was extremely vigilant. Every day at 6 p.m., the gate of the base is closed, and no one is allowed to enter or leave without permission. At night, there is a curfew in and around the stronghold, and patrols patrol every half hour. The patrol consisted of 3-5 Japanese soldiers, equipped with flashlights and alarms, and fired warning shots as soon as suspicious conditions were detected.
In addition to regular patrols, the Japanese army often conducted surprise inspections. They will randomly choose the time to raid the villages around the stronghold, searching for suspicious people and items. This kind of unscheduled surprise action made it difficult for the local anti-Japanese forces to grasp the movement pattern of the Japanese army, and increased the difficulty of carrying out underground work.
The Japanese also set up an intelligence center within the stronghold to collect and analyze intelligence on the surrounding area. They tried to grasp the movements of the New Fourth Army and local anti-Japanese armed forces through various means, such as bribing traitors and coercing and luring local residents. This intelligence center maintained close contact with other Japanese strongholds, forming an intelligence network covering the entire northern Jiangsu region.
Night patrols were the tightest part of the Japanese defenses. Starting at 8 p.m. every night, the Japanese army will increase the frequency and number of patrols. The patrol is divided into two groups: the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter. The Inner Patrol Team is responsible for the security of the interior of the stronghold and patrols every hour. The Perimeter Patrol Team is responsible for the area around the colony, and they will conduct a comprehensive patrol of the perimeter of the colony along a pre-defined route.
The patrols were equipped with state-of-the-art communications equipment at the time, and each squad had a portable radio to keep in touch with the stronghold command at all times. As soon as they notice an anomaly, they can call for immediate support. In addition, the patrol carried signal flares that were used to alert nearby Japanese units in case of emergency.
In order to prevent the anti-Japanese forces from infiltrating at night, the Japanese installed powerful searchlights around the stronghold. These searchlights are placed high and can illuminate a range of several hundred meters around the stronghold. Every half hour, searchlights sweep the surrounding area to ensure that no suspicious persons are approaching.
It was in such a heavily guarded stronghold that Zhang Yunsheng was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese army. In the face of such a tight defense, it is difficult for ordinary people to imagine anyone who can escape. However, what happened next was far beyond the expectations of the Japanese army, and it also cast a layer of mystery on this calm night.
After Zhang Yunsheng was escorted to Liu Laozhuang's stronghold, the Japanese army immediately began interrogation. They took Zhang Yunsheng to a dark, damp basement surrounded by various torture instruments. Two burly Japanese soldiers stood in the doorway, staring warily at the mysterious captive.
The interrogation was presided over by a Japanese military officer, who began to inquire about Mr. Zhang's identity and origins in a sturdy Chinese. In the face of cross-examination, Zhang Yunsheng remained silent, just looking at the interrogator indifferently. This attitude infuriated the Japanese officer, who ordered his men to begin torturing Zhang Yunsheng.
First of all, the Japanese army used the "tiger chair". They forcibly tied Zhang Yunsheng's legs to a special stool, and then stuffed wooden wedges between the legs of the stool to increase the pressure little by little. The severe pain made beads of sweat the size of beans appear on Zhang Yunsheng's forehead, but he still clenched his teeth and did not say a word.
Seeing that this trick was ineffective, the Japanese army switched to "waterboarding". They fixed Zhang Yunsheng's body at an angle, with his head facing down, and then kept pouring water into his mouth and nose. The feeling of suffocation made Zhang Yunsheng miserable, but whenever the Japanese stopped to ask, he just shook his head silently and refused to answer any questions.
Next, the Japanese army tried electrocution again. They connected electrodes to various parts of Zhang Yunsheng's body, and when the electricity was turned on, the intense pain caused Zhang Yunsheng's body to twitch uncontrollably. However, even in this case, he did not reveal any information.
The entire interrogation lasted all night. The Japanese army took turns to fight and used all kinds of cruel torture methods, but Zhang Yunsheng remained silent. This tenacious will of his surprised and annoyed the Japanese soldiers.
During the interrogation, Zhang Yunsheng showed extraordinary composure. Even in the most painful moments, his eyes remained steadfast, without a hint of fear or wavering. This attitude unnerved the Japanese officers who interrogated him, and they began to wonder if this seemingly ordinary young man was really just an ordinary peasant.
To break the stalemate, the Japanese officers tried psychological tactics. They told Mr. Zhang that his accomplices had been captured and threatened to torture others if he did not cooperate. Mr. Zhang, however, ignored these threats as if he had not heard them.
In between interrogations, the Japanese army fed Zhang Yunsheng some water and food, hoping to soften his will. But Zhang Yunsheng only swallowed mechanically, and did not let go of this humanitarian move.
Over time, the patience of the Japanese army gradually ran out. They began to discuss whether more extreme measures should be taken. More brutal methods such as using a soldering iron or cutting off his fingers were eventually rejected because they feared that doing so might cause Mr. Zhang to lose consciousness or his life, and thus never get the information they wanted.
Towards dawn, the Japanese officers had to admit that they had temporarily failed. He ordered his men to tie Zhang Yunsheng to a bench and planned to continue the interrogation the next day. Before leaving the interrogation room, the officer stared at Zhang Yunsheng viciously, threatening that if he did not open his mouth again, he would be subjected to even more terrible torture.
Mr. Zhang, however, appears to have fallen on deaf ears to the threat. He maintained a strange calm, as if he had entered some kind of special state. After the Japanese left, Zhang Yunsheng began to quietly move his wrists, trying to loosen the ropes tied to his body.
Throughout the interrogation, Zhang Yunsheng's extraordinary willpower stemmed not only from his loyalty to the revolutionary cause, but also from his ability to withstand pressure that he had cultivated through long-term training. As an experienced traffic officer, he knows what awaits him once he is arrested. Therefore, he made all kinds of psychological and physical preparations in normal times to cope with the severe torture he might face.
This unwavering attitude not only protected important military intelligence, but also bought valuable time for his follow-up operations. Just when the Japanese thought they had taken control of the mysterious captive, Zhang Yunsheng was hatching a bold plan.
After the Japanese soldiers left the interrogation room, Zhang Yunsheng began to carefully observe his surroundings. The interrogation room is located underground in the colony, with only a small window opening to the outside world. The window is small, but for Zhang Yunsheng, who is skinny, it may be enough to pass through. First, however, he needed to break free from his shackles.
Zhang Yunsheng recalled the special training he received in the New Fourth Army. They used to practice how to get out of being tied up. He began to move his wrists slowly and rhythmically, trying to find the weak point of the rope. The process was painful and long, but Zhang knew it was his only chance.
After hours of hard work, Zhang Yunsheng finally felt the rope begin to loosen. He carefully continued to exert force until his right hand managed to break free. Next, he used his free right hand to untie the ropes in other parts. Throughout the process, he remained vigilant for fear of attracting the attention of the guards outside.
After freeing himself from the restraints, Zhang Yunsheng began to inspect the items in the interrogation room, hoping to find something that could be used as a weapon or tool. In one corner, he found a rusty wire. This discovery gave him hope, as wire could be used to pick the locks on windows.
Zhang Yunsheng knew that in order to successfully escape, the timing was crucial. He listened carefully to the movement outside, trying to judge the patrol pattern of the guards. After a period of observation, he noticed that the guards made rounds approximately every 15 minutes. This means that he needs to complete all the preparations for escape within this time interval.
In order to increase his chances of success, Zhang Yunsheng decided to wait until late at night to act. He speculated that in the dead of night, the guards' vigilance might have decreased. At the same time, the darkness of the night can also provide him with better cover.
While waiting, Zhang Yunsheng began to do some simple exercises to regain his physical strength after being tortured. He carefully moved his limbs while taking deep breaths to regulate his body. These movements must be very slight so as not to arouse the suspicion of the guards.
At midnight, Zhang Yunsheng judged that the time had come. He crept up to the window and began to pick the lock with wire. The process was extremely difficult, as the lock was rusty, and he had to control the force of each movement so as not to make a sound.
After nearly half an hour of hard work, the window lock was finally pried open. Zhang Yunsheng cautiously pushed open the window, and the cold wind immediately poured in. He took a deep breath and began to crawl out the window. The windows were so narrow that even the skinny Zhang Yunsheng had to twist his body hard to get through.
Just then, footsteps were heard outside. The guards are approaching. Zhang Yunsheng knew that if he was discovered at this time, he would lose his last chance. He gritted his teeth, resisted the pain of his body being scraped by the window frame, and sped up his movements.
At the moment when the guard walked to the door of the interrogation room, Zhang Yunsheng successfully slipped out of the window. He quickly fell to the ground, holding his breath. The guard peeked in through the small window on the door, found nothing out of the ordinary, and continued his patrol.
Zhang Yunsheng breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew that the danger was far from over. He is now located in the inner courtyard of the stronghold, surrounded by Japanese buildings and outposts. To truly escape, he would need to climb over a wall and cross the "death zone".
Taking advantage of the cover of night, Zhang Yunsheng cautiously moved around the courtyard. He dodged the beam of the searchlight, using the shadows of the building as cover. Approaching the wall, he met a Japanese soldier on patrol. Zhang Yunsheng quickly hid behind a pile of wooden boxes, holding his breath and waiting for the soldiers to pass by.
Arriving under the wall, Zhang Yunsheng found that the wall was covered with shards of glass and barbed wire. He searched around and finally found a relatively flat section of wall in one corner. He began to climb, carefully with every movement, for fear of making a noise.
Just as Zhang Yunsheng was about to climb over the wall, a searchlight suddenly swept over. He immediately lay on his stomach on the wall, motionless. Fortunately, the searchlight was quickly removed. Zhang Yunsheng seized this opportunity, quickly climbed over the wall, and landed on the periphery of the stronghold.
However, the real challenge has only just begun. Zhang Yunsheng knew that he would face a "death zone" full of landmines and barbed wire. Successfully navigating this area requires not only great courage, but also great skill and keen observation.
Zhang Yunsheng stood outside the walls of the stronghold, in front of a seemingly calm but in fact dangerous "death zone". In the moonlight, he could faintly see the tiny marks scattered on the ground, which were the signs of mines and barbed wire. This area is about 200 meters wide and is almost impossible for the average person to traverse.
But Zhang Yunsheng is not an ordinary person. As an experienced traffic officer, he has received special training and learned how to survive in this dangerous zone. He took a deep breath and began to take a closer look at the terrain.
First of all, Zhang Yunsheng noticed that there were some tiny bulges on the ground, which were most likely the location of the mines. He knew that the Japanese army usually planted mines according to a certain pattern, and finding this pattern would avoid most dangers.
After some observation, Zhang Yunsheng found that the mines appeared to be distributed in a checkerboard shape. He decided to move along these "safe grids". With each step, he carefully examines the ground under his feet to make sure there are no anomalies.
The process of moving forward is unusually slow. Zhang Yunsheng must be on high alert, because even the slightest mistake can lead to catastrophic consequences. He gently probed the ground in front of him with a tree branch, making sure that every step was in a safe position.
Just as Zhang Yunsheng had crossed about a third of the distance, he encountered his first major obstacle – a dense barbed wire. These barbed wires not only impede travel, but can also trigger hidden alarms.
Mr. Zhang examined the barbed wire and found that one of them appeared to be looser than the others. He decided to start here. With the knife he carried with him, he began to cut the wires one by one. This process requires a great deal of patience and precision, as a sudden break of any one of the wires can cause alarms.
After nearly an hour of hard work, Zhang Yunsheng finally made a gap in the barbed wire that was enough to pass through. He crept over cautiously, making sure that every part of his body didn't touch the wires around him.
After crossing the barbed wire, Zhang Yunsheng found that the terrain ahead had become more complicated. There were some shallow craters on the ground, which may have been set up by the Japanese to trap mines. He had to bypass these dangerous areas, but at the same time not deviate too far so as not to step on other mines.
Just then, a dog barking could be heard in the distance. Zhang Yunsheng knew that the Japanese army might have discovered his escape. Time became more pressing, but he didn't dare to speed up the pace because that would only increase the risk of making mistakes.
As the barking of the dog got closer, Zhang Yunsheng's situation became more dangerous. He knew that once he was discovered by the search dogs, he would lose all his advantage. At this critical moment, he remembered a skill he had learned in training.
Zhang Yunsheng pulled out some chili powder from his pocket, which he had carried with him until he was captured. He began to sprinkle paprika along his path. This practice can interfere with the search dog's sense of smell and buy him more time.
In the process of moving on, Zhang Yunsheng encountered a second barbed wire. This time, he didn't have enough time to slowly cut the wire. He decided to take the risk and climb over. Carefully, he grabbed the top of the barbed wire and slowly pulled his body up. Just as he was about to turn over, his clothes were caught in a sharp wire.
Zhang Yunsheng knew that if he forcibly broke free, he would not only tear his clothes, but also make a sound. He held his breath and untied his clothes from the wire in extremely slow motions. The process lasted a few minutes, and it seemed like years to him.
Finally, Zhang Yunsheng successfully crossed the second barbed wire. By this time, he had crossed about three-quarters of the "death zone". But this last distance may be the most dangerous, as the Japanese may well have laid more traps close to the free zone.
Zhang Yunsheng continued to move forward cautiously, walking on thin ice with every step. Just as he was about to reach safety, he heard shouts and footsteps coming from behind him. The Japanese had apparently discovered his escape route.
At this critical moment, Zhang Yunsheng made a bold decision. He gave up on continuing to carefully explore the way, and instead chose a route that seemed the most straightforward but could be the most dangerous. He knew that this was a race against time, and if he was caught up by the Japanese army, all his efforts would be in vain.
Zhang Yunsheng began to run quickly, and every step could step on a mine. His every movement is hovering between life and death. Just as he was about to rush out of the "death zone", gunshots were heard behind him. Bullets whizzed past his ears, but he didn't stop.
In the end, Zhang Yunsheng successfully broke out of the "death zone" and entered a relatively safe area. But he knows that real security is far from yet to come. He must continue to move forward, meet up with the comrades of the New Fourth Army as soon as possible, and pass on important information.