Chapter 173 Everyone is Different

At 1:30 AM on November 1, 1937, Lin Fan led the special company, taking a ten-minute break not far from Zhenru.

Wu Xiaobao finally asked the question that had been weighing on his mind, "Did you hear my heartbeat just now?"

He was asking Zhao Long.

Zhao Long reached out and touched Wu Xiaobao's chest. "Your heart didn't even jump out. I was focused on hurrying along; how could I hear it?

But I heard my own heartbeat, and the rustling sound of my feet as I hurried along.

I was so afraid of waking up the Japanese devils at that time."

"So we're all the same!"

Although the two boys' voices were already low, many of the surrounding soldiers could still hear them.

Those who heard it realized, "So everyone's pretty much the same!"

Lin Fan also said with a smile, "This is your first time passing under the noses of the Japanese devils. It's normal to be nervous.

At night, it's quiet, and when you walk, you can hear your own footsteps and the footsteps of your comrades.

These are all very normal."

Old Pao Liu said mysteriously, "In our village, there was someone who was going home at night and could clearly see the village right in front of them.

But they walked all night and still didn't make it back."

Today, the special company was marching at night, and as soon as he said this, someone immediately chimed in, "That's being 'ghost-obstructed'!

Some people in our village have encountered it before. If you're lucky, you can hold on until dawn when the rooster crows, and you might be able to save your life.

If you're unlucky, you just keep walking and walking, and some people end up dying inside."

Old Pao Liu mysteriously finished telling the story, "After the rooster crowed, the person realized that he was in the village's ancestral graveyard, walking in circles around his grandfather's grave all night.

Everyone said it was because he was unfilial, so his grandfather came back to find him.

After this person went home, he fell ill, very seriously ill.

Later, his family hired a *xiansheng* (master) and performed a ritual, and it still took several months to barely save his life."

After he finished his story, he scared Wu Xiaobao and Zhao Long quite a bit.

They looked at the surrounding shadows and felt like there were ghosts everywhere.

Lin Fan looked at Old Pao Liu with some displeasure, "Don't tell these ghost stories when marching at night.

Actually, these things are all fake.

Old Pao Liu, it's night now, let's speak frankly, do you dare to swear that the story you just told really happened in your village?"

Old Pao Liu muttered, "I also heard it from the old people in the village."

Lin Fan said with a smile, "As long as you're Chinese, you should have heard of this kind of 'ghost-obstruction' story.

But when you listen to the story, and you really ask who in the village encountered it,

It's always, 'I heard someone else say it.'

Everyone heard it from someone else.

Such stories will eventually be traced back to the local *xiansheng*, yin-yang masters, monks, and Taoists.

Why?

Have you ever thought about it?"

"Why?" Zhen Danxiao was the best at playing along!

Lin Fan said with a smile, "Of course, it's for money. That's how they make a living. If they don't tell some supernatural stories, who would ask them to perform rituals?

How else would they make money from others?

Nothing in the world happens without a benefit!"

Ye Dadan asked with a smile, "Company Commander! Are we getting up early today?"

He meant to ask: What benefit would the special company get today?

Lin Fan said with a smile, "I guarantee that today will be greatly beneficial to China and greatly beneficial to the special company!

But we still need to keep it a secret for now. We got up early today, but we definitely won't be late to the market.

Right now, it may already be past midnight, so it's another day.

Today's benefit

Will at least be no smaller than the benefit of the day before yesterday."

Hearing Lin Fan say this, the soldiers of the entire company became excited.

The day before yesterday, the defending soldiers of the entire Sihang Warehouse had killed more than six thousand Japanese devils.

But the day before yesterday, it was more than five hundred people who killed more than six thousand.

On average, each person killed more than ten Japanese devils.

According to that calculation, they would have to kill more than fourteen hundred Japanese devils today.

"Company Commander is so bold!" Tu Dadan felt that he had chosen the wrong nickname; the company commander was much bolder than him.

Old Pao Liu was still stubborn, "Those legends, they can't all be completely false, right?

I've also heard of people catching piglets in the mountains and catching fish in the rice paddies."

Lin Fan asked with a smile, "Isn't it always at night, and people only wake up when it's dawn, or when the rooster crows?"

Old Pao Liu laughed, "Company Commander has heard of it too!"

Lin Fan said with a smile, "Since you're so interested, I'll tell you all about it!

So that those of you who don't know won't feel like it's mysterious and be afraid!"

When they had just sat down to rest, the soldiers of the entire special company were still sitting in two rows according to the order of march.

When they heard Old Pao Liu telling stories, they all gathered around.

Lin Fan said with a smile, "It's night, and you can't see anything clearly.

As a team, we must have the necessary vigilance.

We were originally going to send out sentries.

Since everyone wants to listen, then all face outwards.

Keep your eyes open and watch outside; just treat it as being a sentry."

When the soldiers really turned their backs to him and were all seriously watching outside,

Lin Fan then said, "There is no such thing as 'ghost-obstruction,' but people are anxious when they walk at night. That does exist."

All the soldiers laughed, "Who isn't anxious when walking at night? They were all very anxious when walking at night just now."

Lin Fan's voice was neither fast nor slow, "Especially when someone is walking alone at night, they are even more anxious, and the timid ones are even more afraid.

Actually, whether a person is brave or timid, when they walk alone at night,

As long as they walk for a little longer, about ten minutes or so,

They will hear their own footsteps, and they will also be able to feel their own heartbeat.

It feels like their heart is about to jump out of their chest."

Every soldier was thinking: That's how I felt just now.

Lin Fan's voice continued, "At this time, people start to feel afraid or nervous.

Then they start to think wildly.

You all felt like this just now, right?

But we're walking as a team. No matter how wildly we think, we know that there are people on our left and right.

Therefore, as long as there are two or more people walking at night, no one has ever heard of encountering 'ghost-obstruction.'

Why?

That's just because the so-called 'ghost-obstruction' only happens when someone is walking alone at night.

They feel scared, and when they see the shadows around them, the more they look, the more scared they become.

They don't dare to look around anymore and only focus on the little bit of road in front of them.

After walking for a while, they fall into their own fantasies.

Or suddenly they see a little phosphorescence in the distance, or a little light,

And they naturally head towards the light.

In reality, these people often fall into a trap at this time.

It's like when you're dreaming, you don't know the difference between reality and dreams.

Then they circle around the light, but they can't get out no matter what.

That's because the phosphorescence is originally emitted from the graves, so how can they get out?

At this time, as long as there is a little bit of sound or light, it can wake people up.

This is also why: everyone who encounters 'ghost-obstruction' will wake up when they hear the rooster crow.

Or they will wake up after dawn."

Zhen Danxiao asked, "How can someone walk alone at night and not encounter 'ghost-obstruction'?"

Lin Fan said with a smile, "Don't focus on looking at the road; look left and right, look around more. Then your mind won't be in one place, and especially if your eyes aren't always staring ahead, you won't fall into that kind of fantasy."

Zhen Danxiao continued to ask, "But if you look around randomly, it's easy to see dirty things at night."

Lin Fan smiled, "There are no dirty things in this world like you imagine.

Now look at that tree on the right!

It's just a tree; the wind blows and the tree moves.

During the day, you can clearly see the branches and leaves, so people don't overthink it.

Now the light is bad, and you can only see an outline.

Everyone imagines it differently when they see it, and then when the wind blows it,

It looks like it's come alive.

That's the origin of the dirty things you're talking about.

In reality, those are all trees, shrubs, or bushes."

Wu Xiaobao finally felt relieved, "So that's how it is!"

Lin Fan said with a smile, "Now pay attention and look around. Are those shadows trees?"

Zhen Danxiao was much bolder at this time, "It really is a tree. When Company Commander didn't say anything just now, I thought it looked like two headless dirty things."

Lin Fan said with a smile, "That's called association. People not only associate with others in language, but sometimes they also associate with themselves.

Especially at night, these shadows outside, the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves, whatever you're thinking they are, you'll hear it after a while.

That's called 'whatever you set your heart on will come true.'"

Old Pao Liu also got interested, "If I think of a wife, will it become a wife!"

Lin Fan said with a smile, "I don't know about that. Anyway, when I look at a tree, it's a tree, and when I look at a mountain, it's a mountain. I've never had that kind of wishful thinking."

Lin Fan had really researched these legends. In the end, he found that when people told these stories, ten out of ten times you couldn't find the person who actually experienced it.

However, Lin Fan had also realized from Western psychological treatments that the so-called 'ghost-obstruction,' 'catching fish in the rice paddies,' and 'catching pigs in the wheat fields' were actually all self-hypnosis.

Therefore, they would be startled by even the slightest sound outside and break out of that self-hypnotic state.

Right now, the soldiers under his command had limited knowledge. If he told them about hypnosis, probably no one would understand.

He hoped that what he had just said would make the soldiers no longer afraid to walk at night.

Estimating the time, Lin Fan clapped his hands, "Rest time is over, let's go!"

He took the lead and walked at the front.

The soldiers behind him were still discussing what Lin Fan had just said.

From the relaxed tone of these soldiers, it could be heard that the fear they had just felt had disappeared without a trace.

This was the effect that Lin Fan needed to achieve.

Lin Fan said to the soldiers, "It's okay to talk to each other, but keep your voices down."

Now there were no people around, so the team didn't need to maintain silence while marching.

When Lin Fan went to scout ahead again, Wu Xiaobao and Zhao Long, with nothing else on their minds, wanted to follow.

Thinking that he was always running back and forth to deliver messages tonight, Lin Fan agreed.

The three of them, as the first echelon, scouted about a hundred meters ahead of the team.

Separated by a hundred meters, the sound of the soldiers marching behind them and the sound of them speaking in low voices could no longer be heard.

Lin Fan and the others hadn't walked for very long before they saw a large area of buildings vaguely in front of them.

Occasionally, there were lanterns under the eaves of some houses, emitting a hazy light.

There were no electric lights in this place.

The only people who would light lanterns under the eaves at night must be wealthy families.

Lin Fan led the team to bypass the town.

He didn't want the team to be exposed, even though his company was currently disguised as a Japanese team.

Lin Fan still didn't want anyone to see them.

The special company avoided Zhenru Town, passing by at a distance.

Looking at the time, it was already past three o'clock.

After marching all night, the team was very tired, and Lin Fan decided to find a place to camp.

After Zhenru, the next place was Xinbin.

Lin Fan deliberately wanted to avoid the crowds. After estimating, he pointed to a high ground in front and said, "We'll rest in that place today."

In the darkness of night, walking up this not-very-high ground, everything around was pitch black, and they could only vaguely see that there were no lights around.

The soldiers of the special company had been walking for most of the night and had long wanted to rest.

Lin Fan ordered the entire company, "Everyone, from now on, rest in place.

No one is allowed to fire a gun or move around without orders.

We're going to stay here until tonight.

We need to be even more careful after dawn. We're in the belly of the Japanese devils now.

We must be careful in everything!

Now, arrange the sentries!

First Squad is responsible for the east, one visible and one hidden,

Second Squad is responsible for the south, one visible and one hidden,

Third Squad is responsible for the west, one visible and one hidden,

Fourth Squad is responsible for the north, one visible and one hidden.

Password: Hit! Aircraft!

The sentries must concentrate. Think about how we passed under the noses of the Japanese devils tonight.

If we had been there to attack them, would those people still be alive?

Everyone is walking at night for the first time today, so you're all tired. The shift change time for the visible sentries can be shorter.

Try to change the hidden sentries as little as possible, so as not to be discovered."

As soon as Lin Fan gave the order, the squad leaders of the four squads immediately started making arrangements.

In the four directions, each squad arranged one visible and one hidden sentry.

When Li Xian saw Lin Fan walking away with his gun on his back, he couldn't help but ask, "Company Commander! Where are you going?"

Lin Fan said in a low voice, "I'm going to the west to scout the situation. In case something happens here, you lead the company to the west."

Li Xian responded in a low voice.

Lin Fan walked a few more *li* (Chinese mile) in the dark.

He knew that after Zhenru, there was a small town called Xinbin.

He now wanted to go to this small town to take a look.

He could already see the vaguely townscape in front of him.

Lin Fan looked at it from a distance. The entire town was shrouded in a layer of darkness, and the buildings were baring their fangs and claws, very frightening!

Lin Fan cautiously approached the town. There should have been many watchdogs in such a town.

Lin Fan had already entered the town in the dark, but there wasn't a single bark!

He felt a faint unease in his heart.

This didn't seem like a normal rural town. A village without the crowing of chickens and the barking of dogs wasn't a village.

Such towns were always similar. The best and largest house in the town must be in the middle of the town.

Lin Fan was now using the cover of the surrounding walls to approach the largest courtyard in the middle.

Before he got close, he heard the wind carrying a rich aroma of wine.

It was this late, and there were still people drinking. This person was too romantic.

Lin Fan thought to himself.

As he got closer, Lin Fan heard the sound of women crying, the sound of men laughing, and a faint singing.

What was going on?

When Lin Fan got even closer, he was finally able to hear clearly that the songs were all in Japanese, and they were all being sung by men.

He walked to the largest courtyard and saw that the courtyard door was open, and a little light was coming from inside.

There was a six-meter-wide road from his current position to the opposite side.

Lin Fan didn't know what the situation was on the other side, so he had to retreat again and find the high courtyard wall of the courtyard just now from a distance.

He quietly and silently climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard.

Now he was in the backyard of this family.

As soon as he entered the courtyard and hadn't walked a few steps, Lin Fan smelled a familiar bloody smell.

He was too familiar with this smell these days.

He could smell it every day. Someone had just died here.

Thinking of the Japanese songs, the women's crying, and the men's laughter in the front yard,

Lin Fan had already pieced together a picture in his mind.

Thinking back to this large courtyard, it should have been a wealthy family in this town.

The tradition of eating the wealthy had always existed. It seemed that these Japanese devils hadn't learned anything good, but they had learned this.

Lin Fan spent a full twenty minutes walking from the backyard to the front yard.

He really didn't know the layout of these houses and had to be careful to guard against people or anything else that might be hiding in the dark.

Facts proved that Lin Fan was too worried: all the living things in this wealthy family were in the front yard.

As for those things in the front yard that were drinking and making merry, they had long deviated from the category of humans.

When Lin Fan had sneaked from the backyard into the front yard, he saw several Japanese devils lying haphazardly on the ground in the reception room of the front yard.

There were also several Japanese devils sitting around a fire, enjoying themselves with meat in one hand and wine in the other.

Not far from them, there were two women, obviously not very old, being pressed under two Japanese devils.

The crying that Lin Fan had just heard was coming from these two women.

A boy was tied to a pillar in front of them, his eyes red as if they were about to bleed.

A wad of cloth was stuffed into his mouth.

It could be seen that the veins on the boy's neck were bulging, and he was obviously so angry that his whole body was about to explode.

Lin Fan carefully counted. There were six Japanese devils sleeping on the ground, eight sitting and drinking, and two who were doing the deed.

Among the eight Japanese devils who were drinking, someone was urging, "Honda-san, hurry up. It's almost dawn."

From the fragments of their conversation, Lin Fan could piece together that this group of Japanese devils must have sneaked out at night.

The two women's cries were already hoarse, and they had long given up struggling.

Rescue!

The thought only flashed through Lin Fan's mind.

Actually, Lin Fan knew that if he took action, the Japanese devils would definitely discover that a squad of soldiers was missing during the day.

This would bring many difficulties to his sneak attack on the Japanese airport tonight.

But in this situation, if he didn't take action to save people, who was he protecting by defending his country?