Wei Dayong quickly sensed that something was wrong. The local villagers no longer showed their usual warmth; instead, they kept their distance, and watchful eyes were everywhere.
Facing the Eighth Route Army's flexible guerrilla tactics, the Japanese military had changed their strategy, attempting to launch surprise raids, gather intelligence, sabotage anti-Japanese forces, or create chaos by disguising themselves as civilians and Eighth Route Army soldiers.
In this struggle, the Japanese first used rumors to confuse the troops and civilians in the base areas. They spread various false information in an attempt to disrupt the morale of the anti-Japanese forces and the confidence of the people.
Chapter 148