Leitao and the Eighth Route Army company commander exchanged glances, seeing helplessness and dissatisfaction in each other's eyes. Leitao stepped forward and said to the colonel staff officer, "We are soldiers. In war, casualties are inevitable. Compared to our sacrifices, these spoils of war are well worth it. Furthermore, we struck a blow against the Japanese Army, which benefits the entire strategic situation."
The Eighth Route Army company commander chimed in, "Our Eighth Route Army has never been afraid of sacrifice. To resist the Japanese invaders, no amount of bloodshed is too much. We cooperated very well in this operation and achieved good results. You should see our efforts and contributions."
Upon hearing this, the colonel staff officer's face flushed and paled in turns, but he stubbornly retorted, "Hmph, just you wait! The Japanese Army's retaliation will be here any minute now. Let's see how you clean up this mess when that happens!" He then pointed at Leitao and continued, "And you all actually believe this shady character! For all we know, he's a spy planted among us by the Japanese Army. Sooner or later, you'll all be killed because of him!"
Chapter 182