Kawashima’s platoon advanced cautiously toward the Eighth Route Army’s position, acutely aware of the mission's danger. They kept their footsteps feather-light, terrified that one wrong move would trigger a lethal trap like the one that had ensnared Furuta’s men. Their eyes scanned the surroundings with vigilance, their nerves stretched thin as bowstrings.
Finally, beside a wall of ruins, they discovered Furuta Saburo, his expression despondent and his face etched with exhaustion. Platoon Leader Kawashima stepped forward, offered a respectful salute to Furuta Saburo, and then relayed the battalion commander’s orders with crisp clarity: "Furuta-kun, the commander has ordered us to evacuate the wounded for medical treatment immediately and has commanded you to handle the aftermath of the fallen soldiers yourself. This is a direct order; please see that it is carried out." Upon hearing this, Furuta Saburo’s face darkened, but he could only nod in helpless resignation.
Immediately, the soldiers of Kawashima’s platoon fanned out to search for and rescue the wounded. They carefully lifted the groaning soldiers onto stretchers, fearful of exacerbating their injuries. For those still bleeding from their wounds, the Japanese medics hurried to apply makeshift bandages to staunch the flow. Each time they carried a casualty away, they would cast glances around the perimeter, ever wary of the dangers that might emerge at any moment.
Chapter 220