Wang Qiang watched the Japanese Army airport guards closing in. Enduring agonizing pain, he tore a strip of cloth from his uniform with trembling hands. Clenching it between his teeth, he wrapped the fabric tightly, layer upon layer, around the wound on his thigh. Every tug felt like countless steel needles piercing his flesh; cold sweat instantly drenched his forehead, and bead-sized drops rolled down to stain the parched earth. Yet, he kept his jaw set, uttering not a sound, his eyes filled with grim resolve.
Once the wound was bound, Wang Qiang’s breathing grew ragged and heavy. His vision blurred from the pain, but he forced himself to reach behind his waist for a high-explosive grenade. His fingers brushed against the cold casing as he silently thought of his wife and child far away. A faint, tender smile touched his lips, only to be replaced in an instant by a look of steely determination.
"Come on then, you little devils!" Wang Qiang snarled under his breath, his voice laced with infinite hatred. He gripped the grenade tightly, the pull-ring hooked around his finger. One slight tug was all it would take to end it all together. He propped himself up against the truck behind him, waiting for the Japanese soldiers to draw near.
Chapter 303