A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1164 The Surrender of the British Government in Hong Kong

Everyone was stunned. The next second, they all realized that this was a broadcast from the Japanese army.

"Bullshit!" Wu Mingqiang angrily turned off the radio.

In the following days, the Japanese army may have advanced further, and gunfire was rarely heard in their neighborhood. However, they still dared not come up from the basement.

Every now and then, groups of three or five Japanese soldiers would break down the door to see if there was anything they could take. Wu Mingqiang and his men would always go out and close the door after the Japanese soldiers left.

Dingxiang said worriedly, "Why don't we leave the door open? I'm afraid you'll run into the Japanese when you go up."

Wu Mingqiang shook his head and said, "No, if this door is open, those homeless refugees might move in for refuge. Whether they discover this basement or the Japanese find out they're here, it won't be good. Do you really want to have a few more corpses in the house when we leave?"

Acheng chimed in, "The shopkeeper Liu across the street was stabbed to death by the Japanese. He just collapsed in front of his shop, and nobody dared to collect his body. Luckily it's winter now, or it would probably be rotting by now."

Dingxiang covered her mouth in fright, her face turning pale.

Gui'er thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we turn on the radio and listen to it? Even though it's a Japanese station, at least we can get some information. We can judge for ourselves."

Everyone agreed that this made sense, so they turned on the radio again.

"Dear citizens of Hong Kong, this is a report from the Hong Kong Broadcasting Station. The Imperial Army has broken through the British defenses, the entire Kowloon area has been liberated, and military strongholds on Hong Kong Island are being captured one by one. The battle is progressing rapidly."

Both sides are currently negotiating a ceasefire, and order will be restored soon. Residents are urged not to believe rumors, remain calm, and stay at home awaiting further instructions.

The Imperial Army, as a liberation force, aims to expel the British invaders and establish a new Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Once the situation stabilizes, relief supplies will be distributed to ensure the livelihood of the people. Please do not resist; welcome the liberation army and work together to maintain local peace.

Repeat, remain calm, and await the new policy.

The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Judging from this, they're already negotiating. Does that mean the war is almost over?" Dingxiang asked.

“These past few days, we’ve almost run out of vegetables. We still have a little rice left, but it’s not sustainable to eat plain porridge with pickled vegetables and fermented bean curd every day.”

“Miss Dingxiang, you’re mistaken. We’re already quite fortunate to have plain porridge, fermented bean curd, and pickled vegetables. Before I moved here, there were some poor families in my area who couldn’t even afford rice. The whole family would go up the mountain to pick wild vegetables, mix them with glutinous rice and sweet potatoes, and cook them into a porridge that they would eat three times a day,” Zhu Zhiming said with a smile.

"Oh dear, you yourself said you're from a poor family on your side. What kind of family are we? Our young lady has always lived a life of luxury since she was a child. When has she ever suffered such hardship or difficulty? You have to believe in fate. A life of wealth and a life of poverty cannot be compared." Dingxiang scoffed.

"Dingxiang, don't talk nonsense. Things are different now. It's hard enough to survive, let alone care about food and drink," Gui'er quickly came out with a smile, easing the awkward atmosphere.

“But this can’t go on forever. Maybe I should find a chance to go out and see if there’s any food I can buy on the black market,” Wu Mingqiang said.

"No, no, Brother Wu, we've come this far. We might as well wait a couple more days. I reckon their negotiations will end soon. It'll be safer to go out then, so what's one or two more days?" Gui'er quickly advised.

Wu Mingqiang sighed, nodded, and said, "You've been wronged. When things aren't so bad, I'll go to the black market and buy you some good food to treat you."

Gui'er smiled helplessly and said, "We'll talk about it later."

The air in the basement was stifling. Gui'er leaned against the bed, listening to the occasional footsteps outside. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. In her drowsy state, she seemed to hear Wu Mingqiang whispering something to someone, but she was too weak to open her eyes. She turned over and fell asleep.

When she woke up again, the surroundings were unusually quiet. She sat up abruptly; after so many days in the dark, she was quite used to it. She could even use the dim light to distinguish everyone in the basement.

She looked towards the corner—Wu Mingqiang's usual spot was empty. "Where's Brother Wu?" Her heart tightened, and her voice trembled.

Zhu Zhiming pointed to the stairwell: "Brother Qiang said he really couldn't wait any longer and went up to see if there were any vegetables or meat. He told us to keep an eye on you and not to follow him out."

Gui'er threw off the covers and ran towards the stairs. Just as she peeked through the gap, A-Cheng stopped her: "Miss, don't go! Brother Qiang specifically instructed that it's not safe up there!"

“But he’s all alone…” Before he could finish speaking, the radio suddenly crackled twice, and the announcer’s deliberately slowed tone came through: “Emergency notification from the Hong Kong Broadcasting Station: The Hong Kong British government has officially surrendered to the Imperial Army this afternoon, and the entire territory of Hong Kong is now under the control of the Imperial Army…”

"The following is the statement of the current Governor of Hong Kong: Hong Kong citizens:"

With water supplies cut off, ammunition exhausted, and the defense system collapsing, continuing to resist was pointless. I (Yang Muqi), representing the Hong Kong government and the British troops stationed in Hong Kong, formally signed the unconditional surrender document with Lieutenant General Takashi Sakai, commander of the Japanese 23rd Army, at the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon at 12:19 PM on December 25, 1941.

The fighting is now over. All citizens are urged to remain calm and obey the instructions of the occupying authorities to ensure their safety.

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. Although they all knew that surrender was inevitable, they did not expect it to happen so suddenly.

At that moment, the radio broadcaster's excited voice came through again: "Sir Sir Mark Young, Governor of Hong Kong, and British Commander-in-Chief Mordred surrendered unconditionally after 15 minutes of negotiations at the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon. Young has ordered a ceasefire and has confessed to being a prisoner of war. The Japanese army has taken control of the entire city, and Hong Kong has come under the jurisdiction of the Empire of Japan."

For a century, Hong Kong served as a base for British aggression in East Asia, and even colluded with the Chongqing government to become a center of resistance against and suppression of Japanese aggression. The British disregarded the safety of millions of residents, plunging Hong Kong into the ravages of war; their crimes are countless.

The Japanese army has now occupied Hong Kong, and a military government has been established. One million residents have been freed from British oppression and are moving towards a new life. We hope that the residents will understand the true intentions of the Empire and work together to build a new order in East Asia. Those who violate this will be severely punished.

Hong Kong had become part of the Empire of Japan, renamed Xiangdao (Heavenly Island), and 1941 was the 16th year of the Showa era. The Japanese army fought for world peace and the people of East Asia. It is hoped that the people of Hong Kong will work together to build a new Hong Kong and jointly revitalize Greater East Asia.

"Fellow citizens, this is the latest report. In order to achieve the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, the Japanese military government will requisition vegetables and grains from the people. We ask for your cooperation and support." After that, a Japanese song with a soft, drawn-out melody came from the radio.