"We aren't going there to surrender, so why are we having the comrades carry a white flag?" Pang Zi asked Pu Guanshui in the fading light of the sunset.

Pu Guanshui replied, "First of all, that isn't a white flag. It's the Red Cross flag for medical use. Secondly, can you guarantee that if our comrades go over there without it, they won't be mistaken for a vanguard of the offensive?"

This was sound logic, yet Pang Zi still felt extremely uncomfortable. "How can there be a war without people dying? What 'German civilians'? They're all invaders."

"If a dog bites a man, the man kills the dog—that is only right. But if a dog eats filth, does the man eat it too?" Pu Guanshui counseled him. "Old Pang, I know you harbor a deep hatred for the Germans. But we are first and foremost members of the People's Party, and we are proud Chinese. If we act just like the foreign devils, don't you think it's shameful?"

"I truly don't think it's shameful! What's shameful about taking revenge?" Pang Zi answered loudly. However, it was clear that his confidence was somewhat lacking. The People's Party would never permit the slaughter of civilians; Chen Ke had made that clear in the pre-war meetings. Anyone who massacred unresisting civilians out of spite, regardless of their status in the Party, would face a firing squad.

Pu Guanshui did not wish to bicker further and changed the subject. "The assault starting tomorrow will surely be met with desperate resistance from the Germans. We'll send units out tonight to prepare for demolitions."

At this, Pang Zi brooded for a minute, but he couldn't restrain himself for longer. "Let us go. I'll lead the team."

Yang Baogui, commander of the 7th Army, laughed. "Two legs can't outrun your four, but demolitions are not for your cavalry." He then turned to Pu Guanshui. "Commander Pu, you returned from Germany. Just how well can these Germans fight?"

"They can fight very well," Pu Guanshui told him truthfully. "You can call them rigid, and their tactics are completely different from ours, but within their own system, they are quite capable. Do not mistake them for Beiyang. I actually hoped they would surrender, but they won't."

The first battle of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army had been the storming of landlord Zhang Youliang's fortified village in Yuezhangji, Fengtai County. Since then, they hadn't fought many true field engagements; most had been siege battles. Yang Baogui, who had risen from a common soldier to army commander, understood the brutality of sieges all too well. Combined with his study of the Qingdao Fortress maps, he only sighed softly and offered no further comment.

The People's Party negotiation team approached the Qingdao Fortress on horseback, holding high the Red Cross flag. The Germans, at least, had not completely lost their reason. Although a platoon of German soldiers held their rifles at the ready, aiming at the People's Party soldiers as if facing a great foe, no one fired. Having never seen a German before, Lin Juemin, the lead negotiator, wasn't sure if these men were naturally pale-skinned or if they were white from fear and tension. Other sights drew his attention more: at the roadblocks in front of the fortress, German expatriates were panic-stricken, carrying bags and bundles as they rushed into the fortress in carriages or flatbed carts. Seeing the three People's Party riders approaching with the Red Cross flag, these foreign devils' faces turned exceptionally sour.

Pulled roughly from their horses and searched by the German soldiers, the three remained silent. But when the Germans prepared to bind them, Lin Juemin shouted in halting German, "Is this how you treat negotiators?"

At this shout, the German officers looked embarrassed. Although they very much wanted to shoot the three People's Party soldiers or tear them limb from limb, treating negotiators this way was indeed improper—especially after that rocket barrage, which had made the German soldiers feel a terrible danger closing in relentlessly. In the end, the officer stopped the soldiers from binding the team.

"What have you come for?" a second lieutenant asked.

"We are here to negotiate. War has begun, and your civilians are entering the fortress. This fortress is a combat zone; once our artillery opens fire, heaven knows if they will be caught in the crossfire. Therefore, we suggest placing the civilians in a neutral zone where neither side will conduct military operations."

Lin Juemin's suggestion caught the German officer off guard. This mode of handling the situation was very much in line with European practice. But this was China; the lieutenant even wondered if his eyes were deceiving him. Perhaps this black-haired, black-eyed Chinese man speaking broken, almost incoherent German was actually a European?

Not only the lieutenant, but the German soldiers and civilians who heard this stared at Lin Juemin with utter astonishment. The lieutenant remained silent for a moment before asking, "Is there anything else?"

"We are the glorious Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army of the People's Party. I now formally present our demand: the German forces within the Qingdao Fortress must surrender to our army by 3:00 AM tomorrow. Until that time, our side will temporarily refrain from attacking. If there is no contact from your side by 3:00 AM, we will consider it a refusal to surrender. If your side intends to continue fighting but is concerned about the civilians, then please send a representative with me now to our headquarters. Our side will discuss the issue of civilian safety with you. Regardless, if your side does not surrender, 6:00 AM tomorrow will be our final deadline, and combat will certainly begin. Please convey our intentions to your superiors, Lieutenant."

The faces of the Germans around Lin Juemin, already grim, darkened further. The People's Party negotiator's demands were not unusual—one might even call them chivalrous. But as the party clearly in the weaker position, the Germans—soldiers and civilians alike—felt a deep sense of shame.

However, since the People's Party had sent formal representatives, the lieutenant didn't dare take full responsibility. "Please wait a moment." With that, he ran into the fortress. Twenty minutes later, he returned somewhat out of breath. After showing a written order to the officer guarding the gate, he approached Lin Juemin. "Please follow me."

As they walked, Lin Juemin praised them in Chinese to his comrades. "The Germans are indeed very disciplined."

"Yes. Chairman Chen said that without a written order, even if he personally knocked on the gate, the guard shouldn't open it. It's easy to say, but when it comes to doing it, I doubt anyone would actually dare," a comrade replied. If it were the People's Party, this lieutenant probably wouldn't have needed any written order; a simple word would have seen them into the fortress.

The group didn't go far. In a building near the entrance, Captain Hanel, the acting Governor of Kiautschou, waited with a stern expression.

After being introduced, Lin Juemin gave a military salute to the captain. "I am Lin Juemin of the People's Party Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army."

After a pause, Captain Hanel reluctantly returned the salute. Before the negotiations began, Lin said, "Mr. Captain, my German is quite poor. Some things I may only be able to express clearly in Chinese. It would be best if you could find a translator to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

Hanel replied, "The gentleman beside me is a translator. You may speak in Chinese."

With the guarantee of communication, both sides sat to begin the negotiation. The People's Party's demands were few—the same ones Lin had just stated. Captain Hanel immediately requested an extension of the negotiation time.

Lin Juemin replied solemnly, "Currently, the main German forces in China are split between Lianyungang and Beijing. If we cannot take the Qingdao Fortress in the short term, it will be extremely disadvantageous for our side once your reinforcements enter the fortress. Therefore, we do not have much time to leave for your side."

Hanel asked with a dark face, "And what about the time we use for this negotiation?"

"The time we spend negotiating will not change our starting time for combat. Even if we talk until 3:00 AM tomorrow, combat will break out. Please be certain of this."

At these words, Hanel's face turned so grim it seemed he might burst. Only for the sake of German dignity did he refrain from uttering insults in his state of extreme humiliation. But even so, he had to admit that from the People's Party's perspective, the demand was not incomprehensible. Yet for the German forces in the fortress now, the People's Party truly had them by the throat due to their severe lack of troops.

"Just how many men do you have that you dare to attack the Qingdao Fortress?" Hanel asked.

"You will see when we attack," Lin Juemin replied with a smile.

Such a composed attitude made Hanel feel even more humiliated. He said through gritted teeth, "You will never withstand the expeditionary force Germany is about to send."

Upon hearing this, the smile vanished instantly from Lin Juemin's face. Hanel felt his threat had worked. The People's Party might dare to move against a weak Qingdao Fortress, but faced with the wrath of Germany—and indeed the entire Western world—they might not have the courage to respond.

Just as Hanel thought he had overwhelmed Lin Juemin's spirit, Lin spoke. This time, he used not his poor German but a fluent Mandarin with a slight Cantonese accent. He answered word by word: "Perhaps your German expeditionary force is powerful. But if you Germans want to occupy our Chinese land, you will first have to cross over our corpses. If you cannot cross over them, you will only return to Germany lying in coffins."

Hanel did not understand Chinese. The translator, who had been useless until now, turned pale. It wasn't until Hanel glared at him that he recovered from the shock and translated Lin Juemin's words into German. Hanel fell silent.

Without waiting for Hanel to say more, Lin Juemin said, "Mr. Captain, I have conveyed everything to you. Is there anything in my statement you do not understand?"

Hanel said coldly, "Are you in such a hurry to return?"

"I fear delaying you for too long. In that meaningless wasted time, it would be better if you could eat a few more bites of food," Lin Juemin replied.

Hanel did not grasp the Chinese-style malice in the German words. He coldly signaled that Lin could leave.

"By the way, Captain, what time does your watch show?" Lin remembered the final confirmation.

The two synchronized their watches. Lin's watch showed 6:10 PM on July 10. Hanel's showed 6:18 PM.

"Captain Hanel, my army will keep time by my watch. Please take note of this." Lin gave his final reminder.

...

The People's Party had no intention of waiting. This was the work attitude the organization had inherited from its leader, Chen Ke—who, in turn, had learned it from Chairman Mao.

Since the German forces had already suffered heavy losses, they had no troops left to defend the fortress walls unless they were to abandon the fortress entirely and place their men outside. Even if the Germans temporarily incorporated expatriates into their ranks, their strength could not possibly exceed three thousand. The Qingdao Fortress was vast; such a small force was far from enough to provide a seamless defense.

After hearing Lin Juemin's report, Pu Guanshui paid it little heed. In reality, combat had never ceased; the People's Party's deployments had never stopped. Because the German forces were so heavily hit, the deployments went even faster. Pu Guanshui ordered, "Artillery move forward. Regardless of what the Germans prepare to do, be ready to fire at 3:00 AM."

"Commander Pu, I want to go to the front," Lin Juemin said suddenly.

"Eh? Staff Officer Lin, you want to go to the front?" Pu Guanshui was somewhat surprised.

"Yes. I want to go to the front," Lin Juemin replied seriously. His words to Captain Hanel were those Chen Ke had spoken at the pre-war mobilization meeting. Chen Ke had made it very clear that the war with Germany might trigger armed intervention by the powers. "Comrades, there will surely be some in the Party who think that if we could just endure for a bit, we could reclaim China's interests once we are stronger. But I say: on this major issue of right and wrong, there is no room for endurance. Whoever wants to occupy Chinese territory must first cross over our corpses. If they can't cross over them, they'll go back to their hometowns in coffins. China's sovereignty is not up for discussion. The Manchu Qing discussed it with foreigners before; what was the result? Our People's Party will never follow the Qing's example!"

As it happened, in the negotiation with the Germans today, facing Hanel's threat, Lin Juemin had directly used Chen Ke's words. Now his blood was boiling, and he only wanted to kill the enemy on the battlefield.

Pu Guanshui replied calmly, "Staff Officer Lin, having you work in the Staff Department is the organization's arrangement. A People's Party member must follow the organization's arrangements. If you are placed in the Staff Department, you must complete your staff work. If the organization sends you to the front, you must go there to bleed and sacrifice. Do not act based on your personal desires and impulses. Do you understand?"

"Please, give me a chance!" Lin Juemin did not give up his idea.

"The German warships will return to Qingdao within 48 hours at the latest. We must take the fortress before the fleet arrives. The frontline infantry configurations are all trained; you haven't participated in the corresponding training or arrangements. You feel your blood boiling and think you can fight well at the front, but you're just as likely to cause trouble for the unit. If you want to go to a frontline unit, you'll go whether you want to or not once you've finished your staff term. Now, hurry and summarize what you saw inside the fortress. Get to work." Pu Guanshui gave his final answer.

"Yes!" Lin Juemin gave a dejected salute and left in a gloom.

Not long after the summer solstice, even as it approached 8:00 PM, there was still a sliver of light on the horizon. The Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army units, who had been resting since the morning, had eaten their dinner and began moving toward the Qingdao Fortress under the last rays of light. Soon, it was dark.

The People's Party rockets consisted of over a hundred parts and could be disassembled for easy transport. Before the battle, they could be pre-assembled to various degrees based on the situation. A skilled crew could fire three rounds in two minutes. After firing, the crew could simply abandon the launcher frames and run, avoiding the enemy's retaliatory fire.

The Germans were unlikely to deploy outposts, but the People's Party units dared not be careless. When the fortress guns were mounted, firing parameters for every zone had already been compiled. Given German rigidity, those parameter tables would certainly be precise. Therefore, the assembly points and rocket artillery positions had to be effectively placed.

The reason for giving the Germans until 3:00 AM was that base area experience showed it took that long for outposts to finalize the offensive zones. The vanguard would determine the march routes and positions first, and combat would begin as soon as the artillery and infantry entered their positions. If the assembly points were shelled, it meant the offensive couldn't even be launched.

Time passed second by second. For now, no sound could be heard from the command post, but hundreds of vanguard troops had already slipped into the enemy's artillery range to begin preparations.

"I hope to God the Germans don't come to negotiate," Pu Guanshui prayed silently. Although he had opposed the revenge-hungry Pang Zi during the day, for military reasons, a lack of negotiation meant the war could proceed freely. If the Germans truly negotiated, the People's Party would have no way to refuse humanitarian arrangements for civilians.

At 1:00 AM, a dull boom suddenly echoed from the distance. Then, closer by, came a violent explosion. The Germans had opened fire.

"Has the unit been discovered?" Pu Guanshui grew tense immediately. But he soon realized that the German shelling was far from the units' jump-off points, and even further from the vanguard's positions. Yet another blast followed the first. Pu Guanshui quickly understood: the Germans were using "artillery night-duty fire."

This was the "artillery night-duty fire" Chen Ke had spoken of—predicted fire based on expected night attacks, targeting areas the enemy might pass through at approximate times. If they hit someone, it was sheer luck. But such irregular shelling was very effective in disrupting enemy deployments and creating psychological pressure.

With the People's Party's current strength, even knowing the tactic, they simply lacked the resources to conduct such fire themselves. Despite always admiring Chen Ke, every time he proposed strategies or combat techniques that the People's Party had never considered—and they proved effective—Pu Guanshui couldn't help but feel heartfelt respect. Having such a man of extraordinary vision as the creator of the army gave the comrades a sense of security.

"The unit begins the offensive. Execute according to Class 1 combat standards." Exhaling, Pu Guanshui issued the order. Class 1 was a general standard, operating on the premise of no civilians in the combat zone. Anything perceived as a threat was to be neutralized as the priority. In later, more common terms: "Shoot first, ask questions later."

Just as Pu Guanshui's order was issued, an observer came in to report. "Commander Pu, our artillery has begun to return fire!"

Although the command post was a whirlwind of activity, with staff officers notifying units via field telephones, Pu Guanshui could afford a rare moment of ease. He rose and strode out of the command post. What he saw was the final stage of the rocket barrage: a dozen or so bright streaks of fire hurtling through the sky at high speed. They exploded violently near the German batteries of the Qingdao Fortress, the successive flashes so bright it felt as if dawn were breaking.

The formal assault on the Qingdao Fortress had finally begun.