On May 10, 1941, Zhou Lin met Yang Kun on Zhoujia Island.

Originally, Yang Kun was planned to come to Nanyang with Zhou Lin, but he was afraid that the Japanese would suspect him, so Yang Kun left for Nanyang a month later.

After meeting Yang Kun, Zhou Lin knew that the task given to him by Chongqing was not to escort materials, but to escort a group of Nanyang "Nanqiao mechanics" who returned to China to participate in the Anti-Japanese War.

It turned out that after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese army invaded the coastal cities, and the Nationalist Government concentrated the elite of the army in Mingzhu to launch a fierce battle with the enemy, which was an important industrial and commercial city in China at that time - an important economic town.

Due to the Japanese invasion, a large number of industrial and commercial factories and banks along the coast moved from the coast to the interior, and the desperate resistance of the Chinese defenders bought a certain amount of time for the relocation of these industrial and commercial factories and banks.

A large number of factories were moved to Kunming, Yunnan Province, and because of its location in the southwest, Kunming became the rear of the Anti-Japanese War.

At that time, there were dozens of factories rebuilt in Kunming, mainly engaged in steel and military industries, which were all important industries.

Factories are moving, and along with industrial and commercial factories, a large number of people are moving, and the population of the southwest region is soaring.

China's military production capacity is relatively backward, and it can only manufacture some good light weapons, such as airplanes, tanks, trucks, and other heavy equipment, which rely on external assistance or foreign purchases.

Raw materials for production and daily necessities for migrants are also needed.

However, China's important coastal ports have basically been lost, and the Northwest Highway and the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway have also been cut off due to changes in the international situation.

The Nationalist Government considered the possibility of the above-mentioned crisis, and at the end of 1938 built a road from Kunming to Burma, which was connected with the central railway of Burma to the port of Yangon in Burma, which was the Yunnan-Burma Highway.

Originally, the road was built urgently to rush for international aid and supplies purchased from abroad. However, after the completion of the highway, the highway has become an important highway connecting China with the outside world, and it is responsible not only for rushing military supplies, but also for transporting raw materials for industrial production and daily necessities for the people in the rear.

The Nationalist Government set up the "Southwest Transportation Office" to be responsible for related transportation affairs.

After the establishment of the transportation department, the first priority was to recruit and train a large number of drivers, so a large number of drivers were sent by the government to Yangon, Myanmar to pick up the cars, trucks, etc., which were aided and purchased by foreign countries, and drove back to the rear of the southwest with supplies.

With automobiles, the Yunnan-Burma Highway was able to play its role, and in the two years from 1939 to 1941, more than 10,000 cars were rushed back to China.

When the car is guaranteed, the situation of serious shortage of drivers appears, and then the overseas Chinese living abroad extend a rescue hand to the motherland.

Mr. Tan Kah Kee, the leader of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, after learning that the motherland needed a large number of car drivers and repair personnel, issued the "Announcement No. 6 of the Overseas Chinese Association", calling on young drivers and mechanics among overseas Chinese to return to China to participate in the war of resistance and fight together with the country.

The notice was immediately responded, and many patriotic overseas Chinese enthusiastically signed up, and some even gave up the current superior conditions.

They are known as the "Nanyang Overseas Chinese Mechanics Return Service Group", and there have been four batches of overseas Chinese who have returned to China before, and there are a total of 1,192 overseas Chinese who have volunteered to return to China to help the Anti-Japanese War.

The return of the previous four groups of personnel has already attracted the attention of the Japanese.

The Japanese absolutely did not allow these skilled overseas Chinese in Nanyang to return to China to participate in the war, and the commander of the army stationed in China issued an order to kill all those who returned to Nanyang to participate in the war.

As a result, the Japanese army blocked the path for the Nanyang mechanics to return home from land.

There were Japanese warships patrolling the sea, with a focus on ships coming out of the South Sea.

Japanese agents have already learned that 800 Nanyang mechanics will return from Singapore this time.

With so many people returning home, it was impossible to hide it from the Japanese.

In the end, considering Zhou Lin's relationship with Smith in the United States, Chongqing decided to let Zhou Lin go to Nanyang to bring these 800 Nanyang overseas Chinese back to China safely.

"How many people did you bring here?" Zhou Lin asked Yang Kun.

"The director sent a special team of thirty people to Nanyang, but I didn't meet with them, and only contacted them by telegram." Yang Kun replied.

"Have you recruited all the 800 people now?" Zhou Lin asked.

Yang Kun shook his head: "There are already seven hundred and fifty people, what do you think?" ”

Zhou Lin immediately called Lao Fourteen, and he wanted to ask about Nanqiao Mechanic.

When the old fourteen came in, Yang Kun avoided it, and he couldn't show up.

"What's going on with those Nanqiao mechanics out there?" Zhou Lin asked the old fourteen.

"It's a group of overseas Chinese who are ready to return to China to work as mechanics, drivers and other workers."

Zhou Lin said strangely: "They are so fanfare, aren't they afraid that the Japanese will know?" ”

Old Fourteen smiled and said, "They take this as an honor. ”

"Glory? If you don't get it right, you're dead! Didn't the Japanese do anything? ”

Old Fourteen immediately whispered, "How could there be no action? The two people of Kobayashi, who have a good relationship with you, have already entered the 800 people. ”

Zhou Lin knew that Xiao Lin would not come alone, so he was not surprised when he heard this.

"Two people, what's the use? Contact is a struggle. Zhou Lin sneered.

"They don't have restrictions on their freedom of movement, they can go out at any time. And outside the temporary barracks for mechanics, the Japanese had an intelligence station. ”

"The Japanese are playing tricks again! You let our people punch in and feel the situation inside. Zhou Lin felt that it was not so easy to give it away this time.

After the old fourteen left, Yang Kun came out, and he had already heard the old fourteen's conversation.

"Things are a little difficult to do, and this time the Japanese will definitely make a move." Zhou Lin said.

Yang Kun took out a cigarette from Zhou Lin's cigarette case on the coffee table and lit it: "When I came, I thought it would be difficult, but I didn't expect it to be so difficult. Looking at the frame of the Japanese, the lives of these Nanyang people are still alive. ”

"As long as they enter China's waters, the Japanese can detain cargo ships carrying people, and if they don't get it right, they will send them to Japan to work as laborers." Zhou Lin knew that many prisoners of war were sent to Japan to work as miners.

"I also know about labor, and there are already more than 100,000 Chinese working as laborers in Japan." Yang Kun nodded.

"Is it possible to react to the above and cancel this operation?" Zhou Lin asked.

Yang Kun shook his head: "I reported yesterday, but the director said that Yunnan is in urgent need of technicians, so we have to send people no matter what." ”

Eight hundred technicians can indeed bring great help to the transportation of materials in Yunnan.

"I suggest that you also send ten people to fight in, so that they can follow the mechanics from Nanyang to Yunnan, all the way, and protect them." Zhou Lin said.

"When I heard that the Japanese had sent people, I had this plan." Yang Kun said.

"Wait near the contact point of the Japanese to find out what the Japanese face when they enter, and then find another Japanese through him. Don't touch them for now, and when all the people are on board, the ship has left the South Seas, and kill the two Japanese. ”

"I went to send them a report and set a task. Be right back. ”