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Armed CityAuthor: Kuroshima Denji
| Original Title | 武装せる市街 |
|---|---|
| Author | 黒島 伝治 |
| Genre | War & Social Literature |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a city choked by militarism and exploitation, a match factory becomes a microcosm of colonial oppression. Chinese laborers toil under toxic fumes and merciless Japanese overseers, their bodies ravaged by yellow phosphorus and starvation wages. Among them, Mikitaro—a conflicted supervisor—grapples with his empathy for the workers and disdain for his compatriots’ brutality. The factory’s Japanese executives profit from narcotics and arms trafficking, their greed entwined with warlord Zhang Zongchang’s corrupt regime. As Chiang Kai-shek’s Northern Expedition looms, whispers of revolution stir among the desperate workers, while anti-Japanese sentiment simmers. Amidst this tension, Mikitaro’s moral wavering and the workers’ silent resilience collide with the callous machinations of colonial profiteers. The air thickens with sulfur, decay, and impending upheaval—a powder keg where humanity’s fragility clashes with exploitation’s iron grip. Will defiance ignite, or will the city’s rot consume all? |
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