Their plan has been underway for more than a year: The villagers have been gradually raising the bottom of their harbor channel with stones, in order to trap the local Red Chinese patrol boat once it has been lured inside. Sinking sampans loaded with rocks at the channel mouth will cause it to run aground, trapping it, while the village makes its escape. The villagers have also been quietly accumulating arms, ranging from Browning machine guns to Mosin–Nagant rifles and Nagant revolvers. They are forced to deal with the complication of the Communist Feng family, who must be brought along so they cannot inform on the rest of the villagers or be shot for allowing the escape.