After the Japanese set up a puppet government in Manchuria in 1931, anti-Japanese feeling ran high. When full-scale war broke out in 1937, among those who formed resistance units were students of the Liaoning Medical College, including Chi Kang. Because at the time the situation was not ripe for open revolt, says Chi, the students 'main mission was to "sow seeds" of resistance.
「反滿抗日」的情緒自然瀰漫當地，等到全面抗戰開始，遼寧醫學院秘密組織「覺覺團」，這群以「自覺覺人」為志的學生，於是正式加入地下東北抗戰機構，在日本人嚴密監視、搜捕下，從事強固組織、散佈革命思想、爭取民眾、訓練人才…… 的工作。