...
In the following period, "Shining Stars" continued to be updated normally.
In the latest update, the charming karaoke bar owner, Qiu Rongyue, makes her official debut. Wearing a stunning red cheongsam, with a smile in her eyes, she immediately captures the attention of many people. Her mission is to openly attract Chairman Yamada's attention and delay the start of the exchange conference.
Meanwhile, Bai Mingchuan, wearing a hat and carrying a camera, entered the school under the guise of a reporter. While others were preparing for the exchange conference, he secretly met with the senior scholar, Shen, who was hiding in the school.
Meanwhile, Meng Zetian's men also obtained the name "Shen Yiwei" from a student through severe torture.
This Shen Yiwei, or Teacher Shen, is the person who has recently sent numerous letters to the newspaper. He even attempted to exploit the unique environment of the concession to send letters opposing the invasion and exposing the massacres to the international community, hoping to use international public opinion to put pressure on the Japanese military.
At the same time, he was secretly gathering students, spreading his ideas and beliefs, and calling on them to unite as one to resist the enemy's brainwashing and cultural control!
This kind of person absolutely cannot be allowed to live! They must be eliminated as soon as possible!
Without any hesitation, Meng Zetian led his men directly towards the school.
So, amidst the tense atmosphere, the two groups finally met at the school...
"Mr. Shen, you should come with me!"
Bai Mingchuan looked at the old man who stood as steady as a mountain at the desk, his eyes filled with pleading: "They have already started arresting students in large numbers for interrogation. It won't be long before you are discovered. If you don't leave now, it will be too late."
Mr. Shen, however, remained calm and composed, continuing to write his manuscript with an air of nonchalance: "No need, Comrade Bai, you can go now. I'm not leaving today."
Bai Mingchuan paced anxiously, "Mr. Shen, I know you're worried about your students, but right now you're the most important person! We need you!"
"The Greater East Asia Cultural Exchange Conference is coming up soon, how could I possibly miss it?"
Mr. Shen stopped writing with his pen.
"They invaded our land and tried to undermine our integrity. They put bayonets to our necks and demanded that we admire their civilization."
"The human body can endure suffering, but the human spirit cannot be extinguished!"
Mr. Shen raised his eyes, staring intently at Bai Mingchuan, his face already showing a calm and composed demeanor as if facing death: "Comrade Bai, I am very grateful to you for being willing to lend a helping hand to this old man in this time of crisis, but I am sorry, I will have to disappoint you this time."
Bai Mingchuan's Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to continue his persuasion: "Mr. Shen, I understand what you mean, but you also know that this is tantamount to suicide. You are the spark of culture, the spiritual leader of many. You could have led your students and many more people in resistance, instead of staying here—"
"You're wrong, child."
Mr. Shen shook his head, his gaze falling to the window, his expression tinged with melancholy: "The spark was never hidden here."
"I've lived through that era, and I've witnessed far too much along the way."
“Look, the withered tree outside the window is in autumn and winter. No matter how tenacious the leaves on the tree are, they will eventually fall to the ground and be buried in the soil to become fertilizer for spring. True hope is never on a single leaf, but is hidden in the roots under the soil and deep in the hearts of countless people.”
"A single leaf cannot represent the arrival of spring, nor can it stop the invasion of winter. All it can do is contribute its last bit of meager strength to the future of this great tree."
Mr. Shen chuckled self-deprecatingly, folded the dried letter in front of him, put it in an envelope, and handed it to Bai Mingchuan: "Child, go on, give this letter to your superior, he will understand."
Bai Mingchuan hadn't expected this outcome. After a moment of silence, he reached out and took it.
Mr. Shen looked around his office one last time, picked up his pen again, wrote a final sentence on the paper on his desk, then stood up and straightened his clothes.
"Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon."
Mr. Shen glanced at his watch, straightened his back, and walked with a steady and composed gait: "I should go and greet them."
-
On the day "Shining Stars" was updated, related topics exploded.
May Mr. Shen rest in peace.
[Waaaaah, you heartless, Hidden Star Shines! Give me back Mr. Shen! Waaaaah—]
[After all that buildup, seeing how meticulously Li Shuo and Rong Yue planned, even preparing for the student council's premature leak, I thought they would definitely be able to send Mr. Shen away. But I never expected that Mr. Shen himself wouldn't want to leave!]
[The empty auditorium and the raging fire, with Mr. Shen giving a speech without notes inside, and his students and colleagues outside, as well as the enemies who set the fire... When will I be able to stop crying when I see such a scene...]
When I saw that Mr. Shen had been burned alive, I burst into tears.
The integrity of a scholar remains unyielding even when engulfed in flames.
I didn't cry when I saw Mr. Shen's death, but when Li Shuo was ordered to investigate Mr. Shen's office and saw Mr. Shen's last words, I really couldn't hold back anymore—
"What's this?"
Taking advantage of Li Shuo's dazed state, Meng Zetian suddenly snatched the letter from Li Shuo's hand.
The calligraphy above is vigorous and powerful, displaying the style of a master, while the content itself directly expresses the pride of a scholar.
"True character is revealed in times of adversity, and its deeds are recorded in history."
True character is revealed in times of crisis, and those who sacrifice their lives for their country will be remembered in history.
Meng Zetian looked at the words above, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he let out an extremely sarcastic and disdainful sound from his nose.
"Fine, fine, you want to go down in history, huh?"
He turned around, his voice icy: "Go, drag that guy's body out and hang it on the flagpole outside. He wants to go down in history? Fine, I'll give him a hand! Let those restless people come out and see what happens to them if they continue to resist—"
"etc--"
Li Shuo quickly stopped Meng Zetian's actions.
Meng Zetian stared at Li Shuo with a sinister look: "Oh? Section Chief Li, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you've been influenced by Shen Yiwei's 'one stroke of genius'?"
"Captain Meng, there have been enough farces today."
Li Shuo looked at Meng Zetian, unfazed by his tone, and said calmly, "Shen Yiwei is no ordinary person. This is the school where he spent many years, filled with his students and colleagues. The fact that you burned him alive in front of so many people has already served as a deterrent. If you continue to desecrate his corpse, it might provoke a backlash. Besides, reporters captured this incident on camera. Instead of continuing to torment a dead man, you should go back and explain what happened today to your superiors."
Meng Zetian's gaze remained fixed on Li Shuo's face, as if trying to discern something, while Li Shuo maintained his fake smile, revealing no flaw.
Finally, Meng Zetian withdrew his gaze, lifted his leg, and walked outside: "Destroy everything here, then call it a day—"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
