Chapter 158 The Moon Over the Past
It was midsummer, and Xie Ning was lying in the courtyard basking in the sun. The warm sunlight warmed her increasingly cold body.
Chuncao was writing on the ground with a twig. The aroma of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) kept wafting from the kitchen, making Chuncao glance at the kitchen every now and then. She had no mind to write big characters at all.
This was the first time in all these years that Xie Ning had made zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). They had just come out of the pot, and before she could even taste them, she was called away to be a translator.
Chinese and foreign journalists wrote a joint letter to Chiang Kai-shek, and under pressure from all sides, the authorities had no choice but to allow them to conduct interviews in the border region.
Everyone in the border region welcomed the arrival of Chinese and foreign journalists, seeing it as a great opportunity to showcase themselves. However, due to the large number of foreign journalists, there was a shortage of translators, and Xie Ning had been serving as the leader's translator for some time.
The reporter who came to interview her this time was named Stein. Xie Ning thought she was just going to be a tool for him again, but unexpectedly, Stein called her back after the interview.
"Ning, I recognize you."
Xie Ning raised her eyebrows slightly. She didn't know how she had become so famous that this foreign reporter knew her and even seemed to recognize her.
Surely it wasn't from the bounty list again?
However, she wouldn't give an interview. Xie Ning glanced at the leader, who nodded slightly, and only then did she feel at ease and sit down to chat with Stein.
"Ning, you are a unique mechanical genius. The mines you created played an important role in the anti-fascist naval war... I heard that the United States offered you an olive branch, but you refused. You know, almost no one can refuse such benefits."
Xie Ning then remembered that Stein was talking about sea mines.
She had been researching this mine for a long time, but due to her limited expertise, she had only been able to develop a replica—or rather, an improved version—which, however, was technologically superior to existing mines.
Of course, they don't need these mines right now, and she doesn't intend to use them herself. She made them to make money. Only with money can she do other things. She can't always let others pay for her own money. She wants to earn money too. Managing so many factories is very expensive.
The initial agreement was that some of the production would take place in Yan'an, while the rest would be produced by the American Zhang's Weapons Company and then sold to the fleets of Britain, France, the United States, and other countries fighting the Japanese.
However, production was later handed over entirely to the Zhang family's weapons company. The reason was simple: the production efficiency here was too low, and transportation was difficult. The Kuomintang would not stand by and watch them make money, so they could only sell through the Zhang family's weapons company in the United States.
However, they claimed that the goods were transported from the border regions of China, which was also a way to increase their influence.
This would also increase fiscal revenue and expenditure and alleviate the burden on the people. It's just a pity that she never saw the Japanese torpedo bombers and couldn't conduct research on them.
In response to Stein's words, Xie Ning smiled slightly and said with righteous indignation, "We have all suffered greatly from the persecution of fascism. Standing on the united front against fascism, my contribution is insignificant, but it is all what I should do."
She just wanted to fight the Japanese and make money; she was too poor. In the past, because there was no lead, she even used wooden bullets.
"As for the olive branch Mr. Stein mentioned, the war is not over yet, and the invaders in the country have not been driven out... How can I abandon my country and flee? Perhaps I can play a role abroad, but I can play a greater role and do more things in the country... Moreover, my compatriots are here, fighting bloody battles, and I should do the same."
Stein admired him even more. Little did he know that Xie Ning had been secretly scheming to extract as much money as possible from his hometown.
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