I am Chen Hede, without a doubt.
I am the deputy chief of the French Concession Police Station, in charge of the security of the entire French Concession. I have three law enforcement teams, two detective chiefs, and countless police officers under my command.
The places I frequent are incredibly extravagant, where the gold bars I casually give to actors are astronomical sums that ordinary people could never accumulate in a lifetime.
I lived a very comfortable life of extravagance and indulgence.
I thought my life would just go on like this, soaring to great heights.
However, during my tenure, a group of people emerged in Xinhai City who frequently gave high-profile speeches, encouraging illiterate people to become their vanguard.
As a result, riots frequently broke out in New Sea City, even affecting the safety of foreigners in the French Concession.
The French consul demanded that I suppress and arrest those who were causing trouble.
To keep my secure job, I gladly accepted the order.
However, I unexpectedly spotted someone in the student march.
Those eyes were so beautiful, so beautiful that I will never forget them in my life.
Her slender and agile figure is as endearing as a lively little deer.
But I didn't fall in love with her at first sight. I fell for her because she slapped me in public.
This goes back several months and is about my revenge. It has nothing to do with the crimes I committed, and it involves my family, which I don't want to think about.
All I can say is that I went too far in my pursuit of revenge, and she slapped me to bring me back to my senses.
In an instant, she transformed the arrogant and conceited Chen Hede back into Chen Gou'er, who scavenged for food in the garbage dump.
Yes, even my name was given to me by Zhu Zhishui, the police chief of the French Concession. He was attracted to my ruthlessness and humility and was grooming me to be his future son-in-law.
It's a pity that before I could even fall for Miss Zhu, my heart no longer belonged to me; it drifted to her after that slap.
She is truly the most passionate and flamboyant daughter I have ever met, radiant and dazzling like the sun. I really can't imagine anyone not being moved by her.
Let me get back to myself. I arrested a lot of people during that protest, including her.
But no matter how I tried to persuade her, she was as stubborn as a rock. Unfortunately, the higher-ups had ordered the extermination of these reactionaries. I had no choice but to have someone take her away in order to protect her.
This was the first time I pushed her towards him.
But unexpectedly, she was soon brought back to the palace, again because of her stubbornness and her unwavering belief in what she called a vague faith.
Seeing her seemingly brainwashed appearance, I couldn't help but wonder what she was so desperately fighting for.
So I started to put in the effort to understand it, and even devoted all my energy to this organization.
Then, to everyone's astonishment! I discovered that what she believed in could truly save this country from extinction.
Perhaps this fledgling regime can end the British and French leases, drive out all those foreigners, and we will no longer need to follow two laws, learn two languages, and live at the mercy of others.
I realized that what they were doing was right.
After several struggles and confrontations, I seem to... come to accept her.
Later, I met their leader, talked with him all night, and finally decided to protect the organization.
I joined the organization that I had repeatedly ravaged.
Although I know they are fragile and idealistic.
Over the course of two years, I protected their evacuation more than forty times and secretly provided them with countless assistance.
Basically, every time they managed to escape from the French Concession with great difficulty, it was a play that I acted out with them.
I confess that as the deputy police chief of the French Concession and as the successor personally trained by Mr. Zhu Zhishui, I have failed in my duty.
But as a proud son or daughter of China, I am proud of everything I have done, and I even regret that I did not go too far and leave you with any leverage against me.
I hereby declare that I will never reveal a single person's name.
You all want me to write a confession, but Hede doesn't understand. What crime have I committed?
What crime have we Chinese sons and daughters committed in our efforts to save our country?
What crime is it for me to admire a woman?
I burn fiercely towards the sun, what crime have I committed?
That concludes my statement.
Written by Chen Hede in Xinhaicheng Prison in the dead of winter, 1932.
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I am an extremely arrogant person, probably because of my background. After all, I look glamorous, but nobody knows that I grew up eating garbage.
No one knows better than me how stinky the ditch next to the Huangpu River is, and no one knows better than me how heartbreaking it is to watch your sister being tortured.
I thought I was a beast in human skin. I went to great lengths to please Zhu Zhishui so that I could kill Liang Shaozun and avenge my sister.
I thought that after I took my revenge, I would completely turn into a beast, a refined scoundrel, climb up the social ladder for my own reputation, marry Miss Zhu, and enter the world of fame and fortune, becoming a degenerate who was neither human nor mortal.
But she slapped me awake.
Yes, I'm awake now.
I should have woken up; she was the one who woke me up in time and brought me faith.
I am willing to give my life for this faith.
I am just a worthless person; if I am not caught by these people, I will be caught by those seeking revenge.
So whether I live or die makes no difference to me.
Unfortunately, I was born lowly and will always feel that I am not good enough for Xu Zhuohua.
I pushed her toward Cheng Muyun time and time again.
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