Chapter 110: Three or Four Ah Zheng 1
She slept for twenty hours.
In stark contrast to the tranquility of the Red Cross Hospital at the Western Ship Wharf in the International Settlement, the news-rich world of Shanghai had been turned upside down in those twenty hours.
The editors of "Eastern Magazine", "Shen Bao" and "Shang Bao" of the Commercial Press in Shanghai received a roll of tape at three o'clock in the morning. They overturned and remade the previous day's newspapers overnight, and finally managed to deliver these photos to major foreign companies, apartments and stores in Shanghai on time before work started at nine o'clock.
All those who have the habit of reading newspapers in the morning, when they opened this best-selling newspaper, found that almost all the space in the newspaper was used to disclose a group of photos, a group of demons that slowly grew during the long power outage night, and spent months of sleeping nights silently together with all the people in Shanghai.
One photograph shows human organs, embryos, and babies suspended in formalin in thousands of test tubes, Erlenmeyer flasks, and clear sealed jars.
A photo shows tens of thousands of petri dishes stored in refrigerators. The Japanese labels and corresponding documents on them are translated into concise Chinese characters. Words such as "plague bacteria petri dish", "cow blood powder (033) petri dish", and "human blood (Ishii) powder" are printed in shocking bold lead type in newspaper headlines.
In addition, there is another most weighty photo, which is found in a pile of files called "Records of Chinese Ape Anatomy" - there is a photo in the file, a man is tied to the operating table, three doctors in white coats and rubber gloves are skinning him alive, and there is Japanese text below, which is called - burn treatment material.
A copy of a set of biochemical equipment began with this summary: "A total of ninety groups of 033 tests conducted at the Hongkou Spinning Mill Hospital had a mortality rate of 90.62%, fully demonstrating the astonishing lethality of this weapon and Your Majesty's wise and decisive decision."
…
The three newspapers jointly disclosed that the city of Shanghai, which was already more commercial and entertainment-oriented than other cities, was shaken throughout the day on April 2nd. The newspapers that were sent to other cities across the country in the early morning of that day also broadcast the news to this Far Eastern continent in the next few days.
Most of the other newspapers that did not receive the secret film that night were reporting on the "China-Japan-UK Friendship Dinner" that successfully completed the new research after six weeks of experiments; and these untimely reports indirectly highlighted the sensationalism of this set of photos and the absurdity of the dinner.
The photos and reports arrived so quickly that they caught the International Settlement Municipal Council, the Japanese police, and Nanjing off guard. Nanjing submitted arrest warrants and a request for armed soldiers to enter the concession to conduct the arrests to the Municipal Council. After receiving approval from the British, American, and French authorities, the Municipal Council immediately ordered Song Jingru, commander of the 2nd Regiment of the 6th Division of the 25th Army, to lead a large number of armed soldiers from the 25th Army to Shanghai to establish an armed security presence. This would allow for the immediate suppression of any "evil-minded individuals" attempting to incite the crowd to riot amidst the public outrage.
At dawn, as the city let out its first mournful whine from the Huangpu River, some newspapers were still reporting on gossip. If someone was particularly bored this morning, they might have noticed an engagement announcement mixed in, involving Lam and Carrie Lam.
When Chu Wang opened his eyes, all he saw was a silent white - white walls, white ceiling, white pillows and white cotton sheets.
In the silence, a faint whisper lingered beyond the white walls and curtains. She stirred slightly, her whole body limp, her head aching especially. Her mouth was so dry that her lips and teeth felt sticky. Her throat was sore and hoarse, and when she opened her mouth to speak, she strained too much to control her vocal cords, causing her voice to crack. For a moment, she thought she had become a man.
A white nurse from the Rescue Society rushed over to help her, asking with concern in a Scottish accent, "Would you like some water? Or would you like to go to the bathroom? You have a mild concussion, so you might feel dizzy and nauseous. If you want to feel uncomfortable, just lie down and don't move. If you need anything, please let Mary and I help you."
She shook her head slightly, feeling dizzy. She asked hoarsely, "What's that noise outside?"
"They are all here to see you, your friends and relatives. But you cannot be disturbed, ma'am. The nursing time is only fifteen minutes, and you can only invite one or two people at most..."
"Who are they?"
"There were a lot of people, about ten. Some came this morning, and some left. Oh, by the way, I agreed to watch your bedside for you, provided the officer who brought you here promised not to speak to you. He just left, apparently to bring you your hospital meal." Talking about the young men and women, the nurse's face lit up and she began to talk more. "Three of those who came to visit you were Polish, Dutch, and American. They waited all morning and have since left. They left you flowers and said they'll come back tomorrow. There was a mixed-race girl, and the rest were Chinese. I don't remember any of their names, except for "Si," or something. I'll go ask."
She called to the nurse, "Can you please let him in?
"Yes?" The nurse raised an eyebrow. "Okay."
When the nurse went out to call for help, she touched her head. Her head, forehead and chin were tightly bandaged, leaving only her face exposed. She had also changed into a clean cotton and linen hospital skirt. She must look funny like a Catholic nun, she thought.
There was a noise at the door, and when she looked up, she realized that the "Si" was actually Si Ying. The nurse followed in with a bouquet of flowers and a card. She placed them by her bed and went out to tell the group of people who had been waiting outside all day to come visit her another day.
To appear polite, Chu Wang tried to rise, but Si Ying hurriedly asked her to lie back down. She lay there quietly, waiting for Si Ying to speak. She only had fifteen minutes, and Si Ying didn't waste any time. "Knowing that you and your father have had some issues in recent years, he wanted me to ask my wife to discuss a marriage between our two families." He looked at her expression and said, "Her Chinese isn't very good, and I'm afraid she might make you confused, so I've taken the liberty of coming here."
"No." She said calmly, "What is the result of your discussion?"
Si Ying coughed twice and spoke in a tone that was almost gentle and calm. "After the Shanghai Hotel, we decided to let Yan Sang continue his studies in New York, studying international law. This is also his personal wish. If your situation is resolved, and if you are willing, after you get married, we will send you both to the United States. Of course, if things in the northwest take a different turn and you can't leave the port, then Yan Sang can... can come with you." He and his wife both loved the child lying in the hospital bed more, knowing that their son only loved her; but they also knew what kind of partner he needed more. This was the best decision they could make for him, but also the worst one.
She thought for a moment with her eyelids lowered, then smiled and said, "Thank you, Uncle Si and Mrs. Si, for your kindness, but I can't bear it."
Si Ying asked, "Why did Lotus Road in Hong Kong blame your sister for him, and the Shanghai Hotel stood up for him, constantly defending him and making him worry about it, and then you say you can't bear it?"
She looked at Si Ying quietly.
Si Ying sighed, "Whether he can bear it or not, he will miss you all his life. No matter where you are, whether you are married or not, there will be no one else in his heart."
"Uncle Si, I respect you. Yan Sang deserves better. And you know I'm not the best. You and Yan Sang are both very simple and pure people, serving one man without regrets and choosing one person to grow old with. Because of your purity and clear distinctions, you are too highbrow and too easy to be betrayed." She thought for a moment, "If you had given up on that leader who is no longer reliable and used the excellent troops and intelligence you have on the right decision-makers, you would be a sharp blade. Uncle, have you ever thought about how much corruption and chaos this sharp blade could split if used in the right place?"
Si Ying probably didn't expect that he came to persuade her, but was persuaded by her instead. He couldn't help but remain silent for a while.
Fifteen minutes had passed, and the nurse knocked on the door as a reminder. As Si Ying stood up, Chu Wang continued, "Uncle, if you come to see me later, I'll be at your service. But please stop speaking on behalf of my 'father.' He doesn't deserve my respect, and not just because he wasn't a good father to me. He's treacherous, philistine, and not even a friend worth keeping. He doesn't deserve your wholehearted trust. I know what I said today is so outrageous it's punishable by death. Even so, I still ask that you consider my words when you meet him and discuss politics, and think twice before you act."
Before leaving, Si Yinglin suddenly turned back and gave her a long, serious look. She remembered seeing Si Yinglin's portrait when he first returned to China, and how he had been so elegant and imposing. The once powerful figure, so passionate about power struggles, now seemed to have been deeply hurt, and there was a hint of age in his brow.
Si Ying left without saying a word.
She tilted her head back to look at the ceiling, thinking to herself, Sakuma was right. Fired her first bloody shot, her entire personality was elevated, her soul seemed cleansed, and so suddenly, even she was impressed by her own literary talent. She decided to strike while the iron was hot and write a letter she should have written long ago. She asked the nurse for paper and pen, placed them on the small dining table, thought for a moment, and then began to write rapidly. Perhaps it was the severity of the concussion or the memory loss from all those years, but she struggled to recall things, having to rest after every few sentences. She had only written half a page when she heard someone outside speaking English with Mary.
Her heart skipped a beat when she heard that familiar Oxford accent. She suddenly remembered, as if she had said a lot of incredible things while lying in his arms before passing out. But she couldn't quite recall what they were. Even hearing Xie Zeyi's voice made her feel strangely nervous. She shrunk a few inches under the covers, still holding a piece of paper and pen, and peeking out from under the white sheets, looking over guiltily.
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