Chapter 87 One Night Part 3
"Don't you think it's beautiful? So beautiful that it's shocking?"
It wasn't until Zhu Ercha, the Vice Consul in Shanghai and Army Major, asked this question that Xie Zeyi felt like a sleepwalker suddenly disturbed. When he came to his senses, his pupils contracted and he looked at Zhu Ercha belatedly: "Uh... what?"
Zhu Ercha turned his head to the window with an ambiguous smile on his face.
This was once the swampy expanse at the end of the British Concession, now the border of the International Settlement. In the distance, the city of Pidgin is visible, and the gradually rising skyscrapers around it all belong to the Japanese. A river flows slowly, reflecting the city lights; it's glittering, yet unreal.
"I'm talking about Shanghai," Zhu Ercha said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "When night falls, the concessions are brightly lit all night long. But on the north bank of Suzhou River, a completely different scene unfolds. Here, a world where heaven and hell intertwine. On one side, dancers dance gracefully in the high-rise buildings, while on the other, the slums are crowded and cramped."
Xie Zeyi turned his head away, feeling somewhat guilty, and casually agreed, "Ah, yes. Of course I'm shocked."
Julcha knew he wasn't answering the question. The captain had already left, and the major had retreated to the outskirts of the institute with a group of non-commissioned officers, leaving less than twenty top physicists to discuss the matter in the next room. Night had fallen, and the man remained absent-minded. If he pressed the issue, he would surely be unable to answer anything.
Jules had been in Shanghai for nearly ten years, starting as an aide-de-camp to De Wermen and eventually becoming vice-consul. His name had changed from Charles Jules to the Chinese name he later adopted, making him somewhat of a China expert. In a way, he believed he understood the place where his parents were born even better than Xie Zeyi did.
He stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the night view of Yangjingbang, and asked Xie Zeyi with a smile: "It's your first day here. How do you feel about this job?"
"Before I came, everyone said it was an easy job." He came, and the Japanese also came. Difficult things came out of the blue, catching him off guard.
"No. It's just a sinecure." Jules looked him over. "It was, and it is."
Xie Zeyi raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why?"
"The president of the Royal Society pleaded three times, and it's said that it took three earnest letters to barely convince His Majesty. His Majesty wasn't optimistic about this team, otherwise why would he only allocate a small amount of funds and ask him to use more than half of the Royal Society's funds to subsidize the rest? Almost no one in Britain could understand why, if it was so important, it couldn't be the property of the British Empire, but had to be moved to the colonies and grovel for cooperation with the Chinese government? The result of sending envoys again and again to negotiate cooperation was to move more than half of the project from the colonies to this... International Settlement?"
"What is Shanghai?" Julcha pointed out the window. "A place with the Yangtze River and its estuary on its back, it's not suitable for a capital city at all, but it's an excellent place for foreign trade. But the prosperity of a city doesn't mean the formation of urban order. Decades ago, the Americans also opened the door to the island nation southeast of China; decades later, that island nation was able to rise up and join us in China, becoming one of the 'great powers.' But this country can't do that. Whether it's the Qingpu Incident, the riot at the joint trial, the May 30th Incident, or the April 12th Incident. For a hundred years, the rights of the concessions were a chessboard in the hands of Britain, the United States, France, and Japan, and the Chinese never got a single advantage. In any case between the Chinese and us in this leased territory, China has never won, not even once. Do you know why?"
"Their government officials are afraid of causing trouble, so they'll oblige to any request. Just as the Qing government always obliged us in the past, they'll now oblige Japan in the same way. So, why bother going through this mess?" Zhu Ercha leaned closer, sneering, "Do you think the Japanese will actually agree to all the grand speeches from that little girl next door? She's just trying to appease a child!"
"Is that so?" Xie Zeyi smiled sadly.
Zhu Ercha patted him on the shoulder and said kindly, "So relax. Since the Japanese are so optimistic about this research, if they want to make trouble, just turn a blind eye. If the results in six weeks really attract the attention of the higher-ups, then besides being able to get a share of the profits, it won't be too embarrassing."
"'Beautiful, frail, powerless, seductive, and open to all who come. Anyone can sleep with her as long as we want.' Before coming to China, I thought this described Chinese women. After coming here, I realized that this is China itself." After a pause, Julcha continued, "I've also heard that you've been refusing to return to England, and that you've had a lot of unpleasantness with your father because of this."
Zhu Ercha looked at the golden key on his chest. "Why not? You are a top student in Febeda. You will have a bright future when you return to England."
Xie Zeyi stood in the shadows of the corner, looking a little lost. "Sorry, sir, I don't really want to answer this question."
"For China, or for women?" Zhu Ercha stared at the pair of black and white eyes with his cloudy lake blue eyes, trying to persuade him kindly: "No matter which one, I advise you not to try, and don't keep hope. Because their end will be the same, Zoe. Haven't you heard? 'China is a paradise for Western men, a gluttonous feast for delicious food and beauty'. No matter how noble a woman is, as long as we want her, she will become food served on the table to be slaughtered. You may be obsessed with her beauty for a while, but besides you, there are many more powerful people who are watching covetously. "Think about your status, Zoe, and how the Chinese government often sends us beautifully packaged, picture-perfect ladies to win us over... No matter how well dressed she is, she's nothing more than a high-class Oriental prostitute. If you climb into her bed today, others will be able to climb into her bed tomorrow. Zoe, you must understand that she's not a good match. If you ever return to England, British society wouldn't allow you to have a Chinese wife, Zoe, given your status. You're just acting on impulse, and you shouldn't ruin your future."
Zoe, they are short and have vulgar manners. You are different from them, why do you take sides with them?
Zoe, this is just a whim of yours, why do you want to ruin your future?
While listening to his superior's lecture, the question he had asked many years ago kept repeating in his mind.
Why should we side with them?
Xie Zeyi burst out laughing.
"I didn't act on impulse, sir," he said softly, moving and emerging from the darkness. He was instantly bathed in the bright neon light streaming in from the window. "There's nothing to understand."
Zhu Ercha nodded approvingly, "I believe you won't lose your mind either."
Then Zhu Ercha's adjutant came in and handed him a small, exquisite box. Zhu Ercha took it in his hand, looked at it, put it on the table, and pushed it in the direction of Xie Zeyi, and the box slid in front of him.
He reached out to take it, opened it, and saw that it was a brand new Enfield No2 MK1.
"Why?" He looked at the gun several times. Normally, every gun should have a serial number, or even the owner's name engraved on it. For example, the gun he had when he was first commissioned as a lieutenant, a 5-inch MK4, had "Warfinish" engraved on the left side of the buttstock and "Zoesetse" on the right.
This rifle was used as a sidearm by the British Army for a long time. Because it was produced during World War I, it has the word "War Finish" on it. However, it is very difficult to use, so it is often jokingly called "War Finisher" instead of "Wartime Crudeness, Please Forgive It!"
He held up the Enfield and squinted his eyes. "In Shanghai, besides suppressing an uprising, when else would we need to use weapons?"
"Weapons are a symbol of a soldier's status. Now that you've been promoted, it's natural that your rifle should be upgraded as well." Zhu Ercha handed him a paper telegram. "You have important matters to attend to, so use this one for now. We'll replace it all at once when the next batch of guns arrives."
The English telegram that has been opened, if translated, is:
—British anti-fascist students, in collaboration with the French Communist Party, contacted the Paris Institute of Physics and Chemistry to dispatch a team of geophysical students and teachers to China aboard the Bruno. They were intercepted several times by Japanese ships in the South China Sea and are now lingering in Penang, requesting reinforcements. Yours faithfully, Lu
He had received a similar order the previous week. He had two teams of Guangdong fishermen guide the French chemist ship ahead, landing at Fisherman's Wharf near Shantou and continuing overland to their destination. Because Taipingshan's signal was received quickly, the British ship departed quickly, leaving the Japanese and Nationalist governments empty-handed. As the ship, filled with Royal Navy and Army personnel, drank coconut milk, chewed betel nuts, and chatted about the weather and women, departed for home, the warships of the other two countries finally arrived.
Lin Zitong knew that he had come up empty-handed and that further searching would be of no avail, so he naturally walked away quickly.
With the lessons learned from the previous incident and the Japanese army's tight defenses against Nanjing, landing would be difficult for this group of geologists. They circled day and night between the South China Sea and the British colonies in Southeast Asia, waiting for someone to find a way to guide them.
If it weren't for his first successful piloting, he wouldn't have gotten the job at the research institute. But after the first success, the second one wouldn't be so easy.
He burned the telegram and then smiled bitterly.
After the telegram burned, the adjutant extinguished the candle and wiped away the ashes with a wet cloth.
"Drudgery? Huh? Still worried about your little beauty?"
Zhu Ercha patted Xie Zeyi for encouragement, then put his hand on his shoulder. The two of them walked out of the door side by side, preparing to take a bus to the dock. In the dark night, under the street lights, the furry light green figure was walking alone between two rows of onlookers. Amidst the teasing gazes and laughter full of hormones, he walked cautiously out of the alley.
——
She spent the whole day running wild with the knowledge gained seventy years later. After she had negotiated with the i-Team and Yoshio Nishina, the sun had already set and the night had enveloped the city, but her heart was still beating wildly.
If you ask her what she most wanted to do right now, it would be to call Xu Shaoqian and, in private, with his meticulousness, systematically sort out the details of the asphyxiation effect, the earthquake zone, and the nuclear leak. She felt the joy of holding a treasure, a joy that touched the future, and no one else could share it with her except Xu Shaoqian.
Although she felt a little lonely, her steps were still brisk. At least, he would know soon.
The rest of Group i left first, and Bohr left her and Oppenheimer alone to discuss the detailed plan for a while. Besides, the two had some grievances to settle involving Fermi, so they let her go first.
Her excitement lasted until she walked out of the laboratory building and saw the group of Japanese soldiers at the door. Then she suddenly felt a little cold. Thinking back on the whole day and remembering her unpleasant conversation with Xie Zeyi that morning, she waited at the door, shivering in her coat, thinking: Is he really going to leave me alone?
She searched floor after floor, but every British soldier she met said they hadn't seen him. Frustrated, she thought, "What if he really just gave up on me? What should I do?" She decided to call Mrs. Ge and tell her, "I've pissed off Xiao Xie. Why don't we find someone with a little more patience than him?"
Probably not anymore...
She sighed helplessly, wrapped herself tightly in her coat, and descended the steps of the research institute. The Japanese soldiers had clearly just finished their shift, and with nightfall, they were bored and curious about everything. They gathered in small groups, blocking the alley, which was barely wide enough for two cars to pass, until it was only wide enough for two people to walk. As she approached, the Japanese soldiers whistled cheerfully, and fierce glances shot her way, as if they had been stripped of their coats and cheongsams in an instant, leaving them walking naked among the crowd.
She walked with her head down, her face burning. She didn't notice a tall figure slowly approaching from behind her. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "My hands are a little cold. Can you warm them for me?"
Before she could come to her senses, this man moved very naturally and smoothly, hugging her and putting his hand into her right coat pocket.
The Japanese soldiers behind and in front of them whistled at the two men and instantly cleared a path for them.
Xie Zeyi put his hand into her pocket for just a moment and then pulled it out without any extra movement.
Her pocket felt heavy, and when she reached out her hand, she actually touched something cold.
Xie Zeyi still held her in his arms, and the two of them walked forward side by side, leaving the group of British and Japanese soldiers behind. He then whispered, "It's cold, isn't it?"
She was shocked by the thing, her throat was dry, and she could only nod woodenly.
Xie Zeyi had a slight smile on his face and kept saying softly, "It's yours now. Touch it and see what's on it."
Her fingertips slid over the barrel, the magazine, the trigger... until she reached the grip. The grip was still slightly warm, with letters engraved on both sides. She was startled when she made out the six letters on the right. Just as she was about to ask a question, she looked up and met Xie Zeyi's bright, burning gaze.
"I'll be away from Shanghai quite a bit lately, so leave it to its care. Six rounds. No matter how many you use, wipe off fingerprints after use and dispose of it nearby. Got it?"
His voice has always been nice, whether he is speaking Cantonese, English, German, or even Chinese with a Cantonese accent.
At this moment, in the dead of night, the voice seemed to have a magical power, making her unable to help asking, "But why?"
He still wanted to say frivolously as usual: "Is it okay if I come here uninvited?"
The words came to my lips, but somehow they turned into: "Mrs. Ge asked me to take good care of you."
Really... you can't even tell a joke properly.
He shook his head and laughed at himself.
She paid no attention to this detail, and continued to touch the other side of the gunstock. She touched the letter on the right, then the letters on the left. These two groups of words seemed to fascinate her, making it almost impossible for her to pull her hand away.
After leading her out of the alley, Xie Zeyi let her go, rubbed his cold hands, and exhaled a puff of mist.
Standing in front of her, he smiled and said, "Miss San. Zoetse's life is in your hands." (m.)138TXT
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