sovbooks Chapter 1971 Evacuation and Remaining
Chapter 1971 Evacuation and Remaining
Chapter 1971 Evacuation and Remaining
"General Jin is a Chinese man of principle, willing to contribute to the resistance against Japan. Anyone willing to fight against Japan is a friend of our Party," the man in the long gown said. "What is there to be afraid of when visiting a friend's home?"
Jin Keming looked at the other person for a while, and then said, "May I ask your honorable name?"
“Zhang Cheng,” the man in the long robe said, “Zhang with the bow and arrow, Cheng as in Zheng Chenggong.”
"Mr. Zhang, what brings you here?" Jin Keming asked.
"The Japanese are about to take over the French Concession completely. Is Mr. Jin aware of this?" Zhang Cheng asked Jin Keming with a serious expression.
Jin Keming's expression changed drastically.
……
“Mr. Zhang, there’s no need for further words,” Jin Keming said in a deep voice. “If I don’t leave, I’d like to see what the Japanese can do to me!”
"Mr. Jin..."
“I am no nobody; I am someone of some standing in this French Concession. I’d like to see how the Japanese will treat me,” Jin Keming said.
“I speak very frankly, and I hope Mr. Jin will forgive me if I offend him,” Zhang Cheng said. “Mr. Jin, please don’t take your position too seriously. The Japanese are worse than animals; they won’t care about such things when they want to harm people.”
He said to Jin Keming, "Wu, the commander in the north, was of a very high status, but he was killed by a Japanese doctor just because he refused to become a traitor to the Japanese."
Zhang Cheng said earnestly, "President Jin, we are human beings. We cannot judge or gamble on what beasts might do based on our own conscience."
“Mr. Zhang, I am not a weakling. I can also wield a gun. If the Japanese want my life, I might as well take a few down with me,” Jin Keming said.
……
"President Jin." Zhang Cheng was a little anxious. Before coming to see Jin Keming, he was quite optimistic about the trip, but he did not expect Jin Keming to be so stubborn.
He looked at Jin Keming and said seriously, "You need to think about your family. The Japanese are inhuman."
He pointed downstairs and said, "Such a cute little girl, the Japanese kill without blinking an eye."
Jin Keming fell silent, then suddenly let out a heavy sigh.
……
After watching Mr. Wang leave, Mrs. He was about to ask her younger brother a question when she saw Jin Keming give her a wink. She then followed her younger brother to the study.
"Who is that person?" Mrs. He asked.
“Red Party,” Jin Keming said. He didn’t intend to hide it from his elder sister. His nephew, A Guan, was a member of the New Fourth Army and could no longer escape the 'crime' of being a Red family member.
"Something's happened?" Mrs. He's face changed drastically. "It's Ah Guan..."
“It has nothing to do with A-Guan,” Jin Keming quickly said. “They came to warn me that the Japanese are going to attack me.”
"What?" Mrs. He's face changed drastically. "You're the Chief Inspector of the Central Police Station! How dare the Japanese?"
“The Japanese are probably going to take over the French Concession, and I, the chief patrol officer, will soon be nothing,” Jin Keming said. “During my tenure, I have always protected anti-Japanese elements and maintained a tough stance against the Japanese. The Japanese have long hated me to the bone.”
……
"Where is Fan-ge'er?" Mrs. He asked.
Jin Keming was somewhat surprised, wondering why his older sister suddenly asked about Cheng Qianfan.
"Fan-ge'er is close to the Japanese, could he perhaps..." Mrs. He said.
"Foolish," Jin Keming said, then seeing his elder sister glaring at him, he quickly smiled and said, "What I mean is, the Japanese have entered the French Concession. Don't be fooled by Cheng Qianfan's close relationship with the Japanese. With his large and powerful family business, he might be targeted by the Japanese, and he himself won't have a good outcome. He might even be unable to take care of himself."
"What should we do then?" Mrs. He asked.
“The Red Party is urging us to leave Shanghai,” Jin Keming said. “I’m still hesitating.”
“Let’s go,” Mrs. He said.
"Hmm?" Jin Keming looked at his eldest sister. "Elder sister, please let me finish..."
"I said let's go!" Mrs. He said. "Leave Shanghai, don't hesitate."
"Miss."
"I'm your older sister, listen to me!"
"Eh."
……
early morning.
Fang Guohua is having breakfast with his family.
The servant came in from the courtyard gate and handed Fang Guohua the newspaper he had just retrieved.
Fang Guohua sipped his congee with preserved egg and lean pork, idly flipping through the newspaper.
His brow was furrowed.
The newspapers were still boasting about the Japanese victory in the naval battle at Midway Island, a small island in the Pacific Ocean.
At that moment, Fang Guohua's expression changed.
He saw an envelope hidden in the middle of the newspaper.
He discreetly squeezed it, but found no bullet.
Because he refused to allow Japanese businessmen to acquire Guohua Food Factory, he became a thorn in the side of the Japanese. Sending bullet letters and throwing dead cats and dogs at the Fang family was commonplace.
Fang Guohua had no doubt that if the Japanese entered the French Concession in the same way they had occupied the International Settlement, the food factory and the Fang family would surely suffer.
Fang Guohua squeezed the envelope again; there seemed to be a piece of paper inside.
Is this a threatening letter?
……
"Sir, what's wrong?" Mrs. Fang asked when she saw her husband lost in thought.
"It's nothing." Afraid of worrying his family, Fang Guohua closed the newspaper and said calmly, "Where's Xiaoye?"
"She made plans with her classmates to go to the movies this morning," Mrs. Fang said.
"Going to the movies? Who goes to the movies so early in the morning? Don't think I don't know what he's doing," Fang Guohua said with a cold snort.
He was 80% certain that his second daughter might be a member of the Communist Party.
Fang Guohua felt a terrible headache coming on. His son, Fang Muheng, had been away from home fighting the Japanese for many years, and he didn't know whether he was alive or dead.
Tang Xiaoye, a young woman, was busy with anti-Japanese activities all day long, completely disregarding the potential dangers.
"Why are you throwing a tantrum when your daughter is having a get-together with her classmates?" Mrs. Fang said, displeased.
"Going to the movies? Why bring Xi Mei along?" Fang Guohua said irritably.
Don't think he didn't know; he had long seen through his second daughter's little scheme. He had made his youngest daughter, Ximei, act as a lookout. This method of letting children keep watch had been reported in the newspapers and was a favorite of the Communist Party.
“Xiaoye likes Ximei and dotes on her younger sister. Wouldn’t it be better if she took her everywhere she went?” Mrs. Fang said.
"I'm full. I'm going upstairs to read the newspaper," Fang Guohua said.
As he spoke, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, rolled up the newspaper, and went upstairs.
……
Fang Guohua carefully poured a page out of the envelope.
Pick up that piece of paper and unfold it to read.
He read the words carefully, his face growing increasingly gloomy and his expression increasingly solemn.
"Where did my fan, which was blessed at Lingyin Temple, go?" Fang Guohua asked as he walked out of his study and stood at the top of the stairs.
"I can't find anything," Mrs. Fang said irritably, then strode upstairs.
Upon entering her husband's study, she sniffed the air and saw that he had taken out a brazier, in which were burning ashes.
"Why are you starting a fire in this sweltering heat? Are you delirious from the heat?" Mrs. Fang asked.
Then I saw my husband lock the study door from the inside.
“There was a letter in the newspaper just now,” Fang Guohua said.
Where did the letter come from?
"The Red Party..."
"Is this a letter from Mu Heng?" Mrs. Fang asked, overjoyed.
“No.” Fang Guohua shook his head. “The Red Party wrote to me to warn me.”
……
Massen Road.
"You also received the warning from Chongqing?" Xiu Gongshen asked Su Zhikang.
"Yes." Su Zhikang nodded. "Someone from the Military Intelligence Bureau sent me a letter."
"People from the Shanghai area?" Xiu Gongshen asked.
“Unlikely.” Su Zhikang shook his head. “After that District Chief Chen was arrested, he betrayed us. The Shanghai district has already been destroyed by the Japanese.”
He took the cigarette Xiu Gongshen tossed to him, lit it, took a light puff, and said, "I reckon it's probably one of Xiao Mian's men."
"How much do you know about this Xiao Mian?" Xiu Gongshen asked, intrigued.
“I’ve never met him, and I know nothing about him,” Su Zhikang said, pulling the ashtray over and flicking his cigarette ash. “Not to mention us, even the Japanese don’t know much about Xiao Mian.”
"This Director Xiao is truly remarkable." He chuckled as he spoke. "If you were to ask who the Japanese and the 76th Division most want to arrest, Director Xiao Mian would definitely be at the top of the list."
……
"Director," Su Zhikang asked Xiu Gongshen, "what are your plans on this side?"
“I will stay in Shanghai,” Xiu Gongshen said.
"Will there be any danger?" Su Zhikang asked worriedly.
“I’m just a translator, and I don’t usually express any political stance, so the Japanese have no reason to make things difficult for me,” Xiu Gongshen said. “Besides, with Qianfan’s connections, the Japanese will give him some face, more or less.”
"With the Japanese taking over the French Concession, this 'Little Cheng' has finally got his 'kingly army' back," Su Zhikang said sarcastically.
“I don’t care how much you hate Cheng Qianfan,” Xiu Gongshen said. “You have a good relationship with him, and maintaining a good relationship with him will only benefit you.”
He said with a serious expression, "He's very popular with the Japanese; he could save your life in a critical moment."
“I know,” Su Zhikang said in a muffled voice.
"Does the director mean that I should also stay in Shanghai?" he asked Xiu Gongshen.
“Your identity is special, and most importantly, you are an independent undercover agent with a high safety level,” Xiu Gongshen said. “Stay.”
“Okay.” Su Zhikang thought for a moment and said, “I also think I would be more useful if I stayed in Shanghai.”
……
Hearing Su Zhikang say this, Xiu Gongshen swallowed back the words of advice he was about to say. He patted Su Zhikang on the shoulder and said, "Take care."
Although, as he said, Su Zhikang was operating independently with very few people knowing his identity, making him relatively safe, who can say for sure about safety? If something goes wrong, it could mean the destruction of one's family and the loss of loved ones.
His suggestion that Su Zhikang remain in Shanghai was not an order, but a recommendation.
Su Zhikang resolutely chose to stay in Shanghai, which alone made him far superior to many others in Chongqing.
“The Japanese will inevitably reorganize the police force once they take over the French Concession,” Su Zhikang said. “Should I try to pull some strings and try to get a good position?”
“No need.” Xiu Gongshen shook his head decisively and said, “Your unit is not one to run for promotions. At times like these, it’s best to act as usual to avoid attracting attention.”
"understood."
……
June 25th.
Fine, dense raindrops drifted in the sky.
The heat in the air did not dissipate; instead, it became even more humid and stuffy.
No. 22 Xuehuali Road.
"Take this document to General Manager Jin and ask him to review and sign it," Cheng Qianfan said, handing a document to Hou Pingliang.
"Yes, Brother Fan."
A short while later, Hou Pingliang returned carrying a file bag.
"What are we going to do with it?" Cheng Qianfan looked up and said, "After President Jin signs it, we'll take it to the archives for signature and filing."
"Brother Fan, President Jin isn't in his office," Hou Pingliang said.
"Not in the office?" Cheng Qianfan was a little surprised. He looked at the time on the clock, then walked around the desk to the window and looked outside.
"The rain isn't even that heavy," Cheng Qianfan said, frowning.
"Alright then," he said to Hou Pingliang. "Put the documents on my desk first. Remember this. When Director Jin comes to the police station, take them to him for review and signature."
"I know, Brother Fan." Hou Pingliang nodded, neatly placing the document on a corner of his desk, and said.
……
Jingle Bell.
Just then, the telephone on the desk rang abruptly.
Cheng Qianfan picked up the phone and said calmly, "This is Cheng Qianfan."
"What? Okay, I understand." Cheng Qianfan said, and hung up the phone.
Then he looked at Hou Pingliang and said, "Go and call Haozai over."
"Yes."
……
"Brother Fan, what's up?" Haozai ran upstairs, knocked on the door, and asked.
"General Manager Jin didn't come to the police station today. There's a document that needs his signature. Go to his house and ask him to come over," Cheng Qianfan said to Haozai, pointing to the document on the table.
"Yes." Haozai stepped forward, picked up the documents, and was about to leave.
"Wait a minute." Cheng Qianfan called out to Haozai and said in a low voice, "The Japanese military police called and said that General Jin has disappeared. They suspect that General Jin has fled Shanghai."
Haozai nodded. Although Fan Ge said that the Japanese suspected that President Jin had already fled Shanghai, he knew that President Jin had indeed indeed left Shanghai.
In the past few days, a number of ship tickets have been circulating on the black market.
"Make a big commotion," Cheng Qianfan instructed. "But remember, only tell the outside world that the police station has something to do and asked Director Jin to come back to take charge."
"Understood." Haozai nodded, hurriedly went downstairs, picked a few people, hailed a car, and disappeared into the wind and rain.
……
No. 15 Xuehuali Road.
The window facing the street on the second floor.
Sagami Umezu stood by the window, watching a car drive out of the Central Police Station's courtyard, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"When did you discover that Jin Keming had disappeared?" he asked the man beside him.
“An hour ago, my subordinates reported that Jin Keming didn’t come to work on Xuehuali Road today,” Yokoyama Akima said. “I had someone call the Jin family. At first, no one answered, but when we called again, a maid answered and said that Mr. Jin was out and not at home.”
"Why do you suspect that Jin Keming fled Shanghai?" Sagami Umezu asked Yokoyama Akima.
“Today is Thursday,” said Akima Yokoyama.
Seeing that Sagami Umezumi didn't understand, he explained.
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(End of this chapter)