National Tide 1980.

December 1988, 12, Tokyo in severe cold, streets in the morning light.

Under a tall building lay a female corpse with her brain bursting and blood splattered. The scene was horrific.

Within an hour after the incident, Japanese police officers and Japanese reporters rushed to the scene.

The investigation results showed that the deceased, Fang, was 29 years old and was a young woman from Shanghai, China.

The cause of death was confirmed to be suicide by jumping from a building.

After an on-site investigation, the Japanese police did not find any remaining belongings of the deceased except for a bloodstained suicide note found on the body.

So they notified the Chinese Embassy and asked them to handle the aftermath.

In the suicide note received by the embassy, ​​Miss Fang described her reasons for going to Japan and her motives for suicide.

"My name is Fang Ping. I am from Shanghai and I am an ordinary female worker. I heard that it is easy to make money in Japan and I also want to go abroad to get rich. Before coming here, although some people said that 'foreign countries are not paradises and people who come to Japan do extremely low and hard work', I think that no matter what job I do, even if the income is less than half of the locals, it is still much higher than in China. A year ago, I met my former classmate Li Ling again. He took a leave of absence and went to Japan two years ago. He is already quite wealthy. He promised me that as long as I had 20,000 yuan, he would help me go to Japan, and promised to help me find a job after I arrived in Japan. I was guaranteed an income of 3 million yen a year. My family borrowed money from relatives and friends, and scraped together all their savings to raise enough money for me. I originally hoped that after working hard in Japan for a few years, I would be able to pay off my debts by working part-time and let my family live a good life. But I didn't expect that after being deceived by Li Ling and coming here, not only were all my money and documents taken away, but I was also seduced and raped by him and another Shanghainese, and forced to use my sex appeal to cheat money and do bad things that undermine the national dignity and personality. If I didn't agree, they would beat me and abuse me. I couldn't bear this kind of life, and I had no face to live in the world..."

This incident was published in the Mainichi Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun the next day.

So the next morning, as the day's newspapers appeared on the streets of major cities in Japan, Chinese students studying in Japan immediately noticed this tragic news.

Especially among the Shanghai people in Japan, it immediately caused an uproar.

They spread the news around and passed the newspaper that published the news from hand to hand, and soon more and more people knew the news.

Some people were curious about Fang Ping's background, some people scolded the two scammers, some people lamented the tragedy, and some felt sad for Fang Ping's family.

But more people couldn't help but feel grief and sympathy for Fang Ping, and associated her tragic death in a foreign land with their own situation.

So, the Shanghai students studying in Tokyo immediately and spontaneously started a fundraising campaign so that Fang Ping's remains could be returned to China as soon as possible.

Chu Haoran is also from Shanghai, and because he has helped many international students, he learned the news almost immediately.

Needless to say, if he knew it, it would be the same as Ning Weimin knowing it.

After all, among the people he knew, only Ning Weimin was financially well-off and a righteous man.

Even though Ning Weimin is not from Shanghai, he is sure that Ning Weimin will not stand idly by.

As expected, when he called Ning Weimin to tell him about the incident, Ning Weimin expressed his willingness to help without hesitation. Not only that, Ning Weimin immediately contacted his acquaintances at the embassy, ​​inquired about the current situation, expressed his willingness to donate personally, and also asked about the location of the accident.

Then he drove to pick up Chu Haoran and went to pay homage together.

When they arrived at their destination, they were a little surprised to find that they were not the only ones who wanted to see off this stranger.

There were actually quite a few international students at the scene who had the same idea as them and came forward spontaneously.

On the roadside where the police left traces, a dozen chrysanthemums, some yellow and some white, were placed on the roadside, with four or five people standing next to them.

Maybe because everyone had limited financial resources, each person only brought one flower.

This undoubtedly makes the deceased's ending seem even more miserable, and makes the short life of this girl named Fang Ping full of sadness.

As for Ning Weimin and Chu Haoran, after they parked the car, each of them came over holding a large bouquet of matched chrysanthemums.

Their well-dressed clothes and manners immediately led to misunderstanding among others. Everyone thought they were representatives of the embassy, ​​so someone immediately chased after them and asked them questions.

"Comrade, what's the progress now? Have you contacted the family of the deceased?"

"Comrade, how are the funeral arrangements for the deceased girl? And where are those two bad guys? Have you found them? We can't let them get away."

"Comrade, we have collected some money. How do we give it to Fang Ping's family? Do you have their contact information?"

Judging from their accents, these people are all from Shanghai.

Ning Weimin had no choice but to explain, "You are mistaken. We are not from the embassy. We just came here to pay our respects to the deceased after seeing the newspaper. We are not very clear about the follow-up of this incident. If you want to know, you may have to ask the embassy yourself."

But even so, his Beijing accent still attracts attention.

Some people still asked in surprise.

"You guys came here by yourself, too? But you...your accent...aren't you from Shanghai?"

"I'm not, he is."

Ning Weimin first turned around and pointed at Chu Haoran who was following him, and then asked the other party in return.

"People from the capital can come too, right? We are all Chinese, right?"

The other party suddenly felt embarrassed, and the person asking the question realized the stupidity of his question.

"I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean that. I just...just..."

Ning Weimin didn't think it was a big deal. They were all compatriots and there was no need to make a fuss about it.

"Don't worry, it's okay. But since you are all from Shanghai, does anyone know the deceased?"

He wanted to know more about the situation, but he didn't expect these people to shake their heads. It turned out that they didn't know the girl just like him.

This is quite unexpected.

If for no other reason, time is always a luxury for Chinese students studying in Tokyo.

Most international students are in financial difficulty. Not to mention that it is impossible for them to be as free as Ning Weimin, even Chu Haoran, who has a special skill, cannot compare to them.

Everyone has to either work or study, and the remaining time is not enough for sleeping except for eating.

If they had little relationship with the deceased and only came here in the morning because they were from the same hometown, then they must have taken leave to come here, which is a very real cost for each of them.

You know, people in China are used to thinking that people from Shanghai are selfish and materialistic. How many people can believe that people from Shanghai would make such a sacrifice for something that has nothing to do with them?

If Ning Weimin had not seen it with his own eyes today, if he had not had a smart and capable Shanghai girl like Yao Peifang by his side, and later met Chu Haoran, who did his best to help his fellow Shanghai people, I'm afraid he would not have believed it so easily.

But now he has to say that anyone who wants to fire regional cannons at will is really prejudiced.

Just because of these people's kindness, they are all my amiable compatriots. Who says that Chinese people only know how to sabotage each other and betray their own people?

It was in these compatriots that he saw the trustworthy and heartwarming kindness of the Chinese people.

So after finishing what he needed to do, Ning Weimin did not leave immediately, but started chatting with the man from Shanghai.

As the saying goes, small things reveal a person's character, big things reveal a person's nature, and nothing reveals a person's heart.

He felt that the fact that these people came here voluntarily today showed that they were good people, and he definitely needed more people in Japan. Instead of hiring the Japanese, why not hire his own people?

He really wanted to know more about these people and see if there was any chance for them to work for him in the future.

Unexpectedly, after he stayed a little longer and chatted with them for a few minutes, he actually heard more disturbing things from these people and learned more about the hardships of international students in Japan.

He felt more and more that he should not just live his life well as he did in the past, but should take on certain responsibilities.

"Where do you go to school? How many years have you been in Japan?"

Ning Weimin asked questions first, but the other party remained alert.

"Ah, do you want to check the household registration?"

"No, I'm just asking. I have some job opportunities that I can introduce to you. Do you want to work?"

"Oh, there is such a good thing?" A young man with a 3:7 parted hair curled his lips, obviously not daring to believe it, and then asked, how do you calculate your wages?

"What's the algorithm?" Ning Weimin was stunned, not understanding what he meant.

It was Chu Haoran who had more relevant experience and reminded him.

"He means, how much do you want to draw?"

"Withdraw money?"

"Yes, for example, if the daily salary is 10,000 yen, how much do you take?"

Ning Weimin suddenly found it funny and shook his head quickly.

"No, no, you misunderstood. I don't take bribes. I am only introducing you to work because we are all compatriots."

However, the more he said this, the more he seemed to be making the situation worse, and it was obvious that the other party's expression showed even greater distrust.

There was no other way, Ning Weimin had to pick out the bad points and try to make things sound more reliable.

"Of course, the income won't be too high, about 600 yen an hour, but meals will be provided. Are you interested?"

"I'm interested. Of course I'm interested. Although 600 yen isn't much, it's close to the minimum hourly wage in Tokyo. But it would be nice if I could actually get it."

Finally, a girl wearing glasses showed interest and asked seriously, "Where is the job you are talking about? What kind of work is it? Is your job suitable for us girls?"

Unexpectedly, her trust caused others to interfere. "Xiaohong, we are not familiar with them. What's wrong with you? You trust them so easily. Look carefully here. The scammer who cheated the girl has not been found yet. You should also be careful not to be cheated."

But Xiaohong was a girl with a strong sense of self-esteem, and she immediately declined the kindness. "That's enough. You're just worrying too much. Real scammers won't come here. Besides, being cheated by them is better than being cheated by others. At least they look like they are doing well and are not annoying. They are nothing like my coffee shop boss, who is always clumsy and likes to stand behind me and talk to me, but he is very stingy with his wages, only willing to pay me 500 yen an hour, and only give me six hours of work a day. If I don't change jobs, I will either be suffocated to death or starved to death..."

"There you go again, you're just venting."

"So what? If you don't let me vent, I'll die. The Japanese are preparing for the New Year, but we're overcoming difficulties every day, one after another. I have to work, I have to pay back the money, and my family still owes people money. Do I have any other choice? This is the only way I can do..."

As she spoke, she looked at Ning Weimin with hope, "My fellow... fellow, is what you just said true or false? What kind of job is this?"

Ning Weimin naturally didn't want to keep the secret any longer, so he spoke frankly.

"As for you, how is your Japanese? Are you willing to work as a restaurant receptionist? If you are willing, I can arrange it for you. The restaurant is in Ginza. It's fine for six or eight hours a day, and I can provide two working meals. It depends on your availability."

"Ginza? That's great. My school is near Nihonbashi, so it's very convenient. I have no problem speaking Japanese, because I majored in Japanese in China. And as I said just now, I'm working in a cafe now. I would be very grateful if I could have such a job opportunity, but I really can't stand you teasing me. Are you sure you're not kidding..."

Before Ning Weimin could even finish his words, Chu Haoran stepped forward and vouched for his boss. "I'm not lying to you. If you don't know him, go ask the people from Beijing. He is Ning Weimin, the general manager of Tan Palace Restaurant. People from Beijing in Tokyo know him. As for me, my name is Chu Haoran. I often introduce jobs to our compatriots in Takadanobaba for free. It doesn't matter if you don't believe me. Go ask those who have been to Takadanobaba to find a job if they know me. They will tell you whether my guarantee is credible or not."

Now that was good, not only the girl named Xiaohong was happy, but even the guy who had just advised her to be cautious came over to ask for a job opportunity.

"Manager Ning, Brother Chu, I'm sorry, I was overthinking just now. But you adults should not bear grudges, and ignorance is not a crime. I also want to change jobs. For the sake of our compatriots, can you also take care of me..."

"Where are you working now? What's your personal situation like? Are you also an international student?"

"My name is Gong Lei. I came to Japan to study law. Now I work for a Japanese boss in a bakery. The boss only allows us Chinese to work at night. I also stay up late every day. I really can't stand it..."

Hearing him say this, Xiaohong also fought for him, "Boss Ning, if there is still a job opportunity, you'd better help him, otherwise, he might get into trouble. You may not know that the person who worked with him died two months ago because of staying up late for a long time."

"died?"

"Dead." Gong Lei said sadly, "He was from Yangzhou. He came here half a year earlier than me. I only found a place to live with his help. He and I had been sharing a small room of 150 square meters. But one day two months ago, something happened... I woke up at noon and was about to go to school when I found him lying on the bed without any movement... But I just thought he was sleeping too soundly at the time. Who would have thought that after class, I went back and saw him still lying straight on the bed. I thought he was still sleeping... I shook him, wanting to ask him if he had eaten, but I found that he was no longer breathing. He was already dead, and I didn't even know when he died!..."

After saying this, it was like pouring cold water into a boiling oil pot, and the other people also started talking about it.

"…You're talking about Mark, right? He's also very pitiful, not much better than that girl who jumped off the building!"

"Yes, he is really frugal in Tokyo! He is reluctant to spend even the few dozen yen to write a letter. He always asks if anyone is going back to China and asks someone to bring it back!"

"I heard that in addition to working in the bakery, he also works at the fishery during the day..."

"Yes! Once the money reached 10 yen, I took it back and didn't keep it with him."

"He died of exhaustion. He couldn't bear to eat, so he ate the hard bread from the bakery at night. In addition, he was in a bad mood recently. I heard from people in his hometown about rumors about his wife. He worked hard here, but his family wasted his hard-earned money. He wanted to go back but was not allowed, so his wife made him stay in Japan to earn money..."

"Stay in Japan and earn money! It's so easy to say that, I can stay if I want?! What is the purpose of Japan's Ministry of Justice and Immigration Bureau? I think it's too simple..."

They all seemed to know who Gong Lei and Xiaohong were talking about, so another sad story was almost completely outlined by these people in front of Ning Weimin.

The winter in Tokyo is very cold, especially in a place like this. Ning Weimin felt a chill in his heart. He had to face the reality that his compatriots constituted the lowest class of Tokyo society.

He really didn't expect that not only their studies and life were not guaranteed, but even their lives and personality were not guaranteed at all.

Leaving one's hometown is so difficult. (End of this chapter)