War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1801 Birthday

After returning to the entrance of Lihua Opera House as a rickshaw driver, Zhao Jingrong helped the Japanese into the opera house. Following closely behind, Xiao Wu also helped the drunk Zhang Zhengqi out, got on the rickshaw pulled by Wei Ran, and circled back to the entrance of the bookstore on another street.

While he was helping Zhang Zhengqi get off the car, a man walked out of the alley, pulling the rickshaw and disappeared.

I climbed through the window and returned to the photo studio as if I knew the way there. As always, the bath tub on the second floor was already filled with hot water.

After handing the clothes he took off to Xiao Wu through the window, Wei Ran closed the window, immediately scooped up a basin of hot water and poured it over his head, then sat in the bath tub.

After taking a comfortable hot bath, Wei Ran crawled into the quilt with a hot water bottle stuffed in it and fell asleep comfortably.

He slept exceptionally comfortably that night, but in the second half of the night, a group of Japanese soldiers and a group of Anqing Gang members finally arrived at the courtyard of the detached villa that Wei Ran had visited.

At this time, the gate of the garden villa was still guarded by members of the Anqing Gang, while inside the gate, there were two Japanese devils guarding.

Upon seeing this, both sides breathed a sigh of relief, and then each led their men away. Obviously, both sides, who were holding back their anger, did not want to rashly clash with the other.

However, as time went on, both sides gradually lost their patience. Finally, the Japanese side decided to send a representative. Seeing this, the Anqing Gang also immediately sent a representative. The two of them entered the yard together and knocked on the door.

After communicating with the bodyguard and driver who were almost asleep on the sofa on the first floor, the Japanese female maid, who was also so sleepy that she could hardly open her eyes, immediately went upstairs to ask her boss for instructions.

But soon, everyone on the first floor heard the maid's scream, and then saw her tumbling down the stairs.

Realizing that something was wrong, the people on the first floor drew their guns and subconsciously pointed them at each other, but soon they turned their guns in unison and rushed upstairs.

At this time, there were naturally no living people upstairs, so these people naturally quickly noticed the source of the faint smell of blood.

But soon, after they opened the door of the study, both the Japanese and the members of the Anqing Gang took a step back in fear, and some of them with overly vivid imaginations even began to dry heave subconsciously.

Of course, some of the more resourceful gang members have already started thinking about whether they should take something away while searching the rooms for the murderer.

Not long after, the two parties who received the news rushed over and found Shibata's body and the body on the third floor.

"So he is indeed one of yours?"

As one of the Japanese soldiers spoke, he had already drawn his samurai sword and looked at the person in charge sent by the Anqing Gang with a grim expression.

"Taijun, even though this guy is from our Anqing Gang, we really didn't know about this matter!"

The middle-aged man sent by the Anqing Gang spoke in slightly halting Japanese, "Our entire gang is loyal to Taijun, and that's clear to all! Guerrillas, that's right! It must have been the guerrillas who did it! This is a frame-up, a frame-up!"

“This is not a frame-up”

The Japanese soldier holding the samurai sword said firmly, "I know our enemies. They will kill people, but they won't do so many meaningless things to them. This is a vendetta, a gang-style vendetta!"

"That's right!"

If Wei Ran was not asleep at this moment, if he was right next to them, he would definitely agree loudly.

In fact, even without his agreement, the Japanese soldiers, overseas Chinese, and even the vast majority of Anqing Gang members present all agreed with the above analysis in their hearts.

This is indeed a vendetta, a gang-style vendetta.

Could it really be our people who did it? The people of Anqing Gang couldn't help but look at the person lying next to the dead body of the Japanese woman with a hairpin stuck in his chest.

You wouldn't realize it before, but this lousy translator is actually quite cruel and merciless. While everyone in the Anqing Gang was secretly evaluating the corpse, they also started to make their own plans. They all knew that they would definitely find a few scapegoats next, so they should stay out of the spotlight as soon as possible.

"Bacteria elimination."

"Let President Zhang come and explain it to me personally!"

The Japanese soldier holding the samurai sword did not leave any more bodies here. He just turned around and walked down while saying, "Lock up and interrogate all the survivors!"

"Hi!"

The Japanese soldiers who followed him responded immediately and arrested everyone present without saying a word.

These had nothing to do with Wei Ran, Dongyi Photo Studio, and certainly nothing to do with the prosperous Lihua Opera Society. Of course, they also had nothing to do with Zhao Jingrong who was eating and drinking with his Japanese friends in the Lihua Opera Society.

After a night that was destined to be restless for the Anqing Gang, as the still bright sunlight rose, the door of the Dongyi Photo Studio began to bang on.

"Announcement of death"

Wei Ran complained as he opened the window, then his attitude became much more enthusiastic, "Hey! It's Brother Lichuan! Why are you here?"

“I’m here to give you a camera.”

Zhang Taichuan raised his head and said loudly, "Teacher Musashi asked me to come here. Boss Wei, please open the door."

"Right away! Right now!"

Wei Ran's attitude became more enthusiastic, "I'll go down right away!"

After saying that, he immediately closed the window and drew the curtains, put on his clothes swiftly, went downstairs, opened the door on the first floor, and enthusiastically let Zhang Taichuan in.

"Early this morning, Mr. Musashi asked me to run errands and buy this camera and bring it to you."

Zhang Taichuan said loudly, "In addition, Mr. Ji celebrated his mother's birthday last night and wanted to invite Mr. Wu Zang to the birthday banquet and take a family photo for them. He also invited the Yue Opera female troupe from Lihua Theater to perform in the party."

At this point, Zhang Taichuan patted the camera box he brought with him and said, "Teacher Musashi asked me to ask if you are willing to go. He will take pictures of the family portrait and the birthday boy. There are also many other pictures to be taken, and they will be charged by the picture."

Just as he finished speaking, Lin Qiaoan also walked in, "It seems that Brother Lichuan got here first, Boss Wei, I was just planning to invite you to come with me.

Take some photos of our troupe when the time comes. We will be preparing for the closing performance soon after we return, so they will be perfect for making posters."

"Okay!" Wei Ran agreed immediately.

"We have to leave at about 10 o'clock, Boss Wei, you'd better get ready as soon as possible." Lin Qiaoan said, "It's nearly 40 miles away. If we leave early, we can still catch up with lunch."

"No problem," Wei Ran agreed readily.

"In that case, I'll go back and report to Mr. Musashi." Zhang Taichuan politely said goodbye to the two of them, turned around and walked out of the photo studio.

"Where does that Mr. Ji come from?"

Wei Ran opened the small suitcase containing the camera, and while checking it he whispered the question that he had been curious about yesterday.

The box still contained a Rollei twin-lens reflex camera, exactly the same as the one he exchanged with - just in much newer condition.

"When he was young, he was a craftsman in the Imperial Household Department. In the 13th year of the Republic of China, the Imperial Household Department was disbanded. He returned to his hometown with a few treasures and a few apprentices and started a business of digging graves and robbing tombs."

At this point, Lin Qiaoan lowered her voice and added, "Mr. Ji is also Jingrong's cousin, and Fourth Aunt Wu is Mr. Ji's cousin."

"Oh——" Wei Ran said softly.

"Jingrong is nominally Mr. Ji's apprentice, and is responsible for selling stolen goods."

Lin Qiaoan suppressed her laughter and whispered, "Mr. Ji's manure pit is very large and deep, and there are several Japanese soldiers rotting in it. The things they made are more realistic than the real thing."

After that, Lin Qiaoan gave Wei Ran a cigarette and raised his voice, "Then take this price. Boss Wei, go and get ready. We have to leave soon. If we are late, we will miss the meal."

"No problem, I can just grab some things and go." Wei Ran said as he closed the suitcase containing the camera.

After seeing Lin Qiaoan off, Wei Ran immediately closed the door and boarded up the stairs, then went upstairs and took out the pistol he had obtained two days ago. He then hid the remaining bullets in the box of rice under the bed - he had tried to fit them all into the suitcase, but found no way to do so.

In addition to these, he also pulled the curtains, used a wine bottle to mix the quicklime he had bought earlier with the ash and carefully ground it into powder, and then gently blew it onto the floor, windows and even the stairs.

After returning to the first floor, Wei Ran went into the bathroom and washed his hands thoroughly. Then he picked up an empty suitcase for show and walked out of the photo studio.

He had just locked the door of the photo studio when four trucks with the words "Central China Metropolitan Bus Co., Ltd." printed on their doors stopped in front of the theater.

Following closely, the guys from the Lihua Theatre Company loaded boxes filled with all kinds of costumes onto the truck's cargo bed.

The young and beautiful female Yue Opera troupe and the accompanying drummers were also carried onto the car one after another.

"Where do these cars come from?" Wei Ran asked curiously.

"Rented"

Zhang Zhengqi yawned and said, "Last year, the Central China Metropolitan Automobile Company under Gui Taijun basically monopolized the transportation business outside the French Concession."

"Which car should we take?" Wei Ran was worried that the other party might have let it slip, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Four large cars?"

Zhang Zhengqi said, "In addition to the driver, the sedan can also seat two people. You can choose whichever you like."

"Is there anyone in the first car?" Wei Ran asked.

"Boss Mu and Mr. Jin who will lead the way will take the first car, and Liuzi and I will take the last one." Zhang Zhengqi said.

"Can I just choose the middle one?" Wei Ran asked.

"Can't"

Zhang Zhengqi smiled and said, "Mr. Musashi, Mr. Qin, and Mr. Jin who are coming to pick up the car will be here soon, so hurry up."

Before Zhang Zhengqi could finish his words, Hoshino Ichiro, Zhang Taichuan, and even Zhao Jingrong came over in a rickshaw.

"Forget it, let them choose first."

Wei Ran said with a smile, then he quickly ran over and enthusiastically helped Ichiro Hoshino, who was wearing a kimono, down from the rickshaw.

"Thank you for your invitation, Mr. Musashi."

Wei Ran said respectfully and excitedly, "Also, thank you for giving me a new camera. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to use a new camera."

“It’s nothing”

Ichiro Hoshino was obviously very touched by Wei Ran's gratitude and respect. He waved his hand proudly and said, "Mr. Wei, if you can take good shots this time, I am willing to teach you how to develop films and photos. When you have learned it, I can even give you a set of film developing equipment."

"Really?" Wei Ran showed more surprise, "I will try my best!"

"of course it's true"

Hoshino Ichiro patted Wei Ran on the shoulder and said, "You have a very high talent for photography. I look forward to the photos you take."

"I will start shooting on the road!" Wei Ran said immediately.

"I look forward to your performance," said Ichiro Hoshino. "Well, you and I will ride in the same car later."

"It's my honor!" Wei Ran said quickly, "I just happen to have a lot of questions I want to ask you."

"I am also very much looking forward to discussing with you!" Ichiro Hoshino said with a laugh. Obviously, this devil is a know-it-all.

After a brief greeting, Wei Ran personally helped Ichiro Hoshino climb into the cab of the second truck, and then he casually threw the suitcase into the cargo bed and climbed into the cab.

At the same time, Zhang Taichuan also threw Ichiro Hoshino and his own suitcase into the cargo box.

A moment later, four trucks started one after another and drove out of the city.

I don’t know if it was because of the vendetta last night, but they were eventually stopped and questioned by the puppet army when they were leaving the city.

Fortunately, when these puppet soldiers saw that the people in the first car were Lin Qiaoan and Zhao Jingrong, and the second car was carrying a Japanese overseas Chinese named Hoshino Ichiro, they simply gave them a cursory inspection and let them go.

They got out of the city safely, and the topics covered in the conversations between Wei Ran and Ichiro Hoshino were increasingly ahead of their time, to the point that Ichiro Hoshino repeatedly exclaimed that Wei Ran was a rare genius and had the idea of ​​recruiting him to his own photo studio.

Wei Ran naturally had no objection to this and expressed strong anticipation and gratitude.

As the two men chatted, the scenery outside the car window became increasingly desolate. Trenches, corpses and refugees could be seen everywhere, but that was definitely not all.

"What do you think of this war, Mr. Wei?"

After chatting for a while, Ichiro Hoshino finally asked a question similar to "left" or "right".

"Would you like to know the truth?" Wei Ran asked after deliberately hesitating for a while.

"Of course," Hoshino Ichiro nodded, "I will also tell you my opinion later, of course, it will be the truth."

"No matter who wins or loses, the war should end as soon as possible."

Wei Ran said earnestly, "If there is no war, maybe I can save money for a few years and go to Zhaohe to travel and study again. I also want to meet Miss Qiu once in Zhaohe."

"Yes, the war should end as soon as possible."

Hoshino Ichiro sighed, "We have a lot in common."

"About what?" Wei Ran asked in a natural tone.

"We all like photography but not war"

Ichiro Hoshino said, "You are waiting for your Miss Qiu, and I am also waiting for a lady who is my muse. I can find inspiration for my photography in her."

"Are you the previous owner of Dongyi Photo Studio?" Wei Ran asked hesitantly.

"yes"

Hoshino Ichiro sighed, "I have been waiting for her to appear, but until I learned from Kawaguchi-kun that someone had bought Dongyi Photo Studio, I knew that I might never see her again."

"Yes, I will see you again."

Wei Ran said confidently, "Just like I will definitely meet my Miss Qiu in Zhaohe."

"I hope so"

Hoshino Ichiro patted the camera box on his lap, which was the same model as Wei Ran's, and sighed, "I hope I can still press the shutter by then."

"I hope I can have the chance to take a group photo for you guys then," Wei Ran said with a smile.

"I will also take a photo of you and your Miss Qiu at that time," Hoshino Ichiro also wished.

"Then it's happily settled."

When Wei Ran said this, he couldn't help but make a pinky promise with the other party.

When the topic came to this point, the car in front slowly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Hoshino Ichiro asked a little nervously.

"Please don't worry, Mr. Musashi, I will protect you." Wei Ran said, and even patted the flower-mouthed pistol hidden in the inner pocket of his windbreaker without any concealment.

Then, without waiting for Ichiro Hoshino to say anything, he pushed open the car door, stood up, held the roof and looked out.

Then, Wei Ran immediately pulled back and said, "Teacher Musashi, some nuclear recruiting soldiers stopped our car."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of Japanese soldiers and puppet troops holding rifles with bayonets went around to the back of the first truck, drove out the trumpeters sitting inside, and began a rough inspection.

"Teacher Musashi"

Wei Ran said worriedly, "Will they damage the instruments? I heard that this is a birthday party for someone. What if there is a lack of accompaniment?"

"That makes sense. Let them come over." said Ichiro Hoshino.

"Should I call them over?" Wei Ran asked with a hint of fear.

"Come on, don't be afraid." Ichiro Hoshino said with a smile.

"I believe you."

Wei Ran said, and opened the car door again, calling out in Japanese, "Hey! Ask your superior to come over!"

After shouting, Wei Ran immediately turned his head and looked at Ichiro Hoshino beside him.

"You get off first"

Hoshino Ichiro said, "Go check if there are any missing instruments in the car ahead."

"it is good"

When Wei Ran jumped out of the car, he deliberately showed the appropriate fear, but he did not move forward immediately. At this time, the Japanese soldiers had already come over, and if he went over at this time, he would simply be seeking death.

Soon, several Japanese soldiers surrounded the cab of the second car with guns. Hoshino Ichiro, who had moved to the window, smiled and said, "I am Musashi, the president of Musashi Photography Society. This is the drama troupe I invited for my friend.

You can check it, but please don’t make things difficult for the performers or damage the musical instruments and costumes in the carriage.”

"Hi!"

One of the Japanese soldiers immediately responded loudly, obviously he seemed to know something.

"Mr. Wei, please ask Boss Mu to arrange for his people to move all those boxes down for the soldiers to check." Hoshino Ichiro said.

要坏

Wei Ran's heart sank, but he immediately agreed, ran to the front to greet Lin Qiaoan, and repeated Hoshino Ichiro's proposal.

"Unload the truck! Box head! Ask the box keeper to open all the boxes for Taijun to see!" Lin Qiaoan immediately gave the order.

"Guys! Open the box!"

Accompanied by shouts, one opera box after another was carried down and lined up on the roadside and opened, revealing the costumes, musical instruments and other items inside.

The female artists, the musicians who played trumpets and drums, and other support staff also stood in a row.

Obviously, these devils and puppet troops probably didn't expect the people in these four cars to cooperate so well with the inspection.

However, although there were a lot of things in these boxes or people, there was nothing unusual at first glance.

While they were checking, Wei Ran also pulled Lin Qiaoan aside to ask about the situation of the first car.

"Teacher Musashi"

Wei Ran stood outside and looked up and said, "It's just the erhu that was broken, the impact is not that big."

"That's good"

Hoshino Ichiro breathed a sigh of relief and said to a sergeant who was also waiting outside, "After you finish the inspection, would it be convenient for you to send one or two soldiers to follow us and continue forward? I'm worried that it will be too troublesome to encounter another inspection. We are in a hurry in the morning."

"Hi!"

The sergeant immediately responded respectfully, then called a sergeant and asked him to climb into the passenger seat of the first car and replace Lin Qiaoan.

After Lin Qiaoan asked his men to load all the theater boxes into the cars, he climbed onto the cargo bed of the first car. The four cars started moving again. The sergeant who was standing on the side of the road eating dust even kept a slightly bowed posture out of respect.

What is the origin of Ichiro Hoshino?

Wei Ran suppressed the doubts in his heart and continued to chat with Ichiro Hoshino about photography and other topics.

Along the way, they were indeed interrogated by the Japanese more than once. Fortunately, the sergeant in the first car was responsible for negotiations, and the four cars finally arrived at their destination before lunch - a huge mansion that made people think of the word "landlord".

At this time, Mr. Ji, whom I had just met yesterday, had been waiting at the door for a long time.

"Mr. Ji, I'm sorry we are late." Ichiro Hoshino said apologetically.

"No later, no later, Mr. Musashi and everyone else, please come in!" After listening to Wei Ran's translation, Mr. Ji warmly greeted everyone and walked into the courtyard.

His nominal last disciple, Zhao Jingrong, also carefully thanked the sergeant who had escorted him all the way, and asked the servants to bring food, drinks, cigarettes and alcohol for him to take back with the car.

After sending the Japanese away, Wei Ran, who deliberately lagged behind a few steps, gave the translation job to Zhang Taichuan. He also watched the opera boxes being carried into the room in the front yard.

Where is the thing hidden?

Wei Ran pondered secretly, and at the same time, he was also thinking, which side the "untrustworthy" Hoshino Ichiro was on?

(End of this chapter)