War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1837 The Trigger That Cannot Be Pulled

On the night Esther passed away, Zhang Zhengqi's physical condition was rapidly deteriorating. Even though Wei Ran and Hirano Aoi had injected double the dose of sulfa drugs without regard for the consequences, the symptoms did not improve at all.

"Prepare. Prepare for the afterlife."

Seeing that Zhang Zhengqi's condition was getting worse, Wei Ran finally made up his mind and said, "I'm afraid he won't be able to wait until dawn."

After saying this, Xiaowu, Wang Fu and Wang Gui couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Don't cry"

Zhang Taichuan, who had been sitting not far away and watching, seemed to have anticipated this day. He arranged it very calmly, "After Zhengqi dies, Xiaowu, you take him out of the city to Mr. Ji's house and bury his body in a place of your choice without erecting a tombstone. You wait for the right time, and Captain Jin will find a way to get you back."

"Okay," Xiaowu agreed while gritting his teeth.

"What about us?" Wang Fu and Wang Gui asked in unison.

"You guys go to the dock after daybreak."

Zhao Jingrong, who was also in the room, said, "Someone will come to pick you up later."

"Where are you going?"

Wang Fu asked subconsciously, but then he added, "As long as we can fight the devils, we can go anywhere."

"Don't worry, we're going to fight the devils."

After Zhao Jingrong finished speaking, he sighed, and the airtight room became quiet again.

I don’t know how long it was, but when the sound of roosters crowing was heard outside again, Zhang Zhengqi, who was lying on the hospital bed, suddenly started coughing.

"Zhengqi?"

Zhang Taichuan, who had been sitting at a table not far away, was the first to react and quickly moved to the bedside. The next second, the rest of the people, including Hirano Aoi, also gathered around.

Zhang Zhengqi slowly turned his eyes to look around, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. "Fortunately, you are all here with me. I dreamed that you were...captured by the devils. Ahem!"

"We're fine, we're all fine." Zhang Taichuan said distressedly, "Zhengqi, you have to hold on, you can..."

"Second uncle."

Zhang Zhengqi's almost unfocused eyes slowly looked towards Zhang Taichuan, his weak tone full of guilt, "I messed up. I've implicated everyone."

"No, Young Master, no, I won't be implicated!" Xiao Wu, who was already in tears, responded.

He and Liuzi had been friends with Zhang Zhengqi since childhood before they became his disciples. The hardships they had experienced together over the years had made them a family closer than brothers.

"I cough"

Zhang Zhengqi said in a hoarse voice, "I haven't avenged my father, my grandfather, and the Mingming Township Opera Troupe. My second uncle and my mother said that I brought shame to them."

"Zhengqi? Zhengqi?" Zhang Taichuan called softly, and Hirano Aoi carefully placed the stethoscope on Zhang Zhengqi's chest.

At a certain moment, the two people were already crying bitterly - Zhang Zhengqi was dead.

He hardened his heart and pressed the shutter button towards Zhang Zhengqi who was surrounded. Before Wei Ran had time to put down the camera, they heard intermittent sounds of someone hitting the wall.

"Wang Fu, Wang Gui." Zhao Jingrong sighed, "You should leave now. Someone is here to pick you up."

"go!"

Wang Fu took a last look at Zhang Zhengqi who was dying, gritted his teeth, and pulled his younger brother Wang Gui to leave the room first.

"Wei Ran, you... you can send Zhengqi and Xiaowu away."

Zhang Taichuan also said, "Send it to the coffin shop, and buy a good coffin for Dayangma by the way."

"Okay." Wei Ran nodded and reached out to pick up Zhang Zhengqi.

"Wait a little longer"

Zhang Taichuan stopped Wei Ran, then quickly left the room, and no one knew where he went.

"He's dead, isn't he?" Hirano Aoi asked in Japanese during the silence, her tone unexpectedly calm.

"Yes, dead, never to live again."

As Wei Ran sighed, Hirano Aoi carefully lay on Zhang Zhengqi's chest and cried cautiously, even though this Chinese man never looked at her until his death.

A moment later, Zhang Taichuan came back with a porcelain plate filled with oil paint in his hand.

"Zhengqi has liked Guan Erye in the Five Passes since he was a child"

As Zhang Taichuan spoke, he smeared vermilion oil paint little by little on Zhang Zhengqi's slightly pale face.

"Let him play the role of Lord Guan for once."

Zhang Taichuan said to himself, "Pass five gates, kill six generals, Lord Guan, Lord Guan, please bless this poor child."

Having said that, Zhang Taichuan also helped Zhang Zhengqi paint the last mask in his life, a bright red mask.

"Danglang"

Zhang Taichuan threw the porcelain plate onto the table, then reached into Zhang Zhengqi's collar and pulled out a leather rope.

On this leather rope, there is an octagonal wooden stamp the size of a thumb. There is no carving or inlay on the stamp, but there is a hole in the middle of the waistline for the leather rope to pass through.

Because he was close enough, Wei Ran was able to notice that there seemed to be something carved on both ends of the stamp.

However, before he could see clearly, Zhang Taichuan handed the seal to Hirano Aoi.

"This is the seal of the Mingxiang Drama Troupe," Zhang Taichuan pointed at Zhang Zhengqi, "He was originally the designated successor of this drama troupe."

"This..." Hirano Aoi looked flustered.

"Keep it"

Zhang Taichuan said, "There will be no Mingxiang Opera Troupe anymore."

After saying that, Zhang Taichuan turned around and walked out of the wing room, "Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu, please send the young master away."

"Hey!"

Xiao Wu responded with all his strength, and with the help of Wei Ran and Zhao Jingrong, he carried Zhang Zhengqi, whose face was painted red, on his back.

It was still dark at this time. Wei Ran and Xiao Wu, who was carrying Zhang Zhengqi on his back, walked through the overgrown back yard, then went through the back door that Zhao Jingrong helped open, and left the house that seemed to have been abandoned for a long time.

With a slight "creak" sound, the small double doors behind them were pushed closed by Zhao Jingrong and Zhang Taichuan who were still hiding inside.

There was another "creak" sound, and the small door next door was opened from the inside. All kinds of people who rented Zhang Taichuan's house came out silently. Some clasped their fists, some bowed, some saluted, and some kowtowed respectfully on the side of the road according to the etiquette of juniors.

"squeak"

As everyone who had paid their respects returned to the courtyard one after another, the small door was also closed. In this narrow alley, only Wei Ran, who was walking in front, and Xiao Wu, who was carrying Zhang Zhengqi on his back, walking and crying but trying hard not to make any sound, were left.

Walking to the end of the alley, Wei Ran drove the car parked on the side of the road and opened the trunk. Then he took out his windbreaker from the cab and spread it in the trunk.

When everything was ready, Xiaowu carefully let Zhang Zhengqi in.

"Young boss, please hide inside. The lid is about to be closed." Xiao Wu whispered and carefully closed the trunk lid.

"Get in the car," Wei Ran said, opening the door and letting Xiao Wu get in.

On the way to the coffin shop, Wei Ran tried again and again to say something, or to ask something, but in the end, he could not say anything, nor could he ask anything.

The car drove into the coffin shop without any obstruction, where there were also members of the firewood-collecting team guarding it.

"Brother Wei, leave the matters here to us."

Xiao Wu said before pushing open the car door, "Someone will deliver the coffin at 8:30 in the morning."

"Okay," Wei Ran nodded, "Be careful on the road."

"Do not worry"

As Xiaowu spoke, he had already opened the car door, walked around to the rear of the car, opened the trunk, and carried Zhang Zhengqi out.

After waiting for a member of the firewood collection team to help close the trunk, Wei Ran gently stepped on the accelerator and drove in the direction he came from.

At this time, although the sky was already turning pale, the morning sun had not yet risen. Even so, some poor people were already hurrying to make a living. However, soon after he drove past the military station, he unexpectedly found a Japanese soldier wearing a kimono and holding a bottle of wine, staggering along the roadside.

Is it Daisho Hirano?
Wei Ran recognized the other person at a glance and subconsciously glanced at the rearview mirror.

没 人
No one in front

There's no one behind.
The shops on both sides were closed!
By the time he stepped on the brakes, he had already pulled out the TT30 pistol from his waist.

He finally understood the meaning of this gun, which tempted himself to kill the lone Hirano Daisho!

He was confident enough that in this place and at this time, even if he killed Hirano Daisho, he would not be caught or suspected.

The deaths of those people in the Mingxiang Opera Troupe, the death of Zhang Zhengqi, and even the heartbroken Hirano Aoi.

All of these encouraged him to push open the car door, put the gun on the roof with both hands, and aim at Hirano Daisho who was holding onto a telephone pole and vomiting in front of him.

kill him!

Kill him?
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

No, you can't kill.
Wei Ran, who had already placed his fingertips on the trigger and began to apply pressure, finally released his fingers, removed the magazine, then pulled the slide to eject a bullet, and tremblingly pushed the bullet back into the magazine.

"Click"

Wei Ran put the refilled magazine back, then threw the gun into the cab, rubbed his face vigorously, and shouted enthusiastically with surprise, "Mr. Hirano! Is it Mr. Hirano?! I finally found the damn Japanese!"

As he urgently interrupted to curse, a thick white light finally swallowed up everything in his sight.

Will anyone else die next?

As Wei Ran sighed tiredly, the white light gradually dissipated and everything around him changed.

Of all his senses, the first thing he felt was that the temperature around him had become much warmer.

Then he smelled the unique smell of the darkroom.

Sure enough, when everything around him gradually became clear, he was back in the darkroom of Musashino Photo Studio.

He subconsciously reached for his lower back and found a TT30 pistol, with even a bullet in the chamber.

Wei Ran walked to the door and listened for a while. He did not rush to open the door of the darkroom, but looked around the room again. This time, there were still many photos hanging on the drying line waiting to be dried.

These photos basically show Aoi Hirano and a baby who obviously looks mixed-race.

Without even guessing, he was 80% to 90% sure that the baby was Morpheus, nominally the son of Daisho Hirano.

After further observation, I found an unfinished letter in Japanese on the table near the door of the darkroom.

He was almost certain that the letter was written by himself, as it began with "Dear Mr. Musashi" and continued with a series of greetings and concerns about not being able to contact him.

However, the letter only ended here. Although it looked like it was not finished, Wei Ran could tell at a glance that there was no specific time or event in the content of the letter. In other words, he could say at any time that he was just writing a letter.

He picked up the letter paper and looked at the table. Seeing that there was no color difference due to dust, Wei Ran gently opened the wooden door of the darkroom.

In the sweltering heat, he also spotted Aoi Hirano outside the door who was about to knock. At her feet, a big yellow dog with big ears and a black mouth was squatting - it had grown into a big dog, not as cute as it was when it was a child, but it gave him a sense of security.

"Why is Miss Hirano here?"

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already opened the wooden door with a glass window and let the man and the dog in.

"I have something urgent to discuss with you"

Hirano Aoi had already walked to the reception area and sat down while she was talking. "Are you the only one here?"

"That's right," Wei Ran nodded, and touched the big yellow dog by the way.

"Where are the others?" Hirano Aoi continued to ask.

"What happened?" Wei Ran asked.

"I don't know if this is good news or bad news, but it is definitely the latest news." Hirano Aoi even lowered her voice when she said this, "My brother, they are going to withdraw."

"withdraw?"

Wei Ran's heart skipped a beat. "From where? From Shencheng?"

"That's right!"

Hirano Aoi nodded vigorously. "He told me this at noon. He wanted me to go with him to the military station in the evening to help him pack his things."

"What else?" Wei Ran asked without comment.

"My brother is preparing to sell some things urgently"

Hirano Aoi said very seriously, "Also, I want you to do something for me."

"What's the matter?" Wei Ran's expression became more serious.

"I want to get my brother's photo album, the one that records his killings." Hirano Aoi said seriously.

"What do you want that photo album for?" Wei Ran asked in surprise.

"Do you remember our conversation?" Hirano Aoi asked, "about the impression the nuclear recruiter left on you."

"I vaguely remember." Wei Ran nodded.

"I want to go to ask my fellow man questions without leaving empty-handed."

Hirano Aoi's expression darkened a lot, "Not all the people who recruited nuclear weapons are bad. Many of them have no idea what happened on the battlefield. The war that was promoted to them in newspapers and on the radio was not as ugly as what was shown in that photo album.

Many nuclear advocates even mistakenly believe that this war is helping others and is noble and sacred.

At this point, Hirano Aoi's tone has become much firmer. "So I want to get that photo album. I think in the future when I have the opportunity to ask them that question, I can take out something so that they can see what our soldiers did on the battlefield and let them know what real war is like."

Taking a deep breath, Hirano Aoi pulled out the wooden seal hanging around her neck and shook it, "If I'm still alive when the war ends, if I can, if I have a chance.

I also want to tell their stories to my compatriots. I will recommend them to appreciate Chinese opera, taste Chinese food, and make friends from China. "

After taking a deep breath again, Hirano Aoi stood up, bowed respectfully, and said in an extremely sincere tone, "Mr. Wei, I know very well that recruiting nuclear personnel does not have a good impression in the minds of Chinese people.

I am also well aware that my own strength is limited, but I still hope to do something to change the impression of nuclear recruiters in the eyes of the Chinese people.

Even if it only changes one person, please help me, please!"

"How can I help you?"

Wei Ran also stood up and asked back. Even the big yellow dog with a black mouth stood up on its two hind legs in a very human way, wagging its bright red tongue, tilting its head to look at Wei Ran, and then tilting its head to look at Hirano Aoi.

“That’s what bothers me.”

Hirano Aoi straightened up and said, "I want to get that photo album, but I don't know how to get it, and I'm not even sure if it's still in my brother's safe."

"When will Mr. Hirano leave?" Wei Ran asked.

"Two days later," Hirano Aoi replied.

"So urgent?" Wei Ran frowned.

"Please," Hirano Aoi bowed again.

"I'll think of a solution," Wei Ran said ambiguously, "but whether or not to help you is not up to me."

"I understand, I understand!"

Hirano Aoi nodded quickly, then hurriedly took out a roll of film from her bag and handed it to Wei Ran, "This should be something my brother is going to sell. I secretly took this photo while he was taking a nap. He seems to be planning to discuss the transaction of these things with Translator Qin and Captain Jin in the evening."

"Thank you"

Wei Ran thanked him first, then took the film and said, "I will ask Translator Qin and Captain Jin to give a reply as soon as possible."

"please"

Hirano Aoi bowed again, then patted the big yellow dog beside her who was also waving its paws in greeting, turned around and hurriedly left the photo agency.

“It’s summer already.”

Wei Ran muttered to himself as he looked at the scorching sun outside, then tossed the film, turned around and walked back into the stuffy darkroom.