War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1847: Substitute for the Big Horse

"I said that Hirano Daisho was funding some gangsters to murder JCP members."

Zhang Taichuan shook his head. "I don't know if his sister died in the gangs he funded. This beast obviously doesn't care who the gangs he funded killed. He just wants those anti-war people to die. He even asked me if I wanted to continue doing business with him."

"You plan to be friends with him?"

'No chance'

Zhang Taichuan said, "But we can't kill him for now. I have more important things to do now. Wei Ran, go get the ink and wait for him there."

"I know" Wei Ran sighed.

“Take these too.”

Zhang Taichuan handed the suitcase to Wei Ran, "Inside are some of Miss Hirano's belongings."

"Okay." As Wei Ran agreed, everything in front of him was swallowed by the white light again.

As Wei Ran waited calmly, the white light gradually faded and he also felt a distinct sense of stuffiness.

As his vision gradually became clearer, he noticed that he was standing on the roof of a two-story building. Above his head, there was a tattered sunshade canvas, and several layers of fishing nets hung from the edge of the canvas awning.

At this time, the Schneider anti-aircraft telescope was placed between the fishing net and himself.

Looking around, Wei Ran couldn't help but smile. At this moment, Zhao Jingrong was wearing an American-style combat pants and deck suit, with a pair of frog-eye glasses on his face, and was sleeping soundly on a rattan woven recliner.

In his hand he was holding a green coconut with a bamboo tube inserted in it. On the table next to him was an American BC1000 radio that he had obtained from somewhere, two handheld telescopes, a 1911 pistol and a Swiss-made submachine gun.

He subconsciously reached for his lower back, and sure enough, the TT30 pistol was still there.

Maybe there is no chance to shoot this time.
Wei Ran did not rush to wake up the sleeping Zhao Jingrong. He just put his eyes on the eyepiece of the anti-aircraft telescope and looked out. The telescope was aimed at a street that extended to the seaside pier.

Just at this moment, a call came from the radio. Zhao Jingrong, who had just been snoring, immediately turned over and woke up, and grabbed the microphone connected to the radio.

"People have arrived"

Because he was close enough, Wei Ran could clearly hear the voice coming from the microphone. He could even tell that the voice sounded like Wang Fu or Wang Gui.

"What are you wearing?" Zhao Jingrong raised his hand and pointed in the direction of the dock, then picked up a telescope and looked over there.

"The people who come here are not beasts"

The voice on the phone said, "It seems to be his wife?"

"His wife?" Zhao Jingrong was stunned. Obviously, he had not expected this situation.

"My brother has caught up with me. Do you want to do anything?"

Wang Fu's question on the phone also made Wei Ran put his eyes back to the eyepiece of the telescope, and he spotted Wang Gui at a glance.

He was wearing shorts and a T-shirt at this time. In front of him, there was a woman wearing a white skirt with black dots, a sun hat on her head, a camera around her neck, and a black travel bag in her hand - a white woman.

Wei Ran was extremely sure that this woman was definitely Hirano Daisho's wife. She looked 70% similar to that Polish mare!
Where did you get this substitute?

Wei Ran muttered to himself, and at the same time gently moved the telescope, looking for the shadow of Hirano Daisho.

Unfortunately, he didn't. He didn't find Hirano Daito behind or around this woman.

"Don't do it yet"

After Zhao Jingrong finished speaking into the microphone, he picked up the telescope and walked to Wei Ran's side. While peering from afar, he muttered to himself, "Why didn't that beast come?"

"Is this woman the beast's wife?" Wei Ran asked his doubts.

"According to Joan, she is an American woman."

Zhao Jingrong, holding a telescope, answered, "It really looks like the Polish horse back then, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Wei Ran sighed. He almost made a mistake just now.

"It looks like the beast won't come," Zhao Jingrong sighed regretfully.

"Maybe it's because Zhaohe and Yinni haven't established diplomatic relations yet, so he may not be able to come in." Wei Ran guessed.

"Whatever the reason, we have to act quickly."

Zhao Jingrong said, "Qiao An sent a message saying that the beast might immigrate to the United States, and he seems to have been investigating the whereabouts of your second uncle."

"What are you going to do?" Wei Ran asked, "Kill this woman as well?"

"You kid, please stop killing me."

Zhao Jingrong put down the telescope and said, "Our enemy is Hirano Daxiang, just kill him."

At this point, Zhao Jingrong raised his chin towards the road below the building on the other side of the fishing net and said, "Let's see what this woman is going to do first."

While the two were waiting quietly, the blonde white girl walked and looked at the buildings on both sides. Finally, she stopped at the door of the two-story building across the road from where Wei Ran and the others were standing.

The building was already dilapidated enough, but fortunately the house number was still there and seemed to have been specially wiped.

Standing at the door and looking into the window of the street shop, the young woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, raised her camera to take a picture, then carefully pushed open the door that was not locked at all and walked in.

Not long after, she came out with a wooden box in her hand.

Squinting her eyes and looking up at the sunlight above her head, the woman slightly adjusted the camera in her hand, then sat on the steps at the door and opened the wooden box she had brought out.

Even without the help of a telescope, Wei Ran could clearly see that the box contained the handle of the wakizashi that Hirano Daisho had given to Zhang Taichuan, and a mother-of-pearl comb.

In addition, there is a photo album in there, which is an extremely thick one.

This time, Wei Ran picked up the handheld telescope on the table and looked at the woman, and at the photo album in her hand.

Because he was close enough, and because the Swarovski telescope in his hand was of good enough quality, he could see very clearly that the first photo in the album was a photo of Zhang Taichuan and the "pregnant" Hirano Aoi, and then there was a photo of them as a "couple" with Gentaro and Chiyoko.

Continuing on, there are group photos with Hirano Daisho in Shencheng that year, and group photos with Mr. Musashi and even Mr. Aoi, and other people who appeared and disappeared.

However, as she continued to flip through the pages, the American sweetheart's face gradually turned pale and terrified. She saw a photo of Hirano Daito slaughtering civilians with a samurai sword!
"Bang!"

The woman lost her grip on the photo album and knocked over the wooden box, causing the handle of the samurai sword and the comb to fall onto the grass at the door.

But at this moment, this American sweetheart who had been scared to tears covered her mouth and chest and shook her head in disbelief. She didn't dare to flip through the photo album again, let alone pick up the blood-stained samurai sword handle.

“This is also part of revenge.”

Zhao Jingrong sighed, "Wei Ran, go ahead and take Wang Fu and Wang Gui to recruit the core and kill Hirano Daxiang."

"Do we need to kill this woman too?" Wei Ran asked.

"Let her go"

Zhao Jingrong waved his hand tiredly and lay back on the recliner.

"Aren't you going?" Wei Ran asked.

"I am now a spy sent by Aichi University to Yinni. With this identity, I can obtain a lot of intelligence."

"When do you plan to go back?" Wei Ran asked the same question he had asked Zhang Taichuan.

"Wait until the day I'm exposed"

Zhao Jingrong smiled and said, "Let's go quickly. For me, for all 32 members of the Zhao family, please treat that beast Hirano Daxiang well."

"Don't worry," Wei Ran muttered to himself as the white light gradually rose.

When the white light began to fade, the temperature around him became dry and cold again, and he once again heard the Kansai accent filling the air from all directions.

When his vision returned, he was able to confirm that he was back in Osaka and wearing the same clothes again, with even the hand warmer still in his inside pocket.

He even saw the short mountain not far away, and the pub of Hirano Daisho a little further away. Of course, he also saw Wang Fu and Wang Gui who were following him.

"Do you two speak Japanese?" Wei Ran asked in a low voice.

"Yes, of course."

Wang Fu whispered in Japanese, "We learned it when we were in the firewood collection team."

Hearing this, Wei Ran first touched his lower back, then looked up at the sky, thought for a moment and arranged, "Go around and see where there are fireworks for sale, go buy some."

"How much do you want to buy?" Wang Gui asked in a low voice in Japanese.

"Buy more. Buy fireworks that make a lot of noise. Remember to buy the same style."

Wei Ran raised his hand and pointed to the low mountain not far away and said, "After you buy the things, go to the foot of the mountain and wait for me."

"Walk"

Wang Fu greeted them, and walked to the roadside with his brother Wang Gui, and enthusiastically began asking in Japanese where they could buy fireworks.

At the same time, Wei Ran also took a step forward, pulled up the collar of his windbreaker, wrapped his scarf tightly and walked towards Hirano House Wine House.

However, when he was still thirty or forty meters away from the izakaya, the American sweetheart who had been to Yindi came out with a bag, and behind him, Hirano Daisho seemed to be trying to keep him.

"Mieko, please don't leave. Let me explain."

"Oh!"

Before Hirano Daito could finish his words, the American sweetheart, also called "Mieko", swung the leather briefcase in her hand and hit Hirano Daito in the face.

"Oh!"

Unsatisfied, the American sweetheart hit Hirano Daisho on the head with her briefcase in both hands, then spat forcefully and cursed loudly in English, "You executioner who has been screwed by the devil! I feel sick just by looking at you!"

You and your bastard son can spend the rest of your lives screwing each other! If you bother me again, I will make public all the ugly things you have done!"

After saying that, the furious American sweetheart, still not satisfied, gave Hirano Daisho a merciless stomping on the face with her high-heeled shoes.

Amidst Hirano Daisho's screams, she angrily jumped on a royal blue Harley 125 motorcycle parked at the door of the pub and sped away with the engine roaring, leaving only a middle finger to the jumping Hirano Daisho.

Gee.
Wei Ran stopped in time, hid half of his body behind a telephone pole, slowly lit a cigarette and watched the excitement.

As he watched, until neither he nor Hirano Daito could hear the roar of the motorcycle engine, a little boy who looked to be about six or seven years old ran out of the izakaya behind them trembling with fear.

"Dad, are you okay?" the little boy asked while trying to support Hirano Daisho.

"I'm fine, Gentaro, were you scared?" Hirano Daisho asked while hugging the little boy.

"I'm fine"

The little boy who was suspected to be a substitute also shook his head and asked cautiously, "Will Aunt Mieko come back?"

“Probably not.”

Hirano Daisho's answer made the little boy named Gentaro visibly relieved.

Unfortunately, Hirano Daito obviously didn't notice the little guy's emotional changes, just like Gentaro didn't hear the strong murderous intent in his father's answer.

Patting Gentaro's shoulder vigorously, Hirano Daisho took out some money from his pocket and handed it to him, saying, "Gentaro, can you continue to rest at the home of Grandpa Suzuki who runs the hotel tonight? I need to go talk to Mieko."

"it is good"

Gentaro took the money and put it into his pocket. Finally, he hugged Hirano Daisho and walked towards the intersection in the distance as if it was nothing new.

Wasn’t this unfortunate child born to him by that American girl?
Wei Ran raised his eyebrows. It was not yet dark, and he could clearly see the appearance of the substitute version of Gentaro - he was not a mixed-race.

Although he didn't figure out the answer, Wei Ran was not in a hurry, because he knew that he could finally get revenge, and he knew that Hirano Daisho would give him a satisfactory answer.

At the same time, Daisho Hirano also hung a wooden sign on his izakaya saying it was temporarily closed and walked in.

Seeing this, Wei Ran looked around, flicked away his cigarette butt and walked over, pushed open the half-open door behind him, and looked at Hirano Daxiang who was kneeling in front of the Buddhist shrine with a smile on his face.

"It's you?! Ryunosuke?!"

Hirano Daisho's eyes widened, but before he could do anything, Wei Ran had already pulled out the TT30 pistol from his waist and pointed it at his forehead.

"what are you up to?"

Hirano Daisho asked coldly, "Did you show my photo album to Mieko on purpose?"

"You're pretty smart"

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already closed the shop door, then reached out and grabbed Hirano Daisho's arm. Before the other party could react, he pulled his elbow joint, and pulled him over by the arm, covering his mouth. At the same time, he kicked one of his legs at the ankle, easily separating his ankle joint.

Covering his mouth until Hirano Daisho's screams were suppressed, Wei Ran picked up a rag and stuffed it into his mouth. Then he grabbed his dislocated hand and took him around the first floor of the izakaya which had not yet opened for business, and then walked around the second floor.

Only after making sure that he and Hirano Daisho were the only ones in the izakaya did Wei Ran take him to the second floor. After pulling the curtains, he tied him to a pillar and pulled the rag out of his mouth.

"I have a few questions for you," Wei Ran said as he walked around the second floor of the house.

"The war has ended long ago, and it has ended a long time ago." Hirano Daito seemed to have realized something and said quickly.

"Where did you go after you were transferred to Thailand?"

Wei Ran asked directly, and at the same time, he found an old-fashioned razor that was sharp enough from a drawer.

"The war is over," Hirano Daisho repeated, obviously not prepared to answer the question.

"It doesn't matter. I have plenty of time and patience."

Wei Ran said as he walked downstairs, "If you don't tell me, I will catch your Gentaro and he will tell me the answer."

"It's up to you," Hirano Daisho said in a nonchalant tone.

“I like your tough attitude.”

As Wei Ran spoke, he walked around the room again and then stopped in front of a shrine.

Unlike the shrine downstairs which contains a Buddha statue, this shrine enshrines "Mieko" and some other people whose surnames begin with "Hirano".

"These are your family members? Why are they all dead?"

As Wei Ran spoke, he picked up the incense burner in front of the shrine. He even had an impression of this Chinese incense burner. It seemed to be one of the earliest batches of "payment" for goods traded to Hirano Daisho or Mr. Musashi.

"The Americans firebombed Osaka"

After a brief silence, Hirano Daito chose to answer truthfully, "My family is dead, and I have been punished."

"That's the Americans' punishment for you, but the American incendiary bombs don't represent the Chinese."

As Wei Ran spoke, he placed the incense burner filled with incense ash and a few burning incense sticks on a table next to Hirano Daisho.

"So you want revenge?" Hirano Daisho asked disdainfully, "Do you want to start a war?"

"I told you I have plenty of time and patience."

Wei Ran said, blocking the other person's mouth with the rag again, "Since you haven't seen your position clearly, why don't you calm down first."

Before he finished speaking, Wei Ran swung the old-fashioned razor in his hand without warning and easily shaved off a thin layer of skin on Hirano Daxiang's face, as wide as a leek leaf and as long as a cigarette.

Without waiting for Hirano Daxiang to start struggling, Wei Ran had already grabbed a handful of incense ash and pressed it on Hirano Daxiang's wound to stop the bleeding. Then he carefully spread the piece of skin that was still stuck to the blade on the table.

"It's still early, let's take our time tonight."

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already put down the razor, first took out a bunch of keys from Hirano Daisho's body, and then went around all the rooms on the second floor of the izakaya.

Unfortunately, he did not find the handle of the samurai sword and the mother-of-pearl comb, nor did he find the photo album that Hirano Daisho had kept.

Ignoring Hirano Daisho who was whining at him, Wei Ran went back to the first floor.

This time, he finally found a safe in the cabinet behind the cash register.

The safe was pried open easily. In addition to some US dollars and Japanese yen, there was indeed a photo album inside. However, it was not the photo album that I had briefly seen in Shanghai.

Gently opening the photo album, there are no photos of Hirano Daisho in China, but instead all of his evil deeds on the battlefield in Southeast Asia.

Continuing to flip through the pages, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. There was also a photo of Hirano Daisho and a woman. The photo even recorded the process of the woman's belly gradually bulging, as well as a photo of him and the woman holding a baby boy.

Continue flipping through the pages, and you'll find a number of photos taken by Daito Hirano in a dense forest.

The subsequent photos seemed to be taken secretly, including the intersection of mountain roads, slightly blurred waterfalls, exposed boulders, etc.

Although I don't know why Daisho Hirano saved these photos, I have plenty of time, so I can ask him later.

After taking the photo album and locking the safe again, Wei Ran walked back to the second floor step by step and stood next to Hirano Daisho again.

"Just nod when you want to talk. As long as I see it, I'll give you a chance to speak."

After Wei Ran finished speaking, he picked up the old-fashioned razor again and carefully cut open Hirano Daisho's sleeve, revealing his arm.

As the sharp blades flew and the incense ashes fell, a layer of genuine leather gradually covered the table. Hirano Daisho seemed to start nodding madly for some reason.

How
Wei Ran seemed to be blind, and focused all his attention on the old-fashioned razor in his hand.

Finally, when half of Hirano Daxiang's arm was covered with incense ash, Wei Ran finally stopped what he was doing, took out a hard leather belt and put it around Hirano Daxiang's neck, then pulled the rag out of his mouth and asked while wielding a knife, "Speak now, the sooner you speak, the sooner you can enjoy the good life. I have never met anyone who is so tough as to resist my hospitality."

"I was left here to build fortifications and do some business." Hirano Daisho replied, "It's about the same as when I was in Shencheng."

"What about these secretly taken photos?" Wei Ran asked as he opened the photo album he had just found.

"That was when I was hiking with Gentaro, and he took this photo accidentally," Hirano Daisho replied. "I thought it was very meaningful, so I kept it."

Hearing this, although Wei Ran didn't believe it at all, he didn't expose it. Instead, he followed the topic and asked, "In this case, tell me about this Gentaro. Who gave birth to him for you? It can't be that American sweetheart just now, right?"

"It's a girl I met at Fei Lu Funeral. She...she is also a nuclear recruiter."

"Where is she?" Wei Ran asked casually while swinging his knife.

"she died"

Hirano Daisho felt the friction between the blade and the belt coming from his ears, and his goose bumps rose. "On the day of the nuclear surrender, she committed suicide."

"He committed suicide?"

Wei Ran smiled and said, "Then you came back with that child? And then you met that American sweetheart again?"

"I went to America first, met Mieko first, and then came back with her."

After answering, Hirano Daisho asked, "Where is my sister Aoi? Where is my Gentaro? Where did they go? Why is Mieko... um."

Before Hirano Daisho could finish his words, his mouth was blocked again. Wei Ran grabbed the other's dislocated arm again and started working.

Until the end, only one "glove" was left for the other party, Wei Ran asked again, "What about those secretly taken photos?"

“I told you, it’s my son.”

Before Hirano Daisho could finish his words, Wei Ran blocked his mouth again and started working on his other arm.

He was indeed not curious about the origins of those photos, but he could guess that since those photos were worthy of being locked in a safe, they must contain secrets worthy of such treatment.

He knew even more clearly that as long as he asked this secret, Hirano Daisho would no longer keep other questions secret.

Of course, he would never admit that there was an element of revenge in his torture.