War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 2014 If you can't change history, then create your own white light.

Wei Ran's casual conversation with Mr. Lawrence and Morris lasted only for the time it takes to drink a glass of wine before it ended when Morris was called away.

“Victor, will you feel this anxious next?” Lawrence asked.

"Why should I be nervous?" Wei Ran asked, lighting a cigarette.

"You'll be going with Maurice then, don't you have any particular feelings about it?" Lawrence casually blurted out some wonderful news that delighted Wei Ran.

"I'm so excited," Wei Ran said truthfully.

"I thought you were just as sentimental," Lawrence said with a slight sigh of relief.

"I just regret that I can't personally go and get rid of that thing," Wei Ran said, still telling the truth.

"This is a systematic project, and no one can complete it independently."

When Lawrence said this, his tone was not excited, but rather overly serious.

"And you?" Wei Ran countered, "How are you feeling right now?"

"Objective and neutral."

Lawrence replied in a low voice, "Alright, we should go back now. Remember to get some rest, and take lots of photos later."

I will take more photos.

Wei Ran responded in a low voice, got up and went to the room he shared with the two soldiers. After taking a thorough shower, he lay down on the bed.

He knew very well that in the original history, the Enola Gay bomber, which was about to take off, was not equipped with any additional photographers.

For this bombing mission, they also had a dedicated "photographer"—the Necessary Evil bomber.

So is this a small change to history?

Wei Ran was well aware that each time he entered a period of history, it was actually slightly adjusted in order to insert himself, an unwanted guest, into it.

Even so, he was still moved this time. He couldn't help but think about countless questions and topics that had been discussed in casual conversations at various times and occasions.

Finally, he thought of the prophecy he made with Dr. Komori at the No. 52 mine camp regarding World War III.

He didn't even know why he thought of it, but a series of impulses suddenly arose within him that made him restless.

Can the little boy gently awaken the sleeping soul of Mount Fuji?

This is not the first time Wei Ran has thought about this problem.
In fact, after Hella was formed by chance, he had the children in the network group conduct more than one simulation to find the "optimal solution".

Unfortunately, history cannot be changed.

Even so, Wei Ran still had an extremely unrestrained smile on his face.

History may indeed be unchangeable, but this place, the time and space that his father dragged him into, is the best simulation field!
"It was not the American atomic bomb that ended World War II, but the soldiers and civilians who sacrificed themselves in Stalingrad, the deaf-mute girl who took a grenade with her and perished with the enemy, and the eagles that flew over the city."

They were the soldiers and civilians who braved the wind and snow at Lake Ladoga and suffered hunger in Leningrad.

They are the Sichuan soldiers who fought to the death on the walls of Tengxian County, and the battle spirits who will never leave the Savage Mountain.

He was also a crew member of DD-557 and a bulldozer driver who lost his good friend on Saipan.

Those who held the fortified Shipai, went through the Long March, and guarded the Great Wall were not only courtesans and actors who delivered intelligence despite being vilified, but also bomber pilots and tank drivers.

It was those internationalist fighters from all over the world, and those who died in the war, in the struggle against aggressors, who truly ended World War II.

As he muttered to himself, Wei Ran looked at the increasingly hot tattoo on the web of his left hand, "It's definitely not an atomic bomb. Its power is certainly great, but it shouldn't steal the battle merits that those nameless people earned with their lives."

Otherwise, what's the point of repeatedly sending me to battlefields like piles of dog shit?
Why did you send me here?
Should we provide a faithful and objective record of this bombing, which was essentially a staged performance that stole the fruits of the battle?
I'm sorry, but I refuse this time.

As soon as he finished speaking, the burning sensation from the tattoo on his hand abruptly stopped.

"From the moment you sighed after I met Edelweiss, I knew for sure that you do have logical thinking."

Wei Ran was still looking at the tattoo on his tiger's mouth. "Since you can make me the 13th person in that bomber, how about we take a gamble?"
Let me tell you, under the premise that there is no way to change history.

You brought me to this time and space, and the greatest value I can bring is also the meaning you have for me.

Of course, I will bear all the consequences myself.

After a long wait, the tattoo on the web of Wei Ran's left hand burned him again.

I'll take that as your agreement.

Wei Ran smiled, lay down on the bed, lit another cigarette, and patiently waited for good things to come.

Not long after, or perhaps a long time later, the sky outside the window grew darker and darker, and the Milky Way appeared in the night sky.

"Victor, wake up, it's time to eat."

A soldier who came in with them stood at the door and greeted them.

"coming"

As Wei Ran responded, she swiftly got out of bed, left the prefab house, and followed the other person into the canteen.

At this point, he also saw the entire crew of the bombing mission.

But this time, he didn't take pictures as usual. He didn't even take out the camera from his camera case. He simply followed the instincts that Culp and others had trained him to choose a spot where he could see the whole scene at a glance and began to enjoy his dinner—a double ham sandwich and a cup of espresso without any added water or sugar.

At 1:30 AM, or 01:30, everyone, including Wei Ran, finished their meal. After making the usual preparations, they boarded the vehicles and headed to the helipad.

After undergoing identity verification by the military police halfway through the flight, everyone entered the cabin one by one and began the pre-start check.

Meanwhile, Morris had already entered the bomb bay area with his toolkit and begun initial equipment testing.

Wei Ran followed the other party the whole time. Although he couldn't help with the subsequent induced labor, he found a folding metal chair that belonged to him in the equipment compartment connected to the bomb bay. This was equipment that shouldn't have been on the bomber originally.

After a short wait, Maurice arrived and sat down in another folding chair next to it.

At 2:45, the bomber began to move, and the beam of Morris's flashlight kept moving around the four hydraulic locks suspending the little boy, glancing at the lock indicator lights every now and then.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Wei Ran asked.

"Keep your eyes on those four green lights!"

Morris shouted, "Tell me right away if they turn red!"

"What does it mean when they turn red?" Wei Ran raised his voice slightly, just as the bomber began to taxi.

"Vibration may cause the lock to loosen!"

Morris explained loudly, "If the latch is loose, the light will turn red!"

“I’ll keep an eye on it for you!” Wei Ran shouted in response.

"Thank you!"

As Morris spoke, he handed one of the communication headsets to Wei Ran, but he would still glance at the four green indicator lights every now and then.

After accumulating power on the long 3-kilometer runway, the bomber finally lifted off the ground amidst turbulence and began its climb.

Throughout this process, Morris remained highly tense, and Wei Ran naturally did not disturb him at this time.

Finally, an internal report came through the communication headset: they had climbed to cruising altitude.

Soon after, weapons expert Colonel Parsons crouched down and walked over with Morris into the bomb bay. Using the dim light of a flashlight and headlamp, they began to infuse the little boy with a soul.

As Wei Ran leaned forward to watch, Morris used a wrench to remove the tailgate one by one.

Following closely behind, Colonel Parsons placed four silk-wrapped bags of smokeless gunpowder propellant into the "birthing bed," and as Wei Ran had predicted, he accidentally cut his hand on the rough edge of the panel.

"Are you alright?" Morris's tone showed a moment of panic.

"fine"

Colonel Parsons sucked on the wound on his finger, pressed it with his finger, and then winked at Morris.

Upon seeing this, the latter immediately tightened the breech plug.

Together with Colonel Parsons, they completed the remaining steps in sequence.

Finally, Colonel Parsons checked the three green safety plugs one last time to make sure they were secure, and because he used his fingers too hard, he accidentally broke open his already nearly congealed wound, dripping a drop of blood onto one of the plugs.

"Careful, the wound on your hand is bleeding again."

As Morris handed the confirmation card to the other person, he suggested, "Would you like to get a different one?"

"Thank you"

Colonel Parsons glanced at the bloodstains on the card, then agreed to Morris's suggestion, who immediately replaced the card and put the bloodstained one into his toolbox.

With all preparations complete, Colonel Parsons simply nodded to Wei Ran before reluctantly leaving, and Morris immediately returned to his position.

The voyage ahead was still rather long, but Wei Ran was already prepared.

Gradually, the sunlight began to illuminate the area outside the porthole, and Wei Ran could vaguely see the islands on the ground.

Almost simultaneously, a notification came through the communication headset that bombs were about to be dropped.

Reminded of this, Morris replaced the control panel with a red release plug and tossed the old one into his toolbox.

"Do you have an answer about that bet now?" Wei Ran suddenly asked, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"no"

Morris shook his head. "But I'm actually quite calm now."

"Me too"

As Wei Ran spoke, he suddenly struck and knocked the other person unconscious.

"I'm sorry, I've had enough of history that can't be changed."

Since history cannot be changed, let's make it as useful as possible.

At least here, we can verify some things that didn't happen in history.

As Wei Ran spoke, he unplugged the communication headset and used the headset cable to tie the other person's hands behind their back to the seat back.

At that moment, Wei Ran felt an unbearable stinging pain all over his body, as if he were taking out the DT30 transport vehicle. But he simply took a deep breath and staggered to the front of the cabin. Under the puzzled gaze of Colonel Parsons, he greeted him in a friendly manner, and before the other man could subconsciously respond, he easily knocked him unconscious and tied him up with a communication cable.

"I do have a knack for hijacking."

As Wei Ran spoke, he continued forward, taking off his heavy and cumbersome flight suit and pulling out his 1911 pistol, cocking a bullet.

"I will now assume command of the Enola Guy."

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already shut down the bomber's radio system, leaving only internal communications operational.

"What are you going to do?" radio operator Richard Nelson asked in surprise.

“I said I had temporarily taken command of the bomber.”

With bloodshot eyes and a stinging pain all over his body, Wei Ran gritted his teeth and said, "This is President Truman's order."

I didn't answer.

"Isn't the fact that I can show up here with a gun enough to prove anything?"

Every minute and every second was precious, so Wei Ran interrupted Colonel Tibbets's questioning, "Target changed to Nin Jiom, navigator. Do you want to follow my orders or should I throw you out and then I'll take the helm myself?"

"Sir, there's no need to scare me like that."

Navigator Theodore van Kirk's tone was somewhat casual and cynical. "To me, a deviation of two hundred meters or two hundred miles makes little difference. Right, Captain?"

"I will do so after returning home."

"casual"

As Wei Ran said this, he could already taste a strong sweet and fishy flavor in his mouth.

"Correcting the course"

The captain's tone was so serious that no emotion could be detected.

"Feel sorry"

With his vision blurring, Wei Ran silently apologized to the people around him, then slipped into the handrail and fastened his seatbelt, silently enduring the increasingly intense stinging pain throughout his body.

At this moment, every minute and every second felt incredibly long to him.

But this time, the stinging pain that used to torment him and make him roll on the ground was ineffective.

"That Mr. Huo was tortured for two days and two nights."

Wei Ran murmured in a voice only he could hear, "And those who starved to death halfway through the Long March."
I'm just a historian with total paralysis. Since history can't be changed, let's use history to learn from our mistakes.

“Mr. Hijacker, we are about to reach our target area.”

After a long wait, the navigator reminded us.

With just a glance at the outline of the island's coastline, Wei Ran was certain that the other party was not lying to him.

But at this point, he was unable to move, and he could even feel that his skin was burning.

"Let's begin," Wei Ran said in a hoarse voice.

Goodbye, my lovely little one.

As bombardier Thomas spoke, he decisively released the new life in the bomb bay, and the plane experienced a moment of weightlessness due to the sudden reduction in weight.

"Clap!"

At that moment, Wei Ran also lost his grip on the gun, letting it fall to the floor.

But at this moment, he had no time to heed the telegraph operator's exclamation. Instead, he stared intently out the porthole, a smile on his face, and began to count silently.

1001
1002

1003

As Wei Ran silently counted, he gradually lost his balance and fell backward to the ground, gradually losing all sensation in his body.

Finally, as he silently counted to "one thousand fourty-four," he could already vaguely feel the blinding white light in his eyes due to the ruptured blood vessels.

"so good"

Wei Ran closed his eyes contentedly, letting the white light engulf him—although he knew he couldn't change history, this white light was something he had created himself.

Are you trying to change history?

Before the white light dissipated, Wei Ran heard a question. He could even recognize that it was the voice of Clara from Edelweiss.

"I don't want to change history."

Wei Ran looked around and realized that he had arrived at Edelweiss Clara's farm and was lying on the wooden floor next to the coffee table.

He tried to get up and sat back down on the sofa. "I already knew when I last came here to see you that you are not Edelweiss Clara. That Edelweiss has withered away forever."

So you're not coming?

As Edelweiss spoke, she picked up the coffee pot and poured Wei Ran a cup of coffee.

"Edelweiss is my partner and comrade-in-arms."

Wei Ran took the coffee and sipped it. "She is just her, and only she is herself. No one can replace her."

"And what about her?"

Edelweiss pointed to a spot not far away, where a little girl, covered in dirt, was holding a few biscuits and two grenades, and was draped in a blue blanket.

After shaking off his thoughts, Wei Ran gently put down his coffee cup after failing to retrieve the camera. "She's dead too. My only regret is that I don't know her name."

My eternal regret is simply that I didn't take a single photo of her.

I cannot forgive what happened, but that doesn't mean I'd want her to be impersonated and brought back to life.

"In that case, let's get back to the original topic."

As she spoke, Edelweiss transformed into the appearance of Wei Ran's cousin Meixiang from a certain timeline, "Were you trying to change history just now?"

"I cannot change history"

Wei Ran picked up his coffee cup again, his expression unchanged even though the other person had become his cousin Mei Xiang.

"What do you want to do?" the woman sitting opposite asked.

"It's a good thing that history cannot be changed."

Wei Ran said, "Since it cannot be changed, theoretically, whatever I do in that time and space will not affect the world I live in."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I want to test whether it can cause mosquitoes to break down and whether it can cause their mental collapse."

"Why do this?"

"Because history cannot be changed?"

Wei Ran put down his coffee cup. "Since I can't change it, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with what I'm doing."

"what is your purpose?"

The woman sitting opposite him transformed once again into the little girl draped in a blue blanket, and this time she even asked the question in sign language that Wei Ran could understand.

"I want to see what would have happened if it had been there back then," Wei Ran said bluntly.

But you can't see it.

"The metal notebook that binds us together once belonged to a previous owner."

Wei Ran said calmly, "If I remember correctly, his name is Alexander Arkadyevich Trotsky."

He even left me a final message.

If I had a previous owner, then perhaps I would have had the chance to leave a final message for my next owner.

"What last words?" the girl opposite asked, gesturing.

"I did what I was supposed to do," Wei Ran said with a smile. "Can anyone help me see what happened next?"

"Ugh"

The girl opposite her transformed into an edelweiss again, her tone tinged with a hint of human helplessness as she said, "According to the deduction, doing this will turn the area into a chicken-infested zone due to the mosquito-drawing fault and the input of the 'defecation' form."

"They won't be cheering for the US anymore, right?" Wei Ran asked with satisfaction.

"will not"

"On the contrary, it will incite permanent hatred," said Edelweiss across the way.

"Like a drum, isn't it?"

"Good description"

As Edelweiss spoke, her open metal notebook appeared on the table between her and Wei Ran.

Amidst the rustling of pages turning, Wei Ran finally saw the red and blue vortex that was the final reward after his first entry into the Chao County battlefield.

"You're satisfied; it's time to record history."

After Edelweiss finished speaking, the red and blue vortex on the page collapsed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and Wei Ran was completely swallowed up by the disintegrating two-colored light cluster.

"No, but I'm actually quite calm now."

Before the light disappeared, Wei Ran heard Morris's reply again.

"So that's how the red and blue vortexes are used."

Wei Ran ignored Maurice and instead unbuttoned his heavy flight suit.

In his hand, a luxurious 1911 pistol appeared once again.

Finally, it's almost time to finish. I probably won't spend another four and a half years writing a book like this.