War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 2039 Mutual Friends

"Network team, how's the situation?"

In Italy, in a van near a mansion, a young woman in the passenger seat asked a question while holding a landline phone receiver between her neck and shoulder.

"Thanks to the signal receiver the boss sent in, the network is now completely under our control," came the reply from the carriage behind us.

"How's Mr. Cat doing?" the woman sitting in the passenger seat of the van asked.

"We've located the rat nest based on the basic information provided by the boss, and we're currently setting it up," a clear response came through the receiver.

"Inform everyone that we need to find and count every single hair on that fat rat."

"Received," came the eager reply from the receiver.

While the girls at Hela were working in secret, various useful bits and pieces of information were analyzed and cross-verified, and more and more people labeled as suspects came into Hela's view.

"Attention, everyone!"

In Turin, Italy, Monica, heavily pregnant, typed a long string of text in an instant chat room: "Some nuclear historian actually said that Italy is an Axis power like them. This is a desecration of Italy. They are trying to muddy the waters again."

"Flush them out!"

"Which one to charge at!"

"Any one will do! When do we move? What's the current situation?"

Suddenly, a bunch of sentences mixed with a lot of profanity popped up in the chat room.

"We must teach those executioner's descendants a profound lesson!"

Monica typed out a long call to action, also filled with profanities, "Tonight! Tonight alone, we're going to wipe out that disgusting, filthy Japanese historian's account!"

We're going to post pictures showing the colors of his family's underwear! We're going to expose all his shameful deeds!

Hela will win!

Hela will win!

In anonymous chat rooms, a group of socially anxious people in real life transformed into online thugs.

Some even suggested protesting in front of the embassy, ​​which received a large response.

Go to a protest? Socially anxious people don't go to protests, but that doesn't stop them from organizing online.

Just as this Hela was planning a major event, another Hela had already joined forces with Charon and the succubus to begin a large-scale observation campaign.

"I knew it, the boss must be operating a huge network."

Outside a classroom at a university in the capital of China, the Kajenka sisters each held a cup of milk tea and sat on a bench by the sidewalk, chatting idly while waiting for their older sister, Aurora, to finish class.

"What do you mean?" Anfisa asked, taking a sip of her milk tea.

"In the intelligence community, Mr. Liu and his boss are semi-public figures."

As she spoke, Anfia handed the tablet computer to her sister beside her, "Hela has to get good results this time."

Why don't they do it themselves?

"Are there any Chinese people in Hailar?" Anfia asked in return.

"Isn't he the boss?"

"The boss doesn't belong to Hela, and Hela doesn't belong to the boss."

Anfia said earnestly, "Sister, Hela is both of our Hela."

"But we're the boss."

"That's right, but nobody knows that Hela is both of us."

Anfia didn't think there was anything ambiguous about the statement. "Our Hela is always hidden under another Hela, so this is both Mr. Liu's test for the boss and a test for us."

Why is it always a test?

Amfisa sighed, then said the same thing to her sister with great energy, "But only those with value have a reason to exist."

"That's right"

Amphia nodded. "We need to mobilize all the Hela and succubus girls who don't have any missions yet to do this."

"We need to attract attention with other things."

"Let the fertilizers speed things up, and Charon too."

Anfia suggested, "We need to create the illusion that Charon is the one opposing our target this time."

"Anyway, Charon is gone."

“That’s right, Charon is gone anyway.”

Anfia nodded, "And don't forget what the boss said: if we can get rid of all these messy, expired products this time, we can get a lot of profits."

"Are you confident in your network team?" Anfisa asked a crucial question.

“They couldn’t defeat us during World War II, so don’t even think about it now.” Anfia gave a response that required some basic historical knowledge to understand.

Meanwhile, at the Wildfire Rescue Station, Apoli carefully shaved off his stubble.

"Boss Ivan, are you going back?"

Peter, the old maintenance worker in charge of the shelter, rubbed his greasy hat and asked with considerable reluctance.

Over the past few months, he and Boss Ivan have become very good friends.

My vacation is over.

As Apoli said this, already wearing his winter coat, "This place is yours from now on."

"Don't worry, Comrade Ivan," Peter said, finally extending his hand to Apoli.

"What did you call me? Comrade?"

"Your mannerisms scream Soviet."

Old Peter said, "So I have to use this title that I haven't used in a long time."

"Thank you"

Apoli sincerely thanked him, turned around and walked out of the living compartment of the transport vehicle, which served as a living room, and climbed into the bright red tracked tractor.

Farewell, comrades.

As Apoli started the car and drove away, he murmured to himself, looking at the surging aurora in the distance, "Last year I entrusted the spark to a trustworthy young man, and this year, soon, that spark will ignite a small flame."

I have every reason and confidence to trust that young man and his fellow red comrades.

I believe they will send the seeds you left behind into space to complete the work you were unable to finish back then.

"I'm about to set foot on that land again, but this time at the invitation of my comrades, to witness the first launch of that spark."

What a pity. That should have been the world we created.

At the same time, amidst the curses of most and the secret anticipation of a few, "exiled manga artist" Hirano Haruto updated his manga once again, a series he had been working on for a year and a half.

Over the course of a year and a half, Hirano Haruto repeatedly won the prize money for the Asian edition of the manga contest organized by the Seven Colors Elephant Organization.

But this increasingly serious and melancholic exiled cartoonist, while escaping kidnapping and assassination attempts time and again, used all his prize money to donate supplies to the 8th generation of refugees in Lestain.

"Yang Dou, are you really not planning to have a child?"

In Mandalay, on a middle floor of a high-rise building, Ayano, whose whole family had moved here, hugged Hirano Hiuto, who was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window from behind, and asked him a question that was unusually straightforward for a recruiter.

“I’m planning to adopt a boy from 8Lerstan,” Hirano Haruto murmured, looking out the bulletproof glass at the stark contrast between the rich and poor in the city streets. “Is that alright?”

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

Ayano nodded; she had already fallen for this man who she wouldn't normally have cared about.

Back in Europe, with Wei Ran translating, Liu Ge finished negotiating with an elderly gentleman who looked seven or eight parts like Mr. Bean about an African mine. The two of them immediately left Italy and boarded a flight to Paris, France.

"This doesn't seem to be part of the plan."

Wei Ran reminded him that unless absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to come here right now, especially not to see Coco.

"We're just meeting up with a mutual friend," Brother Liu said vaguely. "Maybe it's a friend."

"Do we have mutual friends?" Wei Ran looked at the other person suspiciously.

"Of course, of course there is. This world is very small." Brother Liu said, handing over another slip of paper with an address written on it.

"You've been working as a driver before, right?" Wei Ran asked abruptly as he took the note.

"Tell me the reason," Brother Liu asked with a smile after a moment of surprise.

"When you're in the car, you tend to sit too close to the seat back. This is a habit that combat drivers develop, which provides a better sense of enclosure and support in both defensive and offensive driving."

Wei Ran glanced at the address and put it in his pocket. "And your shoes. Although you wear leather shoes like me, your shoes have extra anti-slip treatment on the soles at the ball of the foot."

"Is this also a characteristic?"

"You're very interested in the changes to traffic lights."

Wei Ran casually reminded him, "On this day in Italy, when I was your driver, you would look around at every traffic light earlier than I did."

Although you moved very gently, the rearview mirrors on my car are very large.

"Where did you learn this from?" Brother Liu asked with great interest.

“I have two Russian friends who are both expert drivers. When I was studying abroad, I often asked them for driving tips.”

Wei Ran had already fastened his seatbelt as he spoke. This time, Brother Liu had arranged for him to be in business class, so he could at least get some comfortable rest.

"How do you talk about this?"

Brother Liu asked with great interest, "Do you think it's beneath you, Scholar Wei, to drive for me, the driver?"

No, that won't happen.

Wei Ran smiled and said, "No job is superior or inferior. I'm just curious if someone made a plate of dumplings just for my sake."

"There was indeed a plate of dumplings, which we borrowed from the next table."

Brother Liu replied with a smile, "Only dumplings with vinegar can be considered dumplings."

"I understand, cooperation benefits both sides."

"Why don't you tell me what other little things might reveal my identity?" Brother Liu asked with a smile.

"Well, you've stumped me," Wei Ran said, already putting on a steam eye mask.

"Interesting," Brother Liu mumbled indistinctly.

The flight from Italy to Paris, France, was indeed very short, so before Wei Ran could even finish a full dream, the flight had already begun its descent.

With Brother Liu following silently, Wei Ran led him straight into the parking lot after leaving the arrival gate, opened the door of an SUV, and got in.

Following the address provided, Wei Ran drove to a bus stop in the French countryside.

At this moment, a retro-style bus campervan was parked next to the platform, and a triangular warning sign was placed a few dozen meters away from the rear of the vehicle.

"Inside this car?" Wei Ran asked.

“That’s right,” Brother Liu nodded, letting Wei Ran drive the car to the side door in the middle of the bus campervan.

Welcome to our home!

Before he could finish speaking, a woman came out of the carriage and greeted him warmly, "I'm sorry I could only meet you here, please don't mind."

"Miss Paige?" Wei Ran looked at her in surprise.

"What does that mean?" Brother Liu asked, almost as if possessed.

"A nickname between friends. Come in and make yourself at home."

As Miss Peppa Pig spoke, she picked up the teapot, tore open a packet of Chinese green tea, poured it in, and then poured in hot water.

Although the RV had blackout blinds around the perimeter, the interior lighting was bright enough.

That's why Wei Ran immediately noticed the bottles of several anti-cancer drugs casually tossed around the corner of the table.

"Gentlemen, I don't have much time."

As Paige poured tea for the two of them, she said, "So how about we just get straight to the point?"

"Of course," Brother Liu nodded.

"It's all here."

As she spoke, Page pushed a solid-state drive to Brother Liu, saying, "You guys find an outsider to do it for me. I have more important things to do."

"No problem," Brother Liu agreed as readily as ever.

"I will decide whether to give you the most important information based on the final results."

Paige said, "I'll continue to play fascinating villainous roles. Also, can I ask a personal question?"

"Of course," Brother Liu agreed readily.

"How did Mr. Victor end up with you? I haven't heard from him for over a year."

"He was deported back to China on suspicion of bigamy and spent about a year and a half in prison," Brother Liu said, stating the obviously fabricated lie as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Yes, that's right." Wei Ran, holding his teacup, replied without looking up, indicating that his trip hadn't been in vain.

"I'm going to die."

Paige looked at Wei Ran and reached out to remove her hood. "But I hope our agreement still stands."

“Of course, I remember.” Wei Ran nodded. “It will always be effective.”

"That's good"

As Paige picked up her cup, she said, "According to Chinese etiquette, do you leave as soon as I pick up my teacup?"

“That’s true, I won’t bother you any longer.” Brother Liu was the first to stand up.

"I'm entrusting that child to you." Paige stood up and bowed deeply to Wei Ran, who was standing opposite her.

"rest assured"

As Wei Ran spoke, he also got up and left the bus RV, climbing into the SUV they had driven.

You can keep this.

After Wei Ran started driving, Brother Liu, who was sitting in the back seat, handed Wei Ran the portable hard drive he had just received.

"Okay," Wei Ran took the hard drive and put it in his pocket, but he never asked how to use the list.

"Okay, let's go back."

Brother Liu yawned and said, "After we get back, you can take your friends to watch the satellite launch."