African Nationhood

Chapter 241 A showdown of perseverance

Shi Jintang returned to London and entered Prince Leopold's estate. He just got off the carriage and had not had time to see his eldest daughter Shi Xi.

Then he saw Sir Bannerman, now the British Minister of War, walking towards him with a group of soldiers.

Shi Jintang was just about to say hello to Sir Bannerman, but unexpectedly, the lobster soldier behind him immediately raised his rifle and pointed it at him.

Shi Jintang's expression changed greatly, but Shi Ming and others immediately took action and stood in front of Lord Shi to form a human wall.

As they acted, they did not forget to draw their revolvers from their gun bags to be on guard.

"Sir Bannerman, what do you mean?"

Although he was hiding behind the crowd, Shi Jintang was still a little worried, fearing that if his secret was leaked, the British would arrest him and hang him.

Sir Bannerman looked serious, "General Manager Shi, we have something that we need you to verify with us at the Army Department."

Shi Jintang didn't believe the British people in front of him, "What on earth needs to be escorted with guns?"

"This matter is very important. You must come with me, otherwise we will have to use force."

Shi Jintang walked back slowly. There were shell guns and grenades in his carriage. It shouldn't be too difficult to hide back in the carriage.

"General Manager Shi, don't have any illusions. A battalion of troops has been deployed nearby, and you can't escape.

You'd better cooperate with us to investigate clearly. If this matter has nothing to do with you, we won't embarrass you.

If you resist, we will only think that you are stubborn and fearful of crime. "

Hearing the British say this, Shi Jintang became even more depressed. What on earth was going on.

He has never done anything to deceive the British recently. To say that he has a lot of bad things to do.

But it doesn’t mean that instead of arresting me when I came to London a month ago, they arrested me a month later.

This doesn't make sense. Could it be that my butterfly wings caused something that affected me?

What happened in England in January 1887 had nothing to do with me?
  What about Europe?
  Europe, Europe, Europe... Damn it, isn't this a big event about "milk law"?
  If this is really the case, then he is really doomed.

Even if he was in Southwest Africa, the British would have to capture him for questioning.

Fortunately, he was in London. If Britain sent a naval warship to interrogate him, the impact on Southwest Africa would be great.

Will you rebel at that time?

Moreover, there is no way to avoid major events related to national security interests.

At this point, we can only cooperate.

He was willing to cooperate with the British investigation for two reasons:
  First, he determined that the French's smokeless gunpowder formula was different from his own.

The smokeless gunpowder currently used by the French is a single-base gunpowder, but he provided a double-base gunpowder.

There are obvious differences between the two types of smokeless gunpowder.

Second, his territory and population are now very large, and the British will not easily touch him.

……

"Sir Bannerman, I can go with you to cooperate with the investigation, but I need to see my woman."

Sir Bannerman thought for a moment, "You can call them out and meet them here."

Shi Jintang nodded and told Shi Ming to ask Alice to come over with her eldest daughter. He wanted to meet her before leaving.

Shi Ming gave instructions to his guards, and then quickly ran to the manor to call Alice.

Not long after, Alice came out with her daughter in her arms, and was shocked when she saw this scene.

He walked over quickly with his daughter in his arms and asked anxiously: "Henry, what's going on?"

Shi Jintang hugged her, then leaned over and kissed his smiling daughter.

Finally, he comforted Alice and said, "It's nothing. I may go to the Army Department to stay for a while. When things are cleared up, everything will be fine."

Also, don’t go anywhere during this period, just stay in the manor and take care of your children. I’ll be fine! "

Alice saw that Shi Jintang was calm and composed, so she believed what he said.

Shi Jintang took his daughter from Alice's arms, "Ah, my good daughter is heavy again, okay!"

After saying that, Shi Jintang hugged his daughter and lifted her up several times, making the little girl giggle.

After interacting with his daughter, Shi Jintang called Shi Ming and told him to stay in the manor during this period and not to leave.

Shi Ming nodded and obeyed, but still worried about Lord Shi's safety.

"Is your lordship really okay?"

Shi Jintang smiled and said, "Don't tell the company what happened here. If the mistress and the others ask, just say that I am busy working here and will go back when I am done.

Remember? "

Shi Ming could only continue to nod and obey the order.

After the explanation, Shi Jintang left with Sir Bannerman.

……

In central London, there is a Palladian building at the intersection of Downing Street, Whitehall and Cavalry Avenue. This building was built from 1750 to 1755.

Before 1872, it was the British Army's General Staff Headquarters, and before 1904 it was the British Army's headquarters.

This was the first time for Shi Jintang to enter such a simple and solemn building. He had not been excited to see the Queen at Buckingham Palace before.

But when I got here, I felt that my mood was particularly exciting, maybe because I knew I was going to "fight" here for a while.

……

After entering the building, Shi Jintang's freedom was deprived, the guards became stricter on him, and Sir Bannerman's face became more solemn.

After walking inside the building for a while, they entered the basement via the stairs.

Inexplicable sounds echoed in the basement corridor, which sounded like human whimpering and the sound of wind.

Shi Jintang couldn't figure out what the sound was. Anyway, he was in a very relaxed mood now.

After reaching the end of the corridor, Sir Bannerman opened the door on the left, and then Shi Jintang was pushed in.

Sir Bannerman said to him, "Wait here" and left.

……

The room is not big, with a table and a few chairs.

After Shi Jintang casually pulled out a chair and sat down, he reached for his cigarette case out of habit, only to find that his cigarette case and lighter had been taken away by the guards.

He had no choice but to sit boredly for several hours. During this time, no one came, and no one came to bring food or drink.

This made Shi Jintang very angry. These British guys were really nothing. They just doubted themselves, so they locked themselves up and refused to give them food.

So at night, someone finally came.

It was a white man in military uniform. He didn't know and didn't care what the other person wanted to ask. He just lay on the chair and ignored him.

"Mr. Shi, please sit up. I have something to ask you." The fact that the other party is still polite to him means that he has no evidence.

Shi Jintang stood up and sat down, then asked the white officer, "Do you have any cigarettes? Give me one."

The white officer took out the flat cigarette box from his pocket, took one out, and helped him light it.

Shi Jintang took a greedy sip and couldn't help but sigh: "It feels so uncomfortable to be imprisoned."

The white officer did not understand Chinese. After he finished smoking, he took out his notebook and pen from his briefcase.

"We will start asking now, I will ask you questions, do you understand?"

Now that we are here, we naturally have to cooperate well.

"Well, just ask, I will tell you if I know."

"During your tenure as the general manager of Nanhua Company, did you have any contact with the French?"

This question is too broad, and if he answers it, he will be labeled as a secret contact.

But if you don't answer, it's like you have a ghost in your heart.

"I opened Henry's Partners Trading Company with Mr. Bannerman and a French businessman, so we had contact, so to speak.

Mr. Bannerman also had the same contact. I wonder if this counts?

In addition, I have opened several factories in France and have many French workers. Does this count as contact? "

The white officer didn't answer at all. He just recorded Shi Jintang's words truthfully.

"Have you ever betrayed Britain's national interests?"

"No, absolutely not."

"Did you ever talk to the French about smokeless powder?"

"No, absolutely not."

……

These were the only questions the white officer asked, and they were the same questions over and over again, making Shi Jintang almost angry.

But he understood that this was the British strategy, fatigue interrogation.

Once he couldn't hold on, his secret might be revealed. He had to hold on and never spit it out.

Time passed and the white officer had been questioning Shi Jintang for several hours.

Shi Jintang strictly adhered to his original intention, but couldn't hold on any longer, so he asked the other party for a cigarette.

The other party did not refuse, and soon all his pack of cigarettes was smoked by Shi Jintang, and the next step was to spend money.

During this period, Shi Jintang asked for water, but the other party only provided water and no food.

Shi Jintang didn't insist, he would use up the water as long as it was available.

Unable to hold on any longer, he lay down on a chair and fell asleep, and the white officer did not stop him.

The next morning, Shi Jintang slept soundly and was having a big meal in his dream.

There was a sudden bang and he fell to the ground.

He opened his eyes with pain all over his body and found that the person who came to interrogate him this time was a strong white man in military uniform.

The strong man lifted him up, pressed his head directly on the desk, and asked in a vicious voice: "Tell me, did you reveal the secret of smokeless gunpowder to the French?"

Shi Jintang just shut up and didn't answer.

Seeing that he ignored him, the strong white man threw him to the ground, then continued to lift him up and continued to throw him on the desk.

After going back and forth several times, Shi Jintang felt pain all over his body and many places on his body were bruised.

But he still insisted not to answer and closed his eyes silently.

The strong white man didn't dare to kill him, so when he couldn't get an answer, he implemented the established strategy of not letting him sleep and wearing him down.

What follows is a tough competition of perseverance. The longer Shi Jintang persists, the more the cramps in his stomach make him eager to eat.

But he couldn't give in. If he expressed his intention to eat, the other party would tempt him with food.

He has to persevere, and perseverance is victory!
  ……

Really unable to hold on any longer, he recited the "Supreme Act", "Our monarch, king and his heirs and successor kings of this kingdom..."

He recited it over and over again to show his patriotism.

After the strong white man heard the "Supreme Act" clearly, he stopped touching him and continued to consume him...

On the third day, although Shi Jintang was very unwell, he still persisted.

During this period, he only drank water, no longer answered questions, and did not eat.

The person accompanying him was changed to a white officer again, and he could sleep.

It's just that the white officer stopped offering cigarettes to Shi Jintang and still asked him the same questions as before.

Shi Jintang remained stiff and did not answer the question.

Another day passed like this, and by night he fell into a coma.

……

When he woke up and saw Sir Bannerman's face, he smiled and said with difficulty: "I did not betray Britain, you have to believe me!"

Sir Bannerman responded noncommittally, "The French's smokeless powder bullets and new rifles have been installed. We cannot believe what you say."

Shi Jintang grinned with a smile that was uglier than crying, "My smokeless gunpowder is made from nitrocellulose. Don't the French have smart people who also make it based on this?"
  You wouldn't have thought of such a possibility, right? "

Sir Bannerman shrugged, "Just because we considered this possibility, we didn't really torture you.

You can't leave here until we verify this. "

Shi Jintang sighed and resigned, "I hope to be treated decently. I can be detained, but my food and tobacco must be guaranteed."

Sir Bannerman nodded, "This request can be satisfied."

……

When Shi Jintang regained his energy, he was imprisoned again.

This time it was a cell. The white officer came to ask him the same questions every day, and Shi Jintang still gave the same answers.

The days passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, Shi Jintang had been detained in the cell for more than a month and almost two months.

Shi Jintang finally waited for the dawn of the matter and he was finally released!
  Sir Bannerman personally came to pick him up from prison, "I'm sorry, we made a mistake."

Shi Jintang smiled silently and strode out of the cell.

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  (End of this chapter)