Literary Master 1983

Chapter 422 Joint Security Area

The Vietnamese squad leader, however, said, "We have already signed a ceasefire agreement, and since June 1st, I have fulfilled my duties as a frontline soldier."

Colonel Pei angrily retorted, "Even if there's a ceasefire, you can't act so intimately with... your former enemy!"

The Vietnamese squad leader spoke in fluent Mandarin: "I joined the army at sixteen and fought for fourteen years. My hair has turned white, and I'm still a bachelor! There are tens of thousands of old bachelors like me! Even General Le doesn't dare to say I've defected!"

He looked at Colonel Pei: "What right do you have to talk to me like that?"

These words were spoken with such sincerity that many Vietnamese soldiers were moved to tears. They had indeed been fighting for much longer than the Chinese, and some had even become old bachelors.

Four years ago, after suffering a crushing defeat, the Ministry of National Defense sent a major general to comfort the Vietnamese soldiers on the front lines and help them resolve their difficulties. One would expect them to raise some serious questions, but instead, they all said the same thing:

We haven't seen a woman in so long!
Hearing these words, Yu Qie couldn't help but shed tears!

This man, who had once killed a Vietnamese communications soldier, suddenly became a vanguard of Sino-Vietnamese friendship. Yu Qie grasped the Vietnamese soldier's hand and said, "We have a history together. You don't know, but my grandfather's eldest uncle's second aunt's husband once had a wife in the south, who was probably Vietnamese."

"From this perspective, I should be considered half Vietnamese."

He grasped the Vietnamese veteran's hand, but his eyes were fixed on Colonel Bui of the Politburo, and he said, "Do you in Vietnam disdain these expressions of peace?"

Before Colonel Pei could speak, the Vietnamese squad leader said, "If we catch someone communicating with the enemy in private during wartime, we'll be beheaded!"

This is unacceptable! This is inhumane!

Yu Qie said with deep emotion, "I hope to write a novella called 'Joint Security Area'... to extol the touching friendship that took place on the front lines."

"It would be best to translate it into Vietnamese so that you can all see it. What do you think?"

This remark elicited cheers from both sides of the battle. The Chinese were also delighted: why not take advantage of a novel to read?

"Kacha!"

Xianyunqiang, an editor at the Military Pictorial, took this photo and titled it "No War at Laoshan." He then wrote a report overnight: "This is an unprecedented and wondrous experience in human history; the more I investigate, the more astonished I become!"

"Many soldiers came forward to identify our peace comrades lurking within the Vietnamese army. Under the call of our shared culture, they couldn't help but lay down their weapons... This inspired writer Yu Qie to create a lot of works!"

The following day, both sides visited other high ground and discovered that a tacit understanding had already been established there. Xianyun Qiang recorded everything.

Yu Qie couldn't help but burst into laughter as he toured the area; while Colonel Pei from the Vietnamese side had a solemn expression, gritted his teeth, and wished he could find a few typical examples to kill!
In particular, he learned that Yu Qie was writing a novel called "Joint Security Zone": several soldiers in opposing camps accidentally made contact through a tunnel dug from a cat-ear hole and became "friends" out of simple human emotions.

They both spoke Mandarin, had read "Journey to the West," and were intimately familiar with famous Chinese historical figures—they were practically brothers living abroad. They carefully maintained their relationship while simultaneously fearing exposure and the wrath of their respective units…

This is a direct slap in the face to Pei Shunhua.

Ultimately, Yu Qie wanted to explain that Vietnam had no reason to exist; it was originally part of ancient China.

"Did you know that ancient China ruled Vietnam for a much longer time than some other regions? So, going back a thousand years, we might be of the same ancestry, and you could even be considered half a descendant of the Yellow Emperor."

Yu Qie said to Colonel Pei.

Yu Qie was in high spirits, and Pei Shunhua couldn't refute him, but he expressed his attitude: "Although we signed a ceasefire treaty, we are at most friends, and there is absolutely no possibility that we have any blood relationship."

"really?"

"Absolutely true!"

“Good!” Yu Qie said, “Your founding father Ho Chi Minh did not think that way. He married a Chinese woman during the revolution. This woman remained unmarried for his sake, and Ho Chi Minh also remained unmarried for his entire life. She is your national mother.”

"Impossible! Stop talking nonsense!" Pei Shunhua was so angry that his ears were ringing.

In the official Vietnamese narrative, Ho Chi Minh is a "saint." He had no children, no marriage, and was the son, husband, and grandfather of the Vietnamese people. He was born to save the Vietnamese and dedicated his life to Vietnam.

Many Vietnamese people firmly believe this.

Yu Qie denied this point, just as one would deny God before a Christian.

Pei Shunhua was furious and could no longer tolerate Yu Qie. "Why would such an influential writer like you fabricate rumors? What's the point of doing this?"

Yu Qie retorted, “I can produce evidence at any time, while you can only futilely express your anger. If you don’t believe me, I can present all the evidence to you within a few days. Why don’t you call her the Mother of the Nation? Is it because she is Chinese?”

“What does this mean?” Pei Shunhua said.

"This means that Ho Chi Minh has let down the Chinese people. You have also let down the Chinese people. Your so-called root cause of the conflict, your so-called suppression of you, is complete nonsense. You are living in a huge lie."

Before Pei Shunhua could retort, Yu Qie coldly said, "I've never written a purely romantic novel. Perhaps I could write 'Ho Chi Minh's Love Story'? What do you think?"

These words sent chills down Pei Shunhua's spine, making his hair stand on end!
For the first time, he showed a look of despair: What are you going to do to Yu Qie?

Did you kill him?
Then the war will continue, and the Vietnamese will be no match for them. At the same time, Bui Hue, who has committed a grave error, will be executed, and his family will also be implicated.

If you let Yu Qie continue writing?
When his novel was published, Yu Qie said that it was inspired by his visit with Colonel Bui of the General Political Department of Vietnam…

Bui Shun Hoa will be nailed to the pillar of shame!

Vietnam as a political entity may not have the same global public opinion as Yu Xie alone. This represents the final brilliance a literary giant could achieve in the cultural sphere; he alone could rival a small nation.

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide have read his novels. They might change their judgment at any time based on Yu Qie's writing, let alone the fact that it's true!

Pei Shunhua was truly exasperated: "What exactly do you want me to do? Why are you targeting me? Please, at least during the time we're interviewing each other, don't publish any novels. After I leave, you can do whatever you want... okay?"

Yu Qie smiled: "It's not the right time yet. If I need to do anything, I'll let you know." "I'm all ears!" Pei Shunhua said, half believing him.

After a few days, he was already eager to go through fire and water for Yu Qie.

Yes!

The war is over, it's time to tally up the victory points. Why should he ruin his future in this godforsaken place? He should go back to Hanoi and get promoted a few more times in glory.

After that, Pei Shunhua's attitude toward Yu Qie changed abruptly!

He was very polite to Yu Qie, hardly saying anything in rebuttal. In contrast, Colonel Pei was ruthless towards the Vietnamese. If these people hadn't secretly colluded with the Chinese army, giving Yu Qie leverage, he would never have suffered such humiliation!

Bui Hue wrote a telegram to the Ministry of National Defense in the rear, asking, "Is it true that we Vietnamese have a Chinese empress dowager?"

"He said that with both physical evidence and witness testimony, we can't fight him!"

The Ministry of National Defense's briefing was very straightforward: even if it's true, you can't spread it around!
We can't let Yu Qie write a novel like this.

Bui Hue replied: Yu Qie is still writing "Joint Security Area," which reflects the friendship among soldiers on the front lines; I suspect that this highly inflammatory novel may drive some Vietnamese soldiers insane, making them think that they and the Chinese are one family.

The Ministry of National Defense responded: That's still better than him writing "The Love Story of Ho Chi Minh"... It's too damaging for a great writer to shamelessly write that kind of novel.

Bui Hue understood; it turned out that even the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense was helpless against Yu Xie.

Although he was only a mortal, he had a million elite soldiers standing behind him.

Yuqie's peace journey continues, and under the protection of both sides' troops, he has almost covered all the ceasefire hills, and the truth of the matter has been fully revealed.

Xianyun Qiang, an editor at the Military Pictorial, wrote in a news article:
"Vietnamese soldiers often do some unexpected things. Sometimes they will send someone to carry supplies and find a sunny spot to 'sunbathe' themselves."

"They would use the 861 radio to send messages to the People's Liberation Army, feigning weakness and trying to curry favor; over time, both sides developed a specific sign language system. These sign languages ​​were mainly used to express the intentions of non-military operations, helping both sides avoid unnecessary conflicts in close proximity."

At Hill 812, at Songmaoling, and on the northern slope of Laoshan where Yuqie had killed the enemy, there is evidence everywhere that Vietnamese soldiers had already given up resistance before the armistice negotiations.

At first, they were terrified and dared not reveal any military information. Later, they took the initiative to reveal that they were "from the Vietnamese air and naval forces." Then they asked all sorts of questions, from inquiring about the PLA's hometown to asking about our army's policies.

"There seems to be a sense of mutual respect among these people in the cat-ear caves; but military orders are hard to disobey, and conflict cannot be completely avoided."

Tacit understanding does not equate to weakness; within this delicate balance, there is still a struggle of blood and fire.

"One day, the Vietnamese army suddenly blew up an entrance to our position, injuring one soldier. The wounded soldier's painful groans traveled through the air between the positions and were clearly heard by the Vietnamese army."

"At this point, the Vietnamese army made an unexpected move. They sent us a note, allowing us to transport the wounded, and promising not to fire."

"But a battlefield is a battlefield. After treating the wounded, our side still found an opportunity to wound a Vietnamese soldier. The Vietnamese did not retaliate. They knew it was an eye for an eye."

Upon reading Xianyunqiang's written record, Yu Qie commented, "Therefore, the Vietnamese must pay the price for Lao Tang's death. They should also know that this is fair. No one can escape it."

"What are you planning to do? We've already reached a ceasefire," Xianyunqiang said.

"You'll see soon enough."

Meanwhile, Bui Hue, from the General Political Department of Vietnam, was also conducting visits and research. He disguised himself and infiltrated the lowest level of the Vietnamese army on the front lines.

In order not to alert the enemy, Bui Hue brought a tape recorder, a camera, several tapes recording disco music and Vietnamese songs, as well as some cigarettes and candy, in addition to a pistol.

He bribed soldiers at the front who had dealings with the Chinese with "heavy money" such as candy and disco music, requesting that they be taken to private social gatherings between the two sides.

That day, when these Vietnamese soldiers returned, they brought with them a copy of "Returning to One's Roots." "Our Chinese friends said it was their most precious possession."

Some Vietnamese people cried after watching it and spontaneously discussed the "Three Gorges Spirit" and whether Lao Zhao had slept with any women on the road. When they got excited, they fantasized about the legendary uncut version from Columbia.

"Old Zhao is truly the happiest man in the world when it comes to sex!" they said.

Then, the Vietnamese soldiers recounted in great detail how "Mr. Yu" had wielded immense influence in Colombia and how he had brought white people to his knees in the United States! They had heard all of this from the Chinese.

"Although Mr. Yu is Chinese, he is also one of us Asians. He says he is also half Vietnamese! He has extraordinary wisdom that is enough to guide us in some aspects."

Bui Hue felt utterly humiliated by these damned "Yu-ism elements"! With such scoundrels on the front lines, no wonder Vietnam almost got invaded and sent into Hanoi!
But Bae Shun-hwa said nothing and endured the humiliation. As a result, he won the trust of both sides, who believed that he was "the new one of their own."

The following day, Pei Shunhua secretly went to photograph evidence of collusion between the soldiers and the Chinese, carrying a camera. However, the weather was bad that day, and his "spy camera" did not have a zoom lens, so the resulting photos were of poor quality.

Bui Hue could only wait quietly, hoping for a scene that would shock the Vietnamese leadership.

Finally, at dawn, a scene that might never have happened in any war unfolded before Bui Hun Hwa's eyes: five to six soldiers on each side, shirtless, wearing shorts, with long beards and hair, and cigarettes in their mouths, were dancing to the rhythm of the popular disco music of the time.

Four other soldiers sat in the waist-high weeds, engrossed in reading Yu Qie's novel "Da Sa Ba," fantasizing that they were like Gu Yan, good people who are rewarded.

Two other people were on guard duty, but they couldn't help but sway their bodies to the music and impatiently urged the person reading to hurry up and hand over the shift—because they wanted to make the most of their time to read Yu Qie's novel.

This was a moment that Pei Shunhua would never forget in his life.

It eloquently proves that all of this is more astonishing than any of Yu Qie's novels.

The encounter lasted about 20 minutes. As the sun rose and the fog dissipated, the soldiers from both sides shook hands. Bui Hue sent men back to Hanoi under the cover of darkness to deliver the film he had taken to the General Political Department of Vietnam.

(End of this chapter)