The train is traveling in the wild jungle. In this primeval jungle, this railway and the rumbling train symbolize civilization and progress. This nearly 400 kilometers long railway is the first railway in Central Africa.
It is also the guarantee that Nanhua can penetrate deep into the hinterland of the Congo River.
It was this railway that brought modern civilization into the hinterland of Africa, which has not changed much for millions of years. It allowed the local people to feel the atmosphere of modern civilization.
Of course, it was also this railway that allowed Nanhua to obtain a steady stream of wealth from the Congo and the river basin.
Through the gap in the carriage, Captain Wesley could see the vast jungle outside the carriage. Like everyone else, he was also full of uneasiness about the future.
What will be waiting for them in the future?
In this way, amidst everyone's anxiety, the train lasted more than 20 hours. It was not until the evening of the next day that the train stopped. As before, there was no time for them to rest at all. Soon, the prisoners of war were overtaken by several
A steamboat sailed along the Congo River for the next few days.
That night, Wesley, like everyone else, fell asleep after eating a simple dinner. During the rest of the voyage, they sailed upstream. Every few hours, some prisoners would be captured.
After getting off the boat, sometimes they saw some indigenous tribes, black people living in thatched houses by the river. They were squirming like ants, and the black people were naked.
Looking at the black village by the river through the iron bars of the window, Wesley finally figured out where he was.
"Fernando, it seems we have really arrived in Africa."
"Ah...Africa? Why did they send us here?"
Fernando looked at the rainforest outside the window in confusion,
"What do they want us to do? Live with these niggas?"
…
Two days later, Wesley finally disembarked from the ship. When he walked to the trestle with Fernando and more than a hundred captives, to his surprise, he was greeted by a European, but he should be of Indian descent.
"You are from Buenos Aires, right?"
Justo, standing on the trestle, took the initiative to introduce himself.
"I am Justo, a Chilean. Of course, as you know, in their context, Chile has disappeared..."
"Are you Chilean? How did you get here?"
Wesley said in surprise.
At this moment, he seemed to know the identity of the other party. There are many Chilean exiles in Buenos Aires, and they often talk about the unaccounted for people who were arrested in the middle of the night.
Where did they go? Whether they were killed or imprisoned has always been a mystery.
Now, looking at the Chilean in front of me, the mystery has finally been solved. They were not killed or imprisoned, but were sent to Africa!
"Like you, I am also a prisoner of war. God can testify that I am just a reporter. But, you know, they will definitely not care. There are even priests who were sent here as prisoners, but this is already
It’s over.”
Justo's tone was full of resignation. So what if he didn't accept his fate? After all, his release was far away. If he wanted to survive, he had to accept his fate.
Justo, who was leading the way, introduced the situation here to them as they walked.
"There is Plantation No. 75 here. The company's rule for naming the plantations is very simple, which is to name it with numbers. If one day the population here exceeds 1,000 people, they may build a town here. However, this thousand people refers to
It's them, the Southern Chinese, and maybe some naturalized people..."
When he saw a uniformed supervisor approaching, Justo said quickly.
"Bow with me!"
At his request, everyone stood on the roadside and bowed to the approaching overseer.
"Hello, Mr. Tian."
Justo greeted in Chinese.
"Ah hello."
The supervisor nodded slightly in return.
Justo didn't speak until the man left.
"You remember that the plantations of the China-Africa Company were divided into four classes. The South Chinese, I am talking about the real South Chinese, are the first class. The second class are the short overseers. They are the Japanese
The person may be a supervisor, or a mercenary of the company, but also loyal to the company... Well, lackeys, they are all warriors, despite their short stature, but each of them is very powerful and extremely cruel. Forget it, wait.
You will know in the future. And what about us? We are the third class here. When we see them, we must take the initiative to bow and salute to show respect and obedience."
"Sir, we are prisoners of war, not..."
Wesley stopped before he finished speaking. He thought of the officers or soldiers who were executed for disobeying orders in the prisoner of war camp. In order to maintain order, those people did not mind using bullets to speak.
Seeing this, Justo said.
"It seems that you have had similar surprises. Here, we are nothing. If we want to survive, we must learn to obey and respect. Do you understand?"
Seeing that Wesley didn't speak, Justo continued to introduce the situation in the plantation. Seeing Wesley's eyes looking at the rainforest on both sides of the road from time to time, he shrugged his shoulders and said.
"Captain, I know what you are thinking, you must be thinking about that, but I advise you not to do that,"
"Why?"
"Because you are safe in the plantation. Here we are workers in the plantation. The local people will take care of our daily life. But once we leave the plantation area, we are prey. The prey of the local people, in the local area
In people’s mouth, we are called “*(—”!”
Justo spoke the language of the natives.
"What means?"
"It has the same meaning as rubber. We are equal to rubber of the same weight. Once a white man leaves the plantation, then what awaits him is hunting by all the tribes. One hundred kilograms of rubber is enough to make any tribe crazy. After all, they
They all have rubber quotas."
"What does it mean?"
"It's the quota. According to the treaty signed between the company and the chiefs, each person pays 9 kilograms of rubber per month. In order for them to fulfill the quota, they used many methods. Since the female workers in the plantation are female workers and hostages, they are forced to work.
Hostage, I can't explain these words clearly in a sentence or two. You will know later."
Justo did not specifically explain what a rubber quota was, and changed the topic.
Soon, Justo led them into the plantation. On both sides of the paths on both sides of the road, wooden houses were neatly lined up. On the grass in front of the wooden houses, children of various ages were playing with the indigenous women.
Playing under the care of others, they all seemed to be of mixed race.
"Dad, dad..."
The shouts in the distance made Justo wave his hand towards the child who called him.
"Baby, I'll be home in a minute. You stay with mom first."
After greeting his daughter, Justo introduced.
"She is my daughter, and the one next to her is my..."
After thinking for a while, Justo said.
"My wife, my wife in Africa."
When he said this, Justo thought of his wife, his wife and children who were far away in Santiago. Are they okay now?
Half an hour later, Captain Wesley, who was standing in several rows in front of a white wooden building, met the plantation manager.
"Okay, gentlemen, I believe that through Justo's introduction, you already have a certain understanding of this place."
Hu Mingkui, standing in front of the corridor, looked at these prisoners and said.
"For you, the war is over. You should enjoy a peaceful life. If you follow the rules here, I believe your life will be very easy. If you violate it... I think you will understand when the time comes. I hope you can
Live here with peace of mind.”
Live as a prisoner of war or as a coolie?
When can we go home?
No one would answer Wesley's question, but soon Wesley discovered that everything was a little different from what he imagined.
Standing in front of the row of wooden houses, Wesley, who was holding clothes in his hands, looked at them in surprise like everyone else. Under the corridor of the wooden houses opposite, there were indigenous women standing one after another. They had dark skin and looked at them with smiles on their faces.
With these new arrivals.
"This, this...are these people?"
"They are female workers in the plantation. Opposite your dormitory is the female workers' dormitory. You have just come here. If you need anything, you can ask them for help. They are very enthusiastic. They clean the room, wash clothes, and... they almost
Can meet any of your requirements.”
Although Justo just smiled mysteriously, everyone understood that at this moment, the eyes of these prisoners of war who did not know what the future would be like changed when they stared at the female workers. Facing their eyes, those group of female workers
He also responded boldly, facing the men's eyes...
This night was destined to be an unstable night for the plantation.
Listening to the heavy breathing and the woman's wanton scream coming from the next room.
Wesley, who couldn't fall asleep after tossing and turning, cursed.
"Damn, this must be a damn conspiracy..."
Although Wesley also had the same desire in his heart, as soon as he thought of Justo's black wife and the mulatto children running around the camp, he felt that it was not that simple.
This is definitely a conspiracy!
It was a conspiracy by the South Chinese to destroy their will. If he compromised, if he ran into the room of a black female worker, he would soon be immersed in it and the passion of those black women.
Then what?
Then he will give up his desire to go home. Even in the end, like Justo, he will completely forget his family and start a new family here with a black man. Then he will work like a slave on this plantation without complaint.
Live the rest of your life...
In fact, Wesley's guess was good.
This is exactly the reason why they live together with the female workers in the same dormitory. This arrangement is not for the female workers to comfort the lonely hearts of these bean curd sects.
But to paralyze them, to make them accept their fate, to make them give up the past, and burn their lives for the colonial cause of South China in this colony.
Not just theirs, but also the children they gave birth to with local female workers. They are just consumables for a great cause!
"No, I want to go home..."
At this time, Wesley's mind once again flashed his wife's beautiful face.
"Amicia..."
This chapter has been completed!