In the tropical jungle on the south side of Manxi Town, under the torrential rain, there are also small streams gathering deep in the jungle. They begin to gather spontaneously along the terrain, or carry dead branches and leaves and flow to the paddy fields outside the jungle.
Or it ends up in lakes and swamps deep in the jungle, or it simply flows down caves or sinkholes into underground rivers that never see the light of day, waiting for the next cycle.
Deep in this fragmented jungle cut by a temporary river, Wei Ran, Zhou Guochang and the donkey, after marching in the rain for more than an hour, finally found a shelter that could barely accommodate the two of them plus the donkey.
cave.
“This is it”
After Wei Ran threw a stone deep into the cave and saw no wild animals running out, he put away his submachine gun and signaled Zhou Guochang, who was holding a flashlight, to lead the donkey in.
"I don't know how Mr. Luke and Uncle Liang are doing," Zhou Guochang grunted as he pulled the donkey's reins and walked strenuously into the cave.
"Worry about yourself first"
While Wei Ran was talking, he had already untied the two large pots from the donkey, then found an ax from the basket with kitchen utensils on his back, turned around and left the cave, chopped down a large armful of bamboo on one side of the cave entrance, and carefully blocked it.
to the entrance of the cave.
He deliberately stood outside the cave and asked Zhou Guochang, who was hiding inside, to turn on the flashlight. When he saw that there was not much light coming out, Wei Ran nodded with satisfaction, pulled out the bamboo and went into the cave, took off his raincoat and hung it on the bamboo pole, and then took out his raincoat again.
Three bamboo poles were used to make a simple tripod, and a kerosene lamp was hung on it.
Under the dim light, the two of them could clearly see that the cave was not that big. It was only two meters high and four to five meters deep, and the width was only about one meter.
There was not much space left for two people and one donkey to squeeze into such a small cave. If the space at the end of the cave was not slightly larger, the donkey would have a hard time turning around.
Although the cave is slightly smaller, the dead branches and leaves on the ground at the end of the cave, as well as the remains of animal bones everywhere, hint that a ferocious beast once lived here.
He picked up a shoulder blade of an unknown animal and knocked it against the rock wall. The thick dust also hinted that the beast might have encountered something unexpected.
Looking at Zhou Guochang, whose face was pale and sneezing due to the rain, Wei Ran could only muster up his energy. He first used a bamboo pole to beat randomly on the dead branches and leaves at the end of the cave, and then returned the fallen leaves.
Pick up everything that can burn and put it into a big pot.
However, he was not in a hurry to light it. Instead, he put on his canvas raincoat, picked up an ax and a flashlight, got out of the cave again, and brought back a large bundle of rain-wet firewood nearby.
"Can...can I light it?" Before Zhou Guochang finished speaking, he couldn't help but sneeze again.
"Take off your clothes and use a bamboo pole to prop it up." As Wei Ran spoke, he had already used an ax to split a piece of wood as thick as his wrist and threw it aside.
Zhou Guochang was particularly obedient, and he took off his clothes obediently, stretched them all out with bamboo poles, and placed them on the rock wall.
He had just finished his work here, and Wei Ran had already lit the dead branches and leaves in the cauldron. He also put a few firewood on the bonfire, and placed the rest of the wet wood on the edge of the cauldron like pancakes.
.
After a while, the steaming flames dried up the moisture on the surface of the firewood and successfully ignited it. Zhou Guochang, who was almost naked, immediately came over and squatted beside the pot, sniffing his nose and warming himself up to the fire.
After clapping his hands, Wei Ran also stood up and took off his British military uniform top, matching shorts, leggings and boots, and put them all on the bamboo pole.
"are you hungry?"
While Zhou Guochang was asking, he had already handed over a bamboo pole. One end of the bamboo pole had been split open, and there were two strips of unsmoked horse meat sandwiched on it.
"Thanks"
Wei Ran took the bamboo pole and placed it next to the pot to heat it. From the north building between the two of them, he took out the canvas bag that originally belonged to Luke and opened it.
"Take this." Wei Ran took out the fighting dagger that belonged to Luke from his bag and handed it to Zhou Guochang, who was watching eagerly.
The latter hurriedly took the dagger, looked at Wei Ran hesitantly, then looked at the backpack in his hand, and finally kept his mouth shut.
On the other hand, Wei Ran, who was waiting deliberately, took out the contents of the canvas bag one by one after the other party did not stop him.
There was nothing special about the contents. In addition to four boxes of 9mm pistol bullets and two spare magazines full of bullets, there was also a box of razors and a piece of metal in a brass box.
of soap.
In addition, this bag also contains the Minghai brand rangefinder camera made by the Japanese that Wei Ran has long been interested in, and another kidney-shaped lunch box used by the Japanese soldiers.
Opening the lunch box under Zhou Guochang's gaze, Wei Ran couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. In the tray of the lunch box, there were not only a stack of kyats and a tube of silver coins, but also a few small gold bars only as long as a finger, plus
Two silver pocket watches.
Did Qin Shouzheng and Squad Leader Liang discover these things at the beginning? Wei Ran shook his head secretly. Those two people must have discovered these things, but they obviously didn't take these yellow and white things seriously.
After opening this layer of trays, there were at least a dozen film cans placed in the remaining space of the lunch box, and the gaps between these film canisters were filled with moisture-proof and shock-absorbing rice just like those medicines.
I took out these Bakelite film canisters one by one and counted them. There were 16 film canisters in total, four of which were covered with a circle of medical tape, and there were pen writing on them in Japanese that Wei Ran couldn't understand.
Of the remaining 12 film canisters, the words "rangoo/mar" and "mandy/apr" were carved with a knife on the covers of three of them.
"These were taken by Mr. Luke at Oxygen, Tonggu and Mandalay." Zhou Guochang, who had been watching from the side, explained, "The remaining film canisters with wrapping paper on them are all unused.
"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Can you tell me about that Japanese reporter?"
While Wei Ran asked, he poured the rice from the lunch box into the lid of the lunch box, and then carefully placed the used films inside.
"What do you want to know?" Zhou Guochang asked.
"Anything," Wei Ran smiled, "like why you kidnapped that reporter."
"Are you suspicious of Mr. Luke?" Zhou Guochang asked calmly.
"No"
While Wei Ran was talking, he put the unopened film canisters into the lunch box and poured the rice he had just poured into the lunch box. "It's raining heavily outside now. We have to talk about something, right? If you don't want to talk,
That Japanese reporter, how about we just talk about the girl you like?"
"I...I don't have...anything I like...girl..."
Zhou Guochang's originally pale face due to the low temperature instantly turned red. He took the initiative to bring the topic back to the Japanese reporter, quite scratching his head. "Before the fall of Oxygen, Mr. Luke and the Japanese reporter were neighbors. It can even be said that they were neighbors."
friend."
"Friends?" Wei Ran repeated the key words in feigned surprise.
"He often invited the Japanese reporter to drinks, and even took him... to the brothels."
Zhou Guochang pulled the back of his head and said, "I heard from my sister that the Japanese reporter even invited Mr. Luke to a cocktail party."
"Since we are friends, why..."
"When Sunshine fell, my father took me, my two sisters and my brother, and fled with Mr. Luke, his wife and children.
But before we left the city, the crowd dispersed us. I watched my father being beaten to death by those Burmese traitors, and Mr. Luke’s Burmese wife and children were also beaten to death. My sister and
My younger brother also got separated from us that time."
Zhou Guochang picked up a piece of roasted horse meat and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing hard while explaining, "Then I decided to stay and find my sister and brother first. Mr. Luke also stayed, and the two of us returned that night.
They secretly buried my father and Mr. Luke’s wife and children.”
"so..."
"Um"
Zhou Guochang nodded, "Mr. Luke said that before we find my sister and brother, we can hide in the house of his friend, a Japanese journalist. But when we arrived, the Japanese journalist immediately took out his pistol and wanted to kill us."
"
"Then what?" Wei Ran also took out a strip of roasted horse meat and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mr. Luke pretended to surrender and said he wanted my two sisters to be given to him in exchange for our two lives. The Japanese reporter immediately believed him."
Zhou Guochang picked up the fighting dagger Wei Ran handed him just now and said, "Then Mr. Luke used this dagger to slash the devil's dog paw to control him, and the two of us successfully moved into that place."
The devil’s home.”
Speaking of this, Zhou Guochang sighed helplessly, "Unfortunately, I only went out for less than one meal. I wanted to go to a friend of my father's house to see if my sister and the others were there. But when I came back, Lu
Ke had accidentally killed the Japanese reporter.
We had already agreed to use the Japs identity to take out the oxygen light. Now without the Japs reporter, we could only set a fire in his house, take a few random things and move them to another place.
It took several days before I found a chance to escape."
"So you got these things from that Japanese reporter's house?" Wei Ran asked, pointing to the lunch box filled with film and yellow and white things.
"Cameras and film are"
Zhou Guochang picked up the kettle and took a sip of water. "Those gold bars, silver coins, and the quinine were all taken from his house. There is only one road between his house and the Japs house."
"Where are those quinine and Japanese lunch boxes?" Wei Ran asked rather inquisitively.
"The lunch box was also found in the reporter's home, as were the lunch boxes used to hold the medicine."
Zhou Guochang's expression showed a hint of impatience, obviously realizing that Wei Ran still had doubts about businessman Luke.
"Don't get me wrong." Wei Ran waved his hand, "I was just thinking about one thing, not doubting Mr. Luke."
"What's going on?" Zhou Guochang raised his head subconsciously.
"These films"
Wei Ran patted the repackaged lunch box, "You just killed a reporter, and the quinine was not taken from the reporter's home. You even burned down the Japanese reporter's home. What do you think of this situation?
, is it necessary for those Japs to chase them all the way from Oxygen Light to here?"
"Those Japs actually started chasing us after we escaped to Mandalay..."
Zhou Guochang immediately realized something was wrong midway through his words. He widened his eyes and said in surprise, "Brother Wei, what do you mean, are there anything important in those film canisters marked in Japanese?"
"I don't know that"
Wei Ran, who had finished clicking, spread his hands, but then changed the subject and said, "Why else would those Japs be chasing you? Guochang, what do you think are in the photos that would make the Japs chase you?"
"Information?" Zhou Guochang guessed with almost certainty.
"Maybe"
Wei Ran, who had been observing the camera just now, had not finished speaking, but he pushed the heavy Japanese lunch box to the other party without any warning, "You can take these things, the camera is mine, I will find blank film when I need it."
what you want."
"Here...give it to me?" Zhou Guochang obviously didn't expect that Wei Ran would give him such a "precious" thing.
"Of course you took what you grabbed." Wei Ran said matter-of-factly, picked up the second piece of horse meat, stuffed it into his mouth with a smile, and enjoyed Zhou Guochang's trusting eyes.
As for whether there were secrets in those films, he didn't care at all. Nowadays, many speculations have become window paper that can be broken with a poke.
There is no doubt that businessman Luke is definitely an espionage officer working for the British. His target is obviously the Japanese reporter.
And before he escaped from the oxygen light, he took advantage of Zhou Guochang's absence to kill the reporter. He had obviously asked him for some incredible information, and it was information that he did not want Zhou Guochang to know!
“These old British people”
Wei Ran cursed secretly, as long as Luke could use the expeditionary force to pass on the vital information along the way, it wouldn't be...
Thinking of this, Wei Ran was stunned, and then he looked at Zhou Guochang without any trace. Only then did he understand why Luke had to go to the British army to report that important piece of information in person.
