"Talk to me alone?" Piaf looked deeply, trying to see through Clementine's mind, "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Clementine said nothing.
The comrade from the Pingping Army next to him saw this and said: "Please answer Comrade Piaf's questions truthfully! This will help clear some of your suspicions!"
Piaf raised her hand to signal her comrades not to be so excited: "Has she been searched all over her body? Is she in danger?"
"We have searched them all and nothing is hidden," comrade Ping Pingjun replied.
"Then handcuff her, and then you all can go out first." Piaf always felt that although Clementine was mysterious, there was no hostility in her mystery.
Comrade Pingping's face changed drastically: "Comrade Piaf! This is very dangerous! We can't let you be alone in the room with her!"
Piaf had seen a lot of strong winds and waves, but she didn't take it seriously: "She didn't hide any weapons and was handcuffed. If she can kill me, it means she has the ability to get rid of all of us now.
"
"Can--"
"Bang."
Piaf slapped her gun on the table.
Now Comrade Ping Pingjun had nothing to say.
Clementine had no hidden weapons, her movements were restricted, and Piaf was holding a gun. If this was both dangerous, then the outcome would make no difference whether they were present or not.
"Everyone leave the room." After repeatedly confirming whether the shackles on Clementine were strong, the comrades of the Equality Army exited Piaf's office.
"Okay, now there are only two of us left. If you have anything to say, just say it." Piaf said.
"...My identity certificate is fake." Clementine was worried about someone listening behind the door, so she said in as low a voice as possible, "Actually, my husband is a reporter from Lezein Daily News, his name is Capa
.”
Lezein daily newspaper.
The moment she heard the name, Piaf's eyes became sharper.
As the main force on the side of the International Equality Alliance in this public opinion war, she knew very well that the Lezein Daily News was the main messenger of the Provisional Government in planning public opinion.
The reporters in Lezein Daily were basically responsible for photographing fake ‘facts’ and exporting this information continuously to the outside world to increase people’s prejudice against the International Equality Alliance.
Now, the wife of such an enemy has disguised her identity and came to Lelist City to find herself. What will she do for that?
"There are things you may know, and there are things you may not know. My husband is an accomplice of this public opinion, but he is forced to do so because the government restricts the personal freedom of me and my children and uses us to coerce
He, he had to make these false reports..." After a period of high mental tension, when Clementine was finally able to tell the secret, she couldn't control her emotions and even choked up.
Piaf was vaguely aware that a turning point in the public opinion war might be coming.
"He helped the newspaper create falsehoods, and while witnessing people being bullied and shot by those government soldiers, he was also suffering in his heart, so he finally made a difficult decision and secretly photographed two film rolls of government soldiers at close range.
Photos of oppressing people." Clementine said, "Besides, he also wants to do more
He discovered that the government had arrested many innocent people and identified them as members of the International Equality Alliance, and wanted to investigate the government's purpose of doing so. He knew that the contents of those two films alone would not help you change public opinion, so
He also wants to use his identity to collect more powerful evidence from the newspaper..."
"He..." Piaf was surprised and happy, but there were still many questions on top of this. "Since you and your children were strictly guarded by the provisional government, how did you escape?"
"It's a long story. My husband went to the editor-in-chief who had the power to decide whether we should stay or not, and lied that he had a lover..." Clementine told Piaf everything about the situation.
After hearing this, Piaf couldn't help but secretly admire the resourcefulness of the couple: "In this way, you can easily leave Lezein with the film, and we can also safely send a comrade to pretend to be your husband's lover.
, work with him to investigate the truth and collect evidence.”
"Yes." Clementine wiped her tears, "My husband asked me to come here. Firstly, he wanted me and the children to stay in a safer place. Secondly, he asked me to hand over the evidence to you. Thirdly, I hope you can
Take the initiative to contact him, because he really doesn’t know how to find you at the newspaper office.”
"I have another question. Since it is such an important matter, why didn't you find me as soon as you came to Lelist City?" Clementine frequently wandered near the Propaganda Department office building, which finally triggered today's incident.
Everyone was suspicious, and Piaf wanted to know her purpose of doing this.
"Because my husband said that there are spies in the International Equality Alliance. The information I have is too important to be disclosed to the people of the International Equality Alliance casually. Otherwise, if intercepted by the spies, my husband will immediately be in danger. This plan to change public opinion
It will also be a failure." Clementine explained the reason.
Piaf suddenly realized: "So you have been hanging around because you want to find a chance to see me directly?"
"Yes, the higher the rank, the less likely a person is to be a spy. After much thought, I decided that I can only tell you this if I meet you in person."
"Aren't you afraid that I am also a spy?"
"If you, as the director of the Propaganda Department and the leader of the public opinion battle, are all spies, then even if I report this information to the chairman of the International Equality Alliance, the outcome is doomed to fail."
Quite reasonable, Piaf could not find fault with the other party's remarks, but to be on the safe side, she still asked as many questions as possible: "What prompted your family to decide to risk your lives to do such a thing?"
?Aren’t you afraid that something will go wrong and your whole family will be retaliated by the provisional government?”
"I'm afraid, I'm very afraid. When my husband told me about these ideas of his, I resolutely refused. I tried my best to get him to give up the idea, because I knew very well how risky this matter was, and I was probably too scared.
"Maybe I don't know that the situation in the International Equality Alliance is not optimistic, and what it means to be on the wrong team at this time." Clementine said, "But in the end, it was my husband who convinced me."
"How did he convince you?"
"He said... he wanted to give our children the greatest gift, which is to let them live in a free, equal, united, and beautiful world from an early age. If he succumbs to the government now, it will be equivalent to killing us.
's children."
Piaf was moved and remained silent for a few seconds: "...He is a great father, and so are you."
"We don't want to be great." Clementine had lost contact with Capa for about a week. She had no idea whether her husband was safe or not. Just thinking about it, she couldn't help but burst into tears, "He wanted to
Being a noble man, he wants his children to have hope that they can live in a better world, and I want them to be well."
"Understand...where is the film?" Piaf was very touched, but she didn't dare to believe Clementine so easily.
"In the hotel I rented." Clementine could sense Piaf's caution, "You still can't believe me, can you?"
"You should be able to understand this." Piaf said.
After paying so much, she still had to be doubted. Clementine felt a little uncomfortable, but reason told her that this was correct. Only by maintaining such a vigilant mentality at all times could she feel that the International Equality Alliance could fight the government:
"Okay, then how do I need to prove myself? I will fully cooperate with you."
Piaf thought: "I will make three-way arrangements at the same time. I will send reliable comrades to your rented hotel to get the film to confirm the content. I will select a suitable comrade to pose as your husband's lover as quickly as possible.
Go to Lezein to cooperate with the work, and contact the comrades of the Lezeine Wartime Action Team along the way, and ask them to conduct a secret investigation on your husband and start the docking matter."
"Can't I go back to the hotel to get the film by myself?" Clementine heard that Piaf wanted to arrange for someone else to get the film, and she was a little worried that the other person was a spy of the provisional government.
"One thing your husband analyzed correctly is that the International Equality Alliance has indeed been infiltrated by the provisional government, and there are a certain number of spies. Although our intelligence department has been committed to eradicating these people, it is still difficult to ensure that there is absolute control within the organization.
Pure, so your previous caution was right, and I will continue your caution in the future." Piaf explained the purpose of this arrangement, "Let an absolutely trustworthy comrade secretly get the film back and compare it to you.
It’s safer to hand it over in person.”
"I'm worried that the comrade you selected is not absolutely trustworthy..." When it comes to her husband's safety, Clementine has become very stingy in terms of trust.
"As the director of the Propaganda Department of the International Equality Alliance, if there are not a few absolutely trustworthy comrades around me, do you think a lot of work can still be carried out?" Piaf said with a smile.
"...Okay, but you must decide carefully on this choice." Clementine had to listen to Piaf's words.
"Don't worry." Piaf felt better and didn't care so much about the assassins of the Provisional Government who assassinated her tonight.
As long as what Clementine said is true, then they can reasonably send comrades into Lezein, cooperate with Capa and the action team, grasp decisive evidence, and win this public opinion war beautifully.
If what she said is false, the action team can also find out the truth and send the comrades who have not yet reached Lezein back the same way in time to avoid losses.
In a situation with no way out, this is a path worth trying.
"Then what should we do now?" Clementine asked Piaf.
Piaf pondered and thought about a countermeasure: "I may have to wrong you for a while, but it shouldn't be too long. After the public opinion battle is won, your family can be reunited and live a good life in Lelist City.
.”
"As long as the mission can be successful, I can do anything." Clementine is now willing to give everything she has to ensure the success of the mission, because only when the mission is successful can her husband return safely and the International Equality Alliance have greater confidence in creating
Brave new world.
"Then just cooperate with me later." Piaf put away the gun, stood up and opened the office door.
Several comrades from the Propaganda Department and the Equality Army who were waiting outside the door came over one after another. They were relieved when they saw that Piaf was not in danger.
"Comrade Piaf, what did she say to you?" Comrade Equality walked into the office, checked Clementine's handcuffs again, and asked Piaf.
"She was overestimated." Piaf glanced at Clementine disdainfully, "She should indeed be different from the assassins arranged by the provisional government, but the truth is not what she said. She just wanted to come and find out.
Situation. I suspect she has some mental problem. Send her to the hospital and arrange for special care for her two children."
"Is there a mental problem?" Comrades from the Equality Army became more and more curious about how crazy Clementine showed when she was talking to Piaf alone.
Clementine responded very quickly, immediately matching Piaf's words and pretending to be pitiful: "I didn't, what I said is true, I really want to join the International Equality Alliance, I have never dreamed of it...
…”
"Take her away and send her to the hospital to see what the doctor says." Comrades from the Pingping Army still feel that there are many suspicious things, but the most important thing right now is to arrest the assassins of the provisional government.
In order to catch them in one fell swoop, the Propaganda Department held several meetings in the past few days to discuss the seduction plan in detail. Unfortunately, no one expected that a crazy woman would appear at the last moment and disrupt their plans.
"I'm not sick, don't take me away, I'm not sick!" Clementine struggled desperately.
"Continue to arrest those people from the provisional government and never let them escape." Seeing Clementine being taken away, Piaf ordered to the comrades of the Equality Army.
"Don't worry! I promise to complete the task!" The comrades left quickly.
"Vernal." Piaf stopped a subordinate who was leaving, "Go find Ross and ask him to come to me and say that he wants to talk about the choir."
"Yes." The comrade named Vernal nodded and went to find Ross, a famous composer and pianist in the Propaganda Department.
After making these arrangements, Piaf closed the door with her own hands, returned to her desk and dialed the phone: "...Hello, Chairman Keating, this is Piaf."
"What's wrong?" Keating's voice on the other end of the phone was calm.
"The public opinion war will most likely turn around..." Piaf told Keating what happened tonight and her plans.
"If it's true, that would be great." Keating said calmly, without any obvious joy.
"I will arrange for Comrade Ross to go to Clementine's rented room later to get the film, confirm whether the content is what Clementine said, and then inform Comrade Verak of this matter, so that
Lezein's team investigates the reporter named Capa.
." Piaf's thinking was very clear, "I'm calling you, on the one hand, to report the situation, and on the other hand, I want you to contact Comrade Charles from the Intelligence Department. We will have a meeting with you later to find out.
The person who is going to pretend to be journalist Capa’s lover.”