"Reporting to Colonel, this is the briefing for this week."
On the morning of April 14, Kawasaki's adjutant Baime handed a compiled document to Kawasaki.
The weekly briefing is a customary procedural document of the Super High School. It is usually collected and compiled by the adjutant. The main content is to monitor all human, geographical and social environmental information in Peiping. Any news worthy of attention will be included in this briefing.
For reference by the chief officer.
Kawasaki took the briefing and started flipping through it. After a moment, his eyes stopped at a certain part of the briefing, and suddenly he raised his head and said, "This is the second time that this Irle Friendship Salon has appeared!"
"Yes," Bai Mu replied respectfully, "this salon is very interesting. The people who come and go are all foreigners from the upper class in Peiping and some Chinese who have contacts with foreigners. Oh, the locals call them compradors. In short, this is a kind of salon.
It is a very common social place near the concession and the embassy.”
"Oh? From what you're saying, you look down on this kind of salon?" Kawasaki raised his eyelids.
"No, I just think this salon is interesting," Bai Mu said with a slight smile on his face, "many of the people who go to this salon are family members, servants, adjutants, and even sometimes the diplomats themselves.
We went there in disguise. In short, this salon is very lively. And in a lively place, there will always be some fresh and private news coming out."
"So, is there any new news about this place recently?" Kawasaki lowered his head again and continued browsing, "Also, as you just said, a diplomat went there in disguise. Which country's diplomat?"
"German Consul in Peiping, Armor de Klein." Bai Mu said a long list of names.
"oh."
Kawasaki nodded. Some foreign diplomats have a bold and unrestrained style. They often go to some high-end romantic places, and some even go to the Eighth Alley. French diplomats are especially keen on this matter, so he doesn't care.
"What is he going to do?" Kawasaki asked casually.
"I heard news came out of that salon that German President Hindenburg is seriously ill and may die soon." Bai Mu said.
"Is there such a thing?!" Kawasaki was horrified and stood up.
"It's just a rumor. I read the newspaper and President Hindenburg just received the French diplomatic corps a few days ago."
Byakume looked at Kawasaki curiously, feeling a little incredible - it was just a rumor, was it worth making such a fuss?
"You don't know," Kawasaki saw what Baime was thinking at a glance, "there are indeed many rumors, but if the German consul in Peiping goes there in person, it will prove that there are no rumors."
"Hiyi!"
Bai Mu immediately understood and realized the seriousness of the matter - if the news that President Hindenburg was seriously ill was true, then this would mean that the situation in Germany would change dramatically.
The mustache who came to power with the "Reichstag Fire Case" is likely to dominate the fate of the entire Germany!
This is a matter that affects the whole body. It affects not only the situation in Europe, but also the situation in the Far East - at least, will Germany's current friendly policy towards Nanjing change?
Too careless!
Baime suddenly realized that he had made an extremely stupid and huge mistake. He immediately stood up, bent ninety degrees, bowed to Kawasaki, and said with shame on his face: "I derelict in my humble duty! I lost the right to do so.
You have to be vigilant! I humbly ask you to demote yourself to a lower level!"
"You should blame yourself," Kawasaki nodded slightly, "For things like briefings, because the information is too much and too complicated, and many of them are useless, it is easy for people to pass by them at a glance. If you look at them for a long time, it is really easy.
It's boring - but you have to know it's your job."
"Yes, I have made a mistake in my humble position." Bai Mu said sincerely.
"We won't stop this matter for the time being, but this so-called friendship salon is indeed a bit interesting." Kawasaki's face showed a bit of curiosity, and his expression was slightly thoughtful, "I have read a book, Tocqueville's "The Old
"System and the Great Revolution", I heard that many famous events in Europe were first reported in such street music or hair salons. Could it be that this salon is so magical?"
"I don't know, but I have sent someone there. It is Mr. Takeuchi, the consul-counsellor of the Empire of Japan in Peiping. He is a frequent visitor there. He told me a lot of news." Baime replied.
"Takeuchi? Is that the Takeuchi who was sent to China from France because of alcoholism?" A smile suddenly appeared on Kawasaki's lips.
"Yes, it's him." Bai Mu also smiled.
This Takeuchi-kun was originally the imperial ambassador to France, but his life was very romantic - perhaps due to the influence of French and French culture, he actually did not do his job in Paris, hanging out in bars and nightclubs and other romantic places, and even delayed his meeting with the French President.
After the meeting, he was sent to Peking and served as a small counselor.
However, when he arrived in Peiping, he remained stubborn and was especially keen on dealing with some Europeans. Due to his previous status and aristocratic background, the current Peking Consul, Koizumi, could not restrain himself too much and simply allowed him to continue his wandering in Peking -
—Fortunately, it’s been so long and it hasn’t caused any big trouble.
Kawasaki and Baime smiled at each other, but they didn't want to say much. At least, Takeuchi did some serious business at the Friendship Club. After a pause, Kawasaki spoke again:
"Arrange a time, I want to get together with Takeuchi-kun. Maybe, I should also learn from Takeuchi-kun and relax occasionally?"
"Hey, I'm going to meet Takeuchi-kun right now. However, I'm afraid you have to go to Takeuchi-kun in person. You know, Takeuchi-kun is in Peiping and won't buy anyone's account." Byakumu replied awkwardly.
"I know, you just need to make an appointment. Takeuchi-kun is a very interesting person, so I naturally won't argue with him." Kawasaki smiled.
...........
At the same time, Peking East Lake.
The weather in mid-April was perfect for spring. A small boat was rafting on the lake. There was a man and a woman in the boat. The man was holding a fishing rod and seemed to be fishing, while the woman was sitting on the edge of the boat, her white and tender feet splashing in the lake water.
, seems to be having a lot of fun playing alone.
"Stop making trouble...it's so cold, and you're not afraid of the cold water."
The man was none other than Geng Chaozhong. He was fishing and Er Sheng was playing in the water. The fish was not stupid, so it naturally refused to take the bait. After fishing all morning, he didn't even catch a single river crab.
Er Sheng giggled, but her feet flapping even more violently. Geng Chaozhong had no choice but to put away his fishing rod, stretched out his hand to touch the river water, and said:
"Speaking of cold water, I suddenly remembered a story. During the Southern Ming Dynasty, when the Qing army came to the city, Liu Ru, the concubine of the important minister Qian Qianyi, persuaded him to jump into the water and commit suicide. Qian Qianyi walked to the river, tested the water temperature, and said
talk........"
"The water is too cold!"
The two said three words in unison, and then looked at each other and smiled, feeling quite connected.
"Mr. Deng told me this story. He said that now that the Japanese invaders are approaching the city, I am afraid that there are not just one or two people in Beiping who think that the water in East Lake is too cold!" Er Sheng looked at the lake and said in a daze.
.
"Yes," Geng Chaozhong reached out and took another handful of lake water, sighing: "But the lake water is really cold."
"Are you afraid that if you go to Japan, others will say you are a traitor?" Er Sheng glanced at Geng Chaozhong and put away his smile.
"You look stupid, but you are actually too smart." Geng Chaozhong shook his head helplessly and asked, "Do you know why I suddenly thought of fishing today?"
"Why?"
Er Sheng was a little puzzled. Indeed, in April, when the spring was cold and cold, Geng Chaozhong was not a literati, so why did he suddenly think of fishing in East Lake?
"Because, I have a feeling that the fish is about to take the bait..."
Geng Chaozhong said this, smiled casually, waved his hand, and threw the fishhook into the lake again.
