Zhenzhen saw the sky from the ground, and she had never dreamed of such a terrible place.

The men were in front and the women were in the back, and everyone stood in a row, facing the gable with square holes.

From No. 47 to No. 35 at the end, they were all new to the company yesterday, and their expressions were particularly unnatural and uneasy.

Everyone stood for a while, and then the two instructors came from the front yard in full gear and solemnly. The Japanese instructor with a mustache on his lips was full of murderous, serious, and proud.

The Chinese instructor moved stiffly, like a wooden man, and turned to the group, knocking his heels so loudly.

He began to speak, and said a few words about all the students, and he called the new arrivals: "Forty-seven, forty-eight, thirty-five...... Five Steps Forward – Walking"

Zhenzhen looked at her companions next to her, and then walked forward with them.

The Chinese instructor coughed and said quite affectionately: "You already know the rules here, so I don't need to repeat them." Now is your last chance to decide whether you want to be here or not. If you don't want to, please take another five steps forward."

No one dared to move. The old students in the back seemed to have stopped breathing.

Zhenzhen wanted to move forward, but her feet could not move. She looked to the side, and the people on the left and right were also looking at her.

"No?" The instructor asked.

On Zhenzhen's left is a woman of twenty-four or five years old, whose stage name is Baohong. With a flat face and red cheeks, the body is not tall, but rather stout, not handsome, but quite thick and lovely, and walks forward violently.

She has a sick father and a ten-year-old sister who wants to go out to make money.

"Good," the instructor smiled. "Anything else?"

Zhenzhen was about to take a step, but was gently pulled by a woman beside her. She shook for a moment, then stood still, and looked at the nosy woman in bewilderment.

"Okay, come here," the instructor said to the red-cheeked Scarlet.

Scarlet hesitated for a moment, then walked forward bravely.

The instructor led her under the gable of the house and told her to lean her back against a small square hole in the wall.

Then the sun came up, and suddenly the gray sky shone red, and most of the day was gray and red, like stagnant blood. And the walls and people in the courtyard are a little clearer, and the body of the scarlet is red.

The Japanese instructor jumped up, raised his hand, and shouted: "Okay"

Bang! Shots were fired from inside the house, and the carlet fell forward like a bag.

The heavens were even redder, and the earth was covered with crimson blood.

"Homecoming!" The Chinese instructor shouted to Zhenzhen and his companions.

Zhenzhen didn't know how to return it. There was nothing else or color in front of her, only a red light that flowed from the ground to the sky, and some Venus was flying in the red light.

"Turn left, run and walk." The instructor gave the order.

Zhenzhen couldn't run, but there was the dead body lying there, and she didn't dare not run.

Every time she ran near the dead body, she wanted to close her eyes. Yet, somehow, she saw the corpse, and the blood on the ground.

She couldn't breathe, and she didn't dare to stand. She opened her mouth and held her little belly in both hands, as if her intestines were about to be torn apart.

Enduring the pain, she swayed from foot to side, as if she was a drunkard.

Soon, a red curtain was covered in front of her eyes, connected to the red sky and red blood. She forgot herself, forgot everything, and only felt that the heaven and the earth, the red heaven and the earth, were whirling and turning.

Zhenzhen didn't know when or how she got into the house.

When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the bed, and it was already noon. She cried a little more, but didn't dare to think about anything anymore. She was afraid of death, so she spared her life and decided not to lean against the square hole in the wall.

Youth is iron, and the environment is a furnace.

After more than ten days, Zhenzhen was "alive" again. She no longer fears blood and death, her heart has turned to stone.

So, she went back to the brothel*, dressed in rouge Kodan, and greeted the guests with a smile. But her ears are pricked up, her eyes are vicious, and she has turned into a Japanese spy.

Zhenzhen has forgotten everything before, and she has no plans for the future. She told herself: to find a life under the Japanese, there is only fooling around.

After advising herself, she felt that everything was safe. And there are some advantages and conveniences to live under the hands of the Japanese.

Without the spirit of resistance, she will naturally fall, her heart is surrounded by pleasure and money, and she only feels that grasping the happiness in front of her is the most practical and straightforward.

……………

Shen Chen sat on the window seat on the second floor of the hotel, looking out of the window faintly.

The park is crowded with bored men and women, dressed well, laughing boringly, eating and drinking, and performing a 90-degree bow to the Japanese.

"I'm going to Tianjin, and I'll be back in about a week." Cao Yixin knocked down the plate with a spoon, reminding Shen Chen of his distraction.

Shen Chen was stunned for a moment, then turned around and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry, do you have any tasks?"

Cao Yixin smiled bitterly and said, "That Japanese ugly woman left Shanghai, and her destination is Tianjin. Whether it's the organization or the Yankees, they all want to know what this guy is going to do. ”

"What can you do if you go along, you're not good at action?" Shen Chen frowned slightly and said, "Tianjin's concession has existed in name only, and there is no safety at all. ”

Before World War II, Britain was the best at "great power reversal", often seeking temporary peace at the expense of the interests of other countries. In Europe, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain created the infamous "Munich Conspiracy", which, together with Hitler, dismembered the sovereign state of Czechoslovakia. In China, Chamberlain also wanted to concoct the same method and create a "Far Eastern Munich Conspiracy" to satisfy Japan's invasion of China.

As early as January 1939, the Japanese military police accused six Chinese living in the British Concession in Tianjin of plotting an assassination attempt against the Japanese.

Under pressure, the British Concession Patrol House arrested six people. Subsequently, the British consul in Tianjin, Jamison, arranged for two of them to be handed over to the Japanese gendarmerie in Tianjin, hoping to exchange for the peace of the concession.

The Japanese initially promised not to mistreat the Chinese, interrogated them for only five days, and then returned them to the British Concession.

However, the Japanese gendarmerie did not keep its promise, and they tortured the suspect to force him to confess his assassination plan, and admitted that the assassination was secretly supported by the British Concession Patrol House.

Subsequently, the Japanese media made public the results of the investigation. In this way, the impact of this incident quickly expanded.

Lord Halifax, the British Foreign Secretary, was furious when he heard that the Japanese gendarmerie wanted to involve the British in the Sino-Japanese War, and he directly ordered the British concession in Tianjin not to hand over any anti-Japanese people to the Japanese side.

At that time, Sugiyama Moto, the commander of Japan's North China Dispatch Army, planned to make a big deal small, but his chief of staff, Yamashita Fumi, hoped to take the opportunity to end all the European and American concessions in Tianjin.

The high-flying and domineering Yamashita Fengwen crossed Sugiyama Moto, and directly wrote to the Japanese War Department, advocating that he take advantage of this matter and end the British Concession in Tianjin in one fell swoop.

Just after the Spring Festival in 1939, the Japanese War Department directly issued a "mainland order" to North China, saying that if Britain refused to hand over the remaining four anti-Japanese activists, it would send troops to blockade the British Concession in Tianjin, and if necessary, it could use force to resolve the "British Concession issue."

Subsequently, the Japanese army began to act, blockading the seven access roads outside the British Concession in Tianjin, and imposing a permit system for water vessels in the lower waters of the Baihe River leading to the British Concession, prohibiting all food and fuel from entering the British Concession.

The British consul in Tianjin, Jamison, protested to the Japanese consul in Tianjin, Shigetoku Tashiro, and ordered the British troops in the concession to set up machine guns at the racecourse crossing in the concession to demonstrate.

However, the Japanese army came to the aid of tanks, and after several hours of confrontation, the British had no choice but to withdraw.

After that, the Japanese troops who blockaded the concession became even more arrogant, often forcing British expatriates to undergo inspections that bordered on stripping and nakedness, often in front of large and public.

The Japanese government announced that the British Concession had become a base for anti-Japanese elements, and that the concession authorities could only hand over all anti-Japanese activists in exchange for the Japanese army lifting the blockade.

However, a Japanese spokesman said: "The Imperial Army is ready to go, and the matter is no longer as simple as handing over only four anti-Japanese activists." ”

Under the pretext of its own media, the Japanese War Department demanded that the British Government hand over all the gold and silver reserves deposited by the Nationalist Government in Nanjing, prohibit anti-Japanese broadcasting in the Chinese Concession, ban primary and secondary schools that incite anti-Japanese sentiments, and prohibit the circulation of Chinese fiat currency in the British Concession.

The unreasonable demands of the Japanese War Department angered Britain, and the major British media also increased their reports on the Japanese army's insults to the British overseas Chinese, especially some photos reflecting the Japanese army's mistreatment of British nationals caused public outrage.

Royal Navy Marshal Roger Keys believed that the actions of the Japanese army amounted to a declaration of war on Britain, and he urged London to send an expeditionary force to China.

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain also sensed the seriousness of the situation, and he ordered the War and Admiralty to negotiate a military contingency plan to mobilize troops to fight in China.

But after Britain declared war on Germany. The British government's attitude toward Japan changed, and the "Arita Kleich Agreement" was concluded with the Japanese side.

After the agreement was signed, the whole country of Japan rejoiced, believing that the British Empire, on which the "sun never sets", had submitted to Japan! This was another victory for Japan over the Western powers after the Russo-Japanese War.

The agreement reached between Japan and Britain on the security of the Tianjin Concession made the Japanese puppet spy agencies even more frenzied to search and arrest anti-Japanese people.

Finally, in the second half of 1939, the Japanese gendarmerie and the police of the Ministry of Industry of the British and French Concessions acted at the same time, arrested a large number of members of the anti-Japanese underground organizations lurking in the British Concession, and imprisoned them in the police of the Ministry of Industry of the British and French Concessions.

In 1940, Nariko Nakajima, a Japanese female spy, colluded with the bandit leader Higashi Yaohua to kidnap Dai Ott, the president of the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and then fled into Japan's sphere of influence.

Britain and France negotiated with Japan, and on the condition of opening the concession, they demanded that the Japanese side "rescue" Daiot.

After the hostages were "successfully rescued," Britain and France, fearing that similar incidents would occur again, allowed the Japanese military police to freely enter and leave their concessions day and night to arrest the anti-Japanese Chinese, thus depriving the anti-Japanese patriots of their last barrier and base.

In other words, the British and French concessions in Tianjin almost existed in name only, completely subservient to the obscenity of the Japanese.

Compared with Tianjin, although the concession authorities in Shanghai are compromising and making concessions, they have not yet reached the final bottom line, and the Japanese cannot act recklessly.

"I didn't take part in any operations, but I just used the convenience of journalists to find out information and help set up a liaison radio station." Cao Yixin was grateful for Shen Chen's concern, so she smiled and was relieved: "My newspaper is run by Americans, and I have nothing suspicious, don't worry." ”

Shen Chen knew that this was to ease his heart, although the current Japanese did not tear their faces with Britain and the United States, they did not have too much fear of Britain and the United States. As for the evidence, it is not the basis for the Japanese to arrest people.

But since Cao Yixin has been assigned a task by the organization, whether she can complete it or not, she will definitely have to go.

"Why don't I go to Tianjin with you?" Shen Chen said thoughtfully: "Maybe I can protect you!" ”

Cao Yixin smiled gratefully, put her hand on Shen Chen's hand, and said, "I know you care about me." But if you want to leave Shanghai, the Japanese will definitely focus on you. Even if it's a makeup, you can't be sure you'll be recognized. In this case, it is better for me to go alone, which can hide people's eyes and ears. ”

Shen Chen didn't speak, but Cao Yixin was right. His goal was too obvious, and his every move was sure to attract the attention of the Japanese. Fancy dress? It's not plastic surgery, how can it be seamless and maintain it for a long time?

If he follows and protects, Cao Yixin may be more dangerous and more likely to be implicated by him.

"If something happens here, for example, if you get information, the 'Blood Flag Gate' will take action recently, will the organization send someone to Tianjin?" Shen Chen thought for a long time and looked up at Cao Yixin.

Cao Yixin lowered her eyelids, thought for a while, and said with a teasing smile: "There is such a possibility." Why, you are so reluctant to let me go? ”

Shen Chen rolled his eyes and said, "If you want to go, you can go, I don't want to care about it yet!" ”

Cao Yixin chuckled and said, "Okay, listen to you, I'll ask the above for instructions." Well, this 'Blood Banner Gate' has always been concerned by the organization, and it is very likely to be approved. ”

"There will be action, but you don't have to know too much." Shen Chen stretched out a finger and shook it gently, "It's not a matter of trust or distrust, I don't care, but I have to be responsible for others." ”

Cao Yixin nodded and said, "I should know, you will tell me." I shouldn't know, and I don't ask. It's been so long and I still don't know you? ”

Shen Chen smiled, but the smile looked a little abnormal, which made Cao Yixin very strange.

"What's the matter, are you in trouble?" Cao Yixin asked: "Although I don't usually ask much, I still don't feel at ease when it comes to you." ”

Shen Chen thought for a while and said, "I haven't felt very good lately. Well, it's not that it's bad, it's just weird. I think, I think maybe, probably leave ......"

"What do you mean to leave?" Cao Yixin asked puzzledly: "Aren't you ready to leave Shanghai a long time ago, so what do you mean by leaving?" ”

Shen Chen couldn't tell clearly, this was the weird feeling that appeared in his mind after he regained hypnotism and deepened his research on it.

The so-called departure, of course, is not literal, but he doesn't understand it very well.

According to his conjectures and speculations, it is likely that there will be another posthumous possession, which is somewhat inconceivable and complicated, and he does not dare to be sure or deny it.

Because of this, Shen Chen had to make some arrangements in advance to say hello to the people close to him.

Just a small hint, maybe we'll see you again later. Although things are people, it is not certain whether they recognize each other when they meet.