2-3

The sound of the steam whistle on the Huangpu River, although not as prosperous as in the past, is also a weather of its own.

After the chaos of the fall of Shanghai, most of the Chinese merchant steamship companies suffered heavy losses, but foreign steamers such as Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, and Italy still insisted on shipping.

The Canton, which is about to enter the port at the Bund Wharf, is a regular merchant ship of the British Swire Steamship Company from Hong Kong.

Liang Liqun is standing on the deck at the moment, he is a first-class passenger, and he has the convenience of getting off the ship first.

After being in Hong Kong for more than half a year, he still can't escape the fate of returning to Shanghai, he looked at Kenichi Ishikawa beside him and smiled bitterly in his heart.

He was living in Hong Kong, without a job and afraid to contact his family, and because of his usual expenses, he soon lost his livelihood. The Japanese were glad to see him in such a predicament, so the Japanese consul general in Hong Kong, Toyoichi Nakamura, gave him a secret monthly allowance to cover his daily expenses. He began to insist on reluctance, but with the fall of Shanghai, most of China was under fire, and Hong Kong's small small land of projectiles suddenly poured into countless giant businessmen and nobles, and the cost of living skyrocketed, it was not easy to maintain a decent life.

Liang Liqun was not bitter from snacks, and he met a girlfriend in Hong Kong, but he had no choice but to use Japanese money, and in the past six months or so, he remembered the tragic situation of the fall of Nanjing, and he was full of guilt for his privileged life, but he couldn't accept it when he thought of going to the crowded and cramped apartment to live a precarious life.

The damp heat, noisy, chaotic, full of down-and-out officials and British ghosts, life in Hong Kong is far from being as comfortable as imagined, the national government is busy with the war, and there is still no clear statement about these people who are reflecting on them in prison, and he is afraid that the matter of interacting with the Japanese will leak out, so the acquaintance relationship cannot be used, although with the Japanese allowance as the foundation, Liang Liqun is still rich and clothed every day, but he is extremely tormented mentally, and it is not an exaggeration to say that this kind of life is miserable.

If it weren't for the Gu Heng Mansion sending Kenichi Ishikawa from Shanghai, he would have been unable to stand it and would have to apply to the Japanese to return to Shanghai.

I haven't seen him for half a year, Ishikawa Kenichi is more and more energetic, and his spirit is strong, but he has gained a lot of weight, his original clothes have become tight and bloated, and his demeanor is depressed, he knows that the Japanese have his handle in his hands, and this time when he returns to Shanghai, he thinks that he is finally going to see his father, and he actually has a feeling that his life is not long.

"Despair, despair." He muttered in his mouth.

"Despair?"

"Ishikawa-kun, it's desperate to stay in Hong Kong, and it's desperate to return to Shanghai!"

"Mr. Liang still misses Miss Zhao?"

Kenichi Ishikawa was referring to Liang Liqun's girlfriend in Hong Kong.

Liang Liqun smiled bitterly, "Where, she plays and socializes with me every day, I understand in my heart, I just hope to live comfortably, I happen to be lonely and miserable, so I share it with her, and now I am going back to Shanghai, naturally I am going to go my own way." ”

"Then I don't understand, you look at the Bund today, the flow of people is bustling, these days you are not in Shanghai, I don't know, today's concession, there are many restaurants, dozens of dance halls have opened, the audience in the Beijing Opera is full of pits, and even the western and southern markets of Shanghai have long been restored to prosperity, and in terms of scale, they have been several times more prosperous than before the war." Kenichi Ishikawa changed his words, "However, Mr. Liang still seems to be a little stubborn, so the operation of the Upper East Bank and the Upper East Trust Company is in trouble, which is why Ling Zun is desperate for you to come back." ”

Liang Liqun sighed and said, "You don't know, this old man in my family is quite stubborn, if he doesn't want to do something, eight horses can't turn back, you use me to beat his idea, I will state first, it's not that I don't do my best, there is really little hope." ”

Kenichi Ishikawa laughed.

"Mr. Liang, do you remember our conversation in Nanjing? At that time, you resolutely refused to go back to Shanghai directly, but wanted to go to Hong Kong, and said an old proverb, a gun shoots a bird in the head. And my understanding is that the times create heroes. ”

"I remember it very well, so what do you think about it now?"

In the past year, in the Chinese battlefield, the imperial army has been invincible on the whole, and more and more people of insight have realized that the so-called armed confrontation can only lead to greater misfortune for the people of the two countries. At present, the empire has slowed down the pace of the war, and it is really hoping that the dispute between the two countries can be resolved by peaceful means. Such a general trend is already very clear, and I believe that Mr. Liang will not fail to understand. At present, there are more and more government officials and business leaders cooperating with the Empire, and if they wait, I am afraid that not only will they not be the first birds, but they will be blocked by other birds if they want to fly. ”

Liang Liqun sighed, "Ishikawa-kun, I'll tell you the truth, Nanjing is so miserable, if you want me to do things for you, I still can't get over it in my heart." ”

Kenichi Ishikawa was silent for a while, and then said, "Mr. Liang, I also deeply regret the tragedy in Nanjing, but the past is over, and no matter how much I mind worrying, it will not help. Everyone has to look forward, psychologically they can't get by, some things, someone has to do it, everyone doesn't do things, what do these 3.5 million people in Shanghai eat and drink? ? ”

Liang Liqun tilted his head and thought for a moment, and said, "Also, what you said is not bad." ”

As the boat approached, the two picked up their suitcases and walked down the dock.

"Liang Liqun! Shi Zhongyi? ”

Liang Liqun was still walking down the stairs, and he had already seen his Ford sedan, and Liang Xinyi was waving beside the car.

"You know each other!" Liang Liqun looked at Kentchi Ishikawa.

Kenichi Ishikawa just smiled, but he was a little shy.

Looking at Liang Xinyi again, she is also full of spring breeze.

An ominous feeling rose in Liang Liqun's heart, Zhao Xingan didn't know what was wrong, why didn't he come with him, his sister didn't have any special dealings with this Kenichi Ishikawa, right?

This Ishikawa is really an actor, as soon as he got off the boat, the restraint and deference of the Japanese were completely gone, but like a 100% Chinese, he must remind Xinyi to be careful, this time he forgot again, Ishikawa's identity cannot be exposed!

"What are you two muttering, what are you talking about? Shi Zhongyi, I haven't seen you for a long time, why are you with my eldest brother? Hey, you still have this handkerchief. ”

Liang Xinyi ran over like a gust of wind, with a series of questions.

Kenichi Ishikawa shrugged his shoulders, the handkerchief in his pocket on his suit was a small gift from Liang Xinyi on the Fudan campus to thank him for helping him tutor English.

"Ao, you did it on purpose, Shi Zhongyi! You're bad at learning! ”

Handkerchief? Could it be that Xinyi and this Japanese devil have a great relationship?

"We have been chatting all the way from Hong Kong to Shanghai on the same ship, and I still want to ask you, how did you know Mr. Shi, and I never mentioned it!"

"What do you mention, you only go home a few times a year, what do you know?!"

Liang Xinyi glanced at Liang Liqun.

"Shi Zhongyi, I don't know where you have gone since the institute was closed, what are you doing now?"

"Me? I was working as a photojournalist at the Central News Agency, and I lost contact with all of them during the war, and now I have a former friend who runs a newspaper in Shanghai, and I came to try my luck. ”

"You came back well, I have many friends who talk, you don't know, now the Japanese are particularly fierce, go to Hongkou, whenever you want to cross the Suzhou Creek, you have to salute the Japanese at the sentry, for this, I have not been out of the concession for more than half a year, and I am about to suffocate to death! Hey, the school has moved away. ”

"That's really annoying, I'll find a place to live, and I'll come to see you!"

"Okay, my family is very easy to find, you are a reporter, you can't inquire about anything, I have to rush back with my eldest brother to see my dad today. Then I won't talk to you more, I'll see you later! ”

Liang Liqun's eyes widened, watching Liang Xinyi pounce on him and hug Kenichi Ishikawa.

"You guys!"

"What's the matter, thanks to the book you're still reading, are the French making such a fuss about hugging it?"

Liang Xinyi smiled, "Goodbye, Shi Zhongyi!" ”

"Goodbye!"

Ishikawa smiled and waved goodbye, a shallow dimple on his face.

The river breeze is familiar, Kenichi Ishikawa is long, wearing a straight beige windbreaker, swaying lightly in the wind, and even Liang Liqun can't help but take a few more looks.

"It's getting more and more unpleasant, what did you just do to hug someone?"

Liang Liqun handed the suitcase to the driver and opened the car door for Liang Xinyi.

"You have to take care of it! Fuss! ”

"The first time I saw Zhao Xingan, you didn't do this, it's too indecent!"

Liang Liqun was anxious, did this Ishikawa secretly work his little sister?

"What Zhao Xing'an, I don't know!"

Liang Xinyi's face suddenly fell, Liang Liqun shut up, it's over, it looks like he broke up with Zhao Xingan.

Ishikawa's identity, he can't reveal it to anyone yet.

Whether it was because the brother and sister hadn't seen each other for too long, Liang Xinyi's cold-faced image only lasted for a few minutes, and she began to ask endless questions about how Nanjing and Hong Kong were.

The tragic situation in Nanjing and the embarrassment in Hong Kong, of course, can't be told to my little sister, Liang Liqun is born with a good tongue, and in terms of picking interesting things, Liang Xinyi can't stop laughing along the way.

The Upper East Bank Building is actually not far away, at the intersection of Jiangxi Road and Jiujiang Road, in a few words, the car will arrive.

The car stopped at the entrance of the staff in the backyard, and before he entered the door, Liang Liqun began to get nervous, subconsciously stood up straight, straightened his collar again, and walked in solemnly, forgetting his suitcase, hat and sister in his car.

Standing in front of the door of the chairman's office, Liang Liqun stretched out his hand and was about to knock on the door, but Liang Xinyi had already pushed the door open and walked in.

"What do you do so carefully, you must have done something bad outside!"

"You!" has been like this since childhood, and was poked in the sore spot by Liang Xinyi with a word.

The door opened, and Liang Chengjie was sitting at the table reviewing the documents, and his complaints about his sister were instantly swallowed.

"Dad, I'll go out on the street myself and bring you back a prisoner!" Liang Xinyi grinned.

Liang Liqun's face changed.

"Don't talk nonsense, don't you want to eat French food at noon? If you don't call now, there will be no seat in Lexiang Hotel! ”

"The price of Lexiang food is so expensive, when will it be full?" Liang Xinyi said this, and she did feel a little unsure in her heart, and now that the rich people in Shanghai and even all of China have squeezed into the concession, the situation is not easy to say.

"Okay, okay, that phone call in Lexiang, at this time, it will not be able to get through, you talk, I'll go to Lexiang to have a look."

Liang Xinyi pushed the door out, and the father and son looked at each other.

"Why is your face so ugly?"

Liang Liqun sneered, "Shangdong positioning, just make a phone call, in the end, it is the child's heart, and run over." ”

"Don't avoid the important, what's going on with the arrest of Nanjing? Why did you go to Hong Kong for so long, and how did you solve the source of livelihood? Every correspondence is fragmented, and you can make it clear to me face to face now. ”

Liang Liqun's brain buzzed, what a shrewd ** lake his father was, he knew that he couldn't hide from this moment.

How to deal with the old man, Liang Liqun has already done his homework, Liang Chengjie's observation and insight are first-class, and when you talk to him, you must not lie, but the matter of signing the Japanese agreement and taking the Japanese money is also something that can never be said, these two bottom lines are kept, it depends on your own on-the-spot performance.

Liang Liqun first violently criticized the military unconviction detention and introspection system and bureaucratic style, and then vigorously exaggerated the experience of dying in Nanjing, especially when the city was broken, Yu Xiaoshu risked his life to return to the model prison to save him and Zhou Jingcheng, and even witnessed the details of the massacre, but only blurred the fact that Ishikawa rescued him, and replaced it with Tetsuya Ueyama, a classmate of Hosei University who was a military attache at the Japanese Embassy. As for going to Hong Kong, he went up the mountain to suggest that he avoid the war, and for him, it was to temporarily ensure his safety, hoping to find the Military Command Bureau to explain the situation and clear his name.

Liang Liqun's remarks were mostly true feelings, the days in Nanjing were thrilling, and the environment in Hong Kong was miserable; he did not wait for a superior who could explain the situation, but waited for more and more high-ranking officials of the state government who fled from the mainland to Hong Kong for refuge.

Liang Liqun has personal experience as a foundation, and he became excited when he spoke, he was really full of emotion and crying, Liang Chengjie didn't ask after listening to it, and was silent for a long time.

"You just said that the person who saved you was Dai Li's subordinate, called Yu Xiaoshu?"

"That's right, he later fell into the hands of the Special Service Department of the Central China Front, I'm afraid there will be less luck."

"This man is still alive, and he is in Shanghai."

Liang Chengjie stood up and walked to the window, Jiujiang Road was not wide, and it was especially congested this afternoon.

"This morning, I met with the Japanese intelligence chief in Shanghai, Yukio Takeuchi, since the fall of Shanghai, the sabotage and assassination operations of the national government have not stopped," he sighed deeply, "The Military Command Bureau assassinates a Japanese, and the Japanese Army will have to pay back more than ten times the color. ”

When Liang Liqun heard the news that Yu Xiaoshu was still alive, he was overjoyed and wanted to ask, but he didn't dare, so he waited patiently for Liang Chengjie to speak slowly.

"Now that Japan is busy with military expansion, it feels like it is not enough human resources, and it is very difficult to manage Shanghai. They made a plan to use Chinese to manage the Chinese, and they also planned to deal with the government's spy work with the Chinese," Liang Chengjie turned around, "Speaking of which, they mentioned that Yu Xiaoshu. ”

"This person, born in Huangpu, has done intelligence, is familiar with Shanghai, and has also carried a gun to fight, this time in order to save people trapped in Nanjing, the Japanese side has a good impression of him. It's just that I didn't expect that he was saving you. ”

"Father, he saved me, can you ......"

"I see what you mean. Takeuchi said that they already have a list of displaced personnel of the Military Command Bureau to be won over, and among them is this Yu Xiaoshu, whose background in the Military Command Bureau and spies is exactly what the Japanese side likes, and he has no worries about his life for the time being, but he has always refused to fall into the water, and the Japanese will definitely not let him go easily. ”

"He is an old man from the secret service, he is very firm in his political beliefs, and he has participated in the Songhu War of Resistance and the Battle of Nanjing, and it is indeed a little difficult to see how the Japanese killed our compatriots, so that he fell into the water for his life."

"Oh? How does he evaluate in the Military Command Bureau? ”

"Shrewd, capable, firm, don't make those false and empty statements, he is a doer, and his reputation is quite good."

Liang Chengjie nodded, "He is a person with national integrity, but the situation is stronger than people, and now that the situation is eroding like this, there will be more and more people who are moving closer to the Japanese, maybe soon, he will no longer make Takeuchi a strange commodity to live in." ”

Liang Liqun was surprised, and was wondering what his father meant by this, and how it was somewhat similar to Ishikawa Kenichi's statement.

"In this way, since he is your savior, our Liang family can't sit idly by, I'll call Yukio Takeuchi now, you go to the Japanese military police headquarters on Chongming Road these days, and ask this Yu Xiaoshu to come to see me, and I will talk to him personally."

"Is it useful if I go?" Liang Liqun and Zhang Er King Kong couldn't figure it out.

"Do you think that when Nanjing is besieged and the national army is in danger, why can you survive? I also talk nonsense, saying that I have a friendship with Yoshizumi Ryosuke, do you know what they will think of me when these words spread to Chongqing and Hong Kong? Liang Chengjie's face was difficult to look at.

"Also, Yukio Takeuchi didn't just mention this Yu Xiaoshu! He also mentioned you, do you think I don't know where your expenses in Hong Kong come from? ”

Liang Liqun didn't dare to answer.

"You're going to supervise the work of the Shanghai Municipal Office soon, right?"

"They made a letter of appointment, and I haven't agreed yet." Liang Liqun is still stiff-mouthed.

Liang Chengjie ignored him, and continued to bury his head in the report on the table, "Go, help me invite Shouchun." ”

Wang Shouchun is the financial director of the Upper East Trust Company, and Liang Chengjie is going to continue to work.

Exiting Liang Chengjie's office, a hundred question marks were flying in Liang Liqun's mind, what was his father's attitude, was it a tacit acquiescence that he could "fall into the water"?