A different kind of Lou Chun - "The Pretender" colleague

At eleven o'clock in the evening, the new government office.

The lights in Minglou's office were still on.At the desk of Ah Cheng, the secretariat next door, stacks of unprocessed and read documents have been sorted.The heavy files covered the old newspaper pressed under the glass plate, and only half of the photo of the heroic and heroic military uniform of the gorgeous and insolent woman like a red rose was vaguely exposed.

Ah Cheng doesn't like this photo, it's not the real Manchun at all.But it was the only thing he could find, the only thing to keep in her memory.

Those old photos from back then, whether they were in his hands or Minglou's, had long been burned by them.Now he searched desperately, only to find that apart from this official ID photo in enemy uniform, she hadn't left a single photo for so many years, just as resolute as she left in a hurry.

The coffee pot was bubbling, emitting a strong bitter aroma.Ah Cheng walked over to pour a cup of coffee, and the hot air on his face filled his eyes.According to Ming Lou's request, double the coffee powder, sugar-free and milk-free.Facing the black and thick medicine-like liquid in his hand, he sighed deeply.

Even though the missing Ming Jing was already on the list of innocent passengers killed in the massive shooting and bombing at the Suzhou Railway Station, the current situation of Minglou has already forced Ah Cheng to consider the possibility of taking the risk of letting his eldest sister come back quietly.

Yoshimasa Fujita and Sister Manchun were killed overnight, and both the Super High School and No. 76 fell into panic.The Japanese side started another round of frenzied search and retaliation with the Wang Puppet Government, and the espionage system was strictly checked.Today's Shanghai is full of turmoil, panic, stock market decline, financial chaos, and the economy is on the verge of collapse again.And these kinds of crises emerge one after another, and it is inevitable that the elder brother will do his best to remedy them.Since they came to the government office, they have never returned home. Minglou is almost sleepless and busy with official duties. His physical and mental exhaustion is so great that even a normal person can hardly bear it, not to mention his dilapidated dilapidated house that is riddled with wounds. Remnant!

In just one week, the eldest brother fainted three times in the office.Every time, without waiting for a bottle of potion to hang up, immediately resume the work at hand after waking up, as if just took a nap.What worried Ah Cheng even more was Minglou's complete indifference to himself, and his wanton brilliance of burning his life desperately.He was afraid that the last effort of the eldest brother would disappear like quicksand in such dripping swaying.

Perhaps, this is exactly what the eldest brother expected.

There is no longer the luxury of living in the sun.Because, the person who promised to stand side by side with him is no longer there.No one knows Big Brother better than him.He is paving a road to the light with all his blood and energy.So that I, my eldest sister, Mingtai, and those thousands of compatriots who are fighting together can have a greater chance to walk towards the sun and witness the victory.

If death has become a gift to a person, then as the person who is closest to and understands him, should he still stubbornly leave him struggling in this world?

But for Minglou, no matter how clearly he could see the pain that was so deep that he couldn't describe it, he still couldn't let go.

Ah Cheng subconsciously looked at the paper bag on the table, and held it in his hands along with several other documents.Taking a breath, wiped away the tears overflowing from the corners of his eyes, and holding the coffee, he pushed open the door of Minglou.

"Brother, the coffee you want."

Gently placing the cup on the desk, Ah Cheng stood quietly in front of the desk, silently staring at the figure working at the desk in front of him.

The night sinks like water, and a lamp is like beans.Ming Lou frowned and studied the complicated economic budget statement in his hand, marking it with a pen from time to time.Under the faint halo, that angular and handsome face was cold and thin like a silhouette.Ah Cheng's heart trembled suddenly: the person who was by his side all the time, but he just noticed that there was a little frost in the elder brother's black hair, which should be just a few days ago.

Ah Cheng only felt hot eyes and pantothenic acid in his nose.

Sister Manchun's passing away quietly, how much harm it caused to the elder brother, the second person will never be able to empathize.He only knew that a part of his elder brother died along with it.Even though he is always with him like a shadow, there is nothing to fill the lonely void in the elder brother's heart.

And until now, the eldest brother has not shed a single tear, nor has he shown the slightest sorrow.

"Ah Cheng, what are you staring at there?"

Minglou's sudden question disturbed Ah Cheng's thoughts.Before he could decide what to answer, Minglou sipped his coffee and continued to ask, "What new orders do you have from the military commander?"

"Stand by silently. In addition, the successful assassination of Fujita Yoshimasa, and..."

Ah Cheng paused, swallowed half a sentence, and continued: "Shocking the Japanese invaders and fighting the traitors, the military command will give you a great credit. It is said that after you recover from your injuries, Director Dai will personally reward you in Hong Kong."

Ming Lou tugged at the corner of his lips, but didn't answer.

"However," Ah Cheng hesitated for a moment, but still reported truthfully: "The poisonous bee called, asking you, asking you..."

"He asked Manchun, didn't he?"

A Cheng nodded timidly.He really didn't dare to repeat the fierce words in the telegram to Minglou.He really didn't know that this lunatic actually had a close relationship with Man Chun.

"He must have questioned and accused me, right? With the ruthlessness of a lunatic and not sure about Man Chun's identity, Man Chun was safe and sound in Shanghai for two full years. As a result, something happened to Man Chun when I came back."

The tone of the statement was flat, without the slightest emotion.It fell into Ah Cheng's ears, but every word pierced his heart, and the blood was dripping from the piercing.

"Brother, that's not the case. The lunatic just wants to know what happened, and doesn't mean to blame you."

Minglou stopped his next words with a gesture, and changed the subject indifferently: "What about the organization?"

"The head of No. [-] will send you a power call in person. Please mourn and take care." Ah Cheng lowered his head and said, "Both he and Secretary Dong met Sister Manchun in the Soviet area back then."

Minglou closed his eyes and sat stiffly.After a while, he nodded silently.

"Also, Uncle Li has returned."

If so, stop here.Ah Cheng looked at his dismal expression and then at the paper bag in his hand, hesitant to speak.

Minglou rubbed his forehead, took another sip of the fragrant and bitter coffee, and said lightly: "If there is anything else, just say it."

With a heartbroken heart, Ah Cheng took out an old photo from the paper bag and handed it to him: "This was given to Mingtai by Sister Manchun before she went to Japan. Mingtai said, brother, you should want to keep it even more. So , Uncle Tori brought it to you."

Minglou's body shook.

In the photo, 17-year-old Man Chun is standing at the gate of his alma mater, smiling sweetly at him.

It was him, taking pictures of her on her first day of college.

On that day, the sun was shining brightly and the years were quiet.However, no matter how sunny the weather is, it can't match her bright smile.

Minglou's trembling fingertips lightly brushed the clear eyebrows and smiled sweetly.

Where are the bright eyes and bright teeth now?The blood-stained wandering soul cannot return. (Note: Du Fu's "Ai Jiangtou")

Boundless sorrow ran over my heart like a giant wheel, and it disappeared in an instant.

Minglou couldn't look at it anymore, and suddenly turned the photo upside down on the table, revealing the familiar Xiuyi handwriting on the back——

To my younger brother Mingtai: Don’t forget your original intention.

Do not forget the original intention!

Whether it's faith or love, she made these four-word promises to herself, and she will stick to them all her life until she dies.

Ah Cheng nervously looked at the side face of Ming Lou who was gritting his teeth.The person who closed his eyes and said nothing, could not stop his whole body from trembling under extreme restraint.The suspenseful depressive and heavy panting sound is especially clear in the silence of the night.The long silence made Ah Cheng once again hate his clumsy tongue and helplessness.Time, passing by in this endless silence, seems to be frozen slowly.

"You keep it."

Finally, the familiar and calm voice broke the suffocating silence in a low voice.Minglou pushed the photo in front of Ah Cheng.

"Big brother?"

Ah Cheng suspected that he had heard wrong.

"What are you looking for in these days of sneaky searches, do you think big brother doesn't know?"

Ah Cheng lowered his head all of a sudden, he was speechless, his cheeks felt a little hot.

"There's nothing embarrassing about it." Minglou's tone was warm and peaceful: "Take it, and keep it well."

"Then big brother, you..."

"Brother doesn't need it."

Minglou replied very lightly.Putting his hand on his heart, through the clothes, he touched the pair of hard metal rings, and he was ironed like fire by the body temperature.

After calming down a bit, he continued, "Throw away the one on your table. I think she would rather be completely forgotten than be kept like that."

A Cheng silently nodded.

"Also, next time you go to Suzhou for business, take the time to go..."

Minglou paused, but finally couldn't say those few words.Taking a deep breath, he only said, "Bring me back a handful of soil."

Ah Cheng's eyes were wet immediately, he choked up and agreed: "Okay."

"What else?" Seeing that Ah Cheng was still holding onto the paper bag, Minglou had no intention of leaving.

"and this."

Ah Cheng hesitated for a moment, then silently took out another photo.

This time Minglou only took a glance and turned his face away, clasping the edge of the table tightly with both hands.

Ah Cheng said in a low voice with tears in his eyes: "This is Sister Manchun, she asked me to take a photo with Mingtai's lighter."

"Okay, I'll take this." Ming Lou suddenly spoke quickly, and ended the conversation flatly and quickly: "You go."

"Brother..." Ah Cheng couldn't help calling, worried and worried.

"It's okay." Minglou tried his best to put on a comforting smile, and pointed to the report on the table: "I'll take a break after reading this budget."

Ah Cheng finally turned and left.

The moment the office door was closed, Minglou suddenly covered his lips with his hand, but he couldn't stop the warm liquid seeping from between his fingers.One drop, another drop, dripped down on the tightly clasped hands with the pair of rings in the photo.The simple and luxurious ring and the knuckles of the fingers were gradually dyed bright red, which was extremely beautiful.

The author has something to say:

"For the sake of the country, we may lose each other, family, friendship, love, and the good old days. We are not stupid, nor are we willing to die, and go on a road of no return. We are on the line, and we will advance and never retreat. If you die heroically, if you retreat, you will live a shameful life.” ——Minglou’s original words in "The Spy Battle on the Bund".