heard

Hisakawa Shigeyoshi stood motionless in front of the window, watching the swaying sun break free from the night and climb up to the tallest treetop in the courtyard, a heart that had been hanging all night gradually calmed down, sinking like still water .

Maybe it won't be long before the military police from the Dongri Special Investigation Office will come to knock on the door. As for whether it is heaven or hell to welcome him, it depends on God's will.Shigeyoshi Hisakawa smiled bitterly to himself.There is a monitor in the room, which is installed under the first drawer from the left of the desk, between the edges and corners of the slats.When he carefully rummaged through the box and checked, and finally touched this round metal-cold protrusion, he was prepared for a long time, but his heart couldn't help but "thump".

He knew very well that Dongri's equipment was deeply inspired by the West, and was so sensitive that it could even detect the slight noise of the pen tip rubbing against the paper. In this night that was about to pass, even if there was half a minute of regular knocking in the room, it would be easy. Enough to push him to hell.He knew better that he might not be the only one who tossed and turned that night. All the people involved in this accident, whether it was in Xiangri News Agency or people of all kinds in Nitan, must have been "invited" to spend a good time without a choice. Sleepless night.

Either take the initiative to test, or sit and wait.At the moment when the last quarter moon was about to rise, Hisakawa Shigeyoshi was almost about to act.However, just as he quietly drew the curtains tightly, carefully placed the empty coat and hat on the table, avoiding the shadow cast by the electric light, and approached the door step by step, the light source hanging above his head suddenly went out.In the silent darkness for a few seconds, he subconsciously turned his head to look at the window. Through the thin cloth curtain, he could only see the distant searchlight mechanically sweeping across the vast expanse.

After a while, door opening sounds of varying degrees of intensity began to sound in the corridor, and there were one or two surprised inquiries from time to time.Hisakawa Shigeyoshi could vaguely distinguish the voices of three or four colleagues from the newspaper office in the increasingly noisy voices—all of them were those who frequented the nearby office.A thought flashed through his mind, causing his footsteps to freeze. During this slight pause, a flashlight flickered on the other side of the small building that was also plunged into darkness due to a power outage.

Shigeyoshi Hisakawa's pupils suddenly tightened, and he stretched out his hand subconsciously to open the curtain.Three months of rigorous training made him almost instinctively sensitive to all hidden laws. He could see that in the chaos caused by the sudden power outage, the seemingly inadvertent light beams in the small building were clearly aimed at general purpose. Morse code:

–·····–·–··–·––·–––·––

(BSKITETY)

The plaintext that is too late to be encrypted is presented majestically in the simplest and fastest way.Shigeyoshi Hisakawa gasped, and there were regular footsteps in the corridor, which was a sign that the staff of the Special Investigation Department responded before the emergency. Almost at the same time, the shaking light on the opposite side quickly disappeared.But it was enough, he understood the flashing language of light:

Be quiet, kite. —— Tsing Yi

Hisakawa Shigeyoshi heard the violent beating of his chest in the dark.The other party was calling his code name, asking him to wait and see what happened, but he didn't know whether it was an enemy or a friend.In this place surrounded by tigers and leopards, his fate could be changed every second, and he didn't have much time to choose.There was a noise above the head, and the curled tungsten wire flashed twice, and suddenly became bright.There was a "dong dong" knock on the door: "Jiukawa-san, the main gate of the base tripped just now, and it has now recovered. Is the situation here okay?"

The sudden sound startled Jiuchuan Shigeyoshi into a shiver.Immediately restraining his mind, he glanced at the room, tore off the disguised coat and hat in front of the table, convinced that there were no flaws, and opened the door with his breath held.Standing outside the door was a young man dressed as a famous guard, with a look of innocence on his face, as if he was simply ordered to ask.Jiu Chuan Shigeyoshi looked at it, and said in his mouth: "It's nothing, I'll trouble you." The young man saluted straightly, but he didn't bother him, and he went to the next house to inspect it.

The door was closed with a bang, and there was a trembling sound, and everything was completely silent.Hisakawa Shigeyoshi couldn't stay still anymore, he stretched out his hand to turn off the light, and let himself fall into the boundless night, suddenly absurdly realized that such a brilliant light would make him eager to avoid it!He couldn't forget the gloomy face in the prison, and he couldn't forget that when he was dragged into a mess by the special training, the man looked down at him: Remember, only when you start to actively seek shelter from darkness can you really enter the profession.

In a daze, this face overlapped with his mentor who preached, taught and dispelled doubts. Those talks on the podium and private quotations from scriptures were once very clear, but now they can't recall at all.He has always known that the teacher wanted to write a general history, which is a career that may consume the efforts of several generations. He was going to take over the torch, but at this difficult time, he abandoned them with his own hands.

Hisakawa Shigeyoshi understood that he had no way out, but he didn't regret it—even if there was an exquisite trap in front of him, even if he was going to die here today.Civilization resides in an independent nation, just as hair lives on the skin, and those who study history value inheritance above everything else.So he knew from the very beginning that the boss was aggressive, but he still accepted it, whether it was due to wavering or persistence in literature and history, just as he knew his own mind.

Shigeyoshi Hisakawa stood in front of the window for a long time as the night darkened like a stiff ink block.The beam of light on the opposite side had disappeared without a trace, so clean that he even suspected that what he saw before was just an illusion for a moment, but in such silence, the bits and pieces that he had ignored before gradually surfaced.Hisakawa Shigeyoshi sorted out his thoughts, the crisis was still dormant, but he believed more and more that the change of night was not a temptation, but his own people were acting.The long night hides all danger, but also breeds all hope.

The rising sun in the distant sky has already broken free from the shackles of the branches and jumped into the air.At the end of March, the cold spring has disappeared, and the half-thin clothes are tied, and there is a sense of sweat after a little movement.Shigeyoshi Hisakawa put on a light-colored feather and was about to walk away, but was politely stopped back by the guards who did not know when he was guarding the door. After a while, breakfast was brought into the house: diced pork sauce soup, pickled elm Vegetables, bread, coffee and a small portion of fruit.

It is obvious in the army stationed in China that the food of the Jinkou Hengdu division group is better than other places, but Hisakawa Shigeyoshi only feels that the food is tasteless.After resting for a while, another guard came in, and he only said that Okamura Lieutenant Commander is at your request, and he will lead the way first.This time, it was not the hut from last night, but a hall located further in. The corridor was lit day and night, making it look increasingly dim.

Along the way, Shigeyoshi Hisakawa roughly figured out the structure of the small building. He knew that this place must be not far from the interrogation site.It was a little late by then, and there were already more than ten people in suits or kimonos waiting in the room, whispering to each other for news, most of them were insiders of the Konahi News Agency.

With a glance at this moment, I knew in my heart that at this time, if it weren't for the name of the largest news agency in East Japan, several people might not have this kind of treatment.Among them was the deputy editor-in-chief of the news agency, and the low-ranking lame old man who took care of the flowers and plants in the yard. Although Shigeyoshi Hisakawa could not tell the story of each one, he at least knew his face well. He greeted him immediately and dealt with it politely. After a few questions, he quietly chose a seat and sat down without further words.

The whispers in the ear continued. The person who spoke was the editor-in-chief of the current series of incident pictorials. I don’t know whether it was heard or guessed. It was not an accident that the power outage last night was not an accident, but an enemy spy sneaked in to sabotage. It is unknown how many , but was shot by the guards on the spot.While talking, he looked at everyone in the hall strangely, he clearly believed that there was a spy who dragged everyone down, and attracted the attention of the few people around him, or huddled together or started talking, only the deputy editor-in-chief and the gardener were left The old man and himself are still sitting upright, and it is not known whether it is self-reliance, embarrassing status, or ulterior motives.

Thinking of this, Jiu Chuan Shigeyoshi's heart suddenly burst.The door of the room opened at this moment, and Okamura Kennosuke, who was dressed in the army's red badge field green military uniform, stepped in and bowed to everyone first: "Everyone who came to Jinkou far away from their homeland is doing everything for the paradise of heaven. Contributing heroes, it is really rude to invite you to come here this time, I first apologize to everyone on behalf of the Special Investigation Department."

There was no answer, and everyone held their breath.Although the Xiangri News Agency is very wealthy in the local area, the Jinkou Station is only an dispatched agency, and there are few people with real hands and eyes.But everyone knows that today's Eastern Japan military is in full swing, and even the emperor has to avoid it, and the Special Investigation Department is a military stab directly under the upper echelon, and when it gets crazy, it stabs its own people.To be so polite to a group of mediocre people who don't have much merit at the moment is obviously a posture of courtesy first and soldiers later.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Kennosuke Okamura smiled, but then changed the subject: "However, according to our reliable information, there is indeed a traitor to the empire in Nitan Xiangri News Agency, who is among the gentlemen. Believe this Man is not only our target, but your public enemy."

There was a slight gasp from all around, Kennosuke Okamura spoke calmly, and continued to increase the weight: "There is no doubt, the contact person has confessed, so we have sufficient information - including successfully trapping the accomplice who tried to come to contact last night .I know that you have been in one-way contact, relying on the humble potted plants of the newspaper; I also know that you don't know him, but it doesn't matter, he is willing to identify you."

He stopped talking suddenly, and his eyes swept over every face as if patrolling.Those eyes are not big, flat and thin, and slightly upward, occasionally revealing a little light, but it is so bright and frightening, like a falcon looking down on its prey. "Dude, stand up yourself, don't be as stupid as a Chinese. It's easy to find you, it's nothing more than taking everyone to the interrogation room. But I know that for most people, that kind of scene is A nightmare."

No one spoke, and no one moved—the expected result.It was this kind of calmness that made it difficult for others to figure out whether he was beating or had other deep meanings.Kennosuke Okamura looked at it, his gaze sank little by little, seeming to be focused, and seemed to be examining everyone present: "Since no one is willing to stand up, we can only wrong everyone." He raised his left hand holding the Taidao, and gestured to the door with his snow-white glove out of thin air, and a row of guards rushed in in response.

The crowd who had been silent all this time finally made some commotion, Hisakawa Shigeyoshi withdrew his gaze from the door and looked back at Zhou Za's colleagues.Anxiety or bewilderment, resistance or disgust, all kinds of beings are written on every face, but they are all expected.Suddenly, his gaze paused somewhere, and immediately lowered down calmly.The snow-white marble floor reflected the shadows of people, and out of the corner of the eye, it was the old gardener's flat, thick and wide phalanx knuckles hanging by his side.

A flash of thought flashed through my mind, and before I could catch it, it was interrupted by a voice that sounded again a few steps away: "I guarantee in the name of the military department that this is just a simple identification and will not pose any threat to everyone's personal safety. However , If someone is unwilling to cooperate, then I have reason to doubt his intentions."

The restlessness gradually subsided into silence.Under coercion, scattered people cannot gather any effective defense, which is no accident.Hisakawa Shigeyoshi followed the crowd in silence, seeing the first few people being led out of the door by the guards one by one, and when they came to him, it was Okamura Kennosuke who led the way himself: "Jiukawa-kun, please."

Hisakawa Shigeyoshi did not move, instead he raised his eyes to look at the straight-backed officer on the opposite side, and said with a half-smile, "I am just a small reporter, and all my colleagues sitting here are my seniors, but I am the only one who is taken care of by Nakamura Okamura, It's just too flattering."

Okamura Kennosuke didn't answer immediately, and looked at each other interestingly for a moment, and Fang responded in an unhurried manner: "No, the two brothers Hisakawa-kun could have stayed away from the battlefield, but in order to promote the mighty power of our Emperor Meiji and the Holy Army." It is worthy of this courtesy to be willing to take risks and follow others." After a pause, he added, "Or, you can also understand that this is my respect to Lord Chongren."

After saying that, the two looked at each other in silence.Everyone in the room had already left, Kennosuke Okamura stretched out his hand to lead the way again, Shigeyoshi Hisakawa followed him without saying anything more.Going around a few bends along the long corridor, and then stepping over several opening and closing gates, you will be plunged into a moldy and bloody air.

In the invisible darkness, the remaining senses became extremely sharp.He heard the whistling of whips interspersed with the clang of iron objects colliding, as well as faint gasps and pleadings from a distance. His breath was full of the stench of rust, mildew and blood. A few steps away, it seemed as if Fell into endless hell.The moment when the faint light returned, everything was still. There was only a bottomless dark corridor, cells with closed iron doors on both sides, and a row of dark red-spotted instruments of torture that occasionally appeared through the cracks in the door.

A long line had already stood up outside the interrogation room, Okamura Kennosuke bypassed everyone and entered the room first, Hisakawa Shigeyoshi stood still at the end of the line.The deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper was in the front, counting two people standing inconspicuous old gardener in sequence, and someone in front of him was looking around, and before he could move too much, he was stopped by the guards.Shigeyoshi Hisakawa looked at it from the corner of his eye. In the long and narrow corridor, soldiers holding light machine guns were scattered scattered, just keeping a group of people firmly under control.

The identification is in progress, enter in groups of two according to the order of the queue, and those who exclude suspects will be led by the guards to leave from the other end of the corridor.The people behind couldn't see what was going on in the room, nor could they hear the conversation clearly. All they could do was wait in silence, counting the shrinking of the team at an extremely slow speed, like cutting flesh with a blunt knife, just waiting to polish everything. patience and camouflage.

In this kind of torment, it is slow to speak, and fast to speak.Another group of people left, and the team has gradually reached the end.Just in the previous wave, Shigeyoshi Jiukawa saw the gardener and the assistant in the next office walk into the room. The closed door cut off all possible escape conversations, and his heart suddenly beat wildly.Just like a game, no one knows whether it is a treasure map or a dagger before the game is revealed, and he can only wait.

This time, the time was extremely long, so long that people couldn't tell whether it was an illusion produced by anxiety.Suddenly, there was a roar in the room, and the nearest guards were the first to react, and broke in with their guns. There was a messy sound of pulling the bolt inside the iron gate, followed by gunshots pouring out.The sudden change made the few people who had just gone out turn their heads in horror, but this time, no one stopped them.The gunshots stopped suddenly, and the closed iron gate cut off the small noise, leaving only a terrific silence.

The door slammed again, and Okamura Kennosuke in military uniform walked out slowly, with straight seams and shiny military boots, as calm as if the sudden change just now was just an illusion.After a while he cleared his voice and spoke concisely, but there was still no emotion on his face: "The spy has been exposed, please wait for a long time, you can go now." After speaking, he waved to the guards waiting outside the door, signaling They take people away.

There was no objection, everyone was eager to get out of this man-eating cage, Shigeyoshi Hisakawa even heard a few steps away, colleagues in the newspaper office breathed out in relief.But he couldn't relax, something stuck in his chest, like a ball of cotton soaked in water, choking him uncomfortably.The guard beside him raised his arm again as if urging him, Hisakawa Shigeyoshi nodded and walked forward.

The moment he passed the interrogation room, he finally couldn't help but glance at the heavy iron door beside him, a trickle of bright red blood was silently flowing from under the door.The beating heart suddenly sank at this moment, as if he had never been more clear than this moment, it was not over, the real contest had just begun.The corridor is very deep, but as far as the eye can see, there is a ray of skylight entering the drowsy prison.