Shanghai morning

As the forces of various countries ebb and flow, the docks are also quietly changing.As China's largest port city, the changes in Shanghai are most intuitively reflected on the docks. Among the common people in Shanghai, dock workers are the first to notice these changes.

Recently, the number of piers occupied by the Japanese has increased again. Wang Yao found that the two piers that originally belonged to Britain and France had been rowed away by the Japanese. Those Japanese merchant ships brought in a large amount of Japanese goods and many small Japanese businessmen. .Wang Yao felt that Shanghai was about to change, maybe not long after.

One day, Wang Yao was unloading goods at the pier, when a familiar voice suddenly called him: "Yaojun, have you changed your job?"

Wang Yao felt a chill in his heart, and turned around mechanically: "Why did Mr. Honda come here?"

"Walking around with nothing to do, it's a surprise to meet Yaojun." Honda Ju smiled so coldly that it penetrated into the bone marrow.

"I want to work, Mr. Honda, please go back." Wang Yao walked forward quickly carrying the goods, leaving Honda Ju behind.

Honda Ju followed his pace unhurriedly, staying side by side with him: "Yaojun, don't be so unreasonable, what if I said I came to see you specially?"

Wang Yao didn't appreciate it: "Since I've seen it, can I see off the guest?" Just after finishing speaking, the heavy cargo on his shoulders tilted, and he staggered and fell straight forward.

The cargo fell to the ground with a "bang", but the fallen body was hugged by the waist.

"Yaojun, be careful." Honda Ju's voice came close to his ears.

Wang Yao's face was flushed, and he squeezed out a few words from his teeth: "Thank you, please let go."

Honda Ju hugged her even tighter: "You really can't adapt to such a job, can you?"

"If you don't get in the way, I won't fall either." Wang Yao said coldly.

Honda Chrysanthemum straightened him up, and slowly let go of his hand: "Yaojun, I know you hate me, so I also want to make amends, I hope you will give me this chance."

"Can you release Wanwan immediately and let her go home?" Wang Yao asked without any hope.

"Of course." Honda Ju said surprisingly.

"Really?" Wang Yao opened his eyes wide and became serious.

Seeing that the other party stepped into the trap, Honda Ju smiled meaningfully: "As long as Yaojun agrees to my conditions."

"What conditions?" Wang Yao asked without thinking.

But Honda Ju put on a show: "Now is not the time, I will tell Yaojun when I think it over. Until then, I will take good care of Lingmei!" He bit the word "take care" very hard.

"You bastard!" Wang Yao cursed angrily.

Honda Ju suddenly pressed his cold fingers on Wang Yao's lips: "Yaojun, be careful, don't forget that Lingmei is still in my hands."

Wang Yao had no choice but to swallow his anger and keep silent.Only then did Honda Ju remove the finger that was pressing on his lips, and intentionally or unintentionally, wiped the pulp of his finger on his lower lip.

"I will fulfill my promise, as long as Yaojun doesn't make mistakes." Honda Ju bowed slightly to Wang Yao in a gentlemanly manner.

Wang Yao looked angrily at Honda Ju's back as he left in a cool way. The Japanese always humiliated him without losing the opportunity, even if he had already fallen into this situation, he would not let it go.

Wang Nianjing came to visit Wang Yao from time to time, and asked how his work was going, but Wang Yao was full of bitterness.Wang Nianjing couldn't stand it anymore, and wanted to complain: "I'll beat your foreman again, I promised to take care of you, why did you suffer so much?"

Wang Yao persuaded: "My ancestor! Don't talk about it anymore, it's okay if you don't tell me, the more you pass him small words, the more ruthless he will be on me!"

"It's really not a thing!" Wang Nianjing was furious, "You are a despicable villain, and when you see a respectable person in trouble, you will make trouble. These people are so bad!"

"I'll bear it. It's not that I haven't suffered a lot. It's nothing to be a bit of a coward." Wang Yao said, "These dock workers are usually bullied by foreigners a lot, and they finally have a punching bag. Of course they can't. Let me go, but they are just poor people." Although Wang Yao said they were pitiful, there was no sympathy in Wang Yao's tone, but a hint of contempt.

"Mr. Wang, the job at this wharf is not a long-term solution. If someone really punishes you, your life is in danger—it's normal for people to die in this place, and no one cares about it." Wang Nianjing said in a low voice.

"You don't care about asking questions?" Wang Yao raised his eyebrows and asked, looking a little sharp.

Wang Nianjing didn't hide it either: "We don't care, we can't."

"You can't control it. There is no safe place in Shanghai anymore. How can death be the same?" Wang Yao didn't think the pier was more terrifying than other places.

Wang Nianjing changed his mind: "Mr. Wang, isn't he afraid of death?"

"Afraid, why not? I still have a younger sister and a younger brother. Can I not be afraid of death?" Wang Yao said.

Wang Nianjing asked again: "If that's the case, why did you do that for Yun Jian?"

Wang Yao froze, and Wang Nianjing brought up the matter that he wanted to forget, which made him afraid and angry: "That was his dying wish, and I don't want to watch a Chinese die, if I can save one, of course I will. "

Wang Nianjing immediately asked another question: "How about saving more Chinese people?"

Wang Yao looked at Wang Nianjing vigilantly, the latter's eyes were unfathomable, and he didn't know what was hidden.

Suddenly, someone called Wang Yao from a distance: "Yao!"

Wang Yao's heart moved, he heard that it was Al's voice, and turned his head quickly to look, it was indeed Al running from a distance, and it was too late for him to hide.

"Yao, you are indeed here!" Al grabbed Wang Yao's shoulder, worried and heartbroken.

"Arthur promised me not to tell you." Wang Yao thought that Arthur was too untrustworthy.

"Arthur knows too? He didn't tell me!" Al turned a little angry with Wang Yao, "You would rather tell Arthur than me, why?"

Wang Yao lowered his eyes to look at Al's button: "I don't want to make you sad, and I'm too embarrassed."

"Yao, you can't do this kind of work anymore, you will be exhausted." Al persuaded.

"Xiaotai used to do this too. That young man is shorter and thinner than me, so he carried it down the same way." Wang Yao comforted Al with a smile.

Al took Wang Yao's hand and spread his palm: "You have suffered a lot, right?" He stroked Wang Yao's palm carefully, his movements were more gentle and careful than Francis.

"It's not that serious, it's just that I haven't done rough work for a long time." Wang Yao said lightly.

"Yao, don't do this anymore, I'll help you, I'll find a way to help you find something else to do." Al vowed.

Wang Yao shook his head: "Al, I am very clear about what you can and cannot do. Why do you bother yourself?"

Al held Wang Yao's hand tightly: "Then don't stay in Shanghai. I'll take you to Suzhou, which is a beautiful place. Let's find a small house there and live peacefully."

Wang Yao looked into Al's eager eyes and asked softly, "Al, what do you think of me?"

Alton got stuck for a while, and he said something that was too ambiguous, but at this time he didn't want to deny it: "Yao, I don't want to make you suffer, that Braginsky guy said, I never really helped For you, now I will do my best to free you from all the pain and let you live happily!"

Why doesn't Wang Yao want to put aside all troubles and live in a good place away from the hustle and bustle?But he just shook his head with a wry smile: "Al, thank you. But I can't leave Shanghai, and I can't leave my sister, even if she doesn't recognize my brother now."

"Yao..." Al held Wang Yao's hand even tighter, and looked straight into Wang Yao's eyes like that, as if he wanted to use his fiery gaze to penetrate the indelible sadness in the Chinese's eyes.

"Al, go back, I still have to work." Wang Yao said so, but he was reluctant to take his hand away from Al's hand. He was greedy for the warmth of Al's palm, which made his tired heart feel safe and relieved.

A cold voice ruined the atmosphere at this time: "Are you disturbing the two of you?"

Wang Yao shuddered all over, and hurriedly pulled out his hand, looking warily at Honda Ju who came calmly.Al took a step forward and stood in front of Wang Yao.

"Meet you again, Yaojun," Honda Ju smiled politely, "Since Yaojun worked in our Japanese dock, we have had many opportunities to meet each other!"

Al clenched his fist when he heard this, and Wang Yao lightly touched his arm, signaling him not to be impulsive.

"Mr. Honda, if I knew that I would run into you often, I wouldn't do this job." Wang Yao didn't give Honda any face at all.

"You often meet him?" Al turned his face tightly and stared at Wang Yao.

Wang Yao didn't answer, avoiding Al's gaze.

Honda Ju deliberately ignored the subtle atmosphere between the two of them, and continued to say to Wang Yao: "Yaojun, I came to you today to talk to you about our previous agreement."

"Promise?" Al frowned.

"I don't remember any agreement with Mr. Honda!" Wang Yao only hoped that Honda Ju would leave quickly.

Honda Ju said slowly: "So, Yaojun doesn't want your sister to go home?"

Wang Yao suddenly remembered the so-called "agreement" with Honda Ju a few days ago, about the conditions for letting Wanwan go.

"Say what you want to say." Wang Yao still had a tough tone, but Honda Ju could hear that this was a helpless concession.

Honda Ju said politely: "I will take Ms. Wanwan to Shabi Cafe for afternoon tea every Wednesday at three o'clock in the afternoon. This is one of her favorite social activities. If Yaojun wants to see his sister, he might as well go there Find her, as many times as you want, but whether you can persuade her to turn around depends on your ability."

The attention in Wang Yao's eyes betrayed his thoughts, and he asked calmly, "You don't know how to do tricks, do you?"

"Of course not," Honda Ju glanced at Al, "and I can absolutely guarantee that Yaojun is safe."

Even though Wang Yao restrained himself, he still answered too quickly: "Okay, I will go to Wanwan, and I will definitely let her go home!"

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Honda Ju smiled and said goodbye: "Then I won't bother you two, I wish you a happy day!" After saying that, he left without hesitation.

After Honda Ju left, Al said seriously to Wang Yao: "Yao, you can't go, you don't know what that lunatic Honda Ju can do?"

Only then did Wang Yao realize that his hands were shaking with anger: "I know he is not human, but Wanwan..."

"It's not the first time he used your sister to trick you!" Al grabbed Wang Yao's shoulder and shouted eagerly, "You can't be fooled by him again and again!"

Wang Yao gently took Al's hand away: "Al, as long as it's about Wanwan, I can't reason, even if there is a glimmer of hope, I have to jump into the pit!"

"Yao!" Al yelled bitterly, angrily and anxiously.

Wang Yao shook his head: "Al, you go back, I have to work."

Al stood still, watching Wang Yao's lonely back and walking away slowly.

Suddenly, several people who looked like dock workers surrounded Wang Yao, and the leader scolded unceremoniously: "Brothers are exhausted, you bastards are hiding here and lazy! Listen to me, the rest of today Your life is yours!"

Wang Yao glanced at the goods piled up next to him: "Foreman, I was only delayed for about ten minutes, and you didn't do any work during this time."

"You still dare to talk back? Let's see if I don't beat you to death!" The foreman punched.

Wang Yao lowered his head to hide, but it seemed too late.But the expected pain didn't hit his face. He looked up, and saw that the man's wrist was tightly held by one hand, and stopped in mid-air, unable to move.Looking up along the arm, it was Al's cold face full of anger.

"You..." The foreman looked in surprise at Yang Cheng Yaojin who came out halfway.

Al grabbed the foreman's collar with his other hand, put his fist on the foreman's face, and squeezed out words from between his teeth: "If you dare to touch him again, if you dare to touch him again, I will kill you right now! "

"You...what are you meddling in!" The foreman yelled sternly, "What happened to him? I killed him like a dog!"

As soon as the words fell, the foreman was punched and flew out, and his strong body flew two or three steps away before falling to the ground like a sack.

"If I kill you, it's like killing a dog!" Almu said fiercely.

"Al!" Wang Yao hurriedly stopped Al, for fear that he would kill someone.

The foreman got dizzy and turned to get up, while backing away cowardly like a mouse, he pretended to shout at Wang Yao: "Get out! Don't do it again!"

Al wanted to make a move, but Wang Yao forced him back: "Let's go, let's go!"

The two of them were silent all the way, and it wasn't until they reached the Waibaidu Bridge that Al calmed down a bit: "I'm not sorry for causing you to lose your job."

Wang Yao smiled bitterly: "Al, you don't need to do this, they are just cheating, and they won't really do anything to me."

Al didn't believe this: "Yao, I don't want you to suffer."

Wang Yao laughed helplessly: "Ivan also said the same thing."

Al pulled Wang Yao's body: "Yao, I'm serious, you can't do that job anymore, I will find a way, find a way to help you find a normal job."

Wang Yao patted Al on the shoulder: "Thank you, but don't worry about me anymore."

Al looked up, the scenery of Suzhou Creek was still beautiful but gloomy, last winter he and Wang Yao were alone on this bridge for the first time, looking at the river.

"I'm going home." Wang Yao said.

"I'll see you off." Al said hastily.

"No, I'll go back by myself this time." Wang Yao refused Al to see him off for the first time.

"Yao!" Al pulled him back.

"I'm fine, I just want to go home and have a rest." Wang Yao smiled pale, "See you another day, Al."

"Okay." Al nodded reluctantly.

Wang Yao then left alone, slowly out of Al's sight.