Zhou Zhihan, who was sitting in the rickshaw, stared at the young rickshaw driver's deftness and stability in turning at each intersection, nodded, and asked:
"Brother, how many children are there at home?"
The young coachman turned his head sideways, looked at the guest with his peripheral vision to show respect, and gasped: "There are two children at home."
"A boy and a girl?"
"Both are girls!"
"Oh! Do you want more?"
"Yes!" the young coachman replied affirmatively, and then was silent for a while, "There are so many little girls these days, and the little girls also suffer the consequences of Lord Ala, but I am a single son of the third generation, so I have to add a little boy. Only then can parents feel at ease."
Zhou Zhihan didn't speak anymore. He closed his eyes and greedily breathed in the familiar air on this land.
This may be the atmosphere of old Shanghai.
There had just been a light rain at dusk, and the night temperature in Shanghai in July was pleasant.
When he arrived at the door of the New Asia Hotel, the young coachman's shirt was completely soaked. He was panting, gently put down the handlebar, turned around and said to the guest: "Sir, the New Asia Hotel has arrived." Then he bent down and pressed the front of the car. , looking at the guests diligently.
Those who work in their profession know the rules. Unless the guests ask for their luggage, they will help them because they are covered in sweat as they pull the carts and are worried that the guests will dislike them.
Zhou Zhihan didn't understand this, so he got out of the car with his luggage: "Brother, I came back from abroad and haven't had time to exchange the money yet. Can I give you US dollars?"
"Okay!" The young coachman's eyes showed fear, rubbing his clothes with his hands, "But I don't have money to find you!"
Zhou Zhihan didn't know how much money one dollar was worth now. He was a time traveler who directly traveled to the United States. Now he returned to the period of the Anti-Japanese War. Although the name Shanghai was still familiar to him, everything here was unfamiliar to him.
Zhou Zhihan took out five dollars and handed it to the driver.
In Shanghai in the 21st century, five dollars is enough to take a taxi.
"Sir!" The young coachman had a troubled expression on his face, "Can you go and change it? I...I don't have the money to find you."
"Take them all!"
Zhou Zhihan said, carrying his luggage and walking towards the hotel entrance.
The young driver froze on the spot.
In the brightly lit New Asia Hotel, two waiters in red opened the door and came out.
Zhou Zhihan turned around and saw the young coachman still standing there looking at him with an expression of disbelief.
"Go home quickly!" Zhou Zhihan handed the luggage to the two waiters, and then said to the young and loyal coachman who was holding five dollars in both hands, "Tomorrow morning at seven o'clock, you pull the car and wait for me here! "After that, he walked into the hotel.
The young coachman was running all the way. He met a noble man today. His smiling face was moist with eyes. He was thinking about what snacks he should bring back to his parents, wife and children. First, he went to the lame uncle's to buy a box of one-pound osmanthus cake...
Five dollars!
The young coachman touched his pocket again. The money was lying firmly in his pocket. He couldn't earn this money in half a year.
There is also an empty guest room on the ninth floor of the New Asia Hotel. It has a suite and is very luxurious. Two waiters have brought his luggage to the room.
After tipping the waiter, Zhou Zhihan opened a bottle of red wine, drank the wine, and took a hot bath for more than ten minutes to wash away the fatigue of the past ten days of travel.
Wearing a clean bathrobe, Zhou Zhihan finished smoking a cigarette, then turned off the light and stood in front of the room window on the ninth floor of the New Asia Hotel, looking at the area of about four or five floors not far from the New Asia Hotel. The huge building complex is like a giant ship sailing on the sea, cutting through the waves. Even in the dark night, you can still feel its power.
This is the base camp of the Japanese Marine Corps in Shanghai.
Before traveling through time, Zhou Zhihan was very familiar with Shanghai, but just now he took a rickshaw all the way from Jiangwan Airport to the New Asia Hotel. Everything was so strange, except for this huge building complex made of reinforced concrete. It was exactly the same as the image in his memory.
It was dark in this building complex, without any light.
When the Japanese army built the Marine Corps headquarters, they specially designed a night-time anti-lighting design. Even if the entire headquarters was working at night, this huge building was pitch black from the outside without a trace of light.
The advantage of this is that it makes it more difficult for aircraft that want to bomb the Marine Corps headquarters at night to find their targets.
"Dang!"
When the hotel's giant clock rang, Zhou Zhihan glanced at his watch.
I was stunned for three seconds!
11 o'clock at night.
July 7, 1937.
Zhou Zhihan raised his head, looked at the huge building in front of him, and murmured to himself: "Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, the July 7th Incident has arrived."
Looking at the city in front of me, one month later, this city will be greeted by artillery fire and blood and flesh flying across the sky. The bustling city will be turned into ruins, countless people will be displaced, and how many homeless children will sleep in the open. On the streets, the heart-stirring Battle of Songhu is about to begin. The Battle of Sihang Warehouse, which embodies the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation, inspires all passionate Chinese men.
July 7, 1937.
Starting tonight, the ancient Chinese nation will once again resist foreigners with its heroic sons and daughters, creating a strong and unyielding national spirit.
At this moment, Zhou Zhihan once again felt the insignificance of human beings in the face of the torrent of history.
As a time traveler, he originally wanted to rush back to China before the July 7th Incident. Even if he could give a reminder to the Chinese defenders guarding Marco Polo Bridge, it would be able to reduce the bloodshed of many soldiers.
In order to rush back to China before the July 7th Incident, in mid-June 1937, Zhou Zhihan found his mentor, Major General Pat Plouffe, and applied to graduate early and return to China.
After some consideration, Major General Pat Plouff agreed to Zhou Zhihan's request, and went through all the procedures and graduation certificates for him, and even concealed his whereabouts for the first time.
Taking a flight from San Francisco, USA to Shanghai was an arduous journey. During this period, the flight route encountered strong winds and thunderstorms.
Due to heavy rain, we stayed at Wake Island for six days. When the weather improved, we flew to Midway Island. On Midway Island, we were once again hit by a heavy storm and bad weather, which affected our trip. When we landed in Guam a few days later, the plane was slippery due to rainy weather. It almost crashed during landing. The plane was seriously damaged and had to be delayed again in Guam for several days. In addition, the DC4 passenger plane flew slowly and had to be grounded in the slightest rain or fog. Along the way, the flight stopped for refueling and repairs. A flight from San Francisco, USA to Shanghai, China, that originally took only a few days, actually took half a month.
When he got off the plane at ten o'clock today, Zhou Zhihan knew that it was too late. The July 7th Incident had inevitably entered the track of history.
The progress of history is like this. She will crush under her rolling wheels those dusts that want to hinder the progress of history.
As a time traveler who can know the course of history, Zhou Zhihan felt that he could only choose to move forward silently in this human catastrophe. He knew that if he forcibly changed history, not only would it not help, but it would harm more people.
All he can do now is to do his best to change the fate of a small group of local people.
For example, the first thing he wants to change now is the fate of his family in Nanjing.
