War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 13: In the Name of a Reporter

"What did you say?!" Even through the mobile phone, Wei Ran could hear the screeching sound of brakes in Professor Alexey's slightly trembling voice.

"Didn't I ask you to help me find an excuse?!" Professor Alexey asked angrily.

"I've looked for it, but my wife doesn't believe it. Anyway, come back quickly, or I'm worried that your knees won't be able to bear it." Wei Ran said gloatingly.

"Shut up!" Professor Alexey cursed in a panic, and hung up the phone.

Satisfied, Wei Ran put away his mobile phone and walked up the steps to the top of Mamayev Hill.As for Professor Alexey, there was no need to worry at all. When he came back and knelt on the washboard, he probably wouldn't have the energy to make trouble for himself.

Walking up the steps, Wei Ran, who has been here countless times, was deeply touched this time.Perhaps even the Soviet Union's own historical records are not clear. In the Battle of Stalingrad, in order to regain this small highland with an altitude of only a hundred meters, how many Soviet soldiers and civilians like Lieutenant Lev chose without hesitation? sacrificed.

However, the city has grown from more than 80 residents before the war to less than [-] after the war, and it may be able to give a tragic enough answer.

Standing at the entrance of the Memorial Hall of the Fallen Soldiers for a long time, he finally gave up the futile act of looking for the names of Lieutenant Lev and others from the names of the more than [-] fallen soldiers.

Strolling to the vicinity of the statue of the Motherland, Wei Ran put the sunflower he had been clutching in his hand on the green lawn, looked up at the sword in the statue's hand and muttered to himself, "I will climb the Mamayev Post for you Although more than half a century late."

Fulfilling the last wish of Lieutenant Lev during his lifetime, when Wei Ran returned to the studio, a flatbed trailer and a Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle had already parked outside the shutter door.

"You're finally back"

When the visitor saw Wei Ran, he immediately opened the car door and stretched out his hand towards him, "We have met before, I am Mr. Alexander's assistant Federer, I received a message from Professor Alexei this morning, and he told me that The history of Taiwan T-34 has been investigated clearly?"

"It's been cleared up"

Wei Ran nodded, declined the other party's cigarettes, and said while opening the rolling door, "We also found some key clues, according to the previous agreement."

"We will buy it at a price that satisfies Professor Alexei." Federer happily said the answer that Wei Ran wanted to hear most.

"Hold on"

Wei Ran took out the photos developed last night from the darkroom, placed them on the workbench one by one, then took out a pair of brand new white gloves from the drawer and handed them to the other party.

This small detail immediately made the other party pay attention to it, and put on the gloves obediently, and then picked up the photo.

"Where did you find this?" Federer asked in surprise as he picked up the photo.

"Polevoi"

"That legendary reporter from the Soviet era?" Wei Ran just mentioned a name, and Federer automatically completed the checkmark, "Is this the photo he took?"

Wei Ran nodded, "To be precise, this is the photo we developed with his negative film."

"What about the negatives?" Federer asked after him.

Wei Ran didn't answer this topic at all, picked up one of the photos and said, "According to our investigation, these people in the photo drove this tank to blow up a German artillery position during the Battle of Stalingrad. , which provided important assistance for the Soviet Union’s temporary recapture of Mamayev Kurgan on September 1942, 9.”

"Have you found out the identities of these Soviet soldiers?"

"I found it. The leader is Lieutenant Lev of the 644th Independent Tank Battalion. They were all awarded medals after the war."

As Wei Ran spoke, he pulled out a piece of white paper filled with the names of Lieutenant Lev and others and the corresponding medal certificate numbers from his pocket and pushed it over, "As long as these medal certificate numbers are used, it is easy to find them. combat experience."

Speaking of this, Wei Ran stopped without warning, just looked at Federer with a smile.

The latter asked again with great enthusiasm, "I bought all these photos, how much is it?"

Wei Ran gently pushed the photos on the table to Federer, "A total of eight photos are sold in packages. Each photo is 10, 10 rubles."

Facing the high price offered by Wei Ran, Federer smiled disapprovingly, "15 each, but how about selling me the negatives together?"

"The negatives are not in our hands. It is the limit if the other party is willing to let us develop these photos, and we cannot disclose the other party's identity information to you." Wei Ran first blocked all escape routes, and then tapped again Glass tabletop, "so 15 rubles each, sold in packs, without negatives."

"Not 10."

“The price just went up”

Wei Ran shamelessly interrupted what the other party was saying, "According to the previously signed agreement, we are only responsible for finding out the history of this T-34, and the medal numbers of these people on the photo are enough to form a complete chain of evidence. "

"So?" Federer looked at Wei Ran in confusion.

"So these works by Mr. Polevoy are sold separately. Professor Alexei will be back in less than two hours. Believe me, if he is here."

"15 each, I bought all eight photos, as you said, negatives are not included, but is there an electronic version?" Federer said nervously, he didn't mind paying extra for each photo, But he definitely didn't want to meet Professor Alexei who fell into the money printing machine.

"Yes, of course there is an electronic version. At the same time, don't forget that you also need to pay an additional investigation fee of 50 rubles. As I said before, it is a cash transaction."

Wei Ran reminded with a formulaic smile that without the photos he took back, the 50 rubles investigation fee and the 50 activity funds prepaid by the other party would be all their income.

"certainly"

Federer beckoned behind him, and the girl in formal attire with big breasts and fat buttocks immediately put the suitcase she had been carrying on the workbench and opened it, and Wei Ran and Wei Ran each operated a cash counter to complete the delivery of 170 million rubles in cash. Then put those eight 10-inch large photos into the file bag.

Finally, he copied the scanned film into an electronic version on a USB flash drive and handed it to Federer. The latter immediately greeted his subordinates waiting outside the door, and pulled away the tank that had been parked in the studio for more than half a month and disappeared.

Randomly picked up a stack of rubles with an ink scent and sniffed at the tip of the pen, Wei Ran showed an intoxicated expression on his face. According to what Professor Alexey said last night, the money is all his own.

Having had enough of his money addiction, Wei Ran sent 150 million rubles to the safe in his room, stuffed the remaining 200,000 rubles into his backpack and was ready to go out.

According to the analysis of the situation before going to bed last night, although I can't bring some guns and other things there, at least I can find a place to learn how to use some World War II military equipment, at least it will not appear on the Stalingrad battlefield last time. The dilemma of not using the German radio station.

And apart from military equipment, there are also many other things that need to be learned, such as the most important German, such as life-saving medical self-rescue ability, and even his own physical fitness needs to be improved.

But among all these requirements, the most basic shooting ability needs to be strengthened first.In the past few years, although Professor Alexei took himself to hunt every now and then, hunting and fighting were completely different things.

But where to learn these things is a problem. First of all, ordinary shooting ranges definitely don't need to be considered. The help that place can provide is limited, and it can even be said that it is a waste of time.But apart from the few shooting ranges he often went to with the professor, he really didn't know where else to go.Just as he was worrying, a BMW sedan covered in dust had already parked in the open space outside the studio.

(End of this chapter)