War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1336 Thief on the Train

When the white light faded again, Wei Ran, who was still in a daze, returned to the rescue buoy of later generations.

But the metal quill didn't seem to want to give him time to rest. By the time he came to his senses, he had already written more than half of the text:

Act 5

Character identity: Retired bomber pilot Victor

Return mission: Lead the thieves to help Phil complete the message delivery mission, eat a peeled apple, and drink at least 500 ml of cider.

Gone?

This seemingly too simple task made him feel a little dazed. Then, in the white light, he saw the things that could be used this time - British P44 water bottle, paratrooper gravity knife, PPK pistol, that's all.

Fortunately, I was given two weapons anyway, and the task didn't sound too difficult.

As he waited patiently, the white light gradually faded, and the first thing he felt was the tremor coming from underneath him, and the continuous and regular clanging noise that penetrated his ears.

Without even looking at him, he knew that he was probably on the train, and probably in the sleeper car - he could feel that he was lying down, and that he was covered with something.

However, before he could fully see the situation around him, he felt that the thing on his pillow seemed to be trying to move on its own.

It only took him a second to think about the situation in front of him. There was already a PPK pistol in his hand, and before he could see the things around him clearly, he stretched it out from the blanket covering him and Depress the hammer with your thumb.

This time, not only did his "pillow" stop moving on its own, but he also panicked and apologized in German.

At this moment, Wei Ran also saw everything around him clearly. He was indeed in the sleeper car of the train. It seemed that he was the only passenger in the sleeper car that could accommodate four people, and there was another person squatting on the side of the bed, preparing to A little thief who steals things.

Looking at the sky outside the window, it looked like it was about to dawn or just dark. Considering the even snores coming from the car next door, he guessed that it should be about three or four o'clock before dawn, so Thinking about it, it's really a good time to steal luggage.

"what time is it now?"

Wei Ran switched to German and asked the young man who was kneeling on one knee at the head of the bed with his hands raised in the air and a look of horror on his face. At the same time, he secretly wondered what role this man would play in the subsequent history.

"Sir, I don't dare to steal anymore. Please, don't kill me."

The dirty and smelly blond young man begged with fear, but forgot to answer Wei Ran's question.

"stand up"

Wei Ran picked the gun, "Put your head through the ladder frame with your back turned, grab the railing of the upper bunk with both hands and close your eyes. Next, answer a few questions. If the answers satisfy me, I will let you go. If If your answer is detailed enough, I might even give you some rewards. Of course, if your answer makes me feel perfunctory, I don't mind throwing you out of the window."

"Sir, what do you want to ask?"

Before the young man, who looked to be sixteen or seventeen years old, had finished speaking, he had already stood beside the bunk bed opposite with his back to Wei Ran's request. He put his head through the ladder frame, closed his eyes, and used He grabbed the railing of the upper bunk with both hands.

After looking outside the carriage, Wei Ran put away his gun and closed the carriage door. He said casually, "Let's start with the simplest thing. What day is it today and what time is it?"

"September 9th"

The young man with his back to Wei Ran thought for a moment and added, "September 1945, 9, around 16:48 in the morning, definitely less than :."

Wei Ran subconsciously glanced at the other party's dirty wrist, and asked curiously, "You have a watch on you?"

"no"

The young man with his back to Weiran quickly replied, "This train will blow the whistle at five-fifty, and then stop at Rothenburg to pick up and disembark passengers at fifty-five. The whistle has not been blown yet."

"Rotenburg? The next stop is Rothenburg?"

While Wei Ran asked, he looked at his bedside. There was a military green 1941-style luggage bag issued by the US military. This square luggage bag also had a strip that could turn it into a shoulder bag. US military 1937 style inner waistband.

I don’t know whether to call the thief brave or stupid. At this time, the cover of the luggage bag has been opened, and the opening that was originally rolled up has also been opened. Even the Robert camera with a wide-angle lens contained inside was almost pulled out. .

"Yes sir, the next stop is Rothenburg. The train has started to slow down." Before the little thief could finish his words, the train also blew its whistle.

"Do you often steal things in this car?" Wei Ran asked while rummaging through the satchel used as a pillow.

"Yes"

The thief finally answered honestly, "We will get on the train when it stops at the previous station. It will take a long time for this train to add water and coal, which is enough for us to get on the train secretly at night." .”

"Then what?" Wei Ran asked as he took out everything from the bag.

"Then take the opportunity to pick a target and wait until the car is approaching Rothenburg."

The little thief paused, and when Wei Ran didn't speak, he added in a panic, "The train will turn around and enter the station soon. Its speed will become very slow. Just throw the stolen luggage through the window." Just get out, run to the back of the car and jump out.”

"How long have you been a pickpocket on this train?" Wei Ran continued to ask, "Won't you get hurt if you jump from the back of the train?"

"Since the end of the war"

The little thief replied helplessly, "Only when you are very unlucky, you will get hurt if you jump."

Turning his head to look at the tattered shoes on the other party's feet, Wei Ran put everything on the bed back into his bag.

Speaking of which, apart from the valuable Robert camera, the rest of the bag contained nothing more than two pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks, a box of razors, two spare magazines full of bullets, and a There was a stack of U.S. dollar and pound bills mixed together, a tin tube containing English black tea leaves, two packs of cigarettes and a lighter.

Compared with the dispensable items in his bag, he found some key clues in the wallet in his pocket.

In addition to some German marks, the wallet also contained a train ticket to get off at Rothenburg and a piece of paper with a detailed address in Rothenburg written in German.

"What's your name?" Wei Ran asked while putting away his wallet.

"Hans," replied the little thief immediately, "Hans von Basten."

"really."

When Wei Ran heard the name "Hans", he also showed a subtle expression on his face as if he had already guessed this name. But when he heard the full name of this little thief, he couldn't help but Some of them were shocked and dumbfounded.

The "Von" that represents nobility in Germany is now hidden in the name of a pickpocket. Or perhaps the former Junker nobles have been reduced to the point where their descendants have to be pickpockets to survive due to the failure of the war. Dilemma.

"Since the Weimar Constitution, how can there be any real nobility in Germany?"

Inexplicably, Wei Ran remembered what the arrogant pilot had said after he and Julian climbed into the buoy in the first scene, when they were talking about nobles, and the contempt in his tone at that time.

By the way, he also remembered that Julian's wife seemed to live in Rothenburg. So this letter delivery mission

At this time, the train also began to slow down, and the scenery outside the window also slowed down a lot.

"Hans, turn around."

As he spoke, Wei Ran took out a medium-denomination mark from his wallet and shook it at the other party, "When you get to the station, you can be my guide for a while. Although it may not be as fast as making money as a pickpocket, I should be considered A pretty generous employer.”

After speaking, he handed the mark in his hand to Hans who looked in disbelief.

"No problem sir! I'd be more than happy to be your guide!"

As he spoke, Hans had carefully folded the mark in half and put it into his trouser pocket. Then he seemed to feel unsafe, so he simply took off the shoes with exposed toes, took off half of the socks with also exposed toes, and removed the toes. Mark Zhang placed it on his feet, put on his tattered socks and then put on his shoes again.

"Go wash your hands first and then your face." Wei Ran kicked open the sliding door of the carriage with his toes as he spoke, "Of course, you can also escape."

"No, I definitely won't run away!" Hans ran out of the carriage before he finished speaking.

As for whether the little thief would run away, Wei Ran didn't care. He believed that since the little thief was spotted by the metal book, he would probably not run away.

After closing the sliding door again, he had time to look at his outfit. I don’t know if the metal book missing the Dade was lazy, but what I was wearing this time was not much different from last time. It was still a high-end brown flannel suit paired with a gray British trench coat. What he wears on his feet is still the pair of country boots made of cowhide.

He took out a cigarette from his satchel and lit one. He took out the two spare magazines and put them into his pocket. Then he held the cigarette in his mouth and slowly packed his only luggage again.

With a soft "chi" sound and subsequent shaking, the train stopped on the platform on time, and the sliding door of the sleeper car was also opened from the outside by the little thief named Hans.

"Sir, we have arrived in Rothenburg." Hans said cautiously.

"I thought you had escaped," Wei Ran said with a smile.

"If I had a real job, I wouldn't want to be a pickpocket."

Hans took a step back as he spoke, making way for Wei Ran, then turned around and led him out as he said, "Although I don't know how long you will need your guide, please don't worry, I won't be here for the next few days." Be a pickpocket and get you into trouble.”

"Hans, where are you from?"

Wei Ran walked out of the train, stood on the platform and relit a cigarette and asked, extending his cigarette case as a gesture.

"Thank you!"

Hans immediately took the cigarette case, skillfully took one out, held it in his mouth and lit it. He did not forget to reply while puffing, "I am from Bremen. Of course, I don't have a house or house in Bremen." family."

Just a refugee?

Wei Ran secretly gave this little thief a suitable label and continued to ask with a normal expression, "Are you familiar with Rothenburg?"

"Of course it's familiar!"

Hans replied without thinking, "I know every street here. In fact, I have been living here since British planes bombed Bremen when I was 14 years old."

"Why don't you go back to Bremen?" Wei Ran took the cigarette case handed back and put it into his pocket and asked.

"My family members all died in that bombing, and the house was reduced to rubble. My parents, brothers, sisters, and our dogs and cats were all killed. I was the only one who survived. ." Hans asked in a calm tone, spreading his hands, "What should I do when I go back?"

"Feel sorry"

Wei Ran puffed out a cloud of smoke as he spoke, and said as if to deliberately embarrass the other party, "Hans, take me to the nearest tailor shop, the kind where I can buy clothes and shoes."

"No problem, come with me!" Before Hans could finish his words, he was already walking towards the outside of the train station.

Under the leadership of this young man, Wei Ran stood in front of a tailor shop in less than a cigarette.

Although it was a bit early, Hans didn't care about it and knocked on the door of the store that wasn't open yet.

"Please come in, sir!" Hans greeted enthusiastically after waiting for the store door to be opened from the inside.

When he entered the room, the owner of the tailor shop also limped over. While buttoning his suit, he asked, "Sir, what do you want to buy?"

"Prepare him a suitable set of clothes, from underwear and socks to outer clothes, shoes, gloves and scarves and hats."

Wei Ran raised his finger and pointed at the astonished thief Hans, then took out two marks from his wallet and handed them to the tailor who looked to be about 40 years old, "Are these enough?"

"Of course it's enough! And you won't need this"

"How about using the remaining money to let him borrow your bathroom for a bath?"

As he spoke, Wei Ran sat on the sofa diagonally facing the counter, "If there is any left, please find a barber for him."

"no problem!"

The shopkeeper nodded immediately, then shouted upstairs and called down a little guy who looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old and was still wearing pajamas to give instructions, and the latter immediately ran out.

"Sir, I."

Hans, the thief, didn't finally come to his senses until the shop door was closed by the little guy from the outside. He looked at Wei Ran in panic, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Go and wash your hair first." Wei Ran waved his hand, "After cutting your hair, go take a shower and put on new clothes."

"Thank you, thank you!" Hans bowed to Wei Ran excitedly, and then got into the bathroom on the first floor under the guidance of the tailor.

After waiting for less than ten minutes, the little guy brought a suitcase from the barber's room, and Hans the Hairy Thief had just finished washing his hair.

“Prussian Hazelnut Head”

Wei Ran said without any doubt, "Give this young man a Prussian hazelnut haircut, but don't rush to apply hair wax. After cutting him, let him take a bath first. After washing, help him take care of it, and take care of his beard by the way." Shave him clean."

"Please feel free to leave it to us, sir." The barber and the tailor promised in unison.

While Wei Ran waited patiently, about an hour later, Hans, the smelly little thief from before, had changed into a decent suit, and his blond hair was neatly trimmed by the barber. It was so neat that at a glance, Wei Ran subconsciously reminded him of a certain annoying aristocratic brat from Hogwarts school.

Is this right?

Wei Ran, who had a new aristocratic younger brother, nodded with satisfaction, snapped his fingers towards Hans, and greeted him as he walked out while handing the piece of paper with the address in his wallet to him, "This address do you know?"

"Know!"

Hans, who was clean and tidy, nodded happily, "This hotel has existed for many years. Diagonally opposite the hotel is a brewery, and the cider brewed there is very delicious."

"Have you drunk it?" Wei Ran asked after taking the note returned by the other party.

"drink"

Hans explained while helping open the store door, "My mother went there to order cider almost every year when she was alive. Their cider is very sweet and the apple aroma is also very mellow."

Could it be that this boy is really a noble?

Wei Ran muttered secretly, and said as he walked out of the store, "Is it far from here?"

"Relatively far"

Hans raised his hand and pointed in the direction, "If we walk there, it will probably take almost an hour."

"Let's find a carriage or a car."

Wei Ran said, and he generously took out a small denomination of Mark and handed it to the other party.

"I'll be right back!" Hans took the money and disappeared quickly.

Less than ten minutes later, a sky-blue barrel truck that I didn't know where to get came rushing over. Far away, Hans, who was sitting in the car, was already waving to Wei Ran enthusiastically.

Didn't run away again?

Wei Ran was happy when he saw this. After the car stopped, he got into the car with his bag and let the driver, who looked to be in his thirties, drive the not-so-good-looking barrel truck skillfully. After making a U-turn, we drove to the southeast of this town.

Along the way, Wei Ran also noticed that although this small town was not big, the buildings were quite beautiful. From time to time, he could even see a few American soldiers strolling on the street with their arms around young women.

It took nearly 20 minutes to drive out of the city in this black taxi. When the car stopped, there was a two-story small house on the roadside, which probably did not have 10 rooms in total. hostel.

Before Wei Ran could get out of the car, a wooden window on the second floor of the small hotel was pushed open from the inside out. Immediately afterwards, the navigator Phil, who still had a toothbrush in his mouth, leaned out. At first, he shouted enthusiastically, "Hey! Mr. Captain! You're finally here!"

(End of this chapter)