War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1375 Coins and Syringes

In the violent snowstorm, three crawler transport vehicles lined up in a long line, piercing the darkness with the dazzling searchlights around them, slowly approaching their destination like comets with long tails.

Although this was the 11th hour since they landed on the Antarctic continent, less than three hours had passed since their last rest. At this time, they were still far away from the location where Major Fabian Schubert died. A distance of about 170 kilometers.

"Victor, so according to you, the Germans landed in Antarctica just for whale blubber? How is that possible?"

On the public radio channel, Tassie asked in an unbelievable tone, "They came from far away Europe to this damn place just for fat?"

"certainly"

In the leading car, Wei Ran, who was targeted by a high-definition camera, held his microphone and said, "Even the Germans started World War II, in part, just to ease their increasingly tight domestic material supply."

"I thought the Austrian started World War II just to vent his dissatisfaction about failing the exam."

Tassie, who was also facing the camera, said in a joking tone, “But this is too uneconomical, traveling such a long distance just for whale oil?

No, I still don't believe it.

Victor, although you are a historian, I still insist that those Germans must have hidden some dark secrets in Antarctica. "

"Whale meat?" Taxi replied subconsciously.

"Where did the male penguins go?" Marta asked curiously. As she spoke, she simply stopped the car and personally controlled the searchlight to shine on the winding "Penguin Highway" in front of her on the right.

"Change the subject? No, no, no."

Taxi said helplessly and disappointedly, "So there isn't even a secret base? Then why are we here?"

"Didn't you just prove that the secret base does not exist?" Taxi said helplessly.

Wei Ran said in a more serious tone, "But the kidnapping that happened before is real, and the threats we encountered in the hotel are also real, especially the word 'base' marked on the incomplete map. These are enough for us to go Find the body and find out what secrets he has."

"Although I am not a general and I am not a historian, I am also not a fool. If a thousand people could control the Drake Passage and occupy Argentina, I would probably have to stretch my right hand and communicate in German when I meet you now."

"That's the only reason for the past." Taxi insisted on his guess straightforwardly.

"Gentlemen, can we talk about history later?"

This time the person who explained it became Tassie, "These are female penguins. Female penguins who have just finished laying eggs are rushing to the coastline to eat to replenish their body's consumption."

If those penguins had that kind of flying machine, do you think they could take over Argentina? "

Marta, who was in charge of driving, joined the conversation again and slowed down the car slightly and said, "What's going on with those penguins? Why are they walking in the direction we came from?"

"What about the Antarctic base?"

In other words, if they still have the energy to allocate part of their power to build a base here and then occupy Argentina, they might as well use this power to find a way to block the English Channel and land in the UK. "

"A group of gentlemen in tuxedos," Ta said in a suit, "Victor, do you want to change the subject?"

"I'm not a general, how do I know?" Taxi replied subconsciously.

After finishing speaking, Wei Ran continued without waiting for Taxi to speak, "Or we can assume that there is such a Nazi army that is ready to occupy Argentina or control the Drake Strait. Taxi, how many soldiers do you think are needed? use?"

Marta, who was driving the car, reminded with a smile after Weiran put the microphone of the radio to her mouth, "Even if the 1000 supermen under your command can live on eating only whale meat, then I guess they won't have time. Go control the Drake Passage, they have to be busy hunting whales every day, otherwise they will starve to death."

After a brief silence, Tassie asked again, "An Antarctic base should always exist, right? Although you just said that the Germans came to Antarctica just for whale blubber, Antarctica is so close to Argentina, and they have every reason to build a naval base in Antarctica. .

Following Wei Ran's guidance, the girls in charge of filming in the second car and the last Soviet transport truck also focused their cameras on the right side of the convoy.

"Mr. Tassie, I need to remind you from a doctor's perspective that if you only have whale meat, without vegetables and necessary carbohydrate intake, people will not live long."

"Argentina? Ha!"

"Of course it's to reveal the historical truth." The person who answered this question became Weiran again, "Maybe we can really discover some secret base?"

"The Penguins might want to occupy Argentina, but Germany probably has little interest in Argentina."

"Taxi, look to the right of our car. What do you see?"

"If penguins can occupy the United States by flying saucers, do you think the Germans will be willing to continue hiding here?"

"Those just mentioned are just speculations based on hypothetical conditions."

"Like Nascent Bells and Flying Saucers?" Wei Ran asked with a smile.

Wei Ran's follow-up question immediately made Taxi whine and didn't know how to continue this topic.

"Do you think a thousand people are enough?" Wei Ran asked with a smile.

Wei Ran paused for a moment, took the box of tropical fruits that Lu Xinda handed to his mouth, slowly put a piece of mango into his mouth, and then continued, "Then Mr. Taxi, may I ask these thousand people who have What can a superman eat who has the ability to control the Drake Passage and occupy Argentina?”

Wei Ran said over the radio, "Taxi, what do you think if those gentlemen had a flying saucer? I'm talking about the kind of UFO in our conventional understanding that cannot be tracked, captured, or even photographed clearly.

"Let's just assume that one thousand people is enough."

"I am a historian," Wei Ran replied matter-of-factly, as if this sentence was enough to explain his attitude.

Wei Ran smiled and replied, "They are not recruiters who have taken too many drugs, and they will not open up another battlefield like the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.

"To be precise, it should be 'them'"

Tassie laughed and said, "If they have flying saucers, not to mention Argentina, I'm afraid even the United States will be theirs."

"Are you doing it for the one million euro commission?" Taxi asked helplessly but bluntly.

"Okay, okay Dr. Marta, thank you for your advice."

At the same time, including Lu Xinda, there was someone in each car controlling the searchlight on the right side of the car to extend the beam of light that could penetrate the wind and snow into the distance. Soon, whether through the lens or direct vision, everyone could see I saw emperor penguins rushing one by one in the wind and snow.

As long as Argentina is captured, we can control the Drake Strait, and we can also go all the way north to occupy the entire South America and North America.”

"They are busy hatching eggs in their breeding grounds."

Tassie stopped the car he was driving and continued to explain, "They have to wait until the full female penguins return to take over their work before they have time to eat. This period usually takes several months."

"So now comes our first trouble"

Marta turned to look at Wei Ran, who was eating fruit in the passenger seat, "So what should we do? Disrupt their queue and rush over, take a detour, or just wait here?"

"It's no big deal. Of course we'll have to wait. We're not in a hurry anyway."

Wei Ran said without thinking, then took the microphone that the other party returned and pressed the transmit button and said, "Although we have just set off not long ago, we should take a rest now and wait for those gentlemen in tuxedos to pass by before continuing. Set off."

Before he finished speaking, the DT10 transport truck driven by April also stood on the windward side amid the rumbling noise of the engine, helping these two little guys block the manic wind and snow.

"Want to play Landlords?"

Wei Ran turned around while he was speaking, took out a box of playing cards from his pocket and shook it.

While Weiran was enjoying the "Beautiful Landlords", Taxi in another car also acted as a volunteer commentator, proudly showing off his "penguin knowledge" in front of the camera.

At the same time, April also left the cab, used a snow shovel to break up the thick snow layer, then used an electric drill to drill a hole in the ice layer, and then poked a hollow metal tube for sampling into it. He intercepted some ice samples and put them into a stainless steel thermos flask he brought, and then put them into the tool box of the transport vehicle.

Hasn't this old guy given up yet? Or has it become an excuse for him to live?

Wei Ran glanced at the old guy who was busy outside alone, and absentmindedly threw out a pair of king bombs.

Also busy were the seniors from the film crew and the two "students-in-law" who came with them. In addition to filming the harsh environment of Antarctica, they also had to edit some clips and post them online.

However, unlike the casual chats between Weiran and Taxi along the way, these clips are all full of suspense and conspiracy, as if they are really about to discover the secret base of Najib hidden in Antarctica.

After staying for more than an hour, the penguin team 100 meters away finally completely disappeared within the scope of the searchlight. The three vehicles also set off again, continuing to face the strong wind and the snowflakes flying in the wind, slowly heading towards the destination. Moving forward.

Although it is said to be slow, this steel machine is ultimately much faster and more comfortable than a dog sled if it has sufficient fuel.

Even so, the three vehicles were under the deliberate control of Wei Ran and others, and it took nearly four days to finally complete this mere two hundred kilometers straight-line distance.

In the past four days, the film crew of the on-board operation shot a large amount of video material, and uploaded a large number of video clips full of conspiracy through Time Studio's social account.

Driven by Hela, a considerable number of people under those video clips began to believe that the well-known historian really discovered some great secrets in Antarctica.

Just when they were using public opinion to make the conspiracy almost come true, Wei Ran and others finally found the historic ice crevice. “This is it”

Covered by the blind-angle lens, Taxi pointed at the ice crevice that had just been cleared and said excitedly, "The body is down here."

“Then it’s time to reveal the truth.”

Wei Ran let the boyfriend of one of the senior students help him fasten the rappel safety belt while inviting him, "Taxi, do you want to go down together?"

"Of course! Of course I want to go down!"

As Tassie said, he had already taken the action camera handed over by a member of the film crew and fixed it on his wrist and forehead.

"I'll go down with you too"

Marta said and patted the medical bag on her back, "I am your personal doctor. I want to make sure you don't get hurt."

"Then let's go down together. There may be autopsy work later. I hope you can be promoted."

"Of course it's no problem," Marta said confidently, and at the same time she put on the seat belt skillfully.

Almost as soon as they were ready, Apolly had already brought another "school brother-in-law" to set up lighting equipment around the ice crevice, and inserted several sets of lights into the deep and narrow ice crevice.

"I'll go down with you"

April, whose whole body was wrapped so tightly that his appearance could not be seen at all, said, "Boss April asked me to be responsible for your safety. I don't want to lose my job."

"Is there anyone else who wants to go down with us?" Wei Ran waved his hand, "Anyone who wants to go down with us can come with us. There are only so many of us anyway."

"The two of us have to go down and shoot the whole process. This is the most important and critical time." said one of the two apprentice brothers-in-law.

"No problem." Wei Ran still agreed to the other party's request without hesitation.

Soon, everyone was ready. The two school brothers-in-law who were holding cameras were the first to rappel along the rope. One of the two was responsible for pointing the camera at the feet, while the other was holding a camera to take pictures of the ice. seam environment.

After the two of them hit the bottom, Wei Ran and others also climbed on the ropes and began to rappel. However, Wei Ran acted extremely amateurish and nervous during the rappel. From time to time, he would also be under the attention of the camera. It made a strange cry.

No matter how "difficult" the process was, when his feet stepped on the snow at the bottom of the ice crevice, Tassie, who came down first, had already found the snowdrift where the body was buried, as well as a bright yellow stripe used to mark the snowdrift. ribbon.

“Then it’s time to reveal the answer.”

Wei Ran squatted sideways with difficulty next to the buried body, and while talking to the camera, he took out the band ring and sword he brought with him as well as the incomplete map sealed in plastic from his backpack.

"Let's review the known clues again."

Wei Ran said, picking up the ring in the acrylic box and stretching it in front of the camera, "This is a team ring issued in 1933. It is notorious and the rarest among the rings that collectors are flocking to. of the first batch.

If it were authentic, the ring alone would fetch an unimaginable price. But unfortunately, I did not find any information about the owner of this ring, Mr. Fabian Schubert. "

As he spoke, he threw the ring back into his bag and picked up the navy sword. "As for this sword, I still insist that it is a fiction. Because it does nothing but work." You have to pick, other aspects, whether it is the materials used or the carved inscriptions, are inconsistent with historical records.

But my client told me with certainty that the sword was found from the body under the snowdrift.

Do you know how I feel? It felt as absurd as if I accidentally got Napoleon's iPhone. "

Amidst the chuckles of the people around him, Wei Ran picked up the incomplete map again, and after the camera came closer, he pointed at the word "base" that he had personally forged on it and said, "Frankly speaking, the reason why I came here is Here, besides the high commission, this word is the main reason."

"Victor, should we start?" Taxi urged after getting Wei Ran's hint.

"Indeed, we really should get started."

Wei Ran said, and put the things he was holding back into his backpack, then took off the snow shovel, and dug out the body buried under the snow with Taxi.

However, when he saw the corpse, his heart skipped a beat.

The clothes this corpse was wearing were indeed those of Major Fabian Schubert, but he was definitely not Major Schubert!

Someone came in advance to replace the body! Who could it be?

Almost subconsciously, Wei Ran thought of the "nabrittle residue" mentioned in the metal book.

Could it be Mr. Charlotte? No, it's unlikely, it's impossible, there's no need for him to do this, so the remnants of Nabriel really still exist in this world?

Wei Ran frowned involuntarily.

"Are you frightened by this corpse?" Marta, who came down with him, asked with a normal expression.

"of course not"

Wei Ran cleared his throat and covered the face of the corpse with the corpse's cotton cap, but said, "The deceased has passed away, let us maintain the minimum respect, Marta, give me a hemostatic forceps. "

Taking the hemostatic forceps handed over by Marta and pinching the collar of the corpse, Wei Ran continued with a normal expression, "This gentleman is wearing an early KWI/33 one-piece flight suit, and it looks like the knee and elbow joints are Reinforced leather, this should be specially made for coming here.”

"Victor, are we really going to strip him naked in here?"

Tassie waved the metal detector in his hand and asked, "Can't you send him up?"

"There's wind outside and it will blow away the key clues."

Wei Ran carefully opened the zipper of the one-piece flight suit and said, "So where should I send it? In your car? So let's do it here."

Hearing this, Taxi said no more and watched patiently as Wei Ran explained the equipment on the corpse under the camera.

But soon, he stopped, frowned, and took out a slightly rusty coin from the inner pocket of the corpse.

Thanks to the bright enough lighting system and the high-definition camera that almost hit Weihan’s face, both Weihan and the screen behind the camera could clearly see that it was an Argentine peso, made in 1968. Argentinian coins.

"Year 1968?"

Wei Ran glanced at the tiger's mouth tattoo on his left hand that had just felt strange. Then he seemed to have lost all interest. Even the hemostatic forceps in his hand were thrown directly onto the body bag spread beside the body. , "I just said that the sword was fake. No wonder the ring couldn't find any information about the owner.

Friends, we have wasted enough time here, now it is time for us to go home.

This coin produced in 1968 has already given all the answers. If nothing else, this unlucky man probably believed the rumors about the Antarctic treasures like Tassie, and was eventually killed here by the rumors. "

"Victor, in case that coin is."

"He really can't be from World War II"

Marta, the nominal team doctor accompanying Weiran on this trip, stole the topic, pointed to the hip bone on the other side of the body and said, "Look, there is a plastic disposable syringe stuck there, and the needle is still in the skin. The syringe was tied to the leg with gauze and was frozen together. I assumed the syringe must have been filled with pain killers."

"What do you want to say?"

Wei Ran asked curiously, picking up the hemostatic forceps again, pulling open the jumpsuit to show Marta the plastic syringe she found.

"In 1956, New Zealand's Dr. Clint Murdoch invented the disposable plastic syringe."

Marta spread her hands, "This is common sense for doctors. I can almost guess that he inserted the syringe after he fell here, before his hand was numb from the cold. of.

This is also using body temperature to prevent the liquid from freezing, which is generally a smart and sophisticated approach. But it was a pity that he could not wait for crucial rescue after the medicine was exhausted. "

"But why is he wearing the clothes from World War II?" Tasi asked.

"Such idiots still exist, and there are many of them." Marta said with deep feeling.

"Okay, let's not discuss this topic. I don't want to be hijacked by those bastards again. Tassie, come here and help me put him in a body bag."

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already picked up the corpse's feet and lifted it onto the body bag with Taxi's help.

"You guys go up first"

Wei Ran said, "Taxi and I will see if there are any interesting discoveries missing here."

Hearing this, the two school brothers-in-law did not doubt that he was there, and sent a signal through the walkie-talkie, allowing their respective girlfriends to control the winch to first pull one of them and Marta up, and then pull the body and the other one up. A fellow student brother-in-law was dragged up.

While waiting to return to the surface, Taxi was busy using the metal detector he brought to look for any missing items.

A little further away, at the intersection of light and dark, Apolly also used an electric drill and the drilling bit mounted on it to remove an icicle the size of a toothpick tube from the ice wall, and carefully put it into another bag he brought down. In a thermos cup.

Sighing secretly, Wei Ran pretended not to see anything, and after letting his companions pull him up with a rope, he got into the bathroom in the living cabin of the borrowed transport vehicle.

After closing the door and checking, Wei Ran took out the metal book, and then discovered that on the page where Hanno and others had been written, there was an additional sentence after Major Fabian Schubert saying that he was buried in Church Cemetery in Puerto Blanca, Argentina.

But compared to this extra information, what really made him more vigilant was that the time of Major Schubert's burial was actually the day they left Ushuaia for the Antarctic!

(End of this chapter)