War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1459

In the pouring rain, Wei Ran and Zach were pushed outside the house.

"It's done, we're done."

Zach said desperately, "Victor, are we going to be shot? I heard."

What did he hear? Zac hadn't finished speaking at all. One of the militiamen had already taken out two pieces of soap the size of cigarette boxes from the bamboo basket at his waist and stuffed them into Wei Ran's hand, and then pointed to the top of his head.

"Are you asking us to take a bath?!" Zack, who originally thought he was going to die, said in surprise.

“Hurry up yet”

Wei Ran handed one of the pieces of soap to the other party, quickly took off his smelly and dirty prison uniform, then untied the hemp rope that tied his hair, and started rubbing it with soap.

After coming back to his senses, Zach quickly took off his tattered prison uniform. Like Wei Ran, he sat naked on the steps in front of the door and began to take a wild bath.

"Victor, could that person just now be Cha."

"Shh-"

Wei Ran, whose hands were full of foam, made a silent gesture and shook his head slightly.

Because he was relatively close to the door, he did recognize just now that the man who picked them out with a flashlight was indeed Dr. Charlie who asked him to help treat the wounded when he was captured for the first time.

But looking around, in the other wooden houses, people were also selected in twos and threes to take an open-air bath. The flashlight that was getting further and further away continued to pick out people who had the opportunity to take a bath.

It was obvious that what Charlie was doing was a cover for him and Zach to "distribute benefits". He didn't want anyone to know that he knew Zach and Wei Ran, and at the same time, this was also his disguised protection for the two of them.

After Wei Ran's hint, Zach obviously understood this and simply focused all his attention on cleaning up his personal hygiene.

First he carefully washed his hair, which was almost shoulder-length, and then scrubbed the accumulated dirt all over his body. Seeing that no one was urging him to go back, he simply soaped the clothes he took off and started scrubbing on the steps.

About an hour passed. Not only had Wei Ran and Zac washed their clothes, but they had also hid under the eaves to avoid the wind and rain, but the soldiers had no intention of letting them go back.

"This is torture in disguise"

Zach shivered and said, it's raining so hard, it's okay to take a shower. If you continue to be wet like this, and the clothes on your body are still soaked, I'm afraid you'll catch a cold soon.

"Be patient"

Wei Ran said, already curling up his body, trying hard to maintain his body's core temperature.

After suffering for more than an hour, with the flashlight of the flashlight in the distance, the militiaman who was supporting and watching the two of them finally waved to the shivering two, took back the soap for them, and then They rushed into the damp thatched house and locked themselves in chains again.

"What does this count? Ah Zhi! What does this count for?"

Zach sneezed and complained tremblingly, "Are those bastards planning on letting us die from the cold?"

"At first we were envious of you for having the opportunity to take a shower."

Robert said with lingering fear. At the same time, he couldn't help but look at the heavy rain outside the window and the water that began to spread along the cracks in the floor. This night, they might have to sleep standing up.

"Did we get caught stealing turkey eggs?" Clint asked in a low voice.

"It's just a few eggs," Robert said calmly, but in his pretended nonchalant tone, there was more of an element of fear.

Compared with the two inmates who were constantly guessing, Wei Ran and Zach remained silent at this time. They each twisted the soaked but barely washed prison uniforms on their bodies, and at the same time secretly guessed about Charlie. arrangements to do so.

"Bang!"

At this moment, the wooden door was kicked open from the outside, and two militiamen walked in. They once again untied the iron chains on the ankles of Wei Ran and Zac, pushed them roughly and walked out.

"They're dead this time"

Because of his skin color, Robert, who almost blended into the night, whispered firmly, "They are definitely dead."

"Can we wait until they die?"

"Correct!"

Robert nodded excitedly, "No bastard dares to threaten us again!"

Not to mention how loud the calculations of the two prisoners of war were, Wei Ran and Zac were already being escorted by their arms in the torrential rain to a brick house built next to the fence on the edge of the playground.

The foundation here is about half a meter higher than the playground, so the room is naturally much drier than the thatched house.

But when he saw the furnishings in the room, Wei Ran couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

This room may not look big, but the decoration inside is very good, with green dado and white wall paint, and the wooden floor is extremely clean. There are also two sets of lounge chairs, a table, four chairs, and a There are four bright light bulbs hanging on the bamboo cabinet and even on the top of the head.

Before they could recover, one of the soldiers had already taken out two new sets of prison uniforms and two dry towels from the bamboo cabinet and threw them to them. Then he turned around and left the room with confidence.

"Victor, what should we do?" Zach asked with some anxiety, "Could this be the last supper?"

"Change your clothes first, maybe they are gifts from friends."

Wei Ran winked at the other party, quickly took off his soaked tattered prison uniform, wiped his body dry with a towel, and put on a new prison uniform.

"You mean, these are all Cha"

"shush"

Wei Ran made a silent gesture, threw the soaked old prison uniform on the dustpan by the door, and sat down on the couch.

When Zach also sat down, Wei Ran whispered into his ear, "There is no doubt that this should be the arrangement of our friends."

"I hope our friends can arrange some decent food for us," Zach said, licking his lips.

"It would be nice if I could tidy up my hair and beard," Wei Ran said, and at the same time he looked at his hands and feet. Not to mention his beard and hair, he would be so happy to have a nail clipper now.

After waiting for nearly half an hour, the wooden door was pushed open again, and immediately after, two people wearing rubber raincoats and carrying flashlights and bamboo baskets walked in!

When the two people extinguished their flashlights, closed the door and lifted their hoods, Zach's eyes were already wide-eyed. Among these two people was not only the Charlie he had seen during the day, but also Li Youfu!

"special"

"Shh-"

Li Youfu made a silent gesture towards Zach, then walked over quickly and lowered his voice and said, "Friends, please cooperate with our interview later."

Before Zach could react, Li Youfu had already opened the rainproof cloth covering the basket in his hand, took out the various foods inside and placed them on the table, while introducing himself in English, "Hello, I am a North Vietnamese reporter. Ruan Chengzhu, English name Troyer, this is my partner Charlie.

Gentlemen, I would like to conduct a fair and objective interview with you next, and I hope you can cooperate. "

While talking, Li Youfu winked at the two of them and took out all the food in the basket.

Although he was confused, Zach swallowed uncontrollably when he saw the food placed on the table by Li Youfu.

The food included not only two large bowls of steaming rice, but also two fried fish and a small pot of fish soup. There were even four large cans of beer, two packs of Marlboro cigarettes, and a few boiled eggs. , a handful of bananas.

But compared to the food that made him drool, what attracted his attention the most was actually the cameras hanging around Li Youfu's neck. They were a Nikon Big F, a Leica M3, and a Nikon North Diving cameras, and a Konica half frame camera!

"Can you introduce yourself?" Charlie asked while tearing open the cigarette package. "I heard from the person in charge of the prisoner of war camp that you two are not soldiers?"

After saying this, Zach and Wei Ran immediately heard the hint, and the former immediately replied, "Yes sir, I am a camera salesman."

"I'm a beer salesman," Wei Ran said while taking the cigarette from Charlie, "a salesperson of Cordon Bleu beer."

"Your civilian status is very special in this prisoner of war camp, which is why we plan to interview you."

As he spoke, Li Youfu opened the beer he brought and invited them to sit down at the table, "Why don't we chat while eating?"

Zach and Wei Ran, who were also full of doubts, naturally had no objections. Next, Li Youfu and Charlie were also very interesting about the seating arrangement.

Wei Ran and Zach were not sitting on the same side, nor even facing each other. Next to them were Charlie and Li Youfu, and even they were sitting diagonally.

This undoubtedly facilitated communication between the two parties, and under the deliberate guidance of Li Youfu and Charlie, Wei Ran and Zach quickly mastered the rules of chatting.

To put it simply, when Li Youfu and Zach, who was sitting next to him, were interviewing or being interviewed seriously, Charlie would put his ear to Wei Ran and ask something.

Vice versa, when Charlie was interviewing Wei Ran with a clear voice, Li Youfu and Zach were also talking in a low voice while holding beers.

Under the cover of this question and answer, Wei Ran also heard a lot of news from Charlie's mouth.

First of all, if Zach hadn't taken the risk of being beaten to greet Charlie today, these two people would have never known that they could not escape back to American territory.

According to Charlie, since they were separated last time, they had always thought that the two men had escaped back to the American camp, especially since they were still listening to the close call on the T-Team through the CBS channel in the name of Zach through the radio. Shameless reporting, and the sad news that war correspondent Zach was killed in action. Secondly, since the last separation, Li Youfu joined the Viet Cong and invited Charlie to partner with him to become a war correspondent.

They came to this prisoner of war camp this time to learn about the anti-war ideas exported by the United States.

Third, and what Wei Ran and Zach didn’t expect the most, was that although Li Youfu and the girl named Ruan Qingcha were apparently cousins, they actually developed into lovers. The two even I am already planning to get married after the war is over.

Similarly, Zach also described in a low voice the experience of being captured again after their last separation and being imprisoned in a prisoner of war camp.

Looking at Charlie who was sitting diagonally across from him, Li Youfu pondered for a moment and then said, "Zach, do you want to stay here and wait patiently for the war to end, or do you plan to escape back?"

"You want to say."

Zach took advantage of Charlie's "interview" with Wei Ran and asked in a low voice, "Can you help us escape?"

"I told Charlie a long time ago what you did."

Li Youfu said seriously, "Including the hidden negatives. Of course, I didn't tell him where the negatives were hidden."

"so."

"Zach, do you still insist on your previous idea?" Li Youfu asked seriously, "If you could go back, would you still be willing to release those negatives?"

"certainly"

Zach replied without thinking, "If I didn't still insist on that idea, I wouldn't have to hide my identity as a reporter, and I would have written a confession long ago. No matter which hypothesis, we can be here It was much more comfortable in a prisoner of war camp, at least not like it is now, and there was no chance of getting a haircut or shaving.”

"In this case, I am willing to believe you again."

After finishing speaking, Li Youfu looked at Charlie who was diagonally across from him, "We will find a way for you to escape and let you find a way to return to American territory alive. After you return to the United States alive, I will find a way to get you back to the United States alive." Send those negatives to you."

"Speaking of this"

Wei Ran, who was supposed to be asking Charlie's question, leaned forward and joined in the conversation between Li Youfu and Zach, "Have you captured the bullpen camp and the stick-man camp?"

“Sadly not”

Li Youfu shook his head, "We haven't captured either camp. The nearby jungle has lost all its leaves, and there are a lot of mines in it."

After a short pause, Li Youfu sighed and continued, "And we have some bad news."

"What bad news?" Zach asked with a frown.

"Platoon leader Wild Boar George is already the company commander, and the entire bullpen camp is under his responsibility."

Le Huu Phuc sighed, "And since he was promoted to company commander, the Cowshed Camp no longer uses South Vietnamese to assist in defense. They have been replaced by Han Bang people. The place is now run like an airtight iron barrel."

"Where's Angus?" Zach asked in a low voice, "Do you have any news about Angus?"

"no"

Li Youfu shook his head, "The Cowshed Camp can no longer be penetrated. I have no news from Angus."

"Are you full?"

Charlie asked abruptly, "Our interview is almost over. If you are full, please let us take a photo for you."

"About the interview just now"

"The two American citizens just want to go home immediately," Li Youfu said in a low voice. "They don't care about the direction of the war. They just want to go home as soon as possible. This is the main theme of this interview."

"I hope my girlfriend still remembers me and recognizes me," Zach said with a smile while pulling at his sideburns, "Or, I hope I still have a girlfriend."

"We will be stationed in this camp for a week and interview many people." Charlie said in a low voice.

"I just forgot to mention it"

Zach reminded as if he remembered something, "Victor and I's roommates are Robert, the communications soldier of the T team, and Clint, the helicopter pilot."

"Is it them?" Li Youfu asked in surprise.

"They wrote their confession a long time ago," Zach reminded with a wink.

"I understand"

A smile appeared on Li Youfu's face, "Charlie will interview them alone tomorrow. Okay, gentlemen, you should go back."

"last two minutes"

While Zach was talking, he picked up the last hard-boiled egg, peeled it quickly and ate it in his stomach in a few mouthfuls, and then lit another cigarette.

At the same time, Wei Ran, who had been eating to cover up the interview, also took the last bite of rice from the bowl into his mouth, then drank a large bowl of fish soup, and also lit a cigarette.

Ren Li Youfu held up the Leica camera that once belonged to Zach and took a photo of the two of them. Then, he asked Charlie to help take a photo of him, Zach and Wei Ran.

"Comrade, send them back."

Charlie opened the door and said to the soldiers guarding outside in Vietnamese, "I will take some photos of them tomorrow when the weather is good, so let them wear new prison uniforms first. If it is convenient, I will finally put them in and their roommates to free up for the next few days.”

"Yes!"

The soldier guarding the door saluted, then greeted his companions, and escorted Zach and his trousers, who had already rolled up their trousers, out of the brick house where the aroma of food still lingered.

Zack and Wei Ran returned to the thatched house in the rain, smelling of alcohol and wearing new clothes. Not surprisingly, they attracted repeated questions from Robert and Clint.

When they learned that they had been interviewed, and that the two of them would probably be interviewed in the future, the faces of these two scumbags from Team T were immediately filled with excitement.

The interview means that they will get new clothes and rich food. The price is just to answer some questions and confess their mistakes. This is already familiar to the two of them and it is not the first time at all.

Due to the anticipated interview, the floor and straw mats in this thatched house that were already soaked in water, as well as the chains that were bound together with the iron hoops around the ankles, seemed to be nothing.

That night, the four of them waited until midnight as if they were being tortured in a water prison. Each of them skillfully removed a piece of wood and stuck it on the wooden wall at the four corners of the room. They skillfully made four benches that could be lifted off the ground.

Sitting on the wooden board with his feet dangling in the air, Wei Ran followed the example of the other three, leaning against the corner and closing his eyes while smacking the remaining food residue in his mouth, generally thinking about the troubles and opportunities he might encounter tomorrow.

At the same time, Li Youfu and Charlie, who had finished interviewing the last group of prisoners of war, also returned to the dormitories assigned to them outside the wall.

"Troyer, do those negatives you mentioned really exist?"

In the dormitory, which was illuminated by lightning from time to time, Charlie asked in a low voice in English, "And Zach and Victor, will they really release those negatives?"

"Believe me"

Li Youfu said firmly, "As long as they can return to the United States and as long as those negatives can be delivered to them, they will definitely make them public. That will be more convincing than us publishing those photos."

"Are you sure it's not because of the friendship between you two?" Charlie asked vigilantly.

"Yes"

Li Youfu was particularly calm, "I want to let them go because they are my friends, and precisely because they are my friends, I trust them and understand them.

Charlie, there is a completely different difference between those photos being published through our media and newspapers and being published by Americans themselves. I hope you can help me. "

"if."

"I will bear all the responsibilities," Li Youfu said seriously, "Charlie, can you help me once?"

After pondering for a moment, Charlie sighed and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I need to think about it," Li Youfu said after pondering for a long time, "Let me think about it."

"I can't even tell whether you are a patriot or a traitor."

Charlie murmured to himself, "But I'm not the most difficult person, and we are already good friends, so I don't mind helping you."

"Thank you, my friend." Li Youfu murmured softly, and at the same time couldn't help but look at the four cameras hanging on the bedside shelf.

That night, the heavy rain did not stop, and that night, those friends tossed and turned and could not sleep.