War Photographer's Notebook

In the tropical jungle on the south side of Mansi Town, under the heavy rain like pouring rain, small streams also gathered in the depths of the jungle, and began to gather spontaneously along the terrain, or flow to the paddy fields outside the jungle with dead branches and leaves. Or they end up in lakes and swamps deep in the jungle, or simply follow caves or tiankengs into dark rivers where the sun is not visible, waiting for the next cycle.

In the depths of the fragmented jungle cut by the temporary river channel, Wei Ran, Zhou Guochang and the donkey also marched for more than an hour in the rain, and finally found a place that could barely accommodate the two of them plus the donkey. cave.

"It's right here"

After Wei Ran threw a stone into the depths of the cave and saw no wild animals running out, he put away his submachine gun and signaled Zhou Guochang, who was holding a flashlight, to lead the donkey in.

"I don't know what happened to Mr. Luke and Uncle Liang," Zhou Guochang murmured as he dragged the donkey by the reins and strenuously walked into the cave.

"Worry about yourself first"

While Wei Ran was speaking, he had already untied the two large pots from the donkey, and then found an ax from the basket with kitchen utensils, turned around and left the cave, chopped a big bag of bamboo on the side of the cave entrance, and carefully blocked it. the hole.

Standing outside the cave deliberately, asked Zhou Guochang who was hiding inside to turn on the flashlight. Seeing that there was not much light coming out, Wei Ran nodded in satisfaction, pulled out the bamboo and went into the cave, took off his raincoat and hung it on the bamboo pole, and then pulled out the Three bamboo poles made a simple tripod, and hung a kerosene lamp on it.

Under the dim light, the two could clearly see that the cave was not that big, it was only two meters high and four to five meters deep, and the width was only about one meter.

Such a small cave squeezed in two people and a donkey, and there was not much room left. If it weren't for the slightly larger space at the end of the cave, the donkey would have some difficulty turning around.

Although the cave was a little smaller, the dead branches and fallen leaves on the ground at the end of the cave, as well as the remains of animal bones everywhere, hinted that a beast once lived here.

He picked up a shoulder blade of an unknown animal and knocked it on the rock wall. The thick dust also hinted that something had happened to the beast.

Seeing Zhou Guochang, whose face was pale from the rain and who was sneezing, Wei Ran could only force himself to beat the dead branches and leaves at the end of the cave with a bamboo pole indiscriminately. Pick up everything that can be burned and put it in a big pot.

However, he was not in a hurry to light it. Instead, he put on his canvas raincoat again, took an ax and a flashlight, and drilled out of the cave again, bringing back a large bundle of firewood that was wet by the rain.

"Can you light it?" Zhou Guochang couldn't help but sneezed again before finishing his sentence.

"Take off your clothes, and use a bamboo pole to prop it up." Wei Ran used an ax to split a piece of wood as thick as a wrist and threw it aside.

Zhou Guochang was exceptionally obedient, he took off his clothes obediently, and stretched them all out on the rock wall with bamboo poles.

He had just finished his work here, and Wei Ran had already ignited the dead branches and fallen leaves in the cauldron. By the way, he also put some firewood on the campfire, and put the rest of the wet firewood on the side of the cauldron like a pancake. . …

After a while, the steaming flames dried the water on the surface of the firewood and successfully ignited it. Zhou Guochang, who was almost naked, also squatted next to the pot, sucking his nose and warming himself by the fire.

After clapping his hands, Wei Ran stood up and took off his British military jacket, matching shorts, leggings and boots, and put them all on the bamboo pole.

"are you hungry?"

While Zhou Guochang was asking, he had already handed over a bamboo pole, one end of which had been split open, and two strips of horse meat that hadn't been smoked were sandwiched between them.

"Thank you"

Wei Ran took the bamboo pole and put it on the side of the pot to heat it.In the north building between the two of them, he took out the canvas bag that originally belonged to Luke and opened it.

"You take this." Wei Ran took out Luke's fighting dagger from his bag and handed it to Zhou Guochang who was watching eagerly.

The latter took the dagger in a hurry, looked at Wei Ran hesitantly, then looked at the backpack in his hand, and finally shut up obediently.

On the other hand, Wei Ran, who was waiting deliberately, took out the things in the canvas bag one by one after the other party did not stop him.

The contents were nothing special, except for the four boxes of 9mm pistol bullets he used and two full spare magazines, there was also a box of razors and a brass box. soap.

In addition, this bag also contained the Minghai brand rangefinder camera produced by the devil, which Wei Ran had long since taken a fancy to, and another kidney-shaped lunch box used by devil soldiers.

Opening the lunch box under Zhou Guochang's watchful eyes, Wei Ran raised his eyebrows involuntarily. In the tray of the lunch box, not only were there a stack of burmese coins and a tube of silver dollars, but also a few small gold bars that were only about the length of a finger. Two silver pocket watches.

Did Tan Shouzheng and Squad Leader Liang discover these things?Wei Ran shook his head secretly, those two people must have found out, but they obviously didn't take these yellow and white things seriously.

Lifting off this layer of trays, there are at least a dozen film rolls in the remaining space of the lunch box, and the gaps between these film rolls are filled with moisture-proof and shock-absorbing rice like those medicines.

These bakelite film rolls were taken out one by one and counted. There were 16 film rolls in total, four of which were pasted with medical tape, and written in Japanese on which Wei Ran could not understand.

Of the remaining 12 film cartridges, the words "rangoo/mar" and "manday/apr" were carved on the covers of three of them with a knife.

"These were taken by Mr. Luke in Oxygen, Tonggu and Mandalay." Zhou Guochang, who had been watching from the side, explained, "The remaining film rolls with wrapping paper are unused. "

"Can you tell me about that devil reporter?"

While Wei Ran asked, he poured the rice from the lunch box into the lid of the lunch box, and then carefully placed the used film rolls in.

"What do you want to know?" Zhou Guochang asked back.

"Anything." Wei Ran smiled, "For example, why did you kidnap that reporter."

"Are you doubting Mr. Luke?" Zhou Guochang asked calmly.

"no"

While Wei Ran was speaking, he put those unopened film rolls into the lunch box, and poured the rice that had just been poured into it again, "It's raining outside now, should we have something to talk about? If you don't want to talk That ghost reporter, how about just talking about the girl you like?"...

"I don't have. I don't have any favorite girl."

Zhou Guochang's pale face turned red instantly due to the low temperature, and he scratched his head and took the initiative to bring the topic back to the devil reporter, "Before the fall of oxygen and light, Mr. Luke and that devil reporter were neighbors. friend."

"Friend?" Wei Ran repeated the key words pretending to be surprised.

"He often invites that ghost reporter to drink, and even takes him for a stroll... to brothels."

Zhou Guochang pulled the back of his head and said, "Listen to my sister, that devil reporter even invited Mr. Luke to a reception."

"Since we are friends, why?"

"When Sunshine fell, my father took me, my two sisters and my brother, and fled with Mr. Luke, his wife and children.

But before we got out of the city, the crowd dispersed us. I saw with my own eyes that my father was beaten to death by those Burmese traitors, along with Mr. Luke’s Burmese wife and children.My older sister and younger brother also got separated from us that time. "

Zhou Guochang picked up a piece of roasted horse meat and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing vigorously while explaining, "I decided to stay and find my sister and brother first, and Mr. Luke also stayed. Secretly collected my father and Mr. Luke's wife and children."

"so."

"Um"

Zhou Guochang nodded, "Mr. Luke said that before we find my sister and brother, we can hide at the house of his devil reporter friend, but when we arrived, the devil reporter immediately pulled out a pistol and wanted to kill us. "

"And then?" Wei Ran also took out a piece of grilled hot horse meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Mr. Luke pretended to surrender and said that my two sisters would give it to him in exchange for our two lives. That devil reporter immediately believed it."

Zhou Guochang picked up the fighting dagger that Wei Ran handed him just now and said, "Then Mr. Luke used this dagger to slash the devil's dog's paw to control him, and the two of us lived in that devil smoothly. The devil's house."

Speaking of this, Zhou Guochang sighed helplessly, "Unfortunately, I just went out for less than a meal, and wanted to go to a friend's house of my father to find out if my sister was there, but when I came back, Lu Ke has already accidentally killed that devil reporter.

We had already discussed that we would use the devil's identity to take out the oxygen light.Now without that ghost reporter, we had no choice but to set fire to his house, take a few random things and change places for several days before we found a chance to escape. "

"So you got these things from that ghost reporter's house?" Wei Ran asked, pointing to the lunch box filled with film and yellow and white things.

"Camera and film are"

Zhou Guochang picked up the water bottle and took a sip of water, "Those gold bars and silver dollars, as well as those quinines, were all taken from his home. There is only one road between his home and that devil's home."

"Where are those quinine and devil's lunch boxes?" Wei Ran asked quite inquisitively.

"The lunch box was also found from that reporter's home, as were the lunch boxes used to hold the medicine."

A trace of impatience appeared on Zhou Guochang's expression, obviously realizing that Wei Ran still had doubts about the businessman Luke. …

"Don't get me wrong." Wei Ran waved his hand, "I was just thinking about one thing, not doubting Mr. Luke."

"What is it?" Zhou Guochang raised his head subconsciously.

"These Films"

Wei Ran patted the repacked lunch box, "Just killed a reporter, and those quinines were not taken from that reporter's house, and you even burned that devil's reporter's house. Do you think that in this case , Is it necessary for those devils to chase all the way here from the oxygen light?"

"Those devils actually started chasing after we fled to Mandalay"

Zhou Guochang immediately realized something was wrong when he was halfway through speaking, and said with widened eyes in surprise, "Brother Wei, what do you mean, are there any important things in those film rolls marked in Japanese?"

"I don't know that"

Wei Ran spread his hands, but changed the subject and said, "Otherwise, why would those devils chase after you? Guochang, what do you think will be in the photos that devils can't let go of?"

"Information?" Zhou Guochang guessed with almost certainty.

"Maybe so"

Wei Ran, who had been watching the camera just now, didn't finish his sentence, but pushed the heavy devil's lunch box to the other party without warning, "You take these things, the camera is mine, and I will find it when I need a blank film." what you want."

"Give it to me?" Zhou Guochang obviously didn't expect Wei Ran to give him such a "precious" thing.

"You snatched it, of course you took it." Wei Ran finished speaking as a matter of course, picked up the second piece of horse meat, and stuffed it into his mouth with a smile, enjoying Zhou Guochang's trusting eyes.

As for whether there are secrets in those films, he doesn't care at all.Nowadays, many speculations have become window paper that can be broken at a glance.

There is no doubt that the businessman Luke is definitely an espionage officer for the old British job, and his target is obviously the devil reporter.

And before he escaped from Oxygen Light, he killed the reporter while Zhou Guochang was away, obviously he had already asked him for some great information, and he still didn't want Zhou Guochang to know the information!
“These old British”

Wei Ran cursed secretly, as long as Luke can use the expeditionary force to pass on that crucial piece of information along the way, it won't be too late.
Thinking of this, Wei Ran was taken aback for a moment, and then looked at Zhou Guochang without any trace.It wasn't until this moment that he figured out why that Luke insisted on finding the British Army to report that important piece of information himself.