Chapter 27

27

Wen Yan remembered that at the cultural salon that night, Zheng Sheng had shared Zhang Yuanji’s attitude: both believed the Japanese could not possibly be crazy enough to target The Commercial Press.

Why had Zheng Sheng changed his mind today after Shen Po explained the plan in just a few words?

He shared this question with Shen Po, who in turn asked Zheng Sheng.

Zheng Sheng fell silent for a moment.

“Actually, after that day, the Japanese contacted Grandfather again.”

Shen Po was surprised. “That bastard Asai Sui really doesn’t give up, does he!”

Zheng Sheng waved his hand. “Not Asai. It was someone else named Hayashishita, supposedly a very famous calligrapher from Japan. The Japanese consul and your eldest uncle accompanied him on the visit, so Grandfather couldn’t very well refuse to see him. He’d heard Grandfather collected several copybooks of calligraphy by Huang Tingjian and Su Shi, and asked to see them. Those copybooks were actually Qing dynasty reproductions, so Grandfather brought them out for them to look at. After Hayashishita examined them, he praised them repeatedly, saying he hoped the Japanese public could also appreciate the profound depth of Chinese calligraphy. He proposed borrowing some copybooks, calligraphy, and paintings to take back so his colleagues at the Japanese calligraphy and painting academy could copy and study them. It would be for a period of one year, strictly not for public exhibition, and if there was any damage, he was willing to compensate with his entire fortune. Grandfather had already refused Asai last time, and Hayashishita’s request wasn’t as unreasonable, so he was a bit hesitant. Besides, the pieces they wanted to borrow weren’t from the exceptionally rare collection…”

Shen Po grew tense. “Did Granduncle agree?”

Zheng Sheng shook his head. “No. I remembered what you said that night and advised him in private. In the end, Grandfather didn’t lend them out. When Hayashishita’s group left, their faces were dark with displeasure. Even your eldest uncle complained endlessly about Grandfather, calling him ungrateful. He said borrowing them for a year wouldn’t hurt anything, and that keeping them hidden away prevented the world from appreciating them and hindered the promotion of Chinese culture. Grandfather has been brooding over this very matter these past few days!”

Shen Po slapped his thigh, nearly jumping to his feet.

“Bullshit!”

Zheng Sheng frowned. “Could you watch your language? What did I say wrong!”

Shen Po said, “I’m saying my eldest uncle is full of shit! These antique calligraphy scrolls, paintings, rare editions, and unique manuscripts, no matter how precious or ordinary they are, all belong to China! On what grounds should we just lend them out? If they want to see them, they should be begging on bended knees to come to China!”

“A weak nation has no diplomacy^[1], and not even the right to protect its ancestors’ treasures. If Hayashishita doesn’t give up and brings someone with even more clout, I’m afraid Grandfather won’t be able to refuse.” Zheng Sheng let out a long sigh. “I’ve been worrying over this for days, not knowing what to do. If your plan works, it will save us an endless stream of trouble down the line.”

Shen Po sneered. “No wonder you suddenly saw the light. Here I thought you figured it out on your own, but it took outside pressure to force you. If not for Hayashishita, you’d probably still be stubborn as a mule and impossible to reason with!”

Zheng Sheng was stung by his words. “All you know is moving the books away! Do you have any idea what a massive target the Oriental Library itself is? Besides, Grandfather’s intention was to let more Chinese people see and read these ancient texts with their own eyes. Peiping is in turmoil and far more unsafe. Shanghai is the most open and stable place right now. Who knew, who could have known…”

He paused abruptly and looked at Shen Po with a strange expression.

Shen Po said, “Why are you looking at me like that? I like girls like Zhang Ming. I’m not interested in you!”

Zheng Sheng said, “Your eldest uncle sided with the Japanese to urge my grandfather to lend the copybooks, yet you secretly cooked up this plan with Old Du and the others. Where did you get your information?”

Shen Po asked, “Do you really want to know?”

Zheng Sheng nodded, then shook his head.

“Forget it, forget it. You’d better not tell me. The less you know, the longer you live!”

Shen Po said, “My eldest brother is dead.”

Zheng Sheng froze, a look of disbelief slowly spreading across his face.

“Big Brother Shen… is dead?”

Shen Po said nothing more.

Zheng Sheng felt as though he had guessed something, and did not press further.

“Let’s get back to the original plan. We definitely need to involve Old Chen. Otherwise, you won’t be able to slip past his eyes while setting the fire and moving the books. If you knock him unconscious, he’ll figure out what happened as soon as he wakes up. And if something happens to him, Grandfather will be furious. Even if the plan succeeds, someone’s life would be lost in the process. We want to take a completely different path from the Japanese, not do the exact same things they do.”

Shen Po scratched his head. As a pampered young master from a wealthy family, he had never made such a detailed plan before; most of it had been formulated by Wen Yan, Old Du, and the others.

【Zheng Sheng has a point. But we need to make sure Old Chen is reliable first. You can have Old Du look into him.】

Wen Yan’s voice echoed in his mind.

Shen Po asked, “Is that Old Chen you mentioned reliable? He won’t be bought off by the Japanese, will he?”

Zheng Sheng nodded. “He’s all alone in Shanghai with no family to rely on. In his earlier years, he traveled across the country with my grandfather collecting books. Later, as he grew old, he went to stay with his younger brother’s family. The two brothers had a close bond, so he declined Grandfather’s offer to stay and went to spend his retirement years there.”

Shen Po asked, “Then why did he come back?”

Zheng Sheng replied, “That was nearly ten years ago. I heard that four years ago, something happened at his brother’s place. The entire family was slaughtered, leaving no survivors. He happened to be fishing in the countryside at the time and escaped by luck. When he returned and saw the gruesome scene, he nearly lost his mind. Afterward, he returned to Shanghai to seek shelter with Grandfather. When I was little, he used to carry me on his back and take me everywhere to play. But since returning four years ago, he hardly speaks anymore. He often sits alone in the sun, drinking tea and lost in thought.”

Young people naturally possessed a certain gossiping curiosity, and Shen Po couldn’t help pressing, “Why was the whole family slaughtered? Did enemies come looking for revenge?”

Zheng Sheng glanced at him. “He was in Jinan at the time.”

Shen Po was still oblivious. “What happened in Jinan?”

Wen Yan, however, understood the reason.

He told Shen Po, 【Four years ago, Jinan. If I remember correctly, in 1928, the Japanese attacked Jinan to halt the National Revolutionary Army’s Northern Expedition. A certain chairman of yours ordered a withdrawal and ceasefire, and then, the people of Jinan were massacred.】

These were merely a few brief lines in a history book, and all that Wen Yan could tell Shen Po.

What he did not know were the fates of Old Chen’s brother’s family and Old Chen’s wandering life outside the pages of history.

What Zheng Sheng meant was that an Old Chen like this would never betray them or tip anyone off.

Shen Po’s expression shifted.

“Did you remember?” Zheng Sheng asked.

Unaware of Wen Yan’s presence, he assumed Shen Po had recalled it on his own.

Shen Po, uncharacteristically dropping his usual grin, thought for a moment. “Today, whether you trick him or bluff him, you must get Granduncle to attend this dinner. He has to watch the library burn with his own eyes. Only his genuine reaction can dispel the Japanese suspicions. Also, aside from you and Old Chen, absolutely no third person can know about this. If word leaks out, not only will the books be lost, but we’ll all be completely finished!”

Zheng Sheng gave a solemn promise. “Rest assured, I know what’s at stake. More than anyone, I want to protect those books. They aren’t just my grandfather’s lifelong work.”

The two did not linger in the shade of the trees for long. Once everything was settled, they went their separate ways to get to work.

On Shen Po’s end, the more he turned it over in his mind, the more uneasy he felt.

【Tell me, what if Asai arrives tonight, but Granduncle doesn’t? What do we do then?】 he asked Wen Yan.

Wen Yan replied, 【Prepare for both outcomes. If he hasn’t arrived, stall for time. Put on an arrogant, boastful act and claim that the old gentleman will definitely come and must have just been held up by something. Keep stalling until the fire starts. Once the old gentleman learns of the fire, he’ll definitely rush over immediately, and Asai will still be able to see his reaction.】

Shen Po fretted, 【With things being so complicated, will Old Du be able to adapt in time?】

Wen Yan: 【…Relax, Old Du has far more contingency plans than you do. A man who has made his way through Shanghai for so many years has seen it all.】

With this hanging over his head, Shen Po remained distracted all day.

It was not until the afternoon, when Old Du sent someone over to report that everything was arranged and urged him to play his part convincingly without letting Asai notice anything amiss, that he finally pulled himself together.

Still, Young Master Shen had never handled such a major affair before, and he could not help feeling nervous.

【Don’t worry,】 Wen Yan comforted him. 【Didn’t Zheng Sheng say so too? He successfully persuaded Zhang Yuanji to attend, and Zheng Sheng knows the plan. With him backing you up tonight, if you get nervous, just speak less. Whatever you do, don’t let Asai see through you.】

Shen Po knew he shouldn’t be nervous, but-

【It’s not like nervousness just goes away because I don’t want it!】

Wen Yan: 【If it were other consulate officials coming, I might be a little worried. But judging from the past two encounters, Asai is still a relatively pure scholar. Whether his intentions are sinister or not, he at least isn’t so deep and scheming. As long as you act a little more natural, there’s no way he’ll suspect you. Besides, don’t you still have a shield?】

Shen Po: 【What shiel… You can’t mean Zhang Ming, can you?】

Wen Yan teased, 【You even switched majors for her before, and now you’re using such a disgusted tone?】

Shen Po: 【I’m warning you, don’t hit where it hurts! That’s all in the past!】

Wen Yan: 【Well, now you must keep up this morning’s act: show resentment toward Zhang Ming’s arrogance while still harboring a sliver of interest in her. Youthful infatuation, understand?】

Shen Po: 【Looking at that woman now just makes me want to curse at her.】

Wen Yan: 【You can picture her as a friend you didn’t like at first, whom you later realized wasn’t so bad, but still feel a bit awkward around.】

Shen Po hesitated. 【Picture her as you?】

Wen Yan: 【? I said a female friend.】

Shen Po threw his hands up. 【Then I don’t have any female friends like that! Whether it’s Mary or Little Jasmine, they’re all gorgeous, smart, and utterly charming!】

Hearing names like Mary and Little Jasmine, Wen Yan knew immediately that these were his dancer confidantes.

【In any case, half of tonight’s success depends on your performance. I can only remind you of details; I can’t actually help you with anything,】 Wen Yan cautioned him. 【You don’t need to focus too much on Asai. Doing that will only make it too obvious.】

Shen Po clutched his head with both hands. 【Waaah, I’m really so nervous!】

For a young master who had never dirtied his hands with hard labor and had never weathered any real crisis, this matter truly was asking a lot of him.

After all, he was only a young man in his early twenties. A hundred years in the future, he would be at the age of an underclassman of Wen Yan’s who had yet to graduate.

Wen Yan suddenly thought that if his body had crossed over with him, he might have been able to ruffle Shen Po’s hair right now, or give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

【I’m here,】 Wen Yan told him. 【Though I can only talk to you and offer ideas, look on the bright side. At least no matter the circumstances or how thorny the problem is, someone is right there beside you.】

Yet your eldest brother was forever alone, walking from the light into the darkness, and journeying through the darkness all the way to the end.