Chapter 26

26

Wen Yan: 【At times like this, your face should flush red. You need to look agitated and argue back.】

Shen Po: 【I want to just punch him in the face.】

Wen Yan: 【Then all our efforts will have been for nothing.】

Shen Po: 【I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life, getting looked at like I’m a thief!】

Wen Yan: 【When your brother was alive, didn’t he suffer worse humiliation than this?】

Shen Po fell silent.

This mental exchange lasted only a few seconds. To Asai Sui, Shen Po seemed to freeze for a moment before his eyebrows shot up and he glared furiously, looking deeply defiant.

“Classmate Zhang, you’re underestimating me!”

Shen Po pulled a Commercial Press library card from his pocket and waved it in front of Asai Sui and Zhang Ming.

“See this? My granduncle had someone arrange this for me. He said I have real talent, and that this special card lets me into the rare ancient books collection where ordinary people can’t go!”

Truth be told, Young Master Shen played the role of an arrogant, haughty scion of a prominent family to perfection.

With seven parts genuine pride and three parts acting, he left Zhang Ming completely at a loss for words.

“Classmate Zhang, I do like you, and I admire your knowledge and demeanor. But if you’re trying to slander me by tattling to the teacher, I’ll really have to change my opinion of you. Farewell!”

With that, he turned and walked away without looking back.

Shen Po: 【He hasn’t reacted yet. Is he really going to just let me walk away?】

Wen Yan: 【Five, four, three, two, one.】

Asai Sui called out, “Classmate Shen!”

He stopped Shen Po, hurried over to catch his arm, and then called to Zhang Ming.

“Classmate Zhang, making such accusations against a fellow student without evidence truly warrants an apology.”

Zhang Ming looked reluctant, but she lowered her head in the end.

“I’m sorry!”

Her tone was begrudging, clearly forced by Asai Sui’s demand.

Asai Sui said to Shen Po, “Classmate Shen, I was prejudiced against you just now as well. I should apologize to you too.”

Shen Po said inwardly to Wen Yan, 【If I didn’t already know better, his attitude would have fooled me into thinking he’s a good person.】

Indeed, it was not just Shen Po. If not for what had happened at the cultural salon, Wen Yan would have thought the same.

Wen Yan: 【Old Mr. Zhang hasn’t given you a definitive answer yet. Isn’t it a bit premature to invite them now? What if Old Mr. Zhang doesn’t go?】

Shen Po: 【I already had Zheng Sheng talk to him. With his precious grandson doing the inviting, the old man will surely grace us with his presence. I just don’t know if Old Du’s side is reliable. Moving tonight, wouldn’t that be too rushed? Besides, Shanghai is all peace and prosperity right now, and I really haven’t seen the Japanese make any moves. Could you have gotten the date wrong?】

Shen Po was not the only one; Old Du and his associates had the exact same doubt.

Shanghai at this time, though a mix of good and bad with endless affairs every day, remained overall one of the most bustling metropolises in the East. There was not even a dark cloud signaling the coming storm. The people of this city would sooner believe any other city in China could be invaded before they would ever believe such a thing could happen to Shanghai.

Old Du and Lin Guisheng had been willing to believe Wen Yan back then partly out of deference to the Shen family and the connections behind them.

Wen Yan: 【I didn’t get the date wrong.】

January twenty-eighth was a date virtually no educated Chinese person a century later could ever forget.

It was from that day forth that many truly felt the stinging pain of invasion. Although the earlier events in the Three Northeastern Provinces had awakened some people, they were not nearly as shocking as a strike on a “thriving hub” like Shanghai.

This was not to say the Three Northeastern Provinces were less important than Shanghai, but rather that Shanghai gathered most of the country’s press, media, and prominent elites at the time. These were the people who held sway over public discourse, and only when the blade was thrust right before their eyes would they actually feel the pain.

【Three more days, at most three days,】 Wen Yan said. 【You will see movement. But if we bomb the library then, it will look too deliberate, which is why we must act ahead of time.】

While the two carried on their telepathic exchange, Zhang Ming softened her tone even further.

“Classmate Shen, hearing Old Mr. Zhang’s teachings in person is a rare opportunity. I wonder if I might accompany Teacher Asai to visit together?”

Shen Po marveled to Wen Yan, 【Does she really have to follow her Teacher Asai like a shadow? I must have been blind in the past to ever fall for her.】

Wen Yan: 【Perhaps she genuinely loves scholarship and truly agrees with Asai’s theories.】

Shen Po: 【Bullshit. Even an uneducated guy like me knows Japanese language and culture are packed with Chinese civilization. For him to claim China was influenced by Japan, isn’t that just turning black into white?!】

Wen Yan: 【Then why does Japan have colonies and concessions in China, while China has none in Japan?】

Shen Po: 【That’s only because modern China fell behind!】

Wen Yan: 【And doesn’t falling behind imply that your system failed, which is why you were surpassed? That is Asai’s logic, and the logic of many others. Most outcomes are driven purely by strength. No matter how grand the talk of justice and universal principles may be, whoever loses the fight gets their head stepped on and humiliated.】

Zhang Ming asked, “Classmate Shen, would that be alright?”

Receiving no answer from Shen Po, she had no choice but to make her tone even gentler and her expression more earnest.

In the past, no one could have ever refused her when she acted like this.

Unable to outargue Wen Yan, Shen Po was already boiling with irritation, so he rolled his eyes testily.

“Go if you want! Who’s stopping you?”

He truly had the capricious temper of a spoiled young master.

Zhang Ming swallowed her resentment, but Asai Sui felt this reaction was entirely consistent with the Shen family scion’s character.

Asai Sui smiled. “Student Shen, if Old Mr. Zhang doesn’t have time or you’re unable to invite him, another day works too. There’s no need to force it.”

This subtle provocation predictably worked, goading Shen Po into “anger.”

“Who said I can’t invite him? Tonight it is, at the Romantic Western Restaurant on Baoshan Road. I’m a member there. Seven-thirty tonight. Just give them my name when you arrive!”

Shen Po declared grandly, glancing at Zhang Ming again.

“You can bring someone along too.”

Asai Sui smiled politely. “Wonderful. Thanks to you, Student Shen, I have the rare chance to seek Old Mr. Zhang’s guidance. I will certainly be there on time, and I will bring a gift.”

He glanced at Zhang Ming.

Only then did Zhang Ming say, “Thank you, Student Shen.”

Shen Po gave an arrogant grunt, putting on grand airs with his signature swaggering, smug expression.

Finding it an eyesore, Zhang Ming could not help looking away, pressing down the disdainful curve of her lips.

The break between classes quickly ended, and the three parted ways in a hurry, as the two students still had other classes to attend.

Wen Yan: 【Did you notice anything just now?】

Shen Po: 【That the Zhang broad obeys Asai’s every word? I noticed that ages ago!】

Wen Yan: 【Not just that. Didn’t you notice how eager and impatient Asai was about this meeting? He was probably already racking his brain trying to find a way to see Zhang Yuanji again, and you just served it to him on a silver platter.】

Shen Po thought back. 【You’re right. The moment I brought it up, he agreed, and he even had Zhang Ming apologize to me, as if terrified the dinner would fall through. Hey, do you think he knows something? Maybe he’s afraid those books will be destroyed later, so he’s desperate to get his hands on them before anything happens?】

Earlier, when Shen Po heard Wen Yan’s plan and saw how seriously Old Du and the others took it, he had not thought much of it. But seeing Asai Sui’s attitude now, he could tangibly feel the importance of those books.

Wen Yan: 【Given his status, he might not know all the details, but catching even a whiff of the wind would be enough to make him anxious.】

To some extent, Asai Sui truly had a passion for ancient Chinese texts and culture. Regardless of his underlying motives, he certainly did not want those books to be burned in the flames of war, which explained his desperate urgency to meet with Zhang Yuanji again.

After class, Shen Po went to find Zheng Sheng.

Early that morning, he had cornered Zheng Sheng at the Zheng family residence, pleading and cajoling relentlessly before finally convincing Zheng Sheng to act as an intermediary to invite the old gentleman to dinner. Shen Po’s excuse was that he had obtained a rare book of uncertain authenticity and wanted the old gentleman’s help to authenticate it.

But when he went to find Zheng Sheng at noon, the other man greeted him with, “Grandfather said that if you need any help, you can just go see him directly at the Commercial Press. There’s no need to waste money on a dinner. He also said that since you’re still a student, you should focus your energy on your studies and skip unnecessary socializing.”

These words were earnest advice from an elder to a junior, but Shen Po did not want to hear it at all. If they didn’t have dinner, how was he supposed to bring Asai and Zhang Yuanji together to witness the grand show in person?

Scratching his ears and cheeks in frustration, he said, “Could you help me think of another way and talk to your grandfather again?”

Zheng Sheng found it strange. “Grandfather is right. If you want him to appraise a rare volume, why does it have to be at a Western restaurant?”

Shen Po said, “You know Zhang Ming from the Chinese department, right?”

Zheng Sheng replied, “I’ve heard of her.”

Shen Po began spinning pure nonsense as an excuse. “I’m really into her, but she looks down on me. She idolizes the old gentleman, though, and wants to seek academic guidance from him. So I wanted to invite him and her to a meal together. Help a brother out, and I won’t forget it. Starting today, I’ll pay for you to have fun at the New World for a whole month, how about it?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Wen Yan knew trouble was brewing.

Sure enough, Zheng Sheng’s expression shifted.

“My grandfather is a distinguished scholar, not a tool for you to chase girls! And I’m not going to any New World. If you want to go, go yourself. I’m afraid I can’t help you with this. Goodbye!”

He flicked his sleeves in disgust and turned to leave, but Shen Po hurriedly grabbed him.

“Hey, don’t leave! Why are you acting like this? You’ve got a temper like a stubborn donkey!”

Zheng Sheng sneered. “And here I thought you genuinely wanted to better yourself! To think that all along, you just wanted to use me and my grandfather to chase a girl! Consider my dog eyes blind; I completely misjudged you!”

Fuming with anger, he turned and stormed off.

Shen Po was utterly dumbfounded.

【Why is he reacting so strongly?】 Shen Po still had no idea what he had said wrong.

Wen Yan pressed a hand to his forehead. He had known all along that giving this young master a task would inevitably lead to trouble; it was already a miracle he had not messed up until now.

【Catch up to him quickly and do as I say. At this point, the only choice is to come clean with him, or you won’t be able to convince him to help!】 Wen Yan said.

Shen Po: 【Come clean? Can we really tell him the truth about something this big? He definitely won’t believe it! And if word leaks out later, won’t all our efforts fall short at the final step?】

Wen Yan: 【If you hadn’t run your mouth just now, how would it have come to this? Without this dinner, our effectiveness will be cut in half. If the Japanese notice even the slightest anomaly, the whole plan will go down the drain. Do you want everyone’s hard work to go to waste?】

Shen Po froze.

In the past, if anyone had reprimanded him like this, he would have jumped up and pointed at their nose, demanding to know what kind of scallion they thought they were^[1].

But this time, after the initial shock, he remained silent without trying to argue back, simply chasing after Zheng Sheng.

“I need to talk to you!”

Without looking back, Zheng Sheng said, “Go talk to your Zhang Ming!”

This time, Shen Po grabbed his arm directly and dragged him toward the corner of the office building. Shaded by several large trees, it was a favorite spot for students to cool off in the summer, but now that it was winter, nobody came here.

“Actually, I don’t like Zhang Ming. Well, no, maybe I did in the past, but I never expected her to be like that…” Shen Po scratched his head. Wen Yan was speaking in his mind, but Shen Po did not listen to a single word, instead fumbling through his own pitiful, jumbled phrasing. “Anyway, the truth is, asking you to set up dinner with the old gentleman has nothing to do with Zhang Ming. She’s just a pretext. The real main guest for today’s dinner is someone named Asai Sui.”

Asai Sui…

Zheng Sheng’s mind raced, his eyes going wide. “Him?! You’re actually involved with him?!”

Shen Po said, “He’s a professor in our department!”

Zheng Sheng sneered. “You saw how overbearing he was in front of my grandfather last time, didn’t you? He’s coveting my grandfather’s book collection and trying to seize it by hook or by crook. Have the Japanese bought you off, too? Are you helping the tiger hunt for prey^[2]?! There is no way my grandfather will ever agree to it!”

Shen Po looked at him. “Do you really hate the Japanese that much?”

“The Three Northeastern Provinces-” Zheng Sheng slammed the brakes on his words, biting his tongue, and shot him a wary look. “What are you trying to do?”

Shen Po said, “What if I told you that Asai Sui really did give me a hefty sum of money to persuade the old man to lend him part of those ancient texts to take back to Japan? If you’re willing to help, I’ll split the money with you evenly. Fifty thousand silver dollars. How about it?”

What did fifty thousand silver dollars even mean? Even for a wealthy young master like Shen Po, it was an astronomical sum.

Yet Zheng Sheng merely froze for a second before his face slowly flushed red.

Not from embarrassment, but from sheer agitation and fury.

“You really did take the money, Shen Po! You actually… I knew there had to be a reason you suddenly wanted to study properly. So this was what you were waiting for all along! Let me tell you, if you want to be a traitor, go be one yourself. There is no way I’m joining you!”

Shen Po feigned confusion. “It’s just lending some books to Japan for an exhibition. What does that have to do with being a traitor?”

“Didn’t you lay it out clearly enough that night? Back then, I thought you were genuinely someone wise acting the fool. How could a few tens of thousands of silver dollars blind your eyes today? Wake up! If those books really go to Japan, they’ll never come back!” Zheng Sheng looked at him, heartbroken. “That night, my awareness wasn’t even on your level, yet in just a few days, you’ve turned into an accomplice for the Japanese?!”

Shen Po had tested him enough. Seeing that Zheng Sheng looked ready to cough up blood from rage if this went on, he finally got serious and laid out the entire plan from start to finish.

Zheng Sheng listened in a daze, completely bewildered by Shen Po.

The man had transformed from Asai Sui’s “accomplice” into someone trying to protect the books in the blink of an eye. The sudden shift was hard for Zheng Sheng to process.

“You mean you want the Japanese to watch the library catch fire with their own eyes, and then use the closure for repairs as cover to smuggle the books out, making them think the books are still inside?” Only after a long while did Zheng Sheng ask hesitatingly.

Shen Po said, “Exactly. As I told you just now, Old Du is helping me with this plan. You know how capable he is. We’re not playing around; we actually have the means to pull this off. Now that you know the truth, do you still want to oppose me?”

He had already made up his mind that if Zheng Sheng showed even the slightest hint of trouble, he would immediately have Old Du tie him up and lock him away for ten days to half a month, ensuring no word leaked out.

Zheng Sheng said, “What about Grandfather, though…”

Shen Po replied, “Only if the old man knows nothing will Asai and his people not get suspicious. That’s the only way this act will be flawless.”

Zheng Sheng lowered his head and thought for a long time. Shen Po began to grow impatient. He thought that scholars were indeed indecisive. No wonder people said a scholar’s rebellion wouldn’t succeed in ten years^[3]; unable to make up their minds about anything, how could they ever achieve anything?

Zheng Sheng said, “I’m in!”

Shen Po: ?

Zheng Sheng slammed a fist into his open palm and abruptly looked up.

“I just went over your plan. There are no major flaws, but it would be best to get an inside man to make this play even more foolproof. I recommend someone: there’s an Old Chen in the library. He used to be in charge of cleaning the grounds, but later Grandfather saw how much he loved books and put him in charge of the ancient texts section. With his cooperation, there definitely won’t be any problems!”

Looking at his expression, which was tinged with a mix of excitement and anticipation, Shen Po slowly conjured a question mark in his mind.

?

What is going on?

I don’t think I ever said I was including you, did I?