In all honesty, this trainee certificate seemed worthless in Lin Hongwen's eyes—far less useful than saying, "I'm Landlord Zhu from such-and-such village."
A forced smile creased the corners of Lin Hongwen's mouth as he gently pushed the certificate back. He explained, "Officer Zhu, is it? Here's the thing. The railway station has its rules, and the municipal government has already handed down instructions regarding our work. Without an official permit from the municipal government, it's virtually impossible for us to open a back door for you."
While Lin Hongwen was speaking, Fang Wenjian had already walked over from the doorway to the desk and stood there. Zhu Shiqing immediately had a bad feeling and quickly tugged him behind himself.
"Stationmaster Lin, whose permit would it take for you to let us board a train?" Zhu Shiqing asked.
Lin Hongwen rested both hands on the desk. After a long silence, he looked into Zhu Shiqing's eyes and found them somewhat intimidating; this man did not look like someone to cross. He replied, "Sir, how about this: I don't want to make things difficult for you. If you can get a handwritten note from Army Commander Song, I'll definitely let you board right away."
"Army Commander Song?" Zhu Shiqing knitted his brows. "Don't you know Army Commander Song isn't in Beiping?"
"Well..." Lin Hongwen deliberately put on a conflicted look and muttered, "Then that's a tough spot... Sir, as a stationmaster, I ought to obey the directives given by my superiors. If you force me to make an exception, and blame falls on me later, I won't be able to bear the responsibility."
"Deputy Army Commander Qin concurrently serves as the mayor of Beiping. If I get his handwritten note, surely you can let us through," Zhu Shiqing said coldly.
Never expecting him to be so relentless, Lin Hongwen casually stood up, turned his back, and said word by word, "That won't do either."
"You motherfucker, refusing face when it's offered!"
Fang Wenjian had detested this fellow from the moment they walked in. After this back-and-forth, he slammed his hand down on the desk, making both Zhu Shiqing and Lin Hongwen jump. A split second later, Fang Wenjian clamped his hand around Lin Hongwen's arm and yanked him forward.
When Lin Hongwen looked up, a dark muzzle was already pressed against his temple.
"What are you doing! What are you doing! I am the Director of the Beiping Communications Bureau! You're assaulting a government official!" Lin Hongwen shouted in panic, his knees involuntarily giving way.
Zhu Shiqing sighed and seized the opening. "Stationmaster Lin, it's not that we brothers want to make trouble for you. You deliberately made things difficult for us, leaving us no choice. My brother has a fiery temper and won't listen to anyone. If his gun accidentally goes off..."
Lin Hongwen's face flushed crimson. On this turf, others had always fawned over him; when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
"You two brats! The moment a shot goes off, the patrolling police outside will riddle you with bullets!"
Zhu Shiqing twitched his lips and chuckled. "Stationmaster Lin, those two things I showed you earlier might not carry weight with you, but once we're outside, that might not be the case. When that time comes, let's see which of us the higher-ups punish."
In truth, there was little ground for that claim. The General Staff Headquarters never held much clout in Beiping; people here recognized only Feng Yuxiang or Song Zheyuan... So Fang Wenjian's move was, at most, an empty threat to scare him. Still, Zhu Shiqing decided to see the act through. He flashed Fang Wenjian a glance and turned his back.
Fang Wenjian clicked off the safety with a sharp click.
"Don't, don't, don't! Good brothers!"
At that, Lin Hongwen dropped straight to his knees, his face pressed against the desk leg, tears instantly spilling out. "I didn't want to make things difficult for you gentlemen either! It's just that the Japanese planes are bombing so heavily right now that trains can't run by day, only by night. Lately, the government has huge amounts of supplies to ship south, and all the boxcars have been requisitioned!"
Zhu Shiqing turned back and made a gesture. Only then did Fang Wenjian release Lin Hongwen and flick the safety back on.
"Stationmaster Lin, just as I said earlier, don't freight cars need people to accompany them? Once we're out of the Beiping area, we'll get off at the next stop!"
Lin Hongwen was docile now, repeatedly cupping his hands in respect. "No problem, no problem! Officers, come back here at eight tonight. I'll take you two to board the train. I'll personally take you."
"Smart man, you old bastard!" Only then did Fang Wenjian tuck his gun back into his waistband.
Zhu Shiqing helped Lin Hongwen up and guided him properly into the chair, speaking gently: "Stationmaster Lin, pardon our offense earlier. We truly have urgent duties. Thank you for your generosity, Stationmaster Lin. We'll come looking for you at eight."
Lin Hongwen didn't speak. Panting heavily, he merely nodded.
After leaving the stationmaster's office and returning to the bustling street, Fang Wenjian looked dubiously at Zhu Shiqing. Only after a while did he say, "Shiqing, was this really that complicated? If we'd just gone straight to the 29th Army headquarters, anyone could have escorted us into the station. Why did we have to listen to that old fossil babble nonsense?"
"Going to the 29th Army headquarters to request passage would compromise Nanjing's dignity."
In Zhu Shiqing's mind, unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't go to the 29th Army headquarters. He held virtually no affection for the figures at the top there. Furthermore, outsiders didn't know the inside story; this sudden telegraphic recall order already aroused suspicion of fleeing before battle. If he actively went to headquarters to say goodbye...
Wouldn't that simply confirm to those people that they had only come to pad their credentials?
Zhu Shiqing was still someone who valued his reputation. Since they were leaving, it was best to leave quietly and naturally, without stirring up a single cloud.
At eight in the evening, the crowds on the street had thinned considerably. Along the road, only a few peddlers pushed small carts through the alleys, crying their wares of buckwheat cakes and bean jelly. Yet in these war-torn times, almost no one patronized their stalls.
Zhu Shiqing and Fang Wenjian arrived at the alley as agreed. Fang Wenjian kept his gun cocked at his waist; that old dog might well try to pull a trick.
Yet Lin Hongwen was indeed standing at the alley entrance looking around. Seeing the two approach, he immediately stepped forward to meet them.
"Follow me."
Lin Hongwen had discarded his daytime Zhongshan suit, changing into black satin trimmed with black-and-gold thread. Dressed in these wide robes with billowing sleeves, he led them through turns left and right, yet it never seemed to be heading toward West Station.
"Hey, don't try any funny business," Fang Wenjian said, raising his voice.
"Don't worry," Lin Hongwen said with a smile. "How would I dare? This route leads to the station. There are too many eyes and ears at the main station, and who knows if unruly mobs might start trouble."
As they walked on, a long iron-barred gate along the inner side of West Station indeed came into view. The three paused beside it. Lin Hongwen fished a key from his waist and unlocked the small iron gate; stepping through led straight into the station.
Before Zhu Shiqing could take a single step inside, Lin Hongwen suddenly looked back, fixing Zhu Shiqing with a solemn expression. He said sternly, "Gentlemen, I've done you a favor tonight, so please don't make trouble for me either. Once you board the train, stay quietly in that rear boxcar. And when you reach Baoding, you must get off."
For a moment, Zhu Shiqing heard nothing amiss in his words; the requests were indeed reasonable. By Lin Hongwen's reckoning, if they caused further trouble, they would truly be the ones lacking decency.
"Don't worry, Stationmaster Lin. Until we meet again."
The three parted ways with a brief goodbye. Lin Hongwen wore an obliging smile, though in his heart he thought: *May we never cross paths again.*
On the southernmost track rested a train with seven coupled cars. The entire West Station was lit only by dim yellow lamps on both sides of the platform, the light faint and murky. Except for the very last car, the doors of all the other carriages were shut tight.
Zhu Shiqing stepped lightly into the freight car. The upper portion of the walkthrough door at the car's rear was not sealed shut, offering a clear view of the tracks outside. There was not much cargo inside the boxcar, neatly stacked in the corner.
The two sat against a metal crate, gazing out into the pitch-black darkness, both falling silent. Lin Hongwen slid the car's latch door shut for them and departed immediately.
After about ten or fifteen minutes, a faint commotion arose outside, followed by the muffled sound of a voice:
"Brother Lin, once we pull this off, we'll be rolling in money, won't we?"
It was an unfamiliar voice, slurred and indistinct, as if drunk.
"All right, all right, shut up! I'm putting my own life on the line here!" That was Lin Hongwen's voice.
"What, getting cold feet at the eleventh hour? If this shipment doesn't leave, you'll lose your head tomorrow—believe it or not!" The other man spoke in a hurried rush, his muted words gratingly sharp in the silence.
"Enough! Everything is arranged, now get back!" Lin Hongwen's voice was hushed and urgent.
Zhu Shiqing instantly grew alert and exchanged a look with Fang Wenjian beside him.
Closed to the public... railcars... freight... cargo that could cost a head?
Could it be munitions? Or Western medicine? Or some military secret?
"Shiqing, this..." Fang Wenjian asked in a voice barely audible even to Zhu Shiqing.
Zhu Shiqing pondered for a moment and replied, "We're not leaving just yet. Something is definitely wrong with this lot."
Chapter 62