Chapter 2862: Extra Number (1)
"Stop at the city rail station up ahead." Du Yibin brought the carriage to a halt and addressed his Life Secretary. "Get off here. Head to South Sea Cafe and reserve a private room—I have an important dinner with a Senator tonight to discuss business. After that... you can go home. No need to wait for me."
The Life Secretary murmured her acknowledgment and stepped down from the carriage, though not without a resentful glance. She lingered at the roadside, striking a pitiful pose as she watched the Chief depart. Senator Du pretended not to notice. He tapped the side of the carriage. "To the Chemical Department." The wheels began to roll once more.
"Come on in—I've called all the numbers. Anyone who didn't show won't be waited for. Those with extra numbers, step inside." Chen Shixin beckoned to Tan Shuangxi.
Tan Shuangxi, who had been waiting for over an hour, nearly leaped from his seat. He hurried to help his mother—whose legs had gone numb from sitting so long—rise from the bench, then ushered his equally excited father into the photography room. He wanted the Holy Ship backdrop. Tan Shuangxi had scouted this out beforehand. Though his officer's rank technically qualified him to visit the Holy Ship itself, heaven only knew when he might actually bring his parents aboard.
"Please, have a seat. I'll prepare the plate." Chen Shixin checked the shooting records; a few glass plates remained. This provided some insurance, since not every shot succeeded. Senator Huang had stipulated a loss rate of seventy-five positive prints per hundred plates. Fall below that number, and compensation was required. Exceed it, and you earned a "Saving Award."
His technique was skilled, and his losses rarely exceeded twenty percent—he always managed to save a few extra plates. The photos he had just taken for He Xiaoyue and her friend came from precisely these surplus plates.
"Wait—it's our turn! We have a number!" A burst of female voices erupted from outside. In the blink of an eye, five or six girls descended upon the photography room door like a whirlwind.
Good heavens, that momentum could rival a bayonet charge. Tan Shuangxi's first instinct was to let them go ahead, but he had been waiting a long time, and his parents looked quite worn out. Who told you to be late! he thought. Everything must follow rules—and being late is wrong!
With that resolve, he stood and gripped the door handle firmly, opening it only a crack to speak through. "You're late. Number calling has ended. Come back tomorrow." Before they could react, he shut the door and threw the bolt, giving the girls no chance to respond.
The girls outside had no idea who had spoken from within. They assumed it was some clerk eager to finish his shift. The door had closed before they could even plead their case. They stamped their feet in frustration. Some wanted to knock and beg for mercy; others, embarrassed, suggested returning the next day; still others loudly scolded their companions for losing track of time while shopping. For a moment, the courtyard sounded like a flock of ducks returning to the coop.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Tan Shuangxi sat before the camera lens, nervously listening to the commotion beyond the door. He prayed the girls would disperse before the actual shop clerks discovered his deception and ruined his chance. When the photography clerk emerged from the back room holding a black box, Tan Shuangxi sprang up and seized his arm.
"We want the Holy Ship backdrop. You handle your prep work—I'll push the scenery. Let's hurry so we don't delay you getting off work."
Chen Shixin regarded him with confusion. "Get off work? Not until five..." With that, he pressed the jittery soldier back into his seat. "Sit still and don't move. The backdrop is very thin—I'll handle it myself. If it tears, who would be responsible?"
Tan Shuangxi could only sit rigid as a clay sculpture, watching the clerk make his leisurely preparations, listening to the faint voices drifting from the courtyard, tense with the expectation that his lie would be exposed at any moment. Sweat trickled down from his brow.
"Let's do a practice run first. Everyone look at my hand. Don't move, and don't blink."
Practice? Tan Shuangxi's heart hammered against his ribs. This was like the enemy charging within a hundred meters, only for the company commander to tell you to clean your rifle before firing. Though he desperately wanted to tell the clerk to skip the rehearsal and just shoot, he didn't dare. After all, the cost of a ruined photograph was more than he could bear.
"Comrade! Relax a little. We're about to begin for real." The clerk spread his hands, indicating that Tan Shuangxi had been the worst performer in the practice round. By now, he was too nervous to speak. He simply nodded rapidly, forcing a smile for the camera, praying the order to fire would come any second.
Bang bang bang—"We have a number!"
The rapid knocking interrupted Chen Shixin mid-preparation.
Watching the clerk mutter something under his breath and move toward the door, Tan Shuangxi felt his nerves peak. He wasn't afraid of confrontation—he could be eloquent enough with soldiers during battle. But when it came to women, he never knew what to say.
The door opened, and two girls immediately squeezed through. Several more pressed eagerly from behind, ready to force their way in.
The girl in front recognized that Chen Shixin was in charge. She waved her numbered paper with an imperious air. "We have a number! Number fifty! We should be next. How can you let people cut in line?"
Chen Shixin first gestured to the Tan family, who had risen from their seats, signaling them to sit back down. Then he addressed the girls with evident displeasure. "I was calling for quite some time, and you weren't here—so I let them go first. Their prep work is finished; they've already practiced. You expect them to step aside the moment you arrive? There's no such rule." He pointed to the "Customer Notice" posted on the wall of the waiting area outside. "'Numbers called in order; missed numbers must re-queue.'"
The leading girl was clearly sharp-tongued herself. Seeing she couldn't pin the "line-cutting" accusation on them, her eyes darted about before she tried a different angle. "Fine—if they have a number and go first, we have no objection. But this morning when you handed out numbers, you said there were only fifty. So how can there be someone after us?"
"This number was added in accordance with the Senate's policy of 'Preferential Treatment for Soldiers and Military Families.'" Chen Shixin had followed the Senators for many years. He had encountered plenty of young men and women who had read a few years of Kun books, learned some catchphrases, and thought they could bluster their way through anything. He handled them with practiced ease.
Sure enough, the invocation silenced the girls as if something had seized their tongues. Since the Mainland Campaign had begun, the principle of "Preferential Treatment for Soldiers and Military Families" had been elevated to near-sacred status. Never mind that these girls were merely elementary public school graduates attending vocational classes—even proper students from the Fangcaodi Selection Group wouldn't dare object.
"Then... then..." The leading girl was clearly at a loss, though she struggled to maintain composure and regain the initiative. Suddenly, she remembered something and declared with renewed self-righteousness, "Fine—we have no objection to soldiers going first. But you can't lie to us and claim you were closing!"
"When did I say we were closing?" Chen Shixin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Seeing Tan Shuangxi's face flush crimson, he realized the soldier had probably been the one talking nonsense. He couldn't help but find it amusing, though he kept his composure. "We operate normally until five in the afternoon. If you miss your number, you can't take the photo—that's all."
"What kind of reasoning is this..." Below came another round of chattering complaints.
Tan Shuangxi knew he had to step forward. He had caused this mess for Comrade Chen; he couldn't pretend to be deaf and dumb. He approached quickly, flashing an ingratiating smile at the girls, and spoke in the most sincere tone he could summon.
"Ladies, I'm returning to my unit tomorrow to prepare for deployment north. If I don't take this photo today, I don't know when I'll get another chance. You're right here in Lingao—you can come back any day you like. Could you do me this favor?"
His words were genuinely heartfelt. Even Chen Shixin spoke up on his behalf. "What urgent matter could you possibly have? He's going north to fight."
"Let them go first." A familiar voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
Tan Shuangxi looked toward the sound and was startled to see Yang Zhaodi squeezing in from outside the room.
"Zhaodi, how can you say that!" The leading girl grew agitated, seizing Yang Zhaodi's hand and shaking it. "It's so hard for all of us night school classmates who work at different factories to get together. Finding another day when everyone is free—that's nearly impossible!"
"Zhaodi? What a coincidence!"
"Brother Shuangxi—it really is you! I heard a voice that sounded like yours and had to come see!"
"Oh my—Brother Shuangxi!" The girls erupted into collective laughter. Apparently, they had heard this particular form of address before. The topic shifted instantly from photo-taking disputes to gossip, and the scene spiraled out of control.
"Everyone, quiet down!" Chen Shixin finally intervened to restore order. "Here's what I propose: there are two plates left. I'll do my best to succeed in one take and photograph the Tan family first. You ladies wait a moment. If the shot is successful, the spare plate can be used for you. How does that sound?"
"Can you guarantee both will turn out?"
Chen Shixin spread his hands. "I can't guarantee that. I can only say I'll try my best. If it doesn't work, you can come back tomorrow or in a few days. I'll take it upon myself to give you an extra copy for free. Fair?"
The girls huddled together to discuss, then agreed. However, they made a new request: to wear the photo studio's costumes for their shoot. These were a batch of Song-style garments that Senator Huang had specially commissioned from Wanzi Pavilion for studio use. Chen Shixin readily consented; he had the authority to waive the rental fee. Upon hearing this good news, the girls immediately cheered and crowded around the costume rack to make their selections.
Only Yang Zhaodi hung back from the commotion. Amid her friends' excited chatter, she approached to greet Tan Shuangxi's family. This group of girls were all close classmates from night school. Because they were about to graduate, several classmates were heading north, and one girl's factory had issued experience coupons, they had agreed to gather today for a group photo as a memento.
Tan Shuangxi seized the opportunity to share news of his own upcoming deployment. Though he wasn't leaving tomorrow exactly, he doubted he would have such leisurely time to wander about after this. Today's chance encounter could serve as a proper farewell—making the entire trip worthwhile.
After exchanging a few sentences, Tan Shuangxi found himself at a loss for words. It seemed a thousand things had piled up at the edge of his lips, all clamoring to be spoken, yet not one was willing to leap forth. He could only gaze fixedly into Yang Zhaodi's eyes, entirely oblivious to the fact that his parents and the shop clerk stood mere steps away.
After the New Year, due to major events at the author's unit, updates have been suspended until now. Please forgive me!
(End of Chapter)