Chapter 368: The Senator's Speech

Should I just shave my head and become a naturalized citizen? The thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Even if he shaved his head, there was still a “probationary period” to go through, and he couldn’t wait that long.

However, if he just shaved his head in private and pretended to be a naturalized citizen, it should be possible. A few days ago, he had gone to Nanbao and seen Zhou Zhongjun’s attire—it was no different from Lian Nishang’s. Walking on the street, no one would suspect that she was actually a martial arts heroine from the Great Ming who had just arrived in Lingao.

It was easy to get clothes for naturalized citizens; they were sold in the clothing stores on the street. As for shaving his head, there were also barbershops on the street, but he didn’t know if they would shave a “native” like him. He would have to inquire about that first.

As he was calculating in his mind, his eyes kept scanning the gymnasium, looking at the various entrances and exits. He saw that the gymnasium was very tall and spacious, with the roof at least three or four stories high from the ground. The roof was inlaid with large panes of glass. Though there were windows on the four walls, they were very high and could not be used for entry or exit.

The only entrances and exits were the main entrance in the front and a small door on the side. He couldn’t see the other two walls clearly and didn’t know if there were any doors. Zhuo Yifan estimated the size of the building and guessed that there should be doors there as well.

This meant that there were very few places to enter and exit. The brick walls were not like the wooden partitions of ordinary houses, which could be easily broken with brute force and swords. The skylights and windows were so high that it would be very difficult to climb to the roof, and one would need a rope to get down, otherwise one would fall to one’s death.

He immediately hesitated. Even if the assassination was successful, the perpetrators would have little chance of escaping. They could only escape through a few large and small doors. The short-hairs only needed to guard the entrances to trap the assassins inside the gymnasium. What about breaking out from the roof? That was not very feasible either—the building was too high, and they would have to have people on the roof in advance with ropes to assist them. Climbing up the rope to the roof and then leaving from there would take a lot of time. If the short-hairs’ reaction was fast, they would not be able to escape either.

Of course, once they succeeded, Lingao would inevitably fall into chaos, and the short-hairs would suffer heavy casualties. But in that case, the dozens of people who had come to Lingao would probably be wiped out. The martial arts world of the Central Plains would be greatly weakened, and it would be difficult to explain when they returned.

Before they left, Shi Weng and the leaders of the various sects had all said that this was a “do-or-die” mission, and the people from each sect were willing to “sacrifice themselves.” It didn’t matter if the entire army was wiped out. But Zhuo Yifan knew that, except for Shi Weng, no one really thought so.

We absolutely cannot act inside the gymnasium. Zhuo Yifan’s gaze shifted to the open main entrance. Ambush at the entrance! There was an open space of about twenty zhang between the steps of the main entrance and the street, paved with square stones and dotted with flower beds and trees. The short-hairs’ important personnel would have to pass through this section to enter and exit the gymnasium. They could hide among the crowd of onlookers…

As he was planning how to arrange it, he heard the crisp sound of a bicycle bell outside. A four-wheeled carriage drove into the open space at the bottom of the steps.

As soon as the carriage stopped at the bottom of the steps, a young soldier with a “Lingao Garrison” armband on his sleeve and two revolvers slung across his white cross-belt jumped down from the driver’s seat. He opened the carriage door neatly, stood at attention, and as soon as the passenger’s head appeared at the door, he raised his arm in a crisp salute.

Zhuo Yifan’s heart skipped a beat. A true short-hair has arrived! This kind of pomp, without a doubt, meant that a “Senator” had arrived. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone’s attention was drawn to the true short-hair, he shrank back, making sure he was not too conspicuous—the gymnasium was almost full of naturalized citizens, and his image was too eye-catching.

He saw three men get out of the carriage, all wearing the kind of front-opening short jacket that the short-hairs loved to wear. However, the material of their jackets was much better than that of the naturalized citizens, and they were well-tailored and stylish. They were not just blue or black, but a light, elegant gray. They had no other decorations, except for a long, shiny silver clip on the pocket of their chests, and a strange object on their wrists that sparkled in the sunlight, tied with a strap.

Following the men out of the carriage was a young girl, wearing a blue dress and a white apron. Her cuffs and collar were also white, and she carried a black leather bag in her hand. This was probably a so-called “personal secretary.” Zhuo Yifan had originally thought that this true short-hair’s concubine would be as beautiful as a fairy, but a glance told him that she was nothing special, just tall and graceful.

The group walked up the steps, talking as they went. Before they even entered the gymnasium, there was a commotion inside. Someone shouted, “The Chief is here!” The naturalized citizens who had been busy working all rushed to the entrance of the gymnasium. Zhuo Yifan had not wanted to get too close, but he was swept up by the crowd and couldn’t help but be pushed forward. Seeing that the situation was not good, he quickly moved towards a corner.

He saw that the naturalized citizens were already in a frenzy. He didn’t know who started clapping first, but the whole crowd began to clap excitedly. Zhuo Yifan didn’t know what this meant, and he didn’t know if he should clap along. Fortunately, he had already reached a corner, and no one around him was paying attention to him.

The soldiers with the “Lingao Garrison” armbands were maintaining order, but several female students had already rushed up and were holding the true short-hair’s arms, one on each side, surrounding them. From the happy smiles on their faces, it seemed as if they were enjoying the greatest joy in the world.

Zhuo Yifan was secretly surprised. He had long heard that the short-hairs were very good at deceiving people, and that countless poor people had been tricked. Today, it seemed that the rumors were true.

The few true short-hairs just waved frequently. At this moment, a few students went up to them, grabbed their hands, and said something loudly, seeming to be asking them to “say something.”

The leading true short-hair raised his hand with a smile, and the applause gradually died down. He then said loudly:

“Comrades, students, we will soon welcome the Fourth Cultural Festival. Many of you here have experienced the first Cultural Festival. At that time, our Fangcaodi was just starting out. We didn’t have a big building, and we performed in a shed made of bamboo poles and reed mats. Most of the students had just arrived in Lingao—they had tasted the bitterness of hunger and suffering, and they were all dark and thin, not looking good. For the first time, they were able to eat their fill, wear clean clothes, and happily act, sing, and laugh. Though the conditions were simple, they experienced the feeling of being a dignified person. Today, the Senate’s factories have produced more steel, we have more cement, and we also have such a magnificent gymnasium. The students also look much more beautiful than before…”

At this point, the students and naturalized citizens surrounding them burst into happy laughter. The speaking true short-hair waited for their laughter to subside slightly, then continued, “Though our Lingao and our Hainan Island are becoming more and more beautiful, Lingao and Hainan Island are only a very small part of the whole of China. If you look at the world, they are just a speck of dust. As students of the Senate, you must have the world in your hearts, cherish every day, study hard, and train hard to master skills. Now, youth is for struggle; in the future, youth is for reminiscing. When you contribute to the Senate and the people of the world in your various positions in the future, everything today will be the most beautiful memory of that time.”

As soon as he finished speaking, enthusiastic applause immediately erupted from the crowd. Zhuo Yifan saw the male and female students and naturalized citizens around him, all in a state of ecstasy. Some were shedding tears, and their palms were red from clapping. He felt both fear and disgust. Though he didn’t understand some of the vocabulary, he knew the general meaning. This was not just a rebellion—the rebels Zhuo Yifan had seen had no “world in their hearts.”

However, from today’s scene, though the short-hairs had bodyguards with them, their protection was not strict. They did not clear the streets, nor did they ask idle people to leave. If the crowd had been willing to risk it, it would have been no problem to assassinate one or two of them just now.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Zhuo Yifan breathed a sigh of relief. He saw Lian Nishang not far away, looking around for him, and quickly walked over.

“Where did you go? You disappeared in a moment,” Lian Nishang complained. “This place is so big, how can I find you?”

“I was pushed by the crowd, I couldn’t help it,” Zhuo Yifan said, covering up. He saw that Lian Nishang’s eyes were also teary, and he couldn’t help but feel contempt in his heart. From her words and actions, she seems to be a strange woman, but I didn’t expect her to be so easily swayed!

He asked, “Those few just now were Australian Senators, right?”

Lian Nishang nodded. “That’s right.”

“Seeing you so happy, miss, are they your benefactors?”

Lian Nishang nodded. “They are my benefactors, but I don’t know these chiefs.”

For a moment, Zhuo Yifan found it difficult to understand. Fortunately, Lian Nishang continued, “I have received a great kindness from the Senate. If the Senate had not saved me back then, Lian Nishang would have long since turned to dust.”

“I see.” Zhuo Yifan knew that the true short-hairs probably had a “life-saving grace” for the naturalized citizens here. No wonder they were so infatuated with the short-hairs. The short-hairs’ charity and relief work on the mainland was truly sinister and shocking! The common people were ignorant and had no sense of righteousness. They were most easily blinded by personal kindness. No wonder the short-hairs had been so successful along the coast in recent years, winning every battle and conquering so much territory.

With these thoughts, Zhuo Yifan’s mood became even heavier. He was from a family of officials. Besides practicing martial arts since he was a child, he had also read extensively, traveled the world, and had experience in both the common world and official circles. Though he was young, he was a talented young man with extensive knowledge and skills in both literature and martial arts. What he had seen and heard in Lingao these days had given him a strong impression that the short-hairs were far more powerful than the court imagined. And the danger they posed to the Great Ming was far greater than the Eastern Tartars who had repeatedly invaded and put the court under great pressure.