Chapter 44

"Zhengzi! Get the grenades!" The thunderous roar made his ears ring.

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

A face smeared with blood, thick smoke, corpses, whistling shells, everything was a vivid red, everywhere was a shocking red! The battlefield, already reduced to powder by the bombardment, was now a mix of yellow earth and clumps of black blood, a sight that was heart-wrenching...

Lu Zheng suddenly opened his eyes, the nightmare still vivid before him. He panted heavily, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.

The blue bedsheet, the blue ceiling, and directly opposite the hospital bed was a TV stand with a color television. This was the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, one of the best private hospitals for ophthalmology and neurology in the United States, with excellent conditions. In China, some goods were still rationed, but in comparison, the United States was truly a paradise.

Lu Zheng sighed softly. For over a year, he had been plagued by such nightmares, but recently, they had become less frequent.

Today, perhaps due to the jet lag, he had only dozed off for a moment and yet had another nightmare.

On the adjacent bed, his Uncle Han Guoping was sitting up, chatting with his mother. In fact, most of the time, it was Uncle Han who was doing the talking, complaining about the inconveniences abroad. His mother just listened, occasionally responding with a command to rest and recover.

It was clear that the siblings had a deep bond.

In the hospital ward in Los Angeles, his mother's green military uniform and red collar insignia stood out vividly and uniquely.

Uncle Han, who seemed even more accustomed to his mother's personality, had his eyes bandaged, having just undergone a pre-surgery examination. He was scheduled to enter the operating room at four o'clock that afternoon.

"Xiao Jing, I'm really sorry to have to come to the land of the American Empire," Uncle Han kept blaming himself, initially refusing to come to the United States.

For their generation, the perception of the United States was not something that could be changed overnight.

His mother's status was special, and her red collar and green military uniform in Los Angeles were so striking that they made Americans uneasy. This uniform, from the red world, had once been the nightmare of the American Empire.

After Uncle Han rambled on for a while, his mother finally said lightly, "Talking too much is not good; you need to rest."

Uncle Han smiled bitterly but then extended his hand, saying, "Zhengzi, are you there?"

Lu Zheng quickly extended his hand, saying, "Uncle, I'm here. Don't worry, the surgery will go smoothly this afternoon."

Han Guoping patted Lu Zheng's hand, gripping it tightly, and sighed, "I'm not worried about my eyes; life and death are in the hands of fate, right?"

"Zhengzi, I always felt you might be the only man in the Lus... even your father lacks the courage!"

Lu Zheng felt helpless, saying, "Uncle, a son should not speak ill of his father, and besides, my father isn't like you say..."

Han Guoping chuckled, "See, you're still a Lu, aren't you? I'm just an uncle from a different family, right?"

Lu Zheng coughed, "That's not what I meant."

Han Guoping laughed, "No matter, I didn't mean it that way." His smile faded, and he turned to Han Jing, "Sister, why don't you take a walk? What I have to say to Zhengzi, you shouldn't hear."

If it were anyone else, they would have asked curiously, "What can't I hear as a mother?" But Han Jing got up calmly and walked out.

Hearing the door close and the footsteps fade, Han Guoping sighed deeply, "Zhengzi, if my surgery fails... (Lu Zheng was about to speak, but he squeezed Lu Zheng's hand) listen to me..."

"If my surgery fails, I won't worry about anyone. Your cousins are all doing well, and your second uncle will take care of the family. I'm most worried about your mother, my little sister."

"She's too strong-willed. She was doing well as the minister of production management in the General Logistics Department, but because she disagreed with halting the large aircraft project, she almost got sidelined! If it weren't for some uncles and aunts in the Central Military Commission who understand and appreciate her talents, she might have been completely frozen out!"

Han Guoping sighed again, his tone heavy, "In the future, I see that the world will undergo great turmoil. At that time, the Hans and the Lus might become sacrifices. Promise me, don't strive for power, just live a peaceful life! When the time comes, even farming with your mother would be fine. Whatever happens, don't let her get hurt! Her temper can't stand being slandered!"

"You must promise me!" Han Guoping gripped Lu Zheng's hand tightly.

Lu Zheng was truly amazed at how insightful his uncle was, a simple worker, and his concerns would indeed become reality in the future.

But now, with him as an X factor, the future could be changed, right?

Lu Zheng patted Han Guoping's hand and said solemnly, "Uncle, I promise you, I will take good care of my mother! No one will ever hurt her!"

Blindfolded, Han Guoping heard the gravity and hidden authority in Lu Zheng's voice more clearly. He was momentarily stunned; this child was not simple.

But Han Guoping didn't say much more, just held Lu Zheng's hand and nodded silently.

...

In a small flower garden, Lu Zheng sat on a bench, admiring the colorful blooms.

This was the garden behind the ophthalmology ward, with fresh air. Lu Zheng marveled at the comprehensive services of this century-old private hospital, which charged exorbitant fees.

Several blonde, blue-eyed nurses walked down the path through the lawn, a delightful sight.

Uncle Han had entered the operating room, and now all he could do was pray for his success.

Having seen many partings and deaths, Lu Zheng's heart was sometimes harder than steel, but today, it felt inexplicably soft.

He reached out and pulled out a whistle made from a bullet shell, the golden shell polished to a slight shine. Lu Zheng gently caressed it as if it had a life of its own.

This was a gift from Brother Liu, but Brother Liu had fallen heroically in the battle at Nanshan.

Many tragic memories he didn't want to recall, but in this foreign land, after occasionally seeing a patient's family wailing in grief, the scenes flooded back, uncontrollable.

Slowly, he pressed his lips to the cold whistle, feeling a slight pain in his heart. Memories flashed before his eyes as he softly blew the whistle, which emitted a slightly hoarse metallic sound, reflecting his current low mood.

Lu Zheng quietly hummed, "Perhaps I will not return, do you understand? Do you comprehend? Perhaps I will not rise again, will you still wait forever? ... Perhaps I will never open my eyes again, do you understand my silent affection? Perhaps I will never wake again, do you believe I have become a mountain? ... If so, do not grieve, the flag of the People's Republic of China is dyed with our blood and glory!"

The hoarse but resolute sound of the whistle gradually faded, and Lu Zheng fell silent.

Where are the fallen comrades now?

After an unknown amount of time, a soft sigh came from beside him, "Your whistle is very special, very beautiful, as if the soul is singing!"

The speaker was a small patient in a white and blue hospital gown, not very tall, with her head wrapped in white bandages and even wearing sunglasses. From her build and voice, she was probably a girl around eight or nine years old.

She spoke in English, a bit stiffly, likely not her native language, but her voice was sweet and pleasant. In his previous life, Lu Zheng, after going into business, had studied and mastered English and German, and could even have simple conversations in French, though he hadn't used these skills for a long time in this life.

"White Bandage" was the nickname Lu Zheng had given her, a habit he had picked up from his time in the military, where he often gave people nicknames.

Yesterday, "White Bandage" had encountered Lu Zheng in the garden but hadn't spoken. She had listened silently while he blew the whistle and then quietly left in her wheelchair. Lu Zheng could sense that this little girl had a lot on her mind.

Hearing "White Bandage" speak to him, Lu Zheng was a bit surprised and shook his head, "What's so good about my whistle?" The atmosphere today felt particularly desolate.

"Doctor Harris said you're from Red China?" "White Bandage" asked with a hint of curiosity.

Lu Zheng nodded, "Yes."

"Is your whistle made from a bullet shell? Are you a soldier from Red China? Were you injured in war? Have you killed enemies?"

Lu Zheng was silent for a moment, seeing no need to explain that he was just visiting, and nodded lightly. "White Bandage" seemed surprised and let out a small "ah."

After a while, Lu Zheng asked, "Did I scare you?" The red world, and China, a key member, was known to the West as a source of fear. Lu Zheng knew what Chinese soldiers meant to Westerners, often seen as lifeless war machines, symbols of terror and death, due to various misunderstandings.

"White Bandage" shook her head, "I just felt like crying when you blew the whistle. You have a lot on your mind, don't you?"

Lu Zheng didn't answer her question but asked, "What about you? Where are you from? What's your illness?"

"White Bandage" said, "I'm from Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany, what you call West Germany."

Lu Zheng nodded slightly.

"White Bandage" continued, "I have a tumor in my brain, and it can't be operated on. Doctor Harris said I won't live to see this year's Christmas."

Lu Zheng was stunned, looking at her with shock. Her casual tone, as if she wasn't talking about her own life, was surprising. How could such a young girl be so philosophical? Perhaps, when life is about to end, one truly reflects on the meaning of life, and death is just a brief moment in the vast river of the universe, insignificant.

After a moment, Lu Zheng said, "That's not necessarily true. Science is advancing, and the second-generation brain CT machine will soon be available. Maybe your condition isn't as serious as you think."

"White Bandage" shook her head, "I know my condition, but thank you for your comfort. You know a lot, but my condition is simple; it just can't be operated on."

Lu Zheng knew that a CT machine was just for diagnosis and couldn't do much for brain scans. Looking at this girl at the end of her life, he couldn't help but reflect on what he would think about at the end of his own life. Power and wealth were like passing clouds; what truly left a mark on history?

The pity for the girl gradually faded. Living a few more decades, what difference would it make? Your world might not be as colorful as hers. Lu Zheng asked, "You often come to the garden, do you have something on your mind?"

"White Bandage" nodded, "I come here to think." Her serious tone was out of place for her age.

Lu Zheng smiled, intrigued, "What do you think about?" He found this girl, with her limited lifespan, very interesting and mature beyond her years.

"White Bandage" said, "I think about the NASDAQ and Dow Jones indices, and use microeconomics to explain the relationship between market consumption and stock prices."

Lu Zheng was stunned. What was this little girl talking about? He looked at "White Bandage" in surprise and couldn't help but laugh, "You'll be the world's richest person one day."

"White Bandage" could tell Lu Zheng was joking but wasn't upset, "I won't live to next year."

Lu Zheng's smile slowly faded. After a moment, he said, "If you want to invest in stocks or real estate, enter the Japanese market now. Starting this year, the Japanese stock market will experience a crazy bull run, especially in the telecommunications industry. In the next few years, you could see returns of hundreds of times."

"White Bandage" nodded, "That's what I think too."

Lu Zheng was taken aback. The Japanese stock market had plummeted by over 2000 points two years ago, but this was the early stage of the bubble economy, the darkest hour before dawn. Few people saw the bright future. This girl must have a special background; the ups and downs of the Japanese economy were often influenced by mysterious financial groups.

After a moment, Lu Zheng said, "Next year, the United States will sign an agreement with your country and Japan to devalue the dollar. The yen will be most affected, followed by the mark. If you start shorting the yen and entering the Japanese stock and real estate markets now, you could see several times the return in two or three years. This is a conservative estimate; with good management, you could see ten or a hundred times the return."

"White Bandage" tilted her head, wrapped in bandages, and seemed to be looking at Lu Zheng through her dark glasses.

Lu Zheng laughed, "Don't you believe me?" As he spoke, he saw several young white men and women walking from the north of the lawn. They were all in their twenties, and the leading young man was very tall, nearly two meters, fat and muscular, with a commanding presence.

"Alice, why are you out again? I've told you many times not to talk to strangers," the young man said, looking at Lu Zheng warily and scolding "White Bandage" in rapid German with a Bonn accent.

"White Bandage" said calmly, "He's a good person, a soldier from China who was injured in battle. Karl, you're not as brave as him."

The young man grunted and turned to Lu Zheng in English, "Chinese, don't harass my sister." Clearly, he was helpless with his sister.

Lu Zheng smiled and said to "White Bandage" in German, "So your name is Iris. It's a beautiful name, the Greek goddess of the rainbow. In my country, Iris means the tail of an eagle with magical and beautiful feathers. I hope you will soar high like an eagle and not be so gloomy at such a young age."

Both "White Bandage" and her brother were surprised by Lu Zheng's German.

The young man suddenly asked, "Are you a spy? Trying to get close to my sister?" A soldier from Red China who spoke fluent German was suspicious.

Lu Zheng laughed, "I'm more worried you're a spy trying to get close to me."

"Karl, let's go," "White Bandage" said, turning her wheelchair.

Lu Zheng could see that "White Bandage's" brother was quick to anger, likely a rich kid who didn't tolerate challenges. "White Bandage" knew her brother's temper and was trying to defuse the situation.

But the young man strode over, grabbed Lu Zheng's collar, and said coldly, "Yellow-skinned monkey, do you dare to fight me?"

Lu Zheng didn't like trouble, and his natural confidence made him less sensitive to such provocations, but the words still made his eyes cold. He blocked the young man's arm, gripping his wrist tightly, and said slowly, "Boxing or revolver, I'll play along." He slowly stood up.

The young man couldn't break free, his wrist in pain, and his anger grew as he marveled at Lu Zheng's strength. He suddenly punched Lu Zheng in the face, making him see stars and stagger back two steps. Lu Zheng's anger flared, and as the young man lunged again, he grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground with a clean side throw, pinning him down, "You're a big guy, but you're a bit of a coward. Are you a pig among white people?"

The young man's face turned red, but his large frame was like a chick in front of Lu Zheng, unable to break free.

His companions were initially stunned, but then a muscular man pounced from behind, wrapping his thick arms and hands around Lu Zheng's waist, trying to crush him.

Lu Zheng grunted, hitting the man's head with his own, causing the man's face to ache and blood to flow from his nose, and his arms to loosen.

Lu Zheng turned and kicked the man away.

The other young men rushed over, and a fight broke out. Lu Zheng didn't know how many punches and kicks he took, but he knocked them all down one by one. A woman screamed, and it was "White Bandage" trying to stop the fight. Lu Zheng had just thrown a young man, who landed on "White Bandage's" wheelchair, causing her to fall backward, her head hitting the gravel path, and a nearby young woman screamed in terror.

Lu Zheng's movements froze. Karl, who had just gotten up, ignored Lu Zheng and rushed to his sister, carrying her quickly to the hospital building. The other young men followed, and one of them turned