Chapter 94

Amidst the bustling construction site, the air was filled with the roar of machinery.

Lu Zheng and Schneider walked side by side, chatting and laughing.

Lu Zheng explained to Schneider the framework of the party organization he proposed to establish within the company, including the members of the party committee. Lu Zheng's idea was to select the party members from the leadership of the company's trade union in the future. The company's party committee would not interfere with the company's operations; its main responsibilities would be to protect the rights of employees and to contribute to the company's development by leveraging the party's cohesion.

Schneider nodded in satisfaction, saying "ok" repeatedly. He puffed on his large cigar and stared at Lu Zheng with his deep-set eyes, saying, "Dear Lu, before I came to China, I learned about your ruling party's culture. Whether in enterprises or civilian teams, as long as the party exists, it should be the leader of the organization, and it should be in a leading position. Won't what you are doing go against the principles of your party?"

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Although this is my suggestion, it has been formally approved by my superiors." Among the five members of the Politburo, two of the younger generation were liberal reformers. The establishment and responsibilities of party organizations in foreign-controlled joint ventures were still being explored. It was said that Lu Zheng's proposal had received strong support from the liberal reformers. Of course, from the central level, the proposal came from the Wushan Municipal Committee, and no one knew that the initiator was Lu Zheng or who Lu Zheng was.

At this moment, Lu Zheng was just pondering whether he would be implicated if the liberal reformers collapsed as they did in history.

However, these thoughts flashed through Lu Zheng's mind and disappeared. There would always be a way when the time came. There was still enough time to do something.

Moreover, setting up a party organization in a foreign-controlled joint venture was already extremely difficult. In the coming years, the survival of party branches in foreign-controlled enterprises would be quite challenging, and most would only exist nominally, with party activities virtually non-existent. Establishing a grassroots party committee in such enterprises would be even rarer.

"As long as you think it's fine, if there's anything, I'll definitely help," Schneider said earnestly, with a sincere attitude.

Lu Zheng was slightly taken aback. Although they had not known each other long, this German was very principled and always serious, saying what he meant without the polite pleasantries common among Chinese.

Therefore, Schneider's commitment, which seemed to place him in the same trench as Lu Zheng, was somewhat abrupt and left Lu Zheng puzzled.

At this moment, a silver-gray Mercedes stopped beside Lu Zheng. The door opened, and Jiao Lei got out from the driver's seat.

Schneider smiled and gestured, "Dear Lu, this is your car and your driver."

Jiao Lei's face was full of excitement. As a driver, the highest achievement in life was to drive the car of one's dreams, and how many domestic drivers had ever touched a German Mercedes?

At this moment, the old leader Lu Zheng seemed less attractive than the sleek luxury car. After greeting Lu Zheng, Jiao Lei unconsciously returned to the car he had just driven, lovingly wiping the small mud spots on the body with his sleeve.

"Dear Lu, as the company's party secretary, it is very normal for the company to provide you with a car. You don't need to have any concerns."

Hearing Schneider use Chinese thinking to persuade him, Lu Zheng couldn't help but laugh and said, "Mr. Schneider, if I really sit in this Mercedes, all the officials in Wushan will tear me apart."

Schneider seemed to understand the meaning of Lu Zheng's words and nodded slightly, saying, "The company also has a Santana assembled by Shanghai Automotive. Would you like to use that one?"

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Your West German automotive industry is truly unparalleled."

Lu Zheng knew that Shanghai Automotive began assembling the Santana in 1982 with authorization from Volkswagen, but the first production line was only just completed this year. To compete for the Chinese market, Volkswagen and Dodge had a fierce battle, and it was clear that the German company was more sincere and ultimately won.

Seeing Lu Zheng smile, Schneider's eyes lit up, "Lu, are you agreeing?"

Lu Zheng waved his hand and said, "We Chinese have an old saying: don't be the bird that flies at the front, or it will easily be shot down by the hunter. Mr. Schneider, I appreciate your kindness, but I can't use these cars." He had just rejected Yang Wenxue's suggestion to request a car for the commission, and if he now drove a luxury car back, all the officials in the commission would likely see him as an enemy.

Schneider shook his head repeatedly, "You Chinese have too many thoughts; I can't understand them, and I won't force you. But isn't the bird that flies at the front the role we should all strive for?"

Lu Zheng laughed and said, "Cultural differences, let's not discuss this." He looked at his watch and said, "I should go."

Suddenly, Schneider pulled out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Lu Zheng, saying, "A letter from an old friend of yours. This old friend also asked me to pass on a message: the music you played on the flute was very beautiful."

Lu Zheng was taken aback for a moment, and then a girl with a head wrapped in white bandages flashed through his mind. Was it her? Yes, it must be.

She and Schneider knew each other?

Lu Zheng silently got into his "Little Potato" and started the engine.

Jiao Lei finally realized what was happening and hurriedly took a few steps, but the "Little Potato" had already sped out of the factory and turned onto the tree-lined road.

Driving, Lu Zheng pondered the possible connection between the girl with the white bandages and Schneider. The white poplars on both sides quickly receded, and in the distance, the buildings of Jidong University of Technology appeared. This area was part of the future high-tech development zone, which was initially planned to cover 17.5 square kilometers, including 4.5 square kilometers in the eastern area, which would be the core of the high-tech zone, encompassing one township, nine natural villages, and a population of 100,000.

Lu Zheng slowly pulled over and stopped the car, picked up the envelope, and tore it open. He was puzzled by what he saw: a blank sheet of paper covered with Arabic numerals, such as "1637" and "45119," arranged in rows.

What was this girl with the white bandages up to?

Was she still alive? Lu Zheng took a deep breath. Later, he had called his uncle, but was told that the girl had been transferred to another hospital, and the specific situation was unknown, as they were not family, and American hospitals would not casually disclose patient information.

He had always been worried that she might die because of him, and this letter was truly good news.

Lu Zheng glanced at the numbers again. She must have been very afraid of others seeing this letter, and it seemed like a code. The problem was, if it was a code, where was the key?

A code? A key?

From the first time he met her, Lu Zheng had felt that this girl was extraordinary. Her calmness in the face of life and death and her sensitivity to business were something even he, a person reborn, could barely keep up with.

So, she wouldn't have written a bunch of meaningless numbers just to tease him. There must be something in the letter.

This must be a coded message, but where was the key? She should have given him a hint.

Recalling every word he had said to Schneider, the sound of Schneider's heavy Bonn accent echoed in his ears: "Your old friend asked me to pass on a message: the music you played on the flute was very beautiful."

Lu Zheng's brows furrowed, and then he started the car.

...

When Lu Zheng returned home, he had a book in his hand, "Blood-Stained Splendor," a Chinese translation of a German novel.

To an ordinary person, the message from the girl with the white bandages would just be a simple greeting, but Lu Zheng felt that if she wanted to hint at the key, it must be in this message. Only he knew the music he played in the garden, and the girl, after memorizing the melody, should have been able to trace its origin. Even Schneider, who had the letter, would never guess the key.

If these numbers were indeed a code, using a book as the key was a common practice.

When searching for books related to "Blood-Stained Splendor" in the city library, Lu Zheng couldn't help but laugh. Was the girl with the white bandages thinking so much? Was he overthinking it? At such a young age, how could she have so many thoughts?

But deep down, he felt a kind of intuition, as if the girl with the white bandages was indeed such a remarkable child, and his thoughts and hers were on the same wavelength.

In the library, Lu Zheng initially picked many books about the Sino-Vietnamese War, but when he asked the librarian for more inspiration about books related to "Blood-Stained Splendor," the librarian provided some sheet music and newspapers and then mentioned a book by a German author, the Chinese translation of which was titled "Blood-Stained Splendor."

Without hesitation, Lu Zheng put down the books he had originally chosen and took this "Blood-Stained Splendor." After confirming with the librarian that this was the only Chinese translation available, Lu Zheng drove home.

If this letter was indeed a coded message from the girl with the white bandages, she would have investigated the books available in mainland China and used a book he could find as the key. Otherwise, decoding would be impossible.

A German author's "Blood-Stained Splendor"? Then it must be this one.