Chapter 82: We agreed to achieve mutual success
"I have never seen a disaster victim, but I have heard people say this."
Xu Chong glanced at the silent Jiang Zhihong and sighed imperceptibly, "The victims are no longer human beings."
"What's the meaning?"
Jiang Zhihong was stunned and didn't understand.
"literal meaning."
"As long as you can stay alive, what's the point of eating animal bran? Grass roots, soil, and tree bark are all edible."
"Do the victims want to enjoy themselves? Do they want to have enough to eat?"
"No, they just want to stay alive."
Xu Chong shook his head and said in a low voice: "I believe that you didn't really realize how cruel it is to eat your own children until just now."
"If there were still only the original 1.6 million shi of grain, how many of the remaining half of the people would have to endure this cruelty?"
"Don't forget, if the food is not enough for exchanging children, there is another person who will eat you."
These words reminded Jiang Zhihong of his mood just now, and his face turned even paler.
"The grudge between you and Prime Minister Lou is not something a small blood-stained flag like me can interfere with."
Xu Chong continued, "Whether Prime Minister Lou is loyal or treacherous, good or evil, I don't know him and can't judge, but I think that at least he did the right thing in this matter."
"Yes……?"
Jiang Zhihong murmured, pondering over and over what Xu Chong said.
About a quarter of an hour later, she finally spoke.
"Even if you are correct in all your calculations and what you said is true, I still can't understand it ."
Jiang Zhihong paused and said, "Why doesn't he continue to ask for food? When has Daqing ever been short of food?"
"Finally I've got the point."
Xu Chong snapped his fingers. "Yes, Daqing is not short of food, but do you think that Prime Minister Lou did not ask for it at all, or did he ask for it but failed to get it?"
As soon as the words fell, Jiang Zhihong's face changed drastically, "You mean?!"
At the same time, Ge Wanshan outside the Black Prison also had a horrible expression on his face, and waved his hand fiercely: "Everyone, go back to your room immediately and cover your ears to death!"
There was a rumbling sound of footsteps, followed by the banging of doors and windows closing.
When he was sure that he was the only one left, Ge Wanshan breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and cursed: "Fuck..."
Xu Chong is really fucking brave.
He really dares to tell anything and guess anything!
In the black prison.
Xu Chong waved his hand.
"I didn't say anything. It's been so many years since the incident. I wasn't there at the time. How could I know?"
"I only know that if someone whom I despise or even hate from the bottom of my heart suddenly climbs over my head one day and becomes more noble than me, I would probably feel uncomfortable."
The corners of Xu Chong's mouth curled up slightly.
"You mean...he didn't volunteer to do disaster relief?"
Jiang Zhihong looked miserable.
"maybe."
Xu Chong shrugged. "It's possible that it was indeed voluntary, but I didn't expect that there were only so many. But no matter which one it is..."
"No matter which one..."
At this point, Jiang Zhihong was already able to replenish his own food. "Is this all the food he can get?"
"So, we exchange corn for bran and mix it with sand..."
"It's not that he wants to do it, but that he has to do it?"
"So... half of the people in Bingzhou were able to survive because at most only half of them could survive?"
As Jiang Zhihong spoke, he staggered backwards until his back hit the wall, with nowhere to go.
"Based on this assumption, let's go back to what we talked about before, the disaster victim you met."
"The drought broke out in late April, and Prime Minister Lou arrived in Bingzhou to provide disaster relief in early May. You saw the victims in early June."
Xu Chong smiled grimly, "Even if he left for Beijing on the first day that Prime Minister Lou arrived in Bingzhou, it would have taken him a little over a month to cover a distance of more than 2,000 miles? And he was carrying the Taizu Dagao, which weighed 22 kilograms, and he was begging for food along the way. And after seeing you, he still had the energy to say so much to you?"
"Stop talking, stop talking..."
Jiang Zhihong covered his ears and slowly squatted down against the wall.
Tears streaming down my face.
"The last sentence."
"What do you think, since Prime Minister Lou has arrested you, who is now powerless, but has not killed you, tried you, or sent you to Beijing, is he harming you or protecting you?"
"That's all I have to say."
After saying that, Xu Chong stood up and left without looking back.
He had done all that he could, and there was no point in staying any longer.
As for whether Jiang Zhihong could figure it out, he was not worried at all.
As early as when he was first imprisoned, it was destined that Jiang Zhihong would be captured.
The first time he was sent to the Black Prison, Jiang Zhihong was first found to have a weakness in Lou Xiang, and then he was found to still have desires - suppressing desires just proves that he has desires.
If you have desires, it means your heart is not completely dead yet.
As long as you target the flaws, whether it's to break his persistence or to protect his beliefs, it's not very difficult to make him regain the will to survive.
However...Xu Chong didn't expect it to be so simple.
With the memories of his previous life, he easily found the crux of the problem between Jiang Zhihong and Lou Xiang. Then, based on some clues, he figured out the complete steps.
The first step is to use the slogan "Others may not believe, but I still believe" to boost Jiang Zhihong's spirit and let him focus on himself.
The second step is to use the oil pan and the swaddling clothes to arouse Jiang Zhihong's emotions, whether it is fear or the desire to protect, and then let him see clearly that there is no baby in the oil pan.
Once Jiang Zhihong calms down, he will be curious about what he really wants to do, and he will be patient in listening to what he says next and think about it seriously.
The third step is to use real data and reliable logic to defeat "only live half" and turn it into "can only live half".
Finally, it is to overturn Jiang Zhihong’s understanding of Lou Xiang and completely shatter Jiang Zhihong’s beliefs.
Didn’t you call Prime Minister Lou a traitor and a powerful official?
I don't disagree with that, but I'm just being objective.
At the very least, when Prime Minister Lou was in the most difficult and dangerous situation and needed your support as his best friend the most, you stabbed him in the back.
How do you say this?
Click!
All three views are shattered.
Whether he had doubts and wanted to verify it himself, or skipped the doubt stage and wanted to make amends out of guilt, Jiang Zhihong definitely wanted to survive.
After reviewing the situation, Xu Chong looked back at Prison A1 and sprang up into the air.
He crossed a height of more than ten meters in an instant and landed lightly next to the entrance of the Black Prison.
As soon as he came out, he saw Ge Wanshan standing beside him, looking at him with an extremely strange look.
"I greet you, sir."
Xu Chong clasped his fists.
"you……"
Ge Wanshan only managed to utter one word before he stopped. After a while, he realized that he really didn't know what to say, so he patted Xu Chong's shoulders twice and said, "You fucking bastard!"
“…”
Xu Chong looked innocent.
"How about it, are you sure now?"
Ge Wanshan asked.
"It should be fine."
Xu Chong nodded, "I estimate that it will only take him a day or two to figure it out."
To be more precise, it should not be called "thinking it through", but "reshaping one's beliefs".
"One or two days? That's fine..."
Ge Wanshan breathed a sigh of relief.
He couldn't remember how many times he had been worried and how many times he had been relieved during this period.
Anyway, it's up and down, up and down.
"Master Qianhu, I have broken through to the ninth level of enlightenment and would like to go to the armory."
Since everyone was there, Xu Chong was too lazy to choose another time.
"Hmm, has he reached the ninth level of enlightenment already? It's time to prepare in advance."
Ge Wanshan nodded, and then changed the subject: "However, there is no rush in the next two days. As long as Jiang Zhihong asks for a meal, we will report the news, and the subsequent contributions will all be issued. It will not be too late for you to go to the arsenal and exchange them all at once."
"Well, alright."
Xu Chong nodded.
You can't just confess now and save your extra contributions for job hopping, right?
And just like that, a day passed.
The next day at noon.
"Send down some food."
A very plain sentence without any emotion came from the ventilation vent of the Black Prison.
As soon as these words were spoken, Ge Wanshan, who had been paying attention from beginning to end, was overjoyed and jumped three feet high.
He immediately gave orders to the kitchen to prepare a table full of dishes and send them down.
We are all warriors. As long as we still have strength left, there is no such thing as being hungry for too long and having to eat only porridge.
"This kid, this kid..."
Ge Wanshan paced back and forth outside the entrance of the Black Prison, his face full of joy, "What a great guy!"
It was not until this moment that his spirit was completely relaxed and his whole body felt comfortable. If Xu Chong was next to him, he would have wanted to hug him and kiss him.
Because he had realized the true seriousness of the matter from what Xu Chong said!
Why did Prime Minister Lou decide to make so many contributions?
Is it because he is afraid that Jiang Zhihong will die and he will be framed as unjust?
no!
Or not entirely!
The bigger reason is probably that Prime Minister Lou himself wants Jiang Zhihong to live!
Just think about it, what if Jiang Zhihong died in the institute...
Ge Wanshan shuddered.
With Prime Minister Lou's magnanimity, he would definitely not and would not bother to do anything directly to a small captain like him, but what about the people under Prime Minister Lou's command?
Or, what about those who want to curry favor with the Prime Minister?
Or, what about those who know or guessed Lou Xiang’s true intentions?
Apart from anything else, given the relationship between the commander-in-chief and Prime Minister Lou, this is most likely one of them.
it's good now.
Not only did Jiang Zhihong survive, but it was also very likely that because of Xu Chong's words, he was able to resolve the feud with Lou Xiang that had lasted for decades!
What is the concept of this?
"Even the commander-in-chief would probably look up to me..."
Thinking of this, Ge Wanshan immediately went back to his room and wrote down Jiang Zhihong's situation.
Because I was too excited, the hand holding the pen was shaking slightly.
After finishing writing, Ge Wanshan slowly exhaled, "I'm afraid I'm going to make a lot of money this time! This kid is really my lucky star."
From heavy losses to huge profits.
This huge gap between a dark cloud and a bright future made him extremely grateful to Xu Chong for turning the tide.
Then I thought of Xu Chong mastering the Wind-Breaking Hand...
"Well, since you have helped me so much, I will naturally not let you down."
"We agreed to achieve mutual success."
"As long as you report this matter, even if you cannot become the commander-in-chief's closed disciple, your future will be smooth."
Thinking of this, Ge Wanshan took another piece of white paper and wrote down every word Xu Chong said to Jiang Zhihong and every thing he did, from beginning to end.
After finishing writing, he paused and added the progress of Xu Chong's practice of the Wind-Breaking Hand.
Just like that, a letter with the highest encryption level was sent out through the Blood-Clothes Guard's special channels.
