In the 1930s, there was no such thing as a " nine-to-five " job. The eight-hour working hours were only achieved after decades of bloody sacrifices and desperate struggles by industrial workers. So when Ma Jun arrived at the US Embassy in Shanghai, the Consul General, Mr. Haynes, had already started working. The first thing he had to deal with was the theft of the US Marine Corps weapons last night.
Henn, who was in her fifties, sat behind a large desk. She was slightly bald and had a fat head and big ears. In Chinese terms, she looked like a kind and lucky person. However, the current Consul looked at the garrison leader, Captain Gauss, who was standing respectfully opposite him. He did not look amiable at all.
"My dear Captain Gauss, are you saying that the new equipment that could equip an entire reinforced battalion was stolen overnight without anyone noticing? Oh, my God, this is the funniest story I've ever heard!”Henn heard Captain Gauss 'report and felt incredulous. With so many firearms, how many people and vehicles would be needed to move all of them in a short period of time? 'Captain Gauss' Henn suppressed her dissatisfaction and said coldly,"I remember that there are nearly 200 well-trained marines living in our barracks. Are they all pigs?”
Captain Gauss, who was tall and strong, was also puzzled. This morning, when he was patrolling, he found that the new weapons that had just been shipped from China had disappeared. The door, windows, and barbed wire on the wall behind the warehouse were intact. All the sentries on duty and the soldiers in the camp did not hear any sound. This made Captain Gauss and all the soldiers feel very strange. In fear, Captain Gauss rushed to the embassy to report to the Consul General, Mr. Henns. However, facing the Consul's questions and accusations, he really had no way to explain. He could only obediently endure the Consul's anger and humiliation.
The arrival of Ma Jun had inadvertently helped Captain Gauss out of his predicament. Mr. Henns, who was spitting at Captain Gauss, saw a well-dressed, handsome Chinese man who dared to barge into his office without his permission while he was reprimanding his subordinates. This made the great Consul feel that his dignity had been challenged, and he was even more unhappy. He raised his head and stared at the young man standing in front of him with a smile that "deserved a beating". He said coldly,"Young man, you are the most impolite person I have ever met in my life. You have rudely interrupted my work.”
Ma Jun glanced at Captain Gauss, who was wearing a military uniform, and immediately understood what the two of them were "discussing" about. It seemed that his " theft " had caused a very unpleasant thing to happen between these two gentlemen. He pretended not to hear Henn's dissatisfaction and said in English,"Dear Consul, as an American citizen, I have the right to ask you for help when I'm in trouble. I think this is also your duty, isn't it?”
In fact, Henn did not have a good solution to solve the issue of the stolen firearms of the United States Marine Corps last night. In addition, the United States had a separation of military and political affairs, and the law of non-interference. He did not have the right to restrict the garrison. Therefore, after venting his anger, he only asked Captain Gauss to go back and continue the investigation, and then provide a report to explain the situation to the country. After sending Captain Gauss away, Henn invited Ma Jun to sit down. She took a cigar from Hyde and lit it up with Ma Jun's help. She then blew out a smoke ring and said,"Young man, can you tell me what happened to you now?”
Ma Jun didn't say anything. He took out a small box from his pocket, which contained a French-made diamond necklace that he had just bought for 180 dollars. He put it on the table in front of Henn Si and said with a smile,"Respected Consul, please forgive my rudeness just now.”Seeing Henn Si's happy smile, Ma Jun continued,"My name is Ma Jun. I was born in Canada and came to the United States with my parents three years ago. This time, he was ordered by his parents to return to his hometown to worship his ancestors. However, my luck was very bad. When I changed to a ship in Japan, because there were too many people, the suitcase I carried with me was accidentally squeezed into the sea. Poor me, I've lost everything, including all my documents and money. If it weren't for the help of Mr. Hyde, the manager of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, I would have become a beggar now.”
Henn Si, who had received the beautiful gift, had already forgotten that this young man had 'rudely interrupted my work'. Hearing Ma Jun's story, she said sympathetically,"This is really unfortunate. Mr. Hyde is indeed a warm-hearted gentleman. I'm glad you met him. What can I do for you now?”
" Honorable Consul," Ma Jun said with a smile," I took the liberty to disturb you today because I want to ask you to help me issue an identity certificate. I don't want to be seen as someone of unknown origin when I return to my hometown to worship my ancestors."”Henn Si's face relaxed. Ma Jun's elegant appearance, fluent American accent, and generous personality had made Henn Si recognize him as a Chinese American. Hearing Ma Jun's request, Henn Si waved her hand and said,"No problem at all, dear Mr. Ma. It's my duty as the American Consul to provide services to American citizens who come to China. We often encounter such things.”Then, he called his secretary over and asked him to get Mr. Ma Jun's identity certificate as soon as possible. He must not delay Mr. Ma's trip.
Ma Jun, who had solved his identity problem, promised the enthusiastic Mr. Henns that he would visit again when he returned to Shanghai. He shook hands with Henns and said goodbye to her, then prepared to explore the terrain around his target and make the final preparations for his operation.
It was still the same old method. He sat on a rickshaw and chatted with the driver to find out about the surrounding situation. At the same time, he used his two eyes to observe the roads and houses along the way. He was also counting the time in his heart. Suddenly, Ma Jun's attention was attracted by the giant poster pasted in front of the Oriental Grand Theater because he saw the name of his "idol's idol"-Zhou Xuan!
Although Ma Jun was less than twenty years old, he was different from many young people who liked Korean dramas and Korean stars. The singer he admired the most was the legendary Teresa Teng, who was known as the " Light of China." As the saying went," Wherever there are Chinese people in the world, Teresa Teng's voice will be the source of their voices." Ma Jun not only liked Teresa Teng's thick and sweet voice, but also her kind and gentle personality. Teresa Teng also had her own idol. Her idol was the " golden voice " who dominated Shanghai in the 1930s and 1940s.
Zhou Xuan, formerly known as Su Pu, was born on August 1, 1920 in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. In 1931, Zhou Xuan joined the Bright Moon Song and Dance Ensemble founded by Li Jinhui. In 1932, she starred in the musical " Special Express," and the song " Special Express " she sang was also made into a record. Zhou Xuan also made a name for herself in the music industry. In the same year, she also participated in the performance of the national salvation opera " Wild Rose." At the end of the performance, she sang the theme song of the opera," The Light of the Nation." One of the lyrics," Fighting with the enemy on the battlefield," was well received by everyone, so Li Jinhui suggested that she change her name to Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan starred in China's first commercial musical,"Three Stars Accompanied by the Moon," and sang the interlude of the film,"When Will You Come Again?" Later, she and Zhao Dan co-starred in the movie "Road Angel," which reflected the fate of the lower class of society. They played the role of Xiao Hong, a singer who was humiliated and bullied in the old society. They also sang two episodes of the movie,"The End of the World Singer" and "The Four Seasons Song"(both later became Teresa Teng's favorites)."Road Angel" not only became Zhou Xuan's representative work after it was released, but it also won her the 12th Figrada Foz International Film Festival Jury Award and the China Film of the Century Award for Outstanding Film. Shanghai Baidai Record Company also specially invited Zhou Xuan to record "The Four Seasons Song" and " She also participated in the performance of the play "Defending Lugou Bridge" and went to the philippines with the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Club to promote resistance against Japan and national salvation. She was a very patriotic artist. She and her peers, Gong Qiuxia, Bai Guang, Li Xianglan, Yao Li, Bai Hong, and Wu Yingyin, were known as the top seven singers in Shanghai. On September 22, 1957, Zhou Xuan, the "Golden Throat", died in Shanghai at the age of 37.
Ma Jun asked the coachman to stop the carriage and walked over to the poster to read it seriously. The content of the poster was very simple. It was to tell people that the "Golden Voice" Zhou Xuan, led by the Xinhua opera company, would perform the opera "Spring" tonight and hoped that the general public would come and support it. After reading the poster, an idea flashed in Ma Jun's mind. He sat back on the rickshaw and asked the coachman calmly,"Master, is this 'Golden Throat' Zhou Xuan very famous?”The coachman already knew that his "distinguished guest" was a "foreign devil" who had just returned to the country, so when he heard Ma Jun's question, he immediately replied,"Sir, you just came back from abroad. It's normal that you haven't heard of the famous Golden Voice. She was a popular actress in Shanghai. She was good-looking and had a good voice. Many big shots liked to support her. Boss Jin, Boss Du, and other big shots would definitely come tonight. Even those foreign high-ranking officials would probably come to support them.”
Ma Jun secretly nodded. It seemed that his guess was not wrong. His lips unconsciously curled slightly and he said in a deep voice, Let's go, Master. Public Settlement."
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]