vstars Chapter 692 That is Hope and a New Future
Chapter 692 That is Hope and a New Future
"Nanyang...is it really like they say, where you get land and work as soon as you arrive?" Ke Liu asked, expressing his deepest hope.
Chu Tiankuo carefully wrapped the medal and put it back in his arms, as if it were his last vestige of dignity.
"I hope so. I've heard that the Commander-in-Chief Zhang in Southeast Asia is quite unconventional."
They drove the Japanese away and created something remarkable; now is the perfect time to use their manpower. The promised land redistribution should not be empty talk.
Even if the land isn't distributed, I've heard that factories, mines, and plantations over there are hiring. As long as you're willing to work hard, you won't starve.
He looked at Ke Liu: "And you? What are your plans once you get there?"
Ke Liu scratched his head sheepishly:
"Me? Besides fishing and rowing a boat, I don't have any other skills."
If... if I could really get a paddy field, I'd learn to farm. If not, I'd work as a boatman or at the docks. In short, if I'm strong and willing to work hard, I'll always have food to eat.
His eyes shone with a primal longing for the land.
Chu Tiankuo patted him on the shoulder:
“There will be. We’ll see how things go when we get there. I don’t know if my military experience will be of any use there. If all else fails, I’ll go work as a porter at the docks; that should be enough to get my wife and kids out.”
Ke Liu asked Chu Tiankuo, "Now that it's peaceful, will you still have a chance to take up arms if you go to Southeast Asia?"
Chu Tiankuo chuckled self-deprecatingly, took out a cigarette, but instead of lighting it, he held it under his nose and took a deep sniff of the tobacco.
"Peace? Brother, you think this is a time of peace?"
Ke Liu was taken aback by his question: "Didn't the Japanese surrender? The war is over."
"The Japanese have surrendered, but when will this world ever truly be at peace?"
"Before I set off, I still had some old connections in the military. They told me, 'Peace? It's still a long way off.'"
He lowered his voice, and despite the howling sea wind and the noise on deck, his habitual vigilance remained.
“Look around the South Seas, in Annam. I heard that the Gauls want to go back and continue to be masters, but the local Viet Minh has already gained momentum. They have guns and men and may raise their flag to declare independence at any time.”
And then there's Java, where the local natives have declared their own nation and are locked in fierce battles with the Dutch who are eager to return, as well as the kangaroo soldiers who are helping the Dutch.
What's more troublesome is that I heard the surrendered Japanese soldiers left behind a lot of guns and ammunition in that area, which all benefited the insurgents.
Ke Liu was somewhat bewildered; these place names and events were too far removed from his own experience.
He only knew how to fish and row boats, and at most had heard of fighting the Japanese.
Chu Tiankuo noticed his confusion, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke with a tone of wisdom that came from experience:
“Brother Ke Liu, in the past, when we Chinese went to Southeast Asia, we were able to establish ourselves there for generations. Now that Southeast Asia has been able to establish a nation, what is the key? The first thing is that we are willing to endure hardship and work hard, and we can endure more than anyone else.”
"The second thing..." he clenched his fist, "is that you have to have weapons in your hands and a strong back. Without the protection of a gun, no matter how big your family fortune is, you'll just be a fat sheep in other people's eyes."
Now that Nanyang has been newly established, chaos has already arisen in the surrounding areas. If the Chinese want to truly establish themselves and prevent others from bullying them, is it possible without a capable and trustworthy army?
He paused, a hint of eagerness in his voice:
"So, I reckon that once I get there, a veteran like me who has fought and seen bloodshed, as long as I have a clean record and am willing to be loyal, might have a chance to put on my uniform again. In times of great chaos, it is the time for warriors to serve."
Ke Liu nodded as if he understood, but he did not. He understood the last sentence: a good man like Brother Chu might still have a chance in Southeast Asia, and he wouldn't actually have to go to the docks to carry heavy loads.
This made him feel a little happy for this new friend.
Of course, there was something Chu Tiankuo kept to himself, a deeper and more secret thought.
As a victorious nation, Southeast Asia had the right to station troops on Japanese soil.
He, Chu Tiankuo, a veteran who fought throughout the entire War of Resistance against Japan and bears scars from Japanese bullets, longed to wear a military uniform, set foot on the Japanese archipelago, and become a member of the occupying forces.
That would be the most symbolic tribute to his eight years of wartime youth, and the best commemoration to the countless comrades who sacrificed their lives.
But he knew it was too difficult.
Such an honor and mission would surely be given to the most elite, loyal, and politically reliable troops in Southeast Asia.
As an "outsider" who joined the cause halfway through his life, and one who came from the White Army, his chances were extremely slim.
He could only bury this thought deep in his heart, turning it into a regret that he could not tell outsiders.
A few days later, at dawn, as the first rays of intense sunlight pierced the thin mist over the sea, the sailors on the watchtower shouted with all their might, "Singapore! We can see Singapore!"
The shout was like cold water poured into boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire "Singapore Peace Ship".
The drowsiness, fatigue, and even the sickly appearance were all dispelled by an urgent desire.
People surged from the sweltering hold onto the deck like a tidal wave, crowding into every available corner, craning their necks, and greedily gazing at the land that was gradually becoming clearer.
For the Chinese who dared to venture to Southeast Asia, this was how their city of longing and dreams came to be!
Ke Liu gripped the cold iron railing tightly, standing on tiptoe.
The first thing that catches the eye is a lush, almost oily green – the endless tropical rainforest and coconut groves along the coastline.
Then, neat lines appeared along the edge of the green – a pier, a huge, modern concrete pier, like the arm of a giant extending into the sea.
On the dock, towering gantry cranes with crisscrossing tracks are moored several ocean-going vessels much larger than the "Singapore Peace" with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.
Further away, the city's silhouette emerges in the morning light.
No longer are the low, crowded arcade buildings and gray tiled roofs of Guangzhou, but rows of new-style buildings, three or four stories, five or six stories, and even taller buildings, with glass windows reflecting dazzling light in the sunlight.
Wide streets were faintly visible, and vehicles moved like beetles.
Everything looked so neat, orderly, and full of energy.
"This...this is Southeast Asia?" Ke Liu murmured to himself, utterly shocked.
He imagined Southeast Asia to be a rich but primitive wilderness, perhaps with bustling markets, but he never imagined it to be such a brand-new scene full of modern industrial atmosphere.
This was a completely different world from the dilapidated banks of the Pearl River and his life drifting along on a small boat.
Chu Tiankuo stood beside him, equally mesmerized, but his soldier's instincts allowed him to observe more closely.
He saw the Nanyang police, dressed in uniform khaki and armed but disciplined, skillfully maintaining order on the dock.
I saw the quarantine station and immigration registration office with their prominent signs, and the tarpaulins were neatly arranged.
I saw medical staff in white coats.
Efficient and meticulous – this was an organizational strength he had envisioned in his ideals but had never truly witnessed in the old army and bureaucratic system.
The "Sin Chew Peace" sounded its horn, slowly adjusted its posture, and moved toward its designated berth.
As we got closer, everything on the dock became clearer.
The welcoming banner read in huge Chinese characters: Welcome new compatriots, build a new Nanyang!
Staff members held up a loudspeaker and guided passengers in Mandarin: "Please do not crowd, take your belongings with you, disembark in order, and undergo health checks and registration first."
The gangplank was attached to the side of the ship, making a heavy thud.
The crowd began to move slowly forward.
Chu Tiankuo took a deep breath and patted Ke Liu, who was still in a daze, on the shoulder: "Brother, we've reached the shore. The ground beneath our feet is solid."
Ke Liu came to his senses, feeling the last slight sway of the deck beneath his feet as it approached the shore, before it came to a complete stop.
He nodded heavily, shrugging the small blue cloth bundle on his shoulder even higher, as if to shoulder a brand new life.
He glanced back one last time at the "Singapore Peace," the ship that had carried him across the ocean to bid farewell to the past, then turned away, his eyes hardening, and followed the flow of people ahead, stepping onto the gangplank connecting the ship to the land.
My footsteps landed on the hard, steady, and unshakeable cement ground.
The salty sea breeze still blows, but it is now mixed with the fragrance of tropical flowers, the smell of sun-warmed asphalt roads, and a vibrant, bustling vitality.
The sunlight poured down without reservation, illuminating every face filled with weariness, anticipation, anxiety, and hope.
A new life officially began on this solid, unfamiliar, yet full of possibilities land.
Whether there will truly be gunfire and violence in the future, Chu Tiankuo didn't know, and Ke Liu couldn't possibly imagine.
At this moment, they are just two of the thousands of ordinary people searching for a way to survive and heading to a new shore, striving to take their first step under this scorching sun.
In the future, countless Chinese like the two will gradually migrate to Southeast Asia through various channels...