Chapter 27: Coded Letter

  A bustling construction site with machines roaring everywhere.

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

  Lu Zhong explained to Schneider the framework of the party organization to be established in the company, and the members of the party committee. Lu Zhong's idea was that they would emerge from among the party members in the future leadership of the company union. The company party committee would not interfere with the operation of the company in any way. Its main responsibility would be to safeguard the rights and interests of employees, while using the cohesive force of the party organization to make its own contribution to the development of the enterprise.

  Schneider nodded in satisfaction, puffing on his massive cigar, his deep eyes fixed on Lu Zhen. "Dear Lu," he said, "before I came to China, I studied the culture of your ruling party. Whether it's a company or a civilian team, as long as there is a party presence, it should be the leader of the organization and hold a leading position. Won't what you're doing go against the principles of your party?"

  Lu Zhong smiled and said, "Although this is my suggestion, it has been formally approved by my superior leaders." Among the five members of the Central Committee, two young cadres were liberal reformers. In this Sino-foreign joint venture with foreign capital in control, the establishment and responsibilities of the Party organization were still being explored. It was said that Lu Zhong's suggestion had received strong support from the liberal reform faction. Of course, from a central level perspective, no one knew who the originator of this proposal was or what position Lu Zhong held, as it came from the Wushi City Committee.

  At this time, Lu Zhong was only thinking that if the liberal reformers fell like they usually did in history after a few years, would he be implicated?

  But these thoughts flashed through Lu Zhong's mind, and he thought that when the time comes, there will be a way out. For now, let's just wait and see, there is still plenty of time to do something about it.

  Moreover, it is extremely difficult to set up party organizations in joint ventures controlled by foreign capital. In recent years, the survival of party branches in foreign-controlled enterprises has been relatively difficult, and most of them only nominally exist as party organizations with basically empty party activities. As for establishing a grassroots committee of the party in such enterprises, it is even rarer.

  "I think it's fine if nothing happens, and if something does happen, I'll definitely help if I can." Schneider was very serious and sincere.

  Lu Zhong was slightly stunned, although the contact time was not long, but this German's principle is very strong, and he has always been very serious, saying one is one and two is two, without any polite words like Chinese people.

  So Schnaider's sentence seems to be inconsistent with Lu Zhong's promise in the same trench, making Lu Zhong somewhat perplexed.

  At this time, a silver-gray Mercedes-Benz stopped beside Lu Zhong, the car door opened, and Jiao Ke came down from the driver's seat.

  Schneider smiled and made a welcoming gesture: "Dear Lu, this is your car and your driver."

  Jiao Yan's face was filled with excitement, as a driver, the highest state of life is to be able to drive his dream car, and how many domestic drivers have touched the German Mercedes-Benz?

  At this moment, Old Leader Lu Zhong seemed to have no more interest in the luxurious sedan with smooth curves. After greeting Lu Zhong, Jiao Lei unconsciously returned to the car he had just driven around, fondly wiping off small mud spots on the body with his sleeve.

  "Dear Lu, as the company's party secretary, it is normal for the company to provide you with a car, don't worry about it."

  Listening to Schneider using Chinese thinking to persuade himself, Lu Zhong couldn't help but laugh and say: "Mr. Schneider, if I really get into this Mercedes-Benz, all the cadres in Wushan will tear me apart."

  Schneider seemed to understand the meaning of Lu Zhen's words for a moment, and nodded slightly, saying: "The company still has a Santana assembled by your Shanghai automobile group, let me give it to you?"

  Lu Zhong smiled and said: "Your West German automotive industry is really nothing to talk about."

  Lu Zhong knew that Shanghai Automobile began assembling the Santana in 1982 after obtaining authorization from Volkswagen of Germany, but the first production line was just completed this year. In order to compete for the Chinese market, Volkswagen of Germany and Dodge of the United States had gone through a fierce battle, while it was clear that the German company was more sincere and ultimately won out in the competition.

  Seeing Lu Zhong smile, Schneider's eyes lit up: "Lu, you agree?"

  Lu Zhong waved his hand and said, "We have an old Chinese saying that you can't be the bird flying in front, or else it's easy to get shot by hunters. Mr. Schneider, I appreciate your kindness, but I won't use these cars." Having just refused Yang Wenxue's suggestion to assign cars to the committee members, he turned around and drove away in a luxury sedan himself, making all the committee members fear that they would be treated as enemies from now on.

  Schneider shook his head repeatedly: "You Chinese people think too much, I don't understand and I won't force you. But isn't the bird flying in front something everyone should strive for?"

  Lu Zhong just smiled and said, "Cultural differences, let's not discuss this." He looked at his watch and said, "I should be going too."

  Schneider, however, suddenly pulled out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Lu Zhong, saying: "A letter from an old friend of yours. This old friend also asked me to pass on a message to you - your flute playing sounds great."

  Lu Zhong was stunned for a moment, and then, in his mind, a little girl with a bandage on her head appeared. Was it her? Yes, it must be.

  Does she know Schneider?

  Lu Zheng quietly got on his "little potato" and started the car.

  Jiao Ye only then came back to his senses, hastily chasing after him for two steps, but saw that Little Tuber had already quickly driven out of the factory area, turned a corner, and gone up the shaded path.

  Driving, Lu Zhuo was thinking about the possible relationship between Bai Shaobai and Schneider. The white poplars on both sides flew back quickly, and in front of them was the building cluster of Jiedong University of Technology. This area is all within the planned high-tech development zone. The initial planned area of the development zone is 17.5 square kilometers, with the east district covering 4.5 square kilometers as the basic area of the high-tech zone, which includes one town, nine natural villages, and a population of over 100,000 people. The development positioning of the high-tech zone is mainly focused on electronic high-tech enterprises, while also supporting financial, commercial, residential, and cultural facilities to support the new city district of Wushi City.

  Lu Zheng slowly pulled over and stopped the car, picked up the envelope and tore it open. He was immediately confused, as inside was a sheet of blank paper with only Arabic numerals on it, such as "1637" and "45119", arranged in rows.

  What's the point of this small white cloth package?

  Bai Shuangbao, is he still alive? Lu Zhong let out a long sigh. Later, he called his elder brother-in-law, but was told that Bai Shuangbao had been transferred to another hospital. However, his elder brother-in-law couldn't find out the specific situation either, after all, they weren't close relatives. American hospitals would get sued for leaking patient privacy casually.

  Always worried she would be killed by herself, today this letter is really a good news.

  Lu Zhong glanced unintentionally at these numbers, how afraid was she that others would see this letter? And it's like a password, the problem is, if it's indeed a password, you should also give me a decoding book, right?

  Password? Decoding?

  Bai Sha Bao, from the first time he came into contact with her, felt that this kid was very unusual. On one hand, she faced life and death calmly, on the other hand, her keen sense of business acumen was something even he, a reborn person, could barely keep up with.

  So she wouldn't write a bunch of meaningless numbers for no reason to fool herself, there must be content in the letter.

  Is this the encrypted message? But where is the decryption key? She should have given herself a hint.

  Ruminating over every word he and Mr. Schneider had exchanged, the latter's thick Bavarian accent echoed in his ears: "You old friend asked me to give you a message, your flute playing sounds great."

  Lu Zhong's eyebrows gradually furrowed, and then he started the car.

  ……

  Lu Zhong returned home with an extra book in his hand, "Blood-stained Elegance", a Chinese translation of a German author's work.

  The words that Bai Shaobai brought to himself, ordinary people would naturally think it's just a common greeting, but Lu Zhong thought that if Bai Shaobai wanted to remind himself of what the password book was, then it should be in these words. The music of the flute he played alone in the garden, only he knew, and after Bai Shaobai remembered the melody, he should also be able to find out the origin of the music. Therefore, even if Schneider took the letter and knew the words that Bai Shaobai brought to himself, he would still never guess what the password book was.

  If this numerical arrangement is indeed a password, then using a book as a password book would be a very common practice.

  While searching for books related to And Blooded Wind in the city library, Lu Zhēn suddenly couldn't help but smile wryly. He thought to himself: Is he thinking too much about her? At such a young age, where did she get so many thoughts from?

  It's as if they have a tacit understanding, like a spiritual connection. The white gauze package seems to be such a cunning child, and what she thinks should be the same as what I think.

  In the library, Lu Zhong picked up many books about the Sino-Vietnamese War, but in order to gain more inspiration, he asked the librarian if there were any books related to "Blood-stained Glory". The librarian found some song scores and newspapers, and suddenly mentioned that there was a book by a German author, whose Chinese translation was called "Blood-stained Glory".

  Lu Zhong almost instinctively put down the books he had originally picked out and instead took "Blood-Stained Elegance". After asking the administrator, who told him that there was only one version of the Chinese translation, Lu Zhong drove home.

  If this letter is indeed a cipher written by Bai Su, then she should have investigated the books that can be accessed on the Chinese mainland and used the books she could find as a codebook, otherwise, decoding would be out of the question.

  "Blood-stained Glory" written by a German author? That's this one.