novelaction Chapter 1003: Good News Finally Arrives
Chapter 1003: Good News Finally Arrives
Zhou Hong has the mentality that "a fool wouldn't take advantage of a bargain," so without saying a word, she followed Gui'er to the coffee shop on the second floor.
Gui'er had her order a coffee, and then she ordered one for herself and some snacks, wondering how to bring up Zhou Hong and Chen Zhongyu's business.
Zhou Hong spoke first: "Gui'er, are you alright? I heard you've been pressured into marriage recently."
Gui'er thought for a moment and immediately seized the opportunity to say, "Oh, how come you know about this? Who told you? Could it be Brother Chen?"
Zhou Hong smiled calmly and said, "Don't underestimate the intelligence we have as a newspaper. Hong Kong isn't that big. How much can happen on the ground? All those powerful and influential people are being watched. You really suffered an undeserved disaster this time. You'd better be careful in the future."
Gui'er was quite surprised. She seemed genuinely concerned about her, and she couldn't help but smile gratefully, saying, "Thank you so much. Nobody wants this to happen. By the way, you know that Brother Chen's bookstore has moved to a different location? Let's go visit sometime. It's not far from here."
“I know, let’s do it another day. There are so many eyes and ears around his old place, it’s good to change it. I’ve reminded him to be careful before, but he always thinks it’s safer here than inland, so he didn’t take it to heart.”
Gui'er now understood why Lin Peishan was wary, but it did sound like a very close relationship.
"Eyeliner? What eyeliner? I go there to buy books every few days, how come I've never heard Brother Chen mention it?"
“What’s there for him to talk to a kid like you about? You should try to avoid going there unless you have something to do. Of course, you can go if Old Chen asks you to,” Zhou Hong said.
Gui'er was even more confused; these words sounded like something an elder would say.
"Oh, okay, isn't it because of my classmate Lin Peishan that I go there so often? She's dating Brother Chen." Gui'er said this deliberately.
"Hey, just be careful. By the way, didn't you say you wanted to write ad copy? I don't have any on hand, but you could write some romantic tales of wealthy families."
"How would I know anything about scandalous affairs in wealthy families?"
"Honestly, you're such a bullshit. Weren't you forced into marriage by that Ouyang Bao? Why don't you write an article about this and the cause of Ouyang Bao and that dancer's death? Everyone loves to read this kind of thing. No one will care whether it's true or false. Besides, I know that Ouyang Bao forced you into marriage, so everyone else must know too. Girls are easily stigmatized in this era. You can just clear your name."
Gui'er thought this was a good idea, but she was a little confused as to why Zhou Hong would help her like this, since she used to cut her royalties to the bone.
"I can write, but how much will I get paid? And if people find out I'm writing this, won't it implicate me even more if it gets reported?"
"Are you stupid? Aren't you anonymous? Why don't you use a pseudonym? Everyone likes this kind of article, about the rich and powerful, their romantic affairs. Some people buy newspapers just to read this kind of stuff. The price is 100 yuan."
"How much?" Gui'er almost spat out her coffee. She hadn't expected this to be so lucrative. "I'll write it. I'll go back and write it right away," she readily agreed.
When she got home, she realized that Zhou Hong still hadn't responded to what was going on between her and Chen Zhongyu. She hadn't found out anything.
The next day, Lin Peishan asked Gui'er with great anticipation. Gui'er apologized and told her that she hadn't found out anything, but according to Zhou Hong, it seemed that there was nothing unusual about it with Chen Zhongyu.
Lin Peishan was somewhat disappointed, but she said firmly, "That's right, I know he definitely won't mess around. I plan to formally introduce him to my parents, and then we'll get engaged."
Gui'er was startled: "What engagement? Are you sure? Isn't this too early?"
Lin Peishan said, "We're all getting old. My friends who stopped studying have all had children. My father was reluctant to agree to my insistence on continuing my studies. If I don't settle down with Zhongyu, he'll definitely drag me to go on blind dates with those rich young men."
"Then Brother Chen, he..."
Lin Peishan blushed slightly and said, "Actually, when we parted last time, we didn't know if we would ever see each other again. At that time, I told him that if we met again, he should marry me, and he agreed."
Gui'er thought it was a bit frivolous, but then she thought, didn't she make a marriage agreement with Sha Yanxiao right before they parted? She still firmly believed in that marriage agreement.
The thought of Sha Yanxiao caused Gui'er's heart to ache again. Now in Hong Kong, she eagerly reads the newspapers and listens to the radio every day to get news from the mainland, but there is not a single good news. The radio broadcasts are all about uniting everyone to resist foreign enemies, but at the same time, there are all kinds of atrocities committed by the Japanese army, as well as oral accounts from people who came from the mainland, which allow her to more directly feel their fear and lingering dread.
After school that day, Gui'er suddenly saw a lot of people on the road from inside the car. They were excitedly spreading the news, and some were even waving their newspapers and discussing something.
"What happened? They seem quite happy."
"Miss, you don't know? The Japanese army invaded Changsha, but we drove them back and won a great victory!" Acheng said excitedly, handing over a newspaper as he spoke.
Gui'er quickly spread it out.
"The fierce battle in northern Hunan has finally brought good news! Since the middle of this month, when the Japanese invaders led 100,000 troops to attack Changsha, Commander Xue Yue of the Ninth War Zone led his troops to meet them. After more than 20 days of bloody fighting, by the afternoon of the 29th, the enemy had completely collapsed and fled. The first Battle of Changsha was a great victory!"
In this battle, the Japanese invaders, carrying over a hundred aircraft and dozens of tanks, attacked Changsha in three columns, boasting that they would "capture the city in ten days." Our army, following the "Heavenly Furnace Strategy," first resisted step by step at the Xinqiang River and Miluo River, wearing down the enemy's strength; when the enemy penetrated deeper, ambushes were set up to cut off their retreat, and the main force then set up a defensive line around Changsha to encircle and attack. A battalion at the Xinqiang River was completely wiped out but still held its position to the death, and a night raid team at the Miluo River blew up the enemy's bridge to stop their advance. The soldiers' loyalty and bravery terrified the enemy.
By the 25th, the enemy was exhausted and our army launched a full-scale counterattack, with air support bombing the enemy's retreat routes. In the end, about 20,000 Japanese soldiers were killed or wounded, more than 10,000 weapons were captured, and lost territories such as Pingjiang were recovered.
General Xue Yue told our special correspondent at the front: "The victory in northern Hunan is the result of the bravery of all our soldiers and the support of the people. Although the Japanese invaders are fierce, they cannot stop the determination of the Chinese people to defend their homeland! If the enemy attacks again, the soldiers of our Ninth War Zone will surely give them a head-on blow and vow to live and die with Changsha!"
The central government also sent a telegram commending all officers and soldiers of the Ninth War Zone, stating that this battle "greatly boosted national prestige, inspired public morale, and laid a solid foundation for the protracted war of resistance." Local civilian groups organized numerous delegations to offer condolences and supplies to the front lines in northern Hunan to support the army's resistance against Japan.